To Boldly Go Where Everyone Has Gone Before

I’m Alive!

Date: March 19, 2021

Music Video of the Day: Happy 19th Day of Women’s History Month !

Appropriately in theme all around.

Interstellar News: My week from hell.

Monday – I spent all day super anxious because I am phobic of needles. It’s called Trypanophobia and it’s panic response to needles and injections. I have it so bad that I can pass out or literally be scared to death, so giving blood has never been a thing I can do. I was not going to get vaccinated and just stay away from folks as long as it took for herd immunity to kick in, but then Johnson and Johnson came out with their vaccine and I was eligible and got an appointment. My emotional support husband and the astral form of a dear and beloved friend were there to help me through it, and a super understanding and patient doctor who stabbed me, and I survived the Ides of March by getting stabbed once. I spent the rest of the evening coming down from my anxiety and having arm pain.

As Mr. Malhame would say in high school history class… “Hail Ceasar!”

Tuesday – I had two meetings in the morning and was doing okay until lunch, aside from the arm pain, and then all of the side effects started to come on. Some mixture of body aches, headaches, nausea, fever, and just being overall really fucking tired. I did not sleep well, though it was not for lack of cat and dog nurses trying their best.

Wednesday – I woke up with a 100 degree fever, took some Motrin, and skipped my morning meeting for some more sleep. I taught class as best I could, thank the universe for me scheduling a panel and having an awesome co-instructor, and then went back to bed until the afternoon. Then I slept some more. I may have had water and chicken broth, but there was absolutely a lot of sleeping.

sweet dreams, good night puppy. — *Sweet dreams indeed*.

Thursday – I thought I was getting back to normal, but I was still incredibly nauseous and still very tired. There was a bit more work done but also a lot more sleeping. I also helped do an outreach event but it was great to have some student ambassadors to help out too.

Friday (today) – My appetite finally came back, I got some work done, and I got to watch Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope with our friends via a watch party. Did I mention I ATE ALL THE THINGS?

I am so thankful that there’s a one shot vaccine, that I was eligible and able to get an appointment, and I have a wonderful team at work that was able to hold down the fort while I was feeling awful. I’m finally starting to come out of this thing and I was not expecting to get knocked on my ass so much. If you get the two shot, one shot, can’t get vaccinated, or whatever… continue to stay safe, stay masked, wash your hands, and be kind.

TA Out!

Happy Pi(e) Day 2021

Date: March 14, 2021

Music Videos of the Day: Happy 14th Day of Women’s History Month and Pi(e) Day!

I don’t really like Madonna, but she’s a hell of a performer and this is the best song for today’s holiday/

Interstellar News: This weekend did not go at all as planned. Saturday errands suddenly happened and took longer than expected, plus an unplanned lunch date. Sunday (today) was spent at a 1st birthday party (socially distanced and outside in the wonderful weather) and then helping a friend move and get groceries for the week. We had planned to celebrate Pi(e) day making semi-homemade pizza, but instead we’re celebrating my late mother’s birthday a day early and pushing pizza back until tomorrow. We ate Popeye’s in her memory and cupcakes from River’s birthday for dessert (River’s middle name is the same as my mom’s first).

Popeye's chicken sandwich — *Louisiana Fast…*

Tomorrow I will celebrate the Ides of March (and my mom’s actual birthday) by getting stabbed thanks to Team Johnson and Johnson. As always wash your hands, wear your mask, sign up to get vaccinated if/when you can, tell those you love how you feel, be excellent to each other, live long and prosper, party on dudes, and may the Force be with us all.

TA Out!

Sports Night: “What Kind of Day Has It Been?”

Date: March 13, 2021

Season 1, Episode 23

Music Video of the Day: Happy 13th Day of Women’s History Month!

I saw her in concert in 2018 or 2019 and she was still amazing.

Interstellar News: I had a wonderful lunch date with the husband person (hamburgers in the car) and then we got a bunch of free or nearly free stuff from the grocery store and then I watched the first half of a Deep Space Nine documentary.

Favorite Quote:

Casey: So what’s the problem?
Dana: Well, Casey, it’s pretty complicated. This is a sophisticated instrument.
Casey: Uh huh.
Dana: It’s not any one thing, and it would be difficult to explain to anyone who didn’t have at least an intermediate background in photography, but, by and large, it’s that I put the film in backwards. (Casey chuckles) What?
Casey: Nothing, I just think you’re funny.
This is directly after she tells Gordon ” I was a lot funnier than you ever gave me credit for being.”.

the group posing for a picture — *“Get in your places. Here we go!”*

Season 1 ends with this absolutely beautiful episode. There are two moments that always make me cry and two bits that always stick with me.

“In your lifetime, you’ll never embarrass me.”: Moment one that makes me cry is when Charlie and Casey have their talk and Casey “dads up” big time. It’s such a wonderful parent and child moment and I love it so much. It’s the first time we see Charlie in person, though he’s mentioned often. Dan also does a great job in calling Charlie out on his fib, but also trying to figure out why it happened.

Charlie McCall — *“But I can’t play. And I lied ’cause I didn’t want to embarrass you. I’m sorry.”*

“Are you thinking of getting my show on the air any time soon?” Moment two that makes me cry is when Isaac makes his triumphant return to the office just as Dana is losing it over absolutely nothing going right that day. He says the right thing at the right time in only the way he can, and he does the same with Dan and Casey as they politely rib him a bit. It’s an absolutely beautifully done scene and tugs the heartstrings every damn time.

Isaac Jaffey talking to Dan and Casey — *“Out six weeks on the DL with a stroke? I’ve seen gored matadors get up off the floor faster than you.”*

“Your haberdashery parable cleared it all up for me.” The other two moments that stick with me are Natalie and Jeremy and Gordon and Dana. Jeremy is stuck on the “ninth inning rally” and he’s going on and on about it and Natalie just smiles and nods. She’s finally realized it’s better to just let him roll with it and it’s wonderful to see where they are in their relationship. It’s been a hell of a ride since the pilot until now for both of them. Gordon and Dana’s bit sticks out because Dana knows what’s coming but she doesn’t and then they have to walk allllllll the way through the newsroom, all the while Dana is fielding questions, only to finally wind up in Isaac’s office so they can break up. Dana hides it well until the camera doesn’t work for the second time that day because it’s much easier to lose it over something inconsequential than it is to give in at the moment it happens. These two bits help round out the episode, but the above feel-good moments are what makes it one of my favorite episodes of Sports Night.

TA Out!

Sports Night: “Napoleon’s Battle Plan”

Napoleon about to go down the water slide in BILL AND TED

Date: March 12, 2021

Season 1, Episode 22

Music Video of the Day: Happy 12th Day of Women’s History Month!

The entire “Falling Into You” album is amazing.

Interstellar News: It was 80 degrees today! It’s my Godmother’s 70th birthday! We got the wrong DoorDash order, but then it got refunded so we got 12 free chocolate glazed Krispy Kreme donuts! Two of my very dear friends got their second shot today! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT! Also, I’m YouTube famous… check me out!

Favorite Quote:

Natalie: But you know about sharing.
Jeremy: Yes.
Natalie: And you know about punishment.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Natalie: Good.
Jeremy doesn’t know what’s going on half the time, but he knows enough.

“Gordon, I’ve been strange my entire life.”: Casey and Dan are without their pants! Jeremy doesn’t want to donate blood and Casey doesn’t have a plan so Dan tells Natalie who tells Dana about Gordon and Sally. This episode really brings to a head the big arc of this season that started all the way back in “Intellectual Property” where we meet Gordon. Everyone is pulling for Casey, which says a lot about both Casey and Gordon, but Dana doesn’t have all of the information. Casey is both worried about his image in Dana’s eyes and also hurting her in several different ways. Dana surprises everyone, including maybe herself, but staying with Gordon despite his dalliance. On her values scale she seems to be more interested in getting married and settling down, but she’s not seeing how much she’s compromising. Gordon already doesn’t like her job, and I doubt it’s going to give him the warm fuzzies to not have his wife by his side because she’s running a sports show. It’s an understandable decision, however, because I’m on the outside and can see the situation from the high ground (both an in-episode joke AND a Star Wars reference, teehee). When you’re in love and want something and someone so bad, it’s sometimes possible that you make the worst decisions, or at least ones that don’t really help you in the long run.

Napoleon from BILL AND TED — Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.

I love that no one cares that Jeremy doesn’t want to give blood, for me it’s totally the needles. I also love that Dan and Casey are without pants at least twice and need to walk through the entire office and do part of the show without their pants on. I love how Natalie immediately goes to tell Dana and Dan waits to tell Casey, but I also love that Dan later has second thoughts that he can’t take back. I forgot how very much I love Natalie and how this episode made me upset with Dana because I knew she deserved better. Not necessarily Casey, but at least someone who appreciated her more and understood how important her job was to her. I’ll cover the season finale tomorrow, likely, unless I get more Trek watched.

TA Out!

Sports Night: “Ten Wickets”

Date: March 11, 2021

Season 1, Episode 21

Music Videos of the Day: Happy 11th Day of Women’s History Month and 311 day!

I am so absolutely in love with this song.

Happy 311 day! Also, listen to “Amber” while you’re at it.

Interstellar News: I was on my first Virtual Dragon Con Panel tonight thanks to Gary and Joe at the American Sci-Fi Classics Track. Check them out on your favorite social media platform!

Favorite Quote:

Jeremy: Here’s something: “Raj Rajhan edged a humble snorter to the slips where Suarav Ganguly dived to his right to pick up a low snatch.”
The humble snorter went straight to the slips and the snatch was obviously lower than it ordinarily is.
Casey: Yes.
Jeremy: I’m getting to the bottom of this.
No one knows anything about cricket.

A cricket game — *“It’s not that hard to understand. There’s a bowler, see, and there’s a batsman.”*

“What market analyst wouldn’t love an antique abacus from Dang Luck?“: It’s a week after the bomb threat, Dana’s forgetting things, Natalie still won’t let Jeremy break up with her, and Dan is hoping Rebecca will choose him. Plus there’s something amazing happening in a Cricket match, but no one understands the sport enough to actually know what’s going on. This episode has such high highs and low lows, and it’s wonderful. Casey won’t let the bomb threat go and he’s still mad at Dana, they have this fantastic argument and then later make up and it shows the depth of their friendship. Jeremy finally lets Natalie back in, even though she never left, and it’s wonderful because they’re absolutely adorable together. Dan is the real heartbreak here as Rebecca decides to give it another go with her husband. It’s the right decision for her but it devastates Dan, though I admire his perseverance and his ability to stay sober until the show is over. Casey also gets a blow when Dana drops the bomb (sorry, couldn’t help myself) that Gordon’s going to ask her to marry him. This sets up so many things that are going to happen in the next few episodes, and it’s an important episode. I absolutely love drunk Dan, Jeremy desperately trying to understand cricket, and how you know exactly what Rebecca’s going to say the minute she shows up on set. Oh well, let’s just blame it all on Jerry Falwell.

TA Out!