Thoughts On The (Disastrous) Current US Presidency Using GIFs From The (Wonderful) Show 'Community'

November 8th, 2016, started out normally. There were nerves, but they were minor. The polls seemed to be pointing to a win for Clinton. How Trump had managed to get this far, we didn't know. He was a ridiculous buffoon, a reality-TV hack who was about as un-Presidential as you could get.

But we had the hope that he'd be put in his place by that evening. Clinton would win, we'd be able to celebrate our first female President, and life would go on pretty much the way it'd been going on for years.

Except that's not what happened.

Somehow, he got enough electoral votes to win.

Turned out, enough people actually thought he might be a good leader... or something.

Now we were nervous. 

But... maybe his pre-election "promises" had just been hogwash talk. Maybe he wouldn't really do all of the horrible things he'd promised to do, like build a freaking wall between the US and Mexico and kill the Affordable Care Act. 

Oh. Okay.

But what about his loyal followers? What would it take for them to realize they'd been duped?

After all, there was his string -- nay, giant ball of yarn -- of lies...

His refusal to condemn white nationalists should be a major red flag, right?

Nope, he still had supporters.

There was his sadistic determination to kill Obamacare any way, anyhow, no matter what replaced it and who lost their insurance in the process.

And then there's his complete ineptitude when it comes to handling anything maturely and responsibly, which might just lead to us getting nuked by North Korea in the near future.

But at least he's reliable about one thing....

I am so embarrassed for my country.

More than once over the past nine months, I've woken up and thought: "That psycho being president was a bad dream, right?"

Sometimes I just want to pretend I AM in a dream, or an alternate reality, where Clinton won, and things are relatively predictable and sane.

But then I remember our reality is the darkest timeline.

My instinct is to act accordingly....

But where there is still an ounce of hope left in the world, I'll continue living in this messed-up timeline, trying to make the best of it.

Even when I do this at least three times a day...

Because what's the alternative?

I'll continue going to work each day, loving on all my students, little kids who hail from all corners of the globe, speak one or two of dozens of languages, and who live in daily fear that their homes will be raided and their will be families deported.

I will continue creating art.

I will continue being kind.

And I will continue to remind myself:

Where there is darkness, shine a light.

Where there is hate, inundate it with love.

Where there is ignorance, educate.

And where there is a chance of impeachment... hope the heck out.

Molly Goes To Minnesota: Part 1

Or do I?

So. I knew I wanted to go somewhere. I just couldn't decide on where. So many places yet unvisited, so much indecision in my wacky brain. 

For months I longingly watched Rick Steves videos (Europe!) and perused cruiseline message boards (the open sea!) and considered going to at least 3 different Lego conventions sprinkled around the United States (Lego!)

But when I heard that the Rifftrax guys would be doing a live show in July, I immediately said, that. That's what I'll do. 

In the past, I'd briefly considered going to one of their live shows (typically held in Nashville) but they were often during the school year. Now, here they were doing one in the summer, when I could totally go. Problem: for the longest time, they weren't saying where it was going to be held. It was this big secret. But I decided that once they finally revealed the location, I'd buy plane tickets for that city and visit. Wherever that happened to be. (Crossing my fingers for somewhere nice? And not hot? And not Texas?)

So then they did the big reveal, and it was Minneapolis! Cue the Googling of "Things to do in Minneapolis," and soon I was sold. I bought the plane tickets, booked a motel that was kind of central to all the things I wanted to do, made one of those Countdown memes and stuck it on my blog, and then started planning.

My main attractions

I decided to stay at the La Quinta Inn on Nicollet Avenue, because it is central to the Rifftrax theater and the Minnesota Zoo (which I decided was a must-see), it's near the Mall of America (MoA) and the airport, and LQs have free breakfast. Plus, I've stayed at La Quintas before, and their prices are reasonable.

Looking at MoA's website, I got excited about several attractions, including the Lego Store, Aquarium, Mirror Maze, and the special exhibit Barbie's Dreamhouse Experience. (I am a former Barbie Girl, tyvm.) I concluded I could probably spend a day at the mall. Then a day at the zoo. And a course a day for Rifftrax in the evening, and...? Something. But what?

I jotted a few things that looked interesting: tours on the Mississippi via showboat, a sculpture garden, tours of old houses, a couple of museums... and decided to just wake up each day of my trip and just do whatever I felt like doing.

Was it a good plan? Well....

Day 1

My trip began on Wednesday, July 9th. I had a mid-afternoon flight, and a whole lot of anxiety. I always freak out right before trips. Why? I don't even know. Once the plane is in the air, I'm good, but that 24 hours before I leave for the airport? I'm hugging my cats like I'll never see them again and asking myself WHYYYY DID YOU DO THIS???

My first flight was okay. Delta has communal video screens, and at one point they played an old episode of Community. Sadly, my headphone port was faulty. Still, I vaguely remembered the episode's plot and was able to sort of follow along.

Troy and Abed on an aaaaiiiirplane!

My plane landed in Minneapolis around 9pm midwest time, and I called to make sure a shuttle from LQ was on its way (it was! Hurray for free shuttles!) By 9:30, I was checked in to the motel and standing in my room.

Which reeked of stale smoke.

(Side note: my new camera is awesome, except sometimes it turns indoor shots a weird yellowish shade. I'm working on figuring out why. So just... pardon the yellow.)

Still, the room was clean, as Mary Poppins would note, and after opening the window as far as it would go (8 inches) and turning on the AC, the smell seemed to eventually clear, and by my second night there, I wasn't bothered by it at all.

The AC unit, however, proved to be a bit of a problem. It was so hot & humid in Minneapolis that turning on the AC was necessary -- but it kept going off, then on, then off, then on, and it was loud! During the night, whenever it would switch off/on, I'd wake up. (The next three nights I turned my Kindle into a sound machine (thanks free LQ wifi + youtube!) and that helped. I know you care about my sleeping patterns.)

Day 2 (Morning)

On Thursday, I got up, had the LQ breakfast, then caught the first Mall Of America shuttle from the motel at 10am (it goes to the mall every 2 hours starting at 10; it goes to the airport every hour starting at dawn; now you know.) 

Now, let me start by saying I was prepared to not be blown away by the Mall Of America, mostly because I'd already visited the West Edmonton Mall (North America's largest mall, about 25% bigger than the MoA), and had only been mildly impressed by that. But, like I said, I was interested in seeing some of their exclusive attractions, so to the mall I went. And first up? Oh, what do you think??

Yep. I went to the Lego Store. And while I was impressed by the sheer size of the pick-a-brick wall, and I enjoyed seeing the large-scale models, when it comes right down to it -- it's just a Lego store. Bigger than the one at our mall, but still, just a Lego Store. They didn't sell anything that you couldn't find at our Lego Store -- they just had more of everything.

So because they had nothing I hadn't seen before, and because Minnesota charges sales tax, and because I knew I'd have to schlep whatever I bought home on a plane, I bought absolutely nothing. Miracle?

* * * * *

So! That was my first day & first morning. Stay tuned for Part 2, in which I visit Barbie's Dreamhouse, go somewhere even cooler than Barbie's Dreamhouse (is that even possible?), and get ready to head toward Downtown Minneapolis for some shark & snark....

TV Shows I Watched This Year (2013)

* * * TV Shows I Watched In 2013 * * *

Compare to: 2011, 2012

Pan Am on DVD

Even though this made my list 2 years ago (when the short-lived series was on the air) it was only this year that I got to go back and watch all the episodes on DVD. It really was a well-written show, and the era (early 60s) was a treat to visit. I'll add it to my list of series that ended too soon (which is topped by Wonderfalls, which, now that I think about it, is due to be re-watched. Yeees.)

Felicity (season 1) on DVD

Fun fact: Felicity was my age. She graduated high school and started college the same year I did. Yet she always seemed much older than me, and I could not relate, so I rarely watched the series when it was on the air. Fast-forward fifteen years, and I still don't feel I can relate to this girl. She's just so... I don't know. Such an old soul. Meanwhile, the series can be pretty... heavy. And certain elements have not aged well. But I may just stick with it.

Tiny Toon Adventures on DVD

Some shows from my childhood are still enjoyable to me today. This, however, doesn't seem to be one of them. :(

Love It Or List It (random episodes) on OnDemand

My cousin turned me on to this show, which is half a realty/house-hunting show and half a remodeling show. The best of both! A family who is unhappy with their current dwelling for some reason, usually having to do with the arrangement of the space, safety issues, or the fact that it just really needs an update, give an interior designer X amount of money to make their house awesome (usually said amount of money is only enough to make it sort of awesome.) Meanwhile, a realtor shows the folks some nearby houses that already may suit their needs and desires. In the end, will they choose to stay in their sort-of-awesome house, or move to one of the new ones? Yay hard decisions!

Call The Midwife, Series 2 (2013 in the USA) on PBS

Still a great show! In fact, on Sunday night, 12/29, they aired an all-new Christmas special, which I found out about, um, 5 minutes in. But hey, I saw most of it! There were lots of changes in series 2. Spoiler alert: Chummy had a baby! Sister whatsherface is no longer a nun! And she likes Doctor whatshisname! I jest; I really do adore this show.

Community, Season 4 on NBC

Poor Community has been bounced around so many times by NBC it's amazing it's still on the air. Season 4, which was supposed to debut in September, 2012, didn't begin until well into 2013, and because they had not planned it to air so, we experienced the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas episodes in the wrong time of year. Oh well. Many fans were disappointed with season 4. For me, it was hit and miss. There were some dumb episodes, but there were some good ones, too. Season 5 premieres JANUARY 2 and I'm so excited!

Last Tango In Halifax on PBS
I had to add this one after I originally published this post, because somehow I totally forgot about it! (For shame.) This very touching, somewhat soapy but mostly lovable British show was about two older people who knew each other as youths and reconnected decades later via Facebook -- and fell in love. Before long, they were engaged, and as the series unfolded, we learned more about them, their past, and their respective families (each has a daughter whose life is falling to pieces.) Toward the end of the first series, things got pretty sad, but I've heard the show will return for a second series, and maybe everything will turn out okay? It had better!


Downton Abbey, Series 3 on PBS
Someone recently asked me if I was planning watch DA Series 4 when it airs here next month and I said no, I'm done with this show. They asked me if the last straw was when (uh, spoiler alert?) Matthew died, and I said, No, I've disliked the show ever since Matthew bounded up out of his wheelchair somewhat miraculously. And that was back in series 2! I don't know why I watched 3. But hey, I did, and now I'm done. Honest. (Please refer back to this post in 2 months when I will proceed to eat my words. Thank you.)


Merlin, Season 1 & 2 on DVD

I have not grown tired of this show, which I started Netflixing last year. It's so funny, and I love the medieval elements. Still hate Arthur's dad, Uther, but they've given him fewer storylines lately, so whatever. I know he'll die someday (I'M SORRY, BUT HE'S AWFUL!) Merlin continues to learn new magic and try to keep it hidden. The chemistry between Arthur and Merlin is hilarious. Yes, the show is still super ridiculous, but I love it anyway.


Other shows I watched, Sometimes: Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, American Pickers, Auction Kings, Auction Hunters, Antiques Roadshow, Property Wars, Survivor, America's Next Top Model Cycle 20 (I know, I know...)

TV Shows I Saw This Year

So this list should be pretty self-explanatory: TV Shows... things that were seen on the television. However, I got some of these from Netflix, so some are from years past. Also, I've included both TV shows and TV miniseries. (TV-Movies went on my films lists.) Confused yet? No? Then let's get this started.

--------------

Awake, Season 1 (2012)

WAHHH, this poor little short-lived show! Jason Isaacs is so awesome!*Moment of silence.* 

So, what's next?

Call The Midwife, Series 1 (2012 in the USA)

Though Series One only consisted of a handful of episodes, I really enjoyed them. It's about these nurses/midwifes who work for, and help poor people, alongside a group of nuns, in England, in the early 50s. It's based on the memoirs of an actual nurse from that era. I found it all fascinating -- the way medicine was practiced back then, the clothes/uniforms, the way the characters interact. It's all just delightful. I'm happy to hear Series Two is in the works.

Community, Season 3 (2011-2012)

The past 12 months have been pretty tumultuous for both the show and its fans. First it seemed as if it had been cancelled, but fans rallied and NBC gave us more episodes. Then the show was scheduled to return to the airwaves this October, but two weeks before the big day, it was postponed to February. That said, season 3 was full of much goodness. Community is so creative, so crazy, so funny. I can hardly wait for February, 2013, when my Thursday nights can start rocking again! #sixseasonsandamovie

Downton Abbey, Series 2 (2012 in the USA)
All right, so Series One was fun and intriguing. Series Two, on the other hand, got very soap-opera-y and goofy. My "favorite" moment was when Matthew was in the wheelchair, and they'd made this whole big deal out of how he'd never walk again, never father any children, and was no good for Lady Mary. When, all of a sudden, he leaped right out of his chair (to save Mary)! He could walk! A BLOOMIN MIRACLE! Lord help us all, these writers need to all be smacked. Will I watch Series 3? I'm sure I will. But honestly.

Bleak House, Miniseries (2005)
Charles Dickens meets Downton Abbey -- that's the best way I can describe Bleak House. It was full of quirky, spooky, and oddball characters, such as the sad, mysterious Lady Dedlock, played by Gillian Anderson, the smooth but sinister Mr. Tulkinghorn, and Guppy, who would surely give Uriah Heep a run for his creepy money. But unlike Downton, where characters often leave and then come back a few episodes later (we're baaacck!) Dickens just seemed to enjoy killing everybody off. And so Bleak House is, indeed, pretty... uh, well, bleak... but the series is also captivating and fairly enjoyable.



Game Of Thrones, 2 Episodes (2010)
I know this show is hugely popular, and I thought I'd like it, too, because I enjoy medieval/castle stuff, fantasy, etc. But what was with the constant sex? I mean, every time the camera turned a corner it seemed to be catching someone -- rather, two someones -- in the act. Meh. I don't care if  characters want to get it on, but do we need to see it the nudity and hear the grunting five times per episode?

So you fans can keep your show, and I have instead turned my enjoyment of medieval characters and fantasy elements to...


Merlin, Season 1 (2008)

Okay, okay, I'll be the first to admit that this show is totally ridiculous. But it's fun. I'm still on season one, but I like what they've done with all the Arthurian characters so far. Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere, and Morgana are all the same age as one another, and none of them have very much power -- yet. Merlin is just learning to harness his wizarding skills, Guinevere is a maid, Morgana is mostly a pretty face, and Arthur is under the thumb of his father, the king. Who, I might add, is a total killjoy. I'm actually rooting for him to kick the bucket. OH COME ON, you know it's coming. KING Arthur, remember? It's inevitable. And I really can't stand the current king, so anytime he wants to go away, FINE.


Brideshead Revisited, 2 Episodes (1981)
I know this classic series is highly revered by some folks, but I just couldn't get in to it.


Sense & Sensibility, Miniseries (1981)
So. Boring. Actually, my mom liked it. Or at least she sat through it. I just could not. One of the dullest Austen adaptations of all time.


Mansfield Park, Miniseries, Episodes 1-4 (1983)
This one is better. And I say IS, because of last night, we'd only seen 4/6 episodes. (Disc 2 will be arriving soon.) And although there are quite a few long, drawn out, really boring parts, so far I like it better than the 1999 feature film of the same name, perhaps because there is just so much more here. (That, as you can well imagine, can be both a blessing and a curse.) Despite the dull moments, I love watching Edmund and Fanny slowly but surely get together. It's so sweet.  Edmund is so cute. He's right behind Mr. Darcy and Colonel Brandon on my list of Favorite Austen Men. :)


Other shows I watched, Sometimes: The Dust Bowl, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, American Pickers, Auction Kings, Auction Hunters, Antiques Roadshow, Market Warriors, and pretty much anything and everything HGTV has to offer.