Parks and Rec and Amy Poehler

You don't have to worry about a spoiler alert before reading on. I have not seen the final episode of Parks and Recreation. In fact, I have not even seen the final episode of Season 2...although that is coming up on my Friday night docket.

Until recently, I had not been very aware of Amy Poehler, aside from her generally existing on SNL. I was much more familiar with Tina Fey. I had read her book (and laughed out loud a lot) but I wasn't a fan of 30 Rock. I enjoyed the Fey/Poehler collaborations (Golden Globes, Baby Mama) but I never sought out Poehler's work. I dabbled in the occasional episode of Parks and Recreation when flipping channels but wasn't all that engaged. And then I listened to Poehler's Yes, Please on audiobook and I laughed and laughed and wanted to consume everything that Poehler had ever come in contact with. 

[As a side note, Poehler reads Yes, Please and brings in other voices, like Seth Meyers and her parents for a unique and engaging listening experience. Although I love reading a tactile book, this audiobook gave me an unparalleled experience. I know I got more from the audiobook than I would have from simply sitting down and reading.]

With all the hoopla surrounding the final season of Parks and Rec, Stephen and I decided to give the show a fresh try. Here are the top 3 reasons why I think Parks and Rec is a show worth watching:

1. It is an earnest endeavor. Leslie Knope truly wants to work in government and is willing to work hard. The show isn't cynical or snarky as a comedy and most importantly, it doesn't deliver the message that public service is a useless endeavor.

2. It is funny. I mean side splitting funny. The situations that these disparate characters find themselves in together makes for hilarious situation comedy. I am looking at you "Hunting Trip" episode.

3. It has a niche audience. I enjoy my fair share of shows for the masses: The  Big Bang Theory and How to Get Away with Murder, for example but Parks and Rec is not that show and it doesn't try to be that show. And I like that.

I will leave this clip here for your enjoyment. And if you don't think Parks and Recreation is for you, start and the beginning and give it a try. I have a feeling it is an acquired taste - it was for me.

Revised Resolutuions

Back in January, I wrote about my resolutions for 2014 here. They aren't going very well at first glance.

1. Buy a house. We have not bought a house. We did make an offer on one, but it didn't work out. We are ok with that. In fact, some days we are ok with not buying a house at all for now. Stay tuned.

2. Teach myself to play guitar. Have not touched this one since approximately January 2. I move the guitar every now and then, but for some reason I am not feeling inspired.

So. These aren't going well. My vague eat healthy, cook, and workout is going well. I enrolled in an 8 week yoga class that I just finished and now we are gearing up to begin training for a new half marathon. [We are determined to have our best time: under 2 hours.] I have also downloaded a food tracking app to help me pay attention to what I am actually putting in my body and in recipes.

Now for the biggest qualifier of all: sometimes resolutions change and evolve. For example, the more we look at houses, the more we weigh what being a homeowner means. Does it mean not having as much money for fun vacations? Does it mean our lifestyle changes?  I am not sure, but through the process Stephen and I have started prioritizing being spontaneous and keeping a list of restaurants and places we want to go. This weekend we are going to hike at the Schlitz Audubon Center and next weekend we are going to explore Kenosha for the day because we want to. Our biggest resolution and priority right now is to spend time together and have fun.

Of course, a lot of that time together is spent on the couch watching TV. In honor of my always-present resolution to blog more, I'll entice you to return to my blog with the promise of a post about The Mindy Project and other television explorations.

In the meantime, a few thoughts on Friends, which is now over 10 years old and a television show I still enjoy, almost daily.

Mindy Kaling

Without a doubt, Mindy Kaling is making me happy this week. My husband and I have really enjoyed her show, The Mindy Project, on Tuesday nights. The show is smart and makes you laugh, what is better? Actually, there is something better. One of our good friends from college reminds us of the main character, Mindy (or does Mindy remind us of our friend?). Either way, this reinforces the depth of Mindy (the character, although I assume Mindy Kaling is very deep) and the great writing on the show! 

While my husband enjoys the more shocking moments of humor, mainly the eccentric nurse Morgan and his antics, I find enjoyment in pretty much everything Mindy says or does (or wears). At the risk of sounding like I am gushing, I will be more pointed in my analysis. Mindy often says out loud either (a) what I would be thinking in a situation or (b) what I have said in a similar situation. For example, in last night's episode Mindy over-explains why she will be attending a cocktail party by herself to her medical partners. The instance of justification is very comedic and also brings me to a place of catharsis because I have been in a similar situation.You can find out more about the show here.

At the recommendation of the aforementioned Mindy-like friend, I sought a copy of Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). On Monday I picked up a copy from the library and have stayed up past my bedtime every day this week reading the book. It is not simply an autobiography or tell-all. The book is organized with thematic essays and vignettes, which makes it much more interesting. I could be finished but I continually laugh out loud and then force my husband to listen to me read a few lines out loud. (And it is so delicious that I don't want to read it too fast).

Perhaps I should have waited until I finished the book to blather with excitement, but I can't wait that long! So, the votes are in and overall, Mindy Kaling is making me happy this week. More coming on my verdict of the book...

Photo Courtesy of Google Books

Downton Abbey

I have recently discovered Downton Abbey. I watched the last few episodes in Season 1 and I have the first episode of Season 2 saved on the DVR. I am husband-less on Sunday and am anticipating two hours of escape to WWI England.

This week I have been trying to get my Downtown Abbey fix without finding out what has happened in the first episode. I stumbled across this article by Julie Bosman from The New York Times about the increase in similar genre book sales related to the show. Not only do I love Julie Bosman (I no longer hear her weekly on my Times Book Review podcast), but the article satisfied my Downton Abbey fix for a bit.

Although I enjoyed the article, I am not sure I jump on a bandwagon so much so that it is all the reading material I consume. I have not been yearning to find out more about early 20th century England. For me, I enjoy being consumed by the world in the show without analyzing it too much. For further evidence, right now I am reading Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna and looking forward to The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Although, I must admit I turned the pages of Middlemarch the other night (for the British part) and looked at images of World War I fashion (for the time period). Needless to say, I am not looking for a corset to wear.

For your own Downton Abbey fix, here is a short clip and preview for the new season. 

A new blog...

If you are avid fans of me, you might remember a blog I had about the thrilling life of a graduate student. My posts ceased about last February, when the workload of writing a thesis, reading my booklist, oh yes, and planning a wedding became too much. I did, in fact, conquer all three things. I passed my MA exam and wrote a successful thesis on Charles Chesnutt's The Marrow of Tradition. I graduated. I moved to Shorewood. And, I got married!

At first glance, my life might appear a little boring. I have a job, a flat, a husband. And as a former graduate school colleague ever-so-politely alluded to, I don't use my brain anymore.

While I use my brain quite a bit on a daily basis, I don't read and write in the same way. So, I am going to blog again. I am joining a book club, so I might post about such things related to books (which is similar to the old blog). I might talk about being married, funny things I see on a daily basis (someone picking a dead bird up and throwing it at a friend, yes that was yesterday), my favorite TV shows, and my travels. This blog is for me to keep my fingers and brain nimble, but let's face it, it is also for you and your border-line voyeuristic tendencies.I must confess, this blog might also become a "What's going on with the Cunninghams?" blog. No one is really excited about the new Facebook layout, and who wants to revert back to e-mail to stay in touch? Maybe I can even get my husband to be a guest blogger as he fulfills his part of the vows...to read more books!