Milestones

As some of you may or may not know, I turned 30 back in April. I probably should've written this post back then, but oh well. Say la vie. Society dictates that women are supposed to freak out over getting older. And that such freak outs generally begin with turning the big 3-0. Sadly, I was that very cliche for several years. I did not want to get older and between the years of 23 and 28, I would barely want my age to be recognized. But, an amazing thing happened when I hit 29. I stopped caring. Not only that, I began looking forward to my 30th birthday. What brought on this sudden change you ask? Well, I began looking back at the decade that was my 20's, and I saw some scary shit. Like some Pan's Labyrinth type shit. Especially the early years. *shiver* I have changed so much in the last ten years. I have a lot more confidence and am so much more accepting of myself, flaws and all, of which I have plenty (I will sit down an purposefully watch The Kardashians for Christ's sake. If that isn't a character flaw, I don't know what is). I also care less about what people think (Screw you. The Kardashians entertain me!) and I know so much more about who I am as a person now. 

I have also learned many, many....many lessons from making many, many.... many mistakes. Not to say I think I won't make more in my 30's, but the ones I made in my 20's, I never want to re-live again thank you very much. Seriously, I did not have the best decision making skills back in the day. Like I probably shouldn't have listened to so much Sum 41. But I definitely don't listen to them now. I absolutely do not have 'In Too Deep' on my phone's playlist like a loser. Because that would be lame. I mean, who would listen to that crap? A lame, loser person that isn't me,that's who.  

I've wondered if I would like to go back and re-live those years with the knowledge I have now gained. I think I can honestly say no.* Because there were a lot of amazing things that happened that I  would never want to change, and if different decisions were made then those amazing things may never have transpired. Butterfly Effect and all that (I don't care what people say,that was a damn good movie and Ashton was golden). So I'll wear my bad decision scars with the pride of a person that has learned from them and who looks forward towards the future, not back to the past. Everything I have been through has made me into the person I am today. Besides, if you'll forgive the cliche, age is just a number. And I damn well don't act mine. You can ask, well, anyone. My grandma has given me some of the best advice over the years. One such gem was when she told me to never let your inner child die. That you don't have a choice in growing old, but you do have a choice in growing up. And as for me? I refuse. 

Kel

*My brother Stephen says fuck that. He'd go back and change a lot of things. Including, but not limited to, investing in Google and Facebook. 

Best Authors Ever

I really enjoyed doing that last blog post about my Top 10 Best TV Shows of All Time  along with my friend Jason's rebuttal, so I've decided to give it another shot and do a list of my favorite authors. I didn't hold myself to a specific number this time though. I have loved to read ever since the days of "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." My book collection is off the charts and I refuse to get one of those Nook things or read books on any type of electronic device. There's just something about being able to feel the pages that you just don't get with an iPad. I tried it once and hated it. Trying to read it on a tablet made me feel less connected to the story. It was less organic. Which is why I guess I still write out everything I do with pen and paper before typing it all up. Okay, I'll shut up now and get to the list.

1. Jodi Picoult: Jodi has this ability to write within the gray areas of life and leave you questioning your previous convictions on many different topics. You may think you have a fairly staunch opinion on say, assisted suicide, but after reading Mercy you will question every opinion you've ever had on the subject. I love authors that make you think, and Jodi's works do just that. The first book I ever read of hers was called Perfect Match. It is about a little boy who was sexually abused and how his parents deal with it. I think I read the book in its entirety in 24 hours and by the end I was an emotional wreck. So of course I immediately ran out and bought another title. It may only take a short amount of time to read (well, when you binge read as I do) but her writing will stay with you forever.

2. Wally Lamb: I have only read a few of Wally's works, but they were some of the best novels that I have ever read. The very first title I ever picked up was "She's Come Undone." Wally took what you could call a coming of age story and turned it on its head. His writing style is extremely raw and at times would make me feel uncomfortable. I loved it.After I finished "She's Come Undone" I read "I Know This Much is True", which I found at times to be more bizarre, raw and uncomfortable than "Undone" was. Wally is the kind of writer that I aspire to be. One who isn't afraid to boldly go to those dark, guttural places and come out the other other side beaten and scarred, but better for it in the end.

3. J.K Rowling: If I were to write about everything that I love about Miss Rowling , then we'd be here for ages. She didn't just create a book series. She created an epic empire. On the surface, the series is about wands and strange creatures and magic. But deep down it is about so much more than that. It is about good verses evil, it is about friendship and loyalty, it is about strength and courage in the face of death and destruction. I am a complete and utter Potterhead and am sorted and have spent (I used the term 'wasted' in my first draft. But then scolded myself because time with HP is never a waste) many hours on Pottermore. Go Gryffindor! I have lost count of how many times I've read these books. I tend to go to them when I'm going through something difficult and trying in my life. Getting lost in Harry's world always brings me comfort. There was even a period of about nine months in my life whilst living in Panama City Beach, Florida that Harry Potter was literally the only books I read. Thank you, J.K. Thank you for everything.

4. J.R.R. Tolkein: I didn't read Lord of the Rings until after I saw the movies. But once I started, I couldn't put them down. The level of detail alone in the world that he created should certify him as pure genius. I'm finding it difficult to come up with the words to describe why he is so amazing. I mean, how many other authors do you know of that have entire Oxford University classes taught on them and their works? Exactly. So I'm going to actually get my brother's help for this one as he is also an avid fan. (Cut to seven hours later after he finally called me back) And he was of absolute no help whatsoever. And I quote, "How do you describe one of the greatest literary minds in human history?" The one gem he did give me was when he said, "You could talk about how he created Middle Earth in order to explain where the creation of his Elvish language came from. Which is like Michio Kaku creating the next literary epic in order to explain his string theory." *Copyright Stephen McKown*

5. Patricia Cornwell: I read my first novel by Cornwell when I was around fifteen or sixteen years old. It is titled Postmortem. Postmortem was the first in her Kay Scarpetta series (of which there are now twenty-two) about a Chief Medical Examiner and the investigations she is involved in. I'm a total slut for good crime fiction and there is no other like Madam Cornwell. She is the Queen of the crime novel and is such not only because of good writing, but because she does in depth research. So much so, that she is highly respected within the forensic science community. She has given talks at the University of Tennessee, which has one of the leading forensic programs in the country. I spent a lot of time with the resident CSI for the Thomasville,Ga field office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation during my internship there. I became almost uncontrollably jealous of him when he told me he attended one of said talks while he was studying at the University. He loved her books as well and said that, as a writer, she is the most accurate out there when it comes to how forensic investigations work.  

Every one of these people have influenced me when it comes to the written word. And in the end, if I could even posses a smidgen of the talent that these authors have, I would be the happiest girl in the world.

Top 10 Best TV Shows of All Time

I’m going to take a note from my good friend Jason and write a list post. I’ve not done one before and thought it would be a fun. So here it is (in no particular order), my top 10 best TV shows of all time. *SPOILER ALERT*

1.       Dexter: They made you root for a serial killer for Christ’s sake!!! If that isn’t indicative of great writing and acting, I’m not sure what is. In saying this though, the series finale was total and utter rubbish. He becomes a lumberjack? And Deb dies?!?!?!? No. Just….no.

2.       The X-Files: This show was the beginning of the end for me. It is the first show that started my fangirl life. Of course this was long before the term “fangirl” was even a thing and before nerd culture was positively portrayed in mainstream media. I was crazy for this show. I collected the trading cards, read the books, and played the video games. I still own and watch the first film over and over again. It’s also the originally purchased DVD I bought back in 1998. Scully was responsible for me getting more interested in science and I shipped her and Mulder so hard. I fangirled like crazy when the new episodes that will air in 2016 were announced. I. CAN’T. WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3.       Doctor Who: If you haven’t figured it out by now from previous posts, I’m a bit of a nerd. Ok, I’m a lot of a nerd. And this show has stolen my heart. The story lines may be about aliens on the surface, but they are very human at their core. Not consecutively, this show has been on air for over 50 years. When the original actor became too sick to continue, the writers came up with the concept of regeneration. Brilliant!!!!!

4.       Seinfeld: Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David took the concept of a show about nothing and made pure comedy genius. I quote this show, some say, way too much. I can relate almost anything back to Seinfeld. But I’m going to move on to the next show because these pretzels are making me thirsty!!

5.       Supernatural: Little did I know way back in 2005 that this show would take over my entire life. This show about two brothers fighting against supernatural entities is about to enter its 11^th season. At its center, it is about the relationship between the two brothers and the idea that no matter how bad or dark things get, you never give up. You #AlwaysKeepFighting Actor Jared Padalecki created a foundation geared towards helping people who struggle with depression and anxiety that is called Always Keep Fighting and has personally struggled with these issues. I've dealt with these issues for most of my life as well and for him to begin this campaign, it has endeared me to this show even more. 

6.       Once Upon a Time: Ok. So this show is fairly new in comparison to the others. Season 5 begins this fall. I love fairy tales and am a total Disneyphile as well. I also am drawn to the unconventional. So when a show about the fairy tale characters we all know and love getting turned on their heads came along, I was there. I love all of the characters, but the Evil Queen is the best. I’m a total Evil Regal and if I’m being honest, a bit gay for Lana Parrilla! Google her. She’s gorgeous! 

7.       Star Trek (All of them excluding Enterprise because let’s face it…it was a fucking disaster): My first foray into these shows and thus the fandom, was with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Ah, Picard. The ultimate captain in my eyes. An extremely close second is Janeway. She’s the first female captain within the Star Trek universe and frankly a total badass. I kind of want to be her. I honestly don’t have the words to describe the epicness of this franchise. So I’m just going to leave it at this.

8.       How I Met Your Mother: Some people may say that Neil Patrick Harris made this show. And while I think Barney was hilariously “awesome” (ha!), ultimately it was successful because of the ensemble cast. This show is definitely legen-wait for it-dary. However, the finale was horrible. How are you going to have an entire *comedic* show about a man telling his kids how he met their mother and then go and kill off the damn mother?!?!?! This is an opinion my brother and I do not share. He thought it was apropos to the series and was happy that Ted ended up with Robyn. He’s wrong.

9.       Firefly: Because Joss Wheadon.

10.   Law and Order: SVU: What can I say about this show that would do it justice? It’s revolutionary. It depicts a topic that isn’t discussed nearly enough. I began watching this show in 2003 when it was in its 4^th season. My Mom and I were into a show at the time that aired before SVU. We caught a preview of the episode titled “911” and we both thought, “Eh. This looks good. Let’s give it a try.” Best television decision I’ve ever made. I adored Stabler, but Benson is the heart of the show. Mariska Hargitay has also taken her role as a spokesperson for these issues very seriously. She founded the Joyful Heart Foundation that has helped many survivors of sexual assault heal. She also spearheads the No More campaign. It encourages everyone to stand up against domestic violence and sexual assault. The campaign also encourages people to start a conversation about these issues as 64% of Americans say if we talk more about it, then it would make it easier to help someone. Please help get the conversation started. The show also hits home for me as I am a survivor of sexual assault myself. I’ve been asked how I can watch the show after what I’ve been through. This show does not give me flashbacks or make me relive that horrible time in my life. Instead, it gives me strength. It makes me happy that the show has caused these issues to be put more out in the open.

So, there you have it…my top 10 list of the best shows of all time. But here are a few honorable mentions that I couldn’t leave off. Basically, I’m cheating.

1.       Sherlock: It’s like watching a movie written as a TV show. There’s so much detail and nuance it feels more drawn out. *Copyright Stephen McKown* 

2.       The Office: My Mom thinks this is one of the most un-funny shows ever to be made. My mother is obviously insane because this show is brilliant! Michael Scott? Dwight?! Come on! Even after Steve Carell left it remained hilarious, albeit in a different way. And then they had the absolute perfect idea of adding Catherine Tate to the last two seasons.

3.       Chicago Hope: A lot of people will say this show was the lesser ER. But I beg to differ. It was definitely overshadowed by ER and never quite got the recognition it deserved. I wanted to become a heart surgeon because of my character obsession with Kate Austin.

4.       Will and Grace: As much as I love the titular characters, this show should have been called Jack and Karen. They were just the worst kind of people but in the funniest way. I also feel as if the show did a lot for showcasing gay characters on prime time television. It did so in the way that it wasn’t some big political statement. It was just funny. It was about four friends, two of which happened to be gay.