I love Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving mainly because I love pumpkin pie (and Thanksgiving is the only holiday where you are guaranteed a pumpkin pie, except if you are a brat and request it on your birthday--which is in May-- out of spite because no one will make you a strawberry dream cake), but also because I love the movie Home for the Holidays. If I could eat pumpkin pie and watch Home for the Holidays every day of the year, I would probably do it and it would never get old.
Aside from those superficial reasons, I do also like the special events that surround this glorious day. One such event is our annual Geeks' Thanksgiving, where all of my close college friends gather around the turkey to enjoy each others' company (and of course, watch Home for the Holidays). Our "family" thanksgiving is happening this Sunday and I have been looking forward to it all week. Thinking of my friends' version of the beloved holiday reminded me of the Thanksgiving episode of How I Met Your Mother entitled,"Slapsgiving."
I love How I Met Your Mother almost as much as I love pumpkin pie. I am not going to go so far as to say How I Met Your Mother is the new Friends, but it is a very funny show. What's great about this program is that the things they do remind me of things that my friends would do.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the show or the Slapsgiving episode, here is the basic recap: Barney and Marshall make a slap bet that is worth 5 slaps. Barney loses. Lily is assigned the role as the Slap Bet Commissioner. Instead of slapping Barney immediately (as is normally the process as soon as a slap bet is over), Marshall opts to slap Barney at random over the course of the next few months/years. By the time the days prior to Thanksgiving roll around, Marshall has already given Barney 2 slaps. He had set up a website with a countdown to the next slap, which is to happen on Thanksgiving day. Barney is freaked out. Lily gets mad her Thanksgiving will be ruined and declares that there will be no slaps on Thanksgiving. But, within the last 10 seconds of the slap countdown, Lily changes her mind about the no slap rule, Marshall slaps Barney, then Marshall sings a song. It's amazing. [I can't wait for slaps 4 and 5; they haven't happened yet].
An excerpt from "Slapsgiving":
Anyway, I had forgotten about this episode until I was watching HIMYM this past week, and Ted and Marshall made a quick slap bet at the bar. Once Ted won, he slapped Marshall. A very minor detail in the entire episode, but it's the continuity in this show that makes it great.
Thus, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I have a proposal to make. Now, starting now, let's resolve all disagreements by Slap Bets.
I might seem like I am kidding, but I am not. Let's take a regular bet, for example. The standard way to deal with a bet is to use money as terms. If I win, you give me $20. If you win, I give you $20. But, money isn't really fair unless both parties involved have the exact same amount of money. $20 to me might be like $1,000 to you based on what you have in your bank account. Percents would be better, but when's the last time you heard a high roller say, "I'll take you for 10% of your net worth"? The answer to that question is never. Never.
A slap bet is the world's equalizer. No one likes to be slapped. Everyone likes to slap. Everyone has the ability to be slapped and to slap.* Think about how much closer we'd be to World Peace, if it was only one slap away.....And I rest my case.
*I know what you are about to say: What about people who are paralyzed, don't have arms, are missing half their face, etc? In those cases, I think we all could agree on a slap proxy. Someone to give or receive slaps on behalf of the affected party as needed.
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Day: Surprisingly Not So Bad
I’m not one of those girls who wears black around Valentine’s Day (in fact, I am currently sporting a red t-shirt that says, fittingly, ‘I’m with Cupid,' essentially the best play on words in t-shirt form of all time in the history of time) or curses the ‘man’ for creating such a hallmark holiday that preys on the fragile emotions of 20 plus single people who live alone, sans cats might I add.
No, I didn’t have any real plans, but I am not bitter. I spent it doing everything every single girl ever pictured in a movie would have done had a day in their chick-flick-world been Valentine’s. I stayed in and watched not one, but two movies that involved loved ones with Leukemia. I cried my eyes out while junking on potato chips, sour patch kids, and cookie dough. Add to that Vodka and Chaka Khan and you’ve got the first scene of Bridget Jones. You can call this my diary.
Truth is, in a secretly sadistic way, I love Valentine’s Day. It’s the one day I can wallow in self pity on being single/having no one who loves me and no one stops me. I can wear red and pink with a purpose. I can admit to ridiculous fantasies that my secret admirer (I have one, don’t even deny it, he’s just shy) is going to show up on my doorstep with a single red rose (or better, a bouquet of tulips, my favorite) and take me out on the most romantic night of my life. When that doesn’t happen, I can just eat more cookie dough.
It turns out- the day most single people groan about, dread, contemplate curling up under a rock during, isn’t so bad after all. I got through it, I survived. I do have one gripe, however. That the word 'Valentimes' which refers to the ‘Times’ you had on ‘Valentine’s Day’ never gets used around me again. I will punch anyone who says to me, “How were your Valentimes?” Don’t test me.
No, I didn’t have any real plans, but I am not bitter. I spent it doing everything every single girl ever pictured in a movie would have done had a day in their chick-flick-world been Valentine’s. I stayed in and watched not one, but two movies that involved loved ones with Leukemia. I cried my eyes out while junking on potato chips, sour patch kids, and cookie dough. Add to that Vodka and Chaka Khan and you’ve got the first scene of Bridget Jones. You can call this my diary.
Truth is, in a secretly sadistic way, I love Valentine’s Day. It’s the one day I can wallow in self pity on being single/having no one who loves me and no one stops me. I can wear red and pink with a purpose. I can admit to ridiculous fantasies that my secret admirer (I have one, don’t even deny it, he’s just shy) is going to show up on my doorstep with a single red rose (or better, a bouquet of tulips, my favorite) and take me out on the most romantic night of my life. When that doesn’t happen, I can just eat more cookie dough.
It turns out- the day most single people groan about, dread, contemplate curling up under a rock during, isn’t so bad after all. I got through it, I survived. I do have one gripe, however. That the word 'Valentimes' which refers to the ‘Times’ you had on ‘Valentine’s Day’ never gets used around me again. I will punch anyone who says to me, “How were your Valentimes?” Don’t test me.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Because you can never have enough holiday music...
I don't consider myself a music expert. No lie, in high school I had probably 10 CDs- total. And one cassette tape, the soundtrack to Friends. In college I expanded my musical horizons by being friends with the friends I have now (who also contribute to this blog), but I am still usually a few steps behind the normal music curve.
The only music I really get into, really love, is holiday music. I think it stems from the fact I am not one of those people who has a good audio memory. Some people hear a song once, and can sing all of the words the next time. Not me. I usually sing the chorus and the rest of the time I say "ba-dee-da-duh." Or I lip sing and look around awkwardly hoping no one will notice. Or I am perpetually confused thinking Murder on the Dance Floor is about an actual murder on the dance floor, not just someone who wants to prevent the killing of the groove.
But Christmas carols have been ingrained in my brain ever since the first time I listened to and sang along to the Disney Christmas Album. I've heard these classic songs time and time again, so not only do I know the words, but I am comfortable singing them (because around Christmas people tend to hold off on making fun off your off-key vocal skills). This makes the music far more enjoyable than the kind "kids these days" are listening to. I'll take Dean Martin's A Marshmallow World over Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put a ring on it) any day.
Thus, I am always on hot pursuit of the latest and greatest holiday albums. This season's rising star became apparent early in the season, but I have held off revealing it because I wanted to give other holiday albums a chance to be released and reviewed. But, despite being tempted to name Kristin Chenoweth's as my favorite (because I am still quite upset Pushing Daisies is canceled and did you hear that Cheno accepted a role on a new show being a quirky crazy lawyer so we know the show is really toast), that's just not true. And the Christmas season is the time is for telling the truth, as we all learned from Love, Actually.
The Hotel Café presents Winter Songs features original music by Sara Bareilles and my favorite Ingrid Michaelson, as well as Brandi Carlile. They also have holiday standards like Sleigh Ride, Silver Bells, and Silent Night covered by KT Tunstall, Alice Smith, and Katie Havnevik, to name a few. Since these are all the key players on my iPod this year, I was happy to purchase their take on the holidays for my listening enjoyment. Walking to and from work hasn't been better-- even in the blizzard of Friday evening- with these ladies singing in my ears. I also love the album design; I find it darling and not too cutesy for my taste. What's even better, you can get the entire album for only $7.99 on iTunes.
The only music I really get into, really love, is holiday music. I think it stems from the fact I am not one of those people who has a good audio memory. Some people hear a song once, and can sing all of the words the next time. Not me. I usually sing the chorus and the rest of the time I say "ba-dee-da-duh." Or I lip sing and look around awkwardly hoping no one will notice. Or I am perpetually confused thinking Murder on the Dance Floor is about an actual murder on the dance floor, not just someone who wants to prevent the killing of the groove.
But Christmas carols have been ingrained in my brain ever since the first time I listened to and sang along to the Disney Christmas Album. I've heard these classic songs time and time again, so not only do I know the words, but I am comfortable singing them (because around Christmas people tend to hold off on making fun off your off-key vocal skills). This makes the music far more enjoyable than the kind "kids these days" are listening to. I'll take Dean Martin's A Marshmallow World over Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put a ring on it) any day.
Thus, I am always on hot pursuit of the latest and greatest holiday albums. This season's rising star became apparent early in the season, but I have held off revealing it because I wanted to give other holiday albums a chance to be released and reviewed. But, despite being tempted to name Kristin Chenoweth's as my favorite (because I am still quite upset Pushing Daisies is canceled and did you hear that Cheno accepted a role on a new show being a quirky crazy lawyer so we know the show is really toast), that's just not true. And the Christmas season is the time is for telling the truth, as we all learned from Love, Actually.
So, here's my favorite new holiday compilation album of the season:
The Hotel Café presents Winter Songs features original music by Sara Bareilles and my favorite Ingrid Michaelson, as well as Brandi Carlile. They also have holiday standards like Sleigh Ride, Silver Bells, and Silent Night covered by KT Tunstall, Alice Smith, and Katie Havnevik, to name a few. Since these are all the key players on my iPod this year, I was happy to purchase their take on the holidays for my listening enjoyment. Walking to and from work hasn't been better-- even in the blizzard of Friday evening- with these ladies singing in my ears. I also love the album design; I find it darling and not too cutesy for my taste. What's even better, you can get the entire album for only $7.99 on iTunes.
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