Things Thursday!

1. This week has many an up & down

2. Living at home is starting to take its toll on my sanity.
I've been arguing with my parents much more than usual and generally the level of tension around the house is reminiscent of my highschool days.
Things I've learned from this: getting out is necessary.
I've been trying to keep busy with friends, but a job would be amazing right now. I'd be much less stressed and I'd be out of the house for much longer periods of time.
KEY FACTORS HERE PPL.

3. Speaking of jobs, I have 2 interviews tomorrow.

Fingers are crossed!
You too, please!

4. My knee is giving me a really hard time.
I rested it for a full week last week, taking a break from the gym and general strain.
Yesterday I hit the elliptical for 15min and walked off limping.
You know there's an issue when the machine that's recommended by doctors (because of low-impact) leaves you hobbling with a cripwalk.

5. I've eaten nothing but junk this week.

I've got a separate blog that I use specifically for health and fitness, but I figure if I put it out in public here, it will count more.
Bottom line:
This week is a no-bread/low-carb week. That counts cereal/potatoes/rice/pasta etc.
Hold me to it folks!

6. I'm now all caught up on Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Laugh and a half, yo.
Favourite quote of the series:
"You'll be a sad old lady with your fake'n square tits!!!"

Well said, Kim G, well said. 

The Experiment (MM)

I've been terrible at keeping on schedule these days.

Just know that every week you'll get a media-based post (typically mondays) and a list of 'things' (typically thursdays). That's all I can say for sure aha.

This week I watched a few different movies!
-The Princess Bride
-Serenity
-The Experiment.

To quickly summarize...
Princess Bride is just always going to be awesome, no question. It's Cary Elwes before 'Saw', Robin Wright before 'Forrest Gump' and Wallace Shawn before... Gossip Girl? Whatever aha, it's just awesome and I love it. As you wish!

Serenity was my favourite addition to the week. If you haven't watched Firefly (TV series) you should do that. Even if it is sci-fi, and got cancelled after one season, it's still Joss Whedon and it deserves your attention. Serenity came after the show because of all the demands from fans who wanted more. So there's your motivation to watch both!

The Experiment was watched at Michelle's for our girlsnight extravaganza. It's not your usual girls' night movie, but it was entertaining. Based off a german novel (Das Experiment), which was loosely based off the Stanford Prison Experiment, I watched it as almost a true story. Obviously when certain events happened I became aware that it was not the truth, but still, having studied the real experiment back in my Psych Major days, I couldn't help but see how things could escalate and become as gruesome as they did. Good watch. Plus Adrian Brody is beautiful.

rwarrr.

Also to note...
I've started watching Real Housewives of New Jersey (I'm all caught up on New York and needed an extra dose of junk-tv this weekend). Danielle is a nutjob, I love it. The fact that they can make a show about real women into an actual soap opera all comes back to her.
I also spend every episode gawking at their choice of E-sized (more?) implants.
Sorry I'm not sorry.

Happy Watching!!

x

Sugar High!

--Beware the coming photo-spam!--

So this Friday, my friend Michelle and I had a girls night.

Plans kept changing, first it had been a baking day, then it had been a movie night. 

We had planned to have a classy soirée the following night as well.

But when everything got swapped and plans were being adjusted, we decided on one, go-big-or-go-home girlsnight extravaganza.

To cover our removal of the 'classy' saturday we had to cancel, I brought over my favourite wine & cheese combo.

Dinner! Cran/port goatcheese with our respective wine choices. 

This picture may or may not have been tweeted. 

For baking, we searched online and found the most mouth-watering, nostalgia-driving, summer-fun-feeling recipe: S'mores Bars.

Before

After

We then saw a flyer for cheaper-than-cheap Haagen Dazs, and figured that our night was already filled with ridiculous amounts of rich & delicious calories treats, & that one more couldn't hurt.
(Upon arriving at the store though, the choices got harder... so in reality I should say '3 more couldn't hurt'...).

Strawberry Cheesecake, Green Tea & Honey Vanilla, Vanilla Caramel Latte
(omggggg)

Obviously we didn't finish them. But they were all sampled lovingly.
Please take a second to acknowledge that both Michelle and I had gone to the gym earlier in the day.
And were planning to workout at night as well.
And in the morning....
lol I'm just sayin, don't judge!
(but lets be honest.. these are the rationalizations I'm using to stop from judging myself).
Though, if you saw the faces we made while consuming all of the above, you would know it was well worth it.
For a movie, Michelle had recently gotten hold of The Experiment, which sent me into an empathetic-sadfest, but that is for tomorrow, of course.

Girlsnight finished off with a sleepover, as they often do.
Waking up, we got our fit on, feeling the effects of the prior night's terribl(y delicious) choices.
I vote overall success.

The weather Friday & Saturday was phenomenal.
I watched a few of the fireworks from my balcony last night  (countries not under british rule, this weekend is Victoria-Day Weekend, giving us Saturday's fireworks & Monday's stat holiday) while my dog cowered in fear in the corner/under chairs/at my feet/etc.
I sat with him and watched the Princess Bride until they finally died down and I was left with this little ball on the couch....

Weekend well-spent.

Trivial Things Thursday

1. There are no new developments in my life

2. I plan on watching The Princess Bride this weekend and it is what I am most excited for.

3. I just caught up on my guiltiest of pleasures, Make it or Break it. 

You WILL love us, no matter how bad our script is. 

4. I have called everywhere I can think of for a job (except for Timmies/McDonalds).
Even the SuperStore didn't want me. OMGGG.
Is it hard to file for unemployment?

5.  This cheered me up this morning.

samurai!

6. I've decided that I will sign up for a TEFLcourse this week.
I need to feel like I'm accomplishing something, rather than attempting to win the employment game.
No matter how productive I try to be, if I'm not actively doing something that's progressing my life somehow (and no, failed job applications don't count), then I'm bored and frustrated.
TEFL certification here I come!

7. I've seriously been loving the blogosphere lately.

x

Unemployment.

What am I doing with my life??
I've been home for three weeks now, and though my days seem busy and productive, I look back and feel like I've accomplished close to nothing.

A typical day

• I do a few chores. 
• I send out a few more resumes.
• Watch an episode or two of Modern Family/Community/The Office.
• Talk to some Conversation-Exchange friends (para mejorar mi español).
• Read some blogs.
• I hand out a few more resumes. 
• Clean another footxfoot disaster of my room. 
• I get to the gym (or complain about not going when my knee is making a fuss).
• Oscillate between refreshing my email inbox and staring at my cellphone in hopes of offers of employment
• I mope and watch whatever I missed the night before (à la: GossipGirl, Greys, Glee)
• Skype & Tumbl the night away

Yeah, I waste a lot of time. But I also try to get stuff done!
I think the main reason I'm struggling with this so much is because the longest I've ever gone without a job is 3 months, and that was while I was getting settled in France.
I feel so irrelevant without a job, I'm antisocial (relying on my overdraft every time I leave my house) and boring.
I keep thinking 'I could get a job abroad so easily!' and then start plotting out how to get my visas and I can feel a happy dance starting somewhere deep in my bones.
And then remember that they require bank statements proving that you can survive financially in a foreign country.
Or you know, pay for the flight.

Of course, that would be the main bullet point that I seem to have missed..
I think about traveling. And then laugh at myself because how can I dream about getting away if I haven't even started repaying my school bills, let alone paying for a trip?
I then read travel blogs and get either jealous or inspired.
Rinse & Repeat.


Video via La Fille Américaine that gets me grinning.

This n' That

Things that caught my attention this week...

Think you're young? Think again.
Click here for your reality check!

sci-fi Ikea instructions.
my favourite is the Tardis =P

The New Girl. 

My feelings are very scattered on this. I've never seen Zooey Deschanel in (what seems like) such a forced role. I feel like it could definitely be good and I know  that I'll watch it, but I'm nervous that it will ruin Zooey for me... 

omnomnommm (click for recipes!)

Hyperbole & a half has been my blog of choice lately.

Rant - Chuck Palahniuk
Added to the lineup of Chuck novels for summer reading.
Have I mentioned I love him?

Hope you can enjoy some of the links I've added!

Happy Tuesday =]