French Fry Friday: 90′s

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Sometimes I think back to simpler times. The 1990′s.

I smile. I laugh. I cringe.

When I realize those were good days. When I realize those were fun times. When I realize what I wore.

Today’s French Fry Friday is a tribute to the 90′s – to leggings, big glasses, and scrunchies.

Brands and trends we used to love (and wear):

Esprit. Guess. Gap. Z. Cavaricci. Jelly Shoes. Umbro soccer shorts. “Swishy” pants w/matching jackets. Oversized Nike/Adidas sweatshirts. Starter Jackets. Fubu. Structure. Jean bib overalls (from the Gap). Baggy jeans. Flannel shirts. Doc Martens. Stick-on earrings (ears, cheeks, etc.). Slap bracelets. Slip on shoes. Sneakers with Velcro. Leggings w/ white socks. BUM.

Things we watched with characters we loved:

Full House. Step By Step. Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. Sister, Sister. Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Home Improvement. Saved By the Bell. Nickelodeon – game shows, Clarissa Explains It All, Doug, The Rugrats, Hey Dude, Salute Your Shorts, ETC. Family Matters. California Dreams. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Wishbone. Arthur. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The Flintstones. The Jetsons.

Movies we paid to go see:

Home Alone (still a classic). The Addam’s Family. Hook. Beethoven. The Mighty Ducks. Free Willy. Mrs. Doubtfire. Rookie of the Year. The Sandlot (love it). The Little Rascals. Richie Rich. The Big Green. Heavyweights. It Takes Two. First Kid. Matilda. Air Bud. Space Jam. George of the Jungle. Jack Frost. Mighty Joe Young. The Parent Trap. The Baby-Sitters Club. Clueless.

Food we ate in the 90′s:

Koala Yummies. Gushers. Ringpops. Laffy Taffy. Surge. Bugles. Fruit by the Foot. Warheads. Push Pops. Pizza Rolls. Bubble Tape. Ritz Air Crisps. Lunchables. Pop Rocks. Shock Tarts.Fruity Pebbles. Frosted Flakes. Yo-J. Spaghetti-O’s.Dunkaroos. Hi-C. Fruit Roll-ups. Pizza Bagel Bites.

Things we had to have:

Giga Pets. Gack. Bouncy balls. Skip It. Tamagatchis. Super Soakers. Spirograph. Koosh ball. Pogs. Beanie Babies. Pokemon. Barbie. Power Rangers. G.I. Joe’s. Legos. Furby. Roller Blades. Monopoly. Candy Land. Connect Four. Ker-Plunk. Clue. Girl Talk. Jenga. Sorry. Pretty Pretty Princess. Life. Yikes Pencils. Lisa Frank. Caboodles. Lip Smackers. Super Nintendo. Huffy Bikes.

Books we read as kids:

Berenstein Bears. Where’s Waldo? Goosebumps. The Baby-Sitter’s Club. The Boxcar Children. Judy Blume Books. The Little House on the Prairie. Mercer Mayer books. Amelia Bedelia.

We said what?

Psych. As If. Don’t have a cow. Take a chill pill. Why don’t you marry it. Talk to the hand. Phat. Dawg. NOT (at the end of a sentence). Whack. Whatever. Whoa. Say what? Fine then, be like that. Smack. Don’t even go there. Cool your jets. Did I do that? (thanks to Urkel). How Rude (Stephanie Tanner). Whoop there it is. True that. Off the hook. Oh Snap.

Music we listened to on the radio, Walkman’s, and Boomboxes:

Spice Girls. Ace of Base. Backstreet Boys. ‘N Sync. Hanson. Celine Dion. Ricky Martin. Smash Mouth. Mambo No. 5. Chumbawumba. Hold On – Wilson Phillips. Sugar Ray. House of Pain – Jump Around. TLC. EMF – Unbelievable. Mariah Carey. Cher – Believe. The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 miles). Deana Carter – Strawberry Wine. Trisha Yearwood. Jo Dee Messina. Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart. Dixie Chicks – There’s Your Trouble.

The 90′s. Love it. Hate it. I don’t care.

But everything mentioned in this post – made you smile.

Have a French Fry Friday 1990′s kind of day!

French Fry Fridays: Laptop

You've Got Mail

This, the picture in this post, is why laptops were created.

I’m sitting with my own laptop, Pottery Barn covers tossed about my bed, four pillows propped up behind me, and feeling very Meg Ryanish.

I could probably devote an entire week to posts revolving around You’ve Got Mail – one of my all-time favorite “chick flicks” – Nora Ephron’s brilliant and witty film about “the book business” circa 1998. Oh, the good old days.

But. There are too many favorite scenes and lines to list in this post.

Besides, the point of this post is about comfort and laptops.

The comfort of a laptop perched on your lap while sweat pants-ed out in your own cozy bed is the epitome of a French Fry Friday kind of day.

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I ask. You answer.

1. Laptops in bed? Good or bad?
   
2. Favorite You’ve Got Mail line or scene?

Wednesday Wars: Reality versus Life

Wednesday Wars. Three times the charm?

Side one: Reality.

I’m not immune to it. I’ve been sucked into it. Reality TV. It’s been part of our television viewing experience for many years now. Documentaries and 60 Minute specials, interviews and behind-the-scenes with movie stars, athletes, presidents, heads of state, and musicians have always fascinated us. But years ago (who else feels old?) major networks made island life popular by setting up Gilligan’s Island meets Swiss Family Robinson situations for our viewing pleasure. And so began the infatuation with reality television. Whole cable stations are devoted to bringing us everyday Joe’s and Jane’s right to our living rooms so we can see how they live their real lives. We can participate and feel like we’re making a difference by “voting” off or on, in or out, our favorite tribes, people, groups, or stars.

Everyone has a reality show they can watch – there’s medical reality shows, travel shows, hoarding shows, extreme living shows, dating shows, fashion and beauty shows, home improvement shows, cooking and food shows, music and talent shows, teen life shows, health and fitness shows, Nickelodeon-inspired slime shows, family life shows, games shows, animal shows, cop shows, pawn store shows – you name it – it’s on.

Without leaving our homes we can glimpse into the lives of other people. We can understand the struggles they struggle. The joys they rejoice in. We can sympathize and empathize. Learn from their mistakes. Laugh along with them. And we see if life is greener on the other side of the fence. We can see how good we have it. Or how bad.

We are connected.

Side two: Life

That’s not real life. Often times these shows are scripted. Some shows are better than others. Some have more pure intentions than others. But some of the best people, with the purest of intentions, have been tainted and twisted by the fame of their reality. Their lives are no longer normal. They are now tabloid and E! news favorites. And reality ruined them. Because they couldn’t live their life.

If we really wanted to find out how other people live, shouldn’t we find ways to meet them? To study their culture? To research and read about their jobs? Why must we watch them 24/7 as they “live” out unnatural “real life” situations? Aren’t some things best left a mystery? Are we really a nation that needs to feel like we’re constantly influencing and having a “say” in things that we feel entitled to vote on every decision ever made? Life is not meant to be lived out on the screen. It is not a drama. No documentary or behind-the-scenes show can match real life. Why are we focusing on reality and not life? How much is our life suffering because of reality?

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I ask. You answer.

1. Who wins? Reality or Life?
   
2. Do you watch reality TV shows? Why? How does it help you? How does it hurt you?
3. Would you ever go on a reality TV show (American Idol, Project Runway, etc. etc. etc!) Or would you ever let TLC, Discovery, HGTV, FOOD, or any other network make a show about your life, family, friends, fashion, dating, etc?

Rediscovering a classic

moviewallpaper.net

My love of specific bands comes in waves. Oftentimes I hear one song from a new album, fall in love, and overplay the thing until I can’t even remember why I liked it in the first place.

TV shows and movies often spur my love of songs. But as of late, oh, probably the past three years, nothing has influenced my music choices more than the NHL and Gopher hockey.

If you’re thinking I’m pathetic, keep the thought to yourself.

See, the NHL, Versus, and FSN all create their own commercials for specific games, events, seasons, playoffs, etc. And those songs, the songs they choose, end up playing multiple times on my television set. And then I become obsessed with the songs and download them.

This year Versus and FSN have brought Switchtfoot to my attention, again. Back in high school (or was it middle school?) when A Walk to Remember came out and whats his face and Mandy Moore swept us up in romantic visions of dramatic teen love, I purchased the soundtrack and fell in love with Switchfoot.

The love fizzled out.

But the spark was definitely re-ignited this January with my new favorite hockey commercial.

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I ask. You answer.

1. Does TV play a role in your music selection?
2. Any specific songs from TV, movies, commercials, etc. that made you buy a CD or download a specific song?