Overalls a Thing of the Past? I THINK NOT.

I’ve always loved overalls. ALWAYS. I remember wearing them through my awkward Jr. High days. And when I was in college, I found an incredible pair of Union Bay overalls that I’ve worn…and worn…and worn. I wear them to paint. I wear them to lounge. Hell, I wore them to the bar a few times. Here are a few examples.

So you can imagine how sad I was when I realized that I couldn’t find overalls anymore. I mean, good overalls. All I could find were these sorry excuses.

Who wants skinny legged overalls? It was either this or the super rugged ones that were actually meant for work.

Then I saw Gwen Stefani. In overalls. And Gwen Stefani is cool, so I thought, “I’ll just find her overalls!”

Problem #1 – they still look KIND of skinny leg. I’m a lil curvy and I want them to fit like my other ones. These COULD have been the answer, but before I thought about seriously buying them, I couldn’t find my size on any site.

Which is why when I came across these babies yesterday, I pounced.

They look wide leggy enough. They’re distressed. They’re fashionable (they’re Ralph Lauren, people). And some of the sites were already running low/out of my size. So…I did it. I couldn’t help myself! I’m waiting anxiously for them to get here. I hope that they’re everything I dreamed they would be, because the old Union Bays are falling apart. And they’re better overalls for it! 😉

 

Generation Y – Thanks for Making Me Cry, Microsoft

I don’t know how much I have to say about this.  I desperately want that time back, when the only thing buzzing in my pocket was a pet.

 

NOSTALGIA – Nano Babies

I had a Nano Baby.  All my cousins had Nano Babies.  And we loved those damn things.

We fed them, cleaned up after them, and took care of them until they were 3 years old.  And then the game started over.  Here’s what I remember about Nano Babies:

• There were GigaPets, Tamagotchis, and Nano Babies.  Nano Babies were my favorite.
• The sex of the Nano Baby changed each time you reset it.  Then you got to name it.
• I named every single boy Nano Baby JTT, Jonathan, Taylor, Thomas, Jonny, etc.  You see where I’m going with this.
• I named the girl Nano Babies after the Baby-Sitters Club:  Stacey, Claudia, MaryAnne, Dawn…but never Mallory or Kristi.
• If you were mad at your cousin, you’d press the circle and square buttons simultaneously to reset the  game and “kill” their baby.  (Many tears were shed over early Nano Baby death.)
• When Nano Babies pooped, it left a big steaming pile on the screen and the baby crawled around it till you cleaned it up (surprisingly close to real life).
• The graphics on Nano Babies made them all look like lil blobs.
• If you didn’t “start” your baby at the right time, its sleep schedule would be off and you’d be up all night feeding the damn thing so it didn’t die overnight (again, surprisingly close to real life).
• You freaked out if you had your Nano Baby on your backpack or you left it in your locker and couldn’t get to it.
• Nano Babies got sick, and then they were even more of a pain in the ass.

Mostly, I remember that I loved that damn thing.  I wish I could find it.  Anyone want to give me theirs?  I’ll trade you a bag of candy and two weeks’ allowance.  🙂

 

Reliving Xanga. Um…what?

I don’t know if it was the wine.  I don’t know if it was my blog stats.  I don’t know if it was a Facebook post or what that triggered it, but I wondered how my Xanga was–the Xanga I started in 2002.

And oddly enough, I remembered my username and password on the first try.  Then OH MY GOD.  If you were reading my Facebook posts last night, you know where this is going.  That’s right–into a time warp nostalgia crackhead place.  Ho. Lee.  Shit.

I was so emo!  “I’m so depressed.”  “I want to be in a mausoleum.”  “Why is life so hard?”

…wow.

It was so cool to have a Xanga back in the day.  So cool.  🙂  I think of it now as my pre-blog.  But Lord…was it terrible.  I wrote some terrible poetry.  I spelled things the British way.  I complained a lot…

Well, here.  You can see for yourself.

 

Holy Billboard Hits and Huge Waves of Nostalgia

Remember my musical rants in which I complained that music didn’t mean anything to me anymore?

Well, this means something to me.  At least the first 20 minutes do.  (Yes, it’s a 30 minute music clip).

It’s 5-10 seconds of every Billboard hit from 1993-2011.  Listen to it and tell me it doesn’t make you feel all nostalgic for the 1990’s.

 

What Happened to American Pride?

When was the last time that Americans stood united?  And I mean for an elongated period of time, without a tragedy to prompt it.

I know you already think I’m going to turn this into some right-winged country song–but I’m not.

Don’t get me wrong–I’m sure we all felt a lot more American and a lot more united after 9/11.  Who wouldn’t?  And 10 years later, we had this:

But why should we only unite over tragedy?  I just feel like it’s been a long time since we’ve all simply felt proud to be Americans.  And I know that Americans get a bad rap, and that we’re terribly ignorant tourists who wear fanny packs and complain about our first world problems.  I’m not saying we’re perfect, particularly to the outside eye, but when did we lose pride just being American?

The last time that I recall was the 1990’s.  Maybe it’s because I was a kid not facing adult issues, but weren’t we all proud of where we lived, where we worked, what we did?  And before that, the 1950’s when folks were proud of the lives they lead.  The times were great–kids got to be kids, people took pride in their homes and their jobs, and they were truly enjoying the times.  Everyone was united and proud to be American.  But the 1950’s came right after a war…and the 1990’s?  Do we count Desert Storm?

I think part of the problem is this:  People are too focused on celebrating their individualism and accentuating their differences that they’ve forgotten that they are a part of something bigger.  

I’m sure that some of you don’t actually think I believe this, but I do appreciate individualism, and I do think it should be celebrated.  I’m not sure if there’s really anything we can do about it.  Maybe we only feel that pride when something goes really great for the USA, or when something bad happens to the USA.

I don’t know.  I just think this whole country would be stronger and happier if we realized that we’re a part of something bigger and if we quit focusing so much on being different from one another.

 

“Parenthood”: The Best Show on TV

That’s right.  I’m downright saying it, because there’s absolutely nothing any of you could say that could make me believe otherwise.

I love Parenthood.  So much.  I believe Dustin Rowles of Pajiba.com said it best when he said that if he could live in a show, it would be Parenthood.  I love each and every family in a different way, and it’s no secret that I’m in love with Joel, played by Sam Jaeger of Perrysburg, Ohio.

But it’s such a good show!  I’m so excited about everything that has happened in the show and that is going to happen.  And here’s another amazing reason to love Parenthood.  Dustin Rowles posted this on Pajiba.com today.

Mae Whitman’s boyfriend, Landon Pigg, took an LFO song from the ’90’s and had the cast of the show star in the video!  Seriously.  Watch it.  All of it.  It gets so funny.

RIGHT?  Gah I love this show.

 

1990’s Nicktoons Return and this Cheap Ass Doesn’t Have Cable

1990’s Nickelodeon has been back for two nights now.  And I haven’t seen a damn episode.

I was so excited that these cartoons were coming back to television, and I still am.  And I think the fact that I am this excited and still haven’t seen an episode is a testament to my frugal nature.  In other words, I’m a cheap ass.

When I moved back to Ohio, I decided that I was going to be as frugal as possible.  Not because I don’t have a good paying job (I’m very lucky to have a job that allows me to support myself and pay all my bills, and still have money left over) that I love, but because once I got a job, I immediately thought, “I’m going to save for the future!”

In my head, my being a frugal little shit meant my kids were going to have college funds (should they choose to go), that I could have a great down payment on a house someday, that I could attempt to pay for my wedding by myself.  That I could take that road trip across the United States.

So I maintain my cheap ass-ness.  And here’s how:

1. No cable.  Just Hulu and Redbox.
2. I buy almond milk (longer expiration date) and mix it with water (because it’s so thick) for my cereal.
3. I eat a lot of canned things…because it’s cheaper that way (I believe the sodium will preserve me better-pfft).
4. I do not use lights if I have a television screen or computer screen on.  Candles candles candles.
5. The heat is never turned on above 62 degrees.
6. The air is never on for more than 2 hours a day.
7. I go to the grocery store once a month and spend around $100 because I HATE GROCERY SHOPPING (no fresh fruits and veggies for me).
8. I run/walk my neighborhood because I refuse to drive somewhere to work out.
9. I RARELY eat meals with unless it’s with Mike on the weekends (Mike rarely lets me pay anyway).
10. I don’t eat or drink at sporting events.
11. I carry granola bars around with me.
12. A 94% fat free box of popcorn usually lasts me for about two weeks of lunches.
13. I fill up my garbage bags until they’re bursting.
14. I don’t drive anywhere I don’t have to.
15. I will watch my seasons of Roseanne and That ’70s Show over and over and over again if there is nothing on Hulu.
16. I fall in love with purses from J. Crew, and then never buy them.
17. I enjoy myself.

Please do not think for one minute that my quality of life is suffering.  I enjoy everything I do.  I do miss out on some things (like those damn 90’s Nicktoons) but the truth is that I can live without them.

It is by no means an admirable life of minimalistic thoughts or tendencies.  Just be thinking further ahead in life.  🙂

 

90s Nickelodeon Cartoons to Return!

OH yes.  Take THAT.  If you’ll please first refer back to the post in which I tell you that I can, in fact, predict the future, we’ll go from there.

Are you finished reading it?  Okay.  So it’s true.  I can predict the future.  I said that often, I write things down and they come to fruition–much like the time that I wrote about how NICKELODEON CARTOONS SHOULD COME BACK.  You heard right, bloggy readers.  I did it again.  I will 1990’s Nickelodeon cartoons back onto the air!

Hold on.  Watch our beloved Kenan Thompson explain it to you:

According to Mashable:   “TeenNick, one of many networks under the Nickelodeon brand name, will air four-hour blocks of “classic” (by generation Y standards) Nickelodeon original content between the hours of midnight and 4 am.”

Starting Monday, July 25 at midnight, WE WIN!  Here’s the line-up:

“As Nickelodeon fan site Nickutopia shares, this is the lineup of shows that TeenNick will be airing during “The ’90s Are All That”:

• Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
• The Adventures of Pete & Pete
• All That
• The Amanda Show
• Are You Afraid of the Dark?
• Catdog
• Clarissa Explains it All
• Double Dare
• Doug
• Hey Arnold!
• Kenan & Kel
• Legends of the Hidden Temple
• Nickelodeon GUTS
• The Ren & Stimpy Show
• Rocket Power
• Rocko’s Modern Life
• Rugrats
• Salute Your Shorts
• The Secret World Of Alex Mack

In addition to these shows, “The ’90s are All That” will feature special appearances from popular Nickelodeon Stick Stickly. Frankly, I think I’m most excited about the return of Stick Stickly.” -Mashable

STICK STICKLY!  I blatantly wrote about Stick Stickly here.  I am just so so so excited!  I might have to get myself cable for this.  Really, I might.  Because this is the most glorious thing I have heard in MONTHS!

 

1990’s Throwback – What the Hell Was I Wearing?

We might as well start this off right.  Here’s the photo:

Meghan, Britta, Devon, and ...me.

Oh.  My.  Garsh.  What IS this?  What is it?!  Here is what I know about this photo:

OBVIOUS OBSERVATIONS:

1. It is Britta’s birthday, which is September 4, so either late August, early September.  Either way, it looks to still be pretty warm out.
2. Britta was in the cute phase, where she thought crinkling her nose was smiling. 😉
3. Meghan is chewing gum, which she probably took from her mother’s purse.
4. Meghan is also coming at the camera, no doubt to say that she wants to take the pictures.
5. I am wearing a horrendous jumpsuit looking outfit.
6. Britta and Devon are sitting on the picnic table, which is where we more often sat than on the benches.
7. Devon – Mickey Mouse in sunglasses.  ‘Nuff said.
8. Britta and Devon – side ponytails.  Again, ’nuff said.
9. I have a perm.  I am in the second grade in this photo.
10. I also have braces.
11. And I am wearing a horrendous jumpsuit.

OBSCURE OBSERVATIONS (the more profound ones):

1. The flash on the wrapping paper is unnerving.
2. As brown as the grass is, it must have been hot, and the earth needed rain.
3. There is laundry on the line.  That clothesline served a major part of my childhood.  The yard beyond that is where we performed gymnastics floor exercises.  The whitewashed poles of the line were bases in tag, football, and more.  And Grandma always had clothes on the line.  See the clothes basket?  See the jeans?  So often, we stole the clothespins to attach old lottery tickets to our bike spokes so that we’d sound like motors.
4. Beyond the yard is Gene’s Drive-Thru Carry-Out, where Meghan and I were locked in a freezer with a dead pig.
5. Look at the hole in the picnic table.  It was always a fight to not sit on that corner when we ate outside.  It was so easy to forget, set your cup down in the hole, and spill it all over yourself.  Not to mention, that picnic table hole tore more pairs of shorts and shirts than I want to think about.
6. The woman in blue in the background?  My mother.  She says it was purple.  I say it is blue.
7. And our first Dodge Caravan.  So sexy.

So odd what a photo can remind you of.  Thanks, Britta, for searching through your desk and finding this embarrassing thing.  🙂