Throwback Thursday: AOL Instant Messanger

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AOL Instant Messanger!

Any child of the '90s can remember the excitement and the feeling of waiting with bated breath as your computer grunted and screeched to connecting with the internet. You sat at your computer, keeping your fingers crossed that no one picked up the phone and disconnected you, and ALSO keeping your fingers crossed that your crush was online too. 

You finally get online, your sister is socked away in her room playing a Barney video, so she won't try to pick up the phone for at least 25 minutes. You may have been super cool and had TWO AIM screen names. They may have been dewdropfairy09 and SugarPlum1986. Whatever.

First order of business...scour your list of AIM names and see if your bestie is on. Second order of business, creep on all the people with their away messages and see what peeps be doing. 

Third order of business is to examine your AIM profile. I was CONSTANTLY changing and updating this with various inspirational quotes, song lyrics, countdowns to important events, etc. Once you updated the content, you obviously had to update the fonts and colors to make it pleasing to the eye. For whatever reason, I was all about the Dave Matthews Band lyrics...specifically "laying under the table and dreaming". Whatever dude. 

I love you DMB!

Ok, so no one is online that you want to chat up, so now, it's time to craft the perfect away message. I'm likely not going anywhere. Rather, I will just sit at the computer and creep on folks as they sign in and out of AIM. Some top away message options likely included:

"sHoWeR! Leave me something to come back to!"

"Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter. Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter. Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade..."

What? No one else quoted Barbara Streisand's greatest hits on the AIM. Oh ok...

"School, home, homework, snack, dance, home, shower, dinner, bed"

"Love all my girls! **insert various initials here**"

"Crushing sooooo hard. AH!"

FINALLY! Your crush signs on to AIM. Now, it's just a matter of getting the nerve up to message him first, or wait to see if he messages you....

And then, things suddenly start to slow down...you stop to listen and realize you hear the ending credit song from some Barney show or whatever your sister was watching at age 8...and you then realize that you have been kicked off the internet by your 8-year-old-Barney-watching-sister. And now, it's time to flip a table...

Editor's note- my sister didn't like Barney until age 8. She was probably only 6 or 7 when she gave that up.

On Netflix and Moods

Pin It How cool is it that we live in a time and place where technology is so advanced? We can video chat with people, just like in The Jetsons, our cell phones are basically tiny computers, and speaking of computers, they now weigh like 1 lb! But the best thing, in my opinion, is the invention of Netflix. With the click of a remote or mouse (and a monthly subscription), you can pull up a million different options for television series and movies. No more driving to the video store to rent, or even having to do a Redbox! This technological sorcery is what makes the world go 'round, folks! 

So, today, let's explore some of the best Netflix options at your disposal based on your current mood:

Current Mood: Slightly angsty with a desire for period costuming

Netflix Suggestion: Reign

The new alternative to The Tudors, Reign follows the story of Mary, Queen of Scots and her rise to power. Definitely full of drama, this should feed your need for watching drama worse than what you are currently facing . This gal has an entire country's future on her shoulders! These are obviously not amateur problems. The costuming is lovely, the drama intense, and there is also a fairly strong sexual undercurrent. Not necessarily fine family fun, but good for solo fun. That may have come out wrong or weird, but you know what I mean.

Current Mood: Nostalgic for the days of Aquanet

Netflix Suggestion: Saved by the Bell

Yes, the kids of Bayside High are back (as long as you have a Netflix account.) This show never fails to bring me back to grade school, sitting on a blanket in front of the tv watching after school. The hair, the one hallway of lockers, the strange relationship with the kids and Mr. Belding. Plus, these episodes are all of 25 minutes, so you can get through probably the whole series over a weekend of Netflix binging. Not that I do that. Ever. 

Current Mood: Needing Convinced that your Family Isn't the Craziest

Netflix Suggestion: Arrested Development



Truly, your family cannot be as weird as the Bluth family, so watching this will make you feel pretty good about your family life. Kind of like how going to Walmart can make you feel like you really have your life together, so can watching this show. Plus, the show is hilarious and a little nonsensical, which is a bonus. I feel as though I've learned many life lessons from watching the Bluth family, but the most important of all:




Current Mood: A little sad and in the mood for some controversy
Netflix Suggestion: Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret



Admittedly, I have not watched this, but you best believe when I get a couple free hours, I will be watching it. Based on the murder trial that was a big deal a few years ago, aspiring photographer, Jodi Arias was put on trial for allegedly killing her lover, and found guilty for the crime. She was sketch.com and those bangs made me wildly uncomfortable every time I would see her on CNN or CourtTV. 

Current Mood: Feeling all the feels
Netflix Suggestion: Mystic Pizza



Oh man, I love this movie. It's just one of those feel-good-old-standby movies that just makes you smile, cry, and laugh. Plus young Julia Roberts is just lovely. A great story of friendship and young love. So many feelings!




Current Mood: Super Silly
Netflix Suggestion: Airplane!



I cannot say enough good things about this movie. It was made in 1980 and it is absolutely hilarious. It just puts me in a good mood and makes me laugh so hard. I would highly recommend to anyone who just needs a good giggle.

 

 

Monday Moments

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Some moments to appreciate on this Monday...

from Kid President!

Let's make this a great week.

Throwback Thursday: Childhood Crushes

Pin It Ahhh, childhood crushes. Takes me back to the good old days of sitting around the lunch table with friends, discussing the merits of the boys from Home Improvement  or the guys in Backstreet Boys., all while enjoying a sancho, some corn, and some chocolate milk from the Christ the King Elementary School cafeteria holler! I would say, in large part, that my childhood crushes weren't your traditional ones. No Jonathan Taylor Thomas or Devin Sawa for me. I preferred your more atypical gents:

John Stamos

Oh Uncle Jesse. I loved him despite the mullet and the crazy '80s jeans. He could sing, he could dance, and his hair only got better as the series went on. What a gem. And when Jesse and the Rippers reunited on Jimmy Fallon? Be still my heart.

Zach Morris (aka Mark Paul Gosslear)

I really liked Zach Morris circa when Saved by the Bell was no longer in the Jr. High-Haley-Mills-as-Miss-Bliss era. He was real naughty and wreaked havoc on Bayside High and likely made Mr. Belding get more than one ulcer. But he was my favorite trouble maker.

John Travolta (in Grease and Look Who's Talking ONLY)

Here we go again with a dude who can sing and dance. I LOVED watching Grease. I knew all the liens. In fact, I even had a great babysitter who would bring pretzel sticks so that I could pretend to put out my fake cigarette in the carpet (on top of a paper towel, of course) when Sandy said, "Tell me about it, stud."  And then I became obsessed with the Look Who's Talking movies and just loved him. Quite the charmer.

Billy Joel

The piano man. My one and only, and still love him to this day! Super talented, plays the piano, great personality, and the writer of my favorite song of all time, Uptown Girl.  Plus he is handsome and has just enough bags under his eyes to make him relatable. Plus, I have bags under my eyes. It's written in the stars, people. My man, Billy, has seen better days, but I still think he is a stone cold fox.

  

Billy in the 1980s on top...Billy in present day on bottom

Having Morgan as a Supervisor: Guest Blog Edition

Pin It Today's post comes from two silly ladies that I have the pleasure of working with on a daily basis. They approached me and asked if they could write a guest post and I said they absolutely could! 

_________________________________________________________________________________

On Having Morgan as a Supervisor

"So not only do we have the greatest job ever, getting to travel the country for an organization that we love, we also get to work with the great supervisor. Morgan.

With the purpose of being hilarious but also giving Morgan more reason to think she’s awesome, we thought guest blogging would be the greatest.

Here it is, the list that everyone needs to know….

Top 5 reasons Morgan Kaplan is the greatest supervisor (We would like to plug that the other Supervisors are also wonderful, we are just a little biased).

1. She uses hashtags in emails. Not only are these ridiculously placed in emails they also include words like #rockstar #fancy #thefanciest #bogus.
2. With talking a lot on the phone one can really see how a person processes information. We all have those “filler words” that we like to throw in while we are just need some time to think. Morgan loves “sure” or “for sure” and also a personal favorite, “you know what, you know what, you know what!” Also, you can almost always tell what Morgan is thinking through her facial expressions.

*Eye roll*= not amused

*Furrowing of the brows*= you can’t be serious

*Eye glare* = “don’t even think about it”

3. Morgan is a let’s get down to business type of person. However, when asking “how are you, Morgan or what’s up, Morgan” we would bet on the fact she will ALWAYS mention Frances Bean. No shame in the dog-loving MK.
4. We always get a good chuckle about how Morgan’s dream job is to be a Rockette. While she may lack the height requirement, we still believe she would be the GREATEST. We also know this because she is an amazing
5. Our personal favorite: “the list”. In our 1:1’s (as with all supervisors) there is the magical “list” about what we need to discuss. However, the best part with Morgan (you must read the Target blog post to understand) is we can only imagine all these sticky notes posted around her desk (in an organized fashion, of course).

Honorable Mention: She doesn’t ask twice for us to get things done. Wait…. that’s probably because we are awesome and get stuff done like #rockstars but ok, back to why Morgan is awesome.

We must say that there is never a dull moment with Morgan and yes, we are just trying to be funny, but we also think she is truly the best! "

It's the Little Things

Pin It I'm not super into New Years Resolutions. This year, Mr. K and I took kind of an overall approach to resolutions and simply have stated that we can "do better". Do better in eating right. Do better in exercising. Do better in traveling more. Do better in being more positive and optimistic. Do better in being grateful and appreciating the little things.

In an effort to help us with that last one, I actually bought Mr. K and I tear-off calendars for our work desks. They are "The Calendar of Awesome". Each day is a new "awesome little thing". For example, January 1 was "the first scoop out of a brand new jar of peanut better". Awesome! It's fun to tear off each day and think about all of those little things that make life great. Today, we will feature my own list of awesome little things:

The smell of coffee in the morning

Putting on comfy shoes (in my case, Ugg slippers) after being in heels all day

Finally getting into your seat on the plane after a long travel day.

Bonus if it's a window seat!

The satisfying "pop" of opening up a champagne bottle

Waking up in the middle of the night thinking it's time to get up. Checking your clock and seeing you still have 3 hours to sleep

The first day Starbucks brings back the Pumpkin Spice Latte in the fall

Fuzzy socks

Cuddles with sweet puppies

Getting mail. The good kind, like a card or note from a friend. None of that bill or jury duty notice crap!

The first night in bed after you have washed your sheets

When Olivia Pope says:

Perfectly twisting apart an Oreo

Getting your nails done

Laughing until your sides hurt

This clip never fails to make me laugh

When a deadline is extended

When a restaurant serves Coke, not Pepsi

Seeing old friends and catching up like no time has passed

Cheese fries

Fresh flowers 

That first feeling of relief after you have been dreading something

The smell of gasoline 

Ok, whatever, some people like fresh cut grass, I like gasoline, ok!? Get off me!

Monday Moments

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Monday Moments

Some moments to appreciate from one of my favorite funny ladies, Amy Poehler, this Monday morning. Let's make this week a great one!

What Your Favorite Kardashian Says About You

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They're America's First Family of Reality TV, and also the first family that we are all first to crap on. Whether you like them in public or private, there is no denying that this is one family that knows a thing or two about making a buck and staying relevant. And, whether you like them publicly or privately, we all know you have a favorite. So, without futher adieu, here is what your favorite Kardashian says about you:


Kris Jenner: The Matriarch

You're a mama-bear-type with a heart of gold...it might be tarnished, knock-off, back-of-a-Chinatown-van gold, but gold nontheless. You value an independant women with an entrepreneural spirit, and love a good vase filled with hydrangea...forget that baby's breath crap! Kate Gosselin may or may not be your spirit animal, but you are likely not admitting publicly.




Kourtney Kardashian: Pseudo Crunchy Granola Sweet 
(+10 points if you caught that Fosse piece reference)

You've got a little bit of an Earth-Mama thing going on, but not in a super weird, super crunchy way. You probably enjoy using all-natural products from Lush, and you may even be a proponant of all the kale propaganda being tossed around these days. You are stylish, but you probably value comfort and function more than some other Kardashians that we know.




Kim Kardashian-West: The Drama Queen

Cry YOU a river. You love a good gossip sesh, and you probably enjoy a good nachos nosh from time to time. You love your Instagram, you own a selfie stick, and you have perfected the "blue steel smolder". You love to look good, loathe sweatpants, but will make an exception for yoga pants. You think it's chic to name your child after a cardinal direction.



Khloe Kardashian: Keepin it Real

You don't take krap from nobody! You say what you think and you mean what you say. You love to work out and love a good gym selfie. You definitely aren't about the drama like some other Kardashans that we know. You love to be silly and make others laugh.Yoga pants are a staple, but so are sky-high heels and Spanx. Your spirit animal is Scott Disick.




Rob Kardashian: ......

You like socks. You also enjoy designing socks.



Scott Disick: The Lord

Though he is not a Kardashian in name, this dandy knows how to work a cravat and a smoking jacket. You enjoy the finer things in life, be that cars, yachts, fancy cigars, or more smoking jackets. You have a penchant for royalty and the monarchy in general. You don't take youself too seriously, unless it's regarding your Instagram game...in which case, you're serious as a heart attack.






Best Scott Disick moment in the entire Kardashian series