The One where I’m back!

Well hello there! It’s certainly been awhile. I’m not going to go into some big long explanation about why I’ve been so absent lately because frankly I didn’t make this blog to bore people to death with it. Suffice to say that I am back and ready to be a more frequent updater. This will be easier because of the first thing I have to talk about which is my new job!

I’ve been anxiously awaiting a job that will help me start a new chapter in my story and thanks to a great best friend I have one! I work the front desk at a music school in PA. The commute is long (but not during peak rush hours times thankfully), but the hours are regular. And best of all I have pockets of down time that will enable me to write more and focus more on finding that elusive Communications career I so long to find.

But enough of all of that! In thinking about my first post back after such a long hiatus I was kind of stuck on what to write about. Because it’s been so long I though I would ease back into the whole blog thing by posting  a list of what pop culture things I am obsessed with lately. It’s just a small list that includes music, movies, books and television. So without further ado here is my obsessed list.

1) Janelle Monae: Besides having the coolest first name ever this chick is one of the most interesting singers I’ve heard in recent memory. It is impossible to put Janelle into a box. Her album The ArchAndroid is an eclectic mix of pop, jazz, electronica, and rap. Seriously I dare you to try to define this girl. It’s impossible. Her new album Electric Lady comes out tomorrow and features duets with Erykah Badu and Prince to name just two. You can bet I had this sucker pre-ordered on iTunes weeks ago and cannot wait to hear the whole thing. To get a taste of just how eclectic Janelle is here are 2 songs off her newest album. (Make sure you listen all the way to the end of Q.U.E.E.N. for an amazing rap verse)

And now…something you can dance to!

2) Documentaries on Netflix: During the summer most television consists of reality shows and re-runs. So my Netflix instant account gets quite a workout. Lately I’ve become obsessed with documentaries. I find that they don’t require as much attention as regular movies so I can work on other things while having them as background noise. After watching quite a few this summer two that I would highly recommend are

First Position

Seriously, even if you are not into ballet this documentary is amazing! A girl featured in the doc dances at a school in Philadelphia that I pass every Sunday that I drive into the city for church. It’s not too long but really fascinating and all of the dancers are just lovely.

The Invisible War

A powerful and moving documentary. It can be difficult to watch but I think very important to watch. From books like Half the Sky and others like it I am unfortunately very aware of the difficulties of being a woman in other nations. This documentary shows that women in America are also facing shocking discrimination and abuse from those who have chosen to protect our nation. This doc was nominated for an Academy Award and it was a well deserved nomination.

3) Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts

These books have been out for awhile but I just recently discovered them. I’ve always loved history and so I leaped at the chance to read books about the women who helped shape our nation in its earliest years. Founding Mothers focuses on the years just before The Revolutionary War up until the election of John Adams. Ladies of Liberty begins with John Adams’ election and ends with the presidency of his son, John Quincy Adams. What I loved about these books was that while they covered some of the more well known women of the revolution, Abigail Adams, Martha Washington etc, they also talk about women I had never heard of before as well as exploring popular myths surrounding women of the Revolution (like Molly Pitcher and Betsy Ross).

4) Television : again since summer just ended most of what has been on television has been re-runs or reality TV. While I have been enjoying my USA network summer shows (Covert Affairs, Suits, and Graceland). My real summer love has been a show I just recently rediscovered

House Hunters/House Hunters International

So when my parents and I travel to see my sister, brother in law, and their kids it can be hard to find television to agree on. My brother in law is a giant sports fan and doesn’t really have the time or patience to watch much else. My parents and I are typically not sports fans. (I love baseball and football but really only enjoy watching “my teams” play them). A good compromise we have always found has been The HGTV channel in particular the House Hunter shows. Is there anything better than judging people based on a half hour of watching them decide on a new house? I submit there is not! Yes I know the show is a setup and most of the people already have a new house picked out when they go on the show but who cares! I’m watching it to see the exotic locales, the couples passive aggressively fight, and the shock on all the American peoples faces when they see how small master bedrooms and bathrooms are in every other country.

So those are just a few of things I’ve been obsessed with this summer. If you try any of these out and like them please let me know in the comments! Also what things were you obsessed with this summer? It’s good to be back!