This is my 100th blog post!  What a long way I’ve come from my first blog post, aptly and boringly titled, “First Post” – it was a description of me learning to blog!  And what a variety of subjects I’ve covered, from retractable sharpie pens, to kids’ blankies…  from movies and tv shows to animals, trips, and family life…  It seems like forever ago that I was taking you all through the 11, 572 snow days we had, and it’s been fun to share all these aspects of my life on the internet while learning things about my friends and family who read and/or comment on my posts.  So thanks to all my readers, even if you just read because I make you, thanks anyway…  I truly appreciate each and every comment I receive – written and spoken, keep it up!  And might I add that I’m the first tangents.org blogger to achieve this milestone…  hope to have others join me soon!

For some reason, the old game show “Sale of the Century” from the 1980’s crossed my mind the other day.  I enjoyed this show tremendously as a kid, so I looked on youtube to see if I could find any episodes because I don’t really remember what it was all about.  They didn’t have any full episodes, but I did see enough bits and pieces to enjoy the nostalgia.  And I came across this clip of Simon Cowell’s first tv appearance as a contestant on the British version of this show:

Watching vintage game shows on youtube got my husband thinking about the movie Quiz Show, which is about the game show scandal of the late 1950’s.  It was a time when quiz shows were very popular, and one of the most popular shows of the time called “Twenty-One” was exposed for being rigged – in other words, the producers would tell the contestants the correct answers, and when to answer correctly or incorrectly to guarantee or fix the outcome of the show.  On youtube, we were able to find the actual episode of “Twenty-One” that was chronicled in the movie and where the scandal broke.  Click here to see it – it’s in 3 parts, so you can find parts 2 and 3 off to the side where it says ‘related videos’.  We also watched a “Time and Again” documentary about the scandal, which included interviews with the contestants involved and was very interesting – click here to see part 1 of 5 of that show; again, the remaining parts can be linked from the right side of youtube.  Surprisingly, the movie “Quiz Show” is very true to the real story of the scandal.  When watching the episode of “Twenty-One” that started it all, my husband noted that it was very close to how the movie portrayed it.  It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the movie, so I will have to see it again because I didn’t remember whether it was close or not.

After watching the interesting “Twenty-One” videos, we moved onto the game show “Press Your Luck” from the 1980’s.  It’s the one where people get spins on a big game board, and they yell, “No Whammys, no whammys, STOP!”  A whammy was like a ‘lose-your-turn’.  When a contestant spun one, a cartoon character (the whammy) would come out and do something different on the tv screen, like a dance or something silly, but it meant no money and the end of the contestant’s turn.  If you were like me and a kid watching the show when it was on, then you were waiting for people to get the whammys so you could see the little cartoons.  For this reason, I would NOT have liked the episodes that aired with a contestant named Michael Larson, an unemployed ice cream truck driver who memorized the pattern of the board, and spun a whopping 47 times!  He won the following prizes:

This amount of cash was unheard of for this show, and the host kept making dumb jokes about how the contestant could now buy the Bahamas or CBS.  After the show, they gave Michael Larson a hard time about collecting his winnings, but in the end, it was found that his memorizing the board’s patterns was not cheating.  They reconfigured the game show board, of course, but sadly, Michael Larson’s story did not have a happy ending.  He had some struggles over the years, and ended up dying of throat cancer in 1999.  His life during and after the “Press Your Luck” appearances makes for a very interesting story though; perhaps they should make a movie about that – read it here.  They pulled those episodes of “Press Your Luck” in syndication, but they have shown them in multiple specials that aired on tv, most notably the game show network.  They even invited Larson’s brother to compete against the newly configured Press Your Luck whammy board to see if he could beat it, and he could not.  Below are Larson’s appearances on “Press Your Luck”.  Note the reactions of his fellow contestants as well as those of the host.  A few interesting notes:   While waiting to be on the show, Larson met Ed Long, a Baptist preacher booked for his fourth taping. They struck up a conversation. When it was Ed’s turn to go on, Michael said to him, “I hope we don’t have to face each other on the show.” His wish wouldn’t come true, as Ed had won his previous game with $11,516.  Watch for Ed on the clip.  Also note the host of the show,  Peter Tomarken, who was killed in a plane crash in 2006.  He was a private pilot who volunteered for an organization that flew low-income patients for medical needs.  His airplane had engine trouble, and he and his wife were killed when their plane crashed into the Santa Monica Bay.

Just reading the synopsis of last night’s episode even before I saw it made me laugh out loud:

Michael and Dwight decide a trip to the Big Apple is in order.  There, they hope to mingle with bigwig Ryan and his colleagues at the nightclubs.  Back in Scranton, the staffers must work on Ryan’s pet website project – on a Saturday, no less.

The episode was hilarious, as usual.  I won’t give too much away, except that I almost fell off my couch laughing when Earl or Hank (or whatever the security guard’s name ended up being) made a cameo – priceless!

For my friends who have just started watching the show, I don’t know about you, but I really like to read tvguide’s blog about the show the day after I watch it.  Go to tvguide.com, find the tab at the top that says “What’s on TV”, and then go to Tv Show Blogs under that and find The Office.  Here is a quick link to the tvguide write-up of this week’s episode.

I agree with the tvguide writer – I caught on to Ryan’s drug use pretty early in the episode, just before he ran for the bathroom sniffling, which only confirmed my suspicion.  But I think the writer of the episode (BJ Novak, aka “Ryan” himself) meant for it to be obvious that Ryan was experimenting with the nose candy.  And to answer the tvguide blogger’s question, yes, I think it will spell problems for him with corporate in the future.  He’s really been on my nerves lately, but in a good way, he is fun to watch and be annoyed with.  Now with his drug problem and the fact that his ‘perfect life’ facade is starting to crack, I feel badly for him.  It’s been fun to watch his transformation from temp to corporate bigwig, and along the way, he’s always been kind of a jerk, not a very likable person at all.  But that’s what is so great about the Office – as the tvguide blogger says, “The Office is a terrific show because most of its comedy is rooted in real human behavior (no matter how exaggerated)…” – I couldn’t agree more!

Well, friends, our favorite show The Office is back on tv after the awful hiatus that was the Hollywood writer’s strike.  The first new episode in months actually aired last Thursday, but since it was our anniversary, I was busy and also had other things to write about.  Last week’s episode was funny as usual, but probably the least funny Office episode in my opinion.  But put it in perspective; I’m such a huge fan of the show that that is not really a put-down, more of a note, really.  Either the writers were a bit rusty last week, or maybe moving the action from the office and into Michael’s home subtracted some hilarity.  Either way, have no fear, after last night’s uproarious episode, our favorite show is back on track!

First things first – addressing the rumors.  I had heard that Michael and Jan’s relationship was going to get rocky, but I was surprised to hear that they had already broken up by last night’s episode.  No long, drawn-out sit-com drama, barely a word about it…  which is something I really like about this show.  It’s less of a soap opera than many sit-coms let themselves evolve into.  Even with its continuing plot story lines from week to week, The Office is still all about the comedy, of which it has plenty.  So, if the rumors of an Office spin-off are true, is it possible it will revolve around GodZillary herself – the ice-queen Jan Levinson Gould ?  I would rather see it involve someone who is not on the regular show since I can’t think of anyone I’d like to see leave Dunder Mifflin.  Jan will be missed, but if she is leaving the show anyway because she and Michael broke up, then they might as well make the spin-off about her.  And on to rumor #2 – something ‘big’ was going to happen between Pam and Jim; one of four things – they would get engaged, start sleeping together, break-up, or elope.  Well, the big thing (as predicted from the beginning of the episode by my hubby – way to go honey!) was none of the above, but let’s just say it is a positive step in their relationship, and for that we are glad.  No one wants to see these 2 break-up.  They are the cutest tv couple since Ross and Rachael of Friends fame, and the writers beat that relationship into the ground with all the back and forth nonsense, so thank goodness that isn’t happening to Pam and Jim.

Now on to the plot synopsis of last night’s episode.  After finding out that the catalog model who was supposed to be Michael’s soulmate met an untimely demise, Michael demands and makes it a work order that everyone in the office suggests a woman for him to date.  Pam sets him up with her landlord, and in pure Michael Scott fashion, he is obliviously (and hilariously) rude to her on their date.  Meanwhile, Kevin and Andy spear-head a meeting with the CEOs of the Scranton Office Park in order to get their parking spots back, which have been stolen by the construction crew.  I hope you caught one of the best lines of the show, delivered so quickly by Andy it might have been easy to miss:  when asked where Michael was at the office park meeting, Andy replies, “He had an unforseen prior commitment.”  Such is an example of the subtle yet sidesplitting humor that has come to be the backbone of the show.

Last night’s episdoe did not disappoint – the show is back, and I have my Office fix…  at least until May when we have to deal with the summer tv hiatus 🙁
Until next week…

A couple of quick updates I have to post:

1.  After just one episode, your favorite new show and mine, “Secret Talents of the Stars” was CANCELLED!!!  Just kidding.  At least about the favorite show part – this awful show was actually cancelled after airing just one episode, and we will never find out who wins.  Boo-hoo.  Probably would have been a bigger disappointment to waste more time watching it than it will be not knowing which celebrity won.

2.  I did some research, and didn’t find anything about the Starburst commercial (see my Mediocrity post) and whether or not it stars Steve Buscemi – just LOTS of speculation on the internet, no definite answers – but I watched the commercial again, and I no longer think it’s him.  Unless he’s found a way to age in reverse, that is.  But the actor in question definitely seems to be imitating him, and should probably look into getting a paid gig as a Buscemi impersonator, if he hasn’t already.  Sorry for the misinformation.

Two things I was looking forward to watching today turned out to be disappointing.  The first, a new horror movie in theaters called “The Ruins“, I wouldn’t classify as a bad movie.  It was entertaining, at least…  I say that a lot about movies, I know.  But if they hold my attention, aren’t boring (like The Night Listener), and don’t disgust me too much (like Doomsday), then I generally don’t consider the movie a waste of my time because I really like watching movies, spending time with my husband, and I just overall enjoy the movie theater going experience.

But as far as horror movies go, “The Ruins” is not my idea of a good one.  I won’t even go into the acting skills; it’s so unimportant when talking about this kind of movie.  No one stood out as horrible or unwatchable, and that’s all that matters in a movie like this.  I did lose a side bet with Hubby about whether or not one of the actors was also in the Texas Chainsaw remake – he was – but no matter, I really wasn’t too sure about it anyway.  The premise was interesting; 4 twentsters (people in their early twenties.  Hey, I just made that up because as far as I’m concerned, many of them still act like teens, might as well give them a goofy name to go with their attitudes.  Maybe it’ll catch on…) on vacation in Mexico follow this German guy (actor with a fake accent.  Why they couldn’t just find a German actor is beyond me, but whatever) they just met on a trek miles into the jungle to see some ancient ruins.  When they get there, they end up trapped on top of the pyramid thing by the natives who believe the ruins are cursed.  That’s basically it.  The movie was pretty fast-paced, however, once I realized that the “monster” of this horror movie was plant life, somehow it wasn’t very scary…  Also, everything creepy was already shown in the previews – I HATE when they do that to movies!  None of the characters were very likable, so when some met their demise, it wasn’t all that shocking nor disappointing.  I don’t know why the movie was rated R – I’ve seen much scarier PG13 movies, they could have cut out the nude scene, and the gore in this movie was all (POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT – IF YOU CARE) mercy limb cutting.  I was thinking the movie could redeem itself with a good resolution, but that was not to be.  I can’t see any replay value of this movie.  Worth seeing once but not again.  One good thing though, it didn’t have you leaving the theater feeling like crap about humanity, like Doomsday or some other movies I’ve seen – that’s always a plus.

On to disappointment #2 – Secret Talents of the Stars.  A show about “celebrities” – and some people who call themselves celebrities who I’ve never heard of – who try their hand at other talents than what they’ve become famous doing.  What was I thinking you ask?  What would this shameless attempt at yet another celebrity reality show have that made me want to watch it?  The answer – hype.  It was hyped so much that I actually fell for it.  And I really wanted to see Clint Black (I’ll forgive you this once if you don’t know he’s a major country music star) attempt stand-up comedy.  That was until I actually saw Clint Black attempt stand-up comedy.  Not very funny.  And the show seems fixed too…  ok, what show like this isn’t, but still….  the “judges” all loved Clint Black’s comedy…  probably because he was the most hyped star of the show, and they wanted to make sure he’d be in the semi-finals.  And then there was George Takei, of former Star Trek fame, now most famous for coming out of the closet, sad to say that has overshadowed his years on Star Trek, but I for one had never heard of him before he came out…  So, in between several obvious and Clint Black-ish (meaning not very good) type gay jokes, George sang “On the Road Again”, originally by Willie Nelson.  And if you don’t know who that is, you’re on your own, I’m not going to spell it out for you!  Needless to say, he butchered it and got kicked out of the show – big surprise.  The other 2 contestants tonight – Sasha Cohen and a singer called just Mya, were trying for talents that were somewhat related to their profession anyway – something I did not think was fair.  Figure skater Cohen was being an acrobat, while singer/entertainer Mya was tap-dancing!  The show is stupid, the format is obvious, the judges lines are scripted…  but why will I be watching next week?  Another country music star, Jo dee Mesina will be trying her hand at something other than country music and rehab.  Low blow there, and I apologize…  it’s late, and I seem a wee bit crabby, maybe I should have gone to bed instead of staying up until 11 to watch this dumb show… 

I used to really enjoy watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  It’s on tv in my area at 4pm, so I used to watch it all the time while I was feeding my youngest daughter.  Since that is no longer a job that requires sitting down for a good 30-60 minutes – quite the opposite nowadays actually! – I haven’t caught Ellen in ages.  But the other day, I was reminded of a viewer of Ellen’s who she made a few phone calls to on the show…  An 88-year-old named Gladys who was as matter-of-fact as can be and just hysterical.  Check out the clip from her first sound byte on the show below.  Gladys first calls Ellen’s show and leaves a message, which is funny enough by itself, but when Ellen calls her back, hilarity ensues!  Check it out:

And here Gladys gives a glowing review of American Idol, specifically Sanjaya’s hair:

I wonder if Ellen still talks to Gladys or how she’s doing?  Wish I had time to catch Ellen’s show, it was really funny and fun to watch.  Well, I will have a newborn to sit and feed in a matter of months, so maybe then I can turn on the tv and enjoy some comedy once again…

Since my first post about defunct tv was SO lengthy, I had to omit some of my favorite tv shows from yester-year which were so great they warrant a mention and another post.

The Bozo Show – If you grew up in Chicagoland, this show was an icon.  Some people in Ohio have told me it was on tv here too, but I know it just wasn’t the same as growing up with Bozo next door.  First of all, EVERYONE you knew went to see the Bozo show live.  The girl I went with was put on the waiting list when she was in utero, and we were 9 or 10 years old before her mother finally got the tickets that allowed us entry into the show.  But I’m just glad I got the experience, and I’m even more glad that I was old enough to remember seeing Bozo live – it was really neat.  I was really scared of a character named Wizzo though, and I hoped he wouldn’t be there on the day I was…  Ironically, I don’t remember if he was in that episode or not.  My husband went to a Bozo show taping of course, since he was also a Chicagoland kid, but neither of us were on the Grand Prize Game.  There were other characters on the show, mainly Bozo’s clown sidekick, Cookie, and also a puppet dog named Cuddly Duddly.  I think I’m going to have to dig out the tape of the show I was on, just for memories…  So was Bozo aired nationally?  Since it was so hugely popular in our area, it’s hard to say; it’s not like there was an internet back then or like I traveled a lot or had pen pals as a kid to ask.  I would guess so, since lots of people have heard of it, but I’m sure it was nothing like the phenomena it reached in Chicagoland.

Land of the Lost – Saturday morning tv at its finest.  This was a live show about a family who was transported back in time to contend with all kinds of prehistoric creatures like dinosaurs, etc.  While looking up the show on imdb, I learned that there were 2 versions.  One that aired from 1974-76, and one from 1991-92.  I will dismiss the 90’s remake since I wasn’t a big fan.  But as for the original, I barely remember it but I know that I LOVED it!  I must have watched it in syndication however, because I was not around to see it from ’74-’76.  But, when I saw the photos and synopsis of the episodes, I know that’s the show I watched and loved.  Interesting note – they are currently make a movie version due out next year starring Will Ferrell as the dad!  I am a big fan of Will Ferrell’s.  I think he is great in almost everything I’ve seen him in; he’s always funny and surprisingly versatile.  He stars in one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time, Elf.  So I am anxious to see what they do with this remake of a classic tv show for our generation.  I think the movie is slated to be a comedy, but with Will Ferrell as its star, that’s no surprise.  I wonder if they’ll do what they did with the Brady Bunch movies and make it a satire of the tv show?  It was very effective and funny when they did it in the Brady Bunch movies, but it would seem difficult to pull off for many tv shows without being too over the top.  With the cheesy sets and special effects and costumes of the ’70’s Land of the Lost, satire might be a good avenue to explore for the movie remake.  It’d be cool to see the movie set in the 70’s – well, the family gets sent back in time, but if the family were still from the ’70’s…  Guess we’ll just have to wait until 2009 to see!

The Littles – A catchy theme song which began, “We are the Littles…”  It was an awesome Saturday morning cartoon (which of course spawned into toys, lunchboxes, books, and even a few movies) about a family of small people with pointy ears and tails who lived within the walls of a Bigg (literally, this was the surname of the family!) family’s house.  The plots revolved around Tom and Lucy Little, a brother and sister who tried to keep their dopey aviator cousin Dinky out of trouble along with their Grandpa Little.  The Littles had rigged up their own little world within the walls of the Bigg’s home which they entered through a light socket, and it was neat to see how they used normal size objects to make things they needed.  They would often enlist the help of Henry Bigg, the human regular-size kid who lived in the house, since he was the only human to know about the Littles.  Cute show – I could probably find it on youtube or somewhere like that if I looked. 

Shirt Tales – Adorable little animal characters who began as a line of greeting cards were turned into a cartoon.  Their shirts would display different sayings to express their feelings; such as Hug Me, Cuddly, or Dig Me (worn by a mole).   A really cute cartoon which aired on the USA network as part of its Cartoon Express, of which Pac Man the cartoon was also a part; see below.

Pac Man – A cartoon based upon the popular video game.  I don’t remember much about it, but I know I liked it, and it didn’t last long.  I think if I were to see this cartoon today as an adult, it would be dumb, whereas Shirt Tales might be cute.  I haven’t checked youtube, but they both just might be there; it seems likely.

I received another email forward that is worth mentioning today.  It was a list of people’s first names followed by a tv show.  The idea is that you are supposed to add your name to the list along with a tv show you used to watch that’s not on tv anymore.  I was a huge fan of tv as a kid, and I watched it a lot, so it was fun to sit and think about shows that I enjoyed that aren’t on tv anymore.  Since you were only supposed to add one show after your name on the email forward, I’m going to share the other shows I was going to put in it, along with imdb links so you can learn about them if you wish:

Dolphin Cove – This is the show I included with my name in the forward.  It was originally an Australian show, but they tried it in the US, and it only aired for one season, if that.  I think there were 8 episodes.  It was about an American widower who moves to Australia with his 2 children to work with dolphins.  His daughter is mute because she is in shock after witnessing the accident that took her mother’s life.  She develops special communication skills with the dolphins.  Since I was only 10 when the show aired, I don’t remember much, I just know that I really liked it and that I was extremely disappointed when it didn’t come back on tv.  Since it was cancelled abruptly, there were some open-ended plot lines, and I waited for months hoping the show would be back.  Of course it was not.  If anyone knows how to get it tape or the internet or anything, let me know, I’d love to see it again!  Oh, and something interesting I learned from imdb – apparently the show was written by Peter Benchley, the author who wrote Jaws.  I read a book by him once called The Beast, and it was pretty scary.  Not that Dolphin Cove was scary or anything like that, it’s just a note.  I’m not sure if he wrote the concept for the show or all the episodes or both, but it doesn’t really matter much now anyway.

The Charmings – I was 9 years old when this show was on and I thought it looked stupid then, if that tells you anything.  Still, as a pre-tween girl, the intrigue of a sitcom based on a fairy tale was irresistable, so I gave it a try, and I still found it dumb.  The tagline says it all:  “Snow White and Prince Charming fell asleep in the Enchanted Forest… they woke up in Burbank!”  Unbelievably, this show actually WON a primetime Emmy and was nominated for 3 others.  True, it won the Emmy for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series, (does that one even still exist?) but still…  I guess that magic mirror was truly something to behold.  The writing and acting apparently were not however, since the show only lasted for 2 seasons, and they switched Snow Whites after only 6 episodes.

The Carol Burnett Show – I’m not talking about the well-known show that ran from 1967-1978 since I wasn’t around for that; I’m talking about the hour-long show that aired in the early ’90’s.  Each show featured a series of sketches with an awesome cast of supporting actors, and this is where I was introduced to an actor named Richard Kind, who went on to do shows such as Mad About You and Spin City.  I loved every skit he was in on The Carol Burnett Show of the ’90’s – they were my favorites.  I don’t know how long the show lasted because I was very young at this time and there is not much info on it at imdb.com, but I know that it should have lasted longer because it was true family entertainment – very funny for all ages.

Silver Spoons – Hardly anyone in my generation has forgotten this show.  Airing for 5 seasons, it made a star of a young Rick Schroder (then he was known as Ricky Schroder, a heart-throb for teen girls everywhere!) as a spoiled rich kid who lived in a mansion but faced many of the problems normal teenagers face.  His father (played by Joel Higgins, whatever happened to him?) was a toy inventor, so needless to say, their house and the gadgets inside were pretty cool and fun to watch.  It’s hard to believe this show only lasted for 5 seasons, but then again, it was rerun on so many networks in syndication, and that’s where I saw the majority of the episodes I watched.  I still remember the theme song, and no, I didn’t have to look it up first, which I guess is a little sad, but anyway: “Here we are, face to face, a couple of Silver Spoons.  Hopin to find, we’re two of a kind, making a go, making it grow, together…”  I could go on, but you get the idea.

As an avid tv watcher, of course I watched many more shows than the ones I’ve listed here.  These are just the ones that came to my mind today which I thought would make interesting conversation.  And, for extra fun, here is a copy of the forward:

How many shows can we come up with that we USED to watch that are no
> longer on TV? Add one and keep going.
> This should be fun and jog our memories. No repeats on the shows please.
> Send to all your friends and back to me.
>Lisa…………………………..Dolphin Cove
> Jamy………………….Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
> Barb…………………..Little House on the Prairie
> Dutch…………………Dragnet
> Marilyn……………….Friday night fights!!
> Dutch…………………Dynasty
>
> Carol………………….Streets of Sanfrancisco
>
> Cheryl………………..St. Elsewhere
>
> Lisa……………………Here Comes the Brides
>
> Toni……………………Peyton Place
>
> Mary…………………..Topper
>
> Madeline……………..Friday Nite Videos
>
> Sheila…………………China Beach
>
> Twyla………………….I Remember Mama
>
> Sandy…………………Dallas
>
> Melanie……………….The Adventures Of Brisco County
>
> Ellen…………………. Sports Night
>
> Karen…………………Hawaii 5-0
>
> Pat…………………….Lucy’s Toy Shop
>
> Karma………………..Happy Days
>
> Shari…………………That Girl
>
> Bill…………………….Checkmate
>
> Judy………………….Amos ‘N Andy
>
> Peg ………………….Mickey Mouse Club
>
> Ron —————– Lucky Strike Hit Parade
>
> Paula…………………My Three Sons
>
> Cindy………………..Mary Heart Line
>
> Barb………………….I Love Lucy
>
> Glenda……………….Phil Donahue Show
>
> MARLENE…………..MY LITTLE MARGIE
>
> AJ…………………….Saturday Night Hit Parade
>
> June………………….The Naked City
>
> Jeanie………………..Danny Thomas Show
>
> Pam…………………..Bozo The Clown
>
> Kim ……………………Andy Griffith Show
>
> Cassie………………..30 something
>
> Kay……………………Saturday Night FRIGHTS (good ol scary movie night)
>
> Kaye…………………..Dick Van Dyke
>
> Karen Rust ………….Father Knows Best (way back)
>
> Kat D………………….Mama’s Family
>
> Janna…………………The Love Boat
>
> Dan……………………Night Court
>
> Maureen……………….Once and Again
>
> Michele ………………Bosom Buddies
>
> Jennifer………………..The Lawrence Welk Show
>
> Marilyn………………..Dr. Kildare
>
> Diane………………….Have Gun Will Travel
>
>Phyllis…………………Bonanza

>Sharon………………..Winky Dink

Our wedding anniversary is coming up – this year marks #9! – and there’s a pretty cool gift we get this year: the first new Office episode in months!  Steve Carell gave an interview with TvGuide, and said that his character Michael Scott is hosting a dinner party, and it goes terribly awry.  If you know anything about the show, then you know how hilarious this will be and are looking forward to it as much as we are.  So on April 10, check out the first brand new Office episode since the writer’s strike saga!

And that reminds me, on April 10, 2009, we are hopefully going to have the time and resources to put together a “second wedding” for our tenth anniversary.  We didn’t know any of our Ohio friends when we got married way back in ’99, so we’d like to renew our vows and “get married” all over again in Ohio, 10 years later!  And, luckily for us, April 10, 2009 falls on a Friday!  So, this year we will be watching the Office.  Next year, we will be “getting married” again, hopefully!