In Which I Complain about Seasons 3 and 4 of How I Met Your Mother

While the first two seasons of HIMYM were charming and clever and moving, the next two seasons just prove the FUTURE seasons' terrible incontinuity and draaaaaaaaaaggedness.

You know what I mean.

FIRST, LET'S DISCUSS JASON SEGEL'S HAIR
I was trying to figure out what movie Segel was in during those years because his hair is a HOT mess in Season 3. I can't figure it out. Maybe, I Love You, Man.

FUN WITH GUEST STARS
Not as many before-they-were-famous appearances as in the previous seasons, but there are cameos by Janice from Friends and the guy who played Hooch on Scrubs.

Hooch is crazy.

EVERYONE IS PREGNANT. I THINK.
Towards the end of Season 4, Alyson Hannigan begins to spend an awful lot of time behind large purses, laundry baskets, bowls of popcorn, and lying around in bathrobes.

Hannigan is out of the series for a few weeks. They even make a gimmick out of it by having Barney offend her with a horrible joke.

However, she returns at the very end of the season and is still hiding behind big bags and, lamely, in one instance, holding up a shiny 31 sign for the season finale episode set on Ted's 31st birthday.

Then, Cobie Smulders falls to the same fate. But in the season finale, she looks slim.

My guess is that their shooting schedule had to be done out of order to accommodate all the breeders.

INTERESTING DETAILS
The clock in the main apartment is set to 4:20. Heh heh heh.

LET'S JUST GET ON WITH IT, or QUESTIONS OF CONTINUITY
OK. I couldn't help but notice every time future Ted talks to his kids, the date under them reads 2029.

These kids are definitely in their late teens at that point.

Which means that Ted better meet their mother THIS YEAR if his character is going to have enough time to meet her, fall in love, and get her knocked up in time for them to turn 16 in 2029. Amirite?

The season finale introduces that Ted becomes a professor and that the mother is in his class. Of course, I've seen most of seasons 5, 6, and 7 already, and they've dropped the ball on this completely recently.

This is what is making me lose my patience with the show, this season particularly.

Remember the title! And give us what you promised!

How I Met Your Mother used to be a really good show.

I have to tell you, before anyone gets upset, that I watch this show pretty devotedly now. Even though it's been weeks and weeks since there was any HINT of mother around the plot. And they're all old and paunchy now (well, not all of them, but I'll get to that).

The comedy DRAGS in recent episodes, when once it was a clever, moving show that was really about friends and being a 20-something in NYC. Now it's about slightly boring settled and unsettled 30-somethings, who we don't really care about anymore...

And how many years does it take this guy to MEET THEIR MOTHER??

Still, I've started watching episodes from the beginning on Netflix Instant Watch and I'm liking it so much more than what I've seen on air in the last three or four years.

Here are some reasons why and why not (only including episodes in seasons 1 and 2 so far)!

40% OF THE CAST HAS NOT AGED WELL
I'm looking at you Cobie Smulders and Jason Segel. It's a shame, too, because you were both super cute in 2005.

FUN WITH GUEST STARS
Seasons 1 and 2 included appearances by
Bryan Cranston, of Malcolm in the Middle and Breaking Bad fame, as Ted's terrible boss,
Joe Manganiello, Alcide on True Blood, as Marshall's law school classmate,
Jayma Mays, Ms. Pillsbury on Glee, in a cameo as a coat check girl, and
David Burtka, Neil Patrick Harris's real-life partner, as Lily's high school boyfriend, Scooter.

(Fun fact about David Burtka and NPH: My old college classmate Joe was in a musical based on the movie The Opposite of Sex (see how far that show went?) when it was tried out in San Francisco. David Burtka was also in the cast, and the night we saw it, NPH was in the audience! He was so not famous (again) yet, but I flipped out when Doogie Howser was standing in the same theater lobby as me.)

Also, Megan Mullaly is TOTALLY the voice of Barney's mom (who is eventually played by Frances Conroy).

Are you still with me?

THESE ARE THINGS I DISPUTE. YOU COULD CALL THEM CONTINUITY ISSUES.
So. There is an entire episode devoted to Barney having his heart broken really badly and then turning to the dark side. You know, the episode where NPH dons the ratty blond wig, works happily making lattes, and sings love songs to his barista girlfriend, among other hippie-ish things?

And then one day, a customer in a slick suit and spouting sexist credo comes in and notices Barney's gf. Barney is about to leave to go to the Peace Corps, or something, and runs back to the cafe, one day, to say goodbye, or something...yadda yadda yadda...he catches her making out with slick suit guy.

This all leads up to Barney transforming into the womanizing, suit-wearing character we all have come to know and love. (The transformation sequence even heavily references Anakin turning into Darth Vader.)

BUT THEN, episodes later, Wayne Brady's character, James (Barney's brother), is introduced, and he is presented as being exactly the same as Barney: suit-wearing, on the prowl, a party animal.

Barney didn't learn about the ways of his world from his brother. He turned into the Darth Vader of dating after suffering a broken heart. This does not compute.

Also, Barney would totally not ever wear big, baggy boxers like the ones he wears in the episode where he commissions Lily to paint a nude portrait of him. That is a character who would wear boxer briefs, if I've ever seen one. (Probably can't wear boxer briefs on CBS.)

AND FINALLY, I KNOW YOUR SECRET THE OFFICE
You totally stole the idea where Jim and Pam get married on a boat at Niagara Falls before their actual wedding from this show, in which everything that could go wrong for Marshall and Lily on their wedding day does and they ultimately get married (SPOILER ALERT) outside with just their friends, accompanied by acoustic guitar, as they always dreamed.

Stay tuned for impressions from Seasons 3 and/or 4-7...

I am a Pop Culture Genius, vol. XVI

I don't really recall watching The Wonder Years when it was airing, although now that I kill time once in a while by watching it on Netflix, every episode seems familiar.

I don't know if that's because it's so ingrained in my generation's pop culture knowledge or because I actually watched the show from when I was 5 until I was 10 and I just don't have any super clear memories of those times.

In either case, it's a brand new experience to watch these episodes now. With my own experiences of puberty and struggles with my parents and figuring out dating. And my vague understanding of the 60's and 70's.

And my brain just exploded because, in one episode, Karen's boyfriend, Louis, is played by him.

IMDB informs me that this was only his second credit AND that, on the show, he is credited as "Jack Corbett."

BUT. THAT. IS. AIDAN!

Dude has made a long career out of kissing woman on the small screen.

And what lucky women they are.

8th Annual "Birthday Extravaganza"

S and I have been celebrating our birthdays together since 2004, when we threw a three-day 21st birthday bash that broke records in alcohol consumption and sleep deprivation. When I was apartment hunting between my sophomore and junior years in college, I sent out probably 12 Craigslist inquiries. The only person who responded was S, whom I had met several times because she was involved in the student-theatre group I worked with.

I guess you could say Craigslist brought us together.

We've celebrated together every June 21-23 since.

This year, however, with my work schedule and her moving mid-June, we couldn't be together on our birthdays proper.

I had the idea that, since we were both so busy and couldn't venture either North or South, to be together, that we should figure out the geographical midway point.

Turns out, it's basically Hartford, CT.

So, we agreed to meet there for the day. We'd have a boozy lunch, spend some time in a park, and see some sights, then head back to our respective homes.

I woke up around 7:30 to make some breakfast and head to South Station for my 9:30 bus ride. Peter Pan to Hartford on a random Saturday in July is totally the way to travel. There were probably 15 people on my bus, both ways, and everything ran exactly on time to the minute.

I got there a few minutes before S and went searching for a restroom in Union Station. I followed a long line of men to a corner and figured the women's room was somewhere else, so I entered the lobby:


Empty. No benches.

I was confused but headed back to the bus terminal and finally found the bathroom.

When S got off her bus, I showed her how odd the lobby was and then we stood on a corner to figure out our destination for lunch.

Agave Grill ended up being a pretty OK spot. Tasty if too-sweet drinks, OK salad, and actually really good nachos.

Full of drink and food, we headed toward Bushnell Park, where we sat here for about 2 1/2 hours:


That's the State Capitol, fyi.

It was perfect weather for sitting under a tree and we chatted and laughed off our drunkenness until it was time to try to track down some more food before our buses departed.

The walk was eerie. We couldn't figure out why the park wasn't packed. It was a gorgeous day, the grass was bright green and soft, there was a playground and pretty statues and historical buildings to look at:


It was like something from I Am Legend, and it just kept getting weirder.

As we walked further into downtown, we were confronted by groups of people in strange costumes and wigs. They were mixed with lots of crazy, street people, who called out to us as we wandered, hoping to find another spot to have a drink or some food.

Nothing was open.

Anywhere.

This is the food court in State House Square:


The only place open in the food court was Szechuan Express, randomly.

We turned a corner and found a crappy restaurant where S had a beer and I had a homemade rootbeer but we refused to order anything on the sticky menu.

Finally, we happened upon a small market where we got some snacks and parted once again at the bus station.

When I got back to Boston, I was unnerved by how many stands at the food court were open in South Station.

It was probably the strangest place we've ever been together, and that list includes a place called Hunk-o-Mania AND the Las Vegas Strip in June.

Also, this is what they eat in Worcester, one of my stops on the way home:


America is weird.

Mr. Miyagi would be so proud.

So, we all know that I'm a fan of TV.

Lately, I've been rewatching the entire series of Scrubs and it's seriously reigniting my Zach Braff crush.

I'm also a fan of reality TV but not a ridiculous, obsessive fan.

Like, I don't watch Jersey Shore, for example.

I have, however, become newly fascinated by the horrible schlock show Celebrity Apprentice but mostly because Marlee Matlin's on it and I am totally in love with her. Also, I didn't know who Lil Jon or Nene Leakes were before the show, and now I love them both.

And Dionne Warwick is a horrible person who thinks that teaching 4- and 5-year-olds about deaf people is bringing them too much diversity.

Anyway, I like to be kept informed about the other significant reality phenomena around me. So I read and occasionally watch clips of this season's Dancing with the Stars.

And it features Ralph Macchio.

You know, this guy!
















Except, today, he looks like this.














Which is to say, EXACTLY THE SAME AS HE DID IN THE KARATE KID!

Like, it is freaky.

And he does this:



But, my absolute favorite part of that clip is that he named his son--WAIT FOR IT!--Daniel.

As in, Daniel-san.

SOB!

If I Were a Betting Woman, I Would Have Lost

You may remember that in 1998, a little show called Dawson's Creek premiered.

I was 15, the prime age for this show about smart, articulate, neurotic teens to totally sweep me away.

To be honest, I didn't get into it until mid-first season, but I was HOOKED and would meet my friend Liza the day after the show was on to watch the VHS she and her mom had made, so we could rewind and swoon to our hearts' delight.

People in my life understand that Pacey Witter is STILL my dream man.

I must admit that I haven't seen every single episode.

In 2001, I started college and tried to continue my religious following but school took over, as it should.

Still, my friend Bonnie and I would make special "Dawson's" dates, and I'll never forget watching the series finale, crying my eyes out when Grams told Jen she'd "see her soon."

Ugh.

Plus, dude, Pacey and Joey were so meant to be.

After Dawson's Creek ended, I would have bet that Katie Holmes and James Van Der Beek were going to explode.

That football classic Varsity Blues came out and suddenly, with his lower voice and brown hair, I thought Van Der Beek was hot and charismatic.

Maybe he was a better actor than I had realized while watching him whine and cry and bemoan his lack of charm with the ladies on the Creek.

Katie Holmes was in Go, basically playing Joey Potter except on a 24-hour madcap adventure through drugs and Timothy Olyphant.

My darling Joshua Jackson sort of fell off the planet.

And THEN, Michelle Williams, who had always been my least favorite, playing Jen with a scrunched up face and precociousness I found off-putting, appeared in Brokeback Mountain.

And showed up at the Academy Awards, where she'd been nominated, like this:

Win. On so many levels.

I remember, around this time, realizing that Holmes and Williams were suddenly SUPER famous, what with their famous spouses, and that the guys from the Creek had been lost in obscurity.

I was surprised.

What was the world without Dawson and Pacey?

So, here's how I rank them today, from most to least relevant, almost 13 (gulp) years after the premiere of a show that will always have a place in my heart (P+J 4eva).

1.
With another Academy Award nomination under her belt for her INCREDIBLE performance in Blue Valentine, Williams is still winning. I mean, that's Ryan Gosling. So yeah, no contest.

2.
I love him so much. In fact, I watch Fringe because I love him so much. It's also a good show, but I wouldn't haven't started watching if my boyfriend wasn't on it.

3. James Van Der Beek
Two months ago, I would have put him last, but these videos are hilarious, and it shows that he has a sense of humor about himself and his lack of acting skills. Plus, his wife just had a baby, so that's pretty exciting.

4.
A poor showing by a once-promising Holmes, who gets the distinction of being Mrs. Tom Cruise, but hey, at least her new miniseries The Kennedys will be out soon. On that distinguished network, ReelzChannel.

Wait.

If this is any indication, this year is going to be weird.

My friend, KL, has been in town since Wednesday, to celebrate the new year and to do important things like hat- and boot-shopping, and lots of cooking and eating.

After staying up for New Year's until about 4 AM and watching When Harry Met Sally on lots of wine and champagne, we had a very lazy day yesterday, the first of the year.

We stayed in our pajamas all day, ate at weird hours, and KL cooked a large meal for the house, which we consumed over about three hours.

By the time we were lolling about at the end of the day, it was already very late.

But she and I ended up playing an hours-long game of "Marry, Bury, Screw," where each player identifies three people (that you know or that you know of) and the players have to decide who they would marry, bury, and screw among them.

KL and I played a version where we were presenting three people to the other person, sort of as a challenge.

We had benign combinations (Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama) and mean ones (George W. Bush, George Bush, Barbara Bush). Totally silly ones (Nemo, Woody, Shrek) and totally sick ones (your sister, your father, your mother).

By almost 2 AM, we were throwing out totally stream-of-consciousness trios.

and

And another,

and

Finally, KL said, "Telephone pole, water bucket, stairs."

Without another thought, I said, "It's time for bed.

But I'd totally marry stairs."

*No disrespect intended to either Brian Dennehy or Jane Goodall.

Family Reunion Time!

On September 5, my grandmother turned 90 years old.

Doesn't she look AMAZING?

This weekend, I will travel to Ithaca, NY, for a family reunion disguised as a concert for her. (Incidentally, Boston is REALLY far away from Ithaca, and I have to take two TEENY TINY planes to get there.)

I plan on reading a version of this.

I'm also organizing a SURPRISE FINALE, performing one of my grandparents' standards, "When I'm Sixty-Four." (He'd play the bassoon; she'd play the clarinet. Too cute, right?)

All of my aunts and uncles will be there, looking really no different than they do here.

Click to enlarge.

I predict lots of music-playing, game-playing, and wine drinking.

That's how we do.

And, just for good measure, here's a pic of four of the five of my mom's generation. My youngest aunt hadn't been born yet.

(I will save my family some face and not reveal the year this was taken.)

Click to enlarge.

You Guys! I'm SO Famous!

Guest post is up at one of my favorite blogs!

Una and I share a love of karaoke, red wine, and pop culture.

Also, we grew up together but then she went to college with a totally different old friend of mine and we re-met at his birthday party. Small world.

I think if we were ever properly reunited, we would have a long, ridiculous, rambly conversation about the virtues of the original 90210 and how famous our elementary school friend is, now that he's on Mad Men, playing Peggy's love interest.

Let's make this happen, LaMarche!!

Her blog is hilarious and amazing. Read it.

And enjoy my post!

Happy Birthday, Mom-Mom

Today is my grandmother Shirley's 90th birthday.

Here she is in Honolulu, 50 years ago.



And with her amazing husband, Charles, whom she was married to for almost 60 years. They had five children together.



I have recently made the decision to travel back to my mother's hometown for a weekend of celebration for Shirley in October. This was a decision that took a few months for me to make, but, ultimately, I know it's the right thing to do, for her and for my family.

I will be very excited to see her, even though what I've heard is that she might not remember who I am, which is scary because she has always been one of the most razor-sharp people I've ever known...

It's OK, though.

I can remember for the both of us.

I Wonder if Students Will Study This Show in History Classes

I've just completed watching the first season of Mad Men, on my trusty Chinese streaming channel.

This is a show of which I've seen most of the second season and have meant to go back and start from the beginning to get all caught up since around 2008.

That's when it started winning all kinds of awards.

I didn't quite know what to make of the show then, and, frankly, I still don't.

It's so weird.

It's like a strange, dark, history lesson, full of inexplicably long-sleeved flannel pajamas, liquor, cone bras, and hundreds of cigarettes.

Nobody is who he seems.

Everyone has sex on couches.

I find myself distracted by thoughts like:

Jon Hamm's hair steals every scene.

January Jones sure is gorgeous, but she's grating.

I can't figure out what I don't like about Vincent Kartheiser, who plays Pete. But he looks exactly like Wil Wheaton.

Hey, that's Annie from Community!

Too bad I knew Peggy got pregnant the first season. That would have been a real shock.

Wait, why don't they just use their cell phones?

What is it like for the actors to smoke all those fake cigarettes?

If they drank so much at work during that time, who did all the dishes?

And, I have always thought I was born in the wrong era.

If you put me in those cinched and tailored clothes and all that intense underwear, I would have looked exactly like this:



I swear.

Love Letters to Inappropriately Aged Actors

I have a confession.

This will come as no shock to those who know me, but...I like younger dudes.

I think it started in college, when I was dating a 19-year-old freshman my senior year, as I was turning 22.

Since then I've had countless crushes on guys younger than me. I even liked an 18-year-old when I was turning 25--that was the biggest gap. It doesn't help that I've spent two summers on a camp staff where the average age is probably 24.

Since then, though, I've made a rule that if he can't get into a bar without a fake ID, I refuse to look at him twice. That is just too embarrassing.

Anyway...ahem...below are some of the dashing young lads that make my ever-aging heart beat a little faster, in counterpart to this post, and in order of degree of obsession.


Dear Taylor,
I dedicated a whole post to my newfound appreciation for you. I hope you read it. Even though I'm pretty sure you don't play on my team (I won't tell), and even though I think you're a terrible actor, I can't deny that your chemistry with Kristen Stewart on the second Twilight movie was pretty exciting.
And I know you know karate because your body is KICKIN'.
Kisses!
Annie


Zac,
I have to admit it, but I'm particularly embarrassed about my crush on you. You won me over with your adorable and solid performance in Hairspray. You're hot, you can sing, and you've got great abs. Also, I like that you sometimes roll around in the mud with naked girls. I hope Vanessa isn't jealous.
Love,
Annie


Oh, Shia. Don't worry. I don't love you just because of Even Stevens. I've actually never seen that show. In fact, I didn't discover you until your amazing performance in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and then, I confess, I youtube-stalked you for weeks. You're totally the best actor under 25 out there right now. And, I totally approve of your new girlfriend, Carey Mulligan. She's about the only starlet I could imagine actually being both smart AND beautiful enough for you...
Fondly,
Annie

Shout-out in the comments some of the dudes you're slightly inappropriately crushing on, so I know I am not alone.

Don't Worry, I Didn't Die on the Plane from Chicago

I am just stalling until I figure out what I want to write about the trip.

Very briefly, it was awesome.

I only cried in public twice.

S and I took the best photobooth pictures and old-timey staged picture of us ever.

And we stood in a glass box 103 floors above the street.

We did lots of other things too but I haven't quite recovered yet, so stay tuned til I figure out the cleverest ways to tell you...

Chic(k)ago

Once, what feels like a lifetime ago, S and I decided that MTV should create a reality TV show about us. I think this was when my life consisted of more than this.

I'm pretty sure we decided the show should be called Chic(k)ago.

She can correct me if I'm wrong.

UPDATE: We actually called it Chi(ck)-Town. Pretty bad.

Anyway, we planned a happy graduation getaway in Chicago many months ago, since she couldn't be at commencement. Thus, I will be away from blogging until at least Monday night. Don't cry!

Here are some clues as to what we will be doing for the next four days:

+

Yes, that is a plus sign between the poster and the champagne. Be jealous. And intrigued. It's cooler than you think.

MAKEOVER

It's a new era.

I graduate from my Master's program on Monday.

So, now, I'm a new woman.

Previous Annie

Master Annie

Obviously, drastic change is not my forte.

Word of the Day, vol. XIX

Word of the Day: HAIR

There is much photographic evidence of my mother cutting my hair when I was younger.

One day, when I was probably 10, I decided I wanted to cut my own hair, so my bangs would look like Kelly Taylor’s.



I, of course, kept cutting and cutting until my bangs were um…very, very short. So, then, I, of course, had to go to the salon to have them salvage some sort of hairdo out of the mess I’d created.

I’m such a cliché.

Then, I hit my hair-dyeing phase. I started with auburn in about 6th grade. It was the compromise I reached with my mother because she wouldn’t let me wear makeup to class.

That meant I couldn’t wear the brown matte lipstick, black lipliner trend that was going around in 1994.

Poor me.

My hair color became experimental. I went from auburn, in my final years of middle school, to blonder, during my first year in California. I figured I had to try to fit in SOMEHOW.

Tips became hot pink when I was 16. Oh yeah. I was such a bad-ass. And I’m pretty sure it WAS Manic Panic.

You can see them mostly faded here.



I chopped my hair into a bob. Which seemed to suit me at the time. Although, I have a mad cowlick near my right temple that confounds hairstylists. And I never styled my hair at all, I let it air dry, so the bob often became just a big sweep to one side.

The hairstyle I chose for my junior prom was three spiky ponytails, one on top of the other.

Senior prom, I had curly hair for the first time in my life. Back in a half ponytail. It was pretty exciting.

I also wore a black satin gown with a crisscross back and no bra. I felt like Angelina Jolie.

Then, right before our senior photos, I decided I wanted Meg Ryan’s short spiky ‘do.



Of course, this style takes a lot of work. Which I never did, and so my hair is mildly mulletesque in my senior photo.

I let my hair grow out pretty naturally in college and in the years after. It became the longest it had ever been in years and years, when I got the best haircut of my entire life at a salon in Park Slope. Long layers, sweepy bangs, easy to manage.

One day, the guy who regularly did my hair there suggested I get a glaze, “to cover the grays.”

I politely refused and, in fact, didn’t dye my hair for most of the years I lived in New York after college, even though gray became more prominent than I would have liked.

Now, I’m on a new quest, for the chestnut brown hair I’ve always wanted.

I’ve decided I’m too young to have gray hair but too old to be quite as brassy a redhead as I was for the beginning of this year.

It’s kind of like when I realized I can’t wear dresses without a bra anymore, last summer.

No more feeling like Angelina Jolie.

Come to think of it, Angelina probably can’t do that either anymore. She’s had too many babies…although I bet she doesn’t breastfeed them.

So maybe she can still wear dresses with no bra.

I bet she does dye her hair, though.

You're Welcome

So, my mom is frantically and rapidly treating everyone on Facebook to ancient photos.

No, seriously, she has pictures up online from when SHE was a baby, and lord knows that was a LOOOOOOOOONG time ago. (Just kidding, Mom.)

Mercifully, she has not tagged me in some of the most offensive ones, and so, in the spirit of internet humiliation, I have decided to post them here.

I'm taking some inspiration from Una at Sassy, who has such a phenomenal sense of humor about her past physical incarnations. I'd post straight to her most embarrassing photo ever, but it just doesn't seem right. Check out her blog though.

So. Let's begin at the beginning.


Everyone together now, "Awwwwwwwww!"

This is a very famous photo of me, taken on my 2nd birthday, as the crowd was singing. I obviously loved the attention.

A year later, we come to this photo.


The beginning of an illustrious and decades-long academic career

Fast forward a bit...to a less fortunate photo.


Click to enlarge and let's count the photographic offenses, shall we?

1. The crooked bangs, thanks to a mother's loving hand.
2. The garish pink bow that matches
3. The garish and floofy and SPARKLY pink dress. Oh yes, I wore that. Proudly.
4. The neon green friendship bracelet. (OK, in my defense, it was 1989, so this was a fashion staple.)
5. The plastic pearls.
6. That mouth.

I actually remember insisting on dressing this way that day, for my first grade school photo. I also vaguely remember getting seriously strange looks. I bet they were just jealous of my fierce outfit.

I hope you understand, dear readers, how significant it is that I'm sharing this embarrassing photo with you. Remember, I am a single girl. This could be used against me one day when my potential future husband is all, "Ooh, I should check out Annie's blog. She seems like a cool girl...Wait, what?! That was her at 6? Maybe I should stop considering having kids with her; they'll have such mortifying awkward phases. With the stringy hair and crooked teeth...On second thought, she does have a nice rack..."

...and SCENE.

Let's end on a high note, shall we?


I love this photo, but I'm also slightly confused by my bedroom eyes. I was, like, 10.

Another old family favorite, thanks to my photographer uncle, who snapped this at a large family gathering in upstate New York one summer. And, for the record, I am dressed completely in my cousin's clothes. I'd also like to point out the presence of yet another friendship bracelet. Oh, the 90s.

If you're lucky, I'll chronicle the awkward pre-teen to teen years, otherwise known as The Fat Years someday soon, but I figured this was enough self-inflicted humiliation for one night.

Getting Better with Age

I've been meaning to do a monster picture post about the men in celebrity land that just keep getting better with age. There are a whole slew of them, and this is, by no means, an exhaustive list.

Let's begin, in order of importance from least to most.

First, there's Patrick Dempsey. He, of Can't Buy Me Love and Grey's Anatomy fame. I am not, strictly, a McDreamy fan, but you cannot deny that he looks better these days than ever before. Of course, this picture may be proving that he's gotten some work done, but still...


Next, Sting. Again, not someone I'm a huge fan of, but Kama Sutra, or whatever he's famously into is doing wonders...
Exhibit A, Sting, some years ago:


And Exhibit B, Sting today:


OK, now, Johnny Depp has always been a beautiful, beautiful man. Let's just pause to appreciate him for a moment, shall we?
During his 21 Jump Street years:


And today:


And, finally, Iron Man, himself.
In less healthy days:


And, these days:

Staying clean looks good on him, doesn't it?

Admittedly, this is a test of my photo posting skills. Bear with as I continue to learn...

Enjoy the Sunday eye candy! Oh, and if I've happened to forget anyone you think is important to this pantheon, let me know!

UPDATE: Shout-outs must be made to cj, who wants Sean Connery on this list. See him then and now. And S, who says Matt LeBlanc is an up-and-comer. See him here.

P.S. S called this the Silver Fox post. Well put.

P.P.S. One more addition, thanks to Catt. Bruce Wills, then and now.

Look at That Baby!

Check out pictures of me with the cutest baby in all the land.

I Heart Doggies

Picture this dog with brown speckly fur. He's who I walked this evening in Williamsburg. He was 11-months old, and his stupid name was Mark Jeremiah.

But I wanted to take him home anyway. He tinkled when he got excited. And yes, I picked up poop.