On Walter White

(Article Spoiler Alert.)

Unlike most Breaking Bad fans, I didn’t have weeks or months to mull over whether Walter White would end up in jail, dead, or sailing off the coast of an unnamed island. Quite the contrary: my investment in Walt’s fate has been an intense whirlwind (19 episodes over a 48-hour period and, yes, I am utterly exhausted today), in which I watched one horrific scene after another in order to enjoy the series finale with the rest of the nation, confident that my bedtime dreams would be filled with murderous threats, irreparable bombs, and gory, unexpected deaths.  And filled they were but with an unyielding sympathy to a severely flawed character, whose erratic decision-making processes I was (strangely) always able to get behind.  And so, in those last few minutes of a relentless, committed television companionship, I was joyously stunned by how easily my own heart felt at peace with the outcome, secretly rooting for even the most tortured souls to find redemption, including but not limited to Mr. White himself.  Enjoy!

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On Reuniting With Relatives

Theories of Relativity.

I'm always been jealous of the few friends who travel across states to reunite with a hundred plus family members from around the world.  Yet, every two to four months, the five to eight member Einstein clan have their own mini-reunion, gathering around kitchen tables, backyard barbeques, and/or hikes in the Rocky Mountains for their exclusive kinfolk hoedowns.  While we may not gather around campfires and bocce courts, the comedic exchanges and exclusive private jokes more than make up for it.  Enjoy!

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On a Breaking Bad Marathon

A Very Long Weekend.

For the first time since I started this blog, I can't actually click on the article I've posted because it's entitled "How Does Breaking Bad End?" and here's why.  My roommate, AR, and I still have 20 episodes left (4 episodes in  the 4th season and the entirety of season 5; we're up to the part where Ted is being audited) before the finale airs this weekend (or whatever day BB is on).  Since we've lived together, we've also never actually done a television marathon (-the majority of my HBO and SHOWTIME commitments have been with my younger brother, JE, including five seasons of the Sopranos the summer before the final 6th; we were very dedicated viewers).  But AR and I are seriously contemplating whether we have enough hours in the oncoming weekend to pull this off before the finale amidst multiple plans that last several hours long (apple picking and camping!) despite what shape this will put us in. Because, as many of you know, in this very moment, we feel an indescribable urgency to know what happens to Walter White, and maybe even to "save him," whatever that alludes to.  So, BB fans, tell a fellow-addict what to do.  Enjoy!

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On Being Bored

DAM.

On a recent semi-dreaded trip to the DAM (Denver Art Museum), I anticipated hours of impenetrable boredom in which I pretended to profoundly interpret statues and paintings just to impress my museum companions when, in reality, I am much better suited for over-analyzing television characters and critiquing modern dance.  Stick me in a room with Hank Moody (Californication), Don Draper (Mad Men), or Dexter (er, Dexter) and I'll give you a hundred-and-one reasons why their relationships always fail.  But stand me in front of the Mona Lisa and my mind draws a blank.  Luckily, upon arrival, turns out DAM has damn near every interactive alternative for the distracted patrons like me, from a felt-covered room (see photo to the right) to a quilting cave with copious amounts of scraps, so that in between serious connoisseurship, the rest of us can dabble with our strengths.  Enjoy!
 
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On(line) Dating

Less Traditional Path.

Growing up in an era where friends and family search for significant others in instagram databases (aka match.com) and facebook photo albums (I even know a fb success story! - they have a kid together), a girl who found romance in more traditional ways can only wonder what her own online pursuit would have looked like, and - more importantly - whether this path would have led to her current destination.  Either way, we must play the cards we're dealt with, hope for the best, and have faith that what's meant to be will be, whether it shows up in a gchat message or flesh-and-blood.  Enjoy!

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On the Perfect Wardobe

Geographically Dictated.

In a city where Patagonia fleece and Columbia windbreakers go a lot further than that delicately-knit, navy blue, pencil dress in Anthropologie (that I desperately wanted to try on yesterday), I find myself homesick for New York.  Not that I can argue with wearing gym clothes on every errand - big or small - but gone are the days (at least temporarily) where skinny jeans, over-sized jewels, and platform shoes are a priority.  Enjoy!

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On the Whole Foods Dilemma

 'One-of-a-Kind.'

After years of volunteering my services and time to the Park Slope Food Coop, it's hard not to wander into the Whole Foods nearby on a regular basis.  During a recent conversation with a fellow-Denver addict, I described the emotions affiliated with stepping into a Whole Foods Market as "one-of-a-kind."  And it's not that I can afford to shop there because I really can't (I work in a non-profit!) or that I'm elitist about my food choices (Cauliflower is cauliflower is cauliflower!). But the unexpected sense of ease, that somehow life will be easier and maybe even better after organic, cancer-free, overpriced leather treats made with real fruit you've never actually heard of and you won't actually taste is pervasive and persuasive, and nearly impossible to walk away from.  Enjoy!

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