Happy Valentine's Day

Still from Bones 6:14: "The Bikini in the Soup" otherwise known as The Valentine's Day Episode, because it takes place on Valentine's Day. And it's partly hilarious, and partly heart-breaking.

Happy Valentine's Day you guys! Whether you're single, dating, engaged, married, or whatever, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY (MASSACRE)!!

I've been thinking about all this love stuff, lately. Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day? Why aren't the banks closed February 14th? Did Hodgins remember to get Angela a gift this year? more importantly, WHAT did he get her? also, what did BOOTH GET BRENNAN? 

 I sincerely hope that by the time I'm done with this post, I will have succeeded in answering the questions that have been nagging me for the last fourteen days. And possibly longer. But before we can start, a good playlist is in order:

The Official Scattered Thoughts Valentine's Day Playlist

by Laura, with inspiration from my own Music Library

"Just a Kiss" - Lady Antebellum
"Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart"- Judy Garland
"Crazy For You"- Adele
"Just Haven't Met You Yet"- Michael Buble 
"Blake's View"- M. Ward
"Someone Like You"- Adele
"Enchanted"- Taylor Swift
"I Was Made for You"- She & Him
"Check Yes Juliet"- We The Kings
"For the First Time"- The Script
"Friday Night"- Lady Antebellum

"Got Me"- She & Him

"Home is a Fire"- Death Cab for Cutie

"I'm only Me when I'm with You"- Taylor Swift

"I'm Yours"- The Script

"I Thought I Saw Your Face Today"- She & Him

"I Will Posses Your Heart"- Death Cab for Cutie

"Lingering Still"- She & Him (yes, you know I LIKE She & Him...)

"Long Live"- Taylor Swift

"Love Song"- Adele

"The Man Who Can't be Moved"- The Script

"Here there Delilah"- Plain White T's

"Rhythim of Love"- Plain White T's

"Mine"- Taylor Swift

"Mushaboom"- Feist

"One and Only"- Adele

"Rave On"- M. Ward ft. Zooey Deschanel

"Science & Faith"- The Script

"She's got You High"- Mumm-Ra

"Sparks Fly"- Taylor Swift

"Stay Young, Go Dancing"- Death Cab for Cutie

"Sweet Disposition"- The Temper Trap

"There Goes the Fear"- The Doves

"There's a Light that Never Goes out"- The Smiths

"This=Love"- The Script

"You Make My Dreams"- Hall & Oates

1. Why Do We Celebrate Valentine's Day?

According to tradition, Valentine's Day is celebrated to honor one (or several) Christian Martyrs named Saint Valentine. It wasn't until about the 15th Century that the holiday was actually associated with Romantic Love. That came about because of courtly love, and the such. On this day, as you very well know, significant others are showered with red roses, and chocolates and red velvet cupcakes, am I right? You go out on a romantic date with The One. You are given sweet Hallmark Greeting cards, in which he/she expresses his/her undying love for you. Magazines are awash with ideas on how to get your guy to take more notice of you, and how to get a 'happy ending'. TV and Movie Theaters are filled with Romantic Comedies, and Chick Flicks. The Hallmark Channel has a Countdown to the Valentine's Day Countdown, then they have a Countdown to Valentine's Day.

The question remains: why on that  particular day? maybe because greeting card companies teamed up with flower companies, who in turn teamed up with clothing/accessory labels, who teamed up with department stores who teamed up with countless other industries (Yeah, I know. This isn't actually how it goes...) in order to brainwash our society into thinking we need to do something for Valentine's Day. I believe that while you don't have to, it certainly is nice to do something just because.

Dear Zooey Deschanel, roses are red, violets are blue, ukuleles are cool and so are you! 

2. Why aren't the Banks closed on Valentine's Day?

Since it is more of a commercial holiday than a religious one, or even a Federal (Government) one, banks don't close. I feel confident in saying, though, that in a dream world where chocolates don't make you gain weight and/or break out Valentine's Day (and National Chocolate Cake Day!) would be a national holiday.

3.Did Hodgins remember to get Angela a gift this year? more importantly, WHAT did he get her? also, what did BOOTH GET BRENNAN?

A. I honestly hope he did. 

B. Hopefully something sweet! and weird and creepy! but still super sweet!

C. OH MY GOD! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN! BONES FANS, WHAT DO YOU THINK? SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS ;)

These flawless human beings wish you a Happy Valentine's Massacre Day!!

And so do I!!

I Love Emily Deschanel

Yesterday, when we (the Bones fandom) got word that  the lovely Emily Deschanel was joining the Twitterverse, we waited for the epical (epic+magical) moment when she would tweet. I, the most insanely obsessed person you will ever meet, neglected to do my homework, because I was so busy refreshing my Timeline. When she finally did, I squealed, very much in the way one would expect Bones' Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin) to express her happiness at the news of Brennan's pregnancy. After she tweeted, I hollered up the stairs to my sister, who quite frankly thought I was having a mental breakdown. "Why so much excitement?" she asked me in a very Brennan-ish tone.

Why so much Excitement?

I shall tell you why.

For the last seven years, Emily Deschanel has been playing the absolutely fantastic Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, on Fox's hit TV Show, Bones. She's a brilliant forensic anthropologist, who can solve thousand-year old murders. Since partnering up with Special FBI Agent Seeley Booth (THE David Boreanaz!) they have solved over 100 modern-day murders. And one Ancient Egyptian one. Also, she has been my idol for the last four and a half years, which is when I started watching the show.

Back then, I didn't get what it was about. For maybe the first couple of months, I watched it solely because Emily and David are so incredibly funny and cute when they're on-screen together. Also, I became slightly obsessed with her trench coats. Yes, mom, I admit it. I LOVE HER TRENCH COATS.

Then we saw "The Baby in the Bough". Yes, that is the episode where Brennan gets to take care of Baby Andy, because she let him eat the key. Also, that's when we witness one of the most fantastically adorable moments in Television history:

I think I speak for like, all of the Bones, fans here: Emily, this is too adorable! :)
(Hart Harson, if we don't see this with either Michael or Baby Bones, I will cry. Just saying.) 

I swear, this episode changed my life. It was the episode that got me entirely hooked. Also, because of the whole Dancing Phalanges thing, I am much better at relating to toddlers. Although, the last time I tried it on my three year old cousin, she looked at me like I was insane. Oh, well. 

After so many years, I honestly feel like Brennan, Booth, the Squints and I are best friends. I could be like the Third Musketeer: Brennan, the beautiful and incredibly smart one; Angela, the funny, witty one; and then me, the quiet, admiring one. I would be like a much less-annoying version of Daisy Wick. I would be extremely eager to just be part of their world. I would hate Sully, and Wexler, and Stires. And Booth too, because let's be honest here: it's pretty hard to like him after seeing Emily cry. And I mean in the 100th Episode, as well as the Season 5 finale, as well as "The Doctor in the Photo".

It was thanks to Emily that I got hooked on Bones. It was because I was hooked on the show that I realized the girl on Tin Man was Zooey Deschanel, who funnily enough (or so I thought at the time...) was (is) her sister. It was from there that my subsequent obsessions with She & Him, (500) Days of Summer, and Hello Giggles stemmed. [I guess what I mean to say is thank you, Emily. Because you made me fall in love with your show, after which I realized Zooey was your sister, and not some stranger who just happened to look like you, and have your same last name. Later, I also learned that she was a great singer, and became She & Him's #1 fan. Also, because I started obsessively watching your show, it occurred to me to read Kathy Reichs' novels. Meet the future Best Forensic Anthropologist in The World!!]

I really am so glad we the crazy fans can let Emily know how much we love her. 

http://georgieradford.blogspot.com/2010/06/hearts-sign-of-love.html

I should get a shirt like this. It's true, I LOVE FOOD. I love buying it, I love making it, and I love eating it. Especially the part that involves dishes and soap. Yeah, washing dishes really isn't my thing. I am yet to meet anyone who actually enjoys doing that. But I still haven't met anyone who doesn't love food, in one way or another. 

Here's my love story:

I. The Beginning

We've all heard of pregnancy cravings, right? If you haven't they're pretty self-explanatory. Pregnant women start craving certain foods and combinations. Some go crazy with nut butters and crackers, some go crazy with Ben & Jerry's, or Cups Of Noodles, or overly sweet food, or salty or spicy or really anything. Sometimes really weird stuff. On 60 Minutes, for example, Beyonce said that the tabloids were spreading rumors she liked eating bananas with spicy stuff or something. 

Anyways, back to the story,  when my mom was pregnant with me she started craving chocolate-covered marshmallows. I like to think that's why I have such a sweet tooth. There is not enough chocolate in the world to repulse me. Better yet, there's little chance that I will not eat any candy you offer me. Unless you are a perv that offers doped candy. 

But the pregnancy cravings still don't come anywhere near the reason I love food (in general) so much. All of the women in my family are fantastic cooks. I was born and raised (up until the age of 11) in the wonderful country of Colombia. I swear this will make sense, just stick with me. Colombian food is some of the best food in the entire planet (not that I have tried every single cuisine in the planet...), hence the fantastic cooking skills that run in my family/heritage. Both of my grandmothers make the most fabulous food. It is very homey, and flavorful and simply heavenly.

Then my mother who can literally whip up dishes in a matter of minutes with the weirdest ingredients. One time, for example, she didn't realize we didn't have pasta sauce until after she had made the spaghetti, so she sauteed some shrimp in olive oil with scallops. Then she served them on the spaghetti with chopped almonds. It was heavenly. Even with the almonds, which I found surprising because I'm not terribly fond of nuts unless they're a) salted peanuts or b) Nut butters.  Also, she makes a killer lasagna. Her ricotta recipe (Sorrento Ricotta, eggs, oregano and her secret ingredient!) is the best.  If she made her own ricotta, like the awesome Mary Jo Deschanel (I happen to know that... not creepy at all...), I can guarantee it would be the most heavenly ricotta ever. 

This leads me to...

II. First Sight

I remember being young, maybe like six or seven years old, when I first asked my grandmother to help me bake a cake. It might have been because I had been watching the home-cooking channel earlier, but I wanted to try. And try we did. Since I was young, I obviously had help, so it should come as no surprise that it was good. We baked a lot after that... and suddenly, by eight or nine I was making them almost by myself. And they were good (or so I was told. There really is no way to know... for reasons that will be later addressed...). 

III. First Love

We watch a lot of Food Network. There have been times when all we watch is Iron Chef America or the FN Challenges, which are awesome. Also, we watched Good Eats a lot. I mean, Alton Brown is just the coolest cat (I did just say that...) out there. And Bobby Flay. AND DUFF GOLDMAN. These guys are amazing. In case you don't know who Duff is... a) where have you been? and b) GOOGLE. Or look underneath:

Alton Brown is the smartest, most amusing and insightful person. He also complicates his recipes a lot, but they're good. Super good. And his cookbooks are very clever. And witty.

 I don't even know where to begin with this. I mean, it's Duff Goldman we're talking about here. He has won SO many Food Network Challenges. He owns the most awesome cake shop ever. (Remind me to write a post about the time I made my mom drive me to Baltimore to see it...). They make the most unreal cakes ever. Doctor Who's TARDIS? The Hogwarts Castle? A little plane thing for St. Jude's Hospital? a Wiener Dog? a Pinto? YODA? R2D2? I could just keep going on. Forever and Ever and Ever. Of course, his team is a big part of it too, but I can't crush on all of them, can I? 

Also, for Christmas I tweeted him a picture of my not-so-pretty red velvet cake, and he said it looked like a nice carrot pizza cake. 

Bobby Flay is The Iron Chef. I've never seen him get beat. That and the fact that he's so totally bad-ass on Throwdown with Bobby Flay... it actually is kinda funny. 

But he's epic.

 (BAck to the story...) This Food Network love affair was only intensified when we watched one of the most fantastic movies ever: Julie & Julia.  Meryl Streep turned  a somewhat terrifying person (I kid you not, the Real Julia scares me.) into the grandmotherly type of woman you just NEED to cook with. Check her [the Real Julia!] out making ommelettes. YUMM!!

I was deeply saddened when she didn't like Julie Powell's endeavors. At least Julie's Julia did!! (Let's all be happy because our Imaginary friends love us!!).

IV. The End (of this post)

Sadly, I have to end this post. But the story doesn't quite end there... You see, lately I have been cooking a lot by myself. Except for pasta... my mom still insists on straining it. People tell me I'm pretty good (Thanks, Cuz <3 and mummy!!) and I still am improving. 

Secretly, I want to be an Anthropologist who moonlights as a chef that specializes in patries and works for Duff Goldman at Charm City Cakes. Also, I periodically go to Egypt, and cool places like that and immerse myself in the cuisine.