It’s been an embarrassingly long time since I last updated my blog.  I’m sure there are a number of excuses I could come up with and may even devote an entry to those excuses in the future.  For now, though, let’s just say that 2011 was a bit of a crazy year and writing wasn’t high on my list of priorities. 

Make way for 2012.

For those of you who haven’t read my blog before, or don’t know that much about me, here is a little information about what you should expect to find here: 

 

• I am a TV Trivia savant.  Some people memorize sports stats while others can name every element in the periodic table.  Me?  I can sing the theme song to Eight is Enough, name every member of the cast (including Ralph Macchio who didn’t come on until Season 5) and also tell you which ones went to rehab.   I’m not sure why this particular area of my brain was unlocked, and the one responsible for accurately balancing my checkbook remains closed forever, but it’s a skill I’m weirdly proud of.

 

• I love to travel and write about the places I’ve been lucky enough to visit.  A haunted hotel in San Antonio followed by a Bandera, Texas dude ranch; climbing a mountain in Scotland and eating dinner at the table next to Liam Neeson in Vancouver are among my favorite adventures.  I hope to have even more in 2012. 

 

• I encourage people to comment on my blog.  For instance, when I publish my first novel I’m going to get a tattoo.  I haven’t quite figured out the design yet, though and I’d love some ideas.  I was thinking laurel leaves for their connections to literature and the roots of my first name.  Does anyone out there have any better ideas?  My original plan was a garden gnome because it factors into the plot of my novel, but I decided it probably isn’t a good idea to permanently mark your body with something that kind of creeps you out. 

 

• My tastes are pretty eclectic, so you never know what I’ll choose to blog about.  I like everything from slasher films to British period pictures.  My DVD library consists of TV shows as diverse as Friday Night Lights and Riptide; Friends and Starsky & Hutch.  I also enjoy classic movies like The Great Escape and Lawrence of Arabia; big box office hits Iron Man and Harry Potter as well as lesser known greats like Avalon and Barcelona.  My current favorite show is Supernatural and I own every season.  (Except Season 4.  We don’t discuss Season 4 in my house.)

 

• Don’t come here expecting deep philosophical thoughts about life, love, death and taxes.  I write about TV, movies, food and books.  I mock celebrities and the occasional republican presidential candidate.  I whine about the life of a frustrated writer and celebrate my minor successes.

 

• I generally organize my thoughts in bulleted lists.  In 2012, I’d like to work my way up to pie charts.