Fall Has Fallen

With Seattle’s mild, wet, and inconsistent weather patterns, autumn sometimes creeps in so slowly, you don’t even really get to see the leaves change and fall. Well, that hasn’t happened this year. Despite sunshine and temperatures in the high 70’s, fall has most definitely arrived, and for once, I’m kind of enjoying it. On Saturday, I’ll be heading to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, a little Bavarian village up in the mountains where the leafy color change is always particularly breathtaking. Also, there will be German sausage. I can’t wait!

I LOATHE “INSIDE EDITION”

My step-mom turns on the TV as background noise when she gets home from work. The news is on for a couple hours, which is kinda nice because I never take the initiative to either watch or read the news, so I’m generally clueless about what’s going on in our world. It’s usually boring, useless information anyway, or melodramatic retellings of stories we heard yesterday, but this isn’t a discussion about the relevance of the evening news. It’s a discussion about the relevance of “Inside Edition.” (Hint: there isn’t any.) “Inside Edition” comes on after the news, and after “Evening Magazine” (gag me with a spork), and has to be the worst show on television, with the possible exception of “Access Hollywood,” which in my understanding, is basically the same show. These people are leaches. The thing is, I love gossip, even some celebrity gossip. I mean, I’m as keen as anyone to see Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton sock someone in the nose, or to know who Mischa Barton is BFF with this week. But “Inside Edition” doesn’t cover interesting celebrities. They specialize in pseudo-celebrity gossip, Anna Nicole Smith and David Hasselhoff. I mean, seriously, David Hasselhoff? Are you kidding me? If I had David Hasselhoff’s career, I’d probably show up to a premier drunk, too, and expect absolutely no one to be surprised!

Okay, sorry. I just really hate that show. I have never before enjoyed watching “Jeopardy,” but when “Inside Edition” comes on and my dad smiles conspiratorially, asking “Jeopardy?” it might as well be the greatest show on earth. I’ve always found Alex Trebek’s voice kind of self-righteous and snobby, but now I find it downright soothing.

I watched the new show “Ugly Betty” again. I watched the first episode and hated it, so I wasn’t really planning on watching it again, but my dad didn’t want to watch “My Name Is Earl” (if there's one thing I didn't inherit from my father, it's my sense of humor). I had every intention of switching over to “The Office” at the half-hour mark, but I completely forgot and now I’m kicking myself! Argh! That makes two weeks in a row! And I haven’t seen “Scrubs” in weeks. I don’t even know if it’s still on, and if not, why on earth not? I’m clearly having issues with television lately. I might as well have stayed in France! At least there I saw an occasional episode of “Scrubs.” Luckily, I have “Arrested Development” on DVD to sustain me. Thanks Sara! I’ll be done with them…eventually. I’m nearing the end of season two, so anytime now.

Le sigh. Since TV has let me down, I will now turn to the internet to fill the emptiness in my life. Which reminds me of a poem:

"Long ago, the delicate tangles of his hair...covered the emptiness of my hand." Ah, classic stuff, that. Poetry doesn't get much better.