There's Always Money In the Banana Stand.

What? You've never seen Arrested Development? Quick, go watch the first season on hulu. But if there's no time for that, the opening credits will sort of tell you what's going on. It's very funny.

But this is just the background for the real story, which could be more vaguely titled "What I Did This Weekend."

My friend Bryan had his birthday party this weekend, and it was Arrested Development-themed. A lot of people came dressed up, and it was a blast. I brought my camera and quickly became the Party Photographer.

Bianca as Lucille and Hannah as Kitty

Tiffany and Bryan as Lindsey and Tobias

Lauren as Rita

The Cake

   The cutoffs are a reference to the show, I promise.

Everybody.

The family.

"It's made in Germany...whatever, it's French enough."

Sabrina invited me over the other night to have a classic French summertime dinner. We put Seraphine to bed, then spent a lovely evening eating, chatting, and watching America's Next Top Model and Plain Jane. 

"They wouldn't let us on a show like that. We're too nice."

"My gosh, those EYEBROWS!"

(Of course there was also bread. Didn't get a chance to take a picture.)

Questions I Ask While Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Part I

If Sunnydale is such a small town, how do they have a different live band every night at The Bronze?

How is there never anyone in the library but Buffy, Giles, Xander, Cordelia and Willow?

How does Buffy's mom NOT KNOW?

Does Mr. Flutie (the first principal who got eaten in the first season) remind anyone else of the principal from She's the Man?

Is no one else concerned that people at the school keep dying or have horrible things happen to them?

Wasn't principal Snyder a Ferengi in Star Trek?

John: Why does the Slayer have to be a girl?
Me: BECAUSE JOSS WHEDON SAYS SO.

Wait, David Boreanaz, the hottest guy on television, is my mom's age?

Dang. 

This Week's Accomplishments

• I invented a breakfast pasta. I'm not really a breakfast food person, so I made pasta in a way that's more breakfast-y and sweet. Not like that just-put-an-egg-on-top breakfast pasta. It's fantastically simple and I'll post the recipe another time.
• I drove all the way out to Los Angeles to go to the temple by myself in nasty traffic. Thursdays the Los Angeles Temple has time for baptisms without appointments. I've wanted to go all summer, and everything was finally right. I was able to borrow my parents' car, I got out of work on time, all that jazz. After two hours of driving, getting lost downtown, and awful traffic in the city, I made it--only to find it was closed. I made the most of it. I took a tour of the newly remodeled visitors center and hung out for a while. Overall, it was a good experience. I'm not going back by myself, though. That's the scary part of Westwood.

• I discovered I'm not the only Rachel fangirl in my ward. Hannah and Tiffany and I all want to be like her when we grow up.
• I've finally seen Firefly. I'm sad it was cancelled. And look!

Yep. That's prepubescent Zac Efron as a younger Simon Tam. I laughed so hard.

The Deep End Has Driven Me Over the Edge.

This is a post about my new favorite TV show because I have a horrible habit of watching too many shows.  (Who said that?) But while researching a little for this post, I found out that ABC is canceling it. That's right. Canceling it. I am not happy at all.

 

 The Deep End is about a group of first-year associates at a high-end LA law firm. There are three main reasons I like it.

3. The cast. It's hard to tell from this picture, but it includes Tina Majorino and Norbert Leo Butz (who you musical junkies know as the original Fiyero in Wicked!)

2. It's clever and cute and it makes me wonder why my seminary class always pegged me as a future attorney. 

1. It takes place in my beloved Los Angeles! Because of this prime locale, it touches on my beloved Los Angeles issues (things like pot dispensaries, no tolerance weapons policies in schools, long distance relationships, etc.).

ABC is officially on my List of Severe Condemnation. (I try not to keep a Hate List, so a List of Severe Condemnation is about as close as I can get.)

The Quote-A-Day Prophesies

I got a The Office quote-a-day calendar for Christmas. 

Monday, 18 January:

Baked 7 dozen cookies. 

"We were fighting the power and eating whatever we wanted." ~Stanley

Tuesday, 19 January:

Pulled fake engagement scam on my family and friends.

"When Michael told us that Jan was pregnant, he led us to believe that he was the father. By telling us that he was the father." ~Jim

Wednesday, 20 January:

Went to bed BEFORE midnight. 

"People expect a lot from these meetings: laughter, sudden twists, surprise endings...You need to be Robin Williams and M. Night Shyamalan. You need to be 'Robin Shyamalan.'" ~Michael

Thursday, 21 January:

I'm so glad nothing happened today that had anything to do with the quote.

Ryan: That's me and my friend Jasmine from Thailand.

Pam: I don't want to look at your friend Jasmine's boobs all day.

Ryan: You could be hot, too, if you made any effort at all.