Updated: What I've Learned

This certainly has been an educational summer.  Since I am ::very:: into the overshare, I'll drop some knowledge all over the place. (Well, actually, just on this blog entry, which approximately 8 people read, so I guess my knowledge-droppings are less toilet-snakes and more dingleberries. I digress.)

1. Begin a vacation with relative strangers.  End a vacation with dear new friends.

My Hilton Head Crew - LOVE YOU GUYS!

2. Read RollingStone.com album reviews. Download said albums using Mediafire, Bit Torrent, or Megaupload. See God. (Current obsessions include The Drums, Surfer Blood, Junip, and the latest from The Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem.)
3. Break-ups are hard.  But every thundercloud does indeed have a shiny silver lining, and when one door (that you attempted to bash in with a speaker) is slammed in your face, a window opens somewhere.  Raise the blinds and step out into the sunlight, baby.
4. Truly great friends and family are worth their weight in gold, or cheese (and I'm JEWISH and saying this... I'd take the FRIENDS over the GOLD)
5. Spend as many hours as you can on the beach and in the water.  Not only is it enjoyable just for snicks, but everyone looks better with a tan.
6. Being a girl who can cook is apparently unique.  I did not know that before.
7. Do nice things for people; they'll like you better for it.
8. Don't do TOO many nice things for one person.  It places unnecessary pressure on him to reciprocate and he will eventually grow to resent you for it.
9. The gender choice of pronoun in #8 is intentional.
10. Love yourself, even when you're not at your most lovable.  You'll love yourself more for being able to look past your un-lovable-ness and love yourself in spite of and because of it.

And finally, I'd like to take it to the streets.  If anyone reads this, please, please, please, post a comment and tell me some things you've learned this summer.  I like learning.

Why The Wonder Years is the greatest television show ever made

I scoff in the face of Lost-o-philes, True Blood-ies, SATC fanatics, and all other tv fans.  Nielsen ratings are a total sham.  Let me tell you about the greatest show of all.  It's a little show, about a little suburb, and it's called The Wonder Years.

TWY (so I don't have to keep typing it) helped us all grow [up], because we got to watch Kevin Arnold and the gang make every mistake we were destined to make, but he made it first. And he made it better. And the [excellent] voice of [Daniel Stern] said exactly what we wanted to say but couldn't articulate.  We wanted to be taller than Kirk McCray, we wanted to sock Kevin in the stomach a la Becky Slater, and we knew that we'd know someday what it's like to love someone and realize you have to let them go like Kevin let Winnie go.

Almost every episode makes me cry, and whether they're tears of joy or sorrow, they're always genuine. Because I know what Kevin or Paul or Carla or Winnie or Norma or Jack, or even Wayne, was feeling every time.  We all know the chicken dance we played with the phone the first time we wanted to call our crush.  We may not know the pain of losing a sibling like Winnie lost Brian Cooper, but we know sadness, and we know it better because TWY prepared us for it.

Another great aspect of my favorite show is the soundtrack.  Oh, the soundtrack.  So many golden oldies it's ridiculous.  Who doesn't hear "Turn, Turn, Turn" and think of Kevin and Winnie frolicking in Harper's Woods?

And then there's the best part about The Wonder Years:  I WAS ON IT!  Season 3 Episode 14. The Valentine's Day Massacre. I play young Carla.  Do my tired ego a favor and watch it.