In which I discuss Doctor Who.

Disclaimer: I'm currently near the end of series four. I'm trying my best to avoid real spoilers for anything past that, so please keep that in mind if you comment. :) Also, I haven't seen any of the classic episodes yet, though I want to eventually see a few from all of the previous doctors.

This is the story of how I met the Doctor. :)

Over the last couple of years, I had occasionally seen references to Doctor Who online. Finally I decided to check it out on Netflix, which was a completely overwhelming experience. Basically all I got was that it was a British television show about space and time travel...and there was this neat-looking blue box. Mostly I was confused because there were new shows and old ones from the 60s and specials that you have to watch in between certain seasons and it was all just a bit crazy. {We have the DVDs, not streaming, so I don't know if the streaming is better organized on Netflix.}

So over the next few months I had the idea in the back of my mind that I should check out at least a couple of episodes. I kept coming across more people writing about Doctor Who, and even a DW blog party, so finally I gave in. I remember I googled something like "where to start watching Doctor Who," and after doing a bit of research, decided to just begin with the new revamp that started back in 2005.

And I am hooked. Completely hooked.

I have never been a sci-fi, spaceish person. I think that the stars are beautiful, I've played the Star Wars Lego computer game with my younger cousin, and I really enjoyed Beth Revis' Across the Universe trilogy. But that's it. I've never seen anything like Star Wars or Star Trek, and I've never had any desire to.

But now I watch Doctor Who. The Doctor travels through time and space in a blue box. He saves our world and the universe again and again from aliens. There are always aliens. Every problem in the course of history was apparently caused by aliens. It's science fiction in a huge way, and I love it. And I did not expect to. :)

The show in general is all over the place. It can be quirky and hilarious and fun and campy. There can be villains that are laughable because they're so weird and cheesy. But then, in another episode or even just moments later, things can get really serious. Everything and everyone can be in danger. There are moments that are so sad or profound that I'm grabbing tissues, or villains that are so creepy that I think it was probably a bad idea to watch Doctor Who after dark. To me, it's always an amazing thing when a show or book or movie can do all of this, and do it well. It's not jarring when things shift. It's just sort of seamless.

I'm not going to lie...most of my favorite episodes so far have been the ones that take place in the past, not the future. Because if I had access to a time machine, I would obviously want to go back in time. So far the Doctor and his companions have met Queen Victoria (I didn't even mind the werewolf aspect) and Shakespeare and Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie (1920s England and a murder mystery at the house where Agatha Christie was staying?? *swoon* The awesomeness of this episode was only marred by...the giant wasp. Seriously? That's the best they could do?). They've visited Pompeii and WWII era England. I love that kind of stuff.

But I think my absolute favorite episode so far was Blink. I had heard a lot about it and was afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype. But it did. The weeping angels were creepier that I would have ever thought possible. :) The whole episode was incredible. {I even convinced my parents to watch it, though I don't think they'll be becoming DW fans anytime soon.}

 

Another thing I love about Doctor Who is that since it's by the BBC, all sorts of familiar faces show up as supporting cast. I was keeping a mental list at one point: Barty Crouch and Barty Crouch, Jr. from Harry Potter, Kitty Bennet of P&P/Ada from Bleak House, Tattycoram from Little Dorrit, Fanny from Mansfield Park, Mrs. Crawley from Downton Abbey, John Chivery from Little Dorrit (poor guy always seems to spend most of his onscreen time crying), etc. I'm always curious which period drama actor or actress is going to turn up next. :)

Okay, now I have to talk about the actual doctors. You should know that changing actors in a show or movie series is one of my pet peeves. {Love Comes Softly series, I'm looking at you. Sometimes you needlessly killed off characters to bring in new faces, which was bad enough, but sometimes you didn't even bother doing that.} But if you have to, DW has found a pretty clever way to get around it. Because the Doctor doesn't die...he regenerates. How convenient! :)

I thought the Ninth Doctor was awesome. He was funny and kind of tough, and I couldn't imagine anyone other than him and Rose. When I was almost finished with the first series, I had a real prejudice against David Tennant, who I knew was about to become the new doctor. But wait- before you leave me threatening comments for saying anything against the Tenth Doctor, let me explain.

First of all, he wasn't the Ninth Doctor. I don't like change, people. :) Second of all, he's Barty Crouch, Jr. in the fourth Harry Potter film...a bad guy who I had this permanent image of in my mind. Thirdly, he spent most of his first full episode weak and sleeping. I was stressed out because this is the Doctor! He's supposed to be helping people, saving the world, etc. And he was completely worthless at that time.

But I was wrong. Because when he finally woke up, he had a sword fight with the bad guy while still wearing pajamas.

And now I'm all: how was anyone other than David Tennant ever the Doctor? Because he's the best. I totally have a crush on him and I don't even have to explain it...if you're a girl and you've watched Doctor Who, you know why. :)

He's a bit wacky and enthusiastic. He's handsome and smart and funny. He always wears a suit, which reminds me of how men dressed in classic films. He once spoke using lyrics from a song from The Lion King. He said that he cried while reading the last Harry Potter book. :) He can say things like, "I'm the Doctor, I'm very clever," and you don't think he's arrogant. He's not bragging, he's just stating a fact.

 

And now that I know that the end of the Tenth Doctor is approaching, I'm already feeling devastated. I'm dreading those last few episodes and specials because that means the end of David Tennant as the doctor. But I'm excited, too, about a new doctor and new companions.

Speaking of companions, Rose was my favorite for a while, but now I actually really like Donna Noble, too. I didn't like her in the one earlier episode she was in, because she was sort of brash. But in season four, she's really grown on me. I like that she actually sought the Doctor out after that first time, and I like that she's not as super-skinny and conventionally pretty as Rose or Martha. :)

P.S. Have you ever browsed Etsy for Doctor Who stuff? Absolutely amazing. The nerdy level of some fans blows me away. Also, I need these salt and pepper shakers. And this TARDIS night light. It "discourages nocturnal Dalek attacks." Oh. My. Goodness.

So...please be all Doctor Who fangirly with me in the comments! Who's your favorite Doctor? Who's your favorite companion? What episodes do you love and which ones are you not so crazy about? Which bad guy do you think is the creepiest?

Until next time,

Project 360: Week 4

{21} Monday photos are always the worst. Because it usually goes like this. 9:00 p.m.: I'm in my room and all of a sudden it hits me: Project 360! You didn't take a photo today, goober! *grabs camera and yarn off desk and snaps bad picture in bad lighting* Anyway...this is my latest spinning project.

{22} Surprising the animals when I walked over to the farm.

{23} Cloudy sunset.

{24} Piles of books in my floor while I was rearranging things to make room for a new bookcase.

{25} Finally got everything organized after Dad put together the bookcase. I'm a little obsessive about my system of organizing books. :)

{26} Exchanged two unwanted books for these two new ones at the Little Free Library. Wow...a lot of bookish photos this week. :)

{27} This little goof will roll around on the floor all day as long as someone's paying attention to him.

Until next time,

Grey Days to Glimmering {A Blog Party}

Kellie over at Accordion to Kellie is hosting a fun blog party to combat the winter blues. There's a giveaway involved, too! :)

 

I love winter and I'm not really having a problem with feeling uninspired. But I am currently in a slump because I'm having a hard time getting motivated to do anything productive. I'm planning and brainstorming but not actually following through with ideas. It's frustrating. :)

 

 

Here are the questions for the blog party:

1) What's your favorite thing to do when you've been feeling uninspired? Watch too many movies or episodes of my favorite shows. It probably doesn't help much, but it does take my mind off the fact that I'm feeling uninspired. :) I also sometimes browse around on Pinterest, Etsy, Tumblr, or my favorite blogs.
 

2) Tell us about a really great movie/show that you've just discovered. Doctor Who! That's all. I promise there is a post about my new obsession coming soon. :) {Oh, and I just thought about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries...I started watching them recently and I'm somewhere around 50 episodes in. They're not as funny as I expected them to be, and sometimes there's some mild profanity and stuff that bothers me. But they're slightly addicting to watch and it's really interesting how they interpret Pride and Prejudice into a modern setting.}
 

3) What do you like to do to change your mood? To be honest, not much. I like to wallow in it a bit. :) But if I do need to snap out of a bad mood, listening to happy music usually does the trick. My Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney record "Fancy Meeting You Here" always puts me in a better mood.
 

4) Your favorite drink is currently... Water? I don't drink much else, except a glass of V8 Fusion every day and orange juice or hot chocolate every once in a while. {And occasionally sweet tea that has so much sugar it could rot your teeth.}
 

5) When you hear the word exuberant, what's the first word that comes to mind? Lydia and Kitty Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.
 

6) What made you smile last? My cat acting like a lunatic...flying through the house in a black blur, bouncing off the chairs, and spinning out in the floor. :)
 

7) What five songs would make a playlist to describe your week? I don't know any songs about babysitting, making paper airplanes with my little cousins, knitting, or watching Boy Meets World. Which is mostly what my week has consisted of so far. :) So don't read too much into this...I've not been riding trains or falling in love. But these are some songs that I've been listening to lately and a couple of them might vaguely describe this week.

 

 

 

8) What's at the top of your creative 'To-Do' list? Start sewing more of my own clothing and come up with some new ideas for the Etsy shop.
 

9) The last thing you crossed off the above list was... Spinning 94 yards (so far) of three-ply yarn. I'm excessively proud of it. :)
 

10) Quickly - the first movie quote from the top of your head, please! As you wish. {The Princess Bride}
 

11) The best thing about January is... The possibility of snow, the fact that it's a brand new year, and the fact that I get to wear scarves and boots and fingerless gloves.
 

12) The worst thing about January is... Inevitably failing at some of my resolutions. :)
 

13) What's your #1 resolution for 2013? To become a better person in lots of ways, especially where joy and contentment are concerned. And to enjoy life and realize that it is happening now...it doesn't start someday in the future.
 

14) And lastly, share a quote or verse that you've found especially inspiring lately. Not especially profound, but I like it a lot. :)

Source: lisacongdon.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Until next time,

Forty years.

 

Today is the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Check out this thought-provoking list of questions from the Abort73 blog.

Until next time,

Project 360: Week 3

{14} The first dreary day of constant rain.

{15} I've been listening to the Vespers all week. They're lovely.

{16} The spine of a chunky little book I made.

{17} Shades of Earth! In the mail! It was really good.

{18} A sort of interesting looking outtake from the hat self-portraits. :)

{19} I'm a third of the way through spinning my white roving...pictures of the finished 3-ply coming soon.

{20} Started knitting a new pair of socks for myself.

Until next time,

Orchids & fairy lights.

I still haven't decided if I'm one of those people who can pull off wearing a hat or not. But I really love this one. :)

 

Please do excuse the awkward self-portraits. I wore it out in the snow and figured it would be easier to just take some myself while I had my camera with me. :)

The pattern is orchids & fairy lights, by tiny owl knits. At first the pattern seemed difficult, but after you get through that first of the four repeats of the design, it gets easier. This was my second cables project and my first time making bobbles.

By the way, this is supposed to be a slouchy hat. Well, as you can see, apparently I have an abnormally large head. :) It's not tight, but there's nothing slouchy about it, except that maybe it's a couple of inches taller than a beanie-style hat. I'm a little disappointed that I still haven't been able to see how slouchy hats look on me, but I still love it.

I already had this one random skein of purple wool yarn...I think I originally bought it for the Hermione hat but ended up not using it. The above pictures are more accurate, color-wise. It's not blueish like the next two make it look.

Until next time,

Snow, snow, snow!

This has not been my most favorite week ever, to be honest. :) It rained steadily, pretty much non-stop for four days straight. Monday through Thursday: cool, wet, and downright gloomy. I couldn't walk outside, and besides that I couldn't get motivated to do anything productive. A couple of other little annoying things happened: I wasted $25 on misprinted checks that are unusable, plans for my dad to build me a big bookcase fell through because wood is so expensive (I can't spend $140 on a bookcase!), etc. Trivial things, I know, but they piled up and made me a grumpy girl.

 

But then...last night it started snowing. And this morning, when I woke up, I could actually tell it was morning (unlike the last four dreary mornings). Sunlight was shining through my windows and there was a couple inches of glorious snow on the ground outside.

 

After this rather crummy week, it was such a beautiful morning. :)

 

So after breakfast I bundled up and spent some time stomping around in the snow.

 

My favorite things about snow: the amazing quiet that comes with it, the interesting shapes that appear everywhere, and the fact that everything looks beautiful covered in snow (seriously. Even briar patches).

 

 

And when I got back inside, the whole house smelled like chocolate cake because my mom was baking one for my grandpa's birthday celebration tomorrow. A perfect day. :)

Until next time,

Project 360: Week 2

{7} Very hastily snapped picture of the hat I'm currently knitting. Not long after taking this, I had to frog it all and start over because I bound on too tightly.

{8} Early Tuesday morning.

{9} Dad's woodpile.

{10} Moss is so beautiful, even this time of year when everything else is brown.

{11} Playing around (not very neatly :) with watercolors.

{12} Yes, that's a goat standing on top of a hay bale. :)

{13} I'm attempting to weed through my record collection and get rid of the ones I don't listen to regularly or that I don't want to keep for sentimental reasons. It's kind of hard because apparently I have hoarding tendencies.

Until next time,