Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #29

It's Friday again if you can believe it (and even if you can't).  For those of you who don't work in aviation and/or own your own business, this is the start of the weekend.  I don't actually get weekends, per say, but I still acknowledge Fridays by naming a hero and villain of the week.  This weeks picks feature melodrama and things you have to sign for.


Hero of the Week:  Taylor Swift
I know that Taylor is my no means universally liked or respected, but her popularity is undeniable.  I myself was not a fan when I first heard the song "Love Story" and became convinced that she had never read either Romeo and Juliet or The Scarlet Letter (Seriously, does anyone in the music/entertainment industry realize that Romeo and Juliet die at the end of the play?  It's kind of a tragedy, y'all.).  And yet, I can't help but love the catchy melodies, the Everygirl quality of the lyrics, and unapologetic wallowing in every single exaggerated emotion that her music encompasses.  There are few things that can cheer me up like bellowing a Taylor Swift song at the top of my lungs.  It's pure girly catharsis, and I've needed it this week.


Villain of the Week:  "Non-drowsy" cold medicine
I've had a little touch of late-summer cold this week, and it's made me a bit foggy headed.  Of course, I want to be at my best when I go into work.  I took some cold medicine that was supposed to be non-drowsy, but I think it just made me more out-of-it.  I barely made it through my shift at work drinking tons of coffee, but I was still drowsy when it came time to drive home.  A sense of self-preservation led me to stop at Sheetz for a cappocino and a bag of Sour Patch Kids, and the combination of sugar, caffeine and chewyness did keep me awake.  However, I am offended by the false advertising.  And how did the cold medicine people know that I worked near a Sheetz where I could stock up on supplies?  It's almost like they don't care!


Thus concludes the recitation of the zenith and nadir of my week.  I wish you all a lovely weekend!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #28

It is finnnnallllly Friday, and I have a Saturday off for the first time in a while.  I'm super excited!  This has been the kind of week when everything that can go wrong will, but I've nevertheless managed to identify a hero and narrow down the field to a single villain.


Hero of the Week:  Movie Theater
It's still ridiculously hot outside, which makes summer picnics and other outdoor activities very unappealing.  Thankfully, there is a magical place where I can go where it's dark, cool, entertaining, and full of delicious snacks.  My favorite theater is the Alamo Drafthouse because it has stadium seating, shows interesting (and sometimes bizarre) videos before the movie begins, and I can have fantastic (and very overpriced) food and beverages brought to me while I enjoy my film.  I went there this week to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II this week, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable.  I cried of course, but in a good way.  My second favorite theater is the Delco Cinema.  It's actually a pretty run-down tiny place, but it's only $3.00 to get in.  Plus, it's always playing movies that have already left other theaters, so I get a second chance to see X-Men: First Class.  Anyplace that gives me another chance to see James McAvoy is definitely a hero!


Villain of the Week:  Technology
As I mentioned, everything has gone wrong this week.  The washing machine broke, the TV died, my car guzzled even more gas than normal, and someone hacked into my PayPal account for the second time in a month.  I'm starting to think the Terminator and/or Transformer movies are starting to come true.  I realize that some unsympathetic smart alack might want to point out that if technology is a villain I shouldn't choose movie theaters as a hero.  To that person I just want to say, watch yourself, or you'll be my villain next week!


I hope you all have a wonderful and technology-mishap-free weekend!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #27

It's hot and steamy here in norther Virginia; the heat index was 126 degrees at one point yesterday!  It's the perfect kind of day to stay inside with the shades drawn and read a good blog.  And as luck would have it, it's Friday, which means that I am here to entertain you with new hero and villain picks.

Hero of the Week: Audible.com

I've spent a lot of time in the car recently.  Between the road trip to Florida and back and my hour-long commute to work, I put in some serious time behind the wheel.  As I've mentioned on this blog before, I absolutely love singing in the car and have very little shame about my tone-deafness.  However, a terrible thing has started happening recently: I've gotten sick of all of the music on the radio!  I tried to mix things up with play lists from my iPhone, and then even hearkening back to the days of CDs, but nothing has been entertaining me as much as I'd like.  Enter Audible.com.  Audible is an Amazon company that specializes in audiobooks.  I am a huge fan of (well-performed) audiobooks.  An interesting story and lively narration makes the time go ever so much faster.  Plus, you get two free books when you sign up for a trial, and they have several that are $5 and under.  I got Water for Elephants and The Book Thief for free, and picked up a "summer book" on sale for my work commute.  For adding hours of enjoyment to an otherwise dreary stretch of time, Audible.com is my hero of the week. 

Villain of the Week:  Distance 

As much as I love audiobooks, I love even more not to have to drive an hour to get to work.  I would absolutely adore not having to drive 15 hours to see my family in Florida.  All of the pesky miles in between me and where I want to go desperately annoy me.  I want to be able to blink my eyes, wiggle my nose, snap my fingers, or click my heels and be somewhere else.  If I could do that, not only would I get to see my family more often and significantly reduce my commute, but I'd be able to travel more.  There are some pretty great vacation deals out there in my price range, but the airfare is the killer.  So for standing relentlessly in my way, Distance is my villain of the week.

Come back next Friday to find out what makes my day and what makes me mad.  Until then, have a nice cool weekend!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #18

It is Friday once again, and that means it's time again to reveal my hero and villain of the week!

Hero of the Week:  Charles Dickens 

Mr. Dickens may seem like an unlikely hero given how much I complained while reading Great Expectations in high school, but he is the father of a very popular storytelling technique: the cliffhanger.  You see, ol' Chuck originally published his novels in serial format, so ended each installment at the height of a conflict.  That way, his readers would have to purchase the next installment to find out what happened.  He famously ended one installment with a character literally hanging from a cliff, hence the term "cliffhanger."  As it is season finale time for most television shows, I've been reminded this week of how important the cliffhanger is to modern storytelling.   Is Stefan going to go all crazy blood-addict again now that he's under Klaus's control?  Will Jasmine take Crosby back?  Is Neil going to revert to his criminal ways?  What do you mean PETER NEVER EXISTED?!?!?!?!?!  So many questions, and I'll just have to watch next season to find out.  Well played, Mr. Dickens, well played.

Bonus point for Charlie:  One of his quotes could be the motto of JA Greetings:  "Fan the sinking flames of hilarity with the wings of friendship; and pass the rosy wine."

Villain of the Week:  Friday the 13th

Yes, Friday the 13th is just a day that occurs between 1 and 4 times a year, but lots of people of truly afraid of it.  While there are multiple stories that account for the superstition, such as the ousting of the Norse god Frigga leading to her subsequent unholy meetings to plan the ill fate of the world or King Phillip's   order to arrest and torture the Knights Templar, the mass fear is a relatively new phenomenon.  According to Wikipedia, which could never be wrong, fear of this day was practically non-existent about 100 years ago.  Now, however, it's estimated that there is an $800 to $900 million loss in business because people are too afraid to leave home.  That kind of intense debilitating fear is known as  friggatriskaidekaphobia.  Any day that can inspire enough fear to spawn a series of slasher movies is definitely a villain in my book!

On a different note, happy birthday to our wonderful sister Kristen!  All of us at JA Greetings are so happy to be related to you, and we're glad you don't suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia.  Enjoy your day!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #15

It's an incredibly dreary Friday afternoon, what with the rain, the unseasonably cold weather, and the flood watch and all.  It's the perfect day to curl up in your snuggie with a cup of hot tea or coffee and read about this week's hero and villain!

Hero of the Week:  Lifetime 

I adore making fun of Lifetime movies.  Since endlessly recycled stories revolving around abusive men, crazy stalkers, unplanned pregnancies, eating disorders and bad acting have been labeled "television for women," I, as a woman, feel the need to watch and mock.  You can imagine my joy when I read that Lifetime had developed a new movie, William & Kate, in a matter of days.  I set my TiVo immediately!  Shockingly, it wasn't that bad.  It wasn't great cinema, of course, but it was much better than I was expecting.  It had pretty people, pretty clothes, pretty scenery, surprisingly decent acting.  While the story wasn't original (I can't give creative props for a bio-pic), the lack of an outlandish murder plot made it a breath of fresh air on the network.  Perhaps the adorable Drop Dead Diva wasn't a fluke and Lifetime is actually trying to step up its game!  

Dear Weather, Quit it already!!!  Love, Jamie

Villain of the Week:  Easter Weather

Why does it always have to rain Easter weekend?  I want to be able to wear a pretty spring sundress for Easter, but more often than not it's cold and wet.  Jack was born on Easter weekend in 2007, and it actually snowed!  I was so excited to meet my new nephew that I didn't think to pack a jacket and ended up having to buy one at Goodwill.  Really Weather, don't you know that it's inappropriate to be gloomy on a day that symbolizes resurrection and new life and fresh starts and life?  I know thunderstorms are in the forecast for Sunday, but I'm just not okay with that.  Get with the program!  

That's all for this week!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend!    

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #13

It may be a rainy dreary Friday, but it's still the perfect time for a new installment of Jamie's Hero and Villain of the week!  This week's edition features prehistoric monsters and a little something that's sickeningly sweet.  

Hero of the Week:  Dinosaur Land 

Dinosaur Land is a fantastically kitschy roadside tourist trap down the road from my house.  It is a "prehistoric forest" full of giant fiberglass dinosaurs.  And King Kong.  King Kong is also there for some reason.  Jack is at the age where he thinks dinosaurs are the greatest things ever, so he had to go for his birthday week.  He ran around hugging the dinosaurs' legs and giving the baby dinos high fives.  It was adorable!  Not to mention, I kinda love the cheesy roadside attractions that have absolutely nothing to do with anything around them.  

Villain of the Week:  Pollen

In case you missed the point of yesterday's fairy tale,  I have terrible allergies and have spent most of the week unable to breath.  Yes, pollen is a pretty yellow color.  Yes, bees use it to make delicious honey.  However, yellow washes me out and honey has a lot of calories.  So, all told, I'm not a fan of pollen; it's most defiantly a villain.  

That's all for this week.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week # 12

Another Friday, another edition of Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week!  This week's picks feature sweet delight and vicious vicious lies.

Hero of the Week:  Peeps latte 

It may not feel like spring, but this week it tasted like it.  One local coffee shop (inside a grocery store, no less!) is serving a variety of lattes with a delightfully cheery Peeps chick on top.  The bright yellow color was the brightest part of a gray day.  Although Peeps don't actually taste good, it got all gooey and melty in the coffee and was surprisingly yummy.  I highly recommend this delightful caffeinated concoction!

Villain of the Week:  Punxsutawney Phil

So, lying is bad, right?  Then why does a lying little marmot get his own (lame) holiday?  People gather around in freezing weather in early February only to have "Phil" (if that is his real name) predict whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter.  This year, he proclaimed that spring would come early.  Yet, here it is April 1st and snow is still in the forecast!  What kind example is this despicable animal setting for our children?  For shame!

That's all for this week!  Enjoy the unseasonably cold weather, everyone!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #10

I am sorry that my usual blog entry is a day late, but since I had a life that prevented my posting on time, I assume that my dear readers also have lives which kept the delay from being too disappointing.  So without further ado, here are this week's picks:

Daddio with Jack

Hero of the Week:  My Daddio (and the team with whom he traveled)

My dad has been in Colonet, Mexico this week with a team from our church supporting a local congregation.  They hosted game and movie nights and tried to encourage the people in any way possible.  I don't think my dad has studied a foreign language since high school, and then he took Latin, but spent weeks trying to learn as much Spanish as possible to be able to communicate effectively.  I'm not sure how many phrases he was able to learn or if he actually had to ask for directions to the library, but I admire his effort and his (and the other team members') willingness to give up his vacation time to serve others.

Villain of the Week:  Benjamin Franklin 

My cousin told me that Benjamin Franklin first suggested the implementation of Daylight Savings Time in the US, though the policy wasn't put into effect until much later.  Because of this asinine idea, he simply must be declared a villain.  Sure, he may have discovered electricity or whatever, but he also cost me an hour of sleep this week!  If it were just an hour I could get over it, but the whole time-change-extra-daylight thing completely throws off my whole schedule.  I haven't been able to get to sleep before 2 am all week!  Now the bags under my eyes are so pronounced that no amount of light-reflecting concealer can make me look alert and refreshed.  I am not a happy camper.  Benjy, I hope they take your face off the $100 bill!

That's all for this week.  I hope everyone has an awesome weekend and enjoys the gorgeous weather!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #9

Since it's Friday afternoon and the work week is officially over, it's time to crown this week's hero and villain.  This week's picks feature dashing (and some creepy) men and delicious surprises.  Read on!

Hero of the Week:  Nathan Fillion  

I think it's pretty obvious by this point that I'm a ginormous dork, and as such, I love sci-fi.  I'm particularly addicted to the works of Joss Whedon, because for serious, who doesn't love Buffy and Dr. Horrible?  It was during the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that I was first introduced to Nathan Fillion (he was playing an evil preacher possessed by the First Evil who killed girls; super creepy!).  Of course, then I had to watch Firefly and Serenity, and Capt. Mal Reynolds was an absolutely amazing character.  Fillion went on to star in Waitress, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (as Captain Hammer), and is currently starring in Castle.  What I love about this actor is that each character he plays is so distinct; when I'm watching Castle, I never think he sounds like Mal Reynolds or vise versa.  But really the reason that he made the list this week is that I'm watching Firefly on Netflix.  It's a great show, and anyone who hasn't seen it already should.

Villain of the Week:  Monkey bread

Monkey break is so good it's dangerous.  Pieces of dough dipped in cinnamon and sugar, then drowned in a butter-cinnamon-sugar mix and baked to an ooey gooey caramelized perfection was nearly my undoing.  My friend baked some monkey bread for our glitter party this week, and I think I ate half the pan.  It's hard to be a grown-up and eat fruits and vegetables like I'm supposed to when presented with a delightful delicacy named after my favorite animal.  So to strip the amazing monkey bread of the power it has over me, I'm declaring it a villain.  So there!  (P.S. Courtney, you should really take this as a compliment!)

That's all for this week!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #6

It is an incredibly beautiful unbelievably mild February Friday, which can only mean one thing:  it's true that as soon as you have decent snow boots and a shovel, the stupid groundhog will go shadow-blind and spring will come early.  Oh, and it's time to unveil Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week!

Hero of the Week:  Amazon Kindle

This nifty light-weight device allows me to carry thousands of books with me anywhere I go!  I love to read, and I love variety, so this is awesome.  Since the battery can run for a month without being charged, I don't have to worry about remembering a power cord or sitting in proximity to an outlet when I go on vacation or house/dog-sit for the weekend.  It's also easy to read in bright sunlight, so it's perfect for leisurely outdoor reading on a day like today.  And since there are no pages, I don't have to get annoyed at the breeze for trying to turn the pages before I'm ready.  I hate it when the wind reads faster than me!  Another huge plus is access to thousands of free e-books, ranging from classics to new and self-published authors.  True, a lot of the free e-books totally suck, but at least I have the opportunity to discover new voices.  

Villain of the Week:  Amazon Kindle

That's right--the Kindle is the week's villain too!  The reason for my ambivalence is a piece of very sad news I learned this week:  Borders is filing for bankruptcy and closing 1/3 of their stores, including my local branch.  I'm very distressed by this development because I love browsing in Borders, and their coffee is better than Books-A-Million's.  I love walking through the rows of bookshelves, visiting the brightly-colored children's section, and examining all of the random/cool/just plain odd gifts they offer.  Since the growing popularity of e-readers, especially the Kindle,  is a huge factor in the decline of the physical book store, I have no choice but to label it a villain.  (I do realize that I could also blame the economy, but my daily New Yorker cartoon calendar does that every day.  It's just too depressing now.)

That's all I have for this week!  Enjoy the sunshine and the weekend!

Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week #2

Another Friday, another edition of Jamie's Hero and Villain of the Week!  This week's article features feats of heroic creativity and deeds of dastardly destruction!  Read on if you dare!

Hero of the Week:  ABC Family's marketing department

   This may seem like an odd choice, but you have to respect a group of people who can spin shows about sex, drug use, and murder into a "family drama."  I remember when family television consisted of shows like Boy Meets World and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.  Now it's high-quality productions such as Pretty Little Liars (and yes, I totally watch the trashy show, so I'm not really being that judgmental.  But I'd never have been allowed to watch it as a kid.  I'm just saying.).  However, this week, the sheer genius of this marketing team came to the forefront earlier this week when I saw a promo for the show Greek (also never would have been allowed to watch that one as a kid).  In the midst of a bunch of hyperbolic and unverifiable statements ("The most hilarious college kids..." etc.), a celebratory quote flashed across the screen boasting that "Greek is #1!"  Why is this so brilliant, you may ask?  After all, this is a really common technique.  This particular commercial was so extraordinary because the quote came from a FACEBOOK USER!  That's right, no pesky critics or entertainment industry professionals here!  Just the one girl who admits to watching Greek on her Facebook page.  I admire the boldness of this move more than I can say.  I one day hope to launch a marketing campaign around the fact that my mom thinks my cards are really nifty.

Villain of the Week:  The tiny demon that lives inside all Adobe products

   It's true; there is a tiny demon (maybe I should call it a sprite?) that lives inside all Adobe products and makes my business life a living nightmare.  It uses it's tiny yellow little claws to destroy my hopes and dreams.  And, you know, make my pictures look grainy and stuff.  While www.picnik.com is really helpful in editing photos (thanks for the tip, Jessica!), Ashley has had a more difficult time finding a replacement for the Photoshop upgrade she purchased that isn't compatible with her current software.  Thanks for all of your lies, you Sprite of Deceit!  Thanks to bad information from Adobe and inexplicable software glitches, the super-awesome Valentine's we designed won't be posted in our shop until next week (fingers crossed!)  Shame on you, Adobe!  Shame.

I hope you enjoyed this week's installment.  Stay tuned to see who will make the list next week!