What Danul Does: March 9, 2012

A weekly list of what I'm picking up at the pop culture buffet table.

8. Cooking

Thanks to Pinterest, a whole new world has opened up to me. A world full of super-tasty food. And since I've also been on a health kick recently, I've been planning out my meals for the week. This week I had avocado pesto pasta, coconut chicken with sweet chili sauce, and red beans and rice from the crock-pot. All of them were delicious and easy to make! Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this momentum after I get back from my trip next week...

7. Peter and the Starcatchers

Has anyone else read these books? They're definitely for those whose baby teeth still out-number their adult ones, but as a Peter Pan fan, I really like these stories. There's been a rumbling of a movie for a few years now, and a stage musical is set to bow on Broadway later this year, so I have those to look forward to. For now though, I have the audiobooks! They're read by Jim Dale, who is just an all around awesome human. He's the narrator for the Harry Potter audiobooks, and does such a great job (honestly, why don't more narrators do voices?!). I'm definitely looking forward to listening to PATSC on my drive on Tuesday.

6. Game of Thrones

Totally and completely on the opposite end of the fantasy spectrum from Peter and the Starcatchers is Game of Thrones. Within the first episode, you'll either be hooked or ready to never watch another episode. BUT OMG. This show is truly unlike anything else on television. The scale, budget, acting, and production are all consistently out of the park. I just dropped $30 for the first season set and can't wait to watch it all again before the new season starts on April 1st. Be warned though, being an HBO production, this is not a family show. BUT STILL OMG.

5. Music Flashbacks

The other day I was driving back from the dog park and Hoobastank's "The Reason" came on the radio. I was instantly transported back to 2004 and really haven't gotten back yet. I went home and made a playlist of music from my high school years and have been rocking out to it for the past week. Seriously, 2004 had some great music. Here's a sample of the ear-candy I've been indulging in:

4. Community

There are a lot of fantastic comedies on television right now. Happy Endings is probably the most straight-up funny show, and Parks and Recreation nails the character- and emotion-based comedy better than any other show. Community, on the third hand, is easily the smartest comedy on television. It centers on a study group at a community college made up of seven vastly different social pariahs. Last fall, its fate was left in the balance when NBC pulled the show from the Thursday night lineup. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, The Man reassured the raging interwebs that the show would back at some point. That point has finally arrived! Community returns this Thursday and it promises to be hilarious. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch it and see what you're missing!

3. Springtime Movies

Historically a season when studios send movies they have no faith in to quietly die at the hands of a cruel box office, spring is usually a boring time at the movies. However, there are several upcoming films that look rather fun. 

First, John Carter. This movie has been dealt no winning hands in terms of advertising. The bland font on the posters, the bland title of a rather generic name, and the total absence of any mention that the movie is based on a set of novels written in the early 1900's all contribute to people getting the wrong idea...which is sad, because I think the movie looks like a total thrill ride. 

Next, Friends With Kids. In contrast to John Carter, FWK seems to have everything going for it. A cast populated by culturally-relevant faces from Bridesmaids, an accessible rom-com core, and people-candy named Jon Hamm and Megan Fox. Seems like a fine way to spend 90 minutes.

Lastly, we have 21 Jump Street. This movie looks like fun. Jonah Hill is a reliable source of laughs and Channing Tatum has impressed me in the past. Plus, it's got Ron-effing-Swanson in it. 

2. Bible Bucks

This is a new tool we're implementing in our Sunday School program here at First Lutheran. Every time a student does something worth rewarding, such as helping a teacher, holding the door for someone, answering a question, etc, he or she will be rewarded with a Bible Buck. At the end of each quarter, the kids with enough Bible Bucks will be gifted with a treat (next month, we're going to Diddy's Yogurt!). The reason for this new system is to get kids to want to come to Sunday School. Our program hasn't been seeing as many kids as we'd like, so we're giving this a shot. Pray for it to work! I know I will be!

1. SPRING BREAK

I cannot express how excited I am for next week! I'll be in the office on Monday, and then it's off to the beach to hang with friends! Here's hoping the weather gets a little warmer by then. Happy Spring Break, everyone!

-Danul