TV Show Review: Torchwood

Air Date: 2006-2009
Created by: Russell T. Davies
Starring: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori

I'm guessing you probably know by now that I've in the last year become totally obsessed with Doctor Who. Well, while I was feverishly waiting to receive Season 4 in the mail I started watching Torchwood, which is a spinoff featuring Captain Jack Harkness (Barrowman). It begins with Gwen Cooper (Myles), a policewoman, finding out about and joining Torchwood, an organization based around the Rift in Cardiff whose purpose is to protect Earth from alien life. It is often referenced in Doctor Who, and often Torchwood and The Doctor have different stances on how to deal with aliens.

The first season establishes Torchwood as a show for more mature audiences. Friends of mine have complained that they try to force in sex scenes (much like, say, True Blood does) and I can see that as a valid point. However, I enjoyed it. The second season is much more compelling than the first. The characters are better portrayed, and we see more into their psyches and relationships. The third 'season', a 5 episode miniseries arc called Children of Earth, was fantastic (and the most popular of the seasons at the time it aired).

It helps that John Barrowman and Gareth David-Lloyd are quite attractive, I won't lie. Basically, it has a much darker, more adult feel than Doctor Who, and I can't say I liked it quite as much. They did start tying it in more in the second season, but it was still a definitely separate show. I kept hoping the Doctor would show up in some episode... no luck. It certainly made me laugh and cry and I really did enjoy the series.

Grade: A

Snowmageddon

As you've probably heard by now, DC was pummeled this weekend with somewhere around 20 inches of snow. Jeff and I ventured out yesterday to check out what was going on. It was pretty epic. There were drifts up to something like 6 feet, and on one side of most roads there were cars completely under the snow. Unfortunately, all of my camera batteries were dead so I was only able to get four pictures.





Those are just out our window and right on our sidewalk. After that we went to look at the hill on 13th Street near Cardozo High School. People were sledding, skiing, and snowboarding down it. It made me wish I had a sled, even a makeshift one.


Here's a picture of 13th St. from DCist.

Then we decided to trek over to Meridian Hill Park. There were several hundred people there, playing with their dogs, making snowmen (and in one instance a snow phallus), sledding, skiing, and snowboarding down the stairs, and having massive snowball fights (including a bunch of people trying hard to knock people off sleds with snowballs or big chunks of snow).


Snowball fight at Meridian Hill Park.

It was a lot of fun, we tried to pelt sledders and got in on the snowball fight (especially against people who had foolishly decided to sit in a fountain). After that we made our way back home, making sure to jump or fall into big snowdrifts as often as possible. Friday we had made a big batch of chili so we warmed up and had chili nachos. Mmm, perfect for a snowday. Today it's sunny and it looks like the snow's starting to melt; the roads, at least, look half-driveable. It's unfortunate that Jeff's parents were supposed to fly in yesterday... they're hoping to get in tomorrow at least. I don't have work Monday anyway but I'm hoping Jeff gets off too so we can do fun stuff.

What's Going on Now

So I've been a little lazy in my blogging, it's true, and so I'm way out of date at the moment. So a quick overview:

-I graduated from college, summa cum laude. I'll be getting my diploma in the mail any day now.

-I moved to DC to live with Jeff.

-Jeff and I went to his parents' house for Christmas day, and my parents' the day after.

-For New Year's, we had a gathering in DC.

-Jan. 2 we went to Mom-mom and Pop-pop's for a general holiday celebration.

-Jan. 3 we went up to NYC, Jeff on the train and me on the bus. We ate a lot of great food and I did lots of fun things including meeting up with Michelle (for more info look at my Yelp reviews).

-Jan. 5 I was offered an internship at the Smithsonian, and ended up taking it.

-Jan. 9 we returned to DC.

-Jan. 13, my 22nd birthday, I started an internship at Amnesty International. I'll mostly be doing admin stuff, and working there Wednesday through Friday until the end of April.

-Today I got fingerprinted for the Smithsonian and made the first attempt to apply for food stamps, unsuccessfully, because they weren't taking any more new people today since they were full. Alas... I'm going to watch an episode of Dexter then try to make some vegetarian chili.

I start at the Smithsonian Feb. 1, hopefully. I will try to blog more.

sorry about all these surveys... blame tumblr

breeawnuhh:followmeunder:gruesomegabby:beedonk:

A - AVAILABLE: No.
B - BIRTHDAY: January 13th
C - CRUSHING ON: Jeff :)
D - DRINK YOU LAST HAD: Water
E - EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: Jeff
F - FAVORITE SONG: dunno. Really addicted to Bad Romance right now.
G - GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: Bears.
H - HOMETOWN: Melfa, VA
I - IN LOVE WITH: Jeff
J - JUGGLE: Yes, I can.
K - KILLED SOMEONE: No.
L - LONGEST CAR RIDE: 14 hours.
M - MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: Chocolate.
N - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 1
O - ONE WISH: to travel the world.
P - PERSON WHO CALLED YOU LAST: Jeff
Q - QUICKIE: mmkay :)
R - REASON TO SMILE: life!
S - SONG YOU LAST HEARD: Clockwatching by Jason Mraz
T - TIME YOU WOKE UP: 1 pm
U - UNDERWEAR COLOR: gray.
V - VEGETABLE(S): delicious!
W - WORST HABIT: cracking my knuckles.
X - X-RAYS YOU’VE HAD: teeth, maybe some others.
Y – YO-YO’S ARE: so 90s.
Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn.

Random About You:
—Spell your name without vowels: rchl.
—What color do you wear most?: green and red
—Least favorite color?: hmm... bright yellow.
—What are you listening to?: Set Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol featuring Martha Wainwright
—Are you happy with your life right now? yes!
—What is your favorite class in school?: it was probably Global Sex and Gender
—When do you start back at school/college?: I'm finished. Potentially forever.
—Are you outgoing?: yes
—Favorite pair of shoes?: sneakers
—Where do you wish you were right now?: in DC already.
—Can you dance?: yes
—Can you tie a cherry stem with your mouth?: no.
—Can you whistle?: Yes.
—Write with both hands?: Yes.
—Can you walk with your toes curled ?: maybe?

THE DO’S:
—Do you believe there is life on other planets? I won't discount it completely.
—Do you believe in magic?: Yeah, sort of.
—Love at first sight?: Not really.
—Do you believe in Santa?: no.
—Do you know how to swim?: Yes.
—Do you like roller coasters?: Yes.

THE HAVES:
—Have you ever been on a plane?: Yes.
—Have you ever asked someone out?: No, actually.
—Have you ever been to the ocean?: Yes.
—Have you ever painted your nails?: Yes.

THE WHATS:
—What is the temperature outside?: 49 degrees Fahrenheit.
—What radio station do you listen to?: 100.5, 94.9, 96.1
—What was the last place you ate at?: Jamestown North.
—What was the last thing you bought?: Pizza.
—What was the last thing on TV you watched?: hmm... How I met Your Mother probably.

THE WHO’S:
—Who was the last person you IM’d?: umm... Jeff? Zach? Carla?
—Who was the last person you took a picture of?: Jeff?
—Who was the last person you said ‘I love you’ to?: Jeff

CRYING SECTION:
—Ever really cried your heart out?: Yes.
—Ever cried yourself to sleep?: Yes.
—Ever cried on your friend’s shoulder?: Yes.
—Ever cried over the opposite sex?: Yes.
—Do you cry when you get an injury?: Sometimes.
—Do certain songs make you cry?: Yes.

LOVE SECTION:
—How many times have you had your heart broken?: Once.
—What is your current hair color?: Dark blonde/light brown.
—Current piercings?: Ears X2 in each
—Have any tattoos?: 5
—Eye color?: Brown.

IN A BOY/GIRL:
—Favorite eye color: don't care.
—Short or long hair: Short.
—Height: Any.

HAVE YOU EVER:
—Been to jail: No.
—Mooned someone: No.
—Ran away from home?: No.
—Laughed so hard you cried?: Yes.
—Cried in school?: Yes.
—Thrown up in a store?: No.
—Is there something really stupid that you still laugh at today?: Yes.

THIS OR THAT
—Pepsi or Coke: Coke.
—McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonald’s.
—Single or Group Dates: Single.
—Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate.
—Strawberries or Blueberries: Strawberries.
—Meat or Veggies: Veggies.
—TV or Movie: Movies.
—Guitar or Drums: Guitar.
—Adidas or Nike: Nike.
—Chinese or Mexican: Mexican.
—Cheerios or Corn Flakes: Cheerios.
—Cake or Pie: Cake.

Quirky personality traits

Here is a list of quirky personality traits! Bold what applies to you, strike what you can’t stand.

I always announce when I have to pee/use the bathroom.
I won’t eat my food if it touches a different food.
I will not blow my nose in front of other people.
I put my feet up on everything.
I say hello to everyone I see.
I have a tendency to make everything awkward.
My mind always wanders to the “sexual” side of things.
I always follow things up with “That’s what she said!”
I’m too embarrassed to ask my friends/family for tampons.
I use chapstick/lip balm religiously.
I check my accounts online in order every time I get on the computer.
If I get up from the computer, even for a second, I put an away message up.
I’m always leaving my phone in random places.
I always keep on earbud out, in case someone needs to talk to me.
I mark off every day on the calendar.
I have the same routine every time I take a shower.
I will not go out in public without makeup on.
Everything about my life is very neat. It has to be.
I make a to-do list every day, and I’m lost without it. (or most days)
I always check my phone the second I wake up.
I have to pee before bed.
I laugh when I hear/see the number 69.
I yell “Burn!” when someone disses someone else (or I do).
I take off my shoes when I get inside the house.
I can’t stand silence. Especially when I drive.
I have to listen to something or I can’t fall asleep.
I have to have the TV on or I can’t fall asleep.
I don’t use public bathrooms. Period.
I will NOT fart in front of anyone.

I will absolutely NOT fart in front of my boyfriend/girlfriend.
All my music on iTunes has to have album art.
Going a day without changing my underwear, NEVER, EVER happens.
I tend to skip showers frequently. (when I'm taking classes it's an every-other-day thing)
I count to 20 (seconds) when I wash my hands.
I’m always forgetting to take my pills.
I have panic attacks frequently.
The door(s) must be shut before I go to bed.
I’m always saying chat lingo out loud (example: “L-O-L” or “W-T-F”)
I swear way too much for my own good.
I re-write (or type) all my notes.
Without thinking twice, I always correct spelling/grammar mistakes.
I go for weeks without checking my email.
I show up late to work all the time.
I number my surveys (in the title).
I number the questions on all my surveys.

2009

things i did in 2009.

( ) stayed single for the whole year
(x) made out in/on a car
( ) kissed in the snow
(x) celebrated Halloween
(x) kissed in the rain
( ) had your heart broken
( ) broke someone else’s heart
( ) had a stalker
( ) went over the minutes on your cell phone
(x) had a good relationship with someone
(x) someone questioned your sexual orientation
( ) gotten pregnant
( ) had an abortion
(x) have a relationship with someone you’ll never forget
( ) done something you’ve regretted
( ) lost faith in love
( ) kissed under a mistletoe
( ) painted a picture
(x) wrote a poem
( ) ran a mile
( ) shopped at Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch
(x) posted a blog
(x) listened to music you couldn’t stand
(x) went to a sleepover
( ) went camping
( ) threw a surprise party
(x) laughed till you cried
( ) laughed till you peed in your pants
(x) visited a foreign country
( ) cut in a line of waiting people
(x) told someone you were busy when you weren’t
(x) partied to celebrate the new year
( ) cooked a disastrous meal
( ) lost something/someone important to you
( ) broke a promise
( ) lied
( ) went behind your parents back
( ) cried over a broken heart
( ) disappointed someone close
( ) hid a secret
( ) pretended to be happy
( ) slept under the stars
( ) kept your new years resolution
(x) forgot your new years resolution
( ) met someone who changed your life
( ) met one of your idols
(x) changed your outlook on life
(x) sat home all day doing nothing
( ) pretended to be sick
(x) left the country
( ) almost died
( ) given up something important to you
( ) lost something expensive
(x) learned something new about yourself
(x) tried something you normally wouldn’t try and liked it
(x) made a change in your life
(x) found out who your true friends were
(x) met great people
( ) stayed up til sunrise
(x) cried over the silliest thing
( ) was never home on weekends
( ) got into a car accident
(x) had friends who were drifting away from you
( ) had someone close to you die
( ) had a high cell phone bill
(x) spent most of your money on food
( ) had a fist fight
(x) went to the beach with your best friend
( ) saw a celebrity
(x) gotten sick
( ) liked more than 5 people at the same time
(x) became closer with a lot of people

tv shows

Rules:
from mimisaurus

- Bold all of the following TV shows which you’ve ever seen 3 or more episodes of in your lifetime.
- Italicize a show if you’re positive you’ve seen every episode of it.


24
7th Heaven
ALF
Alias
American Gothic
America’s Next Top Model
Angel
Arrested Development
Babylon 5
Batman: The Animated Series
Battlestar Galactica (the old one)
Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Baywatch
Beverly Hills 90210 (original)
Bewitched
Bonanza
Bones
Bosom Buddies
Boston Legal
Boy Meets World
Brothers And Sisters
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Californication
Chappelle’s Show
Charlie’s Angels
Charmed
Cheers
Chuck
Clarissa Explains it All
Columbo
Commander in Chief
Crossing Jordan
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dark Angel
Dark Skies
DaVinci’s Inquest
Dawson’s Creek
Dead Like Me
Deadwood
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Designing Women
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Dharma & Greg
Different Strokes
Doctor Who
Dragnet
Due South
ER
Everwood
Everybody Loves Raymond
Facts of Life
Family Guy
Farscape
Fawlty Towers
Felicity
Firefly
Frasier
Freaks & Geeks
Friends
Fringe
Futurama

Get Smart
Gilligan’s Island
Gilmore Girls
Gossip Girl
Grey’s Anatomy
Grange Hill
Growing Pains
Gunsmoke
Happy Days
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys
Heroes
Home Improvement
Homicide: Life on the Street
House
I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy
Invader Zim
Invasion
Hell’s Kitchen
JAG
Jackass
Joey
Kim Possible
Knight Rider
Knight Rider: 2008
Kung Fu
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
La Femme Nikita

LA Law
Laverne and Shirley
Law and Order
Law and Order: SVU
Law and Order: CI
Leverage
Little House on the Prairie
Lizzie McGuire
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lost

Lost in Space
MASH
MacGyver
Malcolm in the Middle
Married… With Children
McLeods Daughters
Melrose Place
Miami Vice
Mission: Impossible
Mod Squad
Monk
Mork & Mindy
Murphy Brown
My Life As A Dog
My Three Sons
My Two Dads
Mythbusters
NCIS
Ned Bigby’s Declassified School Survival Guide

Nip/Tuck
Numb3rs
One Tree Hill
Oz
Perry Mason
Power Rangers
Press Gang
Prison Break
Private Practice
Privileged
Profiler
Project Runway
Psych
Pushing Daisies
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer as Folk (UK)
ReGenesis
Remington Steele
Rescue Me
Road Rules
ROME
Roseanne
Roswell
Sanctuary
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
Scrubs
Seaquest DSV
Seinfeld
Sex and the City
Six Feet Under
Slings and Arrows
Smallville
So Weird

South of Nowhere
South Park
St. Elsewhere
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate SG-1
Starsky & Hutch
Superman
Supernatural

Surface
Survivor

Taxi
Teen Titans
That’s So Raven

The 4400
The Addams Family

The Amazing Race
The Andy Griffith Show

The A-Team
The Avengers
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Big Bang Theory
The Brady Bunch

The Cosby Show
The Daily Show
The Dead Zone
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Flintstones
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Golden Girls

The Honeymooners
The Jeffersons
The Jetsons

The L Word
The Love Boat
The Magnificent Seven
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Monkees
The Munsters
The Office (US)
The Powerpuff Girls
The Pretender
The Real World
The Shield
The Simpsons
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Sopranos

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

The Twilight Zone

The Waltons
The West Wing
The Wonder Years
The X-Files
Third Watch
Three’s Company
Twin Peaks
Twitch City
Unfabulous
Ugly Betty

Veronica Mars

Weeds

Whose Line is it Anyway? (US)
Whose Line is it Anyway? (UK)
Will and Grace

Wings
Wonderfalls

Xena: Warrior Princess

Updated 1/21/11: Have now watched all of Buffy, Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, Pushing Daisies Veronica Mars, and Wonderfalls; some of Six Feet Under, Smallville, Weeds. Have no longer seen all episodes of Dexter.