1) Renfield’s character on NBC’s Dracula
Normally I’m not a fan of messing with someone else’s work, but some works are so old and have become such a part of the collective psyche (like fairy tales) that subverting them is fun. I would include Dracula in that. Especially since Stoker based his book on my pal Vlad Tepes (look for upcoming post on my trip to Romania), and information about this historical figure has become more common knowledge. Room for some artistic liberties is made when one looks at Dracula not as sacrosanct character from Stoker’s novel, but as a historical figure with which writers of historical fiction can have some fun. (See Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian.) Yes, NBC does base their show on the novel, using Stoker’s characters. But I like the way they do it, and I especially like their portrayal of Renfield as a strong, loyal sidekick as opposed to a mental patient. I also like that they’ve made Dracula somewhat sympathetic. I know some people are not fans of this trend (See The Vampire Defanged by Susannah Clements), but since I have a little soft spot in my heart for Vlad…now, don’t get me wrong, he’s not a cuddly paragon of goodness, there’re just some positives that people have ignored…I appreciate when he is depicted as a more complex character. And I can’t believe I spent that long defending a vampire show.
2) The thaw
I missed a lot of work (and, therefore, pay) and had some serious Shining urges during the recent winter weather from Dante’s ninth circle. So now that temperatures have reached double digits and my nose hair doesn’t freeze upon stepping foot outside, it’s an absolute joy. My neighbors built some cute snowmen, the roads are relatively safe, and one coat provides sufficient warmth. What pleasure to drive my car and still be able to feel my fingers!
3) The newest season of Community
Last season, Community lost its way a bit. It was still watchable but wasn’t quite as charming. With only three episodes shown so far, I am really excited about this season. Episode 2’s subplot of Abed trying to figure out if Nick Cage is good or bad was fantastic. And episode 3’s send up of crime procedurals with the “ass-crack bandit” was golden. You would think that a show that centers an episode's plot on a person dropping coins down people’s backsides would be entirely juvenile and crass, but the writing was brilliant and the satire worked. I am eagerly anticipating episode 4.
4) Downton Abbey
I don’t think I need to elaborate on this. Who doesn't like Downton?
5) The internet
It's not that I don’t get good use out of the thing on a regular basis. It's just that over the past couple of weeks I’ve really appreciated that I can communicate with the people whose company I have most desired, people who live in France, Iraq, Turkmenistan, California, and Nevada. As much as the internet annoys us with its negative influence on students’ command of the English language and its perpetuation of fictitious news, it’s good to remember that with those evils also come some very good things, like videos of talking guinea pigs.
6) Mind maps
I made my first mind map a little over a year ago after reading How to Think Like Da Vinci. But for the last couple months and especially for this upcoming year, they are really coming in handy. Each month I make a new one with that month’s goals and obligations. In the center is my new motto: Work hard, work out, work it. Then the page is divided into fourths, one section for each of four different areas of life. It’s posted next to charts showing my upcoming monthly goals as well as my goals for the year. It makes me feel really organized and on top of things.
7) Ylang-Ylang Myrrh pillow mist from Bath & Body Works
Warm scents like myrrh and sandalwood appeal to me the most, though I’m not typically a person who wears perfume or burns incense. Every once in a while, however, a good mist or body lotion really does put me in a better mood. Bath & Body Works doesn’t actually make this scent anymore. But I’ve still got my bottle and I intend to use it all up. And then cry because I can’t restock.
coming soon...my Romanian adventure