My Top Songs of Summer

I have a Summer Songs playlist on my iPhone.  I listen to these songs each summer, but only in the summer, because listening to them at any other time is a little painful.  Stirring up too much summer-fun longing in the dead of winter can be dangerous to your mental health.

I hear today is Memorial Day, I wouldn't know because I worked a regular day today while all of you were at pool parties and cookouts and basking in the sun. But since Memorial Day is the official opening of summer, I thought I'd share with you my most favorite summer songs, in no particular order.

Summertime's Calling Me by the Catalinas

We Stuckeys grew up listening to beach music each summer. I think it was part of my dad's attempt at making us northern transplants more southern.  I definitely remember hating the whole genre for a period of my life, but now, summer's not complete without these dulcet tones.

Sample lyric

"I remember this past winter, I told myself to settle down. And I seriously tried to do just that.

But here I am with everything so beautiful and green and I don't believe I told myself what I mean.

Maybe someday soon I can feel this way year round. But it's summertime and I don't want to stay in this town."

Pontoon by Little Big Town

A relatively new song, but it does capture the slow-mo summer spirit.
Sample lyric
"On the pontoon.
Making waves and catchin' rays up on the roof
Jumpin' off the back, don't act like you don't want to
Party in slow motion, out here in the open."

Summer Thing by Troy Olsen

A little known gem, I got this song as a free download from the iTunes store, but it's likely my number one favorite summer song. It combines the classic drinking song and the classic summer song in one.
Sample lyric
"Well the sun is getting ripe and the water's getting warmer
The days are getting longer and them shorts are getting shorter
You won't hear me complain.
It's a summer thing."

Summertime by Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff

A classic from way back in 1992.
Sample lyric
"It's late in the day and I ain't been on the court yet.
Hustle to the mall to get me a short set.
Yeah, I got on sneaks, but I need a new pair.
'Cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there."

All I Want to Do by Sugarland

And lest you be confused, not every great summer song needs to actually describe the physical attributes or activities of summer with their lyrics. Sometimes, they capture the essence of summer just with a catchy melody or the timing of when a song was released and how heavily you played it during the summer months (see example: Call Me, Maybe.)
Sample lyric
"I don't want to get up, baby, let's turn off the phone.
I don't want to go to work today, or even put my make up on."

This list is just a sampling. There are many more great summer songs. My summer list has a lot more beach music, some Kenny Chesney, some Jimmy Buffet, some Beach Boys, etc.You get the picture.

So, let's celebrate summer together. What's your favorite summer song? 

How to Laugh like Jill Stuckey

Laugh and laugh often. Even if you have to fake laugh to get it started.
A tutorial:

The Office Goodbye: Reaction

There was a time when I was considered something of an Office fanatic.  I watched each episode at least twice the week it aired. I scoured Office fan sites, talked about it with everyone I knew, and threw elaborate season premiere parties.  I even named my wifi network "Michael Scott."

I watched it from day one when it aired the EXACT same pilot, word for word, as the British version. This was disappointing, but the British version had been so good, I understood why and still had hope. The rest of the first season is brilliant, but not the kind of main stream comedy most people go for.  

Season 2 came with noticeable changes.  The lighting was different, better. Less dismal.  The Jim and Pam romance continued to grow, and with more abandon, especially when compared with their British counterparts, Tim and Dawn. When season 2 ended with Jim professing his love with a single tear rolling down his cheek and then later kissing Pam, I remember exactly where I was.

On the floor. Because I had rolled off of my couch in shock and surprise.  That was a seriously great night of television.

And that's when I realized that I NEEDED to start throwing season premiere parties.  Cause if you have a party, it's slightly crowded and less chance of you falling off the couch.  I kid. No, I started throwing the parties so that more people would be introduced to the Office.

In recent years, the show has not been as phenomenal, admittedly.  But it had set pretty high marks for itself in the early seasons.  Still, what it gave us in those first four seasons was so beautiful, that I kept watching and hoping for the spot-on comedy to return. 

This season has been tough, as Jim and Pam have had some difficulty in their marriage.  People asked me worriedly, "Do you think Jim and Pam will get a divorce??" But I always responded that we should trust the writers, they know Jim and Pam are the heart of the show.

The uncomfortableness (but likely pretty real stuff, I wouldn't know, I'm not married) went on a bit longer than I would've liked, but in the last few episodes they've been bringing the show back to its origins.  Jim loves Pam. Jim loves to torture Dwight. Dwight loves to be in charge/powerful.  These are the three tenets that made the Office great.*

The Finale
*SPOILER ALERT DON'T CONTINUE IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED

Thankful Thursdays: a quickie.

Man, I am in a great mood this morning. Still, I'm trying to crank this out early, so it'll have to be a quick run down of the many things I'm thankful for.

Pump-you-up music
Honey suckles
Petunias
Great workouts
the Mindy Project and this breakdown of their recent fight scene.
My mama
That today is Thursday
That the weather has not turned blazing hot.
That I have a gym at work.
That my car runs, even though it does smell
That to alleviate the smell, I'm riding windows down all the time now in this perfect weather.
The interwebs
FaceTime
My curly hair.
My new lawn mower (it's a beaut. And it actually cuts grass)
That Vienna Teng is coming to Charlotte in July (Who wants to go with??)
Arrested Development is coming soon.
Scandal is amazing.
Blog comments (shameless plug)


So what are you thankful for this week?

Wonderful Web Wednesday

Man, the internet is a wonderful place.  First, it let's you do things like check this blog, AND pay your bills online.  But then there is all of the wonders you can discover.  I've run across several things this week that I've wanted to share with people, thus inspiring this post.

I saw this blog post on Facebook this week. It gives a thoughtful perspective on the life of a Christian single.  I think a lot of single people tend to live in a holding pattern, waiting until they're married for life to start.  But life is not for waiting.*

Dawson may have gotten to name the creek, but Pacey is clearly the best guy on my favorite late 90s tv show.  If you disagree, this post on Buzz Feed will set you straight.

Do you know my favorite season for running?  Honey suckle season. How does this relate to the web? Obviously, I searched out this picture of honey suckle to remind you how great it is.  But one thing that is not wonderful about the web is that you can't smell these guys through your computer screen to get the full effect.





Finally, John Krasinski and Mindy Kaling two of my favorite celebs, who also happen to be a star and former star of the Office, have been making the rounds on the talk show circuit.  Two different friends pointed out this gem of John Krasinksi lip syncing (you can skip the Jimmy Fallon parts).




And Monica told me about this hilarious interview with my celebrity best friend, Mindy.  The interview is great, but the best part starts at about the 6:09 mark in the interview when she shares that SHE PLAYED MAFIA WITH TOM HANKS! We are destined to be best friends.



Have you found anything wonderful on the interwebs lately? Let me know!


*To clarify, I am speaking of waiting in a "waiting for life to start" kind of way. I'm not talking about sex.

Birthday By the Numbers

Today is my 33rd birthday.
Turning 33 means a number of things. Specifically, these numbers:

I've made 33 revolutions around the sun.
That's 12, 053 days.
And 289,272 hours.
Which is 17,356,320 minutes.

That's roughly 35,794 meals. I don't miss many meals.

Three different home states, but only one that really feels like home.
Four different hometowns, but only one where I've been a landowner.

I've run four 5ks, two 10ks, one triathlon, one duathalon and one five-mile mud run.

I've held 10 different positions at six different companies.

I've enjoyed the company of my two parents, three siblings, two siblings in law, three nieces, two nephews, four dogs, four grandparents, 16 cousins, and 12 cousins-in-law.

I've watched 196 episodes of the Office, 180 episodes of Seinfeld, 122 episodes of Saved By the Bell, 121 episodes of LOST, 76 episodes of Friday Night Lights, 53 episodes of Arrested Development and a few other less important shows.

Plus a few other things that are kind of impossible to count like the number of Diet Cokes I've sipped or the number of times I've laughed til I cried.  All in all, it's a pretty good life.

Someone might want to check my math.  Just because it's my birthday doesn't mean I've magically become a mathematician.

Happy Birthday to ME!!

My post in honor of my 32nd birthday.
My post in honor of my 31st birthday.