I definitely forgot to give this a title! Oops!

I thought finding a picture of Meredith dancing with a tequila bottle would be easy. Who knew?

I have been feeling fairly off this week, so sorry for the lack of posts. I could go on about what's wrong, but tonight sort of pushed me over the edge and right on over to the overly energetic, sort of surprisingly cheerful side of things so I will not be talking about CRANKY and OVERLY CONTEMPLATIVE Katrina today. Instead I'd like to share with a few things that make me happy. I doubt if any of them will be terribly surprising, but it's my duty as a blogger to obnoxiously obvious and constantly acting like I know better than you! (Warning: I'm getting progressively drunker as this post goes on. Sincerely, future Katrina!)

My posts are sort of like America, when it was a melting pot and not a salad bowl. Or maybe they're salad bowls. I don't know.

At least I was never as bad as Robin

I think I may have quit smoking for real you guys. I've made it through two shifts at work and a couple of days off sans cigarette. Even the huge number of smoking scenes/references on How I Met Your Mother (which Josh is now watching through) haven't made me really want one. So that's exciting. I'm sure I'll smoke again at some point, but I think I can pretty solidly say that for now the habit is kicked.

My So Called Life

"Sometimes, someone says something so small and it just fits into this empty place in your heart." -- Angela

I know, I know it's not a movie, it's a television show, but the quote fits the mentality of this post, which, by the by is another Soundtrack post. This particular soundtrack is my Sad Clowns playlist. My sad clowns playlist is a playlist that I have developed gradually over the past several years. it is what I listen to when I'm depressed, despondent, or otherwise feeling low. All of the songs are relatively slow and have a generally negative feel to them, but have very important positive meanings to me. They all remind me of times in my life when I've been the lowest of the low and had to overcome something big in order to recover and brings myself back to the top of my game. So, while on the outside these songs may sound sad, when I hear them, they lift my spirits without forcing me to listen to upbeat party jams. I've picked five of the songs from my playlist that mean the most to me. Give them a listen, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Many topics, one post

So super blog post made me think super date which made this necessary. 

I have a reasonable number of small things to blog about, so I thought I would combine them into one, not necessarily super, but multi-topic post.

1. New Year's Resolutions

My resolutions are pretty simple. Quit smoking and quit drinking soda. So at 11:59 on December 31st I had a cigarette in one hand and a Bacardi and Coke in the other. Both of those were cast aside once the countdown was done. I've done pretty well. I broke on both yesterday, but fuck the lot of you if you think that's not doing well. I've decided quitting soda altogether is probably a little stupid, as when I had some yesterday it turned my entire shift around due to the energy it provided, so I'm thinking it'll be an emergency pick-me-up thing. Cigarettes are... whatever. I'm not smoking anymore. I'll slip up, because I will, but yeah.

I'm going to be talking about Doctor Who a lot. Get used to it please.

I love Doctor Who. I originally planned on recapping new episodes, starting with the Christmas special, but I thought back-recapping would be nice. This is an epic undertaking, so while I'm working on getting the first recap ready, I thought I'd put together an intro post to get you used to the idea/scrolling past my posts.

Doctor Who is an amazing show. It's been on the air forever, basically, except for a really long hiatus. The new series started in 2005. But forget about all that history. Hell, forget about the new series. What I want you to worry about is season five, the most recent season. Who got a new showrunner, a new Doctor, all new companions, a redesigned TARDIS, and a more epic soundtrack. I love the rest of the new series, but season five was amazing, and a perfect place for you to start.

I recommend watching it, but if you decide not to, but are still interested, please read my recaps as they come. I hope to have the season five recaps done before Christmas, but recapping is freaking hard. I hope I get the hang of it soon.

Until then, here's some of my favorite tracks from the season five soundtrack:

1. I Am The Doctor




Holy crap you guys. I love this song. It permeated my soul. I wish I was exaggerating. It's really pretty rare that I really key into a character's theme on the show before the soundtrack comes out, because they just go into the background for me. The epic tracks of previous seasons (Doomsday and This Is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home come to mind) stood out to me, but those are the badass finale themes. This one is there from episode one (okay Doomsday sort of appears in S01E01, but that's just because Murray Gold liked the bit of music he used when Rose entered the TARDIS so much he recycled it for Doomsday). I jammed to this basically the entire way to work and back today. Don't judge me, try it. It makes your driving feel so much more epic.

2. Can I Come With You?



This is another one that really stood out to me on first watching, because it is used so effectively in the first episode, which I will discuss in my recap.

3. The Patient Centurion

So I can't find a video for this one, but I really want to put it on here. Because Rory needs some love too. Plus it has a great, sort of mournful, extra brassy spin on I Am The Doctor and it's fantastic. So if you can find it, give it a listen.

4. Amy's Theme

Once again with the video problem. This one is great because it has the vocal aspect that is reminiscent of the Ninth/Tenth Doctor's Theme, which is great, because only Martha had warranted it before. It drives home that the Doctor and Amy can be very similar at times. Which I will touch on in my recaps. I wish I could put together a video that wouldn't be impossible to post, but lo, the internet hates me.

5. BONUS NOT ON THE SOUNDTRACK BUT AWESOME: The Big Bang 2

Okay so just a warning. This is a recap song of the finale. Spoilers ahoy! But totally catchy and filled my need to listen to the tune to I Am The Doctor before the soundtrack was released. And hilarious. And I'm getting pretty annoyed at not being able to find the songs I want anyway and listening to this will make me happy.




Oh my god he's wearing a fez! Oh my god he's wearing a fez! Oh my god he's wearing a fez!

Anyway, expect a recap from me... tomorrow. Wednesday at the latest. I hope.

Soundtrack : The Awesomest XMAS Evar

I love music. I try to spend my entire life with a soundtrack of some sort nearby. I consider myself an intense audiophile. As such, i didn't want Katrina to get all the glory with her Christmas song suggestions. Enclosed below you will find five songs that I think everybody should include in their merry-making for the season. cheese.

Relient K's Sleigh Ride

I fell in love with this song several years ago. I was talking to a kid named Zack who lvoed Relient K. We would trade songs and he sent this one. I fell in love with the song, and later found the video. It was a great addition to my annual Holiday celebrations.

Glee's Baby, It's Cold Outside

i already loved this song long ago. The movie Elf made me see this song for it's purity and beauty. Then, who should do a cover, but the glorious it-couple, Blaine and Kurt from Glee. Their voices mesh very well, and there is a distinct air of chemistry in the song itself. I've always liked hearing traditional MF duets performed by two men, it adds a whole new level to the song itself.

Jay Brannan's Christmas Really Sucks

Ok, it's not exactly a christmas song, it's more a song that includes Christmas in the title and lyrics. Jay Brannan was the voice of my personal soundtrack for about 9 months last year, and early this year. His voice has a rare quality that makes even sadness sound beautiful.

Coke & Walmart's Extended Family

If you aren't a troll living in a cave and have been to the movies during the Holiday Season at all, you've heard this song, or seen this commercial. I actually have the mp3, and love it to death. It's light-hearted, short and full of energy. it perks me up and puts me in the xmas mood everytime.

Ertha Kitt's Santa Baby.

C'mon! It's CAT WOMAN! She's singing about the bomb ass shit she wants for Christmas. The whole time giving mad face the whole time. On top of it, she's looking seventeen different kinds of fierce too. Love the crazy eyes!

So there you have it. My picks for excellent xmas music. I have the MP3s for all five songs, and would be more than happy to share them with anybody who wants them. I am more than happy to spread the holiday joy!

Soundtrack by Katrina: Holiday Edition

I don't know about you guys, but in my house growing up Christmas music was all you heard starting the day after Thanksgiving. I have a tendency to listen to a little bit of it all year, but I definitely listen to more after Thanksgiving. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite Christmas/Holiday related jams.

1. Pink Martini - Schedryk (Ukrainian Bell Carol)



Okay so I already shared this on Facebook, but I really wanted to put something from this album on here. Really what I wanted was Elohai N'tzor, but I can't find it on YouTube... so yeah. Basically this album is solid gold and I recommend getting it to everyone. I haven't gotten this much out of a Christmas album in a while and it basically makes me happy.

2. Sufjan Stevens - It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad!



Out of the 42 Sufjan Christmas songs I have (and let me say that his Songs for Christmas collection is also recommended) this one is probably the catchiest. I didn't want to pick on of the covers of classics, even if they are all great. It sounds like Christmas to me. The demands to be glad, sang in a sort of whiney downtrodden-ish voice really sums up most Christmases I've experienced.

3. Bright Eyes - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas



I like sad Christmas songs! They're the ones I tend to listen to year round. Holidays are sad you guys! I tend to find Conor Oberst hilarious no matter what he's trying to pull off, but the melancholy really works for this song. So if you feel like getting the holiday blues throw this on.

4. From White Christmas - Snow



It wasn't Christmas in our house without watching White Christmas. This song always had a special place in my heart. It's not really a holiday specific song (okay "what is Christmas with no snow" counts, but whatever), but it reminds me why I used to love snow (before I started driving). Plus it's just so much fun to sing along to!

5. Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney - Silver Bells



Is it cheating to do repeat artists? I don't care. Silver Bells is awesome, Bing Crosby is awesome, and Rosemary Clooney is extra awesome.

Sorry there wasn't much written about the songs. I think holiday songs tend to speak for themselves. Maybe I'll post something legit in the next couple of days.

Soundtrack by Katrina: an introduction and beginning

Someone once told me that when they were riding around in my car, it felt like a movie. This is one of the best compliments I've ever received. I'm a little obsessed with finding the right soundtrack for every single moment, which translates into what I call "Music ADD." My iPod is always plugged in and on shuffle and I am usually hitting next after roughly a second of any song. If it doesn't quite fit what I'm feeling, I'm not happy. So I thought I'd try and share some of what I have discovered.

So you're having a bad day? Try one of these songs (in no particular order) and see if it turns it around for you.

1. A More Glorious Dawn by Carl Sagan ft. Stephen Hawking





That "not in any particular order" thing was sort of BS. This one is first because it came up on shuffle tonight and reminded me to start doing this.

This song falls into roughly the same category as "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips, except that one will not necessarily pull you out of a funk. They both make you feel small, but "A More Glorious Dawn" simultaneously makes you feel like you're part of something bigger. And going "Whooooop, pah, whooooop, pah pah" is fun.

2. Chantilly Lace by The Big Bopper







I dare you to be in a bad mood with this stuck in your head. Seriously, it's impossible. This randomly came up on my drive to work one day, wormed its way into my brain, and pulled me through what, in all honestly, should have been a truly hellish day. Every time my brain decided to go "Helloooooo baby!" I couldn't help but smile. An ounce of ridiculousness can really make a difference.

3. Funny Honey from Chicago








This song is tailor made for days when all you want to do is rage at the universe. It starts out sweet, letting you smile while singing (singing along will increase the efficacy of these songs a trillion-fold. Serious scientific data there), which will help a little. But then, oh sweet lord, you can scream. LORD KNOWS HE AIN'T GOT THE SMARTS! Just rage along, don't sing. Yell it. Don't care who is listening. It helps to have a buddy. Josh and I have successfully employed this one time and time again.

4. The Lonely Goatherd from The Sound of Music








You thought if I went for a Sound of Music song I'd go for My Favorite Things, huh? Well suck it imaginary person who thought they'd see a Sound of Music song on here! My Favorite Things sucks for cheering you up. You'll get stuck on the "When the dog bites..." portion. Trust me.

The Lonely Goatherd is not perfect for turning a day around, but it can be a great way to nip a bad day in the bud, as long as you're willing to be enthusiastic. You will have to yodel along. I cannot emphasize that enough.

5. Hallelujah from Beethoven's Mount of Olives









This one is sort of cheating. It's more of a day divider. Throw this on during a drive home from a bad day at work and listen to that triumph! When we moved crazy far away from my job I would listen to this for the home stretch as a way to say "Okay the crappy portion of my day is over (HALLELUJAH!) and now I will begin the good portion. Apologies if this one makes no sense to anyone else, but I have a weakness for baroque music.

Okay so that was fun. Maybe I'll actually continue this. Expect a lot of sad music!