methodwriter85

Officially in your mid-20's now! Have a happy birthday!

Chapter 25 -When JJ looks outside his limo and realizes that something is wrong, learns about the blackout, and immediately decides to turn his back on the masses and head back to his condo. "Summer in the City" by the Lovin' Spoonful -When Brad and Stefan get stuck in an elevator during the blackout. "There is No Electricity" by Memory Boy

Eh. I'm just saying that Mark's pic doesn't really jibe with how Darius has been described- he's never been described as a beefy gym bunny with bulging muscles. He's not a jock, and while he undoubtedly keeps in shape, it's probably more of a lithe body shape.

From reviews: Re: The parallels between Zach and JJ...I remember when Daisy and I first wrote up JJ's career (which was supposed to go until 2006 but whatever), I had envisioned JJ as a guy who would say and do anything to get further in his career and be at the top. You've had other ideas about that, and the theme has been that while JJ is willing to play the game, it's only to a point, and he reached that point during the Alex scandal. JJ was fine with keeping a prim n proper image, but with the caveat that he'd be able to do whatever he wanted in his private life as long as he kept it private. His limit was being told to deny everything about Alex, and that's where he refused. Meanwhile, Zach would as written totally hold a press conference where he denied everything, and pay someone to be a beard. It'll be interesting to see how true that remains. Which makes sense. He's coming off of five years of devoting his life to figure skating. I can't see him really wanting to devote himself to something else where he's also hugely responsible. I can see him just deciding to sample this or that, doing various things he finds fun, at least for the next couple years. Although if he's really done with skating, I can see JP and the family pretty much telling JJ he's going to college in 2004, so that's gotta be next up. (I'd go with NYU for him. Or maybe Fordham?) You never told me that you were in Toronto when this happened. That's pretty cool! I was content to watch it on 6ABC News. It sounds like a blast. I always thought this Erica Kane (All My Children) exchange summed up JJ pretty fucking well: Guy: Erica, why don't you get off your high horse and come down here with the rest of us? Erica: I don't want to be down anywhere, with the rest of you. I want to be special, and I'm going to be. THAT is JJ to a tee. I've always seen JJ as a male version of Blair from the Facts of Life with a bit of Erica Kane from All My Children mixed in. Also, add in Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf's neuroses.

This is closer to how I pictured Darius's body:

Have a good birthday, Greg!

Chris Evans is and always has been hot, but he was especially hot in this 2004 Flaunt Magazine shoot: While I was gawking at these photos on a throwback post on Reddit, I also realized that these jeans are a REALLY good example of the aesthetic during the time period- distressed, low-riding on the hips, and a look like they're been run over by sand paper. I'm pretty sure that these are Diesel Jeans and probably cost 200 dollars or something. He's also wearing what looks to be a trucker hat, pretty popular circa 2003-2005-ish. The only thing that's not really endemic to the time period is that his chest isn't shaved. We're in the Metrosexual Era right now. I gotta admit it, I kind of miss the days before guys were walking around with their arms completely covered in tattoos and big, bushy beards covering their faces. (God, I feel like an old fogie.)

Mark really liked this pick I had for JJ...Dylan Sprouse, best known for him and his twin starring on The Suite Life of Zach and Cody on Disney: I do remain convinced that JJ should look like he's a refugee from the Disney Channel. Also, Dylan does have a great twink look to him.

JJ would fall for an Anderson Cooper type, not a big ol' Texan. I thought it was hilarious when JJ was annoyed that he has all this drama that seems to follow him. I just thought, "JJ, unfortunately, you're a protagonist in a drama serial. The only way you can have a nice, calm life and a happy ending is if you ride off into the sunset and are never seen again, or you become a recurring character that is either seldom seen or just a tertiary character." The funny thing about JJ is that he's NOT like Will- he doesn't court drama the way Will does, but for whatever reason, dramatic stuff just keeps happening to him. I also thought JJ's musings about his future staff was pretty funny. As for Will and Zach, at this point, Zach's season pretty much sounds like it's over before it even started. He'll probably have to redshirt.

As a 30th birthday present to myself, I bought tickets to see the Delaware Theatre Company production of Diner, a new musical written by Sheryl Crow. It's based on a 1982 movie called Diner, which starred such young up-and-coming actors as Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Daniel Stern, Paul Reiser, Ellen Barkin, Steve Gutenberg, and Mickey O'Rourke. Taking place at the end of 1959, the movie/musical follows a group of friends, all in their early 20's, as they navigate through the pitfalls and concerns of young adulthood. The musical has Broadway hopes for 2017, and it was pretty amazing to watch something like this in Delaware...I think the show's beginning needs to be tweaked, but it picks up the further you go in, and I found myself really immersed in their stories. The show is narrated by Boogie (Derek Klena), a pretty boy and tough youth who bit off more than he could chew with a bet about the Baltimore Colts. He tells us about his group of friends that meet at the local diner, and we learn about their various problems and concerns. Shrevie (Noah Weisberg) is a newlywed to Beth (Erika Henningsen), and their marriage is on rocky ground as they're finding that they have nothing to talk about. Eddie (Ari Brand), nervous about his impending wedding to Elyse (Tess Soltau), has demanded that she pass a football trivia test in order to marry her. Billy (Aaron C. Finley), the one who moved away for graduate school, learns that his one-night stand with a platonic friend Barbara (Brynn O'Malley) has resulted in a pregnancy. Modell (Ethan Slater) is the group's comic relief. Finally, Fenwick (Matthew James Thomas) is a rich boy and constant screw-up who can't seem to figure out what he wants to do in his life. The show is based around the idea that change is just around the corner- we're at the end of 1959, so the fifties are ending. These men are at the end of their childhood/beginning of their adulthood, wrestling with universal questions about whether to settle or not settle down, what they should do for a career, and whether or not their current life path is something they still want to be taking or if a change is needed. As for women, we see the hint of Women's Liberation that was to come in the 1960's. Beth struggles with her dissatisfaction over being a housewife, and wants to work outside of their home as a dance teacher. (She also contemplates having an affair with Boogie, who she once dated.) With Barbara, we see her conflict about her pregnancy with her desire to become a t.v. news anchor, as well as Bill pressuring her to marry him. It's the end of innocence, in more ways than one throughout this show. I think the beginning of the show lacked a little bit of energy, but it picked up, especially once the women were introduced to contrast their stories against the men. In one memorable scene, Beth watches in shocked wonder as her husband goes off on how to properly catalog her records. In a funnier scene, we watch as Elyse tries to pass her football test to get the marital green light. With Barbara, we see her try to gently but firmly explain to Bill why marriage isn't the simple solution to her being "in trouble." (To use the parlance of the time.) The group camaraderie between the guys feels authentic, which carries the show very well. I completely believed these guys were friends, and made me think about my own youth and some of the packs I ran around in, which guys that age tend to do. (Also, the diner that I used to hang out at when I was 21/22.) Sometimes, the best thing in the world is sit down and eat disco fries and talk to your friends late at night over anything and everything, and that's a feeling that show captured well. My favorite characters were probably Boogie and Beth. Both were characters that were in a rut, and needed to change something about their life. The scene where they contemplate having an affair was pretty well-done by both actors, and the reasoning for it (Beth wanting to feel wanted, Boogie getting a plan B for a bet he needs to win) were well-communicated by the actors. My biggest complaint of the show is that I think some of the songs need to be a bit more memorable. It's a retro pastiche of late 50's, quite a few of which are very good, but I found myself longing for at least one actual popular song from that era, . If Footloose can do it, why can't this? I thought Modell was a pretty underdeveloped character (I guess that was kind of the point, but it almost seems pointless to have the character), and I wish I could've seen more with Billy and Barbara's characters. Also, some of the choreography was a little clunky, but that's something that can always be fine-tuned. All in all, it was a pretty fun experience and I'm thinking about trying to see the show again. (If not this production, another one.) I really do hope this one can make its way to Broadway!

God, I loved his whole lanky surfer/skater boy vibe: I think he reminded us of that chill, laidback, pretty cool guy that everybody had in their class. He wasn't the football hero jock type, more of an everyday kind of hottie, who might have written poetry and played guitar while walking around in baggy carpenter pants and a backwards baseball cap, and who'd roll a joint in the back of his class. I sorta liked JC, but none of the other guys in N'Sync ever really did it for me. 98 Degrees was for me, the hottest band...only that one guy with the fake blond hair failed to do anything for me. A few more references... Jason Behr from Roswell: The guy gave good doe eyes like no other on the WB circa 2000. And...I'm not sure if I'd call him a teen idol, but I remember having a massive crush on Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) from American Beauty: He was such a weird guy, but I found him really beautiful in a creepy stalker way.

That hot Jewish lawyer?

I don't think they ever did a paternity test. Honestly, I got the vibe that Alex went for it, because in a way, that baby was going to be his meal ticket that would restore his estate to full glory. He didn't exactly protest that much.

So, as I say goodbye to this decade and say hello to a new one, I thought it'd be cool to take some time and reflect on the tunes that I loved in my 20's. Here we go: My 20's in Music 1.) (2006, Age 20) 2.) (2006, Age 20) 3.) (2006, Age 20) 4.) (2006, Age 20) 5.) (2007, Age 21) 6.) " (2007, Age 21) 7) (2007, Age 21) 8.) (2007, Age 21) 9.) (2007, Age 21) 10.) (2007, Age 21) 11.) " (2008, Age 22) 12.) (2008, Age 22) 13,) " ( 2008, Age 22) 14.) (2008, Age 22) 15.) (2009, Age 23) 16.) (2009, Age 23) 17.) (2009, Age 23) 18.) (2009, Age 23) 19.) (2009, Age 23) 20.) (2010, Age 24) 21.) " (2010, Age 24) 22.) (2010, Age 24) 23.) (2010, Age 24) 24.) (2010, Age 24) 25.) (2010, Age 24) 26.) (2011, Age 25) 27.) " (2011, Age 25) 28.) (2011, Age 25) 29) (2011, Age 25) 30.) (2011, Age 25) 31.) " (2011, Age 25) 32.) (2012, Age 26) (2012, Age 26) 34.) (2012, Age 26) 35.) " (2012, Age 26) 36.) (2012, Age 26) 37.) (2012, Age 26) 38.) (2012, Age 26) 39.) (2012, Age 26) 40.) (2013, Age 27) 41.) by The Alabama Shakes (2013, Age 27) 42.) l (2013, Age 27) 43.) (2013, Age 27) 44.) (2013, Age 27) 45.) (2013, Age 27) 46.) (2014, Age 28) 47.) (2014, Age 28) 48. (2014, Age 28) 49.) (2014, Age 28) 50.) 51.) (2014, Age 28) 52.) (2014, Age 28) 53.) (2014, Age 28 ) 55.) (2015, Age 29) 56.) (2015, Age 29) 57.) " (2015, Age 29) 58.) " (2015, Age 29) 59.) " (2015, Age 29) 60.) (2015, Age 29) 61.) Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this look back with me! I feel like 2007 and 2012 (ages 21 and 26, respectively) have been my two favorite years of music. Can't wait to see what awesome music comes out in my 30's!

Chapter 23 -When Will and Zach kiss good-bye as Will heads out to New York City. "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs -As the family gathers in New York City. "Can't Hold Us Down" by Christina Aquilera

I feel like it'd be hilarious if JJ threw a big, rocking party on a Monday night, because honestly, I doubt the bulk of his friends have to worry about things as trivial as jobs. He also could have thrown a party on Sunday night, with the theme "Sunday Funday." Me? I just got a drink at a bar and called it my "birthday" beer. I'm also going to see a movie tomorrow, possibly spend happy hour at some bar in Wilmington getting wasted, and my family throwing me a dinner on Friday. I also really want to see a new musical that's playing at Delaware Theatre Company called Diner- it's got Broadway aspirations, so it'd be cool to see it. My ultimate plan is to take some kind of road trip this coming summer to mark my 30th year.

Well, actually this one's for JJ. We just happen to share the same exact birthday. Except he's still 17 and I'm 30. LOL. I honestly thought JJ was going to be at least 20 by the time I hit 30, but the kid still can't even legally vote yet. LOL.

While I spent mine working at my job, I'm going to pretend that JJ spent his birthday visiting MOMA and will take in a Monday showing of Spring Awakening. He's probably also annoyed when he tries to get a glass of wine at a restaurant during lunch and gets carded. LOL.

Did anyone else just love that the kid's issue wasn't about coming out and trying to hide it, but just feeling insecure about his early puberty body compared to his mature crush? I get why the latter is such a theme in so many short films, but I love that more films are reflecting now that a kid can be openly gay in middle school and not get harassed for it.

I totally would have used this for a Brad angst scene in Man In Motion if I had been aware of this tune. Thanks, Perks of Being A Wallflower: It sounds like an obscure college radion station tune from the mid-80's. I can definitely see Brad knowing it.

Thank you, The Perks of Being A Wallflower:

I remember someone wrote a post on this old t.v. site that had a theory that the reason why Jason, Jeremy, and Joshua became huge names in the 1970's and 1980's was because of all the Baby Boomer girls who watched Here Come the Brides in 1968. (Those names were around, but they weren't that commonplace in the 1950's and 1960's.) It's like how Dylan is this huge name right now...probably because of Gen Xer girls who fell in love with this guy:

This video basically jumpstarted puberty for me: And this video continued it for me: I had a picture of Nick Lachey in my journal. LOL. On T.V., these were my guys: David Boreanaz (Angel on Buffy) Chad Michael Murray (Tristan on The Gilmore Girls): And, of course, in the movies... Armageddon-era Ben Affleck: And Josh Hartnett:

I'm going to admit, I really thought Goodwell was suppposed to be somewhere in Northern Virginia around the D.C. region until you told me that it was somewhere around Charlottesville during the 9/11 story. It does make sense though- NoVA people aren't really that Southern(the ones I've met from that region don't have an accent), while this family seems rooted around the Southern genteel mindset.

Goodwell is supposed to be somewhere in the Charlottesville region, so yes?