By The Numbers

Crossing my fingers that this post holds more weight now that I am one year older, wiser, better looking, etc. I've tried to document most of life's bigger moments somewhere on social media but is it ever all that impressive? Well, what if it was all in one place? And then we can all 'ooo' and 'ahh' together? Maybe? I mean you know what they say,

"You're only 23 once and it's..uh, wait guys what happens here?"

That was my mentality for a portion of the year- me, waiting for something legitimate to show itself and proudly proclaim that THIS was what another year older is suppose to feel like or be like and I realized that I just need to make a list. 23 could definitely be a stellar year of living if I kept track of all the good. If I made a list of everything that contributed to my 364 days without thinking that what I was doing wasn't living up to par, I could probably sit back on day 365 and be really content with what I've experienced. 

Months went by and I had gotten better at making lists, and checking them twice. This was a painfully slow process, I ended up starting and stopping and deleting and forgetting and then I just stopped altogether. And hopefully you're not reading this like "Who cares, she just wrote down what she did for a year. I have rerun episodes of HIMYM I could be watching right now."

Man- YOU try it. Like REALLY try it. 

Swipe through photos and tweets and texts and see if you can even recall what was going on before or after those moments happened. It's tricky! (Cue Run-DMC echo)

So here we go- Big Moments of 2013. You were really good to me, 23.
Disclaimer: It's a short list of events. Don't say I didn't say I didn't warn ya.

Musicians I've Obsessed Over-8

BettyWho

Alvvays

Bad Suns

The Orwells

Twin Forks

PHOX

Lewis Watson

BEAR HANDS
Elmhurst natives The Orwells opened for The Hush Sound back in 2010, when they were like 14- it was crazy. Listen to their album Disgraceland and air guitar in your basement alone. 

Films I Watched That I Should've Watched Years Ago- 6
 

Almost Famous

The Fisher King

The Great Outdoors

There Will Be Blood
The Usual Suspects
Into The Wild
I pride myself in being fairly up to date with movies and pop culture overall, but this was just unacceptable.

Concerts- 5

Vampire Weekend

Twin Forks/Augustana

Jay-Z & Queen Bey

The 1975/CRUISR/Young Rising Suns

JT & The Tennessee Kids
I'm broke as of now, but at least I can say I saw Beyoncé AND Justin in the same year. Cha-ching.

Sports Games- 6 

Lightning vs. Islanders, ending in a 12-man shootout- W
Blackhawks vs. Blues Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1- W

White Sox vs. Marlins- W, with a 5 hours rain delay

Illini vs Youngstown- W

Illini vs Western Kentucky- W

Illini vs Texas State- W
The Blackhawks needed a Game 4 win against St. Louis to stay in the playoffs. You're welcome.

Netflix Series Binge-6

PSYCH

Bob's Burgers

Portlandia

30 Rock

Peaky Blinders

American Horror Story

Worth the time. Every single series.
 

Weddings-3
 

Anna G. and Brian, July 12th

Lacee and Josh, July 19th

Anna H. and Mark, August 9th
Wisconsin, Montana, and back to Wisconsin.


Boxes of Capri Suns Consumed- 13
LAY OFF ME I'M A GROWING GIRL. And they're delicious.

Pub Trivia Tournament of Chicago Champions- 1

Ugly Christmas Sweaters- 12. Mhmm.

Days spent outside of Illinois- 27

Downtown excursions- 31

Day 2 of beings 24 feels, um...fine? It's like being 23, but add a level of respect and poise. And cake.

(1 for good luck, haha. 214. Hahahaha)

The new set of lists starts now. Maybe it'll transform into bucket list accomplishments or a list of groceries, either way it's a mystery to us all. See you back here in a year!

Foot Tappin' Worthy

I just want everyone to see what I've been listening to lately. How narcissistic is THAT?! This is an 'all hands on deck' post. Please contribute to my annual 'Help Gina With Her Fall playlist' post any way you can. 

Likes: off-beats, songs with multiple variations of  "oh's" and mostly anything after 1962. 

Glory Days, Betty Who

Cleopatra, Weezer

Centuries, Fall Out Boy

Agora, Bear Hands

If I Could Change Your Mind, Haim

Time To Pretend, MGMT

Mirrored Sea, Passion Pit

Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare, Matt & Kim

Beware The Dog, The Griswolds

TKO, Justin Timberlake

Nothing's Wrong, Echosmith

West Coast, Lana Del Rey

Naive, The Kooks

Cigarette Daydream, Cage The Elephant

Up Around The Bend,  CCR

Southern Comfort, The Orwells

Everything is Average Nowadays, Kaiser Chiefs

Wildest Moments, Jessie Ware

Get Over It, OK Go

I Can't Go For That, Hall & Oates

Thanks in advance. The popularity of your suggestions will be measured in Tweets, texts, or the smiley-faced poop Emoji.

Because It's What We Do

I was listening to Flight of the Concords whilst painting my nails and 'Friends' started to play. Crazy, catchy tune. So much truth behind it, so much depth.

Friends sing together

Friends do things together

Friends laugh together

Friends make graphs together

One might say that such lyrical complexity was told through the eyes of a 7 year old who was prompted to explain what they felt having a friend was all about.

"So Sally, what are some things friends do together?" "Oh, you mean like make graphs? Make graphs."

Maybe Sally is a bit ahead of her time. And maybe if she keeps making graphs, she'll have cats instead of friends. But FOTC knows what's up. Friends really are great, MY friends are great, and sometimes I think we're better when we're together. Taking a pause from the second half of my nail painting for a hot second. Let's share our feelings in 3...2..

I got together with friends from college this weekend, some of whom I hadn't seen in many, many months. It was SO. NEEDED (Nails aren't dry yet, but my keyboard looks so sparkly..mm whatever). There's a great sense of nervous excitement when you see people you haven't been around for so long, and you're not really going through the motions of catching up with them, you're just...being. But that's not what you're thinking of at the time. You're just really in the moment. And this is nothing new, you know this crowd well, except life during college had you so used to just being that only now there continues to be a LOT of big-kid, significant changes happening that contribute to this lived experience and it's up to you to stay afloat, changes like buying homes and marriage proposals and grad schools and job prospects and summer is over? Guhh. And all the while there's laughter and Snapchatting and aimless conversation and stuffing your faces with Pinterest recipes. Yes! My friends do all of this! And THEN some! Put THAT in a song and rhyme it! 'Cause I can't...so really, someone, just..try to..nope.  

My crew of 20-something's; none of it needs to be glamourous, just needs to be. 

I'm quite thankful for gatherings like this. We cannot lose sight of how effortless it is to simply be. To be in the company of good people, many of whom I didn't know before that night, is magnetizing, I crave it. Now more than ever. 

It's a ridiculously late New Year's Resolution, but I'd love to see myself get better at just being, because, well, it's what we do. 

6 Summer Films Millennials Should Watch ASAP

Summer can seem like an endless time of year, a time to relax, vacation somewhere warm, get together with friends and perhaps watch televised soccer for the first time ever. A time to test your limits as to how much you can physically binge-watch your favorite TV series on Netflix. Recalling summers when Redbox and Netflix were a fantastical, futuristic invention in the same category as flying cars, it seemed like a dream to have a wide array of movies at the click of a button. Kids these days don't know how good they have it! Of course, that's totally arguable, but c'mon- where was Netflix in 1998? In the form of Blockbuster. Ask someone born after 2003 what a 'Blockbuster' is and you might get blank stares. Rolling with the 'couch potato' theme and a never-ending concern for the well-being of future generations, here are six summer films millennials need to see as soon as possible:

Jaws (1975)

Ranked #56 on “AFI's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time,” Jaws was one of Steven Spielberg's earliest full-length feature films as a director, and the Hollywood world made note of it. Spielberg brings to life the story of an unforgettable summer in a small Massachusetts town where its beach dwellers are terrorized by the sights and actions of a great white shark. The ultimate scare factor is reviled in up-close moments of the beast and its, well, huge set of jaws. As hearts' pound louder and louder with every two-note crescendo, the unpredictability of when she'll strike becomes unbearable, and it is then we immediately witness the waters flow red. Jaws is the millennial's “Paranormal Activity,” for cinema had never captured this style of fear without going 'overboard' on special effects. Something as natural as swimming at a beach became someone's worst nightmare. A great flick to catch while you patiently wait for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Summer camp can be awkward enough as it is, but when your camp staff consists of overstimulated, unmotivated 20-somethings who would rather focus on gettin' some than the safety of their campers, it becomes an uphill battle to survive the summer. In this raucously hilarious satire of a summer camp's day-in-the-life, we live among a brilliantly casted camp staff of comedians extraordinaire: Paul Rudd, Michael Ian Black, A.D. Miles, and Amy Poehler to name a few.

It's apparent after the first twenty minutes that this is no ordinary camp, and there's a small (large) part of you that wants in on the fun.

The Great Outdoors (1988)

The late John Candy reinvents the meaning of being 'one with nature' when he and his family attempt to enjoy a fun and rustic summer vacation away from the suburbs, but not without the interruption of his brother-in-law. Dan Aykroyd is uppity Roman Craig who sees it as a no-brainer that his family should join in on the Ripley's getaway, but is blinded by life outside of solemnity and peaceful scenery. Aykroyd and Candy make a suburb team, great wit, great timing. Even the hair-do's and grizzly bear encounters are larger than life. Maybe a lesser known John Hughes films, but still takes the time to throw in some shameless Chicago quips here and there. And what makes a summer movie complete other than mischievous raccoons that require subtitles!? Soooo 80's.

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

This is an absolute must. Save yourself the embarrassment of never laughing at the Griswold's expense and watch NLV. THEN, pencil in December 1^st as a time to watch 'Christmas Vacation,' since it's probably fair to assume you've never watch that either.

Stand By Me (1986)

Emotional and thrilling, four young friends set out to find the body of a missing local. There is zero parental supervision or guarantee of survival, but you'd trust Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton) to see the journey through, right? Gordie and gang (Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and the late River Phoenix) face long and uncharted hikes through the woods, a full-speed freight train running directly toward their impending doom and soulless threats from the rough n' tough Kiefer Sutherland and his posse of rednecks. Self-discovery triumphs thematically and uncertainty for future summers and where these friendships will go leaves your heavy heart resolved.

The Sandlot (1993)

Never over-quoted and too great to pass up, The Sandlot is a summer must. Rarely will you hear someone admit they've never watched it, but that can easily be solved with a DVR'ed taping from ABC Family. 'Sandlot' exudes the love of baseball from a teenage boy's perspective, taking you through an entire summer's shenanigans and mishaps. Even if you didn't have the faintest idea of what baseball was about, you gained the knowledge of being able to recite 6 solid Babe Ruth nicknames. At the end of a long day's game, you're never too awkward to play on a team with Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, the greatest slugger around. 

HEY YOU GUUUYS: "Goonies" Celebrates 29 Years

Take Richard Donner, add one part Steven Spielberg, and another part Chris Columbus and together you have created a timeless and well-crafted tale that brings excitement and adventure far past its 1985 theatrical release. 

"The Goonies," one of the most beloved films of the 80's, debuted on June 7^th, 1985 alongside big name Brat Pack films as well as the first installment of "Back To The Future," if you're wondering what a timeline of events looks like. The performance of young Hollywood loveables combined with witty jokes and Truffle Shuffles made this film a true contender among its '85 competitors and deservingly so.

"Goonies" captured everything one could want in a coming-of-age adventure film- there is motive to save or protect what matters most (the goondocks), a band of misfit locals whose imaginations tend to stretch the truth, the occasional offside or misconstrued romance, and a race against time to offset the trail from the Fratelli's (insert unrelated Chelsea Dagger reference here). You are transported from a creepy attic to a secret hideout which takes you on a cavernous journey only to internally discover what true heroes due in the face of danger: They Never Say Die.

It is a story of bravery and blind faith, to believe so strongly in your fight to save something so dear that you'd risk life, death, jewels, and Baby Ruth candy bars to see that you can succeed. If not for the courage of asthmatic and wide-eyed Mikey Walsh, how could anyone have believed our Goonies could defeat the loser jock? Dodge the preserved and sensitive booby-traps? Accept the help of a disfigured giant? But really, how?

Although there is talk of a Goonies sequel, it would seem like there is no better time for it to happen than now. Some may argue that a sequel is unnecessary, a potential flop. Others privy to the idea. Perhaps, as standards may be rather high, if the entire cast returned and Spielberg was involved, it could make for an entertaining time. For several of the cast members, "Goonies" probably jump-started a lot of their careers, namely those of Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and Martha Plimpton, whose work in film and television continue to thrive. A sequel would undoubtedly make for some exciting 30th anniversary news, but for now, let us take the time to remember what the Goonies have done for us after 29 years.

I Give It '2 Horns Up'

Forget what you know of Disney's 1959 "Sleeping Beauty." "Maleficent" is every bit as enchanting and magical as its predecessor with a strong overarching alternative to true love and its modern, glamourous makeover of the title character - cheekbones sold separately.

The iconic lineup of classic princesses all revolve around happy endings and hunky arm candy with minimal knowledge of how our antagonists came to be. What seems to be most captivating about this film is the focus of true love and a changed heart from someone whose love was once horrifically betrayed. From an apathetic sorceress to a gentle and courageous fairy, Maleficent learns to embody the value of humility in all of its finest forms, a trait seldom found in any Disney villain.

Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie, makes her Disney debut in this cinematic masterpiece that, in my opinion, places well among other live-action greats such as 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Enchanted.' The ageless and hauntingly stunning Jolie made this role not only one that showcases her ability to constantly emote fear and beauty simultaneously, but she takes the archetype of villain and puts an otherworldly twist on it.

This incarnation of the classic fairytale digs deeper into the past of its characters and sheds new light on the tale we know so well. I wouldn't be surprised to see several mini versions of Maleficent in a sea of Elsa's and Anna's this Halloween. 

It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated

After reading countless articles and reviews of last night's Oscar ceremonies, I sadly say that I agree with too much of what's already been said, beginning with the overarching theme of the evening being just "Good." It was a standard "Good." For more reasons than not, I'll need to elaborate on this as the post goes on.

Now I was nowhere as up to speed with seeing the Best Picture nominees this time around as I have been in years past. But I saw Frozen! And that was pure joy. I did, however, invest time in the Globes and the SAG Awards to get somewhat of an idea of what the Oscars would bring, and I wasn't far off with my predictions at all. 

Ok, Gina, who are you to give your two cents about the Oscars if you didn't even see these films?

An excellent point, snarky know-it-alls. Sure, I didn't see these films. But I can read good, real real good. And I do an exceptional job with keeping myself up to speed with film culture as well as what the HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) and the Academy look for when nominating films. I would HATE to have that job, though. How could I possibly narrow my decision down to 1 person, 1 film, 1 director, etc.? I'd be the one who suggests everyone gets a participation ribbon because I'd feel bad that you might've gone home with nothing. 

The timeline of the evening (unaware that it would actually run for 3.5 hours...*cough GRAMMYS cough*) began with the iconic red carpet showcasing; the epitome of Hollywood glam.

Best Dressed:

Women

Sandra Bullock

Charlize Theron

Kerry Washington

Jessica Biel

Men

Bradley Cooper

Jason Sudeikis

Matthew McConaughey

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Granted there were many others who looked absolutely stunning, these folks stood out to me the most. Even Lady Gaga toned it down, and that's saying something.

As the ceremony portion took off, I had high hopes for what would be a cakewalk for someone like Ellen Degeneres. Unfortunately, most of the delivery was missed. Whoever wrote her lukewarm jokes with slow comedic timing did a 'good' enough job, and in hindsight, she should've written her own material. All in all it was really just so-so. A lot of improvisation on her end, especially the pizza bit leading into the infamous selfie that broke Twitter for a some amount of time. 

I will say though, that Ellen made the best of what she had to work with. The Glinda costume switch, hilarious. Jokingly calling the voters racist if 12 Years A Slave didn't win anything, uncomfortably funny. I can foresee her hosting again, maybe after Billy Crystal has another swing at it, and maaaaaaybe handing the opportunity over to Team Fey-Poehler? Yes? Ok?

And the Oscar Goes To:

It was clear the favored Lupita Nyong'o and Jared Leto would take home both Supporting Role Oscars.  'Gravity' earned everything it possibly could've for technical work, which is fair because...um..well..it takes.. place in outer space. Ha..ha...h. 

Nothing about the flow of the rest of the evening made it seem spectacular or whimsy, just 'good.' Other than those presumed wins, I didn't have a clue as to how the rest of it would pan out. Best Picture was still up in the air as well as Director and Actress. And although there were so many other categories in-between, it was clear that no movie was going to sweep every major award. This was Matthew McConaughey's first Oscar win (and he's been in the game about as long as Leo...awkward) and from all the hear-tell of his performance in 'Dallas Buyers Club,' you can guess that I'll probably be renting it in the Redbox future. Other winners like Cate Blanchet (who I don't particularly care for but LOVED in Blue Jasmine) and Alfonso Cuaron ended up received awards for Best Actress and Best Director. 

Most of the films nominated this year rushed to be in the nominating pool. It seemed like a majority of them were all released in late November through December just to make the voting cut. Logistics aside, I'm sure anyone who has ever attended the ceremony with purpose has genuinely said at one point that it's simply,

"An Honor Just To Be Nominated."

Even though actually receiving an award is considered the highest honor, you still earn a place in history just for being nominated, like being chosen to represent your country at the Olympics. YOU, made an impact somewhere in your craft and many people noticed it and want to recognize you for it. YOU, worked very hard for X amount of months, maybe years, on a production that may have kept you away from family and friends. YOU, did your homework by taking the time to research your character, or the time period, or understanding the technology it would take to better that film. 

The point of any awards show is not a matter of who won what, but who was chosen to have their name on the ballet. And that merit alone, is worth it.