Graduation ….. moving forward …. and words of wisdom

So a few years ago, my oldest nephew was graduating from High School and starting his journey that would lead him to Auburn University and eventually to Pharmacy school, which he is currently in. Now I sit here after a day of celebrating nephew #2 who is about to embark on a similar journey. A week from Tuesday he will walk across that same football field and graduate with his class before heading to Auburn in the fall to study engineering.

I’ve posted on this blog a few times about my college experience, how it led me to find my bestest friend in all the land (@theonlygolden) and how it shaped me into the person I never dreamed I’d be. Back in 2014 I did a post called “college advice” which highlighted some things I wish I had known as a little Tiger for those joining the work force. This time I’ve decided to highlight some things I wish I had known as a little Tiger that were more general words of advice for your college experience. So consider these more advice to make your college experience more enjoyable.  

So here goes ….

Be open to change

Right now my youngest nephew is leaning towards Civil Engineering but who knows what’s in store for him really. I mean when I started at Auburn I was heading for Communications with dreams of being a researcher at CNN. I quickly ended up making a bee line to the left and ended up with a BA in English with no clue of what to do next.  My aforementioned oldest nephew started in Chemical Engineering and is now in his 2^nd year of Pharmacy school. My point is you know the path you’d like to take but don’t be afraid of the exits along the way. Sometimes those unexpected detours take you where you need to be not where you thought you wanted to be.

Career Student

That said avoid being a career student. That kid who is like a semester away from graduation and freaks out about it so they change their major buying them more time. Eventually you will have to choose and in the time it could have taken you to get multiple degrees you end up with say an Accounting degree you can’t really do anything with in the real world.

Be Social

I’m not saying go to that frat party and get hammered. I’m also not saying stand in the middle of the concourse in the quad and scream at people about religion, what I’m saying is find that happen medium where you can talk to classmates, go to a few parties, attend the get to know you events freshman year. Who knows your bestie could be there and change your life. Or you’ll meet your soul mate or you’ll find out that you want no part of those people what so ever and narrow down the path to finding your tribe. Your friends, your ride or die partners through college. Know that some will be forever friends, some will be blips on the radar that is your college experience, some will be footnotes in the stories you tell after getting out of school and some you won’t even recall when you really try to. They are all important. They all have a meaning and there is a reason they have been sucked into the vortex that is your life. Learn from them, grow with them, grow away from them but they will in some way shape the person you become even if you don’t realize they are shaping you at all.

Drinking …..

I’m not going to tell you not to do it, that will just make you want to do it more. Just learn what you can and can’t handle and learn it quickly. You will likely drink, sometimes you will drink too much, know that you don’t have to drink to have a good time. I know that sounds hard to believe but often you’ll find that not drinking opens your eyes to what’s really going on around you and you will learn just how little fun most of those guys are having. That’s not to say that drinking can’t result in a good time cause it can. It can make you relax and allow you to let loose and enjoy yourself but only when used correctly. It’s going to take time to learn that. Surround yourself with a crew that will take care of you while you figure that out. Every once in a while be that person in your tribe.

Drugs….

I didn’t do them. I knew many who did. I did not. I can’t give you advice on this but I can tell you that most people will be cool with you saying no. Cause that’s more for them. So feel free to be different and say no. If you do partake, have a tribe around you that will take care of you, will lead you when you need to be led and that will make sure you get home safely.

Get Involved

Attend things … sporting events, socials, and special event days at your school. My school has what they call “Hey Day” every fall where you well say hi to each other and there are events throughout campus. I wish I had taken more time to attend more of that. During the first few weeks of the school year there are all kind of welcome events, some specific to your college, others more schoolwide, there are also events like this during finals week. Free food is always a good thing and these events have that and more. Take the time to stop and enjoy these things, even if you are just grabbing a  plate on the way to your next destination.

Stay with your group

I learned this one the hard way. When you go out with your buddies, your friend, be it a frat party, a house party, a sporting event, a night at the movies, whatever. STAY WITH YOUR GROUP! Remember your training from elementary school and keep the buddy system going. If you are at a party and don’t want to be there at the very least find your group and let them know you are heading out. Don’t be woken up 2 hours later with your group frantically banging on your door cause they couldn’t find you and were worried about you. Don’t be that person. Be the worrier not the one that’s making people worry. Most definitely don’t do it twice. The third or fourth time people might not worry and they definitely won’t look for you and that might be the time you really need them to do so.

I’m sure there is more I could tell you and more you could learn from related to my experiences in school but I’ll leave it here. The best piece of advice I can give is ignore the advice from most. Listen to it, take it in but know your experience and theirs are going to be different. Different time, different events even if it’s the same place. You will need to find your path, find your way and you will. Just breathe and most of all enjoy it. On the other side is at least 30-40 years of work. So make the most of your time to make mistakes, to be silly, to be stupid, and to learn from all of that before you hit the real world.

                                     

Congrats class of 2022 …. And good luck!

Marcy  (@beaslma) 

A little …. me time.

I played hooky from Church today, cause I needed a me day. I slept in, got some laundry going, watched some trash TV, reset all out clocks cause of the end of daylight savings time and just kind of … hung out. AT some point today I might do my taxes. Mine are never really that hard it’s just waiting for all the documentation to arrive so I can do it then … procrastination. Eventually however I’ll sit down, download the program and get it done. 

Yesterday me and my coworkers participated in a chili cook off that ended up being a very long day. We have been doing this for several years, skipping last year cause of Covid (in 2020 it was the last thing we did before everything shut down). It was pretty cool cause they moved it this year to an area that we are helping revamp and so it was like our project was literally on display. At one point the project manager of that project was talking to someone else when a huge 18 wheeler went through the Roundabout that we designed and everything stopped in our tent as we watched this huge truck make its way through it. One of the big deals of that part of the project was that Mardi Gras Floats had to be able to navigate it (successfully done a few weeks ago btw) and big 18-wheelers that often used the route needed to be able to navigate it as well. After what we saw on Saturday … mission accomplished. We were all quite proud.

I got there at 8:30 but the guys doing the actual cooking got there at 5AM. It was stupid cold. Like in the low 30s cold and windy. The cold wasn’t so bad cause you could put on layers but that wind just cut you in half. When I got there at 8:30 it was still pretty bad but overall it was a good team building day of fun, laughter, selling our chili to people, and raising money for the American Cancer Society. I get there around 9ish cause by then the table is clear of all the “food prep” and I can put out the tablecloth with our name on the font of course and the give a way items and make the booth “pretty.” Every year once we are there, I think damn we could have done more to decorate but our focus is always on the chili not the extras around it. We are hearing that our chili came in 2^nd … but no official results yet. Everyone that tried it said it was good and that’s good enough for us. So all in all a great day.

However, I decided to take today as a me day. I’m doing what I want when I want and how I want. Which includes updating everyone on this blog. I am now some 13 days into Lent. I have not had caffeine, nor been on social media since Mardi Gras (March 1^st). The lack of caffeine has nearly done me in. The headache was unbareable for the first 3 or 4 days. At one point it hurt to even touch my head let alone brushing my hair. At one point I almost downed a coke just to make it go away. My SIL said “you can take a break on Sundays” but I thought one coke would end it all so I refrained. I have had more water than I think I have ever drank in my life. I have also used the bathroom more than I have ever in my life. Which I guess is a good thing. I can see inches falling away, slowly but surely. Plus I feel better. I’m also sleeping more than I ever have. I seem to be overly exhausted either due to lack of caffeine or the last few months of non-stop insanity. Either way it’s been nice getting some actual rest. I guess that’s what the lack of being on my phone will do for a person.

Golden is also doing some self care during these 40 days, she’s doing her 40 acts of kindness as usual but has also started a vow of silence on Sundays. No using her phone for social media, no texting or talking just her working in her art therapy books, journals, reading, and just playing with her dog. I’m glad she’s doing that cause I think she really needs a day to recharge and chill.

There’s a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks, the SEC Gymnastics Championships, the NCAA Regionals, National Tournament, the Final 4, Invictus Games, French Open, Indianapolis 500, Wimbledon, all kinds of fun athletics on display. So it should be an interesting few months!

Hope you guys are having a great Lent!

Marcy

Happy 2022 … wait what it’s already March ?!

                                      

If 2020 was a literal blur and 2021 and was kinda blur the first 3 months of 2022 have been just nonexistent for me hence my first posting of the year coming in March. Between working getting insanely stupid in January to Golden finally getting Covid (with her job it wasn’t when it was if and if finally caught up with her) and the stress of losing my grandma on my fraking birthday, working non stop on a proposal in the middle of burring my grandmother, and then Golden getting pneumonia in February and work continuing to blow up hard for me, plus two new employees to train and get up to speed it’s just been a hot minute since I could breathe. 

This past weekend my bestie took me to Auburn for some much needed R&R … we got to watch Gymnastics, and Softball and even squeezed in some Tom Holland via Uncharted and ate some great food. Got to hang with the nephew and his better half which was a lot of fun and it was just a great relaxing weekend. I didn't realize how much I needed it until we were on our way home and I realized for the first time in MONTHS I was fully relaxed. 

Today is Mardi Gras so I’m off of work, I took yesterday off too but ended up working about half a day. I have a submittal due on Friday so they are hopefully reviewing the “final draft” now and the work I ended up doing on Monday will make Wednesday a little easier ….. I’m also waiting on a subconsultant to get back with me …. One that I’ve not communicated with but my Project Manager has. I hate that. Make the connection then let me and their marketing person get together and handle the rest. Sigh …… I am trying to treat my vacation (PTO) time with the respect they deserve. I have neglected it far too long. So today, I spent my time preparing for my next trip. DRAGON CON !!!!!! I have secured the hotel, I have secured the membership, Golden is making her plans and guys ….. I have a Care Bear suit. I’m gonna be Tenderheart!!! I had Birthday monies in my pocket and a drink in my hand when I purchased it but damn if it's not cute. :D If I have the courage to wear it in the Atlanta August heat that is. Stay tuned for that. 

Since it’s Mardi Gras you know what that means. It’s nearly time for Lent. 4 ways to observe Lent are below if you are looking for ways to participate. I know Lent isn’t only about giving up things it can also be about adding things to the plate but to me erasing something for 40 days is easier than adding as no two days are ever the same. This year's Lent is gonna be hard yall …. Not only am I giving up social media … which frankly I’m looking forward to at the moment, but I’m also giving up Caffeine. No soda’s, no tea, just water and juice moving forward for the next 40 days. Lord help the people I live, work, and are around on the daily.

 

Why do I post my lent plans here …. It’s to keep me in check. I feel that my body is begging for me to do something, literally anything to get myself back in check. I recently did  a health care screening for my work (something about our health care BS) and well let’s just say I’ve never seen numbers so far off. Like it was all so far off I’ve thought about making a visit to my regular GP to just see what’s up. My BP is always high … always … even when I’m taking my medication as prescribed but this time it was like off the charts did it 4 times to make sure high. That’s not good. My weight has been a constant journey since I stopped playing sports and well it’s weird I don’t “feel” huge but lord knows that scale sure felt it. DAMN…. So I am reaching the point where it’s now or never and starting is always the hardest part. I know you are supposed to look at inches not weight but damn I still can’t get over that number. So I’m going to spend the next 40 days trying to retain my body to not crave the crap that I eat and drink. It’s not that I eat badly, hell most of the time I’m not even finishing the meal in front of me but I do like soda, I do like chips, I like to “snack” I just need to make better choices and that’s going to start with me and with Lent. I feel like if I can do it for 40 days … maybe I can make it last.

 As always you guys hold the world together while I am away and for the love of GOD someone please check on Golden every once in a while for me! 

Wish me luck!

 Marcy

RIP Betty White

I have always made fun of people for doing numerous amounts of things.

But one thing in particular is having a family member who is damn near pushing 100 years old and then when they start to wind down, their family members are astonished...

“What's wrong with great gran, why isn't she getting up and sticking to her routine?”

“I can't believe that PeePaw just lays around all day, he used to be so active!”

“Well MawMaw is getting to be so stubborn and won't eat.”

“It's so depressing the way PopsPop has already picked out his burial suit and pallbearers!”

And then the day arrives when our loved ones pass and everyone is so sad. The arrangements are made and it's finally time for the homegoing ceremony and all the family members come with their family made t-shirts with a picture of Maws or Peepaws or Great Aunt Alma May and in bold ass letters the shirt reads “GONE TOO SOON” with the years of birth and death.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm only addressing the people that pass who are tripping towards a century's worth of living on this plane. There are absolutely people that pass too soon, and that is NOT who I am addressing. But regardless, yes I'm willing to admit this makes me look like an asshole. But I can't help it. Think how much a person could experience in 90+ years. 100 years ago, most people didn't own cars and the cars that were available maxed out at 20-28mph. And although I am definitely pissed that we don't have flying cars, we do now have cars that park and drive themselves. The first broadcasting channel in America began in 1928 in less than 100 years we went from nothing to live streaming anywhere and everywhere (Well unless you are in the back of a walmart, then you are screwed.)

Oh the things you will see....in 100 years. 

BUT... My exception to this rule is the lovely Ms. Betty White.   She passed away Dec 31st just 18 days shy of her 100th birthday. And as of yesterday this woman was still making headlines. No matter how many years we could have been afforded this angel of a woman, I'm sure she still could have continued to teach us and lead us right up to the end, even if it was an additional 100years later.

She taught me many things including

• Care for the animals and love the doggos
• Never let others judge your value based on the superficial. She was told that she was not photogenic enough to work with movie studios, thus why she worked her way thru radio.
• She was a woman in a mans world, who ended up carving out a place for herself in front of the camera and behind it. Both the Talent and the Boss.
• She bucked racial and societal norms
• She demonstrated that you are never too old to become a household name or to enjoy a good lap dance
• She proved you can grow, but still not take yourself so seriously that you grow up.
• And always remember to feed the gators

All that being said, I will be getting a GONE TOO SOON (Jan 17, 1922 – Dec 31, 2021) shirt made in her honor. Because just this once I believe it. And from one Golden Girl to another, Thank you Betty for being all our friends!

-golden

(@theonlygolden)

Happy...whatever....

I had grand plans to do this end of year wrap up post then I just didn’t which is kind of a fitting way to end 2021 actually. I am currently sitting at my kitchen table writing this and watching mom juice about 75 Limequats which are apparently what you get when you plant a lemon tree and a cumquat tree to close together …or some BS like that. So that she will have juice for pies but she can throw out the Limequats. PS they are very very tart so the Lemon is strong in that quat.

I am also setting up my dad’s new Samsung phone (I’m a multi-tasker afterall). A few months ago my father destroyed the back of his phone. Like destroyed it. Little pieces of glass everywhere. We took it apart and tried to put a new back on but it wouldn’t hold as the glue or tape on the back had lost its sticky. So me and the engineer decided to take the back off and put superglue on it and well it held but it wasn’t pretty. It was only a matter of time before that failed so for Christmas I got him a new phone. I also got my mom a new one so they now have the exact same phone.

Mom’s phone was different. She had the old Microsoft phone, maybe one of the last phones still working. AT&T sent her a text saying yeah we aren’t supporting that phone anymore so we are going to send you a free one. I was like yeah right delete it mom it’s a scam. DON’T CLICK ON ANYTHING!!!!! … amazing how many times I have to tell them that. Then a few weeks later we got a letter … saying the same thing. No phone. A month or so later I called them and after being on the phone for over an hour and the dude trying to sell me everything under the sun we determined that in fact they were sending my mom a phone and we should get an e-mail when it is shipped. Damned if we didn’t. They sent it and it was the slowest piece of shit I’ve ever held in my hands. I knew eventually that would get on her nerves. The box was in my bedroom but I hadn’t wrapped it yet. One night as we watched yet another Cheesy Crimas movie it happened. She announced to the room that she wasn’t going to have a phone, didn’t need a phone and didn’t want a fucking phone for Christmas! I sat there through her rant and the next day spent the morning setting up her phone (hence why I’m setting up dads (you just did it after all)) then I went to give it to her and while she was mad a hell and didn’t want to take it, she felt like it was too expensive, she eventually did and I think is very happy that I did give her one. It still frustrates her sometimes but I do think she likes it. I hope so anyway. As an adult it’s rare I can give them Christmas presents they aren’t expecting and neither saw that coming. It was a nice feeling.

 It’s currently 84 degrees outside on this New Year’s Eve which is just stupid. The air outside is heavy with moisture and there’s a feeling of bad weather in the air. I hope it holds off cause well I’m not sure why. I’m not planning to go anywhere and I really feel like I’ll be asleep long before the ball drops but it just seems strange going into the new year with tornados in the air. Then again maybe that’s how 2021 should go out the door.

 I’ve been sick the last week or so. Not Rona, I don’t think. I’m 98% sure it was a sinus infection. I was all snotty and gross and congested. I never did the RONA test, I just stayed home, worked from the house and am now feeling much better. Tho my left nostril has some explaining to do. For some reason it refuses to work but jokes on him I’ll just breathe through my mouth! I never had a fever, never had a headache, lost sense of taste or smell, and never really felt “bad” thus why I don’t think I had the RONA. Then again I’ve had both my shots, I’ve had the booster, I wear the mask when in public and so if I did get the RONA I was going to be mad as hell. However I also understand I’m very likely to have had it, never really know it and spread it, hence my staying home this past week. Several of my coworkers didn’t come back from Crimmus cause they had tested positive or were in contact with others who tested positive so next week at work should be … interesting. My partner in crime Golden has also been battling sickness this past week, however as a medical marvel that’s more the norm for her than the surprise.

 The reason for the year end post is that I realized not too long ago that our little Blog turned 7 this past August … one day I’m going to actually remember the birthday of this blog but alas this was not the year. I thought well that’s not really a milestone age .. I mean it’s not like 5 or 10 it’s just a 7 .. but to me that is a pretty big deal. For 7 years I’ve wasted your time with drivel that fell out of my head and some of you read them all, some of you didn’t and that’s ok ..the point is that despite my best efforts .. this blog isn’t dead yet. That’s 250 blog posts (once this one goes live), some that were substantial, some that were by Golden, and some that were just to say I posted something. Not surprisingly that first year (2014) I had over 83 posts but that was also the year that I did a post a day in November and with this thing being new and all it was fun and interesting still. The second biggest year was 2019 which came after a year with the lowest number of posts, also the year that really tried to take us down but didn't succeed. 2019 was my re-launch of this blog so to speak and we haven’t looked back since. Sure, there are some months with one or no posts but hey I did keep it going. This year we have had 10 posts, well 11 once this one goes live.

I’ve been thinking about how different life was 7 years ago. 7 years ago … I had a boss that was literally sucking the professional life out of me, to the point where I had started looking for a new job. I knew the grass always seemed greener on the other side. I loved the company I worked for and most of the people, but I was just done with her. HEAR THAT AMERICA IT’S NOT ALWAYS WE DON’T WANNA WORK IT IS SOMETIMES WE DON’T WANT TO WORK FOR SPECIFIC PEOPLE!!!! Nothing I did was good enough, and if I ever tried to step up and do more than expected I was suddenly “out for her job.” I had gotten to the point where I took everything that was personal out of my office. No pictures on the walls, no sitting around fun stuff to show it was my office, even my candy dish (which always bothered her cause A. she couldn’t stay out of it (somehow that was my fault) and B. cause my coworkers would stop by and chat as they got a piece and never stopped to chat with her). I wanted to be able to literally go down to HR say I’ve had enough and quit. I didn’t expect her to let me work a 2 week notice and so instead of her standing there watching me pack a box of my stuff I could grab my purse and get the *uck out. My coworkers noticed I didn’t put anything up for the holidays, they noticed the lack of personal stuff in my office and started trying to build me up, which frankly made her even madder. They were dark days for sure work wise. Now it's 7 years later, I just celebrated my 18th anniversary at the same job, I've got an amazing boss, I have been promoted twice and just celebrated my first year of being the manager of my department with my own staff. I have taken on more responsibility than I have ever had, and I love my job more today than I did back then, tho it often stresses me past the breaking point but that's on me not them. So, she can suck it! :D 

However, I guess she can be credited with not only hiring the boss I currently have but also with this blog as the stress of the office was making me not want to do anything outside of work either. I was spending so much energy in the week not cussing her out that by Friday I was mentally drained, and Golden came up with a fantastic idea of starting this blog to refocus that energy. I will always love her for that. I would give anything if could find something similar for her. She’s made guest appearances on this blog from time to time and frankly she is much better at this than I am. The way she tells a story, the humor, the details, the drama. She uses worked like a pen in the way that I only wish I could. She paints a story in someone’s head and damn I wish I could do that. I’ve begged her to try her hand at writing a book, I think it would be a best seller. I’m going to keep at her and keep striving to be more like her in every aspect that I can.

 7 years ago, Golden was also in a place with her job where it was taking the very soul out of her body. However, unlike me she was released and found a new path and now she is in another job that she really likes but that has taken everything she has to survive it during this pandemic. The crazy thing is she is really good at this job, it’s just …. too much sometimes. Staff shortages and overtime hours is starting to take a toll, but she’s survived it and hasn’t murdered anyone and for that I’m both grateful and a little shocked. See Golden is a 100% essential worker who works at a facility that runs 24 hours 7 days a week. As I mentioned previously Golden is a medical marvel and needs the downtime that her current situation is just not supplying, I pray that in 2022 she gets some rest, some peace and finds a balance between work and not work. Heck even when off they call her more than she tweets which is a problem. Even in her downtime she’s never too far away.

SHUT up … as I was finishing this I got an alert that Betty White has left us … damn you 2021 … but well played 2022 … don’t let that be on your shoulders …….. damn ….. rest well Mrs. White we’ll take it from here.

 So, I’m ending this on that note …. See you guys on the other side…. I hope.

Marcy

2021 Christmas Calendar

Goodness gracious it feels like I just sent out the Halloween calendar … I mean doesn’t it? Like how did we get here so quickly …. I guess the calendar has a tendency to do that. Either way it’s time for some sappy Crimmus (as my Partner in Crime spells it (Golden) movies that are going to make you smile, cringe, laugh, and in some cases cry. Either way there will be moisture involved so .. have fun with that.

So … here you go …. I present to you the 2021 Christmas TV Schedule in all its glory! Once again, the calendar is set up in 11X17 format in an effort to save your eye balls. If you have to print it 8.5x11 it is readable but if you can print it 11X17 your eyes will thank you, tho your IT guy might question why you are suddenly out of ink at the office. I have also found that saving the PDF to your favorite portable device is the best way to keep the calendar handy and as an added bonus you can zoom in and out to read that ever so small type. 

A few highlights to discuss ….

• AMC is having their “Best Christmas Ever” which will feature “popular Christmas and Family films along with other acquired specials” whatever the heck that means. However, they are showing the Olsen Twins before they got greasy hair in To Grandmother’s House We go and giving all the love to National Lampoons Christmas Vacay so I’m going to let them pass on that. This is where those of you without kiddos might want to land each night to avoid the cartoon crimmus .. but I mean if you aren’t watching Claymation at Crimmus are you even gonna get a visit from Santa … I think not.
• ABC is bringing the holiday fun with regular programing having Christmas/Holiday themed episodes as well as specials (which is what this calendar is about) including “The Magic Maker,” “A Very Boy Band Holiday,” “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”; “CMA Country Christmas” and of course kicking off 2022 with the “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022.
• Freeform is doing another 25 days of Christmas, after their 31 days lead up and after their 31 days of Halloween …. So I guess that’s just what they do now. However Freeform is filled with a lot of fun stuff for the kiddos and the adult kiddos will find some fun too, but not everything on their schedule is what I’d call “crimmus” worthy. See Die Hard Fans I can pick and choose what is Crimmus and what isn’t too.
• There are now roughly 4,567 versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (give or take) … God love you Dr. Seuss … it’s on TBS, Freeform, AMC, NBC, USA, I mean it’s every freaking where! I used to try and flag the cartoon vs Jim Carey vs the new animated one with Cumber-what’s-his-face (which is actually really good almost better than the original but don’t tell Chuck Jones and Boris Karloff I said that please) however it’s all too much. So, it’s on the schedule … tune in … see which one and turn it off …. Or keep watching … entirely up to you. I mean his heart is gonna grow no matter what you do cause that’s what Grinches do … PS Spoiler alert … I guess I mean it’s been out since 1957, so I mean that’s on you.
• Hallmark, Halmark Movies and Mysteries, and Lifetime have been cranking out the Christmas specials since like April and I get it … really I do. It’s a simple formula that usually pays off, but know that if I needed room on the calendar, these were the first to get kicked out. I did try to add the “new” specials you know the ones that haven’t been seen a billion times in the last week. Hallmark announced something like 41 new movies this season and Lifetime added 50 “Holiday themed” specials” to their line up and well … that’s just dumb. I will admit when you think about how these actors had to pretend to be freezing in say 97 degree California or Canadian weather…so well played actors.
• Other options include ION channel, UpTV, TCM, and Food Network for your holiday fun. Not everyone gets all of these channels but if you have them, they have some pretty fun looking shows coming up. I get them and as I have said on numerous occasions … this is all about me … I just share the love cause well … it’s the holidays and I want you all to be happy.
• Lastly, we all know by now the fate of the Peanuts cartoons …. PBS is showing these specials once … one time … they showed the Great Pumpkin commercial free which I admit was nice. I am hoping for the same with the Christmas special. So, plan your schedule around these showings cause well it’s important. What has happened to Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and Woodstock is exactly what this calendar has tried to prevent. Streaming can’t take over … it just can’t but it’s gonna and until it does, I’ll be here … wasting everyone’s time and file space with these calendars.

Speaking of streaming if you partake … here ya go … you are welcome!

28 Christmas Movies on Disney Plus for 2021 | Best Family Films to Watch (rd.com)

The 16 Best New Christmas Movies of 2021 (yahoo.com)

The Most Festive Christmas Movies to Stream on Amazon Prime (yahoo.com)

Best Christmas Movies Streaming on Netflix | PEOPLE.com

25 Best Christmas Movies on Hulu 2021 — Hulu Holiday Films (rd.com)

The Best Christmas Movies to Watch on Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, and More - TV Guide

THE RULES

• NO E-MAILS about taking Christ out of Christmas, it’s just a really long word and using X-Mas allows for more shows on the already full calendar.
• Thanks for your understanding.
• For those that don’t understand I’ll be glad to remove you from the list just let me know.
• I live in the central time zone, the times on this calendar reflect that, adjust accordingly for those of you that have traveled as far and wide as this calendar has. (PS What’s that like?!)
• Unless otherwise stated the times are PM
• Also, the times may vary (my TV provider could be wrong, the website could be wrong, I might have screwed up the conversation from Eastern/Central time zone cause numbers are not my friend and a really awesome song distracted me) the point is … don’t call because you missed Clark finally get those lights to work, that’s on you…I mean that movie comes on like 75 billion times … and I always catch the same 12 scenes every.single.time.
• Use your fancy devices and find out when it comes on again and watch accordingly. I know you can do it. I have faith in you! Or ask your kid to handle it for you, I have more faith in them to be honest.
• This calendar contains shows I want to see, so it includes a mixture of adult themed shows/movies and kid themed shows/movies, cause let’s face it I’m basically a little person in a big person body.
• PLEASE be mindful of what is on before you sit the kids down with popcorn to watch
• It’s not that I don’t love your kids but I didn’t birth them, they aren’t my mess and I don’t want to hear about it.
• You should have thought about that before you decided to have kids. Just saying.
• Seriously don’t be the one that every year calls cause of this ….that’s how you get removed from next year’s list.
• It happens … every…damn…year!
• Feel free to make your own calendar, which if you don’t share with the world around you .. then you are just the worst.
• Seriously tho.. Love ya … but yeah the worst!

So sit back, laugh, smile, and cry (some of these are sad, I mean who doesn’t cry when George Bailey is standing next to the tree with Mary holding little Zuzu and his friends are coming in to save the Bailey Savings and Loan, oh no did I give the end away ?!) and have a GREAT Christmas season!

Marcy

PS while I’m here cause I’m not doing a New Year's calendar (Halloween and Christmas are enough) …. Hallmark has developed some New Year's movies for 2022 (cause why not) here’s what they are planning to offer, some frankly sound like they might be decent.

Hallmark Channel Kicks Off 2022 with "New Year New Movies" Event | Southern Living

 

This is Halloween ......

       EDIT : Due to my awesomeness the powers that be have decided to air the Great Pumpkin on PBS Oct. 24th at 7:30 Eastern which is of course when most families are sitting down to watch TV not rushing home or preparing dinner. Sigh ... anyway you will have the opportunity to watch this beloved special but don't always count on that ..... 

  

n    Now back to our originally scheduled shenanigans! 

       Attention fellow lovers of Halloween TV fun …….let’s get some unpleasant business out of the way first … In case you missed it last year, Peanuts anything has moved exclusively to Apple TV + and thus you won’t find our beloved Great Pumpkin on this year’s calendar, or I guess any future calendars. For the record I believe I’ve been predicting this for over a decade so I’m not going to say I told you so but ……… I mean I totes did. I was really hoping the powers that be would come to their senses and realize what a missed opportunity this was but well if they had any senses we’d have less “reboots” or “remakes” than we do flavors of Oreo’s. I was going to bore you with my reboot rant but I’m going to spare you … this time! However can we talk about how they will show say Friday the 13^th part 3, 4, 2, and then 1 ? Like that’s so messed up …. Or they will show Halloween 4 but not Halloween. What’s up with that?!

 

       That being said I’m kind of super excited about the new Child Play SERIES “Chucky’ that will be on Syfy this year starting October 12^th. However, since that’s a series and not a special it’s not on this calendar but should be, cause it looks AWESOME! …wait …where was I … oh yeah, the move of Peanuts to Apple TV+ … If you have it log on…..pull it up and enjoy … the rest of us will just grab our DVDs while we still can. For you old schoolers your VHS might need to be dusted off before you insert it but should still be good to go too. God love ya if like me you are still rocking the old school VHS machine. I myself got me a little VHS/DVD combo, when my former VCR died a horrible, horrible death after eating my copy of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a super sad day for sure. Dad still says was a waste of money. Who is laughing now Dad ?! well….me….I guess ….. just me, but I stand by my decision that day at the Best Buy to pay a little extra for the luxury of being able to choose my format when watching goodness on my TV instead of upgrading to that Blu-Ray fad.  

 
So now that that’s taken care of ……. I present to you the 2021 Halloween Calendar. It’s back guys! I’m going to keep it going until the universe says we’ve had enough.  Or until you guys stop asking about it … in August.
 
A few items of note ….
FreeForm is doing 31 nights of Halloween – this is the place that your littles will need to land but note that just cause it’s on this channel this time of year does not mean it’s “Halloween” fun and what’s with their new alignment with Fox that allows them to show not only the Simpsons but now Family Guy as well? I do admit that at some point FreeForm tried to take over the calendar but I think I held them at bay … somewhat but good try FreeForm.

SYFY is also doing 31 days of Halloween – That’s the place to go for some fun, gory, good times!

AMC Fear Fest begins October 1^st – Classics are all over the place here with some walking dead sprinkled around for flavor. Tune in to see Pet Sematary, The Shining, Scream, all the Final Destinations, and of course the OG …. Michael Meyers in Halloween.

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXII airs on FOX on Oct. 10^th. It’s Must See TV. This year’s special will be 5 segments instead of the usual three.

TCM is trying to get back on my calendars by throwing a Halloween Marathon starting October 29^th at 7 through October 31^st. That’s 32 classic movies guys ….  Spooky, creepy, horrifying, and humorous over the course of 48 hours. This includes movies starring the likes of Vincent Price, Linda Blair, and even Mel Books in Young Frankenstein, a MUST see if you haven’t seen it. 

Food Network is still in the corner cause like last year they started most of their programing in the middle of September (cause that’s when I want to get my Halloween Wars on of course). They slightly redeem themselves by bringing back “Outrageous Pumpkins” with Alyson Hannigan starting Oct. 3^rd and airing every Sunday at 9 and Kids Baking Championship “Oh My Gourd!” (Seriously get in the corner Food Network and likely make a nest you are going to be there for a while). KBC OMG (which is truly what they are calling it btw) will air Monday at 7 starting Oct. 18^th. I’m not even going to rant about the fact that Halloween Wars removed the “pumpkin” aspect of the show and how the host is only appearing via prerecorded videos .. I mean just cancel the damn thing already and put it out of its misery.

There is also exciting news on the “streaming” front …… Disney+ will have a new “Lego Star Wars” called “Terrifying Tales” or something like that but the real exciting news is that they will be debuting the “Muppets Haunted Mansion” on Oct 8th. Peacock will be showing the brand-new Halloween Movie “Halloween Kills” starting Oct. 15^th will Jamie finally kill him or nah … my guess is nah but I’m thankful for Universal and Peacock for making this happen. Peacock will also air a “Snoop and Martha’s Very Tasty Halloween” starting Oct. 14^th and if that’s not worth getting Peacock well nothing is. Peacock is free yall …. Go get it ! Hulu is having a Huluween (seriously can’t make this stuff up) with a special Halloween section featuring both classic movies and “Halloween episodes” of favorite shows. ! Netflix has some new “specials” as well such as Sharkdog’s Fintastic Halloween, Escape the Undertaker, Scaredy Cats, and Nightbooks. All kinds of good stuff on Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Disney+, Peacock and *cough* AppleTV+ this year … plus some amazing classics so check em out. 

Hallmark – Hallmark is doing some “Fall Harvest” thing with some “new” movies so I threw them on the calendar if only cause Freeform was taking over. Might be a good fall alternative to gruesome and scary, or a mind-numbing bore to fall asleep to after a stressful workday.  

As this is the 12th (give or take) year of doing this …. I’m not going to bore you with the rules …. Just know ….. If your kid is easily skittish and couldn’t sleep after watching say Texas Chainsaw Massacre don’t blame me … as some have done in the past, it’s not my problem. I’m in the Central time zone, if you aren’t then adjust accordingly. Check your own listings as yes sometimes I make mistakes and conversion from Eastern Time Zone is hard yall.
 
The intention of this calendar is to get your family to pause and spend some time together making memories. Maybe carve a pumpkin while watching, create some fantastic Halloween Treats from your various Social Media sites, or work on your costume – don’t forget the props - and RELAX with your family, friends and loved ones (sometimes those overlap). This years must see special will be next year’s Peanuts only available via streaming if we aren’t careful ….. so, let’s not let that happen again. 

       **NOTE ** if you save the image below it will not be cut off, but if I share it as "normal" it makes it really small and basically unreadable. 

 
So, sit back, scare yourself, and have a GREAT Halloween! It’s fall people enjoy it!
 
Marcy