"Smiling's my favorite."

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
9:16 pm  <3

Best Moment of the Weekend:  Watching my mom smile as she watched my dad smiling at something on tv. 

It made me smile.  :)

Love,
Tara

A Toy Store Story

Monday, December 21, 2009
10:44 am My favorite week of the year…

It’s Christmastime at a local toy store. Young employees in black aprons (all female) rush around the crowded store, juggling piles of boxes, picking up toys, and helping customers. Little children chase each other through the aisles, knocking over toys and dodging their hassled-looking mothers. The store is noisy with the sounds of shrieking children, gossiping mothers, and the constant ‘SHHHHHHCCK’ of wrapping paper being torn from the metal reams.

The phone rings. Tara is on her hands and knees in the middle of the toy store, attempting the wrap a giant pink doll house. The phone rings again. Tara blows her hair out of her face and looks around to see if anyone is going to answer it. It rings again. Swearing under her breath, Tara jogs across the floor to grab the phone.

“[Insert store name here],” Tara says, with a sigh.

“Do you sell Webkinz?” a little girl asks timidly through the phone.

Tara softens a little. She is less annoyed now that she’s talking to a little kid.

“Yes we do!” she says, smiling into the phone.

“Okay,” says the little voice.

“Did you want a special kind? I can tell you which ones we have,” Tara offers.

The customer for whom Tara was wrapping the giant pink doll house approaches the counter, looking at her impatiently. Tara gives the woman a big smile and turns away, rolling her eyes. She’d rather talk to this little girl.

“No, that’s okay,” says the little voice.

“Oh, okay,” says Tara, a little disappointed. “Well, have a good d- ”

“Are you wearing earrings?” the little voice asks suddenly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Are you wearing earrings?" the little voice repeats.

“Uh- Yes…” replies Tara, reaching up to feel the large, silver plate dangling from her left ear.

“I saw you when I was there with my mom this morning. I really like your earrings.”

“Oh!” exclaims Tara, quite touched. “Well, thank you! I- ”

“Okay, bye,” says the little voice.

“Oh. Bye!” says Tara.

Tara hits the “Off” button on the phone with a beep, and stands, looking at the phone for a moment. Then, ignoring the doll house lady who is now glaring at her, returns to the half-finished doll house, smiling to herself as she wraps.

Love,
Tara

Moras About Me

Monday, December 14, 2009
9:49 pm  lkdjfsalk.

Ever since Kaitlyn had to write a haiku for her NYU application, I've been thinking about my life in phrases of 5/7/5 syllables.  If you know me at all, you know I'm a poet in every sense of the word: I'm amazing at acrostics, can rhyme on a dime (...), and have been known to rap occasionally (this may or may not have been caught on video a time or two).  Now, allow me to prove my haiku skillz (everyone knows you get automatic street cred if you spell that with a 'z'), with a post about my day, in haikus.  Your Mind = Blown.

Early morning:

Early morning run
Why do I torture myself?
To hear myself think


Morning:

My job makes me laugh
I will write a book someday
Ring, wrap and repeat


Afternoon:

Glastonbury mom
Your sad life is not my fault
Wrap your own damn gifts


Late Afternoon:

Lines at post office
Christmas carols on a loop
Love/hate December


Evening:

No one is home yet
Turn on all the Christmas lights
Wait and watch the door


Night:

Shop online and blog
Scour Craigslist for sane roommate
Hope the Celtics win


Late Night:

Made a wish last night
On a shooting star, from bed
It was worth a shot


Love,
Tara

"It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

Sunday, December 13, 2009
8:44 pm  I know, I know...

Okay, I've been a bad little blogger lately.  But before I remedy that, I need to provide you with this REALLY important post: Tara's Holiday Viewing Guide 2009.  You've been begging me for it for weeks (and by 'you' I mean Kaitlyn and Mom), so here it is.  Enjoy :)

Sunday, December 13
- White Christmas  8 pm  AMC
- Elf  9 pm  USA

Monday, December 14
- White Christmas  1 am  AMC
- Elf  11:05 pm  USA

Tuesday, December 15
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  7 pm  ABCFAM
- *Charlie Brown Christmas  8 pm  ABC
- Elf  9 pm  USA

Wednesday, December 16
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas  8 pm  Toon

Thursday, December 17
- Saturday Night Live Christmas 2009  8 pm  NBC
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas  9 pm  Toon

Friday, December 18
- Elf  7 pm  USA
- The Santa Clause  7 pm  Disney
- *Frosty the Snowman  8 pm  CBS

Saturday, December 19
- The Holiday  12 am  TBS
- The Santa Claus  12 pm  Disney
- *The Holiday  12:45 pm  TBS
- Elf  8 pm  CBS
- *Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa  8 pm  NBC
- The Family Stone  10 pm  FX

Sunday, December 20
- The Family Stone  7 pm  FX
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas  9 pm  Toon

Monday, December 21
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas  9 pm  Toon
- The Polar Express  8 pm  Disney

Tuesday, December 22
- The Polar Express  12 pm  Disney
- Home Alone  8 pm  FX
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas  8:30 pm  Toon
- Home Alone  10 pm  FX

Wednesday, December 23
- Miracle on 34th Street  7:30 pm  ABCFAM
- *How the Grinch Stole Christmas  8 pm  ABC
- *The Polar Express  10 pm  ABCFAM

Thursday, December 24
- White Christmas  9 am  AMC
- White Christmas  11:45 am  AMC
- White Christmas  2:30 pm  AMC
- *Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  3:30 pm  ABCFAM
- *The Santa Clause  4 pm  Disney
- White Christmas  5:15 pm  AMC
- *It’s A Wonderful Life  8 pm  NBC
- *Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town  8 pm  ABCFAM
- White Christmas  8 pm  AMC
- *Year without a Santa Claus  9 pm  ABCFAM
- White Christmas  10:45 pm  AMC

Friday, December 25
- *White Christmas  1:30 am  AMC
- *Miracle on 34th Street (1994)  4 pm  ABCFAM
- *Home Alone  7:30 pm  FX
- Elf  8 pm  USA
- *Elf  9:28 pm  USA
- *The Family Stone  11:30 pm  FX
- *A Christmas Story 24-hour Marathon  TBS

* denotes the last time you can catch this special on television.
 
The following movies will not be on television this season, but you should really already own them on DVD to make your holiday viewing complete.  If you don't own them, I do, so we can watch them together :-)
 
- A Muppet Christmas Carol
- A Muppet Family Christmas
- Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the movie)
- Love Actually
- It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
- The Christmas Toy
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
 
Love,
Tara

My Quote of the Week

Monday, December 7, 2009
9:25 PM  Blerg.

Taking a page out of Jason's blog, over at Pop Culture, Politics And Everything Between, I wanted to start my own Quote of the Week!  This one comes from a surprisingly touching moment during an episode of 'The Office,' which I just saw for the 44th time tonight.  I always get goosebumps when Jim says this to a crying Dwight...

"Did I ever tell you why I left Scranton? Yeah, I didn’t think I had. Well, it was about Pam. I mean she was with Roy, and I just couldn’t take it. I mean, I lost it, Dwight. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. Even weird stuff like… food had no taste. So, my solution was to move away. It was awful. And that is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. And that includes you."
- Jim Halpert (Season 4, Episode 4: "Money")

Love,
Tara

The Sound of Settling

Sunday, November 29, 2009
6:44 pm  Giving thanks.

Thanksgiving "break" '09 was pretty fantastic.  This is mostly due to the fact that, with all of my friends home for a few days, I could pretend to have a social life.  Each night spent catching up with my Gbury friends made me even more thankful that they're a part of my life.  It's no wonder we've all remained friends for this long.

Anyway, since talking is what we're best at, it is really no big surprise that the conversation between A, C, M, and I last night (using first initials is my attempt to protect the innocent) ended up giving me more insight into the universal differences between men and women.  The four of us were at Plan B when we started throwing around "would you rathers."  To preface, A and C are dating, which made for a nice double-date-like situation, except M is one of my oldest friends, and if we ever actually dated we'd probably kill each other.  Nevertheless, when A and C started kissing, M turned and propositioned me with an, "Okay, Tara.  Let's do this.  Put the beer bottle down."  It was really romantic.

The "would you rathers" didn't start right away.  We eased into it by starting off with a few rounds of "Cliff."  For those who are unfamiliar, Cliff is a game in which person A gives person B three names, and person B then has to decide which of those names they would a.) sleep with and never see again b.) marry but never sleep with and c.) push off a Cliff.  As you can imagine, this is a bit of a dangerous game to play, but when you throw in drinking...well, it's a great way to offend someone really quickly, especially if you're listing names of people you're sitting with.  Luckily, M said he would marry me when it was his turn to choose, though that may have been because he was sitting right next to me, and if he cliffed me I wouldn't have hesitated to punch him.

So, Cliff turned to Would You Rather, with A leading the way by asking all sorts of humdingers (Would you rather be deaf or mute?  Would you rather have ridiculous body hair or nails that grow really fast?).  We were all laughing and justifying our choices when she hit us with the big one: Would you rather have to marry the first person you ever loved or never get married?

The table fell silent for a moment, and then A and I said, simultaneously...

"I'd rather never get married."

This statement was followed by the two of us talking over each other with a lot of Oh my God I could nevers and I would sooner kill myselfs, when we realized the boys weren't chiming in.

This was because they would rather marry the first person they ever loved than never get married.

A and I were incredulous.

You can have meaningful, long-term relationships and never get married, we pointed out.

They shrugged.

You'd be passing up the chance to spend your life with your soul mate just to have the label of "married," we explained.

They shrugged again.

Why???

C explained that though he doesn't talk to the first girl he ever loved anymore, he'd rather try to love her than never be married.

M agreed and pointed out that he wanted a family and felt that it was the most financially responsible choice.

We ended up having to agree to disagree, but the whole conversation just blew my mind.  Because while A and I, the women at the table, were thinking of love and soul mates when making our choice, M and C were thinking of marriage certificates and financial stability.

So, I ask you... Is it better to hold out for something better or settle?

What would you rather do?

Love,
Tara

Are You Not Entertained?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
3:48 PM  Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Conversations with My Father, Part II

It's a dark November evening at the Gorman household.  Tara has just arrived home after a grueling commute from Westport, where she had a grueling day of work.  Nevertheless, her ever present cheery disposition shines through as her sister, Stephanie, and her father talk about how they spent the day preparing the house for Thanksgiving.

Stephanie: When Dad and I went to the liquor store we ran into Kristina.

Tara: No way!  That's cool.  What did you guys get at the liquor store?

(Tara glances at the wine rack.)

Tara:  Whoa!  You guys stocked up!

Dad: Yes, I've decided we're going to let Tara drink as much as she wants on Thanksgiving.

(Stephanie and Tara turn to look at their father.  Stephanie is puzzled.  Tara is surprised and delighted.)

Dad:  She's going to be the entertainment.

Love,
Tara