What I’m thankful for: Thanksgiving programming that holds up (or the definitive ranking of FRIENDS thanksgiving episodes)

One of the (many) things that FRIENDS did well was take advantage of their Thursday night programming and gives us many glorious Thanksgiving episodes over the years (and a few that weren’t the best). The last few years I’ve taken the week of Thanksgiving to re-watch these wondrous gems of the 90s and early 2000s, and I feel that I am now equipped to give you a finalized ranking.

Now that they’re all available on Netflix, I invite you to take the time you have this holiday week and look up as many of these gems as you have time for (obviously, using the ranking as a tool for determining what to take your time on).  I also invite you to share your opinions on this ranking, but know if you disagree with me you are wrong. 

(btw- I realize this is something I should have thought about writing before Tuesday night, but we all know I’m nothing if not spontaneous a terrible planner)

#10:  Season 2, Ep. 8: The One With The List 

This is far and away the worst of the Thanksgiving episodes.  For one, it’s hardly about Thanksgiving, and the Mockolate story line is just awful.  This is also right in what I would argue to be the 2nd most difficult series of episodes to watch in the Ross & Rachel saga.  When that list prints out… just painful.  (Though I have always argued if you’re Rachel and you feel about Ross the way she does this isn’t your reaction to the list.)

#9:  Season 1, Ep 9: The One Where Underdog Gets Away 

For a first season in which no real tradition had been established, this isn’t too bad.  It has everything you want in a holiday festivity:  Parade, ski trip, V.D., and grilled cheese sandwiches.  It’s not bad for season 1, but it doesn’t do much else which is why it’s so low on the list. 

#8:  Season 3, Ep 9: The One with the Football

At least we’re back to Thanksgiving in Monica’s apartment here after the season 2 departure, but this is a fairly weak episode as well.  I always felt the Monica/Ross rivalry storylines to feel a bit forced, and that Gellar Cup is just plain ridic.  I am amused by the Dutch girl story line… but not much else.



#7:  Season 10, Ep 8: The One with the Late Thanksgiving

This one always disappointed me. I don’t know if it’s because it was the last season and I was expecting great things, but I just really wanted more.  I’ve read some articles that put the “floating head” gag at the top of some lists, but I always felt like it just tried too hard.  Too bad they couldn’t go out on a high note. 



#6:  Season 7, Ep 8: The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs

While I appreciate any episode that had Tag in it (how could you not?!) I’ve never LOVED this episode.  I remember watching it when it was new and thinking they could have done better.  I do remember discussing and enjoying the state-game at time of airing, but beyond that…. I’m just not so sure.  I think it’s the dog story line that bothers me the most – it just didn’t make sense.  This episode does still have some high points and classic quotes (“It’s a moo point.”) 

#5:  Season 9, Ep 8: The One with Rachel’s Other Sister

This one doesn’t do anything that overwhelms me – but it’s still a pretty good ep.  I love Christina Applegate as the ridiculous sister (I actually prefer her to Reese Witherspoon’s Jill), and I love her interaction with the group.  They do this guest-star on Thanksgiving well again here.  I also am one to enjoy any Monica-is-totally-OCD storyline, and this one about the China cracks me up.  And the twist that Chandler is the most responsible?  Perfect. 

#4:  Season 8, Ep 9: The One with the Rumor 


This is a great episode and Brad Pitt is so good in it, but I’m not going to lie, it’s hard for me to watch.  I love any of the episodes where old rumors and secrets come out, and they do it so well - “you were the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island?!”  I remember being skeptical when this was airing, I wasn’t sure Brad could pull off the sitcom world, but he fit right in, and it was perfect how they made everyone be so into him.  “Take off your shirt and tell us!”  All this together tho, it still isn’t at the top, mostly because of my intense heartbreak that followed….  It could be argued that this should be higher on the list, but it’s my list, and I’ll do what I want. 


#3:  Season 4, Ep 8: The One with Chandler in a Box
This is the first of the Thanksgiving episodes in the series to really have both heart and LOLs.  The box is a classic and the Kathy/Joey/Chandler story line is legit heartbreaking.  And Michael Vartan as Richard’s son before I knew I loved Vaughn??  I cannot get enough of that.  I might turn FRIENDS off right now and just turn on Alias.   “Fine! Judge all you want to but, married a lesbian, left a man at the altar, fell in love with a gay ice dancer, threw a girl's wooden leg in a fire, live in a box!” (and I’m back to being committed to FRIENDS)


#2:  Season 5, Ep 8: The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks
I believe that this is may be the first time we get to meet fat Monica & sweet 80s Ross, Chandler, & Rachel.  This episode was done so well – both in hilarious back stories that actually served the plot and just plain silliness.  The turkey-on-the-head gag never fails to disappoint.  Favorite Lines? “There’s a toe in my kitchen,” “It says the knife went right through your shoe…. Of course it did! They’re made of wicker!”    And of course – the I love you…. 




#1:  Season 6, Ep 9: The One where Ross Got High

It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that I give this one top ranking.  It’s not just my favorite Thanksgiving ep, but probably in my top 10 overall.  If you’re not a fan of the show you may not feel the same way, but this one slays me every time.  I can watch it over and over.  The whole thing is great from the trifle to Janine, but nothing beats the climax where everyone is yelling and poor Judy has to respond “That’s a lot of information to get in 30 seconds.”  I quote FRIENDS on a nearly daily basis, and this is one of the most  quotable by far.  I LOVE IT. 

What I'm Into (October 2015 Edition)

Ack!  I haven't been on here since FEBRUARY!!! Which is super bonkers because I've probably been writing more this year than in other years, just not for here...  Had a few minutes to kill so hopping on to Leigh Kramer's What I'm Into for the month.

Loving me some October this month, cannot take enough pictures of trees, but they never look that good.  I need a better camera.  Had some good travel this month, and all around busyness, but the good kind.


Read and Reading: 

Finished all of the Harry Potter books in September, so been trying to cash in on my reading momentum to keep going.  Still haven't read as much as I'd like to, but have done okay.  As always I have 2 or 3 more that are mid-read.

Enjoyed Mindy Kaling's newest book, maybe not *quite* as much as her last, but she cracks me up and had a great overall message.

Finally read Bob Goff's Love Does which I've been carrying around for years.  Having seen him speak a number of times some of the stories weren't new, but had the added benefit of me really being able to hear his voice while I read it.  A great, fun read for someone ready to take their faith from head to action.

I also finally picked up Serious Dreams, compiled by my friend Byron Borger of Hearts and Minds Books.  It's a compilation of graduation speeches from mostly Christian colleges which was a GREAT read.  Having been out of college for [a number of] years, I still found it motivational as if I was starting from scratch.  a GREAT gift for any recent graduates, those career searching, or someone working in Higher Ed.  High recommendation - I'm going back this weekend to buy more to give away as gifts!!  Also, epilogue written by my dear friend Erica, who shares a tale from her own frosty graduation morning, which happened to be mine as well.

        


TV: 

Must-see TV: To be honest, there isn't much new stuff on the dvr these days that I'm totally captivated by.  If I have a full dvr the first things I watch are Brooklyn 99 and You're the Worst.  I try to keep up with The Good Wife live as I love following the live-tweeting as well.  Almost everything has fallen to the back burner.  Still enjoying Big Bang and Undateable (the live experiment has been entertaining thus far).  Having a hard time remembering to watch Mindy on Hulu with the weekly releases.  I don't think I'm loving it as much as the previous seasons, but like what they've been able to do without the network ties.

New shows: The only new shows I picked up so far this year are Life in Pieces and The Muppets.  They both have potential but have not gotten me to a point where I can't miss them.

Streaming: Watched the first 2 seasons of Maron in about 4 days. It's pretty crass and not for everyone, but I have not laughed so hard and so consistently in a long time.  His sarcastic wit and collection of cats makes me wonder if he is my spirit animal.
  Finally started Mad Men - tried a few years back and couldn't get into it, powered through the slow, dark beginning and I've really loved seeing what they've done.  I have 1.5 seasons left.
  Continuing to rewatch FRIENDS - I find myself LOLing throughout - it's STILL funny after all of these years!

Music: 

No new music this month... been really tweaking some playlists of my old stuff to give it a new experience, which is always fun.  Been listening to a lot of Wilco since their anniversary & new album stuff came out, and loving the newest Dawes.


Podcasts: 

My love of The Relevant Podcast continues (I might need to write a whole thing about that).  Also been trying to get caught up on Undisclosed, which is 3 lawyers discusses the Sayed case from Serial.  Super interesting.

Things I love:

Have not spent a whole weekend at home in 2 months, which has been exhausting, but so fun.  This month I could be found: in Philly with a former roommie & her kids for a lazy pj weekend, at the National Apple Harvest Festival w/ my college roommie & her kids, Applebutter making at a former roommie's family farm w/ LOTS of old pals, in California for a work trip & extended wine country travels with my cousins. It's seriously been loads of fun.   (I had fun pics of these to upload, but the photo editor won't let me.  Oh well)

Fall foods are so great: apple products everywhere, lots of homemade chilis, stews and breads.  YUMMMMMM

Am missing warm weather, but LOVE fleece, sweats, hoodies, puffy vests, and smartwools, so I'm making due.

Was supposed to run a 5k for the Four-Diamonds Fund for Pediatric Cancer along with a friend whose baby is undergoing treatments.  We had a GREAT fundraiser, but sadly the race got cancelled due to huricane, which was probably a blessing for grossly out-of-shape me.

Heat: had to turn it on.  I wouldn't have battled through until November (my standard rule), but with going out of town and having a student stay to cat-sit I took pity on her and turned it on.  Plus, then I can enjoy it without guilt.

Best Instagram:

Gotta go with this - wine, cheese, mustard, views: a perfect depiction of my whirlwind weekend in CA.  Cannot complain about that!  So good!

That's a wrap on the month, probably see you in 3 months.....

What I'm Into (January 2015 Edition)

Well, here I am again.... I read Leigh Kramer's post each month, but don't make the time to contribute to the conversation.  As always, trying to spend more time writing and reflecting, so here I go....

January - It's cold and dreary in Pennsylvania (and Maryland), but my favorite thing about it is that it gives you a legitimate excuse to not leave the house, and hunker down on the couch in my sleeping bag (my favorite winter activity).  So, I'm into a lot of inside things, and I am okay with that....


Read & Reading: 

No surprise:  terrible reader here.  I like doing it but just don't make the time.  This month I read Amy Poehler's "Yes, Please."  I liked it, especially her detailed experience as a woman making her way through the world of improv, but I didn't connect with it quite as much as I did with Mindy or Tina's.  But still, enjoyable and enlightening.

Most of my "reading" actually gets done in the form of "listening" these days, as I'm in the car for about 2-3 hours per day and audio is the easiest way for me to catch up on books.  I went through a real David Sedaris kick in the fall, listening and re-listening to all of his stuff.  I'm currently listening to Orange is the New Black, the memoir by Piper Kerman that inspired the Netflix series.  It's fascinating.

Really interested in what I'm (minimally) reading?  Check out my goodreads...


TV:

Okay, now this is something I make time for.

Current shows include: The Good Wife, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mindy Project, New Girl, About a Boy, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, Scandal

This year there are a few new shows I've been trying out.... I haven't been thoroughly convinced of any of them yet, but they come from reputable sources, so I'm giving them the season:  Marry Me, Mulaney, The McCarthys, Mom (this is technically in season 2, but I'm still watching it on probation)

January meant the end of a favorite (Parenthood) and the return of some other faves, 2 of which we say goodbye to next month (Parks and Recreation, Cougartown, and The Americans)

And then there is my streaming side projects.  January was spent finishing Veronica Mars, watching all of The State (only 20 years late), and am currently working on The Wire, and Burning Love.  The latter here is a silly Bachelor-mocking show from the E! network, but is produced by Ken Marino and written/created by his wife.  Most of the players from The State make appearances.  It's a riot.  I'm thinking about keeping better records of my streaming projects.... so you might hear more soon.

Movies: 

Seriously don't think I saw any this month.....

Music:

Haven't listened yet, but The Lone Bellow released their 2nd album last week, and I am looking forward to it.

Things I love in January:

• Starting with New Year's Eve, I have participated in about 5 or 6 game nights with various groups of friends.  I had forgotten how much I loved playing group games with pals, and had some of the best nights of laughter in a LONG time as a result of these nights.  Hope to keep that going in 2015!
• The Golden Globes - in my top 2 for awards shows - is always a good time: watching, keeping up on twitter, and reading reviews.  This year I've partnered with a new friend to watch awards shows (this was our 2nd) and it was really fun to share the experience with a friend who loves TV as much as I do.
• I have a new nephew!  My sister had her 2nd boy, and it's been fun to see him a few times, and watch my older nephew (2) learn what it means to be a big brother.  
• My new couch & old sleeping bag.  I have spent most of my January time when I am not at work on my new couch (got in November) in my old sleeping bag (NF Cat's Meow - a classic).  It is the greatest and coziest way to spend these cold winter months and I love it.
• #SoftPants.  One of 2 words for 2015, they are my favorite things. 
• French Press coffee. Bought a french press a few weeks ago and started using it last week. I am obsessed!! 

Challenges:  

Sometimes celebrating the good means acknowledging the difficult, and I am okay with that.  There's the melancholy of January in general (I hate taking down my Christmas decorations), coupled with some hard things with work, friends and family that make you realize that life isn't always easy, but it is still good.

I've also accepted a role on my church council (like elders for your presby friends), and as the chair of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee.  My church is in a valley and after only 3 weeks I can see that this will be a challenge (I made a 3 year commitment), but am doing my best to seek good wisdom and be faithful in these challenges.

All in all, not a bad month, considering it's right in the middle of the dumbest of all seasons.


Check out Leigh's post and others' for this month as well!

 

#2015

It's a new year!  Time to set goals and be contemplative over the previous 12 months!  Goals & resolutions are not really my thing, but it's hard not to use January 1 as a definitive marker in time allowing you to look both backward and forward simultaneously.

Last year some friends and I decided that we'd make 2014 the year of #newthings (I think this actually carried over from 2013, but I still used it for 2014).  Hashtags are fun, and it was a lighthearted way to look at something and think "this is something I wouldn't normally do, but I'll go for it because....#newthings."  I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it got me out of my comfort zone a few times - in work, life, relationships, and adventures.  Sometimes these #newthings were successful, sometimes they were duds, but still, it served as some motivation and it was fun.

I decided I'd come up with a hashtag for 2015.  My first idea was #SoftPants.  This is not serious and will not better my life in anyway, except that I will be massively comfortable the more I wear things with elastic or drawstring waistbands.  Many thanks to my good friends' 2 year old for this description that is my new favorite word.  But, let's be serious.  (Though I'm still using this all year)

My serious hashtag for 2015 is going to be #RiseAboveTheAwkward.  I avoid a lot of things in life because I want to avoid an awkward situation, but have recently come to realize, it's only me that is concerned about the awkward or even the only one experiencing it.  I need to be better at just saying "Life is going to be awkward, but I'm going for it anyway."  I already had a #RiseAboveTheAwkward experience once this year, and I'm extremely glad I did it.  I didn't let my fear of the uncomfortable keep me from doing something fun, and I had a great time in the process.

I hope you all join me in opportunities to #RiseAboveTheAwkward in 2015.  May your life be more fun and less awkward and all those other good things.

Also, may it be abundantly full of #SoftPants.  Because they are the greatest.