Rebecca A. Foster

"Sudden onset cryabeetus" Meaning: crybaby whiners. I'm going to start using this in everyday conversation, stat. (From the bottom of the page  here .) While we're at it, how about a Chinese phrase of the week? "An lian" ("暗恋") Meaning: to be secretly in love. Kind of like a crush, but more serious and dramatic, like Jim-for-Pam,  Days Of Our Lives kind of love. You can use it as a verb instead of a noun or adjective, which makes it more fun. I am fond of saying, 'I anlian him.'  But I use it more as a joke, not as a real condition. What's your favorite phrase? I say "evidently" a lot at the beginning of sentences. Or, "Sooo, evidently..." And "suspicious" to sum up.

So in the latest episode of The Office , Jim offers Kelly an hour long tv session, or an hour long nap. She wisely chooses the nap. And then Jim semi-tucks her in!  Okay, he handed her a blanket and turned out the light, but so close. Jim tucking you in for a nap: what could be better? Only this: spooning. The whole fun of napping with another person is, of course, the spooning. I have a hard time relaxing, but spooning in a man's arms is liquid valium to me. You can never have too much of this.  Currently I sleep alone, so I must be content with my fluffy pillows (5 on my bed), electric blanket (under the sheets, and I turn it on an hour before sleep) and down comforter (I like weight on me when I sleep). These things are not as good as spooning!  Or being tucked in by Jim!  But, for the time being, they must do.  Picture link

In tonight's AWESOME episode of The Office , Kelly Kapoor tells Jim and Dwight "You're dead to me" after they forget her birthday. I love the "You're dead to me" line!  I say this all the time, usually to your face. (Steve S., freshman year of college, to me: "I don't understand how someone so smart can also be so flighty." Me to Steve: "You're dead to me." Turn, flip the hair, walk away.) I also use it to describe people who have pissed me off, i.e., "Can you believe she said that? She is dead to me."  Now, I don't REALLY shut them out forever. It's just a more fun way to say, "I'm pissed at you." I only say it with love. And sometimes I don't even say it at all, I just give a slashing motion across my throat from across the room. With a smile. The message gets across. (Another thing I will do only if I love you is silently flip you off; I've never flipped off someone I don't know, ...

From the most recent episode of The Office : Pam, to Jim: "[My father] said that you told him how much you love me, about how you feel when I walk in a room, and about how you've never doubted for a second I'm the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with."  [hugging and tears between Jim and Pam here] Pam, to the camera: "When you're a kid you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are gong to be right about that."  Awww.... Yeah, I know, it's just a show. But here's what I love about Jim and Pam: the sweetness. They don't always say and do the perfect things, they've been not-so-sensitive to each other on occasion, they've experienced awkwardness and uncertainty about each other, and they've both had moments of heartache. Pretty realistic stuff. But they both care, and they both try. Of course, this is tv, so things finally have worked out in the end, but still...it's one of my favorite depictions of fictionaliz...

This past week's episode of The Office (one of my fave eps this season, fwiw) had a traffic radar race: the guys running past the street radar as fast as they could to see who gets the highest speed. And reminding me of why I love The Office so much, my first thought was, "How did MY office never think of doing this?"   If we had, we'd have been out there every day, guaranteed.  I love Jim as the voice of reason. It just seems like with Jim around, nothing very bad could happen to you. 

I've been waiting for the day Olivia Newton-John's Let's Get Physical would make an appearance on The Office . Friends, that day has come, and with it the return of The Office I know and love. We're only two episodes in, but so far this season is Killing It. 4th Season wasn't bad, it had some funny moments, but overall, I have to confess I don't even remember very much about it. But two episodes in, the 5th season is reminding me of seasons 2 and 3. Which is a very good thing. (Especially season 2, the high point I think.) And the best part of course, Jim...making jokes, playing pranks, taking a stand with Pam. Here is my favorite Jim moment from Episode 2. If I could find a man like this...I would no longer be single.

There's this guy I knew. I loved him. I enjoyed the silent moments with him more than actually talking to any other guy. Quality of silences means something to me. Silences tell the story between two people. One thing I like about The Office is its willingness for silence. You'll notice how little talking there is in these scenes. Much more realistic than always having the perfect thing to say. (And yeah this video is cheesy, but I can't find any other clips that show the silences as well. But I really like this song.)

Why yes, yes I do. Thank you, mug people. (Afternoon tea at my desk. Very exciting life I lead.)

I'm hitting the road, I leave you with a little John to remember me by. (A man in a suit: can never get enough of that. Add the tie loosening, I'm jello.) And a link to my favorite Jim/Pam video on YouTube. Yes, I am this geeky. Also, I love this song. And some Jim and Pam. And some John. April 10th, folks! P.S., the expected high tomorrow in San Antonio? 93 degrees. Ah, home sweet home.

1. True Religion 'Joey' stretch denim jeans. Because they have a 34" inseam (long enough to wear with high heeled boots) and 7" rise (low enough to sit on the hip bones, not so low you have to worry about flashing people when you drop your keys). And with just a wee bit of lycra, a great fit if you are a bit curvier and like pants that don't gap at the waist in order to fit around your bum (and who does??). I also have a pair of NYLaundry jeans I found at a thrift store for five bucks that I love for the same reasons. I don't know where to find another pair like this. But if you come across any, try them out. Nordstrom.com, $172 - $216. 2. The Other Rebecca is in town this week for work and staying with me rather than at a hotel. Because we are such wild and crazy gals, the other night we stayed up late in our jammies watching Season 2 of The Office , which FloJo has never seen (sacrilege, darling!). It was so fun watching it again for the first time through ...

One good thing about getting older: if you keep in touch with your peeps, gradually you all thin out across the country/globe, which means you have friends (sometimes with spare beds/couches) all over the place. Awesome! It also means you get e-mails and text messages that contain such random comments as to make you stop and marvel that THIS SENTENCE is how your lives are still converging. A sampling from the past week (from memory, I am too lazy to go look them up): 1. Florida friend: "Just got back from Hemingway's house. I heart Jim!" This friend and I often send each other random "I heart Jim"* texts because it sets off a volly of "I know! He is so cute! Funny! Charming! Awww" blah blah blah. Then we go back to our regularly scheduled lives. But throwing Hemingway into the mix? She wins. 2. Traveling friend: " Your sweet nature, darling, was too hard to swallow, my heart goes bang bang bang bang. FYI I'm in NYC, heading out in a few...

I have very few vices. Diet Coke is always at the top of the list. (Current #2? Ambien. Current #3? Jim/Pam videos on YouTube.) Six things I believe about Diet Coke: 1. From the fountain tastes better than in the can, which tastes better than in the bottle. 2. Best tasting fountain: Holiday Oil on Highland Drive and 39th (SLC), Valero on San Pedro and Basse (San Antonio). 3. The flavored versions lose their fizz too quickly. Weak. And the Cherry tastes like cough syrup. 4. There is no point to Caffeine Free, except that my little niece Meg loves it. An early adopter. 5. Winger's makes an excellent Vanilla Diet Coke. They get the ratio just right. 6. Diet Coke (Coke Light in Mexico) is sweeter everywhere else in the world I've been. And extremely plentiful in Thailand; not so much in Quebec (where Pepsi is the drink of choice). Amount of Diet Coke I can drink before I get caffeine shakes: About 144 oz. Top Four Memorable Diet Coke Experiences: 1. Seth walking me to the bathtroom...