It’s been a while since I posted about the television and music I’ve been enjoying, so here’s a little bit of that plus a drink recipe — enjoy!
I have never before really considered myself to be a fan of Fleetwood Mac. I know and have enjoyed many of their songs, but it’s never been a band I really sought out. For some strange reason, though, I am all about the Fleetwood Mac lately. I heard a live version of “The Chain” on the radio a few days ago and couldn’t get it out of my head, so I wound up downloading Rumours. It turns out I know and love every song on the album and I’ve been listening to it obsessively for the past several days. “Second Hand News” has already made it to my running playlist.
While you all know I am a Bourbon devotee, I also really love gin. For some reason, though, I tend only to drink it in the spring and summer. Something about it says warm weather to me. Well, guess what season it is now? So I’ve been experimenting with gin lately. The best gin is Hendrick’s, and about this I will brook no disagreement. My current favorite way to mix this is with mint and cucumber:
Muddle a few mint leaves and cucumber slices and put these + ice in the bottom of a glass; mix a shot of Hendrick’s and a tablespoon (or less) of simple syrup in a shaker; pour gin mixture over the ice and salad; fill up the glass the rest of the way with seltzer. Tastes like summer and deliciousness. My next project will be a Hendrick’s martini with a cucumber garnish. Mmm hmm.
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I’m in the middle of The Great Buffy Re-Watch of 2012. I love this show and this must be the 4th or 5th time I’ve re-watched it in its entirety. I am just starting season 6 tonight. Season 6, due to my extreme Team Spike partiality, is my favorite. I don’t just love it for Spike, though: there’s so much fascinating stuff that goes on with each of the characters. I’m getting close to the end, though, which means I’m aready thinking about what’s next. Possibilities include: Angel, Dollhouse, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Alias, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who. I have already seen each of these shows before, so none would be new. I’m in the mood for a marathon of the beloved and the familiar. I’ll probably do Angel next (to stay in Joss Whedon territory), but I might do Veronica Mars, to appease my need for badass female leads. I know you’re all on the edges of your seats, so I’ll keep you posted.
I also recently saw Cabin in the Woods, Joss Whedon’s newest project (and The Avengers is coming out soon!), and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. A great cast, a clever story, funny and scary and disgusting moments, smart writing, and thought-provoking ethical ambiguity. And a really great poster, don’t you think? I just love his stuff, and the thrill of seeing “A Mutant Enemy Production” on the big screen really can’t be overstated. Have you seen it? Highly recommended.
Raveling Out 
I also love gin, and I just planted mint and cucumber. It’s like it’s meant to be!
1) I saw cucumber vodka at the liquor store yesterday. Interesting.
2) I have been considering a rewatch of Dollhouse or Lost myself. Prolly both.
I saw Cabin in the Woods over the weekend with a group of hooting and hollering Dutchies who loved it. They went rather bonkers for the last 30 minutes, which were all kinds of awesome. I dearly, dearly love that movie. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a five year old getting together all his toys based on various movie properties and mashing them together in an epic battle-royale. The Avengers opens over here on Thursday, over a week before it lands in the states. Not sure why but I’m reluctant to see it so soon. I feel the need to ration all this Whedon stuff.
Anyway, I also wanted to say that I admire but am confused by your rewatching of entire TV shows’ runs. The only shows I’ve sat through more than once in recent years are Freaks + Geeks and Firefly, which didn’t even last a full season. There’s so much stuff out there to watch these days and it’s impossible to keep up with it all. I haven’t even started season 2 of Mad Men, I’ve got four more series of Dr Who to watch before I’m caught up with that and there’s plenty of old HBO dramas, Breaking Bad and all those too. Do you feel the need to keep up with all of the critically acclaimed new stuff or would you rather stick with programs that you know you already like?
Well, like I said in the post, I’m in the mood for something familiar. Whenever I’m in the mood for something new, I’ll try something new. I don’t get cable, only Netflix and Hulu, so the currently-airing stuff I watch is limited to that (Vampire Diaries and Revenge, among others). I’m not interested in any premium cable shows enough to bother torrenting them; I’d rather wait for DVD (if I want to see them at all). I’ve been keeping up with Mad Men by watching with friends, but only because it’s a social event and not because I need to see the latest episodes so urgently. The only new-to-me things I’m remotely interested in are Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. I’ll probably also watch the latest from True Blood and Dexter when they come out.