What I'm Into: October 2014

Hello November! I know we are three days into the month already, but I’m linking up with Leigh share what I was into in October. Ready? Here we go!

On My Bookshelf: I read a ton this month. Of course, I did participate in a readathon, so I guess that makes sense! For full details, check out October’s Twitterature and stay tuned for November’s Twitterature post, where I will go into detail on each book I read. So what did I actually get through in October? The Dinner, My Life in France, Gone With the Wind, The Astronaut Wives Club, The White Princess, The Kingmaker’s Daughter, Dark Places, The Expats, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, and Yes, Please. I’m currently working on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the Wife, the Goldfinch, and Sharp Objects.

On My TV: We actually watched a couple of movies this month: Sex Tape (which was absolutely awful) and the Fault in Our Stars. I did like the Fault in Our Stars. Yes, I cried. But I’m still not the huge fan I know some people are. And I went into detail on some of my new favorite fall shows on the blog earlier in the month, but I’m still loving Marry Me! Scandal is so wonderfully insane, I love it. I’ve also gotten sucked into a new series on Netflix. Well, new to me. It is the Borgias, about the crazy murderous family that lived in the 16th century. I’ve listened to podcasts on this family; they started out as nearly nobodies from Spain and ended up having several family members serve as Pope. They kept the family going because the Pope usually had kids…it was a very dark time in the Church, it would seem. The show was on Showtime and only lasted three seasons; it is intense and definitely not for kids, but it is very entertaining! I’m nearly done with it. I’m supposed to start either Veronica Mars or Breaking Bad. Which do you recommend?

In My Ears: I’ve mostly been listening to audiobooks (I love Audible!). I mentioned it above in the book section, but if you are thinking about reading Yes, Please by Amy Poehler, don’t. Listen to it instead! She reads it herself, along with help from Seth Myers, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and Amy’s parents. It is only about 7 hours long and I listened to the whole thing in two days. I LOVED it. But there is some language, so be careful listening at work or around kids :)

Other Important Stuff: It was a fairly uneventful month. Work was hard and busy, James was busy with hunting and EMT class, and I feel like I just barely survived most of the month. We celebrated our six month anniversary by eating leftover pizza and going to bed early. I signed up and started training to become a CASA, and I’ll be sharing more about that soon. And I kicked off the When I Grow Up... series, which I'm super excited about!

That’s about it. Two months left in the year, can you believe it? I’m sure this month will be much more exciting!  

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Friday, I'm in Love: (Not-so) Scary Movies

When I was younger, I really liked scary movies. I remember seeing The Ring in highschool and after the movie I was driving home with my boyfriend when we saw a girl walking down the street with long creepy hair. I swear she was wearing a nightgown like the girl in the movie. Ok, it was probably just my imagination, but still. I loved being scared. One night, after coming home from seeing another scary movie, I was walking up to the front door of my parents’ house when someone came running around the corner. It was my dad, scaring the living daylights out of me! (They live on 40 acres, with lots of trees surrounding the house. Trust me, it was terrifying.)

But as I grew older, being scared lost its fun. My mission trip to the Amazon really solidified my feeling about most scary movies (another story for another time). Let’s just say that I refuse to watch any scary movie these days, especially if it features demons or possessions. I can’t even handle the commercials when they come on TV!

Luckily, there are some great not-so scary movies out there that are perfect for Halloween! Here are some of my favorites:

Clue – I remember renting this on video from Blockbuster over and over. Lots of the jokes went over my head when I was a kid, but rewatching it as an adult is hilarious. It’s cheesy and over the top and one of my go-to Halloween movies. Yes, I own this one!

Addams Family/Addams Family Values – As I said earlier this week, I dressed up as Wednesday Addams for Halloween one year, and it was one of my favorite costumes ever. Christina Ricci nailed it in these movies, as did Angelica Houston as Morticia. I loved these movies as a kid and I think I love them even more now. I own them both on DVD :)

Beetlejuice – How can you not like Beetlejuice? First, there is the ridiculously young Alec Baldwin (I didn’t even know that was him for years) and then there is Winona Ryder (loved her in this and the Heathers). Beetlejuice is creepy and hilarious and dark, and I love it. However, I actually don't own it! I want to watch it now, though. 

Hocus Pocus – Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy (you may not recognize her name, but you’ll recognize her) are wonderful in this movie. I haven't seen it in ages, but it usually comes on ABC Family at some point this time of year. I'll have to watch it again soon!

Practical Magic – I definitely watch this one other than around Halloween. Is it an awesomely made movie that won awards? Absolutely not. Does it feature Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, along with that one guy from ER that was always cute in a creepy way? Yes, and it is wonderful. There are a couple scenes that legit freak me out, but I like it anyway! I own this one too, though I usually just watch it whenever it comes on tv. 

So those are my favorite Halloween movies! Tonight I plan on curling up on the couch and watching the Addams Family movies for sure. I hope you and your family have a fabulous and not so scary Halloween!

When I Grow Up...Becoming A Meteorologist

And here we are! The first installment in the When I Grow Up... career series. First up is Matt Mahler. He is one of those lucky ducks living their dream. He's a meteorologist at a local station here in Oklahoma City, and he's answering some questions about his career, as well as sharing some very helpful advice! Now, let's hear from Matt. 

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Believe it or not, as a child I wanted to be a TV weatherman when I grew up. We had one come and talk to our class in first or second grade and ever since then, I've wanted to do that!

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? I'm living that dream right now! I've been an on-air meteorologist for almost 8 years with 5 of those being in Oklahoma City. 

What is your official job title?  My official job title is the Weekend Morning Meteorologist at News 9. 

Ok, now what does that really mean? It means just what it says! :) The Weekend Morning is my primary on-air shift at News 9. I will fill in on any other shift as needed, such as the weekend evenings or the weekday evenings. 

What is a typical day like? A typical day varies depending on what day it is. When I'm on air, I come in and immediately start working on my forecast. I check the forecast of the meteorologist whose shift was before mine, then check what's going on right now in the state and across the country, then start looking at computer model data to assemble my forecast for the shows. If I'm NOT on air, it could be any number of things, depending on what's happening in the state. If there's active weather, I'm keeping track of any active watches and warnings, storm intensity, etc. If the weather is quiet, I'm getting graphics together for the evening shows and recording forecasts for our radio partners.

How did you end up in this career? I ended up in this career by following my dream of being an on-air meteorologist from grade school. It was tough to follow that dream for so long as the distractions seemed to pile on, but it was worth it. 

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? My education involved the obvious high school education, which I completed in May 2001. I attended the University of Oklahoma from the fall of 2001 to the spring of 2006 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology and a minor in math with an area of concentration in broadcast journalism. The classes at OU were heavy on math and physics. Some of the hardest material I've ever had to learn! I also interned at KXII-TV in Sherman, Texas and was on-air with OU Nightly, the student-produced newscast at OU.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career?  Some advice I would give to someone wanting to study any kind of science, specifically meteorology, is the following: first, have a PASSION for what you want to do. So many people start in the meteorology program and don't see it through because they're not passionate about it. Second: know your math and physics. Those are the foundation to every single meteorology class. Third: (and this is specifically for those wanting to enter the broadcast meteorology field): intern, intern, intern. The more experience you have before you apply for your first job, the better. Employers LOVE experience.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? As far as other career dreams, I do like to think about what I would be doing if I wasn't in weather. It would likely involve something with the comic convention circuit, video games, or pop-culture in general. It's in so much of my daily activity as it is, why not make a career out of it?

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do "when they grow up"?  Pick something you would still do even if you weren't getting paid. Something you're PASSIONATE about. Something that doesn't feel like work. And when you find it, give it your all. 

Thanks again to Matt Mahler for sharing his thoughts on becoming a meteorologist and following your dreams! Next week we'll hear from another lucky person who is doing exactly what they want to be doing. So come back then!