Celebrate Burt Day!

Okay, this was a bit of a cheat, since it doesn't involve much writing... but I really do like the Burt's Bees product line, and seeing this fun widget gave me a little nudge to share that opinion. I don't like the thought of using products full of chemicals, so I've been gradually replacing my old beauty products with natural ones. I love the Burt's Bees soaps, facial cleansers, and shampoos. I never thought I'd say that I love a bar of soap, but there you have it -- give me yummy-smelling peppermint body soap forever.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program...

Lately, I've been watching far too much TV. I hadn't been an avid viewer in years, but after Hurricane Katrina, TV started to be an easy, escapist pleasure for me. And over the past six months, the unthinkable happened: TV started taking the place of my beloved books.

For a while, it was understandable; between work and moving, life was just too draining and intense for anything but low-demand entertainment. But now, it's time that habit stopped. When I can't read before bed without actors' voices hijacking the narrative, things have gone too far.

So my Netflix subscription is on hold, and I'm making a conscious effort to use Hulu sparingly and focus instead on reuniting my mind with the written word. I'm currently devouring The Manny -- not high literature, admittedly, but when you're out of shape, you start with a walk around the block, not a marathon. I'll save the finer selections until I'm ready to run.

Keep Nathan Fillion on TV!

I realize my blog doesn't have a lot of influence, but in the spirit of doing my part:

This banner was a lot bigger when I downloaded it, darn it! But the phone # is 1-818-460-7477 (within the USA), and here's the directions (it's easy and painless!):

• Follow the prompts and leave your 30 second message on the hotline answering machine.
• Press 1 for "ABC Television Network"
• Press 2 for "Leave Comment"
• Presss 2 for "Prime time shows"
• Enter 226 for "Castle"

If I'm going to be 100% honest, I haven't actually seen Castle yet, because, well, real life has had me completely overwhelmed for a few months now. But I like the premise, and it's got Nathan Fillion, so how could it not be delightful? And I plan on rectifying the whole not-watching problem ASAP (I've already downloaded the pilot from iTunes). I feel certain that Nathan won't disappoint.

(Almost forgot! Here's a link with updates about the show's fate and ways you can help keep it on the air: http://community.livejournal.com/castle_tv/28872.html)