Holiday Beverages

I love the different flavors of the holiday season, especially eggnog. So I am pleased to present three delicious and dairy free drinks to enjoy for the Christmas season.

1. Eggnog Tea

I know this sounds really weird, but this is such a tasty tea. In fact, I've already had two glasses today. To really amp up the eggnoggy deliciousness, add in a dash of Nestle CoffeeMate's Eggnog Coffee Creamer and enjoy.

2. Hot Chocolate

This is the easiest beverage to enjoy. Powdered hot chocolate is full of lactose, so instead I pour some Pure Almond Dark Chocolate milk in a mug and heat it in the microwave. I then add in some mini marshmallows for a delicious cold weather treat.

3. Coconut Milk Egg Nog

Thanks to the generosity of the Baffoni sisters I was able to try this delicious egg nog. It is so much better than soy nog and tastes very close to the dairy version. I have seen recipes online, but buying it is so much easier (if only I could find a store that carries this).

 

Let me know if there is another delicious holiday beverage that I have left out.

Facebook Friend

Just found this article in the Providence Journal today. I'm not really sure into which category I fit but some of it is so true.

 F‍ACEBOOK FRIENDS

  Are you a Diva, a Scold, a Yakker or a Feeder?

  By ROCHELLE OLSON MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE 
 

     When it comes to ‍Facebook friends, numbers are boring. These days, everybody who’s anybody has lots of friends on the social network.    But no matter how extensive that list is, the people on it tend to fall in a limited number of immutable categories. Some of these are annoying. Some are astonishing. None is going away.     

Divas: They never have a bad day. Their defining characteristic is that they are not at all interested in what you have to say. Whether they’re promoting a home-based business, a foreign-policy article they wrote or a lifestyle, Divas are just not that into you. You can respond to their updates, but they won’t acknowledge you — except for an occasional click of the “like” button on your status.   

Birthers: Recognizable because their photo albums invariably include a professional, color-coordinated shot of the family — usually in a sylvan setting with everyone wearing white or light blue. Their child’s every move is noted and followed by exclamation marks: “Dylan had his first taste of Kobe beef today and he loved it!!” As they get older, “Annika scored two goals in the season opener!! So proud of you!” They use ‍Facebook to communicate with a spouse sitting across the   room. “My husband did the dishes!” or “Spent the day with my wife and son. Best. Birthday. Ever. Love you!”     

Lurkers: You rarely see or hear them, but they’re vigilant. Some are aggressive, seeking out photos or posts by past paramours. When you see them in person, they will ask about something you posted three months ago.     

Dullards: Can’t be interesting and have no idea how boring they are. You want to hide them in your privacy settings, but you don’t because you feel sorry for them. You keep hoping they will break through. Examples: “Our daughter Hannah is packing for her semester abroad in Barcelona. Only six days and three hours before she leaves.” Or “Grandma is bringing her special potato salad to the picnic.”         

Scolds: They feel the need to rein in the fun by spanking anybody who posts anything slightly inappropriate. What killjoys don’t know is that months later when you gather with friends, someone will invariably ask, “Who was that guy who posted that scolding comment to your update?” You will respond, “Nobody.”    

 

Grandstanders: These aren’t people who post photos   of college mascots or comment on the outcome of games. Instead, they go to the games and post photos of the field with the caption, “We’re at the game!”     

Yakkers: You’ve left your ‍Facebook window open but you’re elsewhere. Then you hear the blip, a signal that somebody wants to chat directly. You feel a frisson before you realize that you already   know who it is and it isn’t your future boss offering a dream job in London or that hot guy from your high school reunion. Never. It’s always someone with the limp salutation, “Hi. How are you?”     

Olympians: They have their status updates synced to their running shoes so everyone can see their daily mileage. At 6 a.m., you will be taking your first sip of coffee as you ponder the day ahead, and an Olympian will have a 10-minute-old status update that reads, “Refreshing 8-mile run this morning. Off to teach back-to-back Pilates classes!”   A variation of Divas, Olympians don’t have time or energy to read what you have to say.     

Jetsons: They aim to paint themselves as the jet-setting leisure class or high-powered business travelers. The vacation types generally brag with pictures of beaches or talking about the trips every day for months before they leave or simply from the airplane: “On the runway in San Francisco, can’t wait to get to Napa.” The business travelers tend to grumble as a means to let you know where they are: “Another work trip to LA. Staying at the Standard again. Sigh.”       

Gamers and politicians: These are lumped together because they’re too banal to separate. Gamers just want to play “Mob Wars” or whatever, and politicians just want us to know how much fun they had talking to voters at the 17th annual Logrolling Festival in Duddsville.     

Feeders: They produce, consume and share information at enviable speed. They’re smart enough to post only the great stuff you haven’t already seen. Feeders ensure you don’t miss a buzz-worthy story in the New York-er, Slate, Sports Illustrated,   the Los Angeles Times or Granta. They are strictly high brow. Their cousins, the Bottom Feeders, make sure celebrity junk food doesn’t go unnoticed. They’re both great.    

 

Lost Friends: If not for ‍Facebook, you wouldn’t know what had become of these people. Attempts at letter writing fell off some time in college. They can never post enough. Hearing from them is like having a hot latte delivered to your doorstep before breakfast: delicious, cozy and delightful.

Favorite Historical Figure

So this is something I had written a while back in a journal I just found. I'm not sure why I write the things that I do.

Anyway it is my personal belief that everyone should have a favorite historical figure, it just makes life that much more interesting when you can compare it to the past and how people lived so differently back then. I love to read biographies, but since 2006 my ultimate favorite historical figures has been Marie Antoinette.

Here are the reasons why she was so awesome:


1.) She was a queen and isn't that every girl's dream??

2.) She loved to party and threw extremely lavish theme parties where she always had to be the one who looked the best.

3.) She loved to be around fun people. She refused to hang out with the boring, privileged people just because of their rank. Rather, she surrounded herself with attractive people who made her laugh.

4.) She loved to intermingle with society. It must have been so cool to have been queeen and have all the commonfolk stare at her and revere her when she traveled into the city. (which was very uncommon for the monarchy to do). She also loved to attend operas and other events in the city.

5.) She was the fashion icon of her time. She reintroduced the pouf, riding coats, putting feathers in your hair, muslin dresses, and all sorts of styles. She made them awesome. She even determined which colors were fashionable.

6.) Personality wise it is noted that she was well educated and she knew how to charm others. She also didn't care about the nonsense people were saying about her as she had a lot of proide. She was also known to be a narcissist but why wouldn't she be given her circumstances.

Inside Versailles

Hamlet of Marie Antoinette

Therefore, it is easy to see that she lived the life of a rock star and used her position to the ultimate fun advantage. I believe she would be a great time to hang out with even in this present day. Sure we know how her story ends but I suppose that only adds to her intrigue. 


Below is the trailer from the Marie Antoinette movie directed by Sofia Coppola:

Quote of the Day

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

—Lao-Tze

I heard this for the first time last year and I don't think there is a truer saying out there. I really try to analyze things before I say them (although I was a lot better at this when I was younger) and predict any potential consequences, but the truth is that you never really know what's going to happen or what people may think of what you say. You just have to focus on seeing the best in people and situations and being a positive person.

Favorite Christmas Song of 2011

I don't actually know when this was recorded but it is currently my favorite holiday song of this season. I really love country Christmas songs.

Holiday Jumble

Happy Cyber Monday everyone!! I put together a little Holiday Jumble for those of you who are looking for something to do. See if you can figure these out.

1.) D E Y L T I U E
2.) S T R E N P E S
3.) G R T T E A
4.) N S N M W O E
5.) L D P R O H U
6.) R E L N T A


BONUS: Take the first letter from each unscrambled word. Use these letters to solve this question.

Something you eat on holidays: A    _ _ _ _ _ _ 


Have fun!! (Although I'm not sure anyone likes word games as much as I do)

Grandma's Stuffed Artichoke Recipe

In our family stuffed artichokes are like gold. They are not made frequently, and when they are, it is in limited quantities. My sister and I always loved helping our grandmother make them. She is still the best at it, but we try very hard. Please forgive these directions if they are not very clear or detailed, I wrote most of them out when I was in eighth grade, and gram doesn't always provide specific measurements. She just "knows" what it's supposed to contain. 

Ingredients:


Artichokes
1 Piece of Bread For Each Artichoke (Stale is preferable)
Garlic Powder
Salt, Pepper
Corn Oil
Olives


Directions:


Preparing the Artichokes
1. Tear off small, bottom leaves.
2. Cut off stem from bottom and a 1/2 inch section from the top.
3. Using scissors, clip the points off of the rest of the leaves so they are blunt.
4. With your hands, stretch the middle out so it will be ready to stuff.
5. Repeat for each artichoke.
6. Soak each artichoke in a pan of water along with the stems that were cut off.
7. Boil the artichokes only (not the stems) in the pan of water until they are soft. (about ten minutes). This will reduce cooking time later on.

This is what the artichoke should look like after preparation.

Stuffing
1. Hold italian bread under running water until soaked. Squeeze it out and mush the bread together.
2. Rip the mushed up bread into smaller pieces and place in bowl.
3. Add and crush 8-10 olives.
4. Put in "tons" (Grandma was never good with exact measurements) of garlic until it "smells right."
5. Add salt, pepper, and oil to the mix so it is moist.
6. Cut the stems from the artichoke so that the outside skin is off. The remainer of the stem should be white. Chop this into small pieces and add into the bread mix.
7. Mush everything together with your fingers, adding in more oil if the stuffing is not sticking together well.


Preparing the Artichokes and Cooking
1. Line artichokes out to dry.
2. Start off by stuffing the middle of the artichoke. Really squeeze the bread down and place an oilve on top.
3. Stuff most of the top and middle leaves.
4. Line a pan with salt, pepper, and garlic. Add 2mL of water and about 2mL of oil.
5. Cover artichokes and cook them on medium heat until boiling. Switch to low heat and cook for an hour or two (it really varies) while basting with the juice from the pan every ten minutes.
6. Artichoke leaves should taste soft when cooked.

The finished product.

A Month Of Giving-Week One

This holiday season I vow to do something charitable at least once a week. For the first week I was inspired by my boyfriend who worked in Uganda teaching for a summer. 

If you visit www.krochetkids.org you can buy cute, crotcheted caps for $35 and under and keep women in Uganda and Peru working and educated. I love handmade products. This is their mission below:

MISSION

To empower people to rise above poverty.

VISION

To create sustainable economic development programs that support holistic growth of individuals and communities within developing nations.

To inspire the knowledge of a generation about their ability to bring change to a world that is in need.

I bought The Thomas as shown below and the ball on top is removable:

San Diego Overview

This isn't the most exciting blog post in the world, but I just wrote it so I could remember what I did on my trip. :) The picture above is the best picture I have from the trip (and of course it wasn't taken by me). It's from the sunset at Coronado on Saturday. 

Wednesday, November 16th: 


The trip started off with a very long plane ride next to an adorable elderly lady. Katelyn had the pleasure of sitting next to her. But boy was she a talker! She also brought a lunch of old salads! I didn't bring anything because I believed the airline would be serving me a chicken patty. I was wrong. Anyway by the end of the flight my ears were killing me and I was temporarily hearing impaired. 


I was dropped off at the hotel around 12:30 (The Marriott Courtyard in Mission Valley). It was a beautiful hotel, but it was not really near where we needed to be. So my friend Kara and I decided to try out public transportation. We took a LONG walk to the trolley (although the front desk told us it would be about five minutes). We then relied on the kindness of the regular riders to guide us to the Convention center. We had to take the green line to the blue line to the orange lines, and yes it was as complicated as it sounded. The best part of the ride was when Kara got into a fight with a homeless woman because Kara kept accidentally touching her bum leg or walker with her foot. The lady was quite angry and threatened her.

At the convention center we got our tickets and we ran into Rachel, a girl we went to grad school with. We did some shopping around the GasLamp district and then ate lunch/dinner at a random Mexican restaurant. Kara decided she was on the quest for the perfect fish taco (I guess San Diego is known for them). She wouldn't find it here, but they were definitely good. We then bought our first drink of the trip, a fancy Margarita. That night we went out to a bar called Bub's per a recommendation by Ryan. It was a pretty awesome place, it had good music, and a basketball net. The other Grad school girls met up with us and we had a good time despite being exhausted.


Thursday, November 17th:


This morning we woke up to the most hilarious news crew ever (as seen in a post below). We then decided to attend our ASHA convention. We went up to the poster room to check out what was going on there. Then we went to the Exhibit Hall where hundreds of eager exhibitors gave out free things like pens, stress balls, tote bags, the usual useful things. The SLPs all scouted out the booths which gave the best items and talked to those exhibitors. After that I went to a class about ways to assess Narrative Language. I was absolutely starving and lived off of airline snacks through this class and another one about Written Language. The classes were interesting but I would rather learn about treatment. We then hit up the poster room again before finally going out for some food because our stomachs were basically eating themselves. We stopped at a place called Sloppy Joe's.

We then headed back to the Convention Center where there was a huge buffet going on. Of course we were depressed that we had just spent a bunch of money when we could have had free food. At this point I just wanted a cookie after spotting them on someone's plate. I went around to people trying to track down the cookies, but they were nowhere to be found. We then headed to the Marina to attend the LSVT cocktail party. For those of you who are unfamiliar, LSVT is a voice treatment program that was idolized in Grad School. I was never certified in it, and I felt like a fraud there. But it was a good time, and we got to drink wine with the people we learned about in school, like Cynthia Fox. After the party we headed home on the trolley where a man offered to take us sightseeing. We declined his invitation. 


Friday, November 18th:

Today I was determined to do some sightseeing. The cheapest and most inclusive opportunity appeared to be the Old Town Trolley tour. We started it in Old Town
and it took us past the Seaport, the Gaslamp District, Hilton Bay and Coronado. One passenger had a really tough time following trolley rules. The whole trolley made fun of her because she kept getting up when told not to and then on two consecutive stops she exited the trolley only to change her mind and get back on thirty seconds later. 


We got off in Coronado because I really wanted to go to a beach. We walked over to the beach even though it was cold out and I was wearing a scarf and boots. The water smelled but I stuck my hand in just to say I touched the Pacific Ocean. We then walked to the Hotel del Coronado, which was beautiful, and was shown in the movie Some Like it Hot. We stopped in Spreckles and bought some candy and stuff. We then went to Miguel's where Kara finally had the best fish tacos of the trip. 


Next we caught the trolley to Balboa Park where we decided to get off. This park is amazing looking. There are all sorts of interesting looking buildings, all different kinds of museums and gardens. I'm not even sure of all of the things that are there because you would need over a day to  see it all. From there we walked to the zoo because I felt like it's something you need to see while there. I suppose I am not the most fun person to go to a zoo with because I am fine just walking through and glancing at the animals. Some people like to read the plaques and observe the animals which I find time consuming and stressful. Although I must admit that I LOVED the baby panda and I could stare at him for a while. He inspired me to buy several panda souvenirs. 

                 

After the zoo trip we went to the Convention Center and hit up the exhibit hall and some posters. For dinner we went to Jimmy Love's. It was nice to sit outside but at one point there were SEVEN people smoking in close proximity to me. I just can't deal with such an enormous amount of smoke. After dinner we went to a bar called Rock Bottom where I had a fabulous cosmo. 


Saturday, November 19th:


Today we knew we were going to be serious about learning. I finally slept until a reasonable hour and woke up to a Julia Roberts marathon. As much as I would have loved to watch that, I knew we had to get to the convention. My first class of the day was about an E-Book Club, which I think is a great idea for a middle school. 


I then spent some time in the exhibit hall and had a chicken patty for lunch (finally!!). I spent some time networking with some other SLPs. Around 1pm a bunch of supplies went on sale for half price. Apparently all the SLPs knew about this so they circled the tables until a man said they could "Go" and they then proceeded to stampede the tables, knocking each other over, and even flattening a woman against a table. No exaggeration. 

I soon bought some awesome cashmere scarves and then headed up for a class about working on  vocabulary in the classroom. That presenter did an excellent job. I then saw a few posters before  attending a class on dysphagia. (I find the medical speech classes way more interesting but tried to attend classes that actually apply to my job). After that I attended a class on T.H.E. P.A.C.T. I don't remember what the acronym stood for but it was actually a very informative lecture. 

Kara and I then decided to attend the ASHA post conference party which was held at the Hilton Bay Front. They had all sorts of food, including fish tacos, of course. At this point I am so tired of fish tacos. We made quite a few more friends. I couldn't believe how quickly the desserts disappeared. There wasn't even a cookie in sight. Next we headed to the Fox News Bar where we met some awesome people and had a shot of Cactus Juice or something. It was delicious. Rachel met up with us here and we then headed to a restaurant called Urban for some food and drinks with the rest of the girls. There was an awesome musician there named Trent Hancock. I also had my first glass of zinfandel wine.

Well that was a recap of my trip. It was a pretty fun time. I wasn't even too upset when my luggage was lost at the end of it and I realized it had been checked in under a different name. 

Things I am NOT Thankful For

Sure the holidays are a great time to reflect on all the things for which we are grateful. I fully intend to do this, but sometimes it is important to think of all those things which we are really NOT grateful for. Luckily there aren't too many of these. You/Things have to really annoy or disgust me to make this list. 

1. Mustard

Could there seriously be a grosser product in the world?? People think I am weird because I have a fear of it. But there are several reasons for this: 1. It smells bad 2. tastes bad 3. looks gross 4. has a funny texture 5. and an ugly color. Seriously that should convince you. People sometimes ask me if I have even tried mustard before. YES!! My mom used to always mix up my sandwich with my sister's as a kid. Nothing was worse than biting into a seemingly edible sandwich, only to realize it was poisoned with this substance. I would immediately spit it out and my appetite was gone for the day. Later on people started using mustard as a torture tool for me, chasing me with it, putting it on my bed, rubbing it on me. I even had an ex bf (I won't mention any names) who FED it to me when I wasn't paying attention. Needless to say I wasn't thankful then and I am NOT thankful for it now. Neither is this lady below from the Maury Povich show (an American classic). I think we have a lot in common: 




See I love ketchup too and I also worked at a fast food establishment. Hmm I'm not sure I want to have so much in common with this lady. 

2. Automatic Flush Toilets

Automatic flush toilets just stress me out. You make one quick movement and they are ready to go. That means one false move and toilet water may splash at you. I would rather just flush the toilet myself when I know I am ready. I actually breathe a sigh of relief when I see a manual toilet. Unfortunately I know one day they will all be gone, but this is not a system that works. I think the public should really be focused on toilet reform. 

3. Sugarland "All I want to do."

I think this might be the most annoying song of all time. Something about it just makes me cringe. If listening to it once isn't enough, it literally stays in your head for hours. Replaying and Replaying. No thank you. I will take Britney Spears or David Cook any day.

4. Shepherd's Pie/American Chop Suey/Venus DeMilo Soup

These are three meals from my childhood that make me just cringe. I suppose I was always a picky eater, and I feel bad about that. However, I think my mom overmade these meals and the thought of them brings back very bad memories of long nights at the dinner table. I especially cringe when I think of Shepherd's pie made with peas and carrots. Just corn I can do but peas AND carrots are the grossest combination ever. I'm not thankful for those memories. The WORST food memory of all time involves one night when my mom purchased something called Venus de Milo soup. It was made with all these weird beans and she would not let us leave the dinner table until we ate it all. My sister and I almost had to sleep there because it was so disgusting. It was almost like eating toxic waste mixed with nasty beans. No thanks.

5. Monro Muffler and Brake

I'm not a bad person. I give things chances. I've given this place two opportunities to prove itself. I went there once for an oil change last year and I was kept waiting an inordinate amount of time and then told that I had major brake problems with my car. When my check engine light recently came on, I returned here (it was the only place open on a sunday). During this occasion the employee took forever to even come to the front desk to talk to me and another customer. He then said it would be this ridiculous price and time period to do a diagnostic on the car. I just got my car fixed at Tarbox Hyundai and they told me that although there are several problems with my car, the brakes are actually good. Way to go Monro Muffler and Brake aka Huge Brake Scammers.

6. Milk

Milk has caused a lot of problems in my life. For 22 years of my life (except for one when I had an allergy when I was younger) I adored anything dairy. Ice cream, milk, pizza, you name it. Then I became allergic (I think) and I now have to think about what everything is made of. You would be surprised by the things they sneak milk into. It also makes me feel like a weirdo when I order things and have to ask for all these special orders. It has also ruined several birthday parties for me. So this Thanksgiving I would have to say I am not thankful for cow's milk. 

7. Germs

Visible signs of germs (sneezing, coughing, sniffling) typically send me and my sister running in the opposite direction. They are just a bad sign of things to come. We realized this year that maybe we are just not normal. We sanitize our hands every few minutes, overdose (literally) on vitamin C, and lysol the atmosphere. We then actually quarantine ourselves from any diseased people into Linda's house until their illness passes. Nurses we are not.

8. The Neighborhood Thief

Apparently there is some neighborhood thief prowling the mean streets of Johnston in search of a GPS. I am not thankful for this. No one likes to have their car rifled through, and I am just going to put it out there that I do not have anything of value (unless you really like Britney Spears CDs).  However, my sister did, and the neighborhood thief stole hers. In theory I really could have borrowed that some day for when I have to navigate my way through Cranston. Therefore, I am also not thankful for thieves on her behalf. 

Best News Crew of All Time

One thing I already miss about San Diego is the morning news crew from Fox News 5. I don't remember all of their names, but Raoul Martinez was the funniest one. I woke up to them each day and they were hilarious. They  do some things that others in the biz may consider unprofessional, but to their loyal viewers they are hysterical. They joke with each other the whole time and even make fun of the news stories they have to read. (Rightfully so, Raoul didn't care about Justin Bieber news). One time the woman anchor was texting her friend to see if she had her baby while the camera was pointed at her. She didn't even pretend to not be doing this but instead continued to text. Oh man I want to be a news anchor so bad right now (but only with them). Check out what they are like in this clip below: 







The weatherman is extremely funny too. I think we should hire them for Channel One news.

Off to San Diego for the ASHA Convention

Tomorrow morning I am off to the ASHA (American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association) Convention in San Diego. It's basically a mizture of seminars, posters, papers, presentations and an exhibit hall with over a hundred vendors. I remember in Grad School the professors always looked forward to it (and we did too because it meant no classes). I hope it's fun, although the image above is a little questionable. Below are some things I hope to accomplish on my trip.


1.) Attend the Food and Wine Festival
2.) Learn more about the needs of students with Cerebral Palsy
3.) Learn more about dysphagia treatment
4.) Hit up a beach (to see the Pacific Ocean)
5.) Visit a bar called Bubs???
6.) Score some free pencils
7.) Go to Balboa Park and/or Coronado
8.) Visit the Zoo
9.) Network with more Speech Language Pathologists
10.) Buy something San Diego-y


Other than that I don't have too much in mind. Let's see what we accomplish. 

California Themed Songs

There are so many songs that have some connection to California. I've really been rushing everything I'm doing, so this is nowhere near a comprehensive list. I feel bad that I couldn't put the time and thought into it that I had intended. Below are some of my favorites in no particular order:


1.) We got more bounce (in California) by Soul Kid #1. 
This is just such a fun song. How can you not just want to dance along with it and party??






2.) Irvine by Kelly Clarkson
This is definitely a very depressing song. She wrote it after a concert in Irvine, California, and it really has nothing to do with California. However, I love it (because I love sad, depressing music).




3.) California Gurls by Katy Perry
This had to make the list. It's not even close to being my favorite Katy Perry but it's impossible to deny it's charm. 




4.) California by Phantom Planet
This song reminds me of rocking out in Katherine's car (which would later become my car). Such a fun pump up song and the theme song of the best show ever!! Haha.




5.) California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas
I don't think I have anything to say about this song.




6.) Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers
What a wide genre of music I have up here. Another fun song to rock out to! Enjoy!

The Best OC Moments

In honor of my upcoming trip (not that I'm going to the OC) I decided to post my Top 10 favorite OC moments of all time. I'm sure the only person who MIGHT watch the videos is Melissa, but this is one of my favorite shows ever. I only wish that on my trip Sandy, Kirsten, Seth and Ryan were there to hang out with me. There appears to be a heavy focus on Ryan and Marissa because I do love them terribly, but I also love Seth, Sandy and Kirsten. They definitely deserved more appearances on this list, but there are just so many amazing Ryan and Marissa scenes from this show that it was hard to get equal representation. (Yes Linda, the "Nemo" scene with Seth should have been included).

15. Welcome to the OC, Bitch

It's the quote that started it all.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyFvcDV3tjw

14. Chrismukkah

Chrismukkah is the perfect marriage of Christmas and Hanukkah. The Chrismukkah episodes were always very good and below is a montage of them. It was the best I could do. 

13. Marissa's Frustration
I tend to love flashback scenes. In this one Marissa is recalling the horrid incident with Trey. I can definitely relate to just wanting to throw your computer out of pure frustration.





12. Marissa Shoots Trey
 In this scene we get to watch the drama unfold as Ryan learns what really happened between Marissa and Trey. Marissa tries to beat Ryan to Trey's house to prevent him from doing anything crazy.

Below is the parody of this scene from SNL.

11. Ryan overhears Marissa and Summer talking in Mallpisode

 The whole Mallpisode episode is great because it is when the Fab 4 get back together. I personally like this scene where Ryan learns that Marissa still has feelings for him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq8mBdxfwRg

10. Tell Me About Her

There wasn't much good about the fourth season (except for the next two clips). This is a cute scene between Ryan and Julie Cooper where they are talking about Marissa after her death. Definitely sad. 

9. Ryan in the airport for Chrismukk-huh?
 In these clips Ryan is in an "alt" world for Chrismukk-huh? meant to be like It's a Wonderful Life. In the first clip he learns that Marissa might be alive in this world then he goes to the airport to find her. I love the music (Sia's version of Paranoid Android) that is playing in that scene.

http://youtu.be/dGL4QmNuCE4

http://youtu.be/CmBuz_LQNCc

8. The O. Sea

There's a lot going on in this scene and it's all set to Coldplay's Fix You.

7. Marissa's Overdose

 The two videos go together. The first one is when the group gets to Boom Boom and catches Luke in Tiajuana, and the next is when Marissa overdoses on pain meds and Ryan saves her.

6. Seth and Summer's First Kiss

Is there anyone cuter and funnier than Seth Cohen?? Such a cute scene.

5. Model Home FlashBack

Marissa goes to visit Volchek (ew) at work and realizes she is in the Model Home and it brings back all the memories she had there.

 

4. Marissa's Death Scene

I remember being SO distraught after this and I think I watched it the day before my college graduation. It really dampened the mood for me. 

3. Spiderman Kiss

This was such an adorable scene. Watch it!!

2. The Heights

I've really wanted to go on a Ferris Wheel ever since watching this but no one will ever go with me. Look at what a fun time they had!! It was Ryan and Marissa's first kiss, and the whole scene is adorable.

1. New Year's Kiss

Could there possibly be another winner??