Best of 2010

I know I'm not alone in my fondness for those year-end "Best of" lists.

Since this has been a big year, Gleefully speaking, I'm taking this opportunity to write my own list: My top Glee-related experiences of 2010. They aren't all going to be strictly about Glee, though. Some of them are ways Glee has influenced me and my life for the better. Let's see if I can come up with 10...

In no particular order:

1. I actually won something! Back in May, I won a copy of "Glee: The Totally Unofficial Guide" from Rob at Gleeforum. This marked the first (and only) time I've ever won ANYTHING. I have to say, the feeling was pretty heady!

2. For my birthday, my hubby set this blog up for me. I have to admit, I had no idea how to even log on at first, much less actually post anything. I'm slowly figuring it out, and am enjoying the outlet. I even managed to link the blog to a related twitter. AND customize my twitter background to match the blog! Yes, these are major events. Trust me.

3. I actually learned how to upload pictures from my camera! AND post them places! This may not seem like a significant development, but if you'd seen my poor hubby trying to help me with my earliest posts, you would understand. If not for my fondness for Glee and sharing my projects/exploits with other fans, I'd probably still be languishing in a mire of technical incompetence.

4. One year ago this week, I hosted my first Glee night to celebrate the release of the "Road to Sectionals" DVD. I just HAD to share this crazy show with my friends, and it turned out to be the start of a nice tradition.

5. Chris Colfer responded to one of my tweets! I obviously don't need to elaborate on why that was significant.

6. In the 48 hours following the tweet from Chris, my twitter went from 2 to 96 followers. Granted, in that same amount of time, Chris himself gained about 6,000 followers, but it's all about perspective. Thinking positive, here! I made it up to 100 for one magical day several weeks ago, but then I actually tweeted. Lost a few after that.

7. Awards season! I am an awards show junkie even when I'm not rooting for anyone in particular. This year gave me plenty to cheer for. How I love seeing my Glee babies all dressed up and happy! I don't always like what's going on with the show, but those kids work so hard and they deserve to be recognized. The sheer quantity of nominations boggled the mind; the actual wins were icing on an already delectable cake. My favorite awards show moment? The "Born to Run" opening at the Emmys. Epic!

8. In a fit of passion, I spontaneously bought tickets for the Glee Live! tour in Phoenix. I'm a wife, mother, scout leader--a grown-up with responsibilities, gosh darnit! Sad to say, this was the wildest thing I'd done in YEARS. The three weeks between purchasing those tickets and the actual show were some of the best I've had in a long time. The anticipation was invigorating! I went a little crazy and had a mini makeover--a stylist friend helped me with my hair and makeup (no small feat). She also took me shopping for concert-worthy attire, primarily so I wouldn't be mistaken for my younger, cooler sisters' chaperone. It felt so indulgent! Cute and hip are not usually words I would use to describe myself, but when I went off to that concert, that's exactly how I felt.

9. My blog passed 500 views! I'm reasonably certain they aren't all me. And I know friends and family aren't checking in because this is sort of my secret outlet. Shhhh! So thanks to those who have popped in, and especially to those few who have commented. Even though I don't know who is actually reading, it does feel a little less like I'm screaming into the void, so to speak, when that number creeps up.

10. The best thing this year was *drum roll* Glee Live! and the time spent in Phoenix with my sisters. Amazing memories. It feels like a beautiful dream; the kind that just doesn't happen enough in life. Good thing I took pictures!

Wishing you a 2011 filled with love, laughter, and loads of Glee!

Gleewear

Not gonna lie, I'm obsessed with Glee merchandise. I get giddy when I actually see something in a store, since the pickings were slim for so long. The problem is that the commercially available products don't always appeal to me. For instance, why must nearly every product carry a silly catchphrase like "Free Your Glee" or "Music is My Life"? I like my glee where it is, thank you very much. And it is a bit of an overstatement to say that "music is my life". Incidentally, I have the same problem when looking for greeting cards. Give me simple and to the point!

I have a pair of lounge pants with the logo on them, the quest for which resulted in journeys to not one, not two, but SIX different Walmarts in an attempt to find them in anything approaching my size. The pants that launched a thousand ships...




I have two Glee logo tees with ONLY the logo on them, as well as my souvenir shirt from the concert in May. However, being a weird, devious little person, I prefer wearing things that test the gleekiness of others. If I wear a shirt that says "Glee" right across the front, any old casual fan can say, "Oh yeah, I watch that show". When I go out in my Nana Connie's Cupcakes shirt, though, only the diehards will get it. Pretty sneaky, huh? That way I can determine who the TRUE gleeks are!

My hubby is a fantastic graphic artist, and he designed these shirts for me. The square root one is from last summer, but the others were for Christmas. He used Zazzle for the printing. Having used both Zazzle and Cafe Press, I think Zazzle produces a better quality image. Unfortunately, my camera does NOT produce a quality image, but you get the idea.



I have several "as seen on Glee"-type things as well, but I'll save those for another time! I know you can hardly wait...

Glee Tree

I like to decorate a bit for my weekly Glee gatherings, and I was particularly excited for the Christmas episode. Naturally, things spiralled slightly out of control. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "The Glee Tree".

I made the ornaments with big craft buttons in bright colors. I printed out the promo pictures from season two and cut them to fit inside the buttons. Then I covered the pictures with clear epoxy (which, by the way, is the greatest stuff ever, followed closely by Mod Podge). The hooks and ribbons are just hot glued on.

I finally found a use for those stickers I bought ages ago! I actually had them done up as refrigerator magnets , but since there was epoxy left after finishing the ornaments, I used the dregs to cover them. Now they are nice and shiny!

The logo topper is another sticker/magnet turned festive decoration. It's glued to an inverted ball ornament.

Here are all of the ornaments...unfortunately, I don't have Sam, Coach Bieste, or Blaine, but I wanted them to match and those three weren't involved in this photo shoot. I'm especially bummed after having seen the episode! How amazing was Bieste? I am so in love with that woman. *sigh* Well, I'll just have to find a way to incorporate them next year.

And finally, here are the bitty sugar cookies I made to go with our cocoa. The trees are in honor of "O, Christmas Tree" from the Christmas CD, and, of course, gold stars are an all-occasion given. The gingerbread men with the sweet little heart buttons are for Kurt and Blaine. I thought I'd made plenty, but my friends set upon them like locusts! They were gone almost instantly, so I'm glad I thought to take a picture before everyone arrived.

Such a great night filled with three of my favorite things: food, folks, and Glee!

Dear Santa Murphy,

Oh, Santa Murphy, I want to believe in you so badly. Some of my friends say that you aren't real; that the magic is gone. I've been thinking a lot about that, and even though I have my doubts, I'm not ready to give up on you just yet. I know you can make my wishes come true, because you've done it before. You gave me a show that brought fun, friends, music, and laughter into my life in ways I never would have imagined. It has been the sweetest gift ever! If it's not too much trouble, I would like to request the same thing this year.

Obviously, I'm a huge fan of Glee, the characters, and the cast. I have to be honest, though. The show is different now than the one I fell in love with over a year ago. Yes, there have been some amazing moments this season, and I'm completely enamored of both Coach Bieste and Blaine. Still, something feels...off? Awkward? Heavy? Forced? I can't put my finger on exactly what it is. At the risk of sounding like an old fuddy duddy, I would like to express a few thoughts. I understand that my opinions are just that, but I write out of respect and affection, so I hope you will hear me out.

I realize fans love to get involved (believe me, I KNOW), but in this case, the customer is not always (or even usually) right. The worst time to take suggestions from fans? Probably at big events like Comic-Con where everyone is emotional and fired up because they've been waiting in line all night. At that point, they will cheer for anything. No matter how bizarre the concept, the crowd will go wild. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a good idea.

As much as I love Kurt (and Chris), I also love the other characters. I would be thrilled to see their storylines expanded and the actors challenged a bit. I mean, what's going on with Santana? She obviously has self-esteem and intimacy issues, but are those issues going to be explored? Please tell me the boob job was not just to pave the way for a few boob jokes! Does Mercedes grapple with anything that isn't in some way food related? Is the relationship between Mike and Tina built exclusively around Mike's abs and being Asian? Do any of these kids have interests aside from glee club and trying to hook up? There are so many possibilities! Yes, Chris is a standout, and he's certainly deserving of the attention he's garnered, but frankly, no one else has really been given the opportunity to develop much depth.

Please don't assume that all fans are young and/or left wing. I'm probably not a "typical" fan--over 35, religious, middle of the road politically. I do live in a painfully conservative area, however, and I'm sad to say that among my friends, viewership has dropped dramatically in the second season. The messages that Glee presents are valid, but sometimes the people who need to hear those messages are turned off by too-frequent "in your face" moments. Pushing issues may move people toward a degree of tolerance, but never true acceptance.

I'm not a parenting council, but I AM a parent of teenagers. It is dangerous to imply that all teenage girls "put out" and that celibacy is silly and backward. I, for one, hope Quinn sticks to her guns from here on out. Rachel, too, for that matter. I'd wager more people regret having physical relations too early than regret graduating from high school a virgin. I realize that sex happens, but I don't think respect for different points of view is too much to ask. Isn't that sort of supposed to be the goal of the show?

Resist the temptation to give in to the lowest common denominator. I think there is a tendency today for people to want everything handed to them, preferably NOW. And sometimes those people are extraordinarily loud and pushy about it. But it's okay to make the viewer sweat a little! Give us references to think about, jokes to figure out (or not), implications without definitive conclusions--leave room for our minds and imaginations to roam. Some things are just better left unsaid. Or unseen, for that matter. Feeling a little bit naughty is one thing; feeling violated is quite another. There's a fine line between the two. The first thirteen episodes managed to jauntily walk that line . Since public opinion has entered the mix, the line has blurred, making it harder to know where the limits should be.

So that's my two cents, Santa Murphy. Thanks for listening. I hope you have a very happy holiday. Please give all the beautiful, magical elves in your workshop a big hug from me. And a long vacation. And a raise.

Love,

me