Fantasy T.V.

This April, a new show will be coming to the small screen for our viewing pleasure. The fact that I am even writing about a television program is almost as amazing as the prospect of the show itself. HBO is about to release its highly anticipated new series: A Game of Thrones. I am freaking stoked about this! Anyone who has ventured into the realm of fantasy knows well the works of George R. R. Martin and his Song of Ice and Fire series. There’s no denying the appeal of watching a live-action version of this epic series. Fantasy has been sorely missing from the “boob tube”, and I am grateful for its long-awaited return. Here are three reasons why A Game of Thrones will be worth my attention.

HBO produced this series. This statement alone should draw viewers by the thousands. It’s well known that HBO produces quality—if not slightly jarring—television. What with award-winning shows like, The Sopranos, True Blood, Deadwood, OZ, and Boardwalk Empire under their belt, the future is bright for its first fantasy series. A stellar cast, excellent writers, and lots of money have been attached to this series. Most importantly, HBO is dedicating a full season to the first book. That tells me they will explore all facets of Westeros and its inhabitants. I would be shocked if the series fell flat on its face.

Finally, more fantasy! Television programs dedicated to fantasy are few and far between. No doubt because of the lack of public interest, but also because of funding. It takes a major sack of greenbacks to produce a quality fantasy show. There have been other shows in the past: Legend of the Seeker, and Xena: Warrior Princess, to name a couple, but most were not my mug of sarsaparilla. I can do without campiness in my fantasy. A Game of Thrones will be the first fantasy to delve into a dark, gritty realm. To say Martin’s series is graphic is an understatement. Rape, incest, murder, brutality, and gratuitous sex are just the tip of the broadsword. I’m not saying that I prefer this type of programming; I’m just glad it has finally reared its beautifully ugly and realistic head.

It starts on my birthday! That’s right, boys and girls. Mark your calendars. Sunday, April 17th, is the premier of A Game of Thrones. Don’t know the time yet, but I can almost guarantee it will be on at 10 p.m. EST. What better way for me to celebrate turning 33 than to watch the slow, painful destruction of the House of Stark? Grab a blanket, folks. As Martin writes, “Winter is coming….”

-Matt

The Value of a Snow Day

Do you remember when you were an elementary school student the night before a big snowstorm was supposed to hit? There was the anticipation of the day to come—the early-morning knock on your bedroom door when your parents told you that school was cancelled for the day. You were either grateful to close your eyes again and drift back to dream-world, or you were excited enough that you got up anyway, thinking of all the possibilities of what you would do. A whole day without obligations, tests, homework, studying… Snow days were little gifts from Old Man Winter, and they were always appreciated.

As an adult, I’m thinking Old Man Winter deserves a kick in the shins. Snowstorms mean grocery stores and gas stations will be overcrowded with paranoid people who think the world will end. Snowstorms mean a very cold (my old car has no heat) and careful drive to work while the superior beings in their fancy four-wheel-drive vehicles zip past me to cause an accident further along the freeway. And should I fear enough for my life to stay home, snowstorms mean I must burn a precious vacation day (and hey, we part-timers don’t get a lot of those, you know?).

Today is a crappy winter day. My car is encased in ice, and the sleet slamming sideways into the house. I opted to stay home, and yes, I’m “sucking it up” and burning those vacation hours. I won’t be sour, though. I will think back to my childhood, when I appreciated an extra hour or two of sleep. I will think of the possibilities ahead of me, which include two of my favorite creative outlets: art and writing.

I’m a little more motivated to write. I finished my morning chores, finished giving the husband a dirty look when he asked me to make him breakfast. This is MY snow day. I’m going to do what I want. Scrambled eggs and toast can wait; I have a character to traumatize in a climactic scene that I have been anxiously waiting to write for months. Oh, it will be good. I will journey out of Cleveland winter to the early spring days in Secramore. Nothing like a mental vacation.

I’ve got my heating pad, my blanket, my cocoa, my lucky wombat figurines…I’m set (oh, and my husband. He wanted me to add him in there.). The laptop hasn’t crashed yet, so I’m going to end this blog to capitalize on my snow day. I know we appreciate different things as kids than as adults, but maybe it’s just a matter of finding the right perspective. Everyone earns their snow day now and then. Here’s to everyone else who has declared an all-day pajama party full of frivolity and self-indulgence! You can chisel your car out later.

-Stef