MacGyver and The Beach Boys

When my power went out a couple weeks ago, I wasn't too upset about it. I got a lot of reading done and rearranged my living/dining room, so it really wasn't all bad. Except that my car was trapped in the garage. I know what you are thinking, "Maggie, you idiot, there's a safety release on the inside!"

Pull that red cord to open it!

Ah yes, there is a safety release in my garage. BUT I CAN'T GET TO IT. There's no other door into the garage. Really smart planning.


So when Anchorage was under YET ANOTHER wind warning this week, I channeled my inner MacGyver. (He's really taught me everything I know about being resourceful.) Using yarn, duct tape, an exceptionally well-tied knot (thanks, Girl Scouts!), and the information in a Youtube video about breaking into your (or someone else's?) garage, I "fixed" it so I can get the door open power or no power.

Long story shortish: I want MacGyver to be my best friend and here's why:

1) He would have fixed my garage door. And made a generator. Probably out of the beer cans waiting to go to the recycling bin

2)  He ALWAYS has a knife and that's incredibly handy

3) His first name in Angus. ANGUS. 

4) He always seems to have gum around.

5) He made an electrophoresis machine while in a head trauma-induced dream in Arthurian England

6) Mullet. MulletMulletMullet.

This week's hot jam is Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys. When my parents first got a CD player The Beach Boys Greatest Hits was one of the first CDs we got. I highly recommend it. What's not to love about The Beach Boys? They sang mostly bubblegum pop songs about cute stuff like surfing and girls and love. Adorable.

Thanks to a deep love of Full House, I mostly picture The Beach Boys like this:

But look how cute they were in the 60's!

Seriously, what's not to love?

Countdowns and Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Kyle

I'm tempted to just post the video for Final Countdown, but I won't. You're welcome.

I like to get excited about things. (Who doesn't, right?) Sometimes I think the anticipation is better than the event. And that's why I countdown to things. Here are some things I've been counting down to.

1) The Olympics.

Tom Daley is 18 and I definitely don't care or feel like a creep. Take that, World!

I LOVE the Olympics. I like to watch the weird events like archery and badminton (speaking of badminton, did you see 4 teams were disqualified for throwing their matches??) but I'm also super obsessed with swimming, gymnastics, and diving (diving for obvious reasons. See above.) Thanks to my parents DirecTV service I can watch all 3500+ hours live.

2) BFF Alaska Adventures!

My BFF Steven gets here in 19 days and we are going on ALL KINDS of adventures. He's my favorite human being.

3) Speaking of Adventures...

Brandino and Jim forever!

These two crazy kids are getting married in 24 days and they are letting me perform the wedding ceremony. For real.

4) Labor Day Family Time

There have been a lot of milestones in my family this summer, so we are celebrating them all at once. You know, killing 15 birds with one stone. My family is nothing if not efficient.

5) Vacation!

Flying cuts 73 hours off my travel time

Since I've become a "grown up" (using the term loosely, of course) I haven't taken any vacations that I've a) paid for on my own and b) were not related to a holiday or family function. I'll be taking my first one ever in 87 days, thanks to some airline miles, a job that pays real money, and my upcoming PFD check.

This week's hot jam was going to be something else, but I heard Fire Alarm by Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Kyle on the radio this morning and became totally obsessed. (I've listened to 5 times already today.) A little bit bluegrass, a little bit pop and I super love it. Greater-Jackson, WY readers, Carrie is going to be in Victor, ID on Thursday, August 7th. You should probably go.