Jess Mariano Deserves Better

When Jess was first introduced on Gilmore Girls, I hated him. I knew he was going to replace Dean as Rory's love interest and I hated how long they dragged out the love triangle. Rory kissed Jess while she was still with Dean which yes, is on Rory for initiating it, but it made me hate Jess more. Over the summer I overheard my coworkers talking about how Jess was the best guy in the show, which prompted me to write a long (never posted) blog about all of the problems with Jess and how he treated Rory, and how uncomfortable their fights made me. Having been in a relationship where I was treated similarly, I couldn't see how Jess's "bad boy" demeanor won so many people over when he treated Rory like crap. At one point I specifically remember telling myself that there was nothing the writers could possibly do to redeem Jess as a character in my eyes.

This was all before Jess's return in Season 4.

Jess didn't win me over immediately. I don't remember my exact reaction to his initial return, where he tells Rory he loves her and then immediately drives away, but I probably thought he was stupid. It was Jess coming to Rory's dorm and trying to tell her how he's changed and was ready to treat her as she deserves that cracked my cold heart a bit. I remember tearing up and being shocked that I actually felt bad for him. But his words were genuine (and Milo Ventimiglia being so darn cute and so darn good at acting the scene helped, I'm sure).

Jess returns again in season 6, this time much calmer and more obviously matured as a person. He tells Rory he's written a book and couldn't have done it without her. The scene is sweet, but the clincher is when Rory attempts to return the book as he leaves and he tells her "that one's yours". Sigh. I'm still mad at Logan for ruining the dinner between Jess and Rory that followed- he's a huge dick and I don't blame Jess for hating him. Every scene with Jess kept me wanting more scenes with Jess and more development of that story, but the incredible development of his character was mostly wasted as he ended up more of a plot device for conflict in Rory and Logan's relationship than anything else. Plus he only appears in one more episode for the entire original run (SIGH!).

The last time we see Jess, he's working a good job in Philly and insisting to pay back Luke for all that he gave him while he lived in Stars Hollow. Rory shows up and Jess still very clearly has feelings for her. Rory allows him to get his hopes up and kiss her, to which Rory responds "I can't even cheat on him like he cheated on me," meaning she's there to get back at Logan. What the fuck, Rory. I understand that she's confused about her feelings and what to do, but if she's so easily able to tell Jess that she's in love with Logan and can't break up with him then what the fuck, Rory. She's now used Jess and made him an unwilling participant in cheating in her second relationship (he kisses her, but is reasonably not aware she's still with Logan).

Jess isn't in any more of Gilmore Girls, a travesty.

But A Year in the Life was just released. Jess is still super cute. He and Luke are shown to have a great relationship, and he and Rory are still friends (though they don't see each other much). Rory, of course, has a boyfriend who she is cheating on with Logan and refuses to break up with because she 'forgets'. This was an unfunny running joke, making Rory now a three-time cheater in her own relationships (and don't forget, she broke up a marriage!) Rory is also the other woman in Logan's engagement, meaning that her devastation over Logan's cheating in college taught her nothing and she's fine with being a shitty person. And I'm pretty sure we were supposed to sympathize with Rory for cheating on someone while helping someone else cheat for an entire year in the story's time. They never even give Logan's fiancée a face, so you're really not meant to feel bad for her.

In the end, it's heavily implied that Jess is still in love with Rory, and Rory reveals to her mom that she's pregnant with (what is likely) Logan's child.

Should Gilmore Girls continue, Rory is being angled to end up with Jess even though she's having someone else's kid. Why did anyone, character or writer, wish to make Rory's situation the same as her mother's? Why did they make Rory such a terrible person? Why is Jess still in love with her after all this time? I agree, Rory was pretty great when Jess and Rory were first together. But how many years have passed? Twelve? Fourteen? Jess obviously isn't aware that Rory has been the other woman in, and cheated in, so many other relationships, but the writers are. And Jess is still in love with Rory. Rory is not a good person. She has proven herself as not having integrity in relationships. So Jess raising another man's child with Rory doesn't sit right when up until now Rory has regressed, not become a better person.

It hurts me, too, because I want Jess to be happy and get what he wants. But Rory should just be with Logan at this point. They're clearly good together (I say this spitefully- I really hated the cheating storyline) and now having a child together.

This is not to say I wouldn't have wanted Rory and Jess together. I think they've destroyed Rory's character and that Jess has matured so far beyond her at this point that they need to do better by him.

What are everyone's thoughts on the finale? Any differing viewpoints? I know Amy Sherman-Palladino said that the last four words of AYITL would be the last four words, but do you think Netflix will want to keep going? Do you think Jess is as great as I do?

Review: TheDollyEye Puffy 3 Tone Blue Circle Lenses

For a while I was looking for a place to buy inexpensive blue circle lenses. When I learned of TheDollyEye.com and their free shipping, I couldn't pass it up. I bought their 14.5 mm Puffy 3 Tone Blue lenses for $17.99. They got to me in less than three weeks, which for free shipping made me incredibly happy.

Naturally I have brown eyes, so I was a bit concerned when ordering that they wouldn't cover the brown enough and just look weird. I ordered them with no prescription.

The lenses came with a pink case. The packaging left something to be desired, with the bottles being simply wrapped in a newspaper ad (seen in the background). After struggling a bit with unbottling them, I managed to get the lenses into the case and left them to soak in solution overnight.

✿Comfort✿

I've never worn contacts before, so getting them in my eye proved a bit of a challenge. After I finally got them in, I had a minute or two with each one where they were extremely uncomfortable (though not painful) in my eye and I thought I'd put it in inside-out. Blinking and closing my eyes let them adjust, and I did get used to them. After this, I didn't even feel them. About three hours of wear later, my eyes started to feel a bit dry and I took them out. I could've worn them longer, but as I'm not used to contacts I didn't want to go overboard.

✿Color/Design✿

The color is really nice, and while not very realistic for day-to-day wear will work nicely for cosplay. A bit of my brown peeks through the center, which I'm not crazy about but I can live with it. The lenses are vibrant and I'm very happy with the coloring.

✿Enlargement✿

At 14.5 mm, these lenses noticeably enlarge my eyes and make me look more cartoonish. Even so, they aren't big to a point where I couldn't wear them out shopping or something if I so chose to. They hit a sweet spot between too big and normality.

✿Overall✿

These are fantastic lenses for $17.99 and free shipping. While next time I might try and find lenses that show less of my brown eye in the middle, I'm nowhere near disappointed by these and would purchase again. 

Thrifted records and sweater

I went shopping over the weekend with my mom and we found ourselves in the vinyls section of Goodwill. They had a lot more Broadway albums than I generally remember seeing and picked up two of them since it was a 30% off purchase day in-store. I've never listened to Oklahoma!, but it was in really good shape and I figured I could save it so my kids or grandkids might be able to sell it one day. 

I picked up Funny Girl and my mom insisted I get it because she loves the music and my brother has a vinyl-to-digital converter that she said I should use to get acquainted with the show. I am pretty surprised that I've never really seen or heard much from the show besides my brief exposure to Glee.

Initially I passed over this because I already have three or four sweaters very close in color to this one, but after looking through vinyls I regretted it and prayed it was still there for me to grab. It's in such nice shape and I can see myself wearing it often. Who cares if I'll walk around looking like a mint always, the color does suit me and I'll be damned if I become a person who can pass up a nice sweater.

Review: Mi Pac backpack (Floral Tapestry)

NEVER BUY A MI PAC.

I have a never-ending love for floral prints, and when I saw this on the tillys.com website I knew I had to have it. Even at $40, I figured this bag was a good investment because it would last me a long time and be totally cute. Within a week, I was in the Tilly's store at my mall to purchase the bag. On a positive note, it's the prettiest backpack I ever owned.

Pretty doesn't do much for me when both of the zippers break when you have to get to class and have no other backpacks at school to switch to.

Within two weeks of LIGHT USE of this bag (the first two weeks of school!), the right strap began to rip off at the seam. I was extremely disappointed but figured it was just a fluke, and the rest of the bag would have to hold together well. Give it about another month and one of the zippers began to not zip and get stuck before it slid off one side of the zipper completely. 

Granted, by this point I was carrying my laptop to and from some classes. But when the backpack has a built-in laptop pouch and is marketed as having one as an advantage to the bag, shouldn't that be something I'm able to do without the worry of destroying it?

After the first zipper broke, I continued use of the bag with blissful naivete. I could at least use it for the remainder of my first semester at school, and then maybe I'd get it repaired. The second zipper broke as I was buying coffee before I had to go to my remaining class of the day. I had to lug my broken backpack with books spilling out of it to my final class and then back to my dorm room. Within two months of regular use, the bag was completely ruined. 

I will NOT be paying to get it repaired, as I mentioned I thought I might before. It already cost me $40 and I don't wish for it to cause me any more grief. 

$40 wasted on Mi Pac bag. Pretty, but so are other bags that don't self-destruct.

Does anyone have any suggestions of where I might be able to find a bag similar in style that won't end in heartbreak?

The Light in the Piazza (OBCR)

A few weeks ago I was browsing the CD selection at the Goodwill close to my school and my friend found The Light in the Piazza. I knew that Kelli O'Hara (who I think has an insanely beautiful voice) was one of the leads in the show. I also knew from my aunt that it was about mental illness of some sort, but I didn't know much more about it, other than that she had seen and loved it. Being as interested in shows with unconventional topics as I am (Next to Normal is one of my favorites), I bought it and gave it a try. It was $1 and I've already gotten more use of it than what it cost me. It has quickly become one of my favorite musicals. The songs are beautiful on their own, but listening to them all together for the first time is what made me fall for this show. It's a beautiful piece, beautifully sung and acted, even just through the recording.

It also came with a book of lyrics including pictures from the original Broadway production, only further justifying the $1 I spent on it. It was a beautiful find and would recommend this show to anyone, even if you have to buy it at full price. I can't imagine why the original owner would've given it to Goodwill in the first place. The only downside to it is that the outer casing is pretty beat up and sports a few odd stains. The Light in the Piazza is stunning and I'm glad that I took my aunt's word and picked it up.

Goodwill is expensive?

I'm getting disappointed in Goodwill's prices. Two years ago I got my first Fruits Basket book there for a quarter. Granted, it's not in the best condition, but I love the book and I can't complain. It's just yellowed a bit with a bend in the cover. A few weeks ago I found my second Fruits Basket there with the price bumped up to a dollar. More expensive, but not drastically so. It's still not a splurge by any means, especially when this series is something I really want to have for my own. Last week I went to Goodwill and they had the manga series Pita Ten. I'd never heard of it, though it did pique my interest. Each volume was marked $1. After deliberating, today I returned and decided I'd buy a few of the volumes if they were still there. They were. And to my dismay, they cost $2 each. You're telling me that a few weeks I could've bought four of these books for $4, and now I'd only get two of them for that price? I know it's still not a lot of money. But it's Goodwill. I'm a poor college student. It just feels wrong to me. I guess because someone's buying the manga now they're bumping up prices. Who knows. But I know I won't be trying any new books anytime soon, I'll just keep looking for my Fruits Basket and pray that they don't get bumped too (though I'm sure they will).

Just another example of me being disappointed in prices recently: My brothers and I are big fans of Pokemon. I remember as a kid having gold plated Pokemon cards from Burger King that my dad got for us special. And last week, I walked into Goodwill and they had two of them. I was basically overjoyed to see them and ready to spend probably $5 on one of them. I flipped the box over - and at first I saw $1.00. WOW! What a steal! Then I noticed it actually cost ten dollars. Tagged twice so no mistakes made. I realize buying it off the internet would likely be more expensive, but really, HOW MUCH more expensive? This is Goodwill. They priced it that high because they knew they could because it was classic Pokemon and someone would buy it. I was disappointed and honestly a little bit disgusted. Back on the shelf it went.