Record Store Day is my Black Friday

Yesterday was Record Store Day, which is when vinyl fans everywhere can go hunt for special releases that are mostly on vinyl.  I've been following RSD since 2010, and I remember going to a local store and asking if they had the special John Lennon release.  They only looked at me quizzically and told me that RSD wasn't a thing in Germany.  I walked away disappointed and called my sister in New York to try getting me the record, but of course it was near impossible by the time she got to the store.  Four years later and to my delight, the same store and two others here in Düsseldorf participate.  I'm not one to wake up and line up at the local record shop before they open at 8 a.m. like these guys:

Happy campers at @LUNAmusic #RSD14 pic.twitter.com/36uKg11gse
— Record Store Day (@recordstoreday) April 19, 2014

The inevitable post about Game of Thrones

As much as I consider myself a pop culture fanatic, I also get into TV shows considerably later than everyone else.  Consider that I got into Lost, How I Met Your Mother, and Mad Men after their second seasons had already aired and finished on TV.  And I'll admit it -- I have never seen an episode of Breaking Bad or Downtown Abbey, watched only two episodes of The Walking Dead (which I liked), and only started watching 30 Rock in earnest this year, which is a shame because it is simply hilarious.

And then there's Game of Thrones.  

I only read the books because my husband had gone through all of them and had only praise.  It took me a really long time to get through the books that are out.  My first impression was not that enthusiastic and after reading the fifth book, I still haven't warmed to the series.

As for the show, I had watched a few episodes and again, was not super excited to watch it.  In fact, I kept having the tendency of falling asleep.  "But how?!" you scream.  It took me a really long to stop falling asleep while watching The Godfather and realize how brilliant of a film that is, so maybe this the same.

However, I'm forcing myself to watch this season because I've already read the books.  More importantly, it's for the water cooler talk.  God, I can't escape it.  Even though season four is only two episodes in, it's everywhere.  I can't be the annoying person that asks, "So, did that happen in the latest episode?  Oh, did I just spoil something?  Uh, sorry."  Because that's what will inevitably happen and has happened for the past two weeks.  True, I could just read the reviews for experts on The AV Club and that would save me the hour of watching the show, but then I feel like I'm raining on everyone's parade.

(Stop reading here if you don't want to read any spoilers.  I mean it.  I'm bringing in stuff from the books.)

The series finale of HIMYM: It's not about the mother, it's about the how

If you know me, you'll know that I watch only two shows on a regular basis -- How I Met Your Mother and Mad Men.  Both of these shows are ending this year and the expectations for both are incredibly high.  The series finale of How I Met Your Mother aired last week on March 31.  I didn't have time to watch it until Friday, so I might be slightly behind on jumping on the commentary bandwagon.  I actively avoided Twitter (we know how much that can spoil stuff for me), but unfortunately following the show on Google+ made me want to tear my hair out with this (I mean, seriously, there's so little stuff on Google+, who would've thought it would spoil a bunch):