The Best 90s-00s Sitcom: Friends

The article written by Geraldo Russo
I'm usually not a fan of sitcoms, but I must admit that Friends has always kept my attention for all these years. Friends is about six, well, friends - Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey - who live in New York City. We laugh at their silly exploits and cry at their heartaches as they grow up through their 20s and 30s. I try to catch this show at least a few times a week, as it's syndicated on many different channels which I can view with direct tv.

One of the strongest aspects of the show is the excellent writing. The jokes and crazy situations the characters find themselves in are genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny. The actors themselves also have a hand in the script, as they will often use their own wit and knowledge of the character to give line suggestions. At times, though, the constant wittiness of these characters strains credulity, but it's best just to laugh and enjoy the show.

The writing is perfectly complemented by the strong ensemble cast. The cast members have great chemistry with one another, and they all play the quirks, strengths, and weaknesses of their characters very well. The actors believed so strongly in the 'ensemble' nature of the show that they all agreed to sign contracts as a group - if one member bowed out, the rest would follow. Due to the show's popularity, guest stars frequently appear on the show, some for one-offs, others for more extended runs. Overall, Friends is a show that will only get better will age, as it handily depicts the innocent, carefree mid-to-late 1990s.

I Miss The Snow

I msis the snow. Well, I will qualify that. I miss the snow in my old hometown in PA. The snow is different there--it is not icy like it is where I live now. You can drive around in it and not worry that you are going to slide off the road or into the next car.

But I remember when I was a kid that sometimes you had to put on a tire chain. That was only in the worst of the worst snow days. But we lived up a pretty big hill and on the days of the big snowfalls, that is what we had to do.

When the tire chain came out of the trunk, that is when we knew the snowstorm was a big deal. It was kind of fun actually.
Of course, with the tire chain on, we had to drive slowly. But that was Ok. The snow there was so pretty, it gave us more time to look at the winter wonderland.

When You Really Need Money, What Do You Do?

Haven't we all been in tight money situations where we need some fast cash? Goodness knows I have.
I have been money stupid most of my life. I hope I am finally coming out of it. I am paying down debt and making more money, not using credit, so I am making progress and am so excited about it. I want to stay in that place.

I know people knock payday loans, but I have to admit that in some situations they may not be so bad. Like you are going to bounce a bunch of checks if you don't make a deposit. Now, I know you shouldn't be in that position anyway. You shouldn't have outstanding checks that you can't cover.

But we all know there are extenuating circumstances from time to time. Maybe it is better to pay $30 interest on a $200 payday loan, then pay a couple of hundred dollars in overdraft fees? Maybe the better of two evils sometimes.

I hear that you can get payday loans online, which would make the process a lot easier. But better to get hold of your money and not need loans of any kind!

Joints Are Feeling Better

I mentioned in a previous post that I don't have arthritis, even though some of my family members do, but a few times last year my ankle joints have felt wierd. I am not sure how to explain it, but when I had been sitting for a long time and suddenly got up, it was like my feet wouldn't move well for a few seconds. And then, they would loosen up. I don't know what that was, but I was worried it might be the early stages of arthritis. I thought about trying some of the supplements I see advertised, like joint juice or glucosamine sulphate but never got around to getting any. For almost a year now my ankles have felt fine, and I haven't experienced that. Maybe it is because I have lost a little weight, am eating little better, or have exercised some. Just glad it isn't happening anymore.

Arthritis Can Be So Painful

I don't have arthritis, but I am lucky in that because several people in my family do. They didn't have the worst cases, but it did seem to be very painful. I had a friend who was in sales and she said some days she can't even get out of bed. Now I have a disability client who has RA, and she has the same situation. Most days, she isn't able to be mobile until afternoon. She is trying to look at different treatments for arthritis. Hope she can find one soon. She is a single mother with several small children, so her health is a huge problem for their family. Heartbreaking.

Setting Up A 529 Account For Niece

I got a wild hair today. Maybe I'll set up a 529 educational trust for my niece. And then my nephew. I don't think their parents have saved any money for their college or even thought about it, for that matter. And time is marching on. I looked it up and decided to open one in their state, but they can use the money to go to school wherever they want. I won't be able to save much money, but at least enough to help out. I am kind of excited about it.

Pimple Preventers?

Talked with my niece again last night about what are the best acne products  She says she hasn't found the perfect product for her skin yet. Her skin is looking better though--maybe it is just a product of her getting older. Nature is taking its course. Her skin has never been as bad as I remember from my high school days. You really saw some pimply kids back then! Maybe there has been some great progress in acne treatments that I don't know about.