Did you watch the first season of Covert Affairs?

Honestly, I never thought I'd think of Piper Perabo as anything more than the outline of her character in Coyote Ugly. That was an awful way to judge an actress - judging a role not seen in its entirety, but only from clips of TV Spots and Trailers.

If you saw the first season of the new USA draction (get it?) Covert Affairs you were probably as pleasantly surprised by Perabo as I was. She's not going to be nominated for an Emmy, but she made the show a fun and interesting watch although I did have issues with some of the direction the writers chose.

There are a lot of shows out there that are quazi-throwbacks to shows such as The A-Team or even The Incredible Hulk in which the viewer is required to suspend some belief to rationalize a bunch of lunacy in the plot or characters. But it's a refreshing watch - these shows such as Justified and the new Hawaii 5-0. Not every show needs to be held to standards such as The Wire for cultural relevancy or 24 for nonstop intensity.

And for me, trying to open up to new shows in a post Lost world, I take comfort in the entertainment a perky new CIA agent running down trains and foiling international plots in the interest of National Security provides.

By the way, I did hope to continue my recent Monday theme of "Woman of Note over 30" but I needed to post this a day earlier for two reasons. I already have a post I've been wanting to post on November 1 and today is actually Parabo's birthday. Once again, if not for IMDB's front page of new birthdays, I would have assumed she was well under 30.

Pieper, I hope you enjoy the company of Minka, Amber, and Kim.

Who is this week's XXX star?

I've lost count how many times I've texted, "Welcome to Club XXX" to a friend on their 30th birthday. It's classic (as in Roman Numeral) pun humor. I'd like to wish another into the club: Kim Kardashian.

She had her 30th party at TAO nightclub at The Venetian. I bet she got a lot of money for hosting it there. Some of us didn't get such a venue (but I'm not complaining although a tad jealous).

She is now legitimately famous for being famous, although I still think Joel McHale had it right when he frequently called her, "...famous for having a big butt and a sex tape."

Ms. Kardashian has gotten some press from this latest cover shot. She went as far to say as this is the last time she's posing nude... that she wanted to get it all out of her system before she turned 30. Memo to the obvious: in the age of the Internet, you pose just once (or make a sex tape) you've posed forever. Shots like these are just spitting into the ocean.

Maybe I'll try to find a new focus and continue the Monday Thirties trend begun by Minka and Amber. However, did you you see what this 30 year old did? Not cool for us thirtysomethings.

Is 30 the new 20?

Last week I went a little overboard posting here and here about Minka Kelly, Esquire Magazine's sexiest woman alive. There's something refreshing about having that title go to someone over the age of thirty.

Speaking of people you are shocked are 30, Amber Lancaster!

Odds are if you are over 30 you haven't heard of Ms. Lancaster because she's currently famous for having an integral role in MTV's high school dramedy The Hard Times of RJ Berger. The show is an entertaining and heartfelt show (albeit raunchy) about a struggling teen daydreaming his way into the upper class of school popularity. Currently filming it's second season, I'm sure MTV will start rerunning the holy hell out of it before the launch of its second season.

Although I'm sure most actresses in Hollywood don't want their age known, let alone shouted as a strength, but it's a nice feeling to those of us who can't go a month without hearing, "Oh my God! I'm turning (an age lower than yours)! I'm OLD!"

Someone new heard my personal theory on my own age perception - it got a chuckle from him so I'll share it here:
I won't consider myself old until I stop involuntarily taking two stair steps at a time walking up to my condo and I won't consider myself elderly until I'm forced to take two footsteps per one stair.

Did anything today make you feel old?

Q: Are you old?
A: According to my divers license...

Let me remind all that in less than 3 weeks there will be the event
of my 30th birthday party. It should be the biggest event of the year... to date... that doesn't involve international political significance or ground breaking national history.

If you are reading this, you are invited. If someone you know wants to join you, they are also welcome. Here, again, is the controversial flier I created to announce the affair:

Jesse White made me feel old today. For that that don't live in Illinois, Jesse White is the Secretary of State for Illinois. For those that didn't live in Illinois 15 years ago, his name is attached to a highly popular traveling tumbling gymnastic act (but that's not relevant to this story) .

It's important to get your first driver's license - obviously
It's less important (technically speaking, although many would argue different) to get renew your license when you turn 21.
I think that "21 issue" expires in IL on your 26th birthday...

I know that my current license expires on my 30th birthday. But this is not going to be a story of a ridiculous encounter at the DMV. Jesse White sent me a letter saying, "Congratulations, you qualify for the safe driver..."

There is now a sticker on the back of my license noting that it's good for another four years.

I should be happy that the State thinks I'm a good driver. If I get pulled over, the police officer may be more apt to just give me a warning because of this sticker. It without question saved me time. I'm somewhat okay with my picture, and all the info on there is still accurate - so why not go with the sticker.

Somehow this made me feel old... but in a good way.

January 24, 2009 (30 years later)

All right sports fans.
There it is:
The official birthday party invitation.

If you're reading this, feel free to partake in the celebration.
I'm not exaggerating here, I've not been big on birthday parties.
The last one was a bowling themed deal back in the 5th grade.
(yes, that means I did not make a big deal of my 21st mainly because almost everyone I knew was still 20, and most of those didn't drink at the time)

My 30th birthday isn't the only milestone I want to mention now.
Although, the other mentions aren't as significant:

This was my 300th blog post at 'View de TQ.'
It also marked the 3 year anniversary from when I started emptying my mind into this media/format/time waster.

It will also be known as it's final post.

I thank everybody for reading.
See you Saturday, January 24
(feel free to contact me if you want more info/specifics about the event)

The night has all the potential of being a 'Worlds Collide' situation... worthy of a George Costanza tirade.