Look at Liz, being all optimistic! Not exactly known for her cheerful outlook on life, Liz Lemon of 30 Rock still managed to find the bright side a time or two during the series’ run.

• “I don’t care. I’ll start my own group. Rejection from society is what created X-Men!”
• “Trying on jeans is my favorite thing! Maybe later I can get a pap smear from an old male doctor.”
• “I have been watching The Mentalist a lot lately because my TV’s on CBS and I lost my remote. I think I’ve become a body language expert.”

See there? She TOTALLY found the lemonade in those sour situations!

I have a lot in common with the fictional Lemon. People tend to call her by both her first and last names. She was Liz-Lemon much more often than Liz or Lemon alone. And, as I realized only after getting married and hearing so many friends, on so many occasions, holler, “Mary Wal—CARVER!”

It was weird, really. I’m not sure what compels people to use both my names, but it still happens now. It’s not like there are a lot of Marys around, especially around my age. Although, I was at Panera earlier this week and I swear I heard my name called by the sandwich people about half a dozen times in the hour or so I was there. And this happens every single time I’m at Panera. Apparently Panera is the place for the Marys of the world?

ANYWAY. As I was saying, I have a lot in common with Liz Lemon. She likes NCIS. I like NCIS. She loves Pop-Tarts. I love Pop-Tarts. She likes saying, “I want to go to there,” “Blergh,” “Shut it down,” and “What the what?” I do, too. (Granted, she may have said them first.) But see? We’re practically the same.

Okay, maybe not. But keeping her expectations rock bottom so she’s not disappointed? Well, THAT we definitely have in common – as well as the tendency to react to bumps in the road with a tiny bit of dramatic disgust.

I’ve got more thoughts about Liz and expectations and optimism (or a lack of). But for a Saturday I think I’m going to leave it here with the funny quotes and photos.

(And hey, the upside to this post, which I finished on a day I kinda, sorta felt like everything was the worst? Reading pages and pages of 30 Rock quotes had me literally laughing out loud. Win, win, lemonade!)

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