Friday, July 31, 2009

just the perfect blend-ship...


This picture, from a J. Crew catalog, makes me wish I knew some little girls that I could dress up... and braid their hair together, etc. I don't want any of my own, mind you, just some that I could borrow and play with and send back to their mommies. I also get this way when I look at school supplies. I could pimp their lockers, yo.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Patti Mail... 5 Questions

Brought to my mailbox by Ravinia... can't wait to see Patti next weekend!

maybe i could nap under the desk?

I am so tired this morning, and I have no idea why, as I slept fairly well. Maybe I could find some dude to install a little nap nook under my desk, just like George's on Seinfeld. We are in cubicles, but I do have a lot of room under there... huh...

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

o, really?

Today's Yahoo! Horoscope.
"Dreams give you a great deal of comfort and insight, especially in the coming days."

I had a dream recently where Patti was a DWTS contestant. Anybody want to give me the comfort/insight into that one?

merce cunningham


Over a career of nearly seven decades, Mr. Cunningham went on posing “But” and “What if?” questions, making people rethink the essence of dance and choreography.
He went on doing so almost to the last.
Merce Cunningham died on Sunday, July 26 - he was 90 years old.

accidentally unhelpful

Have you ever had that thing where someone asks you a question and you go totally blank? Then you stutter out a stupid, unhelpful answer? And the person then thinks you are a total bitch/moron?

So, yes. I was on the train yesterday, ready to go home. I was early, so I settled into my seat, thinking my thoughts, untangling my ipod cord, etc. This chick comes onto the train and asks me "Does this train go to Fox Lake?" And I blanked. I was a) surprised that someone was talking to me, because it just doesn't happen very often on the train (this is metra, not the cta) and b) I honestly didn't remember. I get different trains sometimes, depending on when I leave the office. One of them goes to Deerfield, one goes to Grayslake, one to Fox Lake, and I could not, for the life of me recall if this one did or not. All I knew was, it went to the MG, and where it goes after that really is not of much concern to me. Naturally, I stuttered out a stupid answer (I think I said "I think so" or "I guess so" or something) and she gave me a hard look, and said "I think it does." To which I said nothing, but was thinking "OK, great, why did you ask me then?" And PS - wouldn't you think to, I don't know, look at the great big giant neon signs posted at either end of the platform? You know, the ones that list all of the stops - like, BEFORE you got on the train? Why is your destination suddenly my problem??

People ask me directions and stuff like that all the time. I have no idea why. Do I look nice? Or knowledgeable? Or maybe because I Walk with Authority/look like I know what I'm doing? Maybe I just look like Rand Flippin McNally?

One time, I was in New York, and someone stopped me for directions. It was my second time there, or something, and I felt very very smug that I seemed to fit in so well. Of course, she had no way of knowing that I'd actually just turned myself around as I had gone for many blocks in the wrong direction and only just realized it! I remember this very clearly - I was on Lex trying to find the subway. After this encounter, and empowered by my apparent nativeness, I crossed the street brazenly (if you've seen New Yorkers cross the street, you will know what I mean here) and promptly twisted my ankle. After that I limped down Lex for as far as I could make it and then hailed a cab back to my friend's apartment downtown.

Also fairly recently someone on the train asked me how much it cost to get to some stop or other - I have a monthly pass and genuinely had no idea. But look, I don't LIKE to be intentionally unhelpful, it just sometimes happens that way. In the case of the fare question, I busted out my schedule where there is a fare table and helped her work it out that way (see? Sometimes I am such a nice person!). But yesterday.... yeah. I didn't have a schedule on me, even. I was totally deer in the headlights. So, Lost Train Lady from yesterday, I apologize. Next time, I endeavor to be much more helpful. Or something. Now if you will please excuse me, I've just noticed a picture of Gerry Butler in the copy of the Red Eye that some other dude is reading, and I must check it out over his shoulder.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

i do, i do, i do, i do, i do



Did I mention I am gonna be a bridesmaid? Jane, one of my besties from high school, is planning her wedding for next June. This weekend, a bunch of us went with her to try on dresses and stuff. The perfect ABBA Tuesday tie-in, yes?

With Amy, in super cute dresses.

Amy & Heidi, in another contender for bridesmaid dress. Not in the colors we would actually be in, mind you. I don't think we want to be seen from space in that orange thing...

Monday, July 27, 2009

"i'm just a sweet guy who can't dance"

There's a really cute interview with Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl from Sunday's Sun Times And speaking of cute...

the ugly truth

Had a good time this weekend - one of the (many) highlights was seeing "The Ugly Truth" with Heidi (and we also managed to work out a time share plan with our favorite leading man...HA.). We went up to Woodfield, shopped for her immediately forthcoming Antipodean Adventure and went to the theater there.

I had posted previously about being rather on the fence about seeing this one, and if my great love for Mr. Butler would outweigh my irritation with Ms. Heigl. Well, like the house (and Patti), Gerard always wins, and I have to tell you, I think I am over my Heigl issues. I think I just really really hate her Grey's Anatomy character, Izzie. She was delightful in the movie, cute and funny, and he was adorable (even though his character was kind of an ass. Funny as hell though). Yes it was a bit formulaic, but I laughed. A lot.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

the lion at world's end



So I'd gotten this little video a while ago - a lion, raised in London by two Australian blokes in the early 70s, was brought back to Africa to be introduced into the wild. They wrote a book about it in the 70s, "A Lion Called Christian" and curious, I decided to read it. The blokes, Ace and John, bought him at Harrods and decided to call him Christian. Christian lived in a rather hip part of London known as "World's End." While in London, Christian lived with these two guys, played with them, hung out in the furniture shop above the basement flat where he lived, and was sort of like a really big family pet, gentle, affectionate, and playful. It's funny too, that these days people would be all like "What? You can't have a lion as a pet, that's ridiculous, that is!" etc. but back then, people seemed really relaxed and groovy about it like "Hey man, neat lion!" You can see from the early footage that Christian liked to play with Ace and John, and specifically, jump up into their arms, not in an "I'm going to rip UR face off" kind of way but a friendly "I love U! Let's play!" kind of way.

Fast forward to Kenya - after staying with Christian to help acclimate him to his new life, Ace and John left him in the care of a professional lion rehabilitator George Adamson (who worked with the lions in "Born Free") who was going to create a new pride of lions for Christian to belong to. They came back for a visit, and were told that it was possible that Christian would not remember them. Their reunion is so sweet and Whitney adds a lovely (if incredibly cheesy) soundtrack. Made me cry, it did.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

what's up with that, businessmen?

So. While reading the newspaper (the Wall Street Journal, the paper of choice for Metra businessmen) over people's shoulders on the train, I've noticed something that bothers me deeply. If anyone reads the WSJ on purpose (rather than peering nosily at the headlines over someone's shoulder in the seat in front of them on their way home from work. And shut up, okay? It's a half hour ride and sometimes I get bored.) can you explain to me why one of the sections is called "Personal Journal." Note the punctuation. None of the other sections are punctuated, but "Personal Journal" has that period at the end. Why isn't it "Marketplace." (or, I suppose "Marketplace*#!&@!") or "Finance & Investing." or perhaps "Finance & Investing!" ? Why that one section and not the others? Even the name of the paper isn't punctuated - it's not "The Wall Street Journal period"

I noticed it again this morning and puzzled over it for the whole ride (I finished my Harry Potter book last night and so had nothing to occupy me.) Does anybody know?

Billy has a new home!



From today's Chicago Sun Times....
Sir Elton boosts 'Elliot'
THEATER Rocker's star power adds to luster of musical announcement

July 22, 2009

BY HEDY WEISS Theater Critic/hweiss@suntimes.com
Sir Elton John was on hand to help herald the latest Chicago theater news Tuesday afternoon, just hours before he was slated to join his musical buddy Billy Joel for their second arena concert at Wrigley Field. And his message was this: Put away your boxing gloves and pull on your ballet slippers.

"Billy Elliot," the smash-hit London-bred musical that won 10 Tony Awards this spring for its Broadway production -- including the one for best musical -- will arrive at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre for an extended run beginning in March 2010. The Chicago production, which will remain here for as long as the box office supports it, marks the first national touring stop for the show that opened in London in 2005, in Australia in 2007 and on Broadway in 2008.

Based on the popular 2000 film, the show spins the story of an 11-year-old working-class English boy who upends all expectations by pursuing a life in ballet, and who does so at the very moment that a ferocious labor strike by British miners gets under way in the Thatcherite period of 1984. Driven by an emotionally rich (yet very English) score by Elton John, with book and lyrics by Lee Hall (who wrote the screenplay), the musical will once again be directed by Stephen Daldry and choreographed by Peter Darling, both of whom also were responsible for the film.

"Funny I should be here," quipped an ebullient John as he arrived for a news conference dressed in a warmup suit and shades. His devotion to this musical is palpable.

"The show has become such a cornerstone in my life now," said the musician, who recounted how moved he was after seeing the film version of "Billy Elliot" for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival. "In many ways it reflects my own life and my relationship with my dad, who didn't give me much encouragement in music. He was a strict, conservative man who wanted me to be in the military, or a banker.

"But I played piano from the age of 3, listening to Frank Sinatra and Kay Starr [an American jazz star of the 1950s], and then my life was changed by hearing Elvis Presley and Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.

"The sad thing is that my dad never got to see me perform at the height of my success in the 1970s, and that's why seeing the scene of Billy Elliot in 'Swan Lake' is so affecting. This is not a show about ballet. It's about saying, 'Please give me the chance to do what I really want to do.' And in this story Billy wins, while the miners realize they have lost."

John's fourth musical
This is John's fourth musical in 12 years -- after "Aida" (which had its pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago), "The Lion King" and the ill-fated "Lestat."

"I'm just beginning to learn how to make musicals," said the composer. "I love the process, especially the collaboration. And I think the more I write, the better I get at it."

Eric Fellner, a producer of both the film and musical, confessed that when he first read the screenplay it had all the elements of a commercial disaster.

"It stars a kid, so that means no big-name star; it's set in the north of England, and it's about a boy who wants to become a ballet dancer," he said, smiling. "But it also had heart spilling out of it."

Another producer, John Finn, confessed that if they'd really known how hard it would be to cast the role of Billy, they might have had second thoughts.

"The kid playing that role is never off stage. He must sing, dance and act, and in addition to all that he also must master the northern England accent," Finn noted. "In New York we looked at 2,000 lads over a period of six months. We cast three, and needed to have a fourth as understudy."

Chicago a good starter
Chicago undoubtedly got the nod for the first national touring production for several reasons -- the excellent track record for such shows as "Wicked" and "Jersey Boys" not the least of them.

"Well, we weren't going to start it in Alabama," John said. "And of course this is a very sophisticated city with a great theater audience. The film did well here, I've always enjoyed performing here, and this is where I first got sober 19 years ago."

Casting for the Chicago production will begin in August.

"The training period for the boys varies, depending on how much ballet they've had," Finn said. "I knew nothing about dance until I worked on 'Billy Elliot,' but I've gained so much respect for dancers in the process."

Tickets are currently on sale for groups of 20 or more at (312) 977-1710. The Broadway in Chicago 2010 spring-summer subscription series, which includes "Billy Elliot," will go on sale in September, with single tickets ($28-$100) becoming available in November.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Playbill News: Ravinia Sondheim Celebration Concert to Feature LuPone, McDonald, Hearn and Cerveris

Already looking forward to next summer!!
Playbill News: Ravinia Sondheim Celebration Concert to Feature LuPone, McDonald, Hearn and Cerveris

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sing a new song, chicken tikka...

Welcome to ABBA Tuesday! Today, for your listening pleasure/amusement, I give you "Chiquitita." There is a much more amusing video on YouTube, where the Swedish Fab Four are singing this with a snowman (!?) in the background, apparently for a Christmas special, but I couldn't embed it here. There is also a brilliant Mamma Mia! movie parody by the wonderful & fabulous Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that features a great take on this song, but I can't embed that either, but it's worth a poke around on YouTube to find it. Hillarious. Almost as funny as that Xmas special footage. Seriously.



ABBA recognized that this song was not like the other pop music that they had so far been doing (this one comes from January 1979, I was a little over a month old!) but Benny Andersson notes, in the book "Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You" "You should never be afraid of trying out weird stuff because that's when it becomes music & something worth listening to, rather than always following the mainstream."

Monday, July 20, 2009

An interview with WonWon



Interview with Rupert Grint in Time Out New York:

Having played second fiddle to Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter films for all of these years, Rupert Grint (who portrays Ron Weasley) finally seems to be coming into his own. In the franchise’s sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Ron gets to be a Quidditch star, continues his awkward teen romance with Hermione (Emma Watson) and otherwise has a pretty nice time doing magic and stuff. As the series winds down (the final book is still being filmed), we spoke to Grint from the U.K. about his Hogwarts legacy.

Still filming the last Potter?
Yeah, we’re nearly halfway there. We’re sort of filming in the forest at the moment. It’s going really well. It’s a lot to include, because it’s two films. We’re doing part one and part two. I’m enjoying it.

Excited to be just plain old Rupe again, as opposed to Ron Weasley?
Yeah, I mean, I think it’s going to be quite weird when it’s all over, because it has been such a massive part of my life. I think I’ll miss it, in a way, but I am looking forward to freedom, really, when it’s all over.

What will you do to celebrate?
I don’t know, really. I haven’t thought about it too much, but I’m expecting Warner Bros. might have some kind of celebration. It’s gonna be good.

Oh really? I pictured all of you Hogwarts grads smoking cigars and setting money on fire.
[Laughs] Yeah.

Getting any good souvenirs from the set?
I got a few things over the years. I have a tie. The Gryffindor tie. I’ve never really been given anything, but maybe at the end of this one we’ll get to keep a wand or something.

I guess all the best swag is CGI.
Oh, yeah, yeah. But there’s some really good props. But they don’t really like giving stuff away, because there’s been a few cases where people have stolen stuff and sold it on eBay. They don’t really like that.

Hagrid’s beard?
That could be quite good. Yeah. I don’t know what I’d do with it.

That’d be awesome, though, walking around like you were Moses.
Well, it’s kind of made for Robbie [Coltrane]’s face; unless you have that size head, it really wouldn’t look right.

How much do you want for it?
[Laughs nervously] Really? I don’t know, those beards are worth a lot, because they’re real hair and all handmade and stuff. So I expect they’re quite a lot.

You know, you could slay women here with your accent and soft-spoken ways.
Yeah, you say that, but people tend to think I’m Australian over there. But I guess the English accent is quite popular there as well.

Australian or no, you’re Rolling Stone’s hottest sidekick. You could rule this city!
Well, we’ll be going there in a couple of weeks, in July, for the Half-Blood Prince promotional tour.

Would you rather be the hero or the sidekick, generally speaking?
I’ve always liked the character of Ron. He was my favorite when I was reading the books. I’ve always felt a kind of connection to him, because I’ve found certain similarities between us. Just little things, like us both being ginger, and I have a few brothers and sisters as well. I thought he was funny in the books as well. So, yeah, it doesn’t bother me.

What’s the best way to duck a mob of screaming young girls?
I don’t know, really. It doesn’t happen much here. It’s mainly when we’re in America when they’re much more crazy and forward. Mainly it’s just people staring. It took me a while to adjust to that, because it is sort of a strange experience, being known when you go out.

There’s an online quiz that sorts you into Harry Potter houses, and my brother’s friend—a big, burly dude—became distraught after he was put in Hufflepuff. Didn’t come out of his room all weekend. Overreaction?
No way! [Laughs] That really affected him? That is so weird. I probably wouldn’t mind.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens Wed 15.

"a grim mood has gripped the country..."

From Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince...

"The Prime Minister felt it himself; people really did seem more miserable than usual. Even the weather was dismal; all this chilly mist in the middle of July...It wasn't right, it wasn't normal..." (emphasis mine!)

The book goes on to say that the chilly mist surrounding the country has to do with the escaped dementors, breeding. It all makes some sense now, doesn't it??? Everyone start working on your Patronus charms, or else the Dementors will suck all the joy out of our summer. Oh, wait...

I just found the Sorting Hat Quiz
and I took it again, for old times' sake. I am in Gryffindor!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

(still) wild about harry...


Before I start talking about my trip to Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince I want to know: WHERE THE HELL IS SUMMER??? I should be wearing shorts and a tank top, and running inside chilly air conditioned buildings to avoid the scorching heat & humidity & naturally whining my butt off about it the entire time. Instead, I am wearing sweats (!) and sitting inside talking to y'all. I WANT MY MONEY BACK.

Ok, sorry. So the 6th installment of the Harry Potter saga was released last week. I was really tempted to go to a midnight screening, but I abstained because I would have been completely wrecked the following day at work, and bitchy government grant forms are complicated enough to fill out without my being exhaustedly tired on top of it. Anyway- decided to absolutely and definitely take in the movie (I refuse to call them "flicks" as in "I took in a flick this weekend." Blerg, yucky! That should be illegal.) this weekend. Yesterday was the perfect Saturday in that I did absolutely nothing. This morning, after the gym and breakfast, it was off to Old Orchard for an 11:15 show (only $5!).

I went into this movie a little bit unprepared. I have read the books - several times, actually. Before the 7th one came out, I re-read the series again so I'd be prepared. But the 7th one was so depressing, I have sort of blocked it out of my mind, and have not read any of them since then. So for a while I was sitting there going "wait - what's happening now? what's with that cabinet? What's the deal with Jim Broadbent (aka Prof. Slughorn)? I didn't even recall who exactly the titular half blood prince was right away. This allowed me though to watch the movie without doing a lot of nitpicking about how it was different from the book.

And... I really enjoyed it. It was very dark - death eaters and dark marks all over the place and Helena Bonham Carter cackling wildly as the wickedly creepy Bellatrix LeStrange (still love that name though!). Alan Rickman is still the most inspired casting choice EVER as Serverus "is-he-good-or-is-he-evil" Snape. He didn't have a LOT to do in this movie (except, obviously for a rather big happening at the end...) but glower menacingly, and he did that with delicious leering creepiness, all stringy black greasy hair and crazy eyes and looming evil(ness). The other prize for best casting goes to whoever put Kenneth Branagh in as Gilderoy Lockheart. As Ron might say "Brilliant!"

Moving on. It wasn't ALL doom and gloom and Lord Voldything - Harry, Ron and Hermione are all teenagers, after all, and are still totally full of raging hormones. There was a great scene where Ron had come under a love spell intended for Harry, and some other good stuff exploring Harry's budding relationship with Ginny. The Weasley twins, Fred and George, last seen escaping Imelda Staunton's (whoops, I mean, Professor Umbrage's) Hogwarts regime, also have a brief cameo here, as we see inside their new magical joke shop. Ron also gets a moment to shine as a Quidditch hero. We also learn that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has split his soul into seven pieces, into objects called Horcruxes that play a huge part in the 7th and final book, as the only way to destroy old Voldy is to destroy all of these things.

As we near the end of the film, Harry realizes that it is up to him to finish what has been started. He's The Chosen One, after all. The 7th film will actually be split into two films - a lovely way to tell the whole story while prolonging the series and increasing their merchandising $$. Well played, Warner Brothers. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go and re-read the book.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

who you callin' ahoy?

A rather enigmatic Yahoo horoscope today...

Quickie
Pick up the phone and say hi or salut or ahoy. Any language works! Just call! (Interestingly, this does not tell me who I am supposed to be calling...)

Overview
It's a good time for you to drill down and forget about the big picture for now -- you've got to make the trains run on time before you can think about laying down any new tracks! (Now I am apparently working for Metra? What does this even mean?)

help!

I am totally obsessed with the Cirque du Soleil show The Beatles "Love" that I saw when I was in Vegas. I bought the album "Love" full of the re-mixed songs and I well, really love it. Check out the clip I found on YouTube of "Help!" Which was incedible live. I want to go back and see it again, who's coming with me?

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

la question c'est voulez-vous...

Bonjour and happy bastille day, mes amies! Here is your petit ABBA video for this Tuesday - mais oui, it is Voulez-Vous! A bientot! ("A bien-WHAT?")

Thursday, July 09, 2009

"make no little plans..."

So, I've been thinking (yes, that IS what that sound was!) - my recent trip to Vegas has left me a little light in the wallet, but fortunately, daydreaming is free! Anyway, I had this idea, and it came to me after a day of wandering the Strip. Aside from the Second City comedy revue, there is nothing Chicago-themed in Vegas. There's Paris, there's Venice, there's Rome. There's a big, freaky circus, and a jungle, and pirate-hookers (whoops, I mean, Sirens). When I was walking around, I was like, well, you know, Chicagoans are hearty and hard-working, and other stuff like that. Not at all Vegasy. But then I got to thinking - Why the hell not? We could be Vegasy if we wanted to - what do all of those other places got that we ain't got (except, perhaps, a better grasp of grammar)? We have a lake! We have Oprah! We have sports teams! We have gangsters and good pizza and lots of great landmarks. When I was taking my gondola ride at the Venetian, my gondolier asked where I was from. When I told her, she, and about 5 of her fellow gondoliers burst into an impromptu rendition of "Chicago (that toddlin' town)" especially for me (it was kind of a slow afternoon.) As I am rather fond of saying - when you say "Chicago" everyone knows what you're talking about. You don't have to name it twice.

So - ladies and gentlemen (and Steve Wynn, if you're listening!) may I proudly present my as-yet-unnamed (but taking suggestions) Chicago-themed Vegas resort! Think of it! A giant ferris wheel out front, a White City themed lobby, and a casino area called "the Midway" - a pool shaped like Lake Michigan, with lovely non-polluted sand beaches, an inside "El train" roller coaster that people could ride, a luxe shopping area called the "Magnificent Mile" and mini-versions of the Sears Tower that people could go up in, the Hancock building, and the Adventures in Babysitting building (you know what I mean!) and the Picasso statue. Our hotel towers would be named after our sports teams (the Cubs wing! the Sox wing!) or our former mayors. We could have a theater with a marquee that look like the iconic Chicago Theater's. We'd have a permanently running Broadway musical in the house (Chicago naturally) And best of all, we'd have restaurants serving the best food in Vegas - Chicago deep dish pizza, hot dogs, an outpost of the Kielbasa King, etc. We could have a Western branch of the Art Institute with glitzed up lions sitting at the entrance, and exhibitions making their way through (who says only the Bellagio can have art?). We'd have to Vegas up the Buckingham Fountain, too - make it bigger, put some flashing colored lights in there, add some music and voila! Instant Vegas attraction. I am loving this!

Oh, it would be great. So who's with me? Oprah? Steve? Anybody?

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

get yer disco (back) on!

ABBA Tuesdays are BACK! I would miss them too much otherwise, so I've decided to make this The Summer of ABBA Tuesday and will be posting videos, tidbits, pictures, etc. from now until the end of the summer, or until I get tired of it, whichever comes first. Woohoo! Today's selection is "Summer Night City" which, incidentally, was the original working title of the musical - even though this song does not appear to be in the musical. Maybe that's why they decided to go with the much snappier "Mamma Mia!" This song is so weirdly hypnotic, just listen to it for two seconds and you will have the refrain of "Summer Night Citaaayyyy" in your head the rest of the day. You're welcome.

Monday, July 06, 2009

the proposal

Saw "The Proposal" on Friday night, after a delicious, delicious meal at Mykonos. Oh, how I love Greek food. But anyway. I really really liked the movie. It was not rocket science, you know, but it was light and funny and happy and sometimes that is all I really look for in a movie. Sandra Bullock has to be one of the most adorable, likeable actresses around today. Her character, Margaret Tate is not a nice person - I mean, come on, she bribes her assistant to marry her so she doesn't get deported! After a wild eagle snatches her phone, on their trip to Palin-land she offers it a fluffy white puppy instead! Not nice! But Sandra made her seem - well, not so bad. Human. Relatable.

And can we talk about Ryan Reynolds for just a moment? Lovely! {sighhhhh}

Sorry, she said, wiping drool from her keyboard, what were we talking about? Oh, right. The movie. Focus. Deep breaths. Anyway, the plot was a little predictable, but the movie made me laugh. I had a great time. There were some great supporting players too, including Betty White's "Gammy" and Oscar Nunez's exotic dancing "Ramon."

So go and see it with your girlfriends and have a good time. Stay for the end credits. Maybe if you are lucky, some idiot will be setting off fireworks in the Chasers parking lot. Fun for the whole family!

Palin's speech sends bizarre meter atwitter :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Richard Roeper

As much as I would like her to go away, I can't help but wonder if she'd be a better governor than Blagojevich... then again, this pair of scissors would probably be a better governor than Blagojevich... Huh. Better for her to just go away, then.

Palin's speech sends bizarre meter atwitter :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Richard Roeper

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Saturday, July 04, 2009

there's STILL gonna be bbq, dammit!

Just got back from the MG's (rather soggy!) parade. Mom and I huddled in the shelter of an overhang (thank goodness there are still a few surviving businesses on dempster st.!) and so we were dry, but had to stand for the entire affair. As the parade went on, it rained harder and harder - the Shriners on their mini-motorcycles had plastic bags on over their stupid fez hats, which kinda made it look like they had lampshades on their heads...

Otherwise it was a pretty standard parade, it opened with local cops, firemen, and tow trucks from LinMar. Some people were throwing candy. One year, the LinMar truck was distributing hot dogs to the crowd. There were a variety of marching bands (only one of them was actually from Illinois, and that one was from some place called "New Lenox") which might have been good, but since we were standing pretty close to the start of the parade route, we didn't hear them do a lot of playing. They just walked by, twiddling their flags, so to speak, and looking wet. The Jesse White tumblers were on hand, but since it was raining, they just drove by us in a minivan, their mats and trampoline secured to the roof. Blerg. There were some folks from the Action Party (who I did not vote for - their shirts said "Leading the Way" - "to what?" I asked, but none of them answered me.) The (6) marching Girl Scouts did not have any cookies on them. They must have extras, so why not hurl a box or two of thin mints our way, ladies? There were some assorted Republicans floating around too, as well as a tribe of Bolivian folk dancers, a whole bunch of Shriners, clowns (doing the same jokes every year. I mean, really? No new material?) and a group identifying themselves as "Freinds of the Morton Grove Forest Preserve" - yes, they misspelled "Friends" on the sign they were carrying - whoops! Guess they weren't "freinds" of the spell checker, eh?

All this might sound as though I did not enjoy myself - I did! For nearly every year that I can remember, I've celebrated the 4th of July the exact same way - the parade, bbq with my family, including our legendary ice cream pudding cake, the carnival, and then the fireworks. When I was young, my parents and I would drive the el camino (my first car) to the parking lot of my elementary school where they had the fireworks, and watch from the back of the car (cozy!). As I've gotten older, I started going to the fireworks with my friends (my extended family) . And every year, we'd wish for a firework to go astray and tragically set our school alight so that we would have an extended summer vacation!

I also used to love the carnival as a kid, although I've since become wary of rides that can be assembled and taken down in one day, and the carnies are always invariably the creepiest, skeeziest, most leacherous guys on the planet. Gross, gross, gross. When I was younger I had an unlimited capacity to go on the Tilt-a-whirl (Heidi told me that in the UK they call it the "waltzer" - can this be true? Anyone?) and that crazy roller coaster that went in reallyreally fast circles, but now my old lady stomach won't let me do that, or eat funnel cakes, either, which is just more proof that getting older really sucks. But, on the bright side, we are now (more than) old enough to enter the mythical beer garden, so it's all good.

But anyway, it wouldn't be the 4th without doing these things. It is, as I mentioned earlier, my favorite holiday. Maybe it's because my birthday is in November, and I've always wished that I could have a big party outside without needing a winter jacket. I am SO jealous of people with summer birthdays. I mean, seriously. Pool parties! BBQs! My birthday is in November so we could stay inside or... yeah. Stay inside. The 4th has all the things I love the most - the weather is pretty (usually), we can eat my favorite food, people are outside, there are fireworks, it's patriotic and I'm a big sucker for that stuff. Rah, rah, go us and all that. I love singing "Proud to be an American" in Harrer Park and waving a glowstick and going "Oooooh" "Ahhhhhh" and "It's a shoe!" while watching the fireworks.

So the fact that it is raining is a big huge drag. Sigh. Ah well.

Happy Fourth!


Have fun, be safe and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

hey chicago - who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade?

Today is the 4th of July (my favorite holiday!), although you would not know it by our gray, gloomy, rainy and COLD (60!) weather. It might as well be Easter around here, gee whiz. One bright spot in my morning was my trip to Dunkin Donuts - I was getting a cup of water when I heard a voice behind me say "Hello!" So I turned around and there was a guy there, with balloons. "Can I make a balloon for you?" he asked me. I said okay and he gave me one already made and ohmygosh, it's so cute and totally made my morning. So thanks, Balloon Man!
Our parade is at 2:30 today and the fireworks are later. There WILL be barbecuing, dammit. I better see some sun and some 70s, Chicago.


Thursday, July 02, 2009

LXTV - Can't Live WIthout: Harold Ramis

Yeah! I can't live without this stuff, either! Ballet, flowers, and Italian food...

LXTV - Can't Live WIthout: Harold Ramis

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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

glammed out miss granger



Emma Watson in August's Teen Vogue
let the countdown begin to the new Harry Potter movie!




"a little bit wicked"

I was boredly scanning the shelves at Morton Grove Public Library last week while I was off. I've been doing that thing where I've run out of stuff to read and so I start reading stuff I've already read. I do this a lot, and thus have a collection of stuff that I will grab when I am looking for something to (re) read - for instance, I re-read all of Bill Bryson's books that I own (and one that I didn't) and I've even been meandering through my Vegas guidebooks again (in case I missed something, maybe?) which let me know that I had to get to the library and fast - only a matter of time before I start on my favorite re-read books - the tales of Ms. Georgia Nicholson in Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and all of its many sequels. So I could save myself and my loved ones from me gabbing in teenage English girl "Cor! It's nippy noodles outside today!" "I'm away laughing on a fast camel, toodle pip!" for the next week, I hit the biblioteca.

I picked up Kristin Chenoweth's A Little Bit Wicked. I started it Saturday night and finished it Sunday morning. A very quick and fun read, and she is so gosh darned cute (plus we have the same initials!) . I liked her very much, even forgiving her for saying that You're A Good Man Charlie Brown was in "Skokee" Illinois (Right down the darned street from me, too, and I MISSED IT.) It made me want to crack out my Wicked cd and become a Glitter Girl - now I have the perfect accessory for it - my glitter lamp from Ravinia...

having the time of your life...



So - last night was by far the most fun I've ever had at Ravinia. Ever. The place was PACKED, there was dancing in the aisles and the music of ABBA as played by the fantastic Arrival from Sweden. They were adorable - decked out in authentic ABBA costumes, happy to be there singing for us, happy to be alive and apparently happy to be Swedish. The Ravinia gift shop has outdone themselves this year with fantastic tchotchkes (well, how do YOU spell it?) and I got myself this awesome little glittery trinket that lights up and changes color. No joke, I am obsessed with this thing. The best 8 bucks I've spent this summer, I think.

The only thing that was not entirely agreeable - two things actually - the weather and the annoying people in our aisle. The weather had turned cold - by the time the concert rolled around it was in the 60s! I had to swap my adorable ABBAriffic dress and sandals for a pair of jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt, a sweater AND a jacket. Fortunately I warmed up by dancing! Ah and the people in our aisle. Apparently these people bought 4 pavilion tickets and were trading them around with the rest of their party on the lawn. So. One group would come in, sit for maybe 10 minutes, leave and shortly another group would come in, totally different people, getting up and sitting down, traipsing right IN FRONT OF ME for the entire first half of the show. It annoyed me and it annoyed my mom who I am proud to say "went Sicilian" on them and so did the guy next to us who complained to the usher. Who couldn't very well do anything, since they had tickets after all. Grrr. The second half, four people (that we'd never seen before - how big was this group, anyway?) sat down and stayed there, which was good.

The show was rocking, starting from their first song "Ring Ring" in Swedish and ending with "Dancing Queen." I loved it. LOVED IT and I can't wait to get back to Ravinia for another show and some warmer weather.