countdown to the new season of True Blood...

A Sunday Afternoon Patti Party

I don't remember the first time I heard Stephen Sondheim's Company. I do remember that the first cast recording I listened to was not that of the original cast, but the 1990s revival starring Boyd Gaines. I did see the more recent revival with the John Doyle everybody plays instruments staging that starred Raul Esparza (both on stage and on PBS). But I was over the moon excited when I heard that the dreamy dream cast assembled by Lonny Price for the NY Philharmonic would be coming soon to a theater near me. A movie theater, to be more precise.

I was so excited, I went twice. The first time, I dragged my mom and we went to Rosemont. It was last Wednesday, it was raining and our mapquest sucked. The theater was not even half full, which was disappointing (apparently the theaters in Chicago had better showings) but the film itself was wonderful.

Today, I threw myself a Sunday Afternoon Patti Party and took myself to Evanston (didn't need any mapquest for that!). I am ashamed to tell you that I geeked out completely and even wore the shirt I got during the City Center run of Gypsy. You know. Red? With the eyes? (oh, I know. But if a girl can't wear a Patti shirt to a Patti related theatrical event, when can she wear it?) Look, you have your holidays and I have mine, okay? When I got to the theater, I started heading towards the Cine Arts side, and the usher was like "Theater Four is on the other side" and I started to ask him how he knew where I was going, but then I was like, yeah, duh.

The theater was PACKED. I happily settled in to an aisle seat with my smuggled in snacks from World Market (pretzels, weird gummy German fruit snacks that I thought were grapes, but I think are black currants - schwarze johannisbeere? Anybody? Hazelnut wafer cookies, a chunky Kit Kat and a Bounty Bar. No, I didn't eat all of it. I hadn't had any lunch and thought I might get hungry.) and a bottle of vitamin water that I'd bought from the theater for $4.50. (!)

This audience was more on top of things - they applauded (they even applauded when Paul G first came out, which was kind of funny, because you know, we weren't actually there and he could not actually hear us), they laughed, they were reasonably well behaved (no errant cell phones went off, maybe word of Patti's Wrath had already spread? Even though She could not actually see us?) For a group that hadn't rehearsed together until the final days of this project, I thought they all did quite well.

Highlights?

NPH, of course. For me, the perfect Bobby - fun loving, youthful bachelor, kind of stumbling through life in the big city, while his good and crazy friends all around him are getting married or are married. Or have been married three or four times. And also divorced. He watches these examples of married life, none of them really inspiring him to get married himself. What do you get out of it? He wonders. (Poor Baby.) But as the show goes on, he starts to see - and by the end, although he's sitting alone in his apartment, he's looking hopefully at the empty seat beside him, maybe his bachelor days are numbered.

The Patti - pitch perfect as Joanne. That's all. I would watch her do just about anything. No. You know what? Forget about the qualifier. I will watch her do anything. She blew them all out of the water with her "Ladies Who Lunch". Stunning.

It was a great way to spend an afternoon and I would go back again if I could. You all have one last chance to see it - there's one more showing sometime this week.

it's back!

Happy Alex Friday! (Check him out in July's Vogue!)

tony winners & losers

Highlights and lowlights from last night's Tony's (I know I should have totally blogged this live, what's wrong with me?)

Winners
1. The Patti. Just for showing up.


2. Neil Patrick Harris as host = love. Not so crazy about opening number, I think they should have started off with the dueling hosts thing with Hugh Jackman. That was adorbs.

3. Anything Goes & Sutton Foster. Yeah, Patti's Reno Sweeney will always be number 1 for me, but you gotta love Sutton Foster. I wish someone would give me a boatload of money so I could go off and see this show.

4. The Book of Mormon Yep. It sure did win a lot. I haven't seen it (or South Park, either, for that matter) but I am intrigued by it. And that damn "I beeeliiieeeeveeee" has been stuck in my head since last night.

5. The Motherchucker with the Hat - yay presenters for not yielding to temptation to say the full name of this show! (And also? How come in the little best play blurb for this one, nobody was even wearing a hat??)

6. The War Horse puppet horse. (I also really want to see this show...)

7. It's Raining Men. Completely awesome and woke the show up in the 11th hour. (Had no idea Paul Schaefer wrote it).

8. Company! Oooh, looking forward to seeing this in the theater on Wednesday!

9. Mark Rylance's speech. I have no idea what he was on about, but I liked it. UPDATE! It was a poem!! According to the Sun Times:Just as he did three years ago when he won for “Boeing-Boeing,” Rylance quoted a poem by Louis Jenkins, an obscure poet from Minnesota.

“Unlike flying or astral projection, walking through walls is a totally earth-related craft, but a lot more interesting than pot-making or driftwood lamps,” he said to the bemused crowd. When asked later why he had recited the poem, he said, “I don’t know. I was getting a little bored.”


10. Angela Lansbury for bringing the class.

Losers
1. Frances McDormand - glad to see you got all dressed up, Fran. WTF? Your Tony has been revoked.

2. How to Succeed in Business... based on the performance they showed, it looked kind of boring. And this is supposed to make people want to attend theater? I am also looking at you, Catch Me If You Can.

3. Spider Man: Turn this shit off: Many jokes, and also many shots of Bono looking po'd. Well, that's what you get for crashing the Tony's, dude (but love you! Still looking forward to seeing the U2 concert next month - don't quit your day job!!) and also completely boring scene from the show where Peter and MJ... just sit there. No flying or any action. Snore.

4. Tyne Daly in Master Class ??? No.

5. No surprises. Chris Rock, who apparently would have prefered to have been home watching some basketball game (they should have let him) said it best - why even bother reading the nominees for best musical? Massive waste of time. Everyone knew what was going to win. Even I knew what was going to win, and I only saw three shows this season (only 2 of which were nominated for anything). I just wish there had been a few more surprises.

6. The little 'my broadway moment' snippets or whatever they were called - there was only one, the one with John Leguizamo. I thought that was a cute idea, have the nominees (not just the big name slumming movie stars) talk about their first Broadway experience or whatever. But there was not follow through, so John's monologue was kind of pointless.

7. Big name slumming movie/tv stars. Look, CBS, I get it. You need to show some famous faces so that the people at home know what they're watching. Can't let it be just about theater, oh, no. I get it. But I wish that the actual nominees got more screen time, or chances to be presenters. It is, after all, their night. Or it should be. And some of them made sense - Whoopi introducing Sister Act, and Robin Williams etc. But Marg Helgenberg? Because why? Oh, right, because CSI is on CBS. Check. You could just about get away with Kelsey Grammer and Viola Davis and Catherine Zeta Jones, because both the ladies won last year, and he was nominated last year, but what are you gonna do next year?

8. Christie Brinkley - was she for real?

Glee! Live!

Some of my thoughts about the show...

It was fun. I had a great time. I had bought my ticket the day of the show, and it was a pretty good seat, on the floor, kind of in the middle. I think it would have been more fun if I had been closer to my friends, since I was a single 30something in a sea of giddy teenagers and CRA-ZA-ZY fans. One of them in front of me had a 2 sided poster - one side was devoted to Finn and one side to Puck. Another fan had a homemade t-shirt with "Monteith" emblazoned on the back. Yeah. I was with those fans (but I was on the floor, what did I expect?).

The show opened with the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers and, yeah. They were all right. It went on kind of long. And since I worked at a dance company with some truly extraordinary dancers, it takes a lot to wow me when it comes to dance. These guys were all right.

The Glee part of the show didn't start until 9:00. When the opening strains of Don't Start Believin' started up, we were on our feet and we stayed there throughout the entire show. The Glee clubbers were all there - represented via video were Will Schuester (since he's off with NKOTBSB) and Coach Sylvester. A few of the Warblers were also there, we all know it's really Blaine and the Pips anyway. And he was there. And I love him. So I was happy (but why the teaser about the big 80s number without giving us Blaine and Rachel singing "Don't You Want Me"??

My favorites - Blaine (Darren Criss) and Kurt (Chris Colfer - his "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" just melts my heart, I just wanted to give him a hug and then dress him up in corduroy and put him on a shelf in my room), Santana (Naya Rivera) with her awesome vocals on "Valerie" and her duet with Mercedes (Amber Riley) which I maintain should have TOTALLY WON the duets contest. Brittany (Heather Morris) is a completely fierce dancer - now her number wowed me! What else? Oh, I love Quinn's (Diana Agron) new hair (I wonder if mine would look cute like that?) and Lea Michele absolutely brought it on "Firework". And yes, I loved the boys singing "Friday" and I was delighted that they let Artie get up out of his wheelchair for Safety Dance. That poor guy is not really in a wheelchair, you know? And he has to sit in one for the whole tour. But he gets to bust a move on one song...

Yeah. That's what I remember about the show. Some of the time, I was thinking 'I can't believe you're sitting here with all these crazies' and the rest of the time, I just joined in and became one of the crazies. If you can't beat em, join em, right?

Oh - and I know the set list is made up of, like, stuff they sing on the show, but I thought it might have been nice to add a little Chicago style variety into the mix. When they were all like, we love you, Chicago! And launched into "New York" it was weird. I love New York (the place AND the song), as you all know, so I was screaming my head off in a fit of fan girl frenzy (see "crazies, became one" note above), but I also think "My kind of town" or "Sweet home Chicago" would have been a nice (personal!) touch.

Still love you, Glee.

xoxoxo (have suddenly morphed into Gossip Girl?)

last night on the bus...

Part of my new commuter experience is taking the bus from Union Station to Navy Pier. If it's a nice day, I'll sometimes walk part of this. If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll walk the whole way. Not in this heat though.

Mostly, I take the 120 and 121 buses, which are "express" routes to and from Union and Ogilvie Stations/Navy Pier. My rides are usually pretty uneventful, since it's mainly business commuters going to and from work. Yesterday though, was kind of fun.

So I was on the 120 yesterday afternoon, on my way home. The buses sit at the depot by the Pier, and so I was just hanging out, waiting to go. The driver was on the phone, talking about some friend of hers named (I swear) Aquanetta (is it like that native American custom of naming your child after the things you see? So like Cloud Dancing or Sitting Bull? Did someone's mom use some hairspray one morning and decide it was a lovely name for a girl?). So that made me laugh.

Then, somewhere on the way to Ogilvie, this lady next to me starts talking on her phone to her friend Pam. And it's all like blah blah blah, which I kind of hate, but then it got interesting. She was saying that she had to reschedule a dinner with her "friend" Tracy, but Tracy had to cancel which was fine with lady-next-to-me because evidently, Tracy hates this lady's guts now and is saying all kinds of mean things about her. (I was sitting there thinking, oooh, like what? And then she gave details). This Tracy (apparently) sent an email to my seatmate wherein she called this lady a wino and accused her of child neglect. Who does that in an email? If you're worried about your friend having a drinking problem, wouldn't you be more gentle about it? Or, like, have an intervention?

And instead of telling her to naff off, my seatmate was talking about rescheduling this dinner with Tracy (who kind of sounded like a beeyotch to me). It was totally better than a soap opera. She would have kept talking but we entered the Loop which is kind of a dead zone.

I totally didn't want to hear any of these things, but I didn't have a book or anything, so I was kind of a captive audience to this lady and her drama. So message to all of you bus riders. If you don't want your entertaining conversations to become blog fodder for the likes of me, maybe you should keep your voice down?

glee live!!

Allow me to share with you a tale of woe, followed by a tale of joy, all accompanied by the delightful strains of a Journey song, sung by a misfit show choir. Ready?

So last year, I heard about the Glee! Live show. And I thought, hahahha, yeah, right. I'm thirty-whatsit years old, I'd be sitting around with a bunch of kids. Not for me, as much as I love the show, and as much as my inner Gleek was dying to bust out.

But then I started thinking about it, and I really wanted to go. But I was too late. It was sold out. Sad, right? I stalked ticketmaster and eventually I ventured onto sites like Stubhub and asked myself how badly did I really want to go? I stalked some tickets on Stubhub, and on the day of the show, there were some affordable tickets.

I came really close to buying one, except I worked in the city you know, and by the time I made up my mind to do it, I would have had to go and pick up the ticket at a Stubhub location (somewhere on Randolph, I think), taken the train home, got in the car and hotfooted it to Rosemont. I don't think I would have made it. So I didn't go. In the end it was a good thing I didn't go, because the train got really delayed and I wouldn't have made it in time anyway.

So that's the tale of woe.

The tale of joy?

I'm going tonight!!! What what!??!?! Was talking to Heidi and she's taking Beth for her birthday (don't worry, it's not a secret), and I was like, are there more tickets? And there were and so I'm going to join them. With my special new hairdo. Wooo!

I don't think I have to tell you the moral of this story (all together now!):

DON'T STOP! BELIEEEEEEEEVIN'!!!!!

memorial day

we remember...

Every year, the City of Chicago holds one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the country. Before the parade kicks off, we attended a breakfast for Gold Star families - that is, those families who have lost a loved one serving active duty. It was held in the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's/Macy's and is always very nicely done. My parents and I attend the breakfast in remembrance of my cousin, a US Marine. Our new Mayor was in attendance, and four-star General, Ray Odierno served as Grand Marshal. There was also a wreath laying ceremony in Daley Plaza, with a 21 gun salute (and plenty of men in uniform!). It rained towards the end of the parade, but we just opened up umbrellas and put on ponchos and didn't let the weather dampen our spirits.

waiting sucks...

A very happy Alex Friday to everyone!

Glee-cap - Nationals (don't stop believing??)

SPOILER ALERT!! If you haven't seen tonight's Glee, read no further. I will dish and I will divulge. Go watch it and then come back and read, okay?



So, yes. I was looking forward to this episode for two reasons: 1 - Patti LuPone's cameo and 2 - those great big, colorful shots of the gang frolicking at Lincoln Center (although, can I say, when I tried to dance on the fountain at Lincoln Center, I got YELLED AT by a security guard). The episode, much like the rest of the season, seemed to be a little bit all over the map. It seemed like they were trying to cram everything into that one tiny little hour - Will's big Broadway decision. Finn and Rachel's big relationship decision. Nationals. New York City. The rivalry with Vocal Adrenaline. Maybe they should have had a two hour, or two part finale? Or maybe that's the trouble with such a big ensemble with lots of co-existing storylines?

We've got the gang in NYC for Nationals, but there's a little bit of a problem. You know those amazing original songs they're gonna sing? Yeah. Those haven't been written yet. Major essay crisis. The kids are sequestered in their hotel room, tasked with writing these huge show-stoppers (complete with arrangements and choreography) WITHOUT any assistance from Mr. Schu, who has gone off to perform with April Rhoades in a grrrreeat biiiig brrroooaaadwayyyy shoooowwww! And suddenly the show is a Matthew Morrison music video. Not that I'm complaining.


Cut to - New Directions says FTS to hanging out in the hotel room (Brittany's original song "My Cup" wasn't going to cut it, awesome as it was) and goes out to find inspiration on the streets of New York City. Montages ensue. Later, back in the hotel rooms, the boys try to get to work. Finn pines for Rachel. In their room, the girls have a pillow fight.


Finn asks Rachel out on a big, splashy New York City date. They meet The Patti at Sardis. Patti goes all Yoda on Rachel, telling her to never give up on her dreams. And then she leaves. What the what??? Why would you invite this Broadway legend to be on your big huge New York show and NOT HAVE HER SING????? This is my question. I will take whatever she wants to give me, but honestly, Glee. A little bit of a fail there, I think. And no so-called "diva off" either. Patti wins, Lea. Every time.


Anyway, blah blah blah. The romantic NYC date doesn't go exactly as planned. No songs are written. Tick tock tick tock. Kurt wakes Rachel the next day for Breakfast at Tiffany's. Then they break into the Gershwin Theater and sing a duet on the Wicked stage. A sidebar here - when I was on a choir tour back in high school, our chaperone PUT TAPE ON OUR HOTEL ROOM DOORS so that we wouldn't go sneaking around. So, we were in Minnesota, not like there was a lot of happening nightlife we could have gotten to, but still. We were under lock, key, and masking tape (no lie). Mr. Schu's kids are running around, breaking into theaters, and he is none the wiser. But wait!! He decides he loves them and doesn't want to go to Broadway after all. Yeah, I'd choose being a teacher in Ohio over being an actor in New York too (NOT).

There is a brief moment where Quinn is all wonk, wonk, wonk, I just want somebody to LOVE me, sniff, sniff!!! Well, hello, honey, you had Finn once before, but you cheated on him, remember this? Lied to him about being the baby daddy etc. Then you had Sam, who was willing to do that pottery thing with you, and was frontman of the Justin Bieber Experience (duh. Why didn't you guys do THAT for Nationals? Nobody would have beaten the Bieb!) but you ditched him for Finn. Brittany and Santana try and comfort her a little bit (no, not that way!) and then tell her that she will feel SO MUCH BETTER if she gets a haircut. Wait, huh? Then later we see her with new hair. It's cute. But will it make someone love her? I think they missed a moment there, to kind of get to the heart of Quinn's character and make the audience feel like she's not a total manipulative beeyotch. There could have been a cute, girls' day out montage in NYC. Shopping! Hair cutting! Bonding! Making us like Quinn! Still, not enough time, and we've still got songs to write!!!

Eventually, after a big old group hug, they get down to business and crank out those songs. And not a moment too soon, because here we are at Nationals!! The competition seems almost like an afterthought. We see some random girls' choir (insignificant, and a big time waster since we know nothing about them, why do they get airtime??), and then Vocal Adrenaline does their thing. Then it's New Directions' turn. They sing a great original song (written by Finn. Who knew he had it in him, indeed?) but Finn gets overwhelmed by the moment and plants a big old smooch on Rachel. After she has just told him that she loves him, but she loves her future dreams more. Whoops.

It turns out that kiss not only cost them the National championship, our team SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER doesn't even make the top 10. Well, damn. Does this mean we have to do this whole thing again next season?

Kurt retells the whole story to Blaine (what the hell happened to the Warblers, anyway? Didn't they tie at Regionals/Sectionals?) at the coffee shop where they run into (aawww!) Mercedes and Sam. Blaine's on his way to an audition at Six Flags (there's a Six Flags in Ohio?) and Kurt's busy working on a new musical "Pip, Pip Hooray" about Pippa Middleton. That line, a little throwaway, was possibly the best moment of the whole episode (don't tell Patti).

All in all, everyone seems pretty okay with coming in 12th. Because, as Brittany tells us at the end, the competition wasn't even really the point. And what was the point? Acceptance, which is a pretty fair evaluation of the season. Acceptance for Kurt, for Brittana, for Puck and Lauren. Acceptance of Sam's family circumstances. And that no matter what, the New Directions is one big, kind of dysfunctional family. They may steal each other's boyfriends/girlfriends and threaten to quit every week but they love and accept each other.

Until next season.

the rapture

Huh? What did you think I meant?
No but seriously, if the world really DOES end tomorrow, isn't Alex the last thing you'd want to see?

be still, my heart...

I think I have a little crush... Okay, a really big crush (could you tell)???? So, sorry about the dearth of Alex posts.

Well, actually, I'm not sorry at all...

You know you've been spending too much time in Bon Temps when...

I spent a lot of time reading over this rainy weekend. After I finished reading Dead Reckoning, I went back through the series, starting at my favorite, Dead to the World and progressing from there. I actually skipped ahead again, reading Dead in the Family and All Together Dead simultaneously and am just finished From Dead to Worse (blah blah blah, weretiger, blah blah blah.... Crystal and Jason... blah blah blah stupid Arlene....)

But I think I've been spending too much time with Sookie and co. Witness:

1. A strange craving for iced tea. Usually I don't drink it, but Sookie always serves tea, and last week on a hot day, I stopped and got a Carolina Honey Breeze from Argo Tea. Yeah. Not great. Too much honey for my liking.

2. I started thinking to myself what kind of were-animal our new Mayor would be. (A fox maybe.)

3. And then, the kicker. So, I'm planning a meeting and waiting to get some responses. I alert my colleague as to whom I am still waiting on and send her an email with the following names: Tom, Alan, Bill and Eric. HA. Made me think, automatically, of Bill Compton and Eric Northman. AS IF they'd be at a meeting I'm planning... That just tickled me.

And made me think I should start reading some other stuff for a while...

guess what?

It's Alex Friday!

1,000th post dance party!

I've been gibbering absolute talkish on this blog for FIVE YEARS and 1,000 posts. Holla!

Let's all celebrate with a Jenna Maroney dance party!

second to none...

I snapped these on the way to work one morning. When I am feeling particularly ambitious (and brave?) I will hop off the bus at St. Clair and walk the rest of the way to the Pier. These are the views that I am inspired by, every single day.

reading material... books & recommendations

I have a long commute and like to pass my train and bus time with a good book. Fortunately, I've had lots of great reading material lately. Here's a peek at my reading list over the past few weeks, with some little reviews & recommendations (ranked in order of preference):

A Discovery of Witches (Deborah Harkness)

I cannot recommend this one enough - the story of a researcher witch, who has kind of renounced her powers, doing work at Oxford's Bodlean Library, a mysterious manuscript (shades of a supernatural Lord Peter??), a hunky vampire who does yoga, a quirky enchanted house, over 500 pages of intrigue. I turned off Glee because I was so close to finishing it - I thought I could read during the commercials or whatever, but I found myself so absorbed, I couldn't put it down, and I turned off the background noise so I could focus wholly on the book. It's the first in a trilogy which makes me DESPERATE because the next book won't be out until 2012. Read it, you won't be sorry. I could not put it down and even schlepped this massive hard cover tome on the train with me so I could read it on my daily commute.

Dead Reckoning (Charlaine Harris)

Just once, I'd like to read a nice book about Sookie Stackhouse where something nice happens, you know? Maybe she could go to work, hang with Sam, then go home and have a deep, uncomplicated talk with Eric, her vampire lovair (and then do what one does when one entertains a gentleman caller, in a most - ahem - spectacular manner), and then, I don't know, have some cookies? Dead Reckoning does not have many such happy moments for our favorite telepathic waitress. There's vamp politics a-brewing, an odd tension between Pam and Eric, and the new head honcho, Victor. Plus someone's been targeting Merlotte's and business isn't so great. It's up to Sookie (but of course) to figure out whodunit. Oh, and there are two fairies living with Sookie. Fun, huh? This book picks up where Dead in the Family left off - and as always, left me wanting more. This one, I inhaled in the space of a single evening.

Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman)

I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman's since Good Omens (probably one of my favorite books of all time). This one is --- oh so hard to describe ---- a trip to the place people go when they fall through the cracks, a romp through London's Underground. All because protagonist Richard Mayhew wouldn't look away when he saw someone bleeding on the street. He offered help, and got sucked into London Below. This is the pick for One Book, One Chicago, and it is SO MUCH BETTER than last year's (awful) pick, Brooklyn. It is fantasy at the most breathtakingly vivid - funny and scary and imaginative.

Alice I Have Been (Melanie Benjamin)

I'd read a few reviews of this book and thought it sounded good. I then forgot all about it until I ran across a copy of the book on one of my (many) trips to the library. It's a fictionalized account of the life and times of Alice Liddell, otherwise known as the inspiration behind Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. I found it incredibly moving and sad (it made me cry. On the train. That was a fun afternoon commute home) - the story of a little girl kept forever young through that famous story, and how the creation of the story haunted her throughout the rest of her life. A beautiful and well-crafted story. It even offers a little analysis about the Victorian attitude towards children and why it wasn't creepy at all, back in the day, for Carroll (aka Charles Dodgson) to take photographs of little girls, hang around with them and take them around (rowing on the Isis! Another book set in Oxford!). It offers a suggestion of the nature of the relationship between Dodgson and his young muse (Alice was only 7 when they met) and how that relationship shaped the rest of Alice's life. Read it. I now also have the urge to go and read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland again, too...

If You Were Here (Jen Lancaster)

I was so looking forward to getting this book - I went to the Borders on State Street on my way to work so I could get the book right when they opened. This one is Jen's first novel and details the adventures of Mac and Mia, a couple living in Chicago when they decide to take the plunge and buy a house in the suburbs (a fictionalized North Shore town Abington Cambs, a very thinly disguised Lake Forest). The house they buy is a fixer upper and the book goes through their adventures in home ownership - and there are many. It is told in Jen's signature engaging style and I busted out laughing several times (again, on the train. Sorry, fellow commuters, for disturbing you from your Wall Street Journals). I just love the way she writes, and it was a quick, light, fun read. I loved that her character wrote books about Amish teenage zombies in love (and I think I'd like to read "Buggies are the new Black"). I didn't get all of the John Hughes references. I think I'm from the right era, but I honestly don't remember all of those movies. Please don't think I'm a traitor to my generation or anything, but I just didn't watch a lot of movies as a kid. So I'm pretty sure I saw them....at some point.... but I don't remember them. I have no idea who Jake Ryan is or why anyone would want to move into his house. I get he's some kind of 80s Teenage Dream? But I have no mental image to call to mind. I'm curious though, and plan to rent some movies - anybody up for a John Hughes party?

All in all, I enjoyed it very much and hope Jen keeps writing novels - although I would read pretty much anything she felt like writing.

(But I feel duty bound to point out, as a lifetime suburbanite that everyone in the other suburbs totally makes fun of the North Shore snobs in Lake Forest. So when Mac and Mia were moving there I was all, ewwww, why??? Yes, I know, I get it, Jake Ryan's house. Still.)

as promised...

Alex Friday, unleashed at last.

You're welcome, America.

watch this space....

Starting on Fridays, we will pay weekly homage to our Favorite True Blood vampire hunk...

(That would be Team Eric - suck it, haters!)

Tony Talk

I don't know what y'all were doing first thing this morning, but I was checking out the Tony nominations! Playbill talked to the nominees to find out what they were doing when they heard the news... (go there if you want to read the rest, I am just giving you the reaction of my favorite Sicilian Diva).

Patti LuPone, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
"I was watching the news because I am kind of obsessed with what's happening in the recent events in the world and I went, 'Who's calling me [laughs] in the morning?' I totally forgot. I was thrilled. First of all, I was thrilled when it was the Outer Critics, because that's the first one, and then thrilled when it was the Drama Desk, and then thrilled when it was the Tony. We're — Laura and I — I'm so thrilled for both of us, and for David…because it was a long time ago and I'm very proud to have been part of the production. Very proud to have been a member of that cast in that bold, original musical that didn't deserve to close. We were brokenhearted when it closed. I think that anything original needs to be supported — all of our composers and lyricists and playwrights that turn in original material need to be supported. They need to be allowed to grow. We need to be able to learn and be enriched by their new ideas and so I'm thrilled beyond belief that the nominating committee of these awards have not forgotten and acknowledged the production, the music, the performances — I'm really, really thrilled."

Congrats, Patti!

women on the verge revisited

"Where do you go? How do you swim in a tidal wave? What do you do? When do you know that you can't be saved?" (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

I don't know where other people go, but when I found myself at the end of my rope this past November, I retreated to my island - that is to say, Manhattan. It was truly a retreat to a safe haven, a vacation to recharge my batteries from an increasingly tough situation at work. I won't bore you with details, but basically, I was getting burned out. I had the typical Bitch Boss from Hell - impossible to work with, incredibly disorganized, a crappy manager, moody as all get-out, who single-handedly brought down morale just by walking into the room. It wasn't just me, she was equal opportunity in her horribleness - everybody was on the receiving end of her dreadful personality and I think all of our department (and a few people from other departments) left meetings in her office crying. Yeah, that's a positive work environment!

Nothing I did was right. Nothing I could do would fix it. I was trying to swim in a tidal wave, getting pulled under and feeling awful every single day.

I left town with a cloud over my head, and spent my vacation feeling like something was going to happen, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I walked around the city, ate Crumbs cupcakes (so many cupcakes), saw the Statue of Liberty and of course, went to see shows. It always works wonders for me to immerse myself in another world, even if it's just for a few hours.

The shows this time around resonated strongly with my mood. I connected on a personal level with young Andrew Jackson when he sang "Life SUCKS! And my life sucks in particular!" in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Right on, brother! It seemed like an emo rock musical about our 7th President was totally what I needed. And I mean, it more or less worked out okay for him. He came roaring back, kicked some ass and took some names.

Maybe it's obvious that also connected on a deeply personal level with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown because I was so totally almost there myself. It was a great show, it starred Patti LuPone, one of my favorite performers, along with the talented Sherie Rene Scott, Laura Benanti, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Justin Guarini. This almost guaranteed that I'd love it, before any of them sang a single note - but as the show got going, I really, really found myself enjoying it. It was funny and fast-paced, the music was gorgeous, and hummable, and again, I could identify with the characters, because I was rather close to the edge myself.

"Welcome to the edge, the verge, the ledge," sings Patti/Lucia, "The bridge is out, you're looking in the mirror, baby. This is where it rips, a tear, a tear, a fear that what's been coming isn't coming cause it's here now..."

After the show, I had a fantastic evening out with an amazing group of people who brought me into their group like I'd always been there. They were so warm and kind and generous, I had almost forgotten that people could be normal and nice and kind and respectful to each other.

Still, I felt I was teetering on the edge (the verge, the ledge) and when I got back to town after my long weekend away, floating on cloud 9, I went in to work, feeling like something was about to happen.

I was right.

I was let go later that day. Two days before my birthday. The week of Thanksgiving. The reason I was given by captain Bitcherton? "It's not working out." Despite three years of excellent reviews, by the way. Nary a black mark on my record. Whose life sucks, in particular? I can kind of laugh about it now, but it was a really hard couple of months. You try being unemployed during Christmas and tell me how much fun it is.

Fast forward to today - to quote Andrew Jackson, "that's right, motherfuckers! Jackson's back!" And so am I. I have a new job that I love, thanks in part, to the people I was with in New York, my own personal "silver linings".

The Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown cast album was released on iTunes last week, and I promptly downloaded it. I haven't stopped listening to it since I bought it. It brought back all of this stuff, which is why I am telling you about it now. It holds kind of a special place in my heart, so if you haven't heard the music GO NOW to iTunes and download it. My faves are "Island" (one of them that stuck with me from when I saw it), "Model Behavior", "Time Stood Still", "Lovesick" and "Invisible". Go now. Download. Make some gazpacho. Listen. Enjoy. Repeat. And repeat, and repeat.

I was delighted that the show was recognized with Tony nominations today - one for Patti, one for Laura and one for David Yazbek. I wish more people had gotten to go and enjoy the show. The reviews were not great and I think that's kind of unfair. It was not a bad little show, I think it was really quite wonderful.

The power of live theater - it can be quite healing, you know?

Da Bard about town

Billy da Bard, out and about in the MG to celebrate his birthday (prithee, thou art indeedeth a party animal!)

Billy's cup runneth over... with coffee

Visiting his vast collection of books at the Morton Grove Public Library.

And finally, imparting wisdom to the Youth of Today at Niles North.

War - What is it Good For?

Let me preface this by saying that my family has a pretty extensive military background - My grandfather was in the US Navy during WWII (Pacific Theater). Some of my great uncles were in the Army. My dad and his brothers were all in the Navy. My cousin, David, was a US Marine, killed in action in 2004, in Iraq. He was younger than me. Incredible. I remember his funeral ceremony, and the memorial at Camp LeJune were incredibly moving experiences. Have you ever seen a group of Marines cry? It is so, so sad. I did a reading at his memorial service and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

History geek that I am, I recently read Studs Terkel's book "The Good War" about WWII, and have been watching the HBO series "Generation Kill" (It was a Christmas present - thanks, Heidi and Jane!) - something about the soldiers' stories, the lost innocence, the sacrifice, the daily life, are all things that we civilians can just never fully comprehend. We watch, we pray, we send letters and care packages, we hope they will come home safely. I think I am about as patriotic as the next person, and I am always deeply moved by military rituals - the presentation of the colors, the playing of taps, all that stuff, speaks to me on such an emotional level.

That is a really long way of saying how much I was looking forward to Black Watch (and I am not just saying that because I work at CST now! Or because it featured a cast of lovely Scottish lads.) - the story of the famed Scottish regiment during the Iraq war. It was performed in the Broadway Armory, which was actually (duh) a military Armory and training facility and is now part of the park district. Gosh, if those walls could talk.

The show chronicles the story of the soldiers in the regiment, with a bit of history about the Black Watch thrown in for good measure. A proud battalion of fighters that participated in storied battles including Culloden, WWI in France and the Middle East, WWII (European and African Theaters), Korea, and were sent to Iraq to support the US Operaton Iraqi Freedom. The unit was deployed to what was known as the "Triangle of Death" between Fallujah and Karbala (the same area where my cousin died in battle). The show included music, a little humor, and a real life look into the Scottish soldiers' experiences in the war.

It wasn't their fight - but they fought. They wondered what the point of it all was -this was not a threat to their country, or even necessarily to that of their ally the US. They faced a new kind of warfare with suicide bombs, IEDs and danger lurking around every corner. They fought for each other, for their mates. Some of them made it home to tell the tale.

I was (can you tell?) deeply moved by the story, even though the sound was super loud (but come on, it was in a gym, for god's sake) and at times the dialogue was hard to understand. Oh and they swore a lot. I heard one guy comment if he had a dollar for every time they said "fuck" and derrivations thereof, he'd be a wealthy man. But I mean, come on. They're IN THE ARMY. In a place called THE TRIANGLE OF DEATH and I think a few "fucks" are warranted. Quite a few. But whatever, should they say "Oh, shucky darn, we're being mortared?" I thank Terry Pratchett's wee free men series for teaching me what "ken" means - because otherwise I would have been sitting there going who's ken? They keep talking about him...

I enjoyed the show. I am planning to see it again. It is raw, it is timely, it is thought-provoking theater.

papa penguin!

I have no idea what all they are saying, but this video = adorbs!

Gimme a head with... confessions of a part-time (hair) model

Ever wonder what happens at a hair show? Well, so did I, so when Heidi asked me, on Saturday night (while we were enjoying a performance by the saintly saints and scintillating sinners of Goat Song Theatre) if I wanted to join her in being a hair model for our friend Beth at a hair show on Sunday, I said yes. We've helped her out before, serving as models while she practiced up-dos etc, and so I thought it would be kind of fun, and all I would have to do was sit around while someone was playing with my hair. Awesome.

So. Off we went to the Sheraton Hotel downtown (so close to work, I could have wandered over to the office, if I had been so inclined) - we had a small adventure with parking (parking in Chicago is ALWAYS sort of an adventure, yes?) and then were waiting for La Stylista (Beth) to arrive. And we started to... notice things. Things that gave us a bit of... pause. For instance, the name of the show was the Proud Lady Beauty Show. Fun, right? Right? Well, yes. So anyway, short and short of it is, it was a show for African-American women. It included makeup and hair products and other assorted stuff, which is cool, right, but, for one small detail -we are not African-American. We sort of stood out a little bit in the crowd (one of the makeup ladies, bless her for trying, saw Heidi and I approach, gave us a big smile and said "Hello, girls! I've got some beautiful... lip gloss for you to try!")

It made me start to wonder what exactly was going to be done to my head to make it interesting for the target audience of this show. Because my hair? Is very fine, and straight as a republican minister from Kansas.

But then Beth turned up and we learned that we would be given the La Brasiliana treatment on our heads. This product is a deep conditioning sort of thing, with Keratin and Collagen and it provides smoothness, shine and manageability. Which brings me to another issue - this treatment is perfect if you want to achieve all those things - but did I mention my hair is fine? And stick straight? Pretty much all the time? All I have to do usually is brush it and it lays flat by itself. That's all it does. It doesn't curl, it doesn't frizz, it just kind of sits there. So a good candidate for a deep conditioning treatment I was definitely not. But we were what they had to work with, so on with the show - we were instructed to go and wash our hair - in the bathroom sink. We actually got all the way to the bathroom when we were called back - washing stations had been found, so we didn't have to try and wash our hair in the bathroom (thank goodness for small favors).

After the washing, we had to dry our hair "big" to make it look wild and unruly. As Beth started to work on me, she found a reason (and thus a marketing tool) for my treatment - my hair knots up, especially when it is wet, making it really hard to comb through. The treatment is supposed to help with this (we'll see). Anyway, I had to sit for a long time, while she dabbed some stuff onto my head with a little brush, worked it in, dried and then flat ironed with a really really hot tool (something like 450 degrees, I think it was. That sucker was smoking, it was so hot). She did only half of my head at first and then had me walk around like a before and after display, letting people touch the (incredibly soft) finished side of my head. And, amusingly enough, people actually did want to touch my hair - the original texture, versus the smooth treated side. And lots of people came over to watch while Beth was working, asking what she was doing. When I was in the chair, I didn't have my glasses on, so I was pretty much blind, so I did my best (blind) Vanna White impression, smiling and holding up the bottle of product so everyone could see what it was. When she was done, with my whole head, I reached up to touch it - and it was smoothy mcsmooth, like a big stick of buttah.

We were at the show pretty much all day, pausing for lunch breaks and to walk around a little, chat with people and hand out brochures and stuff. Everyone was super nice and friendly and it was a lot of fun. I am not allowed to wash my hair (or pull it back - eeek!) until tonight, and so we will see how long the treatment lasts and if it stays all smooth-like-buttah for very long. My particular treatment would have set me back $250 if I'd had it done in the salon and is supposed to last for 2 months. We shall see. I would recommend it for people with bigger hair problems than mine - frizz, or uncontrollable curls or any other kinds of issues.

It was a lot of fun being "the talent" - so if Beth asks again, I'll spend part of my time (hair) modeling, part of my time next to one of the Conchords, and the rest of the time doing my normal job...

the king's speech AKA give that man an oscar now!

This past weekend, before the Devil Flu from Hell struck, I took myself to see The King's Speech. Let me start by saying that I love me some Colin Firth - ever since he and his white shirt dove into that tranquil pond in Pride & Prejudice, I have loved him. I loved him in Bridget Jones (Mr. Darcy playing Mr. Darcy? Genius!) and hell, I even loved him in Mamma Mia! and that is saying something. He was, as I recall, an early entry onto the legen (wait for it) dary Wall of Men that traveled with Cara and I into four dorm rooms in college.

The King's Speech is a wonderful film. It is not flashy, it is not filled with high speed chases or lots of explosions, it is a quiet film, exploring one man's struggle with a stammer. He was no ordinary man, of course, he was the Duke of York, the Spare Prince, #2, the invisible man, never to be King. Destiny changed all that for him when his playboy brother David (who was Edward VIII for a short short while) abdicated the throne for that "twice divorced, American woman" Wallis Simpson before they headed off to their "vee-la" in France (sorry, the above quotes were for my own amusement - I had a thing for Edward VIII in school and did an AP European history project on his non-existent reign).

Suddenly, the man in the background found himself center stage, at a time when the world was about to get sucked in to another global conflict. He had no actual politcal power, like to form a government, but everyone looked to him for guidance. The people need you, Bertie. So public speaking became important and he looked to the "common colonial" Lional Logue for assistance for getting rid of the stutter. The relationship with these two men lasted the rest of George VI's lifetime.

It's a wonderful story, a little slice of life. The cast is all kinds of star powered - aside from Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, it includes Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen Mum, leading off a Harry Potter reunion of sorts with Michael Gambon as George V, and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill. Also in the cast are Jennifer Ehle (from P&P - squee!) Sir Derek Jacobi, Guy Pierce and, something that will probably interest only me, but it is my blog, right, so I'm gonna mention it - Anthony Andrews as Prime Minister Baldwin. Mr. Andrews is a wonderful actor who once played Edward VIII in a little made for tv movie called "The Woman He Loved". He also played Sebastian in "Brideshead Revisited" - not the recent movie, an older version, a dashing Scarlet Pimpernel, and a bomb squad officer in a lovely little series called "Danger UXB"). He has about two scenes in this film, and it took me until the second one to recognize him, but sure enough, there he was.

Anyway. Do yourselves a favor, this Oscar weekend, and go see The King's Speech. There will always (always) be another Adam Sandler move (trust me). But this one is a sweet little gem and is not to be missed.

the best thing i've read all day...

I read a review this morning of The Joffrey's production of The Merry Widow. The review opens thus:

"The Joffrey Ballet’s grand and glorious production of “The Merry Widow,” the full-length ballet by British choreographer Ronald Hynd now in a lavish company premiere at the Auditorium Theatre, might just inspire a little yearning for the rebirth of the Austro-Hungarian Empire."

Huh??

Really? Yearning? Really? I don't see how we're supposed to take critics seriously at all, when they say stuff like this. Full disclosure here: I haven't seen this and I most likely won't be. So, for all I know, the entire audience might have left the Auditorium having the following conversation:

Patron 1: You know what the world needs? A return to the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Patron 2: Yeah! I was totes thinking that too!
Patron 1: I love how they went from being primitive city-states to like, the first world superpower.
Patron 2: Yeah, Europe got all united and shit. Power to the Habsburgs!
Patron 1: It's really too bad that that Franz Ferdinand got shot in 1914, by those crazy-ass mo-fos in the Black Hand.
Patron 2: That would be a totally awesome name for a band.
Patron 1: Black Hand?
Patron 2: No, Franz Ferdinand.
Patron 1: I think that's taken. But whaevs. This ballet? Totally reminded me of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I don't know how, since it was, like, a really long time ago, but I inexplicably find myself yearning for a return to those glory days of yore.
Patron 2: Did you just say yore?
Patron 1: Yeah, sorry, I guess I got caught up in all the yearning.
Patron 2: The costumes were pretty though, and ooh, the dancing was awesome, too.
Patron 1: Yeah. I love me a good waltz.
Patron 2: Is it me or is it really dark in that theter?

etc.

I don't remember what the rest of the review said, I have been sitting here chuckling about that opening line for a solid 20 minutes. So if anyone goes to see the Merry Widow PLEASE, PLEASE tell me if you are gripped with a sudden yearning for good old Archduke Franz whatshisname and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And thank you, critic-who-shall-not-be-named-although-I-am-pretty-sure-any-Chicagoan-will-know-right-away-who-you-are, for helping me start out my Friday with a good laugh, and also allowing me to flex my creative muscles before work...

Let Me Entertain You...

I've been spending a lot of time on public transportation lately, and so have had a lot of time to read. Aside from being crazy obsessed with the Pretty Little Liars series (so bad. And yet, so good.), I've also been reading Karen Abbott's American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare, the Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee.

I went into this book thinking I knew the story - I have, after all, seen Gypsy the musical fable severally, read Gypsy's autobiography and even her son's book, Gypsy & Me. The story is familiar - trouping the vaudeville circuit, at the end the era of that kind of entertainment. Baby June's crazy ability (very much exploited) to dance on pointe when she was only 2 years old, which probably led her to flee the act as a teenager. The creation of Gypsy Rose Lee, internationally renowned famous person and burlesque queen, from Rose Louise Hovick - the not very talented, self-taught girl, nicknamed "the Duchess".

This is a story about identity - Rose Louise, born June Ellen Hovick, had her name taken away from her when her cute as a button baby sister was born (thus becoming Baby/Dainty June AKA June Havoc in later years). But who is this girl? She is an early day Madonna of sorts, recreating herself to fit whatever image suits her at the time. Stripteaser extraordinaire? Check. TV talk show hostess? Check. Mother? Check. Pretty Princess of Fabulous Literary Salons and exclusive Parties? Check Check Check. A true ecdysiast (a word coined for her) - shedding her skin on stage and in life. Giving things away but keeping a lot to herself. The shy quiet Louise, desperate to be a star and seeking Mother's attention, that we grew to know and love from the musical? That story is the way Gypsy wanted it to be, maybe not necessarily the way things were. Hence the use of the word "fable" in the show's title.

This is also the story of America in the early 20th century. A time of notorious political corruption, post WWI isolationism, and the start of the Great Depression. This era saw the rise of burlesque as popular entertainment, chronicled in the book through the story of the brothers Minsky.

Several narrative threads come together masterfully in this book, the story of Gypsy, her relationship with her mother and with June, a tale of entertainment (and morality) in Depression-era America, before our rise to Superpowerhood, innocence lived and lost.

happy days, are, indeed, here again

Happy, happy Friday and happy happy days!

when is spring gonna get here, anyway?

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate snow? I hate it a lot. So I started the week with much trepidation over the weather forecast. On Sunday morning, when I was working out, I saw a weather report calling for 13-17 inches of snow. But, the weather guy said those estimates "might be conservative" - and I thought, eh. It's Sunday, they could still be wrong. But on Monday they were saying the same thing. And there was a timeline. But you know how it is. The newscasters whip us all into a weather watching frenzy, making us think that we will be stuck in the storm to end all storms, and then NADA. So forgive us all for being a little bit skeptical. I sort of thought that we'd get something, because they couldn't be that wrong, but maybe it wouldn't be as bad as they thought.

I went into work on Tuesday morning, and everyone was talking about the snow. Something about the possibility of a snow day made everyone kind of giddy - because really? As adults, when do we ever get snow days?? We already were starting to plan things around the snow - we scheduled meetings for Wednesday afternoon, assuming there would be some kind of delay in opening the office. Then we heard that businesses all around the city were closing early. My boss had a meeting with the head honchos of a big bank in the city - and we learned that they were closing early. This storm meant business, and everyone was suddenly taking it very seriously.

I had to drop off a grant that was due that day, at an office in the Loop, and my boss told me to just go home from there, since I was so close to Union Station. Thus, I was able to catch the 2:35 train, allowing me to get the hell out of dodge (on the way, I found a light shining in the darkness - AKA a new CRUMBS bake shop - a little slice of NYC, right in my backyard. Yes, I stopped. I was drawn into that shop like a demented moth to a flame. I might have squealed "OMG!" a lot. And of course, I bought cupcakes. I figured if I'm gonna be snowed in, I might as well have some delicious cupcakes, yes?).

The snow was already starting, right on schedule. I felt lucky to have gotten home safely, before it really got started, rather than being stuck on, I don't know, Lake Shore Drive, maybe? And then I got a call from work. We would be shut down on Wednesday - joining a long list of schools and businesses in the city and metro area closing for the day. I understand this was something of a first for us, but given the fact that the governor had announced a State of Emergency, I think it was the best possible move. And, of course it meant: SNOW DAY!!

We hunkered down in the house and listened to the wind howling outside. This was some storm - raging winds, blowing snow, and the best part, the rarest phenomenon - THUNDER SNOW. WTF? I know there was an alleged ginormus blizzard in 1999, but I don't remember it at all. I was in college then, but probably on break since it was early January. I say probably because I have no recollection of this at all. Maybe I wasn't as obsessed with weather events as I am now? Since I didn't have to worry about driving or going anywhere, it was but a blip on my radar?

At any rate. I went to sleep, listening to the wind outside and praying that we wouldn't lose power. It sucked when it happened in the summer, and I could not imagine what it would be like to lose power during the worst storm of the year.

I woke up to this:

Yikes.

That? Is my driveway. It is REALLY long and let me tell you, took forever to get clear. That's not an abandoned car on LSD, with its wipers up as a distress call, it's MY car, buried behind the house. See the HUGE drift right behind it? I dug the car out myself and I.AM.STILL.SORE.

Today, it's freezing-ass cold, and I got a text last night letting me know that the office is going to open at 12 today. So.... semi snow day!

BEST.BIRTHDAY.EVER

One of my birthday gifts from my friends was tickets to a Chicago Wolves game, which was exciting to begin with. I love hockey but I've never been to a live game. All of my experience with the sport comes from watching tv - first the Olympics and then the Blackhawks. Oh, and we played floor hockey in gym class and it was always one of my favorites to play - that and soccer. This is possibly because I didn't completely such at playing them.

Whatever, anyway, our game was last night! The Wolves were playing a team called the Hamilton Bulldogs, and we were puzzled as to where the heck Hamilton was - they are apparently from Canada. On to the action! Our seats were awesome - front row, center ice, right next to the penalty box. SWEET!

It was fun and action packed and exciting, everything I expected my first game to be. There was even a fight, thus completing my experience.
Sadly, the Wolves did not win the game, but they did score a goal - and the crowd went wild (there were even fireworks). SO MUCH FUN. The final score was 1-4

I've been having some ups and downs lately, as I am looking for a new job, but this outing was just the boost I needed!

5-4-3-2-wha?

Last night's extravaganza was filled with food and fun and friends. And booze-fueled board games, obviously (aren't those the very best kind?). We played Apples to Apples (LOVE) right up until the start of 2011.

We turned on the tv, looking for some local celebrations. I remember in years past, there would be a concert at the House of Blues and a few other Chicago-based activities. This year, we had a choice of "Daryl's House" with Daryl Hall and also a celebration from Navy Pier, hosted by Mark Giangreco and Janet Davies. We didn't see a lot of it, but there was a number by the cast of Million Dollar Quartet (they were pretty good), a performance by a DeBarge, and then... aimless anchor filler. Sort of strange. Very awkward.

And then the best part? The two clueless anchors began the countdown - WAY WAY before the actual countdown appeared on screen. They were on "10" and the numbers on the screen started at 15. And then there was happiness at Navy Pier and lots of footage of drunk people making out. Um, yeah. Happy New Year? There were allegedly fireworks, but we turned the channel. We ended up watching "Feliz 2011" on univision, because it was more exciting than the crap on ABC. We don't speak much Spanish (I took it in junior high and high school) but it was STILL better than the Chicago celebration. We rang in the new year again, with a more accurate count, with Mexico City.

So what gives, Chicago? We are not a lame city. But in terms of New Year's celebrations, we are a little bit sub-par. There is nothing that drops from the sky, nothing that lights up in a spectacular fashion, nothing. Did we all just give up and watch the ball drop in Times Square (an hour early)? Feliz 2011 showed pictures from around the world - really great fireworks displays in Sydney (over the Harbour Bridge), London (over the London Eye), Tokyo, and Berlin and a few other places. But Chicago? NOT INCLUDED. Because our televised "celebration" was, and I can't emphasize this enough, LAME.

Is it because of the weather? Nobody really wants to stand around outside in arctic temperatures to watch a lit up ball in the sky? Maybe, although people turn out in droves for Bears games, which are outside. Can't we get some A-list talent out here and televise it? Then we can be all like, hey people, this is the place to be for the new year! I think somebody needs to get on it and put together a really great NYE celebration in Chicago.

But that's next year. I was happy to be with my friends, chilling and laughing and having a great time.

Happy 2011, everyone!

another chance, another start, so many dreams to tease the heart...

Patti tells me that this will be the perfect year. I really do believe her (although she said that last year, also)... Happy 2011 everyone!!

me too!

Bring on 2011 - I am already done with 2010.

black swan

Think ballet is all about frilly pink tutus and pretty satin toe shoes?

The thriller Black Swan shows us that not everything is beautiful at the ballet (which I could have told you for free, incidentally.). The movie is about an up and coming ballet star Nina (Natalie Portman, in full fierce bunhead mode) who has finally been given a starring role - the Swan Queen in a new production of Swan Lake. She is a natural for the White Swan, but can she play the darker, more sensual Black Swan?

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a happy little "a star is born" ballet story. It's a deeply creepy psychological exploration of Nina's increasingly paranoid emotions. As she strives to perfection in the dual Swan role, she feels the heat of competition, with other dancers trying to make it to the top. It's a cutthroat world, you know? Prima Ballerina, Beth, (great cameo by Winona Ryder) has just been pushed into retirement due to her old age. Ballet is a young person's art - although I watched a great profile on NYCB Ballerina Darci Kistle this morning - she just retired from professional dancing with the company - at the age of 46.

Nina grows more and more paranoid by the second, driven to the brink by the arrival of a new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis!! Doing awesomely in her post That 70s Show life! Goooo, Mila!!) who Nina thinks, of course, is out to get her. Incidentally, both of them did a lot of their own dancing, and it works very well. Rodarte designed the tutus, and they are truly fabulous.

Don't sit too close though or the camera action might make you spew. Other than that, totally go and see it.

see how we've decked our halls...

...the angel on top of our tree...

Mainly, our tree includes angels, snowmen, and white cats. The big one at the bottom, aka "Goliath" is the first one we got, from sometime in the 1980s,

There is also the occasional sports themed ornament - we have da Bears, da Hawks and uh, one of Troy Aikman (for a brief time, in high school, I was a Cowboys fan. Although it was mainly to bug Angelo.)New Hawks ornament!!!!
"Why didju put dis bow onna head, ziztur?"

(shortly after I took this picture, she attacked the bow).

the greatest gifts...

A beautiful Christmas tree, a hot cup of tea on a cold, snowy morning, eating cheese with beloved friends, spending time with family, and of course, a puppy in a box (what more could you want?)
I hope everyone has a great Christmas and that you all got wonderful presents and are spending time with family and friends, like I am.

merry christmas!!

Merry Christmas, Darlings, from me

(and Andrew Jackson...)

pillow talk (no, really)

Can I share something with y'all? I.am.getting.old. And as an old person, I have become rather Set in My Ways. I'm basically a creature of habit, (despite by current bout of unemployment). I like things a certain way and if they aren't that way, then it Bugs me.

Case in point. Over the past several weeks, I have noticed some weird little puffy balls of fluff by the side of my bed. Upon close investigation, I discovered that they were coming from my pillows. From the gaping holes in the corners of my pillows, to be exact. I've had these pillows, oh, I would say at least since college (which was, yikes, 10 years ago!). They are Martha Stewart brand "Grandpa" bed pillows and I have two of them and I love them.

Now they are hemorrhaging cotton fluff, and I am faced with an immense dilemma: buying new pillows. Is it me, or did this used to be easier? You walk in, grab a bed pillow, pay for the pillow, go home, throw it on the bed, and you are cooking with gas, or more accurately, off to sleepy land with awesome new pillows. Right?

But now, you walk in, and there are all kinds of choices. There are pillows for side, back and stomach sleepers. They can be down filled or cotton fluff filled, or allergy safe, alternative whatever filled. They can be square or rectangular or full body sized. There are medium support, firm support or extra firm support.

I mean, really?? I have trouble making decisions on a regular basis anyway, but give me so many choices and it's like, impossible. Especially given the fact that this decision is so vitally important to my achieving a really good night's sleep. I love to sleep, and everything has to be just right - I have been known to get out of bed in the middle of the night and remake the bed because the covers have gone all bunchy and weird. I put my beloved pillows in the dryer every night so that they are perfect and puffy. I don't like squashy pillows. A little OCD? Perhaps. But like I said, I've become Set in My Ways.

I bought two new pillows. The first came from Target. It's an extra firm support and it is quilted (which gave me some worry, initially, because I thought I might wake up with quilt marks on my face?). Verdict? A bit bouncy but possibly workable.

The second is a Sealy, which I bought because they make mattresses, and should therefore know their shit vis-a-vis a comfortable sleeping experience. It's an extra firm with a gusset (wtf is with these pillow gussets anyway?) and this thing? Is like a rock. No way, no day.

So I am still on the quest for new pillows. The thing is, it's hard to know what they feel like until you're in your regular sleeping position, testing the thing out. Resting your head on it in the store is not the same thing. So I am afraid to get any others in case I don't like them. In the meantime, I've fixed the holes in my existing pillows (the Grandpa pillow, needless to say, has been discontinued) and will continue using them until they are nothing but cotton fluff balls.

Wish me luck!

did i tell you about the ferris wheel?

People! The Toys R Us in Times Square has a ferris wheel. Like, inside.

My mind? Totally blown. (And no, I didn't ride on it. But I was tempted.And yes, I am very easily impressed.)