The trolley was named after Antti Niemi - the Hawks goalie who'd shown up in that dream I had earlier in the week!! I think it's a good luck trolley and that they will definitely WIN the game tonight!Sunday, June 06, 2010
i think it's a sign...
Jane had arranged for a trolley to ferry her guests from the church to her reception. Unfortunately, since the weather turned nasty, we had changed the reception from its original location to inside the church. No need for the trolley. It was still hanging around outside the church when we left, though (I have no idea what it was doing there. Taking people to find their cars??) and this was on the front of it:
The trolley was named after Antti Niemi - the Hawks goalie who'd shown up in that dream I had earlier in the week!! I think it's a good luck trolley and that they will definitely WIN the game tonight!
The trolley was named after Antti Niemi - the Hawks goalie who'd shown up in that dream I had earlier in the week!! I think it's a good luck trolley and that they will definitely WIN the game tonight!
wuv, twue wuv!!
Jane's wedding was yesterday!! We were up VERY early so that hair could be done (and mimosas could be had...) The only hiccup was the weather. They were predicting a monsoon style wind and rain scenario - not good, considering the reception was to be a picnic and therefore outdoors. We had to move it all inside the church. But it was all very very beautiful, and most beautiful was lovely Jane, the bride.
I have known Jane since high school, although the funny thing is, I don't remember when we actually met. Freshman year sometime??? My earliest memory of our friendship was sophomore English class, Jane and me and a bunch of our friends were all in the same class (I don't think that ever happened that way again...) and we teamed up on a kickass final project. I think we really became friends after that, and I remember a great sleepover at Jane's house with everybody (especially our extra-fun pictionary game. Anybody??) and I remember our AP European history class that we had together with Mr. Schwarz... "the trench game" and our class successfully avoiding WWI (we had been split up into countries, and I believe Jane and I were France - the point of the exercise was to see how futile negotiation was and the inevitability of WWI, but instead we all struck up deals with each other and... no war. Hooray!), and working on our final project in Jane's basement... on prom night.
So, so many memories of spending time with Heidi and Jane, my two best friends in the universe - concerts and trips (rock boat!!! wis dells and the sauna phones!), just hanging around, hitting things with spoons (like you do), stealing cheese graters (just the once), shopping (hee!), watching top model and the occasional basketball game (usually in March...) and lots of other stuff. For the shower, I created several scrapbook pages using pictures I had, and let me tell you, there were lots of great ones to choose from. And I know there will be millions more.
** Someone told me recently that it is not proper to say "Congratulations" to a bride - that it is more correct to say "Best Wishes." I have never ever heard that and think that she is nuts. But is this a thing?? Seriously??
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Thanks, Patti!
So, this is how I learned that back in the day, hockey players used to not wear helmets. So that the other day, my dad was telling me that such-and-such a player didn't wear a helmet, I said, well, it was a thing for a while and lots of them didn't wear helmets and I totally sounded like I knew what I was talking about, but it was all because of my obsession with YouTube videos. Whatever.
office fridge in revolt
Our fridge in the office has stopped cooling things. Yesterday, we were able to use the freezer (so I threw my lunch bag in there, only to have a frozen-ass turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch) but then the repair guy came and we had to turn it off, and clean it out, and I lost my new bottle of milk, salad dressing, jelly and possibly other things I left in the fridge and forgot about/got lost in the fridge vortex.
Apparently it needs a new defrost panel, so it has to stay off and open for the next few days. This is such a home away from home for me, I guess I never thought about how much I just stash in the fridge. I got in this morning and started to make breakfast, but our water cooler thing is on the blink as well, so I put regular water in my oatmeal bowl and chucked the whole thing into the microwave - but I left it too long (less than 1 minute 30 sec) and now it is a solid blobby mass. I have no milk to thin it out, as I have nowhere to keep it, and I tried putting more water in, but still. Solid, blobby mass. I went out to Argo for my morning cuppa tea (I am trying white tea now, as it is supposed to have less caffeine) and I am going out for lunch today.
At least I am taking tomorrow off and by the time I come back on Monday, order (and the fridge) will be restored (hopefully).
Apparently it needs a new defrost panel, so it has to stay off and open for the next few days. This is such a home away from home for me, I guess I never thought about how much I just stash in the fridge. I got in this morning and started to make breakfast, but our water cooler thing is on the blink as well, so I put regular water in my oatmeal bowl and chucked the whole thing into the microwave - but I left it too long (less than 1 minute 30 sec) and now it is a solid blobby mass. I have no milk to thin it out, as I have nowhere to keep it, and I tried putting more water in, but still. Solid, blobby mass. I went out to Argo for my morning cuppa tea (I am trying white tea now, as it is supposed to have less caffeine) and I am going out for lunch today.
At least I am taking tomorrow off and by the time I come back on Monday, order (and the fridge) will be restored (hopefully).
two really weird dreams...
I guess I have been sleeping really soundly these past few nights, because I've been having some CRAZY vivid dreams. So bizarre that I have to share them with you.
The other night I had a dream that I'd gotten off my train from work and started looking for my car, a red honda crv. I looked around for it and found it... with two people sitting inside. The people were two girls that I'd gone to junior high and high school with and I haven't seen either of them for years (except on facebook). We had a discussion - they were sure it was their car but I pointed out that my key had worked, so therefore it was probably MY car. I agreed to help them look for their car (another red crv) and they started driving around. I told the driver that since it was my car, I felt more comfortable driving and all, so we pulled over so we could switch, and the car started spinning around, all by itself. Weird. As it was spinning around, I noticed that the places were from Washington State and that there were Greece stickers and stuff on the back (the girls in the dream were Greek. They are Greek in real life, too.). Uh oh. Not my car. They drove off, and I was stuck looking for my car. I called my mom, who told me it must have gotten stolen and she called the police. The police sent Miss Jay Alexander (from America's Next Top Model!) as their representative (!) and I don't remember much else, except that Miss Jay was advising me to take the insurance money and get a new car. Then I woke up, quietly freaked out that my car had been stolen - it was that vivid of a dream - and I was all like "you don't even HAVE a red crv!!!" I drive a silver honda civic. But my friend Heidi drives a red crv, and her car was not stolen, but totally stopped working when we got home from Wisconsin on Sunday. I talked to her yesterday - it needed a new battery, but red crvs were apparently on my mind...
And then, last night, I had a Blackhawks-related dream. I don't usually have sports dreams, for obvious reasons, but I guess I was anxious about the game last night. We don't have cable and they didn't broadcast the game on NBC, so I didn't get to watch it. I had a dream where the goalie, Antti Niemi, was hanging around outside the goal, looking sort of out of it. For some reason I was able to talk to him and I was all like, "Dude, what's up? Get back in the goal, because they're coming for you!" and then, woosh, the puck flew in and the other team scored. Apparently, he had missed out on having his favorite pre-game meal (some kind of elaborate dream-pasta that he usually got right near the stadium. It was very detailed. I don't remember a word of it, though.) and so was off his game. Then suddenly, I was somewhere else and I asked my mom (still in the dream) if they had won the game, and she said no. So I woke up, totally convinced that they had lost the game, and sure enough, they lost last night. Maybe somebody better get Mr. Niemi his pre-game pasta for Friday's game...
I haven't had any really good dreams like this for a while, I don't know what's causing them, but if I have any others, I will keep you posted...
The other night I had a dream that I'd gotten off my train from work and started looking for my car, a red honda crv. I looked around for it and found it... with two people sitting inside. The people were two girls that I'd gone to junior high and high school with and I haven't seen either of them for years (except on facebook). We had a discussion - they were sure it was their car but I pointed out that my key had worked, so therefore it was probably MY car. I agreed to help them look for their car (another red crv) and they started driving around. I told the driver that since it was my car, I felt more comfortable driving and all, so we pulled over so we could switch, and the car started spinning around, all by itself. Weird. As it was spinning around, I noticed that the places were from Washington State and that there were Greece stickers and stuff on the back (the girls in the dream were Greek. They are Greek in real life, too.). Uh oh. Not my car. They drove off, and I was stuck looking for my car. I called my mom, who told me it must have gotten stolen and she called the police. The police sent Miss Jay Alexander (from America's Next Top Model!) as their representative (!) and I don't remember much else, except that Miss Jay was advising me to take the insurance money and get a new car. Then I woke up, quietly freaked out that my car had been stolen - it was that vivid of a dream - and I was all like "you don't even HAVE a red crv!!!" I drive a silver honda civic. But my friend Heidi drives a red crv, and her car was not stolen, but totally stopped working when we got home from Wisconsin on Sunday. I talked to her yesterday - it needed a new battery, but red crvs were apparently on my mind...
And then, last night, I had a Blackhawks-related dream. I don't usually have sports dreams, for obvious reasons, but I guess I was anxious about the game last night. We don't have cable and they didn't broadcast the game on NBC, so I didn't get to watch it. I had a dream where the goalie, Antti Niemi, was hanging around outside the goal, looking sort of out of it. For some reason I was able to talk to him and I was all like, "Dude, what's up? Get back in the goal, because they're coming for you!" and then, woosh, the puck flew in and the other team scored. Apparently, he had missed out on having his favorite pre-game meal (some kind of elaborate dream-pasta that he usually got right near the stadium. It was very detailed. I don't remember a word of it, though.) and so was off his game. Then suddenly, I was somewhere else and I asked my mom (still in the dream) if they had won the game, and she said no. So I woke up, totally convinced that they had lost the game, and sure enough, they lost last night. Maybe somebody better get Mr. Niemi his pre-game pasta for Friday's game...
I haven't had any really good dreams like this for a while, I don't know what's causing them, but if I have any others, I will keep you posted...
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Glee-cap: Bring in da funk
This week, New Directions found themselves in a funk. First of all, their arch-rivals from Vocal Adrenaline showed up in their auditorium - and the lying, scheming, but at the same time totally cute Jesse St. James was back among their ranks. Uh oh. It's a regionals smackdown, friends, and these guys mean business. They did a great number to psych out our Gleeks, and also TP'd the choir room. In retaliation, Puck and Finn and some of the guys busted the air out the tires of V.A.'s range rovers. Yes, it's true. After they won sectionals, each member of V.A. got their own range rover. As Shelby explained to Will and the delinquents "we've got a big booster group." Can I get a DAMN and also a BAM JIGGY. To pay back the damage, Puck and Finn get jobs working for the ex-Mrs. Shue, Terri (just when we all thought she was off the show, dang it).
The gang is depressed and it does not help when Sue comes in to measure the choir room as a storage space for the Cheerios' anticipated new Nationals trophy. Then, Will gets depressed too. In a funk, which turns out to be the answer to his show-choir based questions. He tells the group that since funk is all about soul and anger, it is beyond the skills of Vocal Adrenaline who are just a bunch of soul-less automatons. Yes. They need a funk number to add to their set list for regionals and the world will make sense again.
They decided to make Quinn pregnant again this week and show off some of her baby mama rage, in a weird-ass rendition of "A Man's World" backed up by a group of fellow pregnant students. Is it me, or are really pregnant people probably not supposed to do funk dancing? Weird, so weird. I don't think that's the way to win regionals, personally.
There's a whole thing where Will flirts with Sue, in a misguided attempt to take her down. Dude. The point is to mess with the person to get her off her game at Nationals, not to flirt with her, tell her you were just being mean and then making her hate you. William - you will never, ever, ever, ever, win at this game with Sue Sylvester. After Will's rejection, Sue took to her bed (in her track suit, of course) clutching one of her Cheerios trophies. Will, feeling bad, goes to visit her. He chats with her maid in espanol, reminding us, once again, that he's a Spanish teacher!! He apologizes and she tells him he would have made a great trophy husband, noting from her decor that "I like me some trophies." And I like me some Sue Sylvester!!! She makes a recovery and leads the Cheerios to Nationals victory. Reporter: you're like the Michael Jordan of cheerleading! Sue: Yes, I am!!! The highlight of their routine? Kurt, sinigng a 14 minute medley of Celine Dion hits - in French.
Jesse shows up again in bastardly fashion, asking Rachel to meet him in the parking lot. She agrees, even though she KNOWS he's been a V.A. SPY with the plan to mess with her mind before the competition. She floats out there, runs up to him in slow motion, etc, only to get egged by members of Vocal Adreneline. He cracks the last egg, on her face. Lovely guy. Glad he doesn't want to see her get hurt and all.
The guys vow to get revenge - Kurt pointing out "Rachel's one of us. We're the only ones who get to humiliate her!" They are on their way to re-arrange Jesse's (hunky but assholic) face when Will stops them. They call up Jesse and tell him to have V.A. meet them back in their auditorium. Well, they end up singing a funk song and rocked it. Personally, I think it would have been cooler for them to have had a West Side Story style rumble, with each team facing off in an epic and fierce singing/dancing number.
Anyway. After watching this funky number, Jesse grumbles to a cohort "They did a funk number. We've never been able to pull off a funk number." Her reply "Because we're soul-less automatons." He sighs, slumps into his seat. "I'm sooo depressed!"
Psych!
The gang is depressed and it does not help when Sue comes in to measure the choir room as a storage space for the Cheerios' anticipated new Nationals trophy. Then, Will gets depressed too. In a funk, which turns out to be the answer to his show-choir based questions. He tells the group that since funk is all about soul and anger, it is beyond the skills of Vocal Adrenaline who are just a bunch of soul-less automatons. Yes. They need a funk number to add to their set list for regionals and the world will make sense again.
They decided to make Quinn pregnant again this week and show off some of her baby mama rage, in a weird-ass rendition of "A Man's World" backed up by a group of fellow pregnant students. Is it me, or are really pregnant people probably not supposed to do funk dancing? Weird, so weird. I don't think that's the way to win regionals, personally.
There's a whole thing where Will flirts with Sue, in a misguided attempt to take her down. Dude. The point is to mess with the person to get her off her game at Nationals, not to flirt with her, tell her you were just being mean and then making her hate you. William - you will never, ever, ever, ever, win at this game with Sue Sylvester. After Will's rejection, Sue took to her bed (in her track suit, of course) clutching one of her Cheerios trophies. Will, feeling bad, goes to visit her. He chats with her maid in espanol, reminding us, once again, that he's a Spanish teacher!! He apologizes and she tells him he would have made a great trophy husband, noting from her decor that "I like me some trophies." And I like me some Sue Sylvester!!! She makes a recovery and leads the Cheerios to Nationals victory. Reporter: you're like the Michael Jordan of cheerleading! Sue: Yes, I am!!! The highlight of their routine? Kurt, sinigng a 14 minute medley of Celine Dion hits - in French.
Jesse shows up again in bastardly fashion, asking Rachel to meet him in the parking lot. She agrees, even though she KNOWS he's been a V.A. SPY with the plan to mess with her mind before the competition. She floats out there, runs up to him in slow motion, etc, only to get egged by members of Vocal Adreneline. He cracks the last egg, on her face. Lovely guy. Glad he doesn't want to see her get hurt and all.
The guys vow to get revenge - Kurt pointing out "Rachel's one of us. We're the only ones who get to humiliate her!" They are on their way to re-arrange Jesse's (hunky but assholic) face when Will stops them. They call up Jesse and tell him to have V.A. meet them back in their auditorium. Well, they end up singing a funk song and rocked it. Personally, I think it would have been cooler for them to have had a West Side Story style rumble, with each team facing off in an epic and fierce singing/dancing number.
Anyway. After watching this funky number, Jesse grumbles to a cohort "They did a funk number. We've never been able to pull off a funk number." Her reply "Because we're soul-less automatons." He sighs, slumps into his seat. "I'm sooo depressed!"
Psych!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
POWER PLAY
Go Hawks, 2-0!!! It is so nice to have a winning team in Chicago!!! I watched the game last night (isn't it kinda weird to be watching ice hockey when it's 90 degrees outside?), even though I could hardly stand the suspense. I really just like it when the game happens and someone tells me the outcome, so I don't sit there, biting my nails during the whole thing, just watching and waiting to see what happens.
Hockey has always been one of my favorite sports, we played it in gym class (not on ice), I remember, and it is one of the rare sports that I didn't suck at. One of my favorite parts of the game last night (besides the winning!) was at the begining, when they showed the Blackhawks being introduced and the stadium going wild. But they didn't televise the other team (whoever they are)coming out. It was like Here Come the Hawks... oh, yeah, and these guys too. I don't think it was a local Chicago broadcast, either, but a national one from NBC Sports, so you'd think they would have introduced the other team as well. Do we finally have a winning team who is not an underdog??
Go Hawks, I hope you go ALL THE WAY! I can't wait for the next game in PA. Maybe there, that team will get the big deal intro and the Hawks will be "and also those guys"???
one more thing
I didn't say much about Jane's beautiful wedding shower on Sunday - possibly because I was in a bit of a comatose state after all of our shenanigans on Saturday night and have needed 2 full days to recover.
We had the shower at Walker Bros. Pancake House in Lincolnshire (where else for our breakfast loving Pancake Queen?) and it was a lovely party - the favors that I worked on on Friday (with help from my dad!) turned out SO CUTE and survived the trip to Wisconsin and back. We had a 1950's rock and roll theme, so the favors were these little coke glasses that I filled up with different kinds of candies to look like soda and topped off with "foam" - aka shiny, pearlized, personalized M&Ms that said "Jane & Brian" and "June 5, 2010" (I had trouble placing my order online and had to call them - I got the best and most friendly service. I mean, they work at Mars and must get free chocolates, yes? I would be pretty friendly too, if I had access to so much deliciousness on a daily basis. At any rate, I highly recommend the personalized M&Ms.)
Funny story - our friend Kim had bought the cake. It was lovely, but she'd had some problems. First, the cake people asked about the bride's colors for the wedding and Kim told them that she knew the bridesmaids were wearing black and purple. They told her that they couldn't use black on a WEDDING CAKE, it was better for funerals (because they do such a booming funeral cake business? Do people even have funeral cakes? What do they say?) but eventually they backed off because the frosting was black and purple (it looked and tasted great!) So she picked it up, paid and was walking out to her car when she saw that the cake said "Congradulations" on it. Now, I know that sometimes people will do that for graduations, because it puts the word "grad" in it, and it is also kind of the way that we say it, but no. Back inside the shop she went and told them the word was spelled wrong. They told her no, it wasn't and that "we use a dictionary here" - finally she spelled the word out and they were like "Oooohhhhh. We fix." You'd think that since it is also graduation season that they'd be doing many "Congratulations" cakes, but I guess not.
Anyway...
We had the shower at Walker Bros. Pancake House in Lincolnshire (where else for our breakfast loving Pancake Queen?) and it was a lovely party - the favors that I worked on on Friday (with help from my dad!) turned out SO CUTE and survived the trip to Wisconsin and back. We had a 1950's rock and roll theme, so the favors were these little coke glasses that I filled up with different kinds of candies to look like soda and topped off with "foam" - aka shiny, pearlized, personalized M&Ms that said "Jane & Brian" and "June 5, 2010" (I had trouble placing my order online and had to call them - I got the best and most friendly service. I mean, they work at Mars and must get free chocolates, yes? I would be pretty friendly too, if I had access to so much deliciousness on a daily basis. At any rate, I highly recommend the personalized M&Ms.)
Funny story - our friend Kim had bought the cake. It was lovely, but she'd had some problems. First, the cake people asked about the bride's colors for the wedding and Kim told them that she knew the bridesmaids were wearing black and purple. They told her that they couldn't use black on a WEDDING CAKE, it was better for funerals (because they do such a booming funeral cake business? Do people even have funeral cakes? What do they say?) but eventually they backed off because the frosting was black and purple (it looked and tasted great!) So she picked it up, paid and was walking out to her car when she saw that the cake said "Congradulations" on it. Now, I know that sometimes people will do that for graduations, because it puts the word "grad" in it, and it is also kind of the way that we say it, but no. Back inside the shop she went and told them the word was spelled wrong. They told her no, it wasn't and that "we use a dictionary here" - finally she spelled the word out and they were like "Oooohhhhh. We fix." You'd think that since it is also graduation season that they'd be doing many "Congratulations" cakes, but I guess not.
Anyway...
Monday, May 31, 2010
what happens in Lake Geneva...
My friend Jane's wedding is next week (!!)and so this weekend was her bachelorette party and shower (thank goodness this is a long weekend, I have also taken tomorrow off to fully recover!). A few of us from the bridal party kidnapped the bride and took her up to Lake Geneva for a girls' day - they have been running those Wisconsin tourism commercials for a while now, you know, the ones where there is a guy who tries to tell us that "fun" originated in Wisconsin, which is not a conclusion that I would ever draw for myself, but many many of our fellow statespeople (Illinoisians? Illinoiers?) must have been brainwashed by this idea, because Lake Geneva was PACKED with cars bearing Illinois plates.
We stopped to fortify ourselves with cheese curds at the Brat Stop in Kenosha (because no party can ever really kick off without a whole bunch of fried cheese!) before continuing on to Lake Geneva. Even though it is relatively close, this was my first time there. When I was little, my family and I would go to the Milwaukee Zoo (where they had a stunning white tiger that I was absolutely in love with) and then to Port Washington. But we'd never gone to Lake Geneva. And, personally, I am a little reluctant to go to a state that refers to their neighbors as "FIBS" (effing Illinois BASTARDS) just because we call them "Cheeseheads". Why so hostile, Wisconsin?? We speak the truth in the Land of Lincoln (mostly) and anyway, if you don't like the name, stop wearing the damn hats, okay? Don't call me a bastard just because I like to partake in your delicious cheese. Wear your cheese hats with pride!
Anyway. Lake Geneva is a GORGEOUS place! It has a cute little downtown area with little shops, restaurants, tourist tat, all of it. After driving around a lot (so many people + a long weekend = zero places to park) we got out and hit the town. We walked along the water - there was a pretty beach that they charged 6 whole dollars to go to, but right after that, there was a place to walk, and benches and grassy knolls to sit on and everything. Free of charge. So we walked there, poked around some of the shops, got new shoes at a place called the Bootery (I HAD to. After a very very poor packing plan on my part, I found myself in these really cute but sorta uncomfortable Steve Madden gladiator sandals that zip in the back. They were tearing my ankles and heels to shreds and I needed some open back shoes. Found the cutest pair - on sale!) We also stopped for ice cream where we got Jane a flavor called the "Fat Elvis" with bananas and peanut butter and I don't know what else. Little did she know that her shower the next day had a 1950s rock and roll theme, complete with big posters of Elvis. Very perfect, no?
Found our hotel - the Lodge at Geneva Ridge where the rooms were large and lovely and had little sliding back doors out into the big back yard of the resort, kind of like a community patio. Very pretty. Dinner at the resort and some other amusing, bachelorette party-style hijinx - but look, what happens in Lake Geneva, STAYS in Lake Geneva.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
PattiFlash
In today's Sun Times:
TAKE A BOW: Just got the scoop the one and only Patti LuPone will receive Chicago's longest-running theater honor, the Sarah Siddons Award. Also being feted at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel gala Aug. 2 will be actress Mary Beth Fisher, who will receive Chicago's Leading Lady Award for her many outstanding performances on Windy City stages.
TAKE A BOW: Just got the scoop the one and only Patti LuPone will receive Chicago's longest-running theater honor, the Sarah Siddons Award. Also being feted at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel gala Aug. 2 will be actress Mary Beth Fisher, who will receive Chicago's Leading Lady Award for her many outstanding performances on Windy City stages.
idolatry
I skipped most of the bloated American Idol finale last night - two hours of crap, when all you really need is about five minutes to tell everyone what they really need to know - who the winner is. I did tune in for the last 20 minutes or so, in time to see Mt. Prospect's own Lee DeWyze get the American Idol crown.
And I like Lee. I do. In fact, last week, I predicted he would win (I've had good reality-show prediction karma this year, accurately predicting Idol, ANTM AND Dancing with the Stars). After seeing Tuesday's show, I would have given the title to Crystal though, because she really brought it and stood out more than Lee did. Such is the nature of the American Idol votership though, the tween girl and cougar vote carried the evening. Just like last year, when it was pretty obvious Adam should have won, but Kris Allen (another nice guy with a good voice) pulled the upset. But who has the bigger career and more buzz? Adam. Kris? Doing car commercials. I mean, really??
This year, I think is another instance of it not really mattering a whole bunch who walked away with the crown of "American Idol" because Crystal is going to have a great career anyway.
I don't understand, either, why they picked "Beautiful Day" for his first single. It's already a (vastly superior) single by U2. It's a U2 song. I have never liked any of the songs written for the winners to perform that become their first singles (last year's, written by Kara, was totally dreckitude, to borrow some top model parlance), but at least they were original songs. Why they would pick such a well-known song for Lee's first single, I have no idea. So sorry, Lee, but I won't be listening to or downloading that single (not for nothing am I called "Bono's Boot Bitch" in certain circles).
And I like Lee. I do. In fact, last week, I predicted he would win (I've had good reality-show prediction karma this year, accurately predicting Idol, ANTM AND Dancing with the Stars). After seeing Tuesday's show, I would have given the title to Crystal though, because she really brought it and stood out more than Lee did. Such is the nature of the American Idol votership though, the tween girl and cougar vote carried the evening. Just like last year, when it was pretty obvious Adam should have won, but Kris Allen (another nice guy with a good voice) pulled the upset. But who has the bigger career and more buzz? Adam. Kris? Doing car commercials. I mean, really??
This year, I think is another instance of it not really mattering a whole bunch who walked away with the crown of "American Idol" because Crystal is going to have a great career anyway.
I don't understand, either, why they picked "Beautiful Day" for his first single. It's already a (vastly superior) single by U2. It's a U2 song. I have never liked any of the songs written for the winners to perform that become their first singles (last year's, written by Kara, was totally dreckitude, to borrow some top model parlance), but at least they were original songs. Why they would pick such a well-known song for Lee's first single, I have no idea. So sorry, Lee, but I won't be listening to or downloading that single (not for nothing am I called "Bono's Boot Bitch" in certain circles).
love & a rocket ship v. 2
According to a blurb I read in the Red Eye yesterday, Bono "suffered from severe compression of the sciatic nerve and a herniated disc and was in intense pain with partial paralysis in his lower leg" which sounds pretty horrible and our boy won't be getting on his boots anytime soon. Which makes me truly brokenhearted over the cancellation of U2's north American tour, set to hit Chicago in July. Given the circumstances though, I understand, but still, it's disappointing.
It's been in the back of my mind, and as we are creeping into June, every so often, I would think "YAY! U2 in July!!" It was a future goal, something to look forward to. Those shows are pretty amazing, and I've been lucky enough to see them many times when they've come through Chicago. I've had a handful of other amazing, life altering theatrical experiences, and the U2 shows are right up there at the top of the list. How can a stadium show feel intimate? I don't know, but those guys work huge, cavernous places like the United Center and Soldier Field like they were as cozy as your living room. Something about their performances draws everyone in, and it really is a shared, almost religious experience. With the gods of rock.
I still remember the show last year, it was a party atmosphere that started in the parking lot. People were tailgating (hell, it cost us 45 bucks for the privilege of parking there, I think most people wanted to get everything they could out of it), with the band blasting from car stereos. Inside, everyone was mild mannered, until the guys hit the stage. Then, everyone was on their feet, singing along snapping pictures, calling their friends so they could hear favorite songs, holding their phones towards the stage so that Bono could see the lights from everyone in the darkened stadium. Like our own little constellation. It was one of those perfect moments, perfect evenings, that you file away carefully in your heart & mind, to recall on later occasions and look back on with fondness.
So I am sending love to you, Bono, and positive, healing vibes. As someone told me once, no stress, only love. Love and a rocket ship. The tour is going to be rescheduled for sometime in 2011 and I have been instructed by Live Nation to hold on to my tickets because they will still be good for the new dates. So I have something else now, to look forward to.
In the meantime, we will just have to make do with videos... turn this one up, it's my favorite.
It's been in the back of my mind, and as we are creeping into June, every so often, I would think "YAY! U2 in July!!" It was a future goal, something to look forward to. Those shows are pretty amazing, and I've been lucky enough to see them many times when they've come through Chicago. I've had a handful of other amazing, life altering theatrical experiences, and the U2 shows are right up there at the top of the list. How can a stadium show feel intimate? I don't know, but those guys work huge, cavernous places like the United Center and Soldier Field like they were as cozy as your living room. Something about their performances draws everyone in, and it really is a shared, almost religious experience. With the gods of rock.
I still remember the show last year, it was a party atmosphere that started in the parking lot. People were tailgating (hell, it cost us 45 bucks for the privilege of parking there, I think most people wanted to get everything they could out of it), with the band blasting from car stereos. Inside, everyone was mild mannered, until the guys hit the stage. Then, everyone was on their feet, singing along snapping pictures, calling their friends so they could hear favorite songs, holding their phones towards the stage so that Bono could see the lights from everyone in the darkened stadium. Like our own little constellation. It was one of those perfect moments, perfect evenings, that you file away carefully in your heart & mind, to recall on later occasions and look back on with fondness.
So I am sending love to you, Bono, and positive, healing vibes. As someone told me once, no stress, only love. Love and a rocket ship. The tour is going to be rescheduled for sometime in 2011 and I have been instructed by Live Nation to hold on to my tickets because they will still be good for the new dates. So I have something else now, to look forward to.
In the meantime, we will just have to make do with videos... turn this one up, it's my favorite.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Glee-cap "Theatricality"
(image from Glee's facebook page!!)I don't have a lot of time for a blow-by-blow of last night's episode, which means that you should just go and watch it and then we can talk about it.
But here's what I got:
1. Oh, Rachel. You would have been better off with Patti as your mom... I don't understand why they even threw that in there (except Idina and Lea look like they could totally be related?) - first, I don't think the audience knew enough about Rachel's sadness over her mom, so when the introduced it, it was like, oh, okay. Well, that's good, she found her mom. But then Shelby was all like I want to meet my daughter, but then she was not really ready to have a teenager, so she set the whole thing up for Rachel to hear the tape and find her and then she just decided that she didn't want to be in her life after all. That's so mean!!!! Shelby told Will that Rachel didn't need her anymore, well, actually, she DOES. Now things are back to the way they were before, so what did this whole "Rachel, I am Your Mother" thing accomplish in the first place?? Oh, except it gave them a chance to sing a funky slowed down "Poker Face" together. Which is a weird mother-daughter duet song but whatever. It sounded cool.
2. Statement that made me super depressed and old - Shelby asked Rachel how her two dads came up with her name, and she said "They were big Friends fans." That means she was born in the 90s sometime, when I was in high school, watching Friends. That means there is a generation of people who won't get Friends references, Ross and Rachel! How YOU doin'?? all of that. It is like an old time tv show to them. I needed to go and lie down for a while after that.
3. The Lady Gaga inspired outfits and "Bad Romance" number were AWESOME. I especially loved Quinn's pink outfit (although she looked completely un-pregnant again), and Kurt's crazy lobster shoes. He could have just kicked those asshat jocks with one of those suckers. He would probably have fallen down, but I bet a kick to the junk with those shoes would have hurt.
4. Loved Kurt's dad standing up for Kurt when Finn was being a bonehead. I mean, look dude, I know you are all of a sudden being made to live somewhere without even getting to voice an opinion in the matter, but that's no reason to be a jerk to Kurt.
5. Finn did redeem himself in the end though, when he showed out all Gaga-fied in a skin tight red dress and spangly red eyes (you must know the outfit I mean...) and threatened to beat those football players up for taunting Kurt. Why do those football players look so OLD anyway??? All the players at my high school were like scrawny guys. They didn't look like Bears linebackers.
6. I also loved how Principal Figgins made an example of Tina dressing like a goth and referencing Twilight (which her mom wouldn't let her watch because "she thinks Kristen Stewart looks like a bitch") when she wasn't even INVOLVED in the incident Figgins brought up with kids dressing up like vampires and attacking the nerd boy. And yet, he had no problems with the Gaga-wear OR with the Kiss style pyrotechnics in the auditorium.
7. Every so often they remember that Will is a teacher, and this week showed him in his office - not grading papers or doing lesson plans, but doing internet research on Lady Gaga. They also had him using a Spanish word (I don't remember what it was) as if they were like "Oh, yeah! He's a Spanish teacher! Let's have him say muy bien!"
8. Bad ass Puck wanted to call Quinn's baby "Jackie Daniels" but eventually had an epiphany and asked Quinn if they could call her "Beth" instead, and if he could be present at the birth. She said yes.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
letters to juliet
Yesterday was a busybusy day, full of bridesmaid business. Lunch, makeup for the bride (oh heck, and for me, too. Curse you, Sephora!), some ceremony decor items, chilling, dinner, and a romantic girly movie, Letters to Juliet. Before the movie started, there was mucho squealing after an Eclipse preview was shown. Lots of "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" exclamations. Can this end now, pleasepleasepleaseplease? The books were all right, okay? They weren't particularly well-written and most of the characters are MORONS. Especially Bella. I have not seen either of the other two movies and I'm not planning on it (even to see a bunch of teenage werewolves without shirts on.) Arrrgh.
Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes, the movie. Well, it was your predictable rom-com fare. Sophie is engaged to a moron, and invites her three dads to the wedding ceremony - oh, wait!! Wrong Amanda Seyfried movie. In Letters to Juliet, Sophie is engaged to a moron and they go to Italy on a pre-wedding honeymoon. That is not as awesome as it sounds - he is on business (he is a chef)and spends his time dragging her around to wineries, looking at old cheese and so on. She says no, she wants to sightsee, and he can look at smelly cheese without her. Right on, girl!
She goes to Juliet's house and discovers a strange phenomenon - heartbroken women write letters to Juliet, asking for love advice (uh, why exactly? Juliet didn't have such a brilliant track record, if you think about it...) and some ladies take the letters down and respond to them. Sophie finds a really old one, hidden away and answers it. Claire Smith (one of the Redgraves - Vanessa, maybe?) gets the letter and comes back to Verona to find her long lost Lorenzo, bringing her crabby (but hunky) grandson along with her. Sophie joins them on Lorenzo-quest, which crabby grandson heartily disapproves of. and, oh, I am sure you can figure out where this is going. She believes in true love and he thinks it's all "bollocks." She writes down her experiences and magically gets published in the New Yorker where she had been employed as a fact checker.
As I said above, predictable rom-com fare, but sweet, adorable and really nice to look at. The leads are pretty and all the shots of Italy made me think of my travels there a few years ago. I just couldn't stop smiling at the scenes of lovely golden sun drenched fields, tall sunflowers, the piazza in Siena, all with an Italian pop music soundtrack (an Italian version of "I'm a Believer" was my favorite). We had a fun audience who went "awww" and clapped every time there was a happy development (which was often). That made me smile, too. It was just a cute little happy romantic movie, and it was a nice way to spend an evening.
Sidebar here though - when did the Village Crossing theaters become so skanky? There was a cop hovering around in the lobby (he held the door for us). Given the fact that the main attraction there was the new Shrek movie, filled with parents and kids, what did they think was going to happen? We passed another cop on the way out (maybe it was the same cop?) which was kinda weird....
Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes, the movie. Well, it was your predictable rom-com fare. Sophie is engaged to a moron, and invites her three dads to the wedding ceremony - oh, wait!! Wrong Amanda Seyfried movie. In Letters to Juliet, Sophie is engaged to a moron and they go to Italy on a pre-wedding honeymoon. That is not as awesome as it sounds - he is on business (he is a chef)and spends his time dragging her around to wineries, looking at old cheese and so on. She says no, she wants to sightsee, and he can look at smelly cheese without her. Right on, girl!
She goes to Juliet's house and discovers a strange phenomenon - heartbroken women write letters to Juliet, asking for love advice (uh, why exactly? Juliet didn't have such a brilliant track record, if you think about it...) and some ladies take the letters down and respond to them. Sophie finds a really old one, hidden away and answers it. Claire Smith (one of the Redgraves - Vanessa, maybe?) gets the letter and comes back to Verona to find her long lost Lorenzo, bringing her crabby (but hunky) grandson along with her. Sophie joins them on Lorenzo-quest, which crabby grandson heartily disapproves of. and, oh, I am sure you can figure out where this is going. She believes in true love and he thinks it's all "bollocks." She writes down her experiences and magically gets published in the New Yorker where she had been employed as a fact checker.
As I said above, predictable rom-com fare, but sweet, adorable and really nice to look at. The leads are pretty and all the shots of Italy made me think of my travels there a few years ago. I just couldn't stop smiling at the scenes of lovely golden sun drenched fields, tall sunflowers, the piazza in Siena, all with an Italian pop music soundtrack (an Italian version of "I'm a Believer" was my favorite). We had a fun audience who went "awww" and clapped every time there was a happy development (which was often). That made me smile, too. It was just a cute little happy romantic movie, and it was a nice way to spend an evening.
Sidebar here though - when did the Village Crossing theaters become so skanky? There was a cop hovering around in the lobby (he held the door for us). Given the fact that the main attraction there was the new Shrek movie, filled with parents and kids, what did they think was going to happen? We passed another cop on the way out (maybe it was the same cop?) which was kinda weird....
Friday, May 21, 2010
day off!!
Well, friends, I've gotten myself into quite a PTO-related dilemma. That's "Paid Time Off" by the way, just so you aren't thinking I've gotten myself mixed up with a parent-teacher organization, because that would make no sense at all, being neither parent nor teacher.
Anywho. I have 20 some odd days to take off between now and June 30 (the end of our Fiscal Year and alas, alack, I can't carry any of them over. I must be the only fool on earth who feels GUILTY taking days off as in "Oh, I have so much to do, I just can't take off willy-nilly," etc. So now, I have a zillion days to take and no idea what I'm going to do with them all. AND, I'm going to have to be much much better about taking days off in the coming year, because it seems like I am always stuck with this problem. Better planning is in order.
In the meantimeI've started by taking Fridays off, which will be nice. I took one off today. It was a lovely, quiet day. I did a lot of reading - The Carrie Diaries and also Russell Brand's Booky Wook.
Also, ALL of my Ravinia tickets arrived today!! YAY!! I'm so excited about all of those events and also about the upcoming warm weather -- summer must finally be here!!
Anywho. I have 20 some odd days to take off between now and June 30 (the end of our Fiscal Year and alas, alack, I can't carry any of them over. I must be the only fool on earth who feels GUILTY taking days off as in "Oh, I have so much to do, I just can't take off willy-nilly," etc. So now, I have a zillion days to take and no idea what I'm going to do with them all. AND, I'm going to have to be much much better about taking days off in the coming year, because it seems like I am always stuck with this problem. Better planning is in order.
In the meantimeI've started by taking Fridays off, which will be nice. I took one off today. It was a lovely, quiet day. I did a lot of reading - The Carrie Diaries and also Russell Brand's Booky Wook.
Also, ALL of my Ravinia tickets arrived today!! YAY!! I'm so excited about all of those events and also about the upcoming warm weather -- summer must finally be here!!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Glee-cap "Dream On"
If last week's episode was about finding one's mojo and being true to yourself, this week's episode was about dreams. This week was exiting for the guest appearance of Neil Patrick Harris and the fact that it was directed by Joss Whedon.
Enter Will's nemesis, Bryan Ryan (NPH!! NPH!!) who, will tells us in voice over made his life a living hell in high school, getting all the girls and worse, all the glee club solos. Now he's back, as a macho school board asshat with an anti-Glee Club streak. After a career singing on cruise ships and lounges, he now sells used Hummers (Stop making that face, he tells Will, "Global warming is a myth") and has since found "Jesus" - no, not Him. A central/south American therapist. He also now hosts a Glee Club support group. Glee Club kills, he tells a motley assortment of Glee Club has beens (including Molly Shannon - I am not sure how I feel about her addition to the cast...). His mission now is to make an audit of all of the school's extracurricular activities with a view of making some budget cuts. He tells Will that he wants to speak to the students. Will says no, but he has no choice. It's high school all over again.
Bryan Ryan speaks to the Glee kids, telling them to write their dreams on a sheet of paper. He brutally rips Artie's page from his notebook and tells all the kids that their dreams will never come true. They will spend the rest of their lives in Ohio (YIKES) and never amount to anything. Will throws old Peppy McPep Talk out of the room after all of the students look troubled and Tina starts to cry.
Rachel's dream? Being a star of course. But Bryan Ryan has shaken her confidence. She takes to the dance studio. Jesse comes back (hooray!) from his spring break (with another school. I don't get it either.) They make up and he tells her that she has nothing to worry about - her playing Evita on Broadway? An inevitability. Still, there's something missing - her mom. Jesse encourages her to try and find out her mom's identity. After some research, Rachel has her answer. Her mom, naturally, is Broadway star Patti LuPone. The year of her birth was a big year for "mother", Rachel tells Jesse, as she has just finished starring in Pal Joey. BUT - she also made a tour with Mandy Patinkin to Ohio just after that (and there is the fly in your ointment, Rachel - as everyone knows that the two of them had not toured together after Evita until just recently. Because yes, that's the only problem with this scenario) and this is when it all happened. Jesse looks bemused "Wow," he said. "Did Mandy Patinkin have anything to do with it?" Rachel knows this is a dumb idea but it does not stop her from offering to present research on why Bernadette Peters is her mom.
But ACTUALLY - Idina Menzel is her mom!!! Okay fine, her character, Shelby Corcoran, coach of "Vocal Adrenaline" is her mom. And Jesse knows it! While helping Rachel with some "CSI" style research into her past, he "finds" a cassette (in his pocket) that says "From Mother to Daughter" Rachel freaks out. "What if she sings on the tape?" she asks Jesse. "What if she's terrible?" Then a worse thought "What if she's better than me??" She's not ready to know. Jesse meets with Idina/Shelby in her car and promises that he will have Rachel listen to the tape. Here's my question - what if Rachel hadn't brought up her mom? How would Jesse have worked that in otherwise?
Artie's dream? Is to be able to get up out of his wheelchair and dance. And in one, brief and beautiful dream sequence, he gets up out of his chair and starts to dance to "Safety Dance" in the middle of the mall - it becomes a bit of a flash mob scene, with everyone joining in to his dance (I gotta tell Pierre!!). But this is a dream that won't come true for him.
Back to Will and Bryan Ryan - Will takes Bryan out for a beer "for old time's sake" which is weird because they didn't like each other. Bryan tells Will he's been living a lie! He misses singing, and he goes secretly to New York to see shows. He's got a box of Playbills in the basement he tells Will "like porn!" Will goes to the jukebox and cues up "Piano Man" - they both sing. It turns out Bryan's secret dream is to return to the stage. Will convinces Bryan to audition for the community theater production of "Les Mis" - they both show up to audition for Jean Valjean. Will says he's going to sing "The Impossible Dream" Bryan says he is, too. Will says actually, he's going to sing "Dream On" and Bryan says, oh, that's right, he is too. The director tells them to sing it as a duet (he also runs the dry cleaner and can only leave for 30 minutes at a time). They sing "Dream On"
Bryan has a change of heart, slashes the Cheerios budget (and has a tryst with Sue in her secret upstairs room) and buys the Glee club new stuff (denim jackets! dancewear! sheet music!) But Sue comes down to congratulate Will on his new role as Jean Valjean. Bryan also gets a part - a townsperson with one line "Hooray!" Bryan is furious, declares he's cutting the Glee Club and stomps out, taking all of his bedazzled denim with him.
Will needs to act. He makes an impassioned plea to Bryan about the importance of the arts to these kids. "They may not be stars," he tells them "But they shine like stars." They get labeled when the walk in the door as freshmen, but Glee allows them to be who they are. By cutting the club, Will says, Bryan is dimming their stars and creating 13 black holes. Bryan is not moved. Will offers to give his Jean Valjean role to Bryan (which frees up his schedule for, I don't know - teaching?). "You give me the role and I save the club?" Bryan sneers. Will says yes. Bryan cheers up and agrees. The club lives to sing another day. Dreams really can come true.
Rachel finally listens to the tape from her mother, which promises to "explain everything" but is really just her singing "I dreamed a dream" (note the Les Mis and tie to Rachel's almost mother, Patti LuPone, the original Fantine) which was pretty but explains nothing. Because Fantine DIES, right? How does that offer Rachel any clues??
Next week - the club goes Gaga - Lady Gaga, of course! The teaser promises extreme Gaga style wardrobe and music, and also Rachel putting something together and approaching Shelby and saying "I'm your daughter!" Maybe she's psychic??
Enter Will's nemesis, Bryan Ryan (NPH!! NPH!!) who, will tells us in voice over made his life a living hell in high school, getting all the girls and worse, all the glee club solos. Now he's back, as a macho school board asshat with an anti-Glee Club streak. After a career singing on cruise ships and lounges, he now sells used Hummers (Stop making that face, he tells Will, "Global warming is a myth") and has since found "Jesus" - no, not Him. A central/south American therapist. He also now hosts a Glee Club support group. Glee Club kills, he tells a motley assortment of Glee Club has beens (including Molly Shannon - I am not sure how I feel about her addition to the cast...). His mission now is to make an audit of all of the school's extracurricular activities with a view of making some budget cuts. He tells Will that he wants to speak to the students. Will says no, but he has no choice. It's high school all over again.
Bryan Ryan speaks to the Glee kids, telling them to write their dreams on a sheet of paper. He brutally rips Artie's page from his notebook and tells all the kids that their dreams will never come true. They will spend the rest of their lives in Ohio (YIKES) and never amount to anything. Will throws old Peppy McPep Talk out of the room after all of the students look troubled and Tina starts to cry.
Rachel's dream? Being a star of course. But Bryan Ryan has shaken her confidence. She takes to the dance studio. Jesse comes back (hooray!) from his spring break (with another school. I don't get it either.) They make up and he tells her that she has nothing to worry about - her playing Evita on Broadway? An inevitability. Still, there's something missing - her mom. Jesse encourages her to try and find out her mom's identity. After some research, Rachel has her answer. Her mom, naturally, is Broadway star Patti LuPone. The year of her birth was a big year for "mother", Rachel tells Jesse, as she has just finished starring in Pal Joey. BUT - she also made a tour with Mandy Patinkin to Ohio just after that (and there is the fly in your ointment, Rachel - as everyone knows that the two of them had not toured together after Evita until just recently. Because yes, that's the only problem with this scenario) and this is when it all happened. Jesse looks bemused "Wow," he said. "Did Mandy Patinkin have anything to do with it?" Rachel knows this is a dumb idea but it does not stop her from offering to present research on why Bernadette Peters is her mom.
But ACTUALLY - Idina Menzel is her mom!!! Okay fine, her character, Shelby Corcoran, coach of "Vocal Adrenaline" is her mom. And Jesse knows it! While helping Rachel with some "CSI" style research into her past, he "finds" a cassette (in his pocket) that says "From Mother to Daughter" Rachel freaks out. "What if she sings on the tape?" she asks Jesse. "What if she's terrible?" Then a worse thought "What if she's better than me??" She's not ready to know. Jesse meets with Idina/Shelby in her car and promises that he will have Rachel listen to the tape. Here's my question - what if Rachel hadn't brought up her mom? How would Jesse have worked that in otherwise?
Artie's dream? Is to be able to get up out of his wheelchair and dance. And in one, brief and beautiful dream sequence, he gets up out of his chair and starts to dance to "Safety Dance" in the middle of the mall - it becomes a bit of a flash mob scene, with everyone joining in to his dance (I gotta tell Pierre!!). But this is a dream that won't come true for him.
Back to Will and Bryan Ryan - Will takes Bryan out for a beer "for old time's sake" which is weird because they didn't like each other. Bryan tells Will he's been living a lie! He misses singing, and he goes secretly to New York to see shows. He's got a box of Playbills in the basement he tells Will "like porn!" Will goes to the jukebox and cues up "Piano Man" - they both sing. It turns out Bryan's secret dream is to return to the stage. Will convinces Bryan to audition for the community theater production of "Les Mis" - they both show up to audition for Jean Valjean. Will says he's going to sing "The Impossible Dream" Bryan says he is, too. Will says actually, he's going to sing "Dream On" and Bryan says, oh, that's right, he is too. The director tells them to sing it as a duet (he also runs the dry cleaner and can only leave for 30 minutes at a time). They sing "Dream On"
Bryan has a change of heart, slashes the Cheerios budget (and has a tryst with Sue in her secret upstairs room) and buys the Glee club new stuff (denim jackets! dancewear! sheet music!) But Sue comes down to congratulate Will on his new role as Jean Valjean. Bryan also gets a part - a townsperson with one line "Hooray!" Bryan is furious, declares he's cutting the Glee Club and stomps out, taking all of his bedazzled denim with him.
Will needs to act. He makes an impassioned plea to Bryan about the importance of the arts to these kids. "They may not be stars," he tells them "But they shine like stars." They get labeled when the walk in the door as freshmen, but Glee allows them to be who they are. By cutting the club, Will says, Bryan is dimming their stars and creating 13 black holes. Bryan is not moved. Will offers to give his Jean Valjean role to Bryan (which frees up his schedule for, I don't know - teaching?). "You give me the role and I save the club?" Bryan sneers. Will says yes. Bryan cheers up and agrees. The club lives to sing another day. Dreams really can come true.
Rachel finally listens to the tape from her mother, which promises to "explain everything" but is really just her singing "I dreamed a dream" (note the Les Mis and tie to Rachel's almost mother, Patti LuPone, the original Fantine) which was pretty but explains nothing. Because Fantine DIES, right? How does that offer Rachel any clues??
Next week - the club goes Gaga - Lady Gaga, of course! The teaser promises extreme Gaga style wardrobe and music, and also Rachel putting something together and approaching Shelby and saying "I'm your daughter!" Maybe she's psychic??
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
my morning tea party *
* No fear! I have not turned into a conservative wackadoo! I am talking about a thing with actual tea. Like the Queen drinks. You know?
This morning I went to the post office in the Thompson Center. It is always, always, always better to go first thing in the morning, because there are no lines. Later in the day there are huge lines and usually only one person behind the counter. So I like to go early and take care of business.
On the way back, I stopped at Argo. Since I am attempting to be good after the whole I-had-a-blizzard-for-lunch fandango on Monday, I got a plain black tea and asked them (twice) to leave room so I could add cream. The girl asked me if I had the black tea and I said, yes with room. She didn’t hear me but there was an employee guy standing next to me who did, and so he corrected her when she didn’t leave any room in the cup. So I said thanks. I was standing at the condiment station adding cream and sugar and I couldn’t get the cream to come out of the pitcher thing. so I traded it for another one. no go. The same guy helped me figure it out and now I am pretty sure he thinks I am a moron. Whatever. It wasn’t even 8:00 yet.
This morning I went to the post office in the Thompson Center. It is always, always, always better to go first thing in the morning, because there are no lines. Later in the day there are huge lines and usually only one person behind the counter. So I like to go early and take care of business.
On the way back, I stopped at Argo. Since I am attempting to be good after the whole I-had-a-blizzard-for-lunch fandango on Monday, I got a plain black tea and asked them (twice) to leave room so I could add cream. The girl asked me if I had the black tea and I said, yes with room. She didn’t hear me but there was an employee guy standing next to me who did, and so he corrected her when she didn’t leave any room in the cup. So I said thanks. I was standing at the condiment station adding cream and sugar and I couldn’t get the cream to come out of the pitcher thing. so I traded it for another one. no go. The same guy helped me figure it out and now I am pretty sure he thinks I am a moron. Whatever. It wasn’t even 8:00 yet.
Glee-cap
This episode was all about regaining lost mojo. First there's Puck, who had to shave his mohawk (although, seriously, he did not look that different than before?) and was suddenly in dweebland, getting tossed in a dumpster. As he told Santana, he felt like that guy who lost his mojo after getting his hair cut (no, not Samson - Agassi). To increase his cool points, he decides he needs to date someone popular and sets his sights on Mercedes, now a Cheerio and hugely popular. The fact that they have nothing in common does not bother Puck at all. After a few attempts at getting rid of him, Mercedes is finally woo-ed after singing a duet with him to "The Lady is a Tramp"
The Glee club has also lost its mojo - poor Rachel is popping vitamins constantly in her efforts to keep carrying the group with her awesomeness and solos. It's not working. She bugs the choir room (with the help of the AV Club - no way Glee is dorkier than the AV club??) and creates a "Glist" of her own - her fellow Glee-clubbers who aren't carrying their weight. It is half of the group. Mr. Shue gives them an assignment - to find a song that captures who they are today, their story, their voice. Rachel goes first - her song is "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus because it is all about overcoming obstacles. Rachel's obstacle? The rest of the club. She starts to sing but it's all coming out wrong. Oh no! She has... a sore throat.
Finn goes to the doctor with her. Her fear? Being told that she will never sing again. Which the doctor tells her. No, wait, he's just kidding (and sorta mean). She can take antibiotics but really really needs to have her tonsils out. She does not want the operation because who is she without her voice?? Mope, mope, mope, mope. Finn is still pining away for her even though she is "Jesse's girl" Jesse is conveniently away somewhere and Finn sings that song as his Glee assignment (I was wondering what took them so long to toss that song in there). Finn eventually takes her to meet a friend of his - a football player who lost his mojo - and his mobility - in a football accident.
Poor Kurt is so confused this week - his dad is lavishing baseball tickets (or is it basketball?) and hogies on Finn, doing some father-son bonding that makes Kurt feel left out. He gets a pep talk (of sorts) from Coach Sylvester. She tells him only one person can put a label on him "Me?" he says smiling. "No" Sue replies. "ME. Sue Sylvester." She tells him he's not gay just because he likes showtunes "that just means you're awful." and then she checks out of the conversation and vows not to spend time talking to students. He takes matters into his own hands and decides to sing some Mellencamp and don some plaid to get closer to his dad. He even makes out with Brittany (thus completing her perfect record of making out with every guy in school). But all his efforts come to naught - and he busts out with Rose's Turn which was completely awesome. Gosh that guy can sing.
Mercedes and Santana duel it out over Puck coming to vocal and physical blows in a duet of "The Boy is Mine". But Mercedes sees Puck back in his dumpster tossing glory and decides that she doesn't want to be with that kind of guy. She even quits Cheerios, making Sue wonder what she's going to do with the Mariah Carey number that Mercedes would have been singing (damn, that would have rocked). She decides she will probably take to the mic herself with a diatribe "probably about immigration."
Rachel gets better! And visits the paralyzed football player, offering to give him singing lessons. They sing "One" (best.song.ever) which leads into a whole ensemble number of the song, with everyone decked out in denim on denim (still not okay! ever!) Quinn mysteriously does not look very pregnant in these group numbers. What's happening there??
Mojo is restored to all. The world makes sense again.
The Glee club has also lost its mojo - poor Rachel is popping vitamins constantly in her efforts to keep carrying the group with her awesomeness and solos. It's not working. She bugs the choir room (with the help of the AV Club - no way Glee is dorkier than the AV club??) and creates a "Glist" of her own - her fellow Glee-clubbers who aren't carrying their weight. It is half of the group. Mr. Shue gives them an assignment - to find a song that captures who they are today, their story, their voice. Rachel goes first - her song is "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus because it is all about overcoming obstacles. Rachel's obstacle? The rest of the club. She starts to sing but it's all coming out wrong. Oh no! She has... a sore throat.
Finn goes to the doctor with her. Her fear? Being told that she will never sing again. Which the doctor tells her. No, wait, he's just kidding (and sorta mean). She can take antibiotics but really really needs to have her tonsils out. She does not want the operation because who is she without her voice?? Mope, mope, mope, mope. Finn is still pining away for her even though she is "Jesse's girl" Jesse is conveniently away somewhere and Finn sings that song as his Glee assignment (I was wondering what took them so long to toss that song in there). Finn eventually takes her to meet a friend of his - a football player who lost his mojo - and his mobility - in a football accident.
Poor Kurt is so confused this week - his dad is lavishing baseball tickets (or is it basketball?) and hogies on Finn, doing some father-son bonding that makes Kurt feel left out. He gets a pep talk (of sorts) from Coach Sylvester. She tells him only one person can put a label on him "Me?" he says smiling. "No" Sue replies. "ME. Sue Sylvester." She tells him he's not gay just because he likes showtunes "that just means you're awful." and then she checks out of the conversation and vows not to spend time talking to students. He takes matters into his own hands and decides to sing some Mellencamp and don some plaid to get closer to his dad. He even makes out with Brittany (thus completing her perfect record of making out with every guy in school). But all his efforts come to naught - and he busts out with Rose's Turn which was completely awesome. Gosh that guy can sing.
Mercedes and Santana duel it out over Puck coming to vocal and physical blows in a duet of "The Boy is Mine". But Mercedes sees Puck back in his dumpster tossing glory and decides that she doesn't want to be with that kind of guy. She even quits Cheerios, making Sue wonder what she's going to do with the Mariah Carey number that Mercedes would have been singing (damn, that would have rocked). She decides she will probably take to the mic herself with a diatribe "probably about immigration."
Rachel gets better! And visits the paralyzed football player, offering to give him singing lessons. They sing "One" (best.song.ever) which leads into a whole ensemble number of the song, with everyone decked out in denim on denim (still not okay! ever!) Quinn mysteriously does not look very pregnant in these group numbers. What's happening there??
Mojo is restored to all. The world makes sense again.
Friday, May 07, 2010
mother's day, 30 Rock Style
Oh 30 Rock, you make me smile. It was touch and go for a while, since last week's storyline with Jenna and her Jenna-impersonator boyfriend was a little too bizarre for me, but this week - it's all good! In a Mother's Day homage, we had appearances from Jack's mother Colleen, Frank's mother - Patti - I don't know the character's name, Jenna's mother, Liz Lemon's mother and her secret affair with Buzz Aldrin (before she married Mr. Lemon) and Tracy's mother, the pajamall lady, and we learned that poor Danny appears to be adopted.Liz shouted at the moon with Buzz, Kenneth forgot his name (well, Elaine Stritch IS kind of intimidating - I would probably forget MY name, too.), Will Ferrell popped up on NBC's latest show "Bitch Hunter" (DO IT, NBC!! For the love of GOD, do it!) , and at the end, they all sang a song.
Happy Mother's Day!
Thursday, May 06, 2010
stand up for the arts
In today's Sun Times:
ARTFUL ACTION: Ravinia's CEO, Welz Kauffman, has been tapped to lead a team of Illinois decision makers at a multistate Education Leadership Institute organized by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The July 26-28 conference seeks to create strategies to strengthen arts education. ''As the son of two teachers, I think of myself as a lifelong student,'' says Kauffman, who hopes they will shape a new ''generation of leaders who won't have to apologize for the arts, but can embrace them as part of every day.''
Not to get all soap-boxy about this, but I think we need more leaders like Welz who will stand up for the arts. When I was in school, all the way from K-8,I had an art class as part of the curriculum (it was called "CASH" - computers, art, shop and home economics). We also had music class, I think every day. We learned the composers, we learned about different kinds of music, we went on field trips to the Art Institute, the CSO and Lyric Opera, as well as the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry. It was part of my life, it was the rule and not the exception. When has it started to become the exception??? And why does it have to be this way??
There is a perception out there about arts education - that it's not as important as the three Rs. Not true. I was not athletic. Gym class was awful. I found my place in school by being in choir (and on the choir board in high school - woot!) and I know that's true for so many people.
So many of our arts organizations have community engagement (a fancy name for outreach) programs in the community to bring music, dance and opera back into classrooms. I know that Ravinia has started a youth orchestra, modeled on El Sistema, the Venezuelean music education system that fostered the talents of conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
Joffrey has a great dance program for middle school kids, using dance to teach them respect, team work and self confidence. I attended the spring concert where all of the kids came together (about 400 kids from 22 schools) to show off the choreography that they created. It was dances from the 1960s and it was so much fun to watch.
I hope that the July conference is successful - I only wonder why this information was buried in Bill Zwecker's column???
ARTFUL ACTION: Ravinia's CEO, Welz Kauffman, has been tapped to lead a team of Illinois decision makers at a multistate Education Leadership Institute organized by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The July 26-28 conference seeks to create strategies to strengthen arts education. ''As the son of two teachers, I think of myself as a lifelong student,'' says Kauffman, who hopes they will shape a new ''generation of leaders who won't have to apologize for the arts, but can embrace them as part of every day.''
Not to get all soap-boxy about this, but I think we need more leaders like Welz who will stand up for the arts. When I was in school, all the way from K-8,I had an art class as part of the curriculum (it was called "CASH" - computers, art, shop and home economics). We also had music class, I think every day. We learned the composers, we learned about different kinds of music, we went on field trips to the Art Institute, the CSO and Lyric Opera, as well as the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry. It was part of my life, it was the rule and not the exception. When has it started to become the exception??? And why does it have to be this way??
There is a perception out there about arts education - that it's not as important as the three Rs. Not true. I was not athletic. Gym class was awful. I found my place in school by being in choir (and on the choir board in high school - woot!) and I know that's true for so many people.
So many of our arts organizations have community engagement (a fancy name for outreach) programs in the community to bring music, dance and opera back into classrooms. I know that Ravinia has started a youth orchestra, modeled on El Sistema, the Venezuelean music education system that fostered the talents of conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
Joffrey has a great dance program for middle school kids, using dance to teach them respect, team work and self confidence. I attended the spring concert where all of the kids came together (about 400 kids from 22 schools) to show off the choreography that they created. It was dances from the 1960s and it was so much fun to watch.
I hope that the July conference is successful - I only wonder why this information was buried in Bill Zwecker's column???
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