Madgirl Travels

Yikes! I've been tagged!

2007-05-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Girlfiend tagged me for a meme (8 random facts/thoughts) -

I'm going to answer it over at Madgirl Knits (cause I'm ornery like that - plus, there's a cute picture of CCE over there).

They're making a movie

2007-03-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

of my all time favorite broadway (London stage) musical - Mamma Mia. Except, it would seem, that Pierce missed the point that the play is "current day" (or, around 1999) - not "forever in the 1970s".

Per IMDB.com:

Brosnan To Sing With Streep In Mamma Mia!

Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan will be showing off his singing skills when he teams up with Meryl Streep for the big screen adaptation of hit musical Mamma Mia! Brosnan sang a few Irish standards in the independent film Evelyn and also crooned onstage early in his career. But now The Thomas Crown Affair star will play Sam, one of the three men summoned to a Greek island by a young woman who believes one of them is her father, in the new film. Brosnan claims the opportunity to sing Abba standards such as S.O.S. - a duet with Streep - was irresistible. He explains, "I said yes right away because it meant working with Meryl Streep. "Secondly, I saw the show with my family in London, and found it just so wonderfully happy and joyful, and so pitched in time forever in the 1970s. "What a kick in the pants to be able to go off and spend some time with Meryl on some Greek island, singing Abba songs!" Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson will serve as producers of the film project, along with former Abba members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus

Wow.

2007-02-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

It would seem that the higher you fly, the farther you fall. It was a thought out plan - perhaps not well thought out, but definitely thought out.

Ah, a challenge

2006-12-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

From Zosie's Mom - at least one unknown PSU fact about me? - I'm gonna try 5 (If Lawmummy can tag 6 people, I can answer twice)... this is difficult as my PSUdom is a fairly open book

1. My 7th grade math teacher's son played on the 1982 National Championship team

2. While an undergrad, I almost got hit by a car driven by Joe Paterno (notoriously bad driver) - and that is my one and only "Joe Paterno story" - everyone from Happy Valley has at least one

3. As a freshman I won tickets to the Regatta by telling the following joke on the radio "why did the Pitt freshman get lost in the desert? Because he took a piece of sandpaper for a map..." ha ha ha ha ha, so true.

4. My birthday cake for my 17th birthday was in the shape of a football jersey and decorated in blue and white, with the number 17 - the fact that I was 17 was a coincidence - I wanted the number 17 because I had a crush on the kid who wore that number at the time - funny how things work out

5. I have a really good story about a former PSU gymnast (and 4 time NCAA champion)

Meme (me me me me me)

2006-12-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

so, for the first time, in my knowledge, I've been "tagged" to participate in a meme - Lawmummy thought it best to include me in the 6 people she (erroneously, as you are only supposed to "tag" 5) has "tagged" - for this "one" I'm to name 5 things that "you" don't know about me. I'm not really sure who, exactly, is my audience - but I'll give it a try:

1. I never ate homemade mac n' cheese (or anything non-kraft from a box) until I was in Law School - Lawmummy made it from scratch and I decided that if she was going to go to the trouble to make it, I was going to try it - It was delicious, and still the best I've ever had.

2. I have a, albeit very neglected, stamp collection.

3. I hoolahooped for about 30 minutes on Tuesday.

4. My two favorite hymns are "Hail thee Festival Day" (Easter and Pentecost) and "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God" (All Saints Day/Children's Hymn).

5. I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower more times (3) than I've been to the top of the Empire State Building (2).

I'm going to count myself as Kelly's "sixth tagee" and not tag anyone - I don't want to disturb the space meme continuum.

Open Letter to Santa

2006-12-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

I know that it is difficult to keep tabs on all the boys and girls so I wanted to update you on a couple little girls

Katie, is a big girl. She is now in school and she is learning more every day. She amazes us with her imagination and creativity. She is a very good musician and artist. Her love of cookies sometimes gets her into trouble, but I think that we can both agree that cookies are a pretty good excuse. She can be a little mischevious, as evidenced by the photo, but she's just so darned cute and clever, that it's difficult to find much fault.

Amy is very eager to be a big girl like her sister. She loves horses, Strawberry Shortcake and her family. She does have a weakness for chocolate and sometimes lets it get the better of her. The attached picture is an example of a chocolate (or lack thereof) temper tantrum - which was, as you can see, very close to Christmas. But she's a sweetheart, always ready with a hug, and a big fan of the song "jingle Bells" (one of your favorites, I'm sure).

I hope that you find this information helpful.

Thanks for all you do Santa - and we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

She really is a princess

2006-12-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

You may have read over at Mommy Grows Up about Katie's Christmas Concert, but I wanted to post another picture of Katie in her "bargain of the century" party dress.

the photo is foggy because the "little princess" thought, the night before, that it would be "funny" to touch the lens of my camera - I didn't realize until after the concert that she, and her pizza covered fingers had been successful.

Okay, I had to laugh

2006-12-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

I, like many, many, Blogger bloggers, have upgraded to the Beta Blogger system. I just checked my profile, and they've thoughtfully inserted an age and zodiac sign for me - 250 and Rat -

While I sometimes feel like I'm 250 and/or a Rat, I am neither - but I think I'll keep it, cause it made me laugh out loud.

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo old.

Decorations of pink on a green tinsel tree

2006-12-11T13:03:00.001-08:00

I love Christmas - and this season has already been a lot of fun. I visited my mom in the beginning of December and set up her christmas tree and delivered many of her (and family) christmas presents (yea! don't have to take them on the train!) -

While there I also (with a lot of encouragement from Mom and Suz) decorated a wreath for Pop. Mom always puts a wreath out, usually with a red ribbon - but I really wanted it to be blue and white, as the bowl game is just one week after christmas, and who's going to go out and change it? you guessed it. no one. So I put together a blue and white wreath for him with faux flowers and other christmasy stuff; and, of course, a little football - it is just beautiful. It was fairly easy, and very inexpensive.

And, I have a wee tree on my desk at work. It's light green tinsel - it's so tacky, it's beautiful. I've embellished it with blue ornaments and pink "disco balls" and yes, you do see a little football ornament - and yes, that is a Penn State snowman - it's fab.

Serious use for Silly String - Yahoo! News

2006-12-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

Serious use for Silly String - Yahoo! News

NYC health board votes to ban trans fats - Yahoo! News

2006-12-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

NYC health board votes to ban trans fats - Yahoo! News

Peace Wreath creates a stir

2006-11-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

Durango Herald Online

Plans for ABBA museum unveiled in Sweden - Yahoo! News

2006-11-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

Plans for ABBA museum unveiled in Sweden - Yahoo! News

"As Stockholmer, this is what you have been missing." Truer word were never spoken.

Set to open in 2008, the museum will feature costumes and other ABBA items as well as a studio where you can record your own ABBA smash hit!

And, as the band member said, in a joint statement "we think this will be a fun and swinging museum".

no doubt.

The Year Without a Santa Claus (2006) (TV)

2006-11-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

The Year Without a Santa Claus (2006) (TV) imdb.com

To air on NBC December 11th - Starring John Goodman and Delta Burke.

Hmmmm.

Another season passes by you

2006-11-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

Football season 2006 (college, well, big ten college, that is) is wrapping up this weekend. So I've lived through another season (as I really only count 2 seasons a year - football and off) -

Halloween Lions and Frogs - oh my!

2006-11-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

and there was a unicorn and a chili pepper - don't ask - Halloween was a ton of fun and the kiddies over at Kelly's looked great, as usual.

Pelosi Supports Murtha for Majority Leader Over Hoyer - Yahoo! News

2006-11-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Pelosi Supports Murtha for Majority Leader Over Hoyer - Yahoo! News

Duran Duran guitarist leaves band - Yahoo! News

2006-10-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Duran Duran guitarist leaves band - Yahoo! News

Now, this is news.

Vampires a Mathematical Impossibility, Scientist Says - Yahoo! News

2006-10-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Vampires a Mathematical Impossibility, Scientist Says - Yahoo! News

Okay, not all people feasted on by vampires become vampires - some plain old die. And, there's no guarantee that the vampires feed once a month, or whatever. And, many of the original vampires were found out and destroyed in the middle ages, thereby forcing many of their "kind" to retreat into hiding/dormancy.

So I see this "logic" of professor Costas Efthimiou to be wholly unfounded; and if that's not the name of a vampire trying to diffuse attention away from his true identity, then I don't know what is. Also, how does such a study promote "literacy?" There's no vampires - go read a book!

Still doesn't prove there are no zombies.

An omen?

2006-10-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

It just might have been.

Monday morning I was greeted by a smile on my way to work. Not from a passerby but on the road as I crossed the street!

It made me smile and I continued on to work. I thought to myself "maybe that's an omen for good things to come" - a thought I quickly discounted, because such things usually don't work out "that way" for me. But, later that morning, thinking I hadn't brought any cash with me to work, I found a twenty dollar bill (yea! coffees for everyone!) - and then, a little later, as I prepared to go home for lunch, I found, in my coat pocket, the set of keys that I had been looking for since September. Hmmmmmm. So, on my way home from lunch I took a picture of the happy omen (still there) -

Which flower are you?

2006-10-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm an iris.

I am an
Iris

What Flower
Are You?

thanks to lawmummy.com (Mommy Grows Up) for the link.

Would a town by any other name

2006-09-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

inspire so much hilarity?

I think not.

I finally saw Mianus - and it was beautiful. Honestly, it was lovely. We had located the town on the map and we headed out. Mianus (thankfully) is off the beaten path but we found the intersection where the town was supposed to be and there were no: signs, banners, parties or other indications that we had, in fact, entered Mianus. Suzanne had seen a sign for North Mianus School - North Mianus? that's supposed to be up the river from Mianus. We drove around, hoping to find a post office or proctologist, or something! But, next thing we knew we were in Cos Cob. We toured around the area for a while (Greenwich has SERIOUSLY big houses on SERIOUSLY big lots). After confirming our inferiority, we doubled back (actually, we were lost - and in New York a few times - and, by luck, ended up, back in Greenwich), and went in search of archeological (even if we had to dig) proof of the existence of Mianus.

A wine and spirits shop is, conveniently, located at the mapped location of Mianus (yes Mr. Knoxville, you can get a bottle of wine in Mianus). We stopped, bought some wine, and walked around the water/bridge area. Now, I'm not sure if the pictures are of the Mianus river or the Mianus pond, but it's lovely, either way.

We did some more meandering and were shockingly surprised to find that we were traveling on Mianus Road - which Ts into Westover Road. Our first attempt at taking a picture of the street sign was thwarted by an impatient driver behind us at the stop sign. Seriously dude, it's Saturday afternoon - nothing is getting out of Mianus quickly. We circled around (interestingly, western connecticut is a bit like paris in that there is no geometric order to the road system) and made our way back to the street sign - and, with no pesky honking (where are we? Philadelphia?), we got a picture of "Westover Mianus" - sounds like a Gershwin tune.

We drove around a bit more, trying to find the Mianus River State Park/Resevoir - but, again, there were no signs to aid us in our quest.

We weren't brave enough to ask for directions... Excuse me, can you tell me where Mianus is?

My theory is that the citizens of Mianus are either trying to downplay the nomenclature or they have been the victims of vandalism (ie theft). Either way, we were a bit disappointed in not finding more representation. But it was a great adventure, all the same.

The best thing we did is, while standing near the water, we picked up some sticks and brought them home. I found a stick in Mianus, and I removed it.

Classy.

CNN.com - Rep. Harris: Church-state separation 'a lie'

2006-08-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

CNN.com - Rep. Harris: Church-state separation 'a lie' - Aug 28, 2006

This woman should seriously think about firing her campaign staff, especially the speech writers. She, apparently, has a new makeup artist - but it's not enough to mask this.

Her lack of education, understanding and tolerance is offensive. I am, at least, happy to see that the Republican Party is not backing her (or not publicly).

Okay, it was a horrible movie

2006-08-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

but it had some great lines

From Dodgeball:

when speaking of separating the men from the boys....

"and the awkwardly feminine from the possibly canadian"

that's classic.

Astronomy and Space Full Coverage on Yahoo! News

2006-08-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! - Astronomers say Pluto is not a planet

Well - don't we all feel silly for memorizing the 9 planets when it could have been 8!

Yes, I know it's creepy

2006-08-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

more about the trip to CT soon -

I wanted to post about what I got to do yesterday. We took the ferry from Bridgeport, CT to Port Jefferson, NY (on Long Island) - Port Jeff is about 10 miles from the town where my dad grew up - St. James. We were traveling down rt 25A and passed St James - as a kid I would go there every summer to visit my grandfather (sometimes more often) - but Gramps passed away in 1987 and I hadn't been back to St. James (or Long Island, for that matter) since 1989.

I loved it there as a kid- it was (and I'm happy to report, still is) beautiful. I loved the intricate coastline of the Sound and the knowledge that you were just a 2 hour train ride from "the City". I always thought that I would end up living there when I "grew up" - but, so far, I haven't. I was very nostalgic, driving by the different towns we would visit and my dad would tell stories about (especially the Southern Flowerfield fearless fighters of fearsome forest fires).

We drove by our family's church, where my grandparents are buried. We doubled back and stopped at a nearby nursery (there are tons of nurseries out there; dad grew up on a nursery/farm) and I bought a flowering plant and a small shovel. I had a pretty good idea of where the grave site was; I'd gone there many times with Gramps. I cleaned off the area a little - and dug up some of the old growth - the plant fit nicely and looked good.

It was a very special moment - I'm so very glad that i got the opportunity to be there.

Actual Travel Plans

2006-08-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Will be heading up to New England for a friend's wedding this weekend.

I'm kicking off the tour with a short stay in Atlantic City - I'll be speaking at a PBI seminar Friday afternoon, and, as a result, I get a free hotel room at the Trump Plaza Thursday evening.

From AC, Suzanne and I will trek up to Connecticut, with concrete plans to fulfill the greatest pilgrimage of our lives (or, perhaps the last 4 - 6 years) and visit Mianus, CT. The (please allow the pun) butt of many a joke (and I mean many), we will finally be able to realize our dreams and confirm our speculations about the locality. I have been saying for years that everything is just funnier in Mianus, and now we'll be able to prove this theory.

We're staying in Norwalk, Ct - which is about 20 miles from Mianus - but also close to North Mianus, the Mianus River and Mianus Pond (did you know that there was a pond in Mianus? You do now.).

We're planning to make a full tour of the area and take many pictures.

Btw, the wedding is in Groton; also looking forward to that ;)

So I think I can Dance!

2006-08-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

New milestone (not gall) reached in surgery recovery - Kelly was on the iTunes store this morning listening to Elvis songs and I mentioned to her that I really loved his song "Whata night" - she, kindly, corrected me that the name of the tune is "Such a Night" and played a snippet as I was walking past her desk -

In auto-response to the tune I started swinging my hips and dancing - after a few seconds I stopped and said "hey! I can dance!"

It's all good. Oh, and iTunes, of course, made a sale because I had to download the song immediately.

If I have any Gall

2006-08-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

I now have no bladder to store it.

It's gone, or so they say; I have no evidence other than 4 holes in my tummy and the apparent ability to tolerate some fat (I had a slice of pizza - 12g of fat - no problems - but I'm not, at least psychologically, ready for a Big Mac, may never be).

Recovery has been fairly easy, thanks to great friends (thanks suz!) and good wishes. Everyone has been very sweet, and I truly appreciate it.

I'm off of the pain medicine - I have an ache or a twinge here and there but it's going well.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

2006-08-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

I'm currently waiting for the surgeon's office to call to tell me what time the surgery is tomorrow. I'm really ready for this to all be over and I can concentrate on getting back on track health, work, and football season wise.

I got a "message" from my body Saturday night that I'm doing the right thing - another attack - moderate in intensity but still not fun. I had gotten overconfident about feeling well and had a few (seriously, maybe 10) french fries at dinner. The Gall was not pleased and punished me accordingly. Luckily I felt much better the next morning. I had been feeling a little anxious about having the surgery, but now I can't wait for it to be over!

It's record breaking hot here - perfect timing, of course - but I'm going to spend my initial recovery (2 days) in a nice cool, comfy hotel -

The Gall

2006-07-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have gallstones (but if you read Mommy Grows Up, then you already knew that) and I have to have my gall bladder removed. The procedure is much simpler than it was when Pop had his out in 1988 (interestingly the first year they started laparoscopic gall bladder surgery), but, it's still surgery.

I "go in" next week - it's an outpatient procedure and I should be "all better" a week or two after.

I'm a little in shock; I really thought that it would be something that I'd be able to control through diet, but the surgeon was very clear, it comes out now, or it comes out later, and if you wait until later, you can get very sick in the meantime. So I guess now is okay.

Just one more of Harley

2006-07-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

I love this dog! I may have to knit him a sweater or something!

It's not a ghost!

2006-07-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure you know - the true love of my life was my dog, Stefan - okay, okay, yes, he was named after Stefan Edberg (the "un" true love of my life) - I was a kid - what can I say.

Anyway - dear old Stefan (the dog) left us at the ripe old age of 15 back in 2001 (how can it have been that long ago?). I miss him, and get a little more than nostalgic when I see another Yorkie (or similar breed).

But, recently, my uncle got a Yorkie pup - and named him Harley - (okay, okay, yes, he is named after a motorcycle). I got to meet Harley this month - and he reminded me so much of ol' Stefan - it was close to creepy and definitely wonderful! He's the cutest thing - he has the silver coloring on his back, just like our Stefan, and the sweetest face. Stefan too was born in Clearfield County - I'm not sure of Harley's lineage - but it would seem that the two could be related.

We had been at dinner with 21 family members - I took about 20 pictures or so of the group - but I took about 40 of Harley.

Found a picture!

2006-07-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

Of Stefan Edberg at the French Open. Can you believe that he turned 40 this year? Craziness. Oh, he's the one in the tan pants.

Photo from rolandgarros.com

Those girls

2006-07-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

are just so darned cute - here they are at the carnival riding the "jet skis". Kate rode 10 rides (Amy 9, only because she was too little to go on the Merry Mixer) that night - the girls had a great time, and we adults enjoyed ourselves too!

Finally read me some Devil wears Prada

2006-07-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Kelly lent me the book - I wasn't loving it when i first started reading, but then I had a marathon reading session on Sunday. No biggie, it's too hot right now to move, so reading is a great diversion. Anyway - Kelly has also seen the movie and says that it (the movie) is very different from the book and in some very critical (to the plot) ways.

My favorite character was Christian. Just like one of my favorite literary characters, Henry Crawford, of Mansfield Park, Christian is an annoyance, a fly in the ointment to confuse the protagonist's sensibilities. Sadly, as with poor Henry, there are not many Christian moments, but it was enough to keep me turning the pages.

Can't even like the nice guys in books; huh?

Finally read me some Kafka

2006-07-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

Kafka and I share a birthday (along with Tommy "look at me, I'm crazy" Cruise). So I've always felt even more remiss in that I'd never read any of his stories.

I got a "bargain book" collection of his stories and finally read metamorphosis. I've been feeling not so well lately, and as a result, staying home from work more than I ever have, in my entire life - probably combined. The staying home from work actually worries me more than the feeling poorly bit - but back to the story.

For as icky as I feel - reading that short story made me even worse. I don't know if I was afraid that I too was morphing into a creature or the power of the writing - but I had heart palpitations and my sour stomach turned to plain old sick.

I was amazed by the tale and, in the end, really enjoyed it. I'll have to go back and re-read it once I'm feeling better.

Beerfest

2006-07-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

Beerfest - the Movie

click above for the website for Beerfest - the movie. Probably the funniest synopsis I've read in ages - Revenge of the Nerds - with more beer.

With this and Talledega Nights coming out - August is going to be a laugh riot.

World Cup 2006

2006-07-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure you've guessed, I was rooting for France to win the final of the World Cup Championship against Italy. Italy won it on penalty kicks - it was an agonizing but extremely exciting final.

Sunday was quite the sports day as it was also the Men's Final at Wimbledon. Suz and I were perplexed, we wanted to watch the final at our favorite WC06 watering hole (Ludwig's - german restaurant and bar) - and we wanted to get good seats -

The tennis coverage began at 9am - soccer wasn't until 2pm, but to insure choice seats - we had to arrive at the venue well before that. So we decided to go downtown to watch the tennis TOO! Although I wasn't feeling my best - it was a once in four years/lifetime event - so we headed down to Elephant and Castle for breakfast and to watch some Wimby.

We got to see Roger Federer defeat Rafa Nadal - another great match from this duo - to win his 4th straight Wimbledon title.

But now it was time for soccer - We did get great seats to watch the final, and, as luck would have it - we were soon surrounded by other French supporters - we (I) called ourselves the "french quarter" (as most of the other patrons were rooting for Italia) and we sang "Allez les bleus" and "Merci Zizou" - it was a blast.

Sadly the match did not end in France's favor - but it was a memorable experience all the same. We actually ended up going to dinner with our new "best friends" over in Old City at GiGi - for tapas and consolation.

Love you Dad.

2006-06-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Birthday Princess

2006-06-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Looks a little drunk with power in this picture.

Following World Cup

2006-06-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

seeing matches when I can - like "lunch break" - England's playing today - i really should run down to the neighborhood bar.... Saw France on tuesday (sodding) and USA on Monday (soddingest) - so perhaps I should stay away.

Mildly (I'll leave it at that) obsessed - click to the "game casts" every now and then. It's just good fun.

yeah well it's my birthday soon as well

2006-06-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Amy's is before mine, but it's looming. I'm done counting - math was not taught to girls when I was a child - they didn't teach us how to count this high (that's why we're supposed to get married and have babies, so we can start over with counting anniversaries and babies' ages).

You know I still have more freckles (when do I have to start calling them age spots?) than wrinkles - hah!

:)

Time keeps on slipping...

2006-06-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

Katie's birthday is tomorrow - she's four. according to her dad she has organized her own birthday party for today; sally, the nanny, is to bring balloons. I wasn't invited, but she's a busy girl; I understand. Suzanne and I have a stack of presents for her - mostly (boring old) clothes - but then Katie loves clothes so maybe it'll be okay. I knitted a hat for her out of yarn she picked out - she does love green.

BBC NEWS Airbus confirms super-jumbo delay

2006-06-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

BBC NEWS | Business | Airbus confirms super-jumbo delay

I'm still not convinced that it even exists.

Did you see him!?!?!?

2006-06-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Did you watch the men's final of the French Open? Rafa Nadal beat Roger Federer - it was a rollercoaster of a match - but I had no idea how exciting the end would be AFTER the tennis was finished.

They were showing the men on the podium (yes, I had flipped to the World Cup match during the commercial, so I didn't see Federer being handed his tray) and I see a blonde dude - my initial reaction was, hey it's stefan edberg - then I think - no, it can't be Stefan, this is the French Open - then I look again and start yelling at the TV - who's that behind the white haired guy? That's Stefan Edberg! Then when Nadal gets his trophy - he stands right in front of Stefan and I start yelling "get out of the way!" - so I got to see a little glimpse of "Tennis Player Stefan" - it made my day - perhaps more.

I've been scouring the net for a picture - no luck yet - I'll keep looking though!

Clever quiz

2006-05-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

or did I answer the questions thinking "which one will be for Paris?" - well, yeah, I did that, but I still answered the questions as truthfully as I could with that bias.

You Belong in Paris

You enjoy all that life has to offer, and you can appreciate the fine tastes and sites of Paris.
You're the perfect person to wander the streets of Paris aimlessly, enjoying architecture and a crepe.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Book is done

2006-05-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

has been, for about 2 weeks. It was good. I haven't seen the movie yet but it seems that the "viewers reviews" are much better than those of the professional critics.

The hippies won the amazing race - it was a great finish - I always love it when i yell at the TV.

Taylor Hicks won American Idol. I didn't see much of the show this year - but the biggest revelation of this season is that my aunts AND MY MOTHER now watch. My mother knows the names of the American Idol contestants - my mother can't remember the names of my lifelong friends, but she remembers American Idol - it's hilarious.

Kate and Amy have a little brother - Charlie. He's a cutie - I don't see him much as his mom is on maternity leave - but I expect he'll be around a lot more in a few weeks.

Trying to schedule a short trip down to Washington DC this summer - The museum of american history is closing for 2 years for renovations - it's been FOREVER since I've been there - but I have this sincere urge to get there before it closes. Like I'll really want to go sometime in 2007 - and I won't be able to. kook.

Friends are getting married this summer - the wedding is in Connecticut - I'm pretty excited about that - it's been a while since I've been to a wedding. It's tailgating friends who are getting married - so it should be a blast!

A little under halfway through the book

2006-05-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

It's good - I'm having a difficult time not picturing Tom Hanks. I wanted to read the book before the movie so I could rate it on its own merit. But the trailers are in my head, all the same.

I enjoy that they are running around Paris (my favorite place) - I think he's a little off on some of his time-space calculations - but who cares, it's a novel, right? Paris is as much a character in the book as are the people - it's cool. I now realize why people (my aunts included) have been going on "da vinci code" tours.

I've seen documentaries and specials about the book and its theories, so I'm not totally in the dark as I read. I'd say that it's a very well thought out novel. It should be interesting to see how they translate it to film.

I really must set up

2006-05-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

one of those online photo galleries - I have so many great pictures (taken with the new Olympus camera) to share. In all honesty, I do have a couple of accounts - I just haven't found the time to load up many pix.

But, in the meantime, here are a few pix of Kate and Amy out at Valley Forge National Park - Suz and I took them out there on Sunday for a marvelous day of picnicking, kite flying and exploring.

Ultrasound Ban Advances on Cruise Hoopla - Yahoo! News

2006-05-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ultrasound Ban Advances on Cruise Hoopla - Yahoo! News

Tom just had to ruin it for the rest of us....

The Mystery of the Bestseller

2006-05-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not one for trendy books (other than Harry Potter, of course) - I rarely read "on the NYT bestseller list" books; I don't follow Oprah's book club (although, ironically, I was reading Anna Karenina at the same time her book club was, last year). I'm still working on the "high school summer reading list" - getting through the classics before I divert to the Nora Roberts', Tom Clanceys, etc. Not that I haven't read a few of "their" works over the years, it's just that I don't get the chance (well, don't take the time) to read much anymore. While it's become an every 2-3 year tradition for me to lock myself in my room following the new release of the (then) latest Harry Potter installment, I've been spending most of my "down time" knitting - makes it difficult to turn the pages.

ANYWAY - (all of) that said, I just received, thanks to Half.com, The DaVinci Code -

I am that one person out there who hasn't read it yet - but with the premiere of the movie looming, my goal is to finish the novel before I see the flick, which, (a bit) surprisingly, I'm quite eager to see. So now I just have to block off some time to read....

The Great Pink Way?

2006-04-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Elle Woods Takes Manhattan

more blog funnies

2006-04-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Episcopal Churches Turn to U2 to Pack Pews - Yahoo! News

2006-04-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

Episcopal Churches Turn to U2 to Pack Pews - Yahoo! News

Lake and Michelle are gone

2006-04-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

Another eliminated team (last week it was the Nerds) on Amazing Race. I was surprised to see Lake and Michelle go - first, I thought that there was no way that the Hippees could have made up their lost time - but somehow they did; second, I thought for sure that it would be a non-elimination round - there hasn't been one yet this season; and, I was surprised at the fact that I was a little sad to see them go. I enjoyed cringing at their every move and syllable. They got a little more nasty with each other this week - and Lake (for some unexplained reason) shaved off his beard) - but it was still good TV. I'm a little afraid that because the teams that are left (except, of course, for Fran and Barry) are at least a little likable but vanilla, that it won't be as entertaining. We'll see.

Last night was a pretty good episode - hopefully there's more to come.

Photo from www.ew.com

Blingo Search

2006-04-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Blingo Search I am such a sucker for marketing - Blingo - a search engine powered by Google - awards prizes - all day long.

CBS made me kwhy

2006-04-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Those stinkers.

Did you see the story about, Jason McElwain, the 17 year old high school kid who is a highly functioning autistic and manager of his high school basketball team? In the final home game the coach had him suit up and put him in the last 4 minutes of the game. He missed his first shot - but then hit the zone and sank 6 three pointers - If you didn't see it, try to find a clip of the game. Just watching how his teammates and classmates erupted with cheers of joy, which only compounded in intensity with each made shot, will, at the very least, make you sniffle and most likely fill you with great expectations for all of the people affected by his story.

Jason and his family not only had their story featured on CBS but they got to go to the final 4 weekend and cheer on Florida to victory Monday evening.

Photo from sports.yahoo.com

Something you never dreamed you see

2006-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

when you were a 15 year old tennis fanatic...

photo from sports.yahoo.com

Everything changes

2006-04-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

They've changed the time of the Amazing race to be Wednesday at 8pm. This does not seem like a "great" time to me - 8pm is just a little early. I used to always miss Friends because of it's 8pm start time - It's just too close to dinner, evening meetings, etc. but I guess I'll just have to make sure that I'm home at that time.

"They" also recently moved "Las Vegas" to Friday and last week was the first time in about a month that I got to see it. I had still gone to a friends house for dinner - but was home by 9pm to see the show. Well, I don't really care that much about the show - I just like watching Josh Duhmel. (off the charts cutie)

And I'm not dealing very well with the time change this year. I stayed up way too late last night - because I just wasn't sleepy - but this morning 7:30am definitely felt like 6:30am - so the "snooze" feature was utilized quite often.

The Penn State Blue White spring scrimmage is less than 3 weeks away. 19 days and counting, and for all of the planning and preparing we have been doing - I'm suddenly struck with a low-grade panic. Not a total freak out - just a nagging in the back of my head that there is much to be done (at home, work and yes, for the tailgate) and not so much time left to do it.

Tonight is the final of the NCAA basketball tournament. I'm rooting for Florida - I know, I know, I never thought I'd type those words together either - but I like their center (Joakim Noah) and they're up against UCLA - and I really don't like UCLA (too many wins and they beat Gonzaga). I have my knitting circle tonight - but it's over at 9pm and coverage doesn't BEGIN until 9, so I think we're okay.

Indiana to spring forward as one - Yahoo! News

2006-03-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

Indiana to spring forward as one - Yahoo! News

It's Daylight Savings this weekend - turn your clocks an hour forward on Sunday, April 2nd at 2am to be exact.

This year, Indiana will be joining us.

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

2006-03-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

IMDB - Snakes on a Plane

Tell me that this "thriller" - set for a 2006 release isn't the epitome of most major phobias. The premise is murder plot carried out by setting loose a crate of deadly snakes on a Trans-Pacific flight. Mix snakes, flying, Samuel L Jackson and a character named "puppeteer" and I think you've covered all the bases.

I can do that.

2006-03-30T13:03:00.000-08:00

I was recently at a social meeting and the folks were discussing business development retreats. As a tangental anecdote, one person mentioned that her company would have quizzes to see who could list the 50 states in 50 seconds and/or who could list the Presidents in reverse chronological order. It wasn't the point of the conversation, just an emphasis on how silly those types of events can be, but it was all I could do not to raise my hand and say "I can; I can!" And if there had been a convenient pause in the conversation, I probably would have.

My mom would quiz me summer mornings with State flash cards (and european countries) until I had permanently memorized our 50 states, and their capitals. Interestingly, it's never really come in handy other than to win an occasional contest/bet and/or to help me unwind at night. I taught myself the Presidents while in college - I would write their names in the margins of my notes to help from nodding off in particularly dull lectures -

Amazing Race - And then there were 7

2006-03-29T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Race is down to 7 teams - and my dislike for many of the teams grows. This is sad in a way; I blame editing.

I know that many of my fellow fans would bristle at this, but I was sad to see the "double Ds" go. It's probably more that there are other teams that I would like to see gone.

The Nerds are so annoying. If they get any more kissieface with each other, CBS is going to get another FCC fine. Talk about whiney babies - gosh!

Lake and Michelle continue to lose points with me - Michelle's inaptitude on the computer ("can you read German?") was mind boggling, and was only trumped by Lake's "I can't do the internet". What does that mean? I thought they were mean about the Yield, but I can almost understand that. It's their attitude that irks me. They truly believe that are better than the others.

The Frat boys messed up. They looked like they had fun, and they recovered to be #2 - but their "relaxed" ways hurt them this week.

The older couple is evil. I'm sorry but I think they are my least favorite team. I realize that it is a race but the "I can't tell you" (which always seems to involve Lake for some reason) attitude could bite them in the bum. And they may want to get their glasses upgraded to be able to see clue boxes which are right in front of them.

I'd say that MoJo didn't bother me too badly this week - but it looks like they have a melt down next week.

The Hippees and Ray and Yolanda are my favorite teams - first and last - they bookend the crazies.

Summer Home of JFK's Grandfather Is Sold - Yahoo! News

2006-03-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Summer Home of JFK's Grandfather Is Sold - Yahoo! News

If only I had a spare $1M - The home was sold at auction for $950,000 - which is a total steal; it was, reportedly, purchased for $3.3M in 2000. The sale was a court ordered auction (former owners had/have some "problems").

You'll note in the article that Yahoo! mentions that Honey Fitz was mayor of Boston. Very true, but he was also a US Congressman. In fact it was Fitzgerald's seat that Jack Kennedy won in 1946, Tip O'Neal held (well, forever, and which Joe Kennedy II held until 1999.

Gaze into my Crystal iPod

2006-03-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

Okay - I had to do it again - this time with the iPod...

Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.

How does the world see me?
"Cosmopolitan" Nine Black Alps (nice!)

Will I have a happy life?
"Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles (Luckily, not a radio star)

What do my friends really think of me?
"She's Electric" Oasis (zap!)

Do people secretly lust after me?
"Right Now" Van Halen (Hey!)

How can I make myself happy?
"Just Like Heaven" The Cure (I gotta learn how to do that thing)

What should I do with my life?
"Gone Country" Alan Jackson (gotta get me some boots)

What is some good advice for me?
"Im Cowboyhimmel" Max Zwo (I'm laughing - just one moment, please)

How will I be remembered?
"Forever Young" Alphaville (honest - that's what came up! Wait! Suddenly it seems less sweet and more foreboding)

What is my signature dancing song?
"All you Need is Love" Beatles (All together now)

What do I think my current theme song is?
"With a Little Luck" Paul McCartney (so true)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"Silver and Cold" AFI (Again, I'm not sure that "everyone" else even knows this song)

What song will they play at my funeral?
"Faithful" Go West (awwww)

What type of men/women do I like?
Men: "A Little Respect" Erasure (that's all I'm asking)
Women: "Susanna" Adriano Celentano (again, the laughter causes me to pause)

What is my day going to be like?
"I Take My Chances" - Mary Chapin Carpenter (should I go buy a lottery ticket or should I be extra careful walking home?)

What one thing could I not live without?
“La Mer” Kevin Kline (Ah, the sea in France)

iTunes knows all...

2006-03-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

Got this from Angry Pregnant Lawyer who got it from Scrivener

Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.

How does the world see me?
"Hey Jealousy" Gin Blossoms (I KNEW it!)

Will I have a happy life?
"The Oogum Boogum Song" - Brenton Wood (Get Down with your bad self)

What do my friends really think of me?
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" Beatles (Does Hazel = Kalidescope?)

Do people secretly lust after me?
"Delta Dawn" Helen Reddy (I do walk downtown with a suitcase in my hand; figuritively, of course)

How can I make myself happy?
"Einstein On the Beach" Counting Crows (I really don't like the beach)

What should I do with my life?
"S.O.S." Abba (ha ha ha)

What is some good advice for me?
"Your Song" Elton John (I can tell everybody)

How will I be remembered?
"Somebody to Love" Queen (awwwwww)

What is my signature dancing song?
"Here I Am" Air Supply (insert laughter to cover up shame that I have this on my iTunes)

What do I think my current theme song is?
"One Way Ticket" The Darkness (just insert laughter)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"This Time" INXS (I'm not sure that "everyone" else even knows this song)

What song will play at my funeral? "All I Want is You" U2 (to join me?)

What type of men/women do I like?
Men: "Almost like being in love" Natalie Cole (Almost)
Women: "From Me to You" The Beatles (I got nothin)

What is my day going to be like?
"Where My Rosemary Goes" - Edison Lighthouse (People think she's crazy)

What one thing could I not live without? “Thing Called Love” Bonnie Raitt (awwwwwww, again)

Amazing race continues

2006-03-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

Episode 3 - last week we lost the Glamazons - they got really bickery and whiney in the end - so I wasn't too sad to see them go - until they started crying at the end - it was sad.

This week the teams flew from Brazil to Russia (Moscow).

The Dentist showed his feeling about traveling to Russia by doubling over, slapping his knee and exclaiming "dang it! That's the one place I hoped they wouldn't send us. It's gonna be cold". There was another strange quote from that team when they were deciding which of them should perform the "road block" challenge (jumping off of a 10 meter diving board into an outdoor swimming pool) - and the wife (I believe her name is Michelle) says, "what if I have to get naked?" - and they decided that the husband would do the challenge - Naked? why would she get naked? This show is on CBS - no one gets naked on CBS, no one. And after his jump, Lake (the dentist) laughed about having to wear a Speedo (it wasn't a speedo) and Michelle whispered, "now, would you have wanted me to do that?" - are they crazy? yes, yes, I think they are. But the quality that is emerging from their team is not "annoying" as I had expected it to be when the race started; rather, it is "incompetent" - which is mainly exhibited through Lake's inability to listen to directions - and his instincts are bad - so on nearly every leg they've gotten lost, or done something wrong, because he goes full speed ahead, in the wrong direction. It has become rather entertaining.

The "frat boys" are my least favorite team - the "women" talk is trite and almost sounds scripted - and they are mean - I know it's a competition - but they won't help anyone.

The older couple continues to have bad luck - but I really think that they create most of it for themselves - and they sure do whine about it.

The mother daughter team had a major set back due to the mother's fear of water - and, they of course chose her to do the water related challenge - and the "pinks" had a set back when the one left her bag (you know, the one with the clues, their passports, money, etc.) in the locker room at the pool - they had to back track and, basically, start over.

Luckily for the Mom/Daughter and "pinks" they had competent taxi drivers who got them to the "Detour" site (they chose to wash a city trolley) quickly. MoJo and the Nerds got lost on their way to the Trolley yard and actually got there after the other 2 teams.

The choices for the Detour were to either, wash a Trolley or find a clue in one of thousands of nesting dolls - most teams chose the trolley - but few teams were able to find the site - so they ended up with the dolls as it was at a better known location.

The "frat boys" finished first - but were quickly informed by Phil that - that leg of the race was not over - and he handed them their next clue - so the race continues....

The Amazing Race Returns

2006-03-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

New season - and we're back to couples.

Last week was the premiere of the new season of Amazing Race. The teams started in Colorado and quickly traveled to South America to begin the Race in Sau Paulo, Brazil.

So far there isn't any one team that has greatly endeared themselves to me - some have already annoyed me - but we'll have to see.

So far I'm likin': The Hippees; The "Glamazons" - sure they're noisy, but anyone who says "I just peed my pants" on national TV is cool with me; and, I kinda don't hate the Mother and Daughter - the Mom is spazzy - but multilingual.

So far I'm NOT likin': The Dentist and his wife; the older couple; MoJo (Ken and Barbie); the "nerds"; and the "frat boys".

Rather neutral on the other teams - they haven't impressed me one way or another.

The team that's already off ("lifelong" friends) was one of those "unremarkable" teams for me.

Episode #2 tonight!

2006-02-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

First post from my blogger widget - I use "blog this" off of my bookmarks all the time - but here's an even quicker way to post - no browser needed.

Apple is so very cool.

They have a winner

2006-02-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Drew and Cheryl won the Dancing with the Stars competition - I'm glad - I really think that they did the best. Interestingly, Jerry and Anna came in second - way to go Jerry!

Dancing with the Stars

2006-02-24T08:51:00.000-08:00

I've lifted this post from a recap email I sent to Suz - she missed the show.

First they all "re-danced" dances from the show - Jerry and anna fox-trotted - it was very nice, they got an okay score - 26 points. Stacy redid the Jive - again, didn't love it, but it was actually better than the first time (i thought) and since they gave her a 30 then, they did again. Drew and Cheryl danced the Thriller Passe doble (sp?) - Drew was great - I thought cheryl did a better job the first time - but it was still awesome - they got 30.

oh, the first hour was just all bs and "memories" -

so for the free style - jerry and anna came out in afros and discoed to "celebration" - they were super - jerry was really able to show off his strength with the lifts, twirls, etc - they had FUN! they scored 27 (best score of the competition for them).

Stacey also did disco, to Stayin' Alive - they were mediocre at best (this is what the judges said) they did one lift at the end, which was really wobbly - she's just too dang tall. they scored 26.

Drew and Cheryl came out in cowboy get-ups (well cheryl basically came out in a bikini with a impossibly short skirt) - and they danced to "save a horse, ride a cowboy" - it was HOT! they danced, they did lifts and twirls, they entertained - it was everything free style is supposed to be (again, according to the judges) - another 30.

so people could phone in last night - the grand finale is on sunday - one more judged dance (all of the judged dances combined count for 50% of final score) and the results - plus, everyone will be back to dance once more - including P!

Current Favorite Songs

2006-02-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

In no particular order - what I'm currently listening to - ie, the songs on all of my iPod "on the go" playlists which I NEVER skip. Some are newbies - some are oldies (and probably from some commercial):

1. Girlfriend. The Darkness. One Way Ticket. This is (what appears to be) a "filler" track on the Darkness' new album. I love the title track "One Way Ticket (to He** and Back)" but this one is my absolute favorite. It has a ELO meets Queen while covering AC/DC feel to it - it's almost too manic to even dance to and/or sing along - but I LOVE it!

2. Ooh La La. Goldfrapp. Brand new favorite - it's actually this week's iTunes Download of the Week. It's a peppy, almost soulful (is that possible?) track with breathy vocals and a "Spirit in the Sky" vibe. While the chorus lyric is sadly reminiscent of the younger Simpson sister, it's a good tune.

3. Hungry. INXS. Switch. INXS' new CD is all new stuff except for Hungry, which the band has been playing for a few years, and finally recorded for this CD. The track is rich and complex with changing tempos and multiple layers of sound. Heard them preform it live last weekend - and it was even better live!

4. I Predict a Riot. Kaiser Cheifs. Employment. Still listening to this one from this summer. Another iTune pick. The Employment CD is definitely part of the post-modern punk movement. I Predict is my favorite track on the CD, but the rest are certainly listen-worthy.

5. Do Ya. Electric Light Orchestra. A New World Record. The real "source" for this tune is the Monster.com commercial - I couldn't get the chorus out of my head so I downloaded the song - now the whole darn thing is stuck.

6. Birdhouse in Your Soul. They Might be Giants. Flood. Certainly not a new tune, but a fun one to re-visit - and I do often. I regularly listen to my iPod on my walk home from work - this is a good choice to keep my pace brisk.

7. Bad Day. Daniel Powter. Daniel Powter. Another iTunes pick. It's such a great song, although I do get a little bummed by the lyrics - there's no "silver lining" to this sad tale. But it's a good anthem for when things are rough, and that's just the way it is - at least there's a good song to listen to - see, things are looking (sounding) better already.

8. It Ain't Me Babe. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Whitherspoon. Soundtrack to Walk the Line. Joaquin and Reese, covering Johnny and June, covering Dylan. The song itself is has a great message and Joaquin and Reese's tribute to the Cash's make it all the more enjoyable.

So, looking back at these selections - I'm not really sure what "mood" I'm in - Girlfriend is about a breakup (due to cheating); Ooh la la, we got some romance there (in a purely physical sense); Hungry is about letting go; I Predict, well, it's about a riot; who knows what Birdhouse is about?; Bad Day, self explanatory; Do Ya, dude is interested, but nothing's happened yet; It ain't me Babe dumps a clingy lover.

Dancing with the Stars finale

2006-02-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

So this is the last week. The 3 "stars" remaining are Jerry Rice, Drew Leshay, and Stacy - I still haven't learned her last name. I'm rooting for Drew - I adore Jerry (he's my true favorite), but I think that Drew & (his dancing partner) Cheryl are really the best. It's been a good series - I hope they stay with it - I imagine there are a ton of B-listers (and C-listers) who are clamoring to be in the next group of dancers.

I missed the results show last week because I was at THE INXS CONCERT!

I learn everything I know from late night TV

2006-02-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

(and PBS documentaries)

- more specifically, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson - and maybe a little Jimmy Kimmel too.

Ferguson had the host of Survivor (what's his name, Probst, or something like that) on the show last night - he (Probst) was talking about the show and the locations and emotions - to which, at one point Craig called him a "great big girl's blouse" - which was a pretty funny moniker - but Probst went on about his girlfriend, his "love" as he called her - who, by the way, was (reportedly) a contestant on Survivor at one point - and I turned off the TV to (finally) go to bed saying, out loud, "you really are a great big girl's blouse" -

Ferguson is probably my favorite thing on TV right now.

Saw this cartoon on Blogshares

2006-02-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

and I just had to share it....

1 year anniversary as Phillyblog moderator

2006-01-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been moderating the Sports Forum over at Phillyblog.com for one year (one year and one day) - It's been fun. I do enjoy perusing the banter regarding the Philadelphia sports scene.

oh and be the way, according to an exceedingly accurate online poll, they tell me....

You are Superman

Superman		65%
Wonder Woman		65%
Robin		65%
Spider-Man		55%
Supergirl		55%
Hulk		50%
The Flash		50%
Iron Man		50%
Green Lantern		40%
Catwoman		40%
Batman		35%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

My 80's crush is...

2006-01-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Your 80s Heartthrob Is

Jason Bateman

Who's Your 80's Heartthrob?

The new favorite reality show

2006-01-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

I'm not really sure how this blog became a review of the reality shows I watch - but it has. It's particularly funny to me, because I'd generally classify myself as a "non-watcher" of reality shows - I've never watched Survivor, The Bachelor, Joe Millionaire - last season was the first season I watched Big Brother, and I'm even relatively new to the Amazing Race -

But, last year I did watch Dancing with the Stars and I'm watching it again this season. I enjoy watching the dancers (yes, I have been known to watch professional dancing on PBS) and the costumes.

I don't have a clear favorite yet this year; although, I do enjoy watching Jerry Rice scamper across the dance floor.

Tonight is the 3rd elimination -

Amazing Race tryouts

2006-01-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

They're coming to Philly to find contestants - or so I've been told by my boss who is obsessed with the show - she has tried multiple times to get her husband to enter with her - but "something has always come up" - this season? She's pregnant.

Apparently this has caused her even more distress (than a "normal" pregnant lady) - which she has been discussing with her neighbor, who just so happens to have a comic in a local weekly publication - Really not surprising - but she and her husband have made their way - if not onto the show, but into a show-related and published cartoon....

Winners!

2005-12-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Linz Family won! The finale was exciting - right down to the last task.

The final task was a puzzle map of central and north america - it was awesome. The Linz brother (Alex, I believe) up against the Bransen father. I was impressed with how well both of them did on the puzzle.

The Weaver family came in 3rd. Which is admirable, considering they really were "on their own" self imposed exile. And considering that Mrs. Weaver is the one who didn't know if Pennsylvania was a state (of course, it is a commonwealth - that might have been where she got confused).

AR Finale

2005-12-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the final episode of this edition of the Amazing Race. There are 3 teams left - the Bransens (dad and 3 girls); Weavers (Florida Team); and, the Linz' (siblings).

I'm rooting for the Linz' - the Bransens have become whiney to me and I really don't "get" the Weavers. Their behavior throughout the race has been so bizarre and hypocritical. Oh well.

This has not been my favorite series - but it's been fun.

So much for Favorites

2005-11-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

So, the New Jersey family went home this week - after a 2 hour edition of the Amazing Race. It was a good episode - but again, bad navigating was the determining factor.

Now there are just 4 teams left - Siblings, Florida, Sisters, Dad and Daughters.

Amazing Race

2005-11-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well, not surprisingly, I've changed my mind about which teams I "like". The New Jersey team is now a favorite - the mom is still a little whiney - but the boys really seem to have grown through the process - the one son, who was always fighting with his mother, and is afraid of heights, had to tandem bungee jump with his mom - he gave her a big hug afterwards, it was sweet. And they did a challenge where they had to lift bunches of bananas, and the boys couldn't do it by themselves, but their dad (who is a garbage man) could - in the "confessionals" they admitted that they couldn't do what their dad does, and that they were impressed - it was really sweet.

The team with the younger children went this week - they played the game really well - but they had horrible luck - seriously, everything that could go wrong seemed to for them. Their coming in last really had nothing to do with the dynamic of their team.

The sisters from Illinois are still loud - in a grates on your nerves kinda way. The dad with the 3 daughters seems to be getting a little tired of the trip - he too whines a lot. The siblings are staying strong - and seem to be working well together. And then there's the Weavers, the family from Florida; they have made enemies with every team on the race - it will be interesting to see how it all works out.

I've also been watching the Martha Stewart Apprentice - it's watchable - I'm not really vested in any one contestant - but, so far, it beats most of the other Wednesday night programming - to my taste anyway.

Auntie Mame - Movie of the Day

2005-11-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Auntie Mame is the Movie of the day today on Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb.com) -

It's movie of every day to me.

Amazing Race begins

2005-09-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

What will I ever do with my Tuesday nights? Oh yeah, The Amazing Race is back and this time they brought the "family". The show this season pits 10 families against each other.

In the first episode they were in NYC and Pennsylvania - including Fairmount Park in Philadelphia! Hilarious - They best quote so far is from the one mother who remarks "we have to go to Pennsylvania? I don't know if that's a state or what"

One family has already been sent home - a young couple with 2 kids - they were sweet - but they lacked the urgency needed to complete the tasks quickly.

9 teams left - the "loud" sisters from Illinois came in first and won $20K - not bad for 2 days of running around.

The most annoying team, so far is a family from New Jersey - 2 boys, mom and dad. The mom is a whiner and the boys are extremely rude to her - the circle of life.

The most unique team is a father with 3 sons-in-law - they seem to be getting along quite well, so far.

INXS has a new Lead Singer!

2005-09-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

And his name is JD Fortune!!!!!!!

The finale was exciting. The final 3 rockers each sang a song of their choice; MiG sang Bohemian Rhapsody: JD sang You Can't Always Get What You Want; and, Marty sang Wish You Were Here. They were all good - but JD and Marty really outshown MiG and he was eliminated. Next each of Marty and JD sang with INXS. They then said nice things to each of them and then Tim Farriss told JD "You are Roit for our band!" - it was fabulous. Then JD and INXS sang a new song "easy easy" - It sounded just like it should - awesome!

Way to go Jason!

Photo of INXS (whoo whoo!) from Rockstar.MSN.com

INXS - The Finale

2005-09-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

The final episode of Rockstar: INXS is this Tuesday (tomorrow) - I have no idea who is going to win. I know who I WANT to win - but we "can't always get whatcha want" - which, interestingly, is the song that JD will be singing in the Finale.

I can't wait until tomorrow - I'm not sure if the show is live or taped - but regardless - I don't think I want any spoilers - I think ;)

Kiss Kiss and Make up

2005-09-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the meanness has been eradicated on the INXS board. The offender has been "booted" and the folks who had fled are back. I still have the blog available if we need it - so that's cool.

I'm glad it's "better" - because I really enjoy that board - the majority of the posters are great - and they are gaining members daily.

The world of television message boards is an amazing phenomenon; there are so many more sites than I ever realized and more opinions than can be counted. They have their own hierarchy and "royalty" (if you will). It's amazing. I'm a little frightened and a lot intimidated by it all. But it's fun to observe.

This is the last week of "performances" on the show (Rockstar: INXS) - next week is the final. I still think that JD Fortune is the person for the job - I hope that Our Band agrees.

This isn't Band Camp

2005-09-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently not-niceness can run rampant even on message boards dedicated to a single theme/cause. There's some sort of craziness going on at that JD site I spoke of before. To the point that folks are quitting the board. It would seem that a few have lost sight of the fact that this is a TV show - and even though it's a "reality" show - it's not their reality.

So I might not go back - nothing was directed toward me, but negativity is a downer - and I just don't need that.

In the alternative I've started a JD blog and asked a few posters if they'd like to spend their exile there - We'll have fun.

Oh, and JD has made it to the final 4 - he gave some great performances this week - I really hope that the band noticed and I hope that it's what they want (need). ;)

France IV

2005-09-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

The next May I made another trip to Paris, this time with my mother, her sister, (Aunt) Donna, and her sister-in-law, (Aunt) Joanne. It was a short trip of just 6 days. We stayed down in Montparnasse, in a rather residential part of the city. As a group, our "paris" experience was quite varied. Aunt Joanne had never been, Mommy had been once, but not since the 1970s, Aunt Donna had been many times, but not in the last 10 years, and I had just been there the previous fall. So we did much of the tourist track (Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Versailles, Louvre). I did make it to some new places including Sainte Chappelle, Musee Rodin, inside the Grand Trianon, the Hameau and an extended excursion to the Galleries Lafayette.

On our very first day we walked down the Champs Ellyeses - up to the Arc de Triomphe - They were having a military procession - which turned out to be the American Foreign Legion (timing!) - It was a little misty and as I looked down the way, toward the Place de Concorde, I noticed that there was a rainbow - right there welcoming us to Paris - pretty cool. We had dinner at a lovely cafe on Washington - I don't remember the name but it was very close to the "Weekend" cafe where Michelle and Scott and I had dined the previous fall - the food was great - Aunt Donna had snails!

On Sunday we trekked out to Versailles - and yes, we got to see the fountains! And, again there was a thunderstorm, so they had to turn them off. The special thing for us was that it was early enough in the day that they turned the water and music back on - and we got to see it from the beginning - I know that sounds corny - but it was very cool. Even in France my favorite part of traveling is the gift shop - this go around they had limoges china renditions of Marie Antoinette's china - pearls and flowers - I'm a sucker for Marie Antoinette - and limoges -so it was an immediate sale - That evening we found the most wonderful restaurant, thanks to our hotel clerk: The Moulin Vert. Absolutely no one spoke english - which was a good sign - the food and atmosphere were amazing - I had the best asparagus ever - and the best dessert - ile floatant - the floating island - delicious!

The next day we spent the morning/afternoon in the Louvre - my favorites are the object d'art and furnishings - and I was able to find a "real" piece of the limoges I had bought at Versailles - And I bought even more when I got to the Galleries Lafayette.

It was an interesting group to travel with - and a wonderful opportunity to spend some more time in the City of Lights.

Rockstar, you guessed it, INXS

2005-09-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

So they're down to 5 "rockers" - and tonight is another elimination show. I'm really a little scared to admit that I stayed up until 3am voting last night while simultaneously "chatting" in a JD Fortune chat room. We had a fun time oooohing over JD's super performance and dissing (gently) the other performers. It's amazing how punchy one can get while typing in security codes to vote for a reality show. This is total insanity - but it's a fun way to go.

I finally got to see the "reality" show on Vh1 - I was visiting my mom, and she has cable - I missed the 8pm broadcast so I stayed up until 2am to watch the re-broadcast - It was so worth it. JD celebrated his birthday last week and they had a huge cake for him. It all ended with a massive "cake fight" with all 5 rockers covered in cake from head to toe (toes were also featured in some creative "wine fountain" configurations as well). It would seem that JD had a fun birthday.

France - Part 3

2005-08-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it back to France, or Europe for that matter, for quite a few years. But I got a call late in the Summer of 1999 from my good friend Michelle, who lives in Seattle, reporting that she and her husband, Scott were going over to Europe in September, and that I was coming along.

Our trip was 12 days; we spent 7 days in England and 5 in France. We had a bit of a crazy flight; we were flying (all together) from DC to London (and then on to Paris) and our flight to London was delayed because the windshield wipers were not working on the plane, and, go figure, it was raining in London. It wasn't my happiest moment with the thought that, well if one thing is broken... - but we were fine - except that Scott and I got air sick (the only time this has happened to me - I blame the airport food!). Once in London (we'd missed our connection) we caught a flight to Paris. We finally landed in France and made our way to our hotel near the Gare St Lazare. Our hotel was the Concorde St. Lazare, and it is a lovely place. It's located right in front of the Gare St. Lazare and extremely close to the shopping on Blvd Haussman. Since Shelly and Scott had never been to Paris (or France), we did a lot of walking and we did the "touristy" stuff: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur - which I love - so I was in heaven.

Our first night we made our way to the Eiffel Tower - which was, as ever, fantastic. We figured out that we were hungry and we decided to find a place to eat on our way back to the hotel. There were not a lot of choices - but we did find an interesting place - bistro-like - touristy (had an English menu) - but we were hungry so we didn't really care - called... Hippopotamus - which, of course caused me to sing "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" - it became a bit of a theme song. The food was more than adequate and we had a great time.

We decided because we had limited time in the city that we would do more of an "outside" tour - few museums - more "sights" - On Sunday we traveled out to Versailles to tour the palace. Little did I know that on Sundays (May - Oct, i think) - they turn on the fountains in the gardens and pipe in music. It was great - we took the audio tour of the castle and then spent a good deal of time walking through the grounds. A terrific thunderstorm blew through - soaking us and everything around. By the time we got back to the castle - they had turned off the fountains - Shelly and Scott got a special treat - they saw the fountains both on and off!

While it was a short stay in Paris - it was a great one. Michelle and Scott are fabulous traveling companions - and our time in England was wonderful as well.

Rock Star continues

2005-08-30T15:29:00.001-07:00

So I now have a definate favorite on the show - JD Fortune. I think that his voice, look, style, etc, make him the best for INXS. He sings the heck out of the band's old songs and is great on stage. As previously reported, I've been checking out some fan sites - and getting the skinny on the show behind the show. reportedly there has been a lot of editing to try and make a little more drama. It's just ticking people off though. I'm a little afraid now that i've chosen a favorite that he will be doomed. But ya gotta have faith.

Photo is from INXS.com and of JD Fortune and Andrew Farriss in a now (to the show's fans anyway) infamous studio session.

Travelling vicariously

2005-08-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

I spoke with my Aunt Donna this weekend. She just returned from a trip to France and Sweden. She traveled with her sister (my aunt) and 2 of her cousins. They spent 4 days in Paris where they did the typical tourist track (it was 1 cousin's first trip) as well as some other interesting things - shopping, day a Versailles, 1/2 day at Musee d'Orsay, and the DaVinci Code tour (of Paris) - the tour took them to the different places mentioned in the book and gave them a listing of the paintings in the Louvre (and a ticket to the museum) which are supposedly connected. They had a fun time.

In Sweden they spent time in Stockholm and also traveled west to visit with some of our cousins. Aunt Donna and my mom had met a bunch of "cousins" on their trip in 1990 - and they've corresponded ever since.

It sounded like they had a lovely time -

When I was talking to her she was getting ready to go help Aunt Pat at the Grange Fair - but that's a whole different topic...

Tennis Time

2005-08-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

The US Open Tennis tournament has started up in Flushing Meadows, NY. Roger Federer comes into the tournament looking rather unbeatable - but he does only have 1 "major" so far this year.

Still crazy - after all these years

2005-08-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yup, more Rockstar stuff. I've been feeding my addictive tendencies by surfing the message boards on Rockstar.msn.com - and I was recently introduced to a JD Fortune website - it's so much fun reading about how nutty people are - there's a bit of solidarity in it; mostly because it's not just 15 year olds gushing over the younger performers - but folks my age remembering and continuing there rockstar fantasies.

Photo of Jon Farriss from INXS.com - great site with info about and links to rockstar - plus stuff about the band - they even have games - you know I appreciate that!

More Rockstar

2005-08-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Still bitter about VH1 - but the show has been so much fun - and I've joined their message boards - I feel like a kid again, talking about how cute the different guys are, etc, etc.

photo from inxs.com - jon and andrew farriss - they're brothers, so it's okay for them to get that close.

Stoudt's Brewing Company

2005-08-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Stoudt's Brewing Company

very likely my proudest moment - At the Stoudts' Summer Beer Fest (which began last weekend) I came in 2nd in the "cleevagheevin" (lifting steins of beer) contest - 2nd out of 20 ladies - not too bad for my first try - I lost to the reigning champion. I held 5 steins, in each hand, for 2 minutes (they said that each stein weighs about 5 pounds) - it was a blast. The picture is from the preliminary round when we had to hold 4 steins in each hand; and wow, that tank top - just adds a je ne c'est quoi to my "look" - foxy ;)

Rock Star - CBS hates me

2005-08-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

CBS has sold, given, lost (whatever) the Monday edition of the show to VH1. I don't have cable - I can't watch it! I'm very annoyed. Are they really going to get more people to watch (another) re-run of Two and a Half Men? come on now.

But the Rock Star experience itself is still exciting. Today on the radio in LA (and streamed across the world) 2 of the contestants (JD and Suzie) performed "unplugged" versions of 3 INXS songs, with 3 members of the band participating. I, like most, am at work so I missed the live feed, but a friend emailed me a recording of one of the songs "Never Tear us Apart" (which is my favorite INXS song). It's fabulous. Both JD and Suzie sing and they are both very good.

This stuff is like candy and/or potato chips - I get one little taste and I just want more and more.

Good stuff.

The show IS still on CBS on Tuesday and Wednesday nights - Tuesday at 10pm and Wednesday at 9pm. Thank goodness!