Turning 40 and All That Jazz

I'm running a marathon!

2010-01-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

I'm running a marathon for Team in Training! Check it out:

This Insanity Called PRE Marathon Training

2009-07-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

Actually, make that PRE Half-Marathon Training!

So I'm sure I alluded to this in a previous post, but my sister has inspired me to run a full marathon sometime in the next year. We will join a Team-in-Training group, fundraise, and hopefully run together. It will be a great event that I will absolutely enjoy experiencing with my sister.

However, I'm not a runner. Haven't been one since high school, and wasn't even really one back then. So I am adopting the baby-steps method and will run a HALF marathon first. Totally thrilled to have this mind set now, because having lost all the weight that I did and getting jazzed about fitness makes me think I can really REALLY do this!

Here are the quick little facts and what not about my goal to run this half-marathon:

1. The Half-Marathon I'm running: Santa Barbara Half Marathon, Saturday, November 7th. The course begins and ends on Leadbetter Beach.

2. The book I read to inspire me about marathon training: The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training by Dawn Dais. This is a funny, inspiring book for non-runners. If Dawn can do it, I CAN!!

3. The shoes I bought to training in: um...they are pink and grey, made by Saucony, have shock absorbers in them. Damn if I know the actual style or anything.

4. My current training schedule - I officially start training on August 16 - more on that later - but right now I'm running two days a week doing between 2 and 4 miles. I ran my first close-to-four mile run on Wednesday, ouch.

5. Number of times I've had to ice my knees since I started "pre-training" - just 2. So far.

6. Training Plan - written by Hal Higdon and available online, my training will be a 12 week schedule, running I think 4-5 days a week, cross-training, strengthen/stretch (YOGA!), and a few days rest before the event. He also recommends trying a 5K or 10K race before the marathon, to get used to running in a pack! I have to look that up!

7. Ways I intend to carb-load during training - ha, lots of whole wheat pasta and my special "smashed potatoes"!!

8. Hotel I'll be staying at before/after the event: The Motel 6 on the Beach in Santa Barbara. I KNOW! There is really a Motel 6 beachside. And only $99 a night! SCORE!

9. Number of times a day I either think about the half-marathon or talk to someone about it: at least 20. Maybe more. I'm obsessed, maybe.

10. Excitement Level about this experience - pretty damn high. I'm really thrilled to be doing this!

More to come once I really START training! If I make it to August 16th....

The Current State of Summer Movie FUN

2009-07-10T15:48:00.001-07:00

With the July 4^th weekend now behind us, we are officially half way through the summer movie season. Although, the Summer Movie Season officially began on May 1^st, and the last “summer” movie will open on August 28…so I guess we are technically more than half way there, but July 4^th seems like a good midway point to assess what I think have been the most enjoyable and/or most disappointing films of the summer season.

I will say that I have been pleased with most of the offerings this year. The past two summers have disappointed me, with only IRON MAN and THE DARK NIGHT really rocking my world. But this summer has offered some really nice surprises.

The Little Summer Movie that Could: RUDO Y CURSI, starring Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal. This adorable Mexican film is a story of two plantation worker brothers who are scouted by a professional soccer coach to play in the Mexican leagues. Of course, they can’t handle the new lifestyle and make some bad choices, but the performances are compelling and it’s a good lesson on understanding how fame can really change a person. I absolutely loved this movie!

The Big Summer Movie that Couldn’t: X MEN ORIGINS/WOLVERINE: yeah, this just didn’t do it for me. Flashy cast and a storyline that I couldn’t follow. And I really love Ryan Reynolds. Ugh.

Funniest Movie that I Really Didn’t Plan to See: THE HANGOVER. Oh my God, I thoroughly laughed out loud during this entire movie! I hadn’t even intended to see this when I went to the theater on that Sunday. I had planned to see UP but didn’t realize that 3D movies were more expensive, so I bought a ticket for HANGOVER instead. I always knew that Bradley Cooper was funny, but the two other leads just really surpassed my expectations and I could definitely watch this movie again. HYSTERICAL!

Scariest Movie that I Didn’t Really Plan to See: FOOD, INC. This film will change the way you feel about our food…our government control over our food…and the everyday hamburger. Everyone should see this movie if for no other reason than to understand how important it is to buy local and buy in season. It truly breaks my heart to know that it’s cheaper for a family of four to get dinner at Burger King than purchase a hearty and healthy meal from ingredients at the grocery store. And don’t get me started on the soy beans and hamburger thing…

Creepiest Indie Summer Movie that’s Also an On-Demand Release: SURVEILLANCE. David Lynch’s daughter Jennifer finally made a movie that I can handle! Almost. This murder mystery starring Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond tells the story of two FBI agents who interview witnesses of a brutal highway murder…and then we find out what REALLY happened! Totally creepy, disturbing, maybe you don’t want to watch it alone.

Summer Movie that Made Me Want to Ask God for My 90 Minutes Back: MANAGEMENT. Just don’t bother. Steve Zahn is a total stalker and we are supposed to think that’s sweet.

Favorite Summer Blockbuster Film (so far) – STAR TREK. JJ Abrams has really impressed with this remix of a franchise that I never dug all the way…but this cast was amazing – handsome, funny, quirky, and believable. The plot was tight and the action and effects keep you hanging on the edge of your seat. I’m on board for the sequel, for sure!

What I’m Still Psyched For But Haven’t Made it To Yet: THE HURT LOCKER, SUMMER HOURS, MY SISTERS KEEPER

What I’m Still Psyched For But Hasn’t Opened Yet: (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, FUNNY PEOPLE, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS.

SO: stay tuned!!

Another Successful July Visit!

2009-07-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

About four hours ago, I drove Crystal to the airport so she can get back to Atlanta and her girlfriend, Kim. Not without having had an amazing extended weekend with one of my dearest friends in the world! It's safe to say that a summer trip with Crystal may always be a tradition, now - it's wonderful to have a friend who can keep up with me via Facebook and text message, who hates to talk on the phone as much as I do, and who can pretty much hang and do anything from movies, music, sports, and so forth.

Crystal's flight was delayed on Wednesday, but not by much - they definitely made up time in the air. We headed straight for Venice Beach so we could park for the day and experience the boardwalk. There was still a marine layer in the air, so we opted to walk the 2.8 miles from Venice to Santa Monica on the pedestrian/bike trail. Most of the boardwalk was pretty quiet anyway, as it was around 11:30am on a Wednesday.

Arriving at Santa Monica, I was now starving, so I suggested we try to find a place to eat. We continued to walk uphill from the beach to the 3rd Street Promenade, which had been on my original list of things to do. I'm here to tell you that the Promenade is not really that exciting if you aren't planning any serious shopping. We eventually found an LA classic restaurant, Barney's Beanery. Not the ORIGINAL Beanery, I don't think, but still someplace that Crystal would not have experienced before. The music was great, the black bean burger was not homemade, but we enjoyed the atmosphere and plethora of wide screen televisions showing all the sports for the day!

After lunch, the marine layer was finally gone so we hiked down the hill back to the beach and enjoyed an hour in the sun. It was COLD, though. Probably right at 68 degrees, which I'm sure some will say is excellent beach weather, but my nipples were definitely showing. Crystal did not apply additional sunscreen and she paid dearly for that later. A serious farmer sunburn! It was her idea to pack up and head back to the car, so we did just that. Another wonderful 2.8 mile walk back to Venice.

NOW, the boardwalk was booming! Lots of vendors open and people playing their guitars, shop owners pitching their medical marijuana cards, and a few pick up basketball games on the courts. We even saw that turban-wearing, rollerblading guitar player who flirted with Bridget Fonda in POINT OF NO RETURN. A Venice classic!!

Returning to the car, I noticed that I had received a parking ticket. For expired tags. That wasn't really my fault because I did was I was supposed to do. After all the hulla-baloo from LAST summer's parking ticket, I'm wondering if it's worth it to appeal the ticket again THIS year. We'll see. I do hope to have my tags soon - at least the check finally cleared!

So, just minutes before the 5pm rush hour (I know, amazing timing, right?), we leave the Venice Beach Parking. We are headed to the 405 and Westwood. Moving at a slow crawl, we enjoy laughing at people who are breaking the law on their cell phones and/or enjoying their music just a little too much. We hit the Wilshire exit and FINALLY begin to look for parking. We find a meter spot just across from THE BUFFALO EXCHANGE and do some serious thrift store shopping. I was quite pleased with my purchases - an Old Navy dress, gap capri pants that were NWT, and a new dress for work. Crystal purchased t-shirts for herself andn presents for Kim. Exiting the store to put our bounty in the car, we notice the meter maid doing his rounds and decide that it will be in our best interests to move the car into an indoor lot.

After parking AGAIN, we make our way to Jerry's Deli, another LA institution (again, not the original, but oh well). We both have a much lighter dinner knowing that we are going to experience a Diddy Reese cookie shortly after. Dinner takes a while because our waitress is slow, but I fully enjoyed my large baked potato with mushrooms, peppers, and salsa plus steamed garlic veggies.

And then it was time for Diddy Reese. Amazing cookies that are CHEAP. and you can also have an ice cream sandwich between two cookies for $1.50. That's right, - just $1.50!! I bought a half-dozen cookies for the hubby for just $3.00. My dessert was pretty messy to eat - we should have stayed there to eat slowly. I had a chocolate chip cookie and candy chip cookie with cookies and cream ice cream in the middle. Yum! Next time I plan to try the brown sugar cinnamon cookies with just vanilla ice cream!

By this time, it's dark and I'm feeling spent. We were supposed to head to The Gas Lite in Santa Monica for some karaoke fun...but I wimp out. Which is good, because Crystal is happy to wimp out as well. She and I never seem to get to the karaoke fun at all. Next year I need to build in an afternoon nap so we can still go singing! So, Day One (Wednesday) is in the books!

Thursday, July 2nd we are staying local. I sleep as late as I can which isn't that late. No gym today either, for some reason. We see a 9:45am showing of PUBLIC ENEMIES to start our day. It's not the best Michael Mann movie I've ever seen, but it doesn't suck either. Johnny Depp looks great, he's perfectly cast as John Dillinger. There are some AMAZING shoot-em-up scenes and the prison break piece is filmed particularly well (nice long shots of the prison with some bright back lighting...cool!). My one beef is that they didn't seem to give Christian Bale a whole lot to do. I thought his character was under developed. Marion Cottiard has a great scene towards the end of the film as well. All in all, a good historical drama, not the life changing experience I thought it would be. One great line, though, that became our tag line for the weekend. "Why Indiana? I have absolutely nothing I want to do in Indiana."

After the movie, we headed to Gourmet Pizza so Crystal could experience the greatest pizza in California. I had the Five Sisters with half cream cheese and half pesto; she had the Tuscan and enjoyed her first pizza with cashews! We met up with some U of R folks: my counterpart, Jason and his wife and baby; and a former student, Emily, who was in town for the weekend. Great visit and of course the pizza was kick ass!

Following lunch we ran some errands and gathered some Golden Spoon yogurt for after dinner. It was decided that we would eat at home for dinner and save some money; then Charles dropped us off at Market Night as he was headed to work. Two years living in Redlands and I still had not experienced a Market Night. We did a full round of the event before making any purchases. I bought Allyson a necklace for her birthday...and, oh shit, I need to call her, too! I also bought some nectarines and plums; Crystal picked up some peaches. We didn't stay too long - about 40 minutes - and then walked back to the house and decided to stay in for the evening. We rented NICK AND NORA'S INFINITE PLAYLIST on On-Demand and it was quite the delightful little movie! Michael Cera is turning into a charming young leading man! Another new tag line: "fistfull of assholes" We got a kick out of that one, too!

Friday was to be our biggest day! Travel to San Diego with the hubby in tow - our main goal for Friday was TATTOOS! Before even departing for San Diego, I decided to go running. that's right - not a regular trip to the gym, but actual RUNNING. I decided to go for at least 20 mintues, because that's what my marathon training book says to consider: if you can run solid for 20 minutes and have been doign that a while, you are ready to begin your training. Well, I did it - and it felt GOOD. More on that later...

First, we stopped for brunch at the Hob Nob Hill diner, which had been featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives." Although, this placed seemed a little fancy for a "diner" and was definitely not a drive in or dive. Still, my Canadian Blueberry Pancakes were AMAZING and I also tried Crystal's Oat Raisin French Toast, which is what I will get the next time we head that way.

After brunch, it was time for NOTHING SACRED. We parked the truck and made our way into the Gas Lamp District. Our appointment was at 1pm and of course we were early. We tooled around until they were finally open. Imagine our surprise when we walked in and could see live, in the flesh, Carly Smithson from Season 7 of AMERICAN IDOL. Well, duh, she and her husband own the tattoo studio! We knew we were getting our art done by Todd, but never thought for a second that Carly would actually be in town, let alone hanging out at the studio! Eventually we did get to talk to her about cleaning the garage, being married, what the show was like, what her new band is like, and so forth. Crystal was probably more in shock than I was, but I turned out to be the one who gushed the most! Still, she is a very down to earth artist and someone I will definitely continue to follow!

NOW: the tattoo! I started to get really scared once we were in the shop and Todd began to work on my art. I had settled on an irish claddaugh ring patter but thought it would be a thin band that would run across my waist. He advised me to consider the detail of the pattern, and that I might need something a little bigger. I agreed. He tried to talk me into color, but I stuck with the black and grey.

After almost an hour of prep work and drawing, I'm finally on the table. He tells me to lay flat and perfectly still. And here comes the needle. I am expecting to cry out loud and for the tears to start flowing. Surprisingly, I'm really keeping it together. To describe the actual sensation would be too difficult. There's pressure, pinching, maybe a little heat. The shading part was difficult, lots of pinching in one place. The LONG lines are the hardest. But I think I was a good client. Charles and Crystal took pictures to capture the moment. I was probably on the table for another good 45-60 minutes. And since I was wearing a dress and the tattoo was being done on my belly, it was cracking me up to think of people walking by and seeing me in my underwear the entire time! My cotton beige colored Fruit of the Looms were stained by the time he was done.

The tattoo turned out much bigger than I'd planned for...it's probably the size of a small grapefruit, but I positively LOVE IT! (I fully intend to get a second tattoo next year after I run the marathon.) My bandage consisted of some Saran Wrap, a paper towel, and masking tape - hysterical!

Crystal went next - she was getting a gold star (dual purpose - part the Vanderbilt logo, and part "gold star lesbian" meaning that she's never been with a man) on her side, below the armpit. Her tattoo was going to be more painful than mine, and I think she had a harder time with her art than I did. She did great, though - her star looked amazing, although when she got on the plane today she still had some redness. Todd didn't fill the star completely in, but I think once it's fully healed it will have amazing definition!

Finally, my hubby decided to do a "wedding ring" for his left hand. He never wears his ring because of work, so he found a font he really liked and put a "K" on his left ring finger - that "K" is for me, of course! Pretty amazing! This is probably the most sentimental thing he's ever done :) He and Todd really got along - Charles was explaining his idea of putting a Phoenix on his back, and Todd talked him into doing it on the arm instead. They made an appointment for July 18th, so we are headed back to San Diego in a couple weeks!

So: the art work was done and we headed to THE FIELD for dinner. Another Carly thing, as she used to wait table and sing there. Charles didn't mind, though - he could get a Guiness AND corned beef and cabbage. Crystal had the french dip and I enjoyed a Veggie bake with "champ" om the top (mashed potatoes with green onion). It was FABULOUS! Then I put the nail in the coffin by making Charles take me to Ghiardelli for ice cream. Did I really need that double waffle cone? Probably not, and the walk was tricky because I was eating while I walked, with saran wrap and masking tape on my belly, and it was starting to get cold. Our evening wasn't even over yet!

We had tickets for the San Diego Padres, facing the LA Dodgers. If that wasn't already a fairly big game becuase of the rivalry, it was Manny Ramirez' first game back after his 50 game suspension. So EVERYONE from LA came out for this game! The first inning was a super exciting one - the Dodgers scored 5 runs - but the rest of the game was somewhat of a bust. And I was cold. And Charles bought garlic french fries that I could not stop eating. But the Dodgers did win the game and we could head for home with a very fun and successful day in the books once again!

Saturday - July 4th - meant to be our most restful day. We had breakfast at home, watched some sports and then headed west to San Bernardino so Crystal could experience another West Coast specialty - In-n-Out Burger. I indulged as well, which was too bad for me because I'm normally a vegetarian. I love a good veggie burger, but if you know In-N-Out you know that you don't have any other choice. I indulged in the cheeseburger, french fries, and a chocolate shake. BIG MISTAKE. Not only did I kill the rest of my flex points, but I ate activity points that I haven't even earned yet. Unbelieveable! And Shame On Me!!

Chaz then dropped us off at the movie theater and we saw YEAR ONE with Jack Black and Michael Cera. Again, not the funniest movie I've ever seen, but it didn't suck. A few good one-liners and some fun cameos.

Then it was off to Ruben's house for a little July 4th fun. Jason and Breanna were there again, along with my vital work friend Amy. We were advised not to swim, so we basically just hung out, ate dinner, watched the fly-by with the air force planes, and then headed for home. Charles had gotten really sick while we were at the movies, so he was home feeling not-so-great and I felt just a little guilty being out while he was not feeling good. When we got home, we watched some of the different celebrations on TV and then went to bed fairly early.

And, now, of course, the vacation is over and I must return to work tomorrow. But I have the afternoon to catch up on DVR stuff, do some laundry, some strength training, and then I think I may go running again (i already did another 30 minutes this morning, but I gotta earn some more activity points with all the crap foo I ate this weekend!).

As I said earlier, it's always a great time when I get to hang out with Crystal. I know that she will call me out if I'm whining too much, but she will still be my friend when it's all said and done. I'm glad I got to show her more of LA/SoCal and for her to have been there when I got my first tattoo! I can't wait for the next visit, whenever it may be!

Crystal arrives today!

2009-07-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have but 30 minutes before I need to get in the car, gas up, and head west to LAX. Crystal's flight is delayed, but not to worry - we still have a good full day of beach, westwood, and karaoke. I cannot wait!

In the meantime, I wanted to talk about the marathon book I'm reading. It's written for women by another non-runner like myself. The book is humorous, and I'm learning alot. I have not started training - mostly because I haven't committed to a race yet. Well, i did commit to run the San Diego Rock and Roll marathon next year (June 6, 2010), but I figure I need to run something smaller first.

I DID commit to attend my first Team in Training meeting on July 11th - that's just 10 days away. There I will learn more about the program (thanks, Jenny, for the inspiration) and will actually choose an event to participate in. The Santa Barbara half-marathon is looking pretty good - but, wow, that's November 8th, which means I need to start training...tomorrow?

More to come on adventures with Crystal!

Tribute to the King of Pop

2009-06-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to comment on Michael Jackson for a few days now...maybe the novelty has worn off, but I still have been thinking of him alot.

I'm a true Child of the 80's - THRILLER was released November 30, 1982, when I was a freshman in high school. It was one of the biggest albums of 1983 and, of course, beyond. Basically, Michael Jackson's music was a hallmark of my adolescent and college years. BAD was released in 1987, and then DANGEROUS in 1991 (okay, that was grad school for me, but there were still some major moments connected to that album, see below).

After DANGEROUS, I can admit that The King of Pop got kind of weird, and it just went downhill from there. But I hope that in the shadow of his passing, people can look back and remember his musical genius. I feel strongly that both he and Madonna completely changed the face of popular music AND what it meant to be a media icon. Music Video, MTV, VH-1...these things would not have survived without Michael and Madonna.

I can admit that I was one of those people who gave up on Michael in the past 10 years. I told the same jokes, fumed with disgust over his shenanigans, and worried about the children and families he might have tarnished. But his death made me remember the good times, when Michael ruled the Pop Music World.

SO, in this blog I offer up some of my favorite Michael Jackson memories.

Music Video - Christmas 1983: that Christmas I was introduced to both music video AND the THRILLER video at the same time. See, in rural Y-City Arkansas, we didn't have cable, satellite, or MTV. My family had three channels - we were lucky to watch SQUARE PEGS each week. But for Christmas of 1983, my family traveled back up to Orland Park, IL to celebrate with my father's in-laws. My "Grandma E" had all the fun cable channels, so my siblings and cousins and I were crazy for MTV during that vacation. The THRILLER video debuted on December 2, 1983, so you know it was in heavy rotation by Christmas. I think I watched the video 20 times during that visit. When I think of the THRILLER video, I think of that Christmas (driving 24 hours straight in the mountains and snow from Y-City to Little Rock...snow tires...no heat...it was sort of awful).

PYT and the Hay Ride: In the summer of 1984, my Chicago cousins made their way to Arkansas for a visit. My parents thought it would be awesome to have a hay ride on our property, so we hooked up a trailer with hay on the back of our tractor (yes, the Mayer Family had a hay field AND a tractor, don't ask) and headed to Mill Creek. I didn't have a walkman back then...or a boom box. I had an old-school tape recorder/player that you see from the 70's. which is what I played ALL my music on back then. My cousins LOVED PYT: Pretty Young Thing, and we played it over and over and over. They especially loved the end of the song with the "nah nah nah, nah" part. We had the singing down to a science!

BLACK AND WHITE debuts and Kris is trashed: my first year of graduate school I made friends with some of my residents; one of them, Bryce, is my best friend in the entire world today. He was a pretty big Michael Jackson fan in those days, so when the BLACK AND WHITE video was set to debut on MTV, I'm pretty sure we made plans to watch the video together. With our mutual friend Scott Noggle. Although we DID NOT discuss that I would go to happy hour first and have too many margaritas. So i made a complete ass of myself watching that video debut with Bryce and Scott while I was trashed off my gourd. Embarrassing.

My First and Only Letter to AMERICAN TOP 40: during the summers of 1983 and 1984, I listened very loyally to AT40 every Sunday morning. I did, after all, live in Y-City Arkansas and did not have cable. I would record with detail the Top 20 songs of the week and also rank those songs according to how well I liked them. There was a big rival in 1983 between EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE and BEAT IT for the top spot on the year end countdown. I was pretty sure that BEAT IT would take the top spot that year, but EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE was the Number One Song of that year. Furious, I wrote to AT40 questioning their decision and wanting an explanation. I was 15, after all. Surprisingly, they wrote me back! I received an explanation and all was well. And I actually really like that Police song now! Strange.

Michael, rest in peace. Know that you did make an impression on this world. I hope that if you are still in pain, you find a way to resolve that. Your music will live on.

so it's been another year...

2009-06-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

As my dear friend Crystal is set to arrive next week, I am reminded once again how bad I am at this but how badLY I want to be better at it!

Amy and Tera, you definitely inspired me to give this another try. And maybe now I can actually make time to say something at least once a week.

Looking at the things I was excited to do as reflected in my last post, here are a couple milestones for the past year...

1. Reaching my Weight Watchers goal weight of 135 and then becoming a Lifetime Member! This was such a big deal! I have really embraced this program and made a real lifestyle change. I'm now a Size 4, can wear a two-piece bathing suit, and haven't eaten a "real" hamburger in months. I love what I've done...and I love that I keep doing it!

2. Being elected to the Executive Committee of WACUHO (Western Association of College and University Housing Officers) as Member at Large, South Area. I LOVE my professional association and my fabulous colleagues. Joining this committee was a real boost for me and I can't wait to serve ths region for 09-10.

3. Seeing my Arkansas buddies during the month of June: That would include a FABULOUS and yet long day of preparing to see THE PRICE IS RIGHT with my dear friend Amy Fujimoto and then experiencing Bahooka for the first time with Amy and her family. And the hubby was able to come along too! Then traveling several thousand miles to the OTHER coast for 4 days of Fort Lauderdale bliss with Bryce and Corey. I have an amazing tan and great stories to tell from both of these visits. Bryce and I even made the famous Southern Comfort punch and everyone was impressed!

And now these are things that I'm committing to for the future:
1. Setting a goal to see as many summer movies as humanly possible. Entertainment Weekly wrote about 87 summer movies...so far I've seen 12 of them. At least.

2. About a month or so ago, my sister Jennifer finished her first marathon. I was so inspired by her dedication that I set my own goal and made a promise to run the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 6, 2010. In order to achieve this, I feel I need to run a half-marathon first...so hopefully that will go down in November, December or January. Wish me luck!!

3. Trying to BLOG at leasdt once a week! Surely I have something interesting to say if I can play around on Facebook for hours at a time! We'll see how it goes!

Can't wait for Crystal to get here!

The Ten Coolest Things I've Done Since My LAST Post

2008-07-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I suck at this. I think my friend Crystal needs to just move here because when I spend time with her I am inspired to reflect on my life and actually say something (although, not always something witty that ends with "that's what she said").

My last post included five things I was looking forward to. Let me reflect a bit on that and then tell you about five other cool things I did since....February.

1. Joining weight watchers: INCREDIBLY successful endeavor!! 23.8 pounds later, I am wearing a size 12 comfortably and my face actually has cheekbones again. Half of my Weight Watchers at Work group are co-workers in my office, so it's been great to see everyone's progress and cheer each other on. I have learned to eat foods that I previously shunned, like mustard, pumpkin, and I actually ate a pecan the other day and liked it! Who knew!? I have about 20 more pounds to go because I want to wear a size 8!!

2. Going to PA to see all my siblings....before my sister gets deployed - this was a wonderful trip and I loved being with my brother, sisters, and all the nieces and nephews. We spent some time going through some of my dad's belongings, which was hard, but I just love having family time with my sibs. It's rare these days because we live so far apart...I can't wait until the kids are old enough to get on a plane by themselves.

3. Eating at Doughboys in LA again - I've done this twice since last blogging. They were out of raspberry syrup both times, but there is absolutely nothing yummier than the "afterschool special" of grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup. (sigh)

4. the WACUHO conference in Sacramento - this was an amazing surprise!! It was a great conference with lots of learning opportunities, but I also got to present a program with two of my AD's (sooo proud of them)...I became a conference committee chair....and won an award! An award I didn't even know I had been nominated for. It was a real blessing and I feel so embraced by this organization. I am so glad to be more involved with the association. 08-09 will be an absolute blast!

5. getting my hair cut - eh, this was pretty anti-climactic. I've had several haircuts since February.

SO: looking back at April through July, here are five more things that rocked:

6. Amy and Todd visit LA - my former-Arkansas-turned-Chicago-friend-who-turned-me-on-to-roller-derby and her hubby/daughter won a trip to LA and I spent one very hot Friday with them in Hollywood. We brunched at Doughboys (OH yes!), walked the Walk of Fame, and then did a tour of the Stars Homes in the afternoon. Which is to say, we did a tour of the stars security gates and outside foliage. Madonna has two homes in LA according to our tour guide, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are next door neighbors. Keanu was having afternoon company, and Aaron Spelling had a huge estate in the middle of a casual residential neighborhood. Lots o'fun! It was damn hot, though.

7. Summer Movies - Super Heroes are going to completely rock the summer. IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK were great fun and of course we are all looking forward to THE DARK KNIGHT next weekend. Don't know if you can truly call KUNG FU PANDA a super hero, but that movie was alot of fun, too.

8. Getting caught up with WEEDS - I finally watched Season 2 of WEEDS. Maybe by the next time I post I will finally have seen Season 3 and 4. Maybe.

9. Horse Racing and my hubby's birthday - we had two successful weekends in a row at Hollywood Park Race Track. We were actually able to stay longer than three races, and we actually won money. I love the ponies. For Charles' birthday we stayed the night in Pasadena one weekend and then had a great dinner with his stepmom the following weekend.

10. Crystal comes to the West Coast - my dear friend from the Nashville days made her first trip out west. We did a day in San Diego, doing all things Carly in honor of American Idol Finalist Carly Smithson, which included the actual American Idols tour. I know, not exactly something that someone who blogs about being 40 would attend. But it was quite an interesting and entertaining show. We did a day in LA, with another trip to the Walk of Fame, another trip to Doughboys, and an afternoon at Arclight and Amoeba Records. Finishing the evening at PINKS and foregoing the karaoke plans because we were bushed. July 4th at Big Bear for the day and finishing things up with the Redlands July 4th celebration, which included an annoying Rod Stewart impersonator but a decent Cher impersonator.

What does the future bring now that I will be 40.5 years old as of tomorrow (nice how that worked out...)?
1. Emmy Nominations next Thursday
2. THE DARK KNIGHT
3. CD Training, CA Training and the new school year
4. My 14th Wedding Anniversary in September
5. Wicked/Madonna Weekend, The Sequel, coming October!!

Until next time.....

Spring Break is crap when you are a professional

2008-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

yes, it's spring break at my current institution and while I like the quiet, I wish I could be on spring break. there is so much i would do...work out every morning for three hours, take a long shower, see some movies, shop, sit around at home and do nothing but watch TV, cuddle the hubby, maybe write some letters, eat Fig Newtons and reflect on what it will take to become famous. Or not. But I'm at work and trying to play catch up but I'm horribly bored and uninspired.

I've been 40 for one month and 2 weeks-ish. The past six weeks were busy with work and trying to prepare for Oscar Sunday. Oh, Oscar Sunday. What a disappointment. I think I'm going to switch my focus for 2008 and just see indie films so I can prepare for the Independent Spirit Awards, clearly a more entertaining awards show these days. The host (Rainn Wilson) was suitably raunchy, the presenters hysterical (Dustin Hoffman, OMG), and the awards winners justified. That's really all I want to say about that subject.

My sister is being deployed to Iraq. My sister, who is 34, married with two kids, and a Captain in the army. She's a protocol officers, so I don't understand why they need her over in Iraq. You think that deployment happens to other people's sisters and family members, but now it's happening to one of mine. So I've covered both of the "someone else" categories - the whole HIV positive thing is another one. More on that later...

Looking forward...here are the five things I'm looking forward to in this next month:
1. Joining weight watchers
2. Going to PA to see all my siblings....before my sister gets deployed
3. Eating at Doughboys in LA again
4. the WACUHO conference in Sacramento
5. getting my hair cut

I have simple needs, let me tell you. Being 40 certainly seems less complicated today.

Back to work...

I'm tired but there's so much going on

2008-01-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

I first would like to talk about the sucky Golden Globes news conference - ugh. I can't even begin to share my disappointment. Kind of like a porno movie with no orgasm...or something like that. I don't even know if I can muster up the courage to do my Oscar Email this year...but of course I will.

The weekend of January 12/13 I saw 6 movies at the 19th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. It was great fun. My favorite film was UNDER THE SAME MOON, about a mexican boy who makes his way to LA to be with his hard-working/illegal mother after his grandmother dies. It was a wonderful little film and will be released in the US sometime in March. Go see it! Also enjoyable was PROTEGE, a film from Hong Kong about an undercover cop working in the heroin underworld who falls for an addict and must stop a drug lord. It was tense and very well paced - the ending was a little manipulative, but I've definitely seen worse. Ambitious but missing the mark, THE AIR I BREATHE wanted to be fun and hip like Tarantino, but was just too clever for its own good. It's opening here in LA this coming weekend.

The film festival was great but I got deathly sick with one of the worst colds I've had in years. Had to take Monday and Tuesday off of work, which is why no new blogs until now. Well, that and a couple other things.

Like my big 40th birthday bash in Las Vegas!! 12 of my closest friends from all over the country (as far east as Fort Lauderdale!) coming to hang in Vegas and party with me. I intend to write more about that later along with the very important lessons I am learning about being 40 plus i hope to ambitiously write one of my famous "madonna poems" that can be published here for the guests to enjoy!

For now, though, I must have some tea and watch a few episodes of LOST (season 3) before I retire for the night. My body is still on Vegas time and I'm exhausted but not quite "tired" yet.

To be continued....

I've been 40 for 13 hours

2008-01-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

40 is the new 30.

Just as pink is the new black and brown is the new pink?

I turned 40 today and am not sure if I'm thrilled, scared, freaked out, or a little of everything. I really don't even know why I'm blogging, except that I read my friend Crystal's blog today and it inspired me. She inspires me. What can I say. Crystal is one of the coolest people I know. I think she may have convinced me to vote for Obama.

Anyway, here I am, giving this a try on my own. Which I might do for like a day or longer. I don't know. All I know is that my husband is asleep for his night job, there's a half-frosted yellow cake on the counter (my birthday cake, ya think?), and a full bottle of wine in the fridge. Oh yeah.

You know what I really want to talk about today? The frigging Golden Globe awards. The more I think about it the more I just stew and stew. I sent my annual email talking about who i think will win and why (which I send more for my benefit than anyone else's because I tend to be really full of myself in that aspect) but really, what's the point? The fun is all taken out of it now because there will be no fun dresses, no acceptance speeches, no reaction shots, and no Jim-Carrey-talking-out-of-his-ass. Oh, wait, never mind, he wasn't nominated. Bummer.

so: thanks to my friend Mark M (also known as DQ), I am totally in to LOST again. I just finished Season 2 and have Season 3 coming on Netflix. Since there will actually be SOME spring shows after all given that the Writer's Strike is killing off everything. Yes, PRISON BREAK does return on Monday, but for how long? And there is no Season 7 of "24" on the horizon, with the triumphant (and curious) return of Tony Almeda. So - LOST it is. For now.

For those who are curious, here is the annual Golden Globe email that I sent for my benefit more than anyone elses. Enjoy...now where is that wine??

So: here's the deal. I'm pissed! I haven't been this angry at Hollywood since they gave George Clooney an Oscar….

Why are they denying me my Golden Globes show? Don't they know that some of us really live for that stuff? Don't they know that I spend weeks preparing my picks and choices of who will win, and then sending it on to all of you? Don't they know that I plan my entire weekend around that day, just getting ready to enjoy the show? Why do they hate me?

Okay, that's melodrama at its best, but I needed to get it off my chest. Thank you.

For a while I thought I would just not send my picks to anyone since there is only going to be a News Special announcing the winners…but to not send my picks would then be denying all of you J. And I couldn't live with myself if I denied YOU my famous egotistical picks email. So here goes. Enjoy!

Best Motion Picture – Drama
"American Gangster"
"Atonement"
"Eastern Promises"
"The Great Debaters"
"Michael Clayton"
"No Country for Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"

The critics have overwhelmingly chosen NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN as their choice for this year's Best Picture, so I'll echo those sentiments. I did enjoy this movie – although not as witty as other Coen Brothers vehicles, it's still a darn good movie.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Cate Blanchett – "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Julie Christie – "Away From Her"
Jodie Foster – "The Brave One"
Angelina Jolie – "A Mighty Heart"
Keira Knightley – "Atonement"

I haven't seen her performance yet, but Julie Christie seems poised to win this and I guess that would be fine with me. My favorite female performances turn up in the musical/comedy category this year!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
George Clooney – "Michael Clayton"
Daniel Day-Lewis – "There Will Be Blood"
James McAvoy – "Atonement"
Viggo Mortensen – "Eastern Promises"
Denzel Washington – "American Gangster"

My gut tells me to just go out on a limb and pick Viggo – his performance was certainly a daring one and he's way overdue for some sort of nomination or win…but the safe choice here is Daniel Day-Lewis. Even though he probably wouldn't have attended the ceremony anyway. Who knows?

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
"Across The Universe"
"Charlie Wilson's War"
"Hairspray"
"Juno"
"Sweeney Todd"

Right now, SWEENY TODD seems the only choice for a chance at a Best Picture OSCAR, but I have to go with JUNO because it was one of my favorite movies of the year and seems destined to be the next LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams – "Enchanted"
Nikki Blonsky – "Hairspray"
Helena Bonham Carter – "Sweeney Todd"
Marion Cotillard – "La Vie En Rose"
Ellen Page – "Juno"

Ellen Page gets points here for being an ingénue but also for being darn funny and droll as Juno. Remember that the Hollywood Foreign Press loves those ingénues. However, don't count out Marion Cotillard either – she will most definitely get an Oscar nomination for La Vie En Rose.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Johnny Depp – "Sweeney Todd"
Ryan Gosling – "Lars and the Real Girl"
Tom Hanks – "Charlie Wilson's War"
Philip Seymour Hoffman – "The Savages"
John C. Reilly – "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story"

Johnny Depp is getting my vote here even though I would LOVE for Ryan Gosling or John C Reilly to win.

Best Animated Feature Film
"Bee Movie"
"Ratatouille"
"The Simpsons Movie"

I don't do the animated film thing – I saw none of these movies – but RATATOUILLE won most of the critics awards so why not Pixar, right?

Best Foreign Language Film
"4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days" (Romania)
"The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" (France, United States)
"The Kite Runner" (United States)
"Lust, Caution" (Taiwan)
"Persepolis" (France)

I usually haven't seen most of the Foreign Language nominees because they aren't in wide release, but I can tell you from what I've read that this is going to be a tight year competition-wise. All of these films received love from critics and film festivals. What makes this category confusing is that it's NOT the same category as the Oscar. The Hollywood Foreign Press will recognize the best film in a language OTHER than English – not the film from the country that isn't the United States. So, for example, THE KITE RUNNER shouldn't be eligible for an Oscar. And I understand that France did not submit THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY as their official entry. Which is why I'm picking it. Plus, it's a great story and quite beautiful to look at. The Romanian entry was an amazing movie and will more than likely take the Oscar, but WOW – was it heavy.

Best Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Cate Blanchett - "I'm Not There"
Julia Roberts - "Charlie Wilson's War"
Saoirse Ronan - "Atonement"
Amy Ryan - "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"

Amy Ryan should just gear up her acceptance speeches – because if ANY awards shows actually go on this year, she should be doing a lot of talking. Cate Blanchett is the runner up here and still could win – she was really "out there" in her take as a Bob Dylan character.

Best Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Casey Affleck - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem - "No Country for Old Men"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - "Charlie Wilson's War"
John Travolta - "Hairspray"
Tom Wilkinson - "Michael Clayton"

Most of the critics have chosen him and it's such a departure for him in terms of other characters he's played. I just love Javier Bardem. I am thrilled to see Casey Affleck getting some love from the critics and nominating groups this year – it's a happy thing.

Best Director - Motion Picture
Tim Burton - "Sweeney Todd"
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - "No Country for Old Men"
Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Ridley Scott - "American Gangster"
Joe Wright - "Atonement"

First of all let me say that poor Ridley Scott just never gets any love. Always a bridemaid, never a bride this one. And I don't think he'll win anything this year either L. But I dig the idea of the Coen Brothers winning their first directing Oscar, and I think the Globes are going to be the first stop for them. Couldn't SWEENY TODD have come out next year??

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Diablo Cody - "Juno"
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - "No Country for Old Men"
Christopher Hampton - "Atonement"
Ronald Harwood - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Aaron Sorkin - "Charlie Wilson's War"

No way anyone but Diablo Cody wins this. No way.

Okay I gave on up on the TV and stuff, mostly because that bottle of wine is calling me. Enjoy the "news conference" and let's hope the Writers Strike is over before the Oscars. Because otherwise I will need a really REALLY good therapist.

Thanks for reading. Let's see if I can keep this up.