Update

You'll all be happy to know I still heart my Tivo. It recorded the pilot of Men in Trees (a critical episode I missed and have wanted to see for ages) without me even knowing it would be airing. I'm so happy! Men in Trees has remained in my Season Pass queue all this time and, I guess, nothing was playing against it in it's time slot so I found it thoughtfully placed on my "To Do List" this afternoon.

The day started well. After sleeping in 'til about 8:00 I turned on the tv to slowly wake up. (It's a bad habit I've developed on the weekends lately.) Anyway, I found The Last Waltz, long a favorite of mine, and enjoyed until I realized I had to get ready for a hair appointment. I didn't get to finish watching it, and was a little bummed out about it, but what can you do? WELL! If you have Tivo you just search The Last Waltz and record the next showing which happens to be at 4:45 am tomorrow morning. How great is that?! And while we're at it, I've been wanting to see The Shining since my last post. Will that be airing any time soon, you ask? WELL, as a matter of fact The Shining will be showing tomorrow at 3:30 pm. Can you blame a girl for loving her Tivo so much? (BTW, if you don't remember much about The Shining, check this out.)

Of course there are other things going on in my life. For those interested, I've started my niece's can hat. I'll post pix when I've the hats are finished.

I saw Ratatouille last night and really liked it. Some may say I'm biased but that's some damn great animation and story is a good time too. Good stuff.

I'm looking forward to having a 5 1/2 day weekend beginning Tuesday afternoon. Yippee!! I have to get through a rather nightmarish financial meeting first but once that's over I'm home free.

My brother and family are having their annual 4th of July open house/parade/BBQ event. I usually bring something. I'm thinking of giving these a try. I'll let you know how that goes... if it in fact goes.

So there's a quick update. The gaudy Squirt hat calls...

Oh! But before I go, is anyone else out there a tad concerned about the remedial terrorists (and all we thought Richard Reed was a fool) running rampant this weekend and the fact that William and Harry have a little party planned for tomorrow? Don't get me wrong, I trust Scotland Yard to catch the punks who packed their cars with explosives (they're so good at rounding up the assholes in the neighborhood). I wouldn't say this concern is keeping me up at night but it makes me sad just thinking about the logistical nightmare that must be going down at Wembley Stadium right about now. It makes me a little nervous.

Ok everyone, go to your happy place now. I know I will.

Is that so wrong?

A couple of co-workers have been passing a rather creepy doll back and forth for at least a year now. Today a friend discovered it in her chair just as the UPS guy arrived. She promptly packed it up in a box and had the UPS guys "deliver" it across the hall to the original sender. The thought of this woman signing for a box and opening it to find that damn doll made us all giggle.

I told my friend she should next drop it off on the other woman' door step (she lives close to the office) or better yet, find out where she stays on her next vacation and send it to the hotel. My friend loved the idea but decided I was crazy.

When it comes to tormenting people I've learned from the best. My dad is the oldest of ten and can really "throw down" when it comes to teasing and torturing. My brother and I have been annoying each other our entire lives. My new favorite torture technique is to use his children against him. You know, I give them a message and off they go. It's especially great because I have no intention of having children myself so there's no real payback potential to deal with.

Just the other day I shared this conversation with my nephew:

Lucy: You wanna know how to completely freak your dad out?
Little Man: How? *grin*
Lucy: Next time daddy is waking up, stand on his side of the bed with your index finger up, wiggle it and repeat "Redrum. Redrum. REDRUM!!!!!"
Little Man: ...
Lucy: ... and do it with a straight face.
Little Man...
Lucy: Trust me, he'll FREAK!
Little Man: Ummm, what?
Lucy: I'll explain it later.



By the way, you have NO IDEA how difficult it was for me to put this image on my blog. This image strikes terror in my heart more than any other in cinema. I'm serious. These damn twins have scared me for years. Please don't tell my brother.

However, I gotta say that seeing them here helps a bit. I guess it's this image flashed quickly on a screen that freaks me out. I wonder what these girls are up to these days?

I've found my calling

... and, unfortunately, it's making silly crochet beer can hats.

Yup, turns out I'm good at a completely worthless craft.

It all started about a year ago when, out of the blue, my brother asked if I knew how to make a beer can hat. Sadly, I had no idea. Later, I gave it more thought and figured if I could help my little brother look like a jackass, far be it from me to deny him his dream. I then promptly forgot all about it.

In case you're not familiar with these ridiculous hats, they were big during the bi-centennial year celebration of our country's birth. Budweiser beer can hats in red, white and blue were everywhere that fine year. (I know there were at least a few dads on our cul-de-sac who wore them. They bring to mind drunken goof balls so I must have some hilarious Fourth of July memory I've yet to unearth that will explain it all.) Then, mercifully, all of those awful hats vanished.

My bro has wanted a beer can hat ever since a friend gave them as groomsmen gifts at his wedding. Can you imagine the meltdowns if a woman ever tried that stunt with her bridesmaids?

Well, fast forward to my recent success making granny squares and conquering other basic crochet stitches. I started feelin' pretty cocky. I decided to give the hat a try. I called my bro to discuss the "style" of the hat. He really wanted it to be a Pabst Blue Ribbon hat and instructed me to "make it as ugly as you can". Now there's a fun challenge. He supplied the Pabst cans and I selected the ugliest most bozo saturated color of red I could get my hands on. Turns out these things aren't so hard to make. With a little help from Stitchymcyarnpants I was on my way.

Behold my masterpiece:


My poor camera could barely handle that tone of red. God help us.

I delivered the magic hat to my brother this weekend and I don't know when he's ever been happier with a gift. He LOVED it. Mission accomplished. Now, the kids want one. My nephew wants an A&W Rootbeer hat (that can double as a Cleveland Browns hat with a brown and orange theme) and Little Miss has ordered a Squirt hat in bright green and pink piping. My sister in law wisely declined my offer to make her a hat. However, this morning she called to tell me I'd better work out a pricing structure because "others are going to want them". What?! LOL! She wasn't kidding. Apparently my brother showed off his hat to some friends and it was a big hit.

My brother will debut the magic hat at the Fourth of July block party. I'll be sure to update ya'll on how it goes. In the mean time, here is shot of my bro wearing the jackass hat in all it's glory.


(In case you're wondering about the goofy expression on his face. Well, let's just say the man never takes a serious photo. The one time I thought I'd managed a good picture of him, upon closer inspection, I discovered he had been flipping me off and therefore nullified the nice pic I thought I'd captured. Even here, as I warned "You're SO going up on my blog with that dumb look on your face.", he wasn't phased. The man wanted a beer can hat. I think it's safe to say he really doesn't care what others think.)

This one's for the ladies (sorry guys)

Today I met a new favorite person. She is about 75 and her name is Bonnie. She works at Creative Woman (aka The Wizard of Bras) and has been fitting ladies into the right bras for 32 years and I love her.

The Wizard of Bras is an institution in our neck of the woods. As a child you first notice it because it's got an absolutely enormous bra in the window. Naturally, you giggle at it but most importantly you never forget it. They say most women wander about this world wearing the wrong bra and I, for one, was one of them. I've been meaning to visit TWOB for ages but somehow never made it a priority. Boy was that a mistake. I plan to go back often.

First you walk in and fill out your name and info in a slip of pink paper then wait while you're treated to the songs of Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Next, a Fitter calls out your name and off you go to the fitting room. Your fitter asks what it is you're looking for then takes some measurements and is off to collect some bras (or whatever you're needing). As mentioned, my Fitter's name was Bonnie. Bonnie is a no nonsense woman and really that's all you can be in her line of work. Bonnie taught me all sorts of things such as "You should always put your bra on around your waist then pull it up." Who knew? According to Bonnie, ladies should always bend at the waist and "pull everything you can into that cup." (I know! I'm still sort of laughing at that one.) Bonnie set me up with incredibly comfortable under garments just as I'd asked. At one point Bonnie wandered off, came back and said "Now, don't throw up when you see this one. Just try it on. It's for when nobody is looking. You'll love it." Bonnie was right. From now on I promise to pretty much do whatever Bonnie says. As I left, Bonnie's last words to me were "Remember, a good bra can change our life!" She's right.

I know men don't want to hear it but Victoria's Secret is for wimps with no breasts. The crap they sell is strictly decorative. I swear, it's the cosmetic surgery industry that fronts places like Victoria's Secret. They want us to think we should defy gravity with those weak-ass bras. When we fail, they sit back and wait for us to rush in for boob jobs. Now I know better. Who needs silicone when we've got Bonnie?

Ladies feel free to get a couple of cute bras for fun, but I'm tellin' ya, go visit Bonnie and invest in some ol', practical, foundation under garments. You'll be so glad you did.

My new favorite thing

I've been meaning to do something like this for ages.

It just plain makes me laugh.

I know it was you. You broke my heart.

So, I watched the AFI Top 100 Films last night and, naturally, was annoyed by the ranking of many. I realize that no such list could come close to satisfying me, or anyone else, but here are some of my biggest issues with the list:

• ET is NOT a better film than To Kill a Mockingbird
• Where the hell is The Women?
• All the President's Men deserves a much higher ranking than #77
• Sunset Boulevard could surely replace Schindler's List as #8
• Some Like it Hot sits at #22 but I'd place Dr. Strangelove at least at that ranking. Instead the Doc site at #39
• Nashville? Really? Are we really that enamoured wtih over-miking a cast?

On the other hand I'm completely cool with the top three:

#1 Citizen Cane
#2 The Godfather
#3 Casablanca


Their combined influence alone earns them top spots.


My personal pick for #1 most hated film on the list? That's easy, I HATED A Clockwork Orange. Blechhh! Kubrick was a mental case and this film was a cry for help. I saw it once and will never watch it again. Not as long as there are films like Singin' In the Rain and Moonstruck out there. The Shining offered a brief glimpse of his "genius" but otherwise, I don't get his rep.


But I digress...


I could go on and on and on about this rather insignificant topic but I won't. Instead, I'll list a few of my faves that rank simply because I will sit and watch them EVERY time they are on tv. These are the films that I will actually squeal at when I see them listed on the Tivo guide. I just just love them!

• The Godfather
• Sunset Boulevard
• All the President's Men
• Jaws
• Moonstruck (not on top 100)

These films are also important because my family tends to quote many of them. In fact, my brother can go through an entire meal reciting lines from The Godfather only. It annoys many but I never get tired of him repeating "we're talking about a crooked cop..." with a mock Michael Corleone busted jaw speech impediment. It gets me every time. For a while, in my family, the worst thing you could be called was Fredo. We still say in disgust "What a Fredo!" whenever someone is particularly clueless (President Bush, for instance, is the perfect example of a Fredo.)

So that's a sample of my little list, what films will you watch at every opportunity?

How do you sort 'em?

Today is pretty quiet at work. Everyone is off at a trade show that I decided to skip. My cubicle neighborhood is a ghost town but a few of us remain. Because it's so quiet, my neighbor introduced me to this retro offering and we spent some time giggling about the silly songs from our past. My neighbor also just received her brand new iPod in the mail. I told her she'd spend the next month uploading music like a freak. We then launched in to a "I have so many CDs conversation". It went something like this:

Neighbor: Seriously, my CD cabinet is taller than me.

Lucy: Yeah, mine are in drawers and closets all over the place.

Neighbor: (sweeping her hands up and down) I have girls on one side and guys on the other.

Lucy: ...? What ever happened to genre and alphabetical order?

Neighbor: It's my own system. I know where everything is. (More sweeping of hands) I have girls and guys then my jazz and rap, which I don't really listen to, and soundtracks and pop and rock. Oh, and then there's my new age-y stuff for meditation.

Lucy: ...

Neighbor: Then the newer CDs are up top then they get moved down as they get older.

Lucy: ...

Neighbor: Oh, and then I have the white people at the very bottom. NOW who's at the back of the bus?

Lucy: Bwaaaghahahah! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

I swear I'm still laughing.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I have my CDs organized by genre (Pop/Rock, Jazz, Classical, Soundtracks and compilations. Within each they are sorted in alphabetical order. Call me crazy but that's how I do it. It's a pain to put stacks of CDs aways but at least I can find them when I want them.

My brother and I share many musical tastes so he often "borrows" my CDs. After a while we couldn't tell which were his and which were mine. I started using a gold paint pen to paint a tiny gold dot on the spines of my CDs. It took 3 minutes to do and now he can't figure out how I can quickly scan his CDs and pull mine out of the crowd. (hehe)

Just this weekend I uploaded a bunch of CDs to my iPod. I removed the showtunes because, as it turns out, I don't like them out of context and popping up in a shuffle. I prefer my showtunes in the car and in order of appearance. I then was horrified to find I didn't have any Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Louis Prima or Frank Sinatra on my iPod. I saw La Vie En Rose so I had to add some Edith Piaf as well. My new shuffles are super cool but now I have to put the CDs away. I'm dreading that task.

RIP Rat Bastard

Well, it's the end of a mini-era. The skunk who has woken me with his stench several nights and made falling asleep so dang difficult seems to have finally bit the dust.

For months now that tremendous stinker has sprayed near our house. For about a one month stretch he sprayed every night. He seems to really like the bird seed my dad leaves out. The seed also attracts squirrels, a small fox and our skunk buddy. The birds seem to enjoy the seed as well.

How do I know he's gone? His screams woke me out of a dead sleep the other night and it didn't sound like things were going his way. As it turns out he woke up the whole neighborhood. We think a coyote got him. He sprayed like crazy while screeching and then we all heard his pathetic little cries fade into the night. (Oh, I can hear the "awwww"s now. Spare me.) It seems the coyote carried him off somewhere. I give him credit though, he definitely went out with a roar and not a whimper. He manged to spray the windows and screens of my parents bedroom. I swear I've never smelled anything like it. It's been several days and we can still smell him. We burned every candle in the house and rinsed the side of the house along with the screens and windows and still that smell lingers.


Don't be sad and don't be fooled by the cute Pepe Le Pu reputation. Skunks are horrible little animals. They dig up gardens and stink up yards all the while. Are we invading in their space? Absolutely, but that's what happens when your at the top of the food chain. If you have to live with them you quickly learn to hate them. Besides, he had the nerve to spray my brother's dog. A sweetheart of a dog who now refuses to go in our backyard. Poor baby. I can't say that I blame him. He probably smells the bear and fox, and God knows what, and figures he's no dummy.

I can't say that I'll miss the skunk, he really made me mad on several occasions. How many nights am I supposed to lie awake because some disgusting little creature got spooked and decided to indiscriminately spray his butt off? I'd say I'm relieved he's gone but I'm sure another skunk will find his way to dad's bird seed any day now.

RIP little annoyance. I'm sorry, but you got what you deserved.

Break the Bank

I had to take my car in for servicing. My appointment wasn't until today but I didn't want to have to get up early to drop my car off so I took it in yesterday. I knew it needed basic service and that the gas gauge has been acting up but that was about it.

Jeff, the owner of the auto shop called at 7:00 this morning. I was awake. I knew who it was before I answered. Jeff was calling with bad news and I knew it. Sure enough, he called to tell me I needed a new timing belt. My first thought was "Crap... what is that.. maybe $500?'. I asked how much, Jeff told me about $575 because it's not just a timing belt, it's a series of belts. He went on to explain a bunch of things about the timing belt situation and that some oil cap or seal thingy had been falling off Hondas and he wanted to play it safe and replace mine. Apparently, the thing falls off and people lose all of their oil then burn up their engines. This is exactly what happened to my last Honda but nobody knew it was an issue at the time. He said he could save me the extra $50 bucks by waiting but suggested replacing it. I told him to go for it. Grand total for timing belt(s), service and oil cap thingy? $738.82. Ouch!

Before leaving to pick up my car, I closed my bedroom window and a Yankee Candle fell to the floor. It didn't seem to do any damage until the top popped off and hit my piggy bank. Yes, I own a piggy bank. I drop all of my silver change in there. I've had it so long I can tell you how much money in in there by feeling how heavy it's gotten.
This little piggy is holding about $150 in change. It was as though the universe was saying "Don't be blue about the car bill. Remember you've got some cash just lying here on your floor." It was encouraging but... *sigh*

But here's the deal: I've been going to Jeff for about 20 years. $738.72 is pretty steep but I trust Jeff completely. He always explains everything to me and has been fixing Hondas for so long he knows what will wear out when. He keeps up on all the recalls and bulletins and can tell me what needs to be repaired a year in advance. He tells me so I can budget for it. I'd pretty much do whatever he told me to do with my car. When the oil vanished from my last Honda and I had it towed to Jeff, he took a look before giving me the bad news. I was sitting in the waiting area flipping through a magazine when Jeff came out from behind the counter and sat down next to me (not a good sign). He proceeded to tell me that I'd completely blown my engine. He said he could get my car running again and that it would probably even be ok for a year or so but that after that first year it would likely become a money pit. He then rested his hand on mine, looked me in the eyes and said "Go pick out a new Honda this weekend, trade this one in and run like hell." I did. I bought a new Honda that weekend. Looking back, I can't think of any other person on earth I'd listen to like Jeff. Even if my Dad had given me that car buying advice, I doubt I would have followed it that weekend. I swear, if Jeff told me a platinum tiara would make my car drive better I'd run right out and get one. Having a trustworthy mechanic is about as valuable as any other professional you'll ever rely on. Seriously, a good mechanic and a good oncologist are about equal in my book.

I really want my next car to be a Prius. The problem is that Jeff's shop services Hondas and Acuras only. I recently got a notice in the mail announcing that Jeff's shop will now be servicing Toyotas. What a relief! I need to make this Honda last at least another 3 years . I'm so happy I'll be able to get that state-of-the-art Prius without having to break up with Jeff. A break up would be tragic at this point. I try not to think about when Jeff decides to retire. He opened the shop with his partner Ken 20 years ago but Ken moved back to Alabama with his family several years ago. That was upsetting enough. Ken's wife ran the front office. She'd always offer to let me pay for my car repairs later. I was going through college then my first apartment and she had a mom quality to her. She'd always say "Ya know, if you can't afford this right now you can pay me later. I know you're good for it. Besides, I know your mom!" Who does that?! I never took her up on the offer but I loved her for being so kind.

Anyway, it occurs to me now that with the exception of my family & friends, my relationship with Jeff is one of that oldest and most trusted in my life. Well, I've been going to my hair stylist since I was 13 but that's another story for another day.

Don't make me

I have apparently earned a reputation.

The other day I heard a co-worker gasp, laugh, then say "Ooooh! Mina just went all Lucy on their ass!" What?! Well, now that phrase is sweeping the office.

We've been trapped in hours upon hours of conference calls all about budgets and numbers and other mind-numbing details of our business. I arranged for an Assistant to order lunch for us (since there was no lunch break scheduled) and later learned that she taped up a sign that read "Please note: This food was ordered for Lucy's meeting. DO NOT TOUCH or she might go all Lucy on your ass."

When I picked up my lunch I somehow missed the sign. I didn't even know about it until the HR person I recently punk'd came over laughing. She said "I love your sign!" She thought I wrote it. (Mortified!!!) Later, several people played narc and reported seeing non-Lucy- meeting co-workers eating my food. I couldn't figure out what the trouble was. Apparently they wanted to see me "go all Lucy" on somebody else's ass.

The funny thing is I'm really a push over in most aspects of my life. I just get annoyed when people "do it wrong" as my mom would say. I don't really care who eats our lunch as long as my meeting buddies have had a chance to eat theirs first. I'm just obsessed with fairness and basic consideration of others.

I also expect people to do what I've asked when I've given plenty of warning. If there's one thing I've learned in my current job, it's that most adults, when given the chance, will act like 3rd graders. I can ask, and ask, and ask for something and a person will nod and swear up and down to get it to me, but until I refuse them what they need, it just doesn't happen. I'm serious! For instance, tonight I spent about 3 hours at home reviewing product for work. One individual keeps giving me only partial views of the stuff I'm supposed to review. Stuff I'm asked to give "rush" preference to incedentally. I keep asking for a full view and they keep swearing they'll do it but continue to give me only partial views and info. Mistakes have slipped through as a result. Well, tonight I sent every "Rush" back and told them I would continue to return all submissions unreviewed until they could give me what I need. Watch how fast they change their process. Unbelievable! I hate to be the bee-otch but sheesh! How many times do I have to ask for something (something they did correctly for years by the way) before it gets done?

Only when I sense someone is sneaking around or deliberately undermining what is right will I "go all Lucy" on one's ass.

It can be exhausting and completely disappointing but people don't mess with me much anymore. Well, at least not at work. I often think how hard my family and friends would laugh if they could see me at work. I think most of us could say the same. I'm sure I'd crack up if I saw my bro at work. God knows I laugh when he's parenting!

Punk'd

Last week our HR rep invited a few of us to a meeting. HR is working on a new process and she wanted to run a questionnaire by us to see what we thought. It was a good meeting and I was happy to have participated. I've been lucky enough to not really need HR while at my current job and I don't have much interaction with them except a wave or a "hello" in the hall. I thought our rep had done a good job in the meeting and I wanted to thank her. We have lots of free samples of stuff where I work but HR doesn't necessarily have access to any of it. I figured I'd pull some things together for her as my way of saying thank you.

But then I got to thinking: I wonder how often people walk into her office, shut the door and freak out on her?

I don't know how I did it with a straight face but I tapped on her window and asked "Do you have a minute?" She waved me in then I dramatically turned and shut her door. I turned to sit down, paused and said "Aw, I'm just messing with ya..."

She clutched her chest and said "Bitch, if you ever do that to me again...!" I about died laughing. We laughed for about 5 minutes straight. I explained that I just wanted to thank her and figured nobody ever shuts her door and has anything nice to say so I thought I'd try it out. I then said "I'm not you're problem child am I?" She said "NO! I actually talk about you being an exemplary client 'cause you're normal."

I know it's one of those you-had-to-be-there moments but I just had to share. I'm still laughing about it. I realize it's probably not a good idea to Punk your HR rep, but what the hell? They need a good laugh every once in a while.

They say the neon lights are bright...

Yesterday, after seeing Crazy Love, I passed this movie poster:



WELL!? Just look at it... obviously, I had to see this movie and obviously I'd have to be quick 'cause God knows it wouldn't be playing very long.

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned my love of theater, and specifically musical theater, but it's a long standing love affair. There is a moment in the best of shows when there is a single soul on stage singing their guts out. I mean literally giving it their all and it brings me to my knees every time. I literally cried when I saw Gimme, Gimme performed. A woman stood on stage under a spotlight and made me weep with her voice. Unbelievable. Stupendous talent makes me cry and it's always a thrill.

Despite this strange reaction, I've wanted to see a show on Broadway for as long as I can remember. I finally got the opportunity in the summer of 2004. It was my first trip to New York and I was absolutely going to see a show... no doubt about it. My friend had done some online research and learned when exactly one should get in line at TKTS and get decent seats to a show. I don't remember the details but I do remember being about third in line that August morning. Our choices were limited to shows that had been running for a while. That's how TKTS generally works. We decided my first Broadway show should be a quintessential Broadway Musical. That narrowed it down to Little Shop of Horrors, 42nd Street or Fiddler on the Roof. Well, naturally Little Shop didn't qualify but the other two could definitely fit the bill. We decided we would go to which ever show had the best seats available. We sat about 10th row center for Fiddler. It was fantastic. I was literally misty throughout the show because I kept thinking 'OH MY GOD! I'm sitting in an old Broadway theater seeing a show. OH MY GOD!' And Fiddler truly is a great show. When I got home, and friends asked what I'd seen they seemed somewhat disappointed in my choice. I, on the other hand, never had a doubt. I'm sure 42nd Street would have been magical, but being in New York city and experiencing a beautiful classic tale of soon-to-be immigrants through music brought me a joy I'll never forget. To this day Fiddler holds a very special place in my heart and I'm glad I chose it as my first.

Show Business: The Road to Broadway is also special to me because it covers the shows that were on Broadway when I first visited. If you dislike musical theater you will hate this movie. But, if you love it, as I do, you will undoubtedly enjoy it. The movie follows four Broadway musical productions: Wicked, Avenue Q, Caroline or Change and Taboo from inception to some triumphant Tony award acceptance speeches. It features interviews with the Performers, Writers, Producers, Directors and theater Critics. It's funny to watch the critics nitpick when you know how the season all shakes out. I loved the backstage rehearsal footage and watching the composing process. I love to see things from a new perspective and this film definitely does that.

I've always known of the extraordinary money and effort that goes into creating a show, but sheesh! For instance, when Wicked premiered, it was the most expensive show to hit Broadway with a price tag of $14 million. Obviously, the risk was very high to the investors. For Wicked to simply break even they had to produce four months of sold out shows. Theater, unlike films, can't make money off multiple screenings a day in theaters across the country for a week. In theater, you park it at a the theater and can only earn money from 8 shows a week. The most surprising thing to me was how small Broadway theaters are. It's a wonder they make any money at all.

Tonight is one of my favorite Sunday nights of the year because tonight CBS airs The Tony Awards. I've loved the Tonys for so long because they feature a song from each nominated musical. (You can see a lot of them on Youtube if you're so inclined.) It's a great chance to taste a slice of Broadway. I just wish more people could go to theater nowadays. Live shows are such a thrill but they are pricey and happen to tour through big cities and not everyone can afford to get to shows.

You know how we all have that "I won the lottery" fantasy? Mine would be to spend the rest of my life making multiple trips to New York to see every show I could manage. *sigh* Oh, to dream...

A Hot Mess

I saw the most bizarre spectacle today. I saw Crazy Love with a friend. After the movie, my friend walked away saying "I think through it all he really loved her." I walked away saying "I think through it all he was really obsessed with her." I believe Burton Pugach was obsessed with possessing a woman and did everything he could to make it happen. In the end he got what he wanted. As for the woman in question, she wanted a little security and to end the loneliness in her life.

The whole tale is completely BIZARRE. This is a very disturbing film but one you can't stop watching. It truly is like a car wreck you can't look away from.

Check this one out if you dare. It's a freak show you won't soon forget.

This one's for Shandon

I promised Shandon I'd show her the beginning of my ripple blanket. Why I'm starting a blanket at the beginning of the summer is beyond me but I really want this one. As if the inevitable heat exhaustion weren't bothersome enough, I've now realized that I'm decreasing one stitch on each row (I have no idea how or why this is happening). Either I have to attempt to add those decreased stitches back in (if that's even possible) OR I have to begin again. *gulp*.

Well, anyway, here's what I've got so far (including a shot of the dreadful foul up). Ignore the strange colors, they will all make perfect sense when I'm done:

How do we love thee?

Yesterday was yet another annoying day until things perked up during lunch. One friend looked up at the bar tv, gasped and said "OH! George Clooney is on The Tonight Show tonight!!" (insert collective sigh here) Another friend said "We should go!" (Did I mention we were dining in Burbank and this idea might actually be do-able?) We quickly paid the bill and took off for the car. We figured our next step should be to drive by NBC to check out the line. Two friends decided they could leave work and two of us decided we needed to get back. (Bummer) The doer of the group gushed "We could TOTALLY work from the line. If someone would pick up our laptops we could do it!" The two of us who decided to go back agreed the other two had a boss who really wouldn't mind if they took off to see George. I mean really, who could blame them? We made a couple of phone calls on the way to NBC and learned The Tonight Show tapes at 4:00. When we arrived, we saw a very long line but our friend volunteered to jump out and see if anyone had an extra ticket. (What were the odds?) We couldn't turn around on th street so we pulled into a side street and spotted a "Guest Relations" sign. We pulled in and watched as our enthusiastic friend ran towards the box office. One minute later she came back to the car wearing a very sad expression. The box office guy told her we were WAY too late and to give it up. She climbed back in the car and we drove by the lucky ticket holders. Another friend leaned out the window and shouted "ANY EXTRA TICKETS?!" Not one person turned to even look at us. Apparently nothing phases a Jay Leno crowd.

We've made a pact: The next time George releases a film we're TOTALLY taking time off to get tickets to The Tonight Show. We can't wait!

TIP: Although George was on The Tonight Show to promote Ocean's Thirteen the more interesting topic of conversation was this Vanity Fair issue. Looks like one we should check out...but beware of the George Bush cover. *shudder*

One of those days

I should have known it would be a nightmare of a day from the beginning. I woke up at 6:00 am but didn't have to get up for another hour. Naturally I fell asleep right before 7:00 and struggled to get up.

Once at work I decided to stop by the commissary for some egg whites. I've grown accustomed to egg whites. They're, apparently, better for me than whole eggs and they keep me full for a nice long time. Sometimes I get them scrambled with dry wheat toast but today I wanted an egg white burrito. I ordered it with scrambled egg whites and cheese on a whole wheat tortilla with salsa on the side with the exact instructions of "take it easy on the cheese". Why am I telling you all this? Because of what happened next. Now, I don't like to use the term "skinny bitch" because it's mean and catty and... whatever. Well, what happened next involved the very definition of a skinny bitch. I had ordered and paid for my breakfast burrito and was waiting for it when she walked up. The cook was just finishing it when she looked down and said "Is that egg whites?" The cook confirmed that it was in fact egg whites. She then scoffed and said "Egg whites? With cheese?!" as if it were the most ridiculous thing she'd ever considered. Now I must explain that I was the only person standing there. The order was clearly for me. I was standing 8 feet from her. What the hell?! Apparently a teaspoon of cheddar is off the skinny bitch diet. I'm just sorry I didn't order it with chocolate sauce.

The day went on to be much more unreasonable and lets just say if skinny bitch had pulled that attitude with me at the end of this day... skinny bitch would have gone down.

Just right

As I get older, my idea of the perfect weekend has changed. My ideal weekend now, almost always, means one with no plans. This was one of those weekends. There was no hair appointment, no baseball game, no dinner plans, not even a family BBQ. While I enjoy all of these things, and in no way consider them work, I relish the thought of doing nothing. I love to kick off a weekend knowing I don't have to be anywhere at any given time for two whole days. I've gotten better at saying no to some plans. Even things I know I'll enjoy, I sometimes say no to because I know I really need a healthy dose of down time. This weekend was one of those great no-watch-necessary weekends.

Yesterday I went to the post office (to send more Bookmooch books), visited my new favorite yarn store, saw a matinee of Knocked Up (I liked it) then shopped at a local community product store (since I missed the Farmer's Market). I then spent the evening working on my ripple blanket and reading. *sigh* So great.

Today I needed one more yarn color for my blanket so Mom and I went to Michael's to pick up something that might resemble the "wheat" color I needed. We then grabbed some lunch and watched Gosford Park (one of our faves). I ran down to Baja Fresh to pick up dinner for us, then watched The Tudors and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I completed 6 rows on my blanket , while watching movies, but had rip out 3 tp redo them because I'd missed ONE STITCH on the third stripe. Dang it! I swear, I'll have to stitch 5 blankets just to get one good one.

It may not sound like great shakes to most folks but to me it was a great weekend! I'm relaxed and trying to figure out when I can schedule some vacation time to do more of the same very soon.

OH, but when I do feel like making plans... I'm SO going here. Did you hear about it? I can't wait to hear more.

Love it!

Here's another reason I love Bookmooch so much. I just sent a book to a fellow moocher who has the following in her inventory:

Duke of Scandal
The O'Reilly Factor
Surrender to a Scoundrel
One Night Scandal
God has a Dream (by Desmond Tutu)
Tempting Torment
My Fair Viking
Tall Dark and Cajun
Gandhi

Ya just gotta love that kind of variety!