Olden Days

My brother and I tend to communicate most during my morning commute. His kids are off to school and his wife teaches so it's usually a good time to catch him for a minute. The other day we were discussing his recent acquisition of an album collection from one of Dad's old buddies who had finally decided to get rid of his rather bulky album collection. If Michael (my brother) and I have one thing in common its a love of music... well, that and The Dodgers. Both loves come from habits my parents established when we were kids but seem to be long gone these days.

Michael brought the 4-5 boxes of albums home and began searching through them. He found lots to love in the collection. While he was flipping through the records his kids crowded around and asked what those were and what he was doing. He told me he tried in vain to explain the lost joy of buying and listening to records. He described the olden days of spending hours in a record store listening to new releases over the store sound system and carefully selecting a new record to buy with the limited allowance he had. He told them about his favorite old record shops (Poo Bah's, Record Jackpot, Moby Disc, Rhino and Tower) and how after a shopping spree he'd bring home the new record (s) and listen to them over and over again while reading the liner notes and lyrics. He went on to tell them about the ritual of listening to albums with friends, of sitting in a sea of records and covers on the floor while you talked and laughed with your best friends. He then got sort of sad thinking that they'd never have that experience. Record stores are barely hanging on and flipping through CDs has never felt the same as flipping through racks of records. And forget about admiring album artwork. Talk about a lost art! Kids today may listen to an iPod mix of music but most are busily hunched over their phones texting friends and ignoring the ones right in front of them. Michael's right, those days are over and it's really too bad. I know I sound like a granny lamenting the lost days of radio but I believe that while technology has done a lot of good it has also robbed us of some pretty nice times.

I grew up in a very loud house. There were only four of us but we were loud. Much of this was due to eclectic tastes in music. My Dad loved classical, Mom leaned towards show tunes and Waylon and Willie, I liked pop and rock while Michael liked rock and, later, punk. Like I said, it was loud at our house. Up until the age of about 10 my Dad would wake us up with Wagner playing on his old Fisher stereo to about 11. Our beds would practically bounce across the floor it was so loud. Dad liked us all up and at 'em by about 7:00 am. At the time it bugged me but it did eventually make a morning person out of me. I got to know a lot of classical music. Dad would play Copeland and ask "What do you hear?" I'd shout "A bird!" or "A storm!". It was actually pretty cool. Because of Mom I happen to know most of the words to Funny Girl and The Red Headed Stranger. Kudos to both ma and pa!

When we got older Michael and I would share much of our music. I always say that when college sent Michael and I our separate ways it broke up one of the best records collections around.

Michael and I are less than 2 years apart so we had some friends in common. I remember very well sitting on the floor of Michael's room with the all of the lights out except for his red lava lamp at our parties while he played DJ. We listened to Pink Floyd, The Cult, The Sex Pistols, The Beastie Boys and God knows what else. I remember hating Bruce Springsteen until the day Michael sat me down and said "Dude, I'm telling you you're really going to like this. I think you're a Springsteen fan waiting to happen." He played "Thunder Road" for me on Dad's stereo and waited for my reaction. He was right, I fell in deep love with Springsteen that day and spent the next decade going to every Springsteen concert that came to town. I also got way into REM, U2, The Replacements and bunch of obscure college bands who later disappeared.

To this day Michael knows what music I'll like. He occasionally sends me suggestions via iTunes, but again, it's just not the same as having him sit across from me waiting for my reaction.

When I was in high school I liked to turn off all the lights in my bedroom on the night of full moon. I'd open the sliding glass door that led to the back yard, lay on my back, hang my head out the door and listen to music on my headphones while staring skyward. I can't remember the last time I did anything remotely like that with my iPod. I mean I listen to my iPod when I can't sleep but it's not the same. I did, however, turn off the tv while writing this and turned on my Moody mix. (What's a Moody mix you may ask? It's my favorite iTunes playlist full of stuff like Beck, Air, Muse, Hem, Keane, Portishead, Richard Hawley, Wilco, Zero 7 and lots more. I bet Shandon and Norm are wondering where the hell was that playlist on our last road trip, since I made them listen to my 70's mix. Sorry guys! Better luck next time.)

My brother and I used to also make killer mix tapes. (Don't worry, I won't go off on a lost-art-of-mix-tape-creation here, but I remember it well.) One mutual friend still has one of those mix tapes and says her kids know every song on it. She tells me that it's worn thin and is now barely audible. I can't believe it's still hanging on. I now make mix CDs for that friend. About a year ago she called in a panic. "Lucy! My kids don't know who the Beatles are! Can you make a mix CD of your faves for us?" I told her that not knowing the Beatles was child abuse and promptly made her a killer mix. I am happy to report that her kids now have a clear understanding of the Beatles. It was the best intervention ever.

I still have all of my vinyl, Beatles and all. I've even kept all of embarrassing records. Unfortunately I'm in need of a turntable. I got a great portable turntable for Christmas a few years ago but the needle broke (Michael?!). I now want one of those turntables with a USB connection so the music can be transferred to my iPod. Ironic, huh? A friend at work is encouraging me to get a Kindle but I think a turntable might be a better investment at this time in my life.

I recently filled a thumb drive with music for my niece and nephew that my brother would not approve of. My nephew lost it. That or my brother disapproved so heartily that he made it sleep with the fishes. I'll never know. Either way, a thumb drive is no replacement for a well compiled mix tape and I know it.

It's strange, on one hand I love the portability of having my entire music collection in one little device. I often think about how the concept of an iPod would have blown my mind when I was a kid collecting my babysitter's cast off copies of Tommy, Captain Fantastic and A Night at the Opera. On the other hand I miss sitting on the floor (it was always the floor wasn't it?) with friends talking and laughing while listening to those old records. Maybe I'll get that turntable and start having listening parties when I buy my condo. Hmm, we'll all have to sit on the floor since I won't have any money for proper furniture. Come to think of it, that really doesn't sound so bad does it?

Last weekend I caught a segment on Wilco on CBS Sunday Morning. They showed the lead singer jamming on guitar in his son's room. Later in the segment I saw that kid race across screen with a copy of Television's Marquee Moon tucked under his arm. I now know what the phrase "It made my heart sing" means. I thought that Jeff Tweedy might be the best dad in the world. He's my people. With dads like Jeff Tweedy and Michael out there maybe there is hope after all.

Pocket, Chuck Pocket

Before the snake appeared yesterday morning we had another adventure.

My niece and nephew's first day back to school was today. I knew they needed a decent bedtime in preparation. I had them both in their pjs with brushed teeth and low lights by 8:30 pm. The mood was just right for slumber. My niece was just drifting off when her brother lost his mind and jumped on her. Shaking his head he later admitted later that he didn't know what he was thinking. Well, that set her off and she was hyper for the next hour. (Let's just say the kid can't hold her sugar. Lesson learned.) Eventually she brought some Polly Pocket dolls, a convertible and some folding doll houses onto the bed to play. I told her it was fine as long as she was quiet. I'm easy.

Niece: This is the mommy (holding up one Polly Pocket). She has four kids (holding up a fistful of Pollys in her other hand).
Lucy: That's a big family. Where is the daddy?
Niece: He died. His name was Chuck.

This matter of fact delivery of his fate and name struck me as funny. I tried not to laugh but it really was funny and SO MUCH like something my brother might say.

Soon the kids were reenacting all kinds of possible ends to Chuck's short life. Chuck was eventually lost behind a bookcase. With the assistance of Grandpa's flashlight, Chuck was rescued and everyone went to sleep.

The next morning my niece came into my bedroom to show me portraits of Chuck she had taken with my phone. It seems Chuck had a bad morning. Due to some dreadful fit of tug-of-war he was snapped in two. The last time I saw Chuck his top half was with the Monopoly boards markers, to be appreciated at a later date, while his bottom half was in a bucket mixed in with about 4 dozen other Polly Pocket dolls and clothes.

Chuck is now wallpaper on my phone.

Here is Chuck soon after his split. Just look at the tragic expression on his face. That's sort of how I felt today at work.

Uh oh...

The kids (my niece and nephew) spent the night last night. It's official, my niece can not hold her sugar. She had a 100 calorie pack of Twinkies then got hold of who knows how many Oreos and some grapes for good measure. She spun into a frenzy then crashed about 9:30 last night. Lesson learned.

This morning I watched as my niece walked down the steps to the lower yard then quickly run back up to get her brother. They walked down the stairs together then ran up again to get us.

Kids: "We think the bear is back."
Lucy: "Why?"
Kids: "We found a dead snake and his back is gone."
Lucy: *Thinking 'That's weird, bears don't eat snakes, that I know of, and what do the mean it's back is gone?'* "Are you sure it's dead."
Kids: "Oh yeah, he's dead."

I walked in front of them as they directed me down the steps. I got about half way down the stairs and saw this:


Lucy: "Umm, that's a rattlesnake. How close did you get to it?"
Kids: Not too close. Not as close as you are now."
Lucy: "You didn't poke it or anything did you?"
Kids: "No! Dad says never poke a snake."
Lucy: "Dad's right. Ewww, he's sticking his tongue out."

I knows it's hard to see but he's coming out of a hole in the rail road tie in the steps. The kids thought he was dead because he looked like he'd been cut on half. I'm no expert but I believe he's a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake. He's very dark, almost black but has the diamonds on his back. What I do know is that he's creepy! (I don't even know if he is in fact a "he" but I'll assume it.)

I never got to see how long he was but he was big enough to stay away from. I never heard it's rattle but since it was in the wood we could have been on top of it and never heard it's warning. *shudder*

My niece called her mom to tell her about the snake. They may never be allowed to come here again. It's not exactly a kid friendly yard. Without a dog to keep it clear it's worse than ever. A condo is looking better and better every day.

I can't wait for winter. The season of no bears or snakes. Bring it on.

Favorite quote of the day

Lucy: How did the shoot go yesterday?
D: Oh, it was good. One girl was incredibly professional. The other kid was a real piece of work.
Lucy: What do you mean?
D: She was just a total sour puss. She wore an annoyed expression the whole time. She was only 6. I don't know why she was so bitter.
Lucy: Well did my stuff at least make it on the good kid?
D: Yeah, after about 10 minutes it just wasn't working out with the bitter one. We did our best with her but the best shots are of the cool model.
Lucy: Where was the mom? Did you say anything to her?
D: No but we won't work with her again. I came SO close to whispering in that kid's ear "The tooth fairy pees in your mouth when she leaves you money."

Ooooooh, that's the good stuff. I'm still laughing. I told D that a comment like that would scar a kid for life. He agreed. I hope I never have to use that line but it's good to know I've got it in my back pocket. Muwuhuhahahaha.

Is it fall yet?

I seriously DO NOT like summer. I mean, I like summer fruit and the movies can be kind of fun, and the Hollywood Bowl is perfection but otherwise it's just too hot and hateful. As a result, I start to look forward to fall around May 1st. So, now that it's August what am I looking forward to in the fall? Well, aside from getting an immature thrill from knowing that back-to-school no longer applies to me. I don't think I'll ever get over that joy. Aside from that, I'm looking forward to some fun new television. My favorite upcoming shows are:

Mad Men - Season 3
(August 16th - AMC)
This is a show I got into at my moms insistence. She was right, it's great. If you haven't seen it, take the time to catch up, you won't be sorry.

Project Runway - Season who-the-heck-knows
(August 20th - Lifetime)
I was a late comer to this show but I've watched the last 2 seasons and I've really enjoyed them. It's good mindless tv, give it a try.

Glee - Season 1
(September 9th - Fox)
I saw the one episode that aired a while back and just plain loved it. I can't wait for more.

Jay Leno - Season 1 of about a 25
(September 14th - NBC)
I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to this as much as I'm curious about it. My loyalty to late night tv is entirely reliant upon guest lineup. I'll probably check out the first week's shows then lose interest. That's what happened to poor Conan. I'm now back watching only when a good guest is on.

Dexter - Season 4
(September 27th - Showtime)
The first season billboard campaign was a huge turn-off for me so I avoided the show at first. Eventually a friend insisted that I'd like it so I gave it a try. Turns out my friend was right. I really did like it but, as usual, I lost interest between seasons and never got around to catching up. Showtime lured me back to the show with it's Summer Of Dexter lineup. They have been airing 2 episodes every Sunday night all summer. I'm completely addicted again and will be all caught up by the time season 4 premieres.

National Parks: America's Best Idea - A Ken Burns Film
(September 27th - PBS)
Uh oh, we have a conflict. Well, I'll just have to figure out how to catch Dexter AND this cool documentary on the 27th. I love Ken Burns films and I really love that they always premiere in the fall. This one looks like an especially pretty one too.

True Blood - Season 2
(On going - HBO)
Ok, this has admittedly been a rocky season so far. I've not been entirely satisfied with it but it has been picking up lately. I'll see it through but, well, it better get a helluva lot better... pronto.

And then there are a new Fall shows that I'm ashamed to even be even vaguely curious about, shows like Eastwick and Vampire Diaries. I've never watched a CW show and I probably won't start now but we'll see.

So that's what I'm looking forward to. What about you? Please be sure to give me a heads up on any good tv buzz I may have skipped.

This I enjoy



Can I get an amen? :)

Stay-cation

This year I forgot to schedule any summer vacation time off. I remain in saving mode so an elaborate vacation was not in the cards for me. I originally thought that I'd just take several Mondays off and enjoy some nice long weekends throughout the summer. This just never seemed to happen and next thing I knew the end of July was coming on fast. Work has been extremely busy so I decided to take a one week stay-cation. I'm so glad I did.

What am I doing with my precious week off? Well, not much and that's the point.

I'm seeing some movies and having dinners/lunches with friends. I enjoyed a nice sleepover with my niece and nephew and stomped them in Disney Monopoly. That was fun. I've also been reading one of the creepiest books ever called The Little Stranger. The book creeped me out so badly last night that I had to stop reading at midnight to watch some Conan O'Brien just to calm down. I'm also slowly tackling some of my clutter. I picked up a fun new paper shredder and have shredded all kinds of dumb old paperwork. There is something so satisfying about shredding all of those credit card solicitations and other junk mail, ya know?

I've also been slowly going through closets and drawers and clearing out the old junk I don't want, need or use. I've done some research on where and when to recycle Household Hazardous waste and E-Waste. For those in my neck of the woods you'll be happy to know that there will be a HHW/EWaste drop off location in Sierra Madre on August 15th. I've gone through my old medications and cleared out a tons of old Sudafed, Tylenol and other expired meds. I've also started a stack of old electronics to drop off including an old VCR, a DVD player some random remotes that don't seem to have any use.

Is this a glamorous way to spend my time off? No. Is it effective? Absolutely! I can't tell you how much happier I am when I can open a desk drawer and find my stamps or a pen or that tiny thumbdrive. I also love having my bathroom drawers all in order. The linen closet is now a dream. I even invested in some over priced dryer sheets just so I could throw a few used ones in my closets and drawers to keep them smelling extra nice. I haven't hit my primary closet but it will be done soon. I've otherwise made some great progress. I find that putting down my scary book for about 15-20 minutes at a time is all it takes to really make some head way. In fact I just cleaned out the cabinet under my bathroom sink and it took almost no time at all.

As satisfying as all of this clearing out is I don't recommend spending an entire day doing it. That would only annoy you, trust me. I like the small spurts of time approach instead. Turns out I'm not alone in this theory. Have you ever visited Flylady.net? She's an organizational diva who also subscribes to the baby steps way to de-clutter. My favorite tip is her "De-clutter 15 minutes a day" idea. Pick a spot to de-clutter, set a timer for 15 minutes and... go!

So, that's what I've been up to. I'm feeling so much better already!

Now, back to my book before it gets too dark out!

Now THAT'S a chef!

So, with all of this Julia Child hype surrounding the new Julie and Julia movie (that I can't WAIT to see) I thought I check out our old friend Julia Child and see if she was as cool as I remembered. Well, I'm here to tell you that she is! I Tivo'd an episode of Julia and Jacques and was blown away by the deliciousness those to whipped up. The episode I caught was on Julia and Jacques favorite sandwiches. They made croque-monsieur and lobster rolls. Holy smoke did those sandwiches look amazing. However, more than anything, I was touched at just how sweet Jacques was with Julia, He clearly adored her and seemed very protective of her. By the time they shot those shows Julia was getting up in years and Jacques seemed to take very good care of her. I like that about him.

Of course, all of this nostalgia made me recall another favorite chef of mine. Well, really he was a favorite of my whole family's. We happened to be very big Justin Wilson fans back in the day... I ga-ron-tee! Do you remember good old Justin?

He was a fabulous old Cajun chef who was a kick in the pants long before the Food Network existed. Justin was old school, he even makes a oleo reference in that clip. I loved him and wish "chefs" like that stupid Sandra Lee would step aside and make room for some Justin reruns on the Food Network. (I've said it once and I'll say it again, NEVER trust a skinny chef. Can you say "repressed"?) Justin was and remains far more sincere and entertaining than the lame-os out there like Sandra Lee. Am I bitter? Well, yes. Yes I am. Give me a big old Cajun chef in red suspenders over an artificially perky Sandy any day.

BTW, I checked and discovered that our friend Youtube seems to have a lot of older clips of Justin but I remember him a bit long in the tooth and cooking outdoors before an audience. The clip above is the only one that resembles the Justin era shows I remember. Ahhh, now that's a chef I can adore. I enjoy Paula Deen and Bobby Flay but in my book nobody these days is as entertaining as Julia and Justin.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!

I saw this photo on one of my new favorite websites.  I can't stop laughing.  Is that bad?

The work is too hard

I work with some really good people. Some drive me nuts but for the most part I like them.

Take my sales guy, Clark. He's got an affable, huggable, dad kind of thing going for him. He can be very demanding but he works on my biggest chunk of business and I've learned to work really well with him.

Today Clark called me all up in arms about another company we work with. He was really ticked off at them He called and said "Let's call those knuckleheads and get them back on track. God almighty!"

Clark put me on hold then conferenced the other company in. The trouble is that these people really are knuckleheads and it took a looooong time for them to finally get everyone in a room together to take our call. They kept dropping our line, then we'd call back their receptionist couldn't find them, then they call us on one of our cell phones (which doesn't do a bit of good for conferencing) and on and on and on. While we waited (about 15 minutes... I'm not kidding) I could hear Clark tapping away on his computer. We'd chat and sigh from time to time but mostly we worked quietly on our emails and waited. Eventually the follwoing happened and it was my favorite moment of the day:

Lucy: Clark?
Clark: Yeah?
Lucy: Umm, I have to go potty.
Clark: ...
Lucy: Clark?
Clark: (With all the certainty in the world) Put me on mute and take me in.
Lucy: NO! I hate those people and always double flush just to rat them out. No way!
Clark: Well then you just have to hold it.
Lucy: ...

I have no way of knowing if the receptionist heard us but I hope she did. She was as annoyed with the knuckleheads as we were. I hope it at least made her smile. I know it cracked me up.

NYC Update

I'm in NYC this week. I arrived last Sunday night and will go home tomorrow. I always have a good time in NYC but it's also exhausting. I've been up and at 'em for 8:00 am breakfasts every day. We then march around town to and from meetings all day then meet at the hotel to catch a cab and go to dinner. We usually don't get back until 10:00 or so each night. See what I mean? Sorta fun but very busy.


I won't bore you with the business end of things but I did get to some fun restaurants.


The Monday night a few of us went to a new place called Hotel Griffou. It's in an old house that was later converted to a boarding house by a French socialite named Madame Griffou in the 1870's. I asked if it was a women's "boarding house" or a brothel. I'm always after the dirt and I liked the brothel idea so much more. The waiter didin't know for sure but seemd to also enjoy te brothel idea. They had a pork chop dish that came directly from a recipe they found in a wall during reconstruction. It was a good story but I went for the surf and turf instead. I just saw the words "petite fillet" paired with "brioche & lobster" and went for it. I'm glad I did. I also got busted for taking this picture:





They feature original local art and shift it around every few months. I was told I couldn't take pictures due to copyright issues. They were telling me about copyright issues? That's hilarious. When the waiter told me to stop I blurted out "Oh no, do you have to kill me now?" He didn't laugh but he also didn't make me delete the picture so there it is. Yes those are 4 fox pelts hanging around that firepalce looking thing. it's actually got a pane of glass in there alowing a view of a exocitcally lit wine cellar. It was uber cool. They waiter appologized for the dead fox pelts hanging there but explained that they were not real. (I ordered the surf and turf for God's sake... like I cared.)

The next night we went to another new restaurant called DGBG Kitchen & Bar. It was delightful. The place is covered in in quotes about food. I had an even better steak here. It was perfectly seasoned and I really enjoyed it. The place seems to specialize in sausage and beer. While I'm no beer drinker I can certainly enjoy a good link. I tried The Vermont and The Chorizo from and appetizer assortment ordered for the table. I admit, being from So Cal, I'm always a snob when it comes to Mexican food from anywhere but the Southwest states. I don't know why. I don't freak out when I have bad Mexican in LA but if NYC tries it I immediately flip out. Both links were excellent.


Last night I went to an old favorite in the theater district called Bond 45. I love this place because it is all about antipasto, salads and super thin pizza. I had the appetiser special which was essentially a caprese salad. I never order caprese salads back home but always when I'm in NYC. I've found that LA cuts a rubbery slab of mozzarella and sandwiches it between tomato and calls it a salad. WRONG! In NYC, the mozzarella always seems to be imported from Israel or home made. Bond 45 made theirs and I'll be dreaming of it for a long time to come.


Right after dinner at Bond 45 we went to a performance of this year's Best Musical Revival Hair. I never really understood the big deal about Hair. God knows I love a good hippie but when it came to Hair I just thought whatever, it's a bunch of stoned hippies singing and dancing around. What's the big deal? Well now I get it. One of the generous gentle who escorted us to the show had seen the original with his wife before they were engaged. He also scored us front row seats. I've heard Hair is rather interactive so siting in the front row was intimidating. it all turned out great. i now completely understand the show and why it was such a big deal. I can't even begin to describe the energy in that theater last night. Within 5 minutes I was exhausted just watching them all jump around but having a great time. The best part about being in the front row is that you can really hear each individual's voice and every one was outstanding. the cast was also very apologetic. One very pregnant character apologized after enthusiastically running her hands trough our hair and touching our faces by scampering away and under her breath saying "Sorry guys!". Another rather militant African American male character zeroed in on the woman next to me and wouldn't let up for the rest of the show. During the finale he dropped the character and warmly smiled at us in a clearly apologetic way.

This will give you a taste of the energy in the place (such fun!):



I was surprised to find I knew most of the songs in the show so that was a lot of fun. During intermission our host told us that Hair was the first time African American had ever been portrayed as equal to white characters on stage before. This alone was revolutionary but throw in music that young audiences were into then add issues they cared about, full frontal nudity, humor and drugs and you've got a show the likes of which had ever been seen before.


During the curtain call the lights come up and the audience is invited to come up on stage to sing and dance to Let the Sunshine In. I stayed at my seat. I had front row and knocking people out of the way to get on stage just seemed greedy.


The only strange part of the night was watching the poor kid at the end of our row. He could not have bee a day over 13 and her was sitting with a man who seemed to be his grandfather. During intermission an younger woman (his mom?) switched seats with the older man with the cane. I'm not sure which would be worse at the age. Watching faux humping, full frontal nudity, and LSD trips with my Mom or my grandfather. That poor kid! I've never seen wider eyes in my entire life.


It was incredible and I can't wait to see it again.


I was too beat to go out tonight. I thought of dragging myself out to see Next to Normal but I'm just so tired and I really have to pack. It seems a waste to sit in my room knowing there are fantastic shows going on just 10 blocks away but I already spent too much this trip. I've been in the market for a grown up watch for a couple of years now. I finally found one I love at Macy's Herald Square and bought it. Did you know that if you're from out of town there is a 10% discount available to you at the Macy's Visitor's Center? I had no idea. A young woman in the shoe department told me to go to the "one and a half floor". I accused her of punking us but she swore she was telling the truth. She was! I used the 10% off coupon (good for three days) added a Christmas gift card from my parents plus another $25 card from my cellular phone service provider and I got a deal! I love my watch. I haven't bought much of anything for about 3 years but in the past 6 weeks bought a car and a nifty big girl watch. I now have to stop!



So that's been my trip so far. Tomorrow I land at around 2:00. It will b good to be home and back into my routine. See you then!

Up in arms

Last night I saw a solid documentary called Food Inc. As expected, it got me all riled up but it made me realize a few things about myself too.

I half expected to be completely grossed out by all meat after the film but that didn't happen. I still don't mind eating meat, I just prefer it be a bit on the natural side and as cruelty free as possible. The film interviewed one fantastic independent farmer who (gasp) allows his chickens, cows and pigs graze almost entirely freely around his farm. The animals eat/cut the grass, while naturally fertilizing it. They seem to live very nice lives up until the last 5 seconds before being slaughtered quickly and personally. You'd think this was all some great new concept by how rare it is these days. Meanwhile, the big meat companies stuff animals in tiny pens, feed them corn, not the grass as they are naturally inclined to eat. What's wrong with corn? Isn't "corn-fed" a good thing? Not really. Think about it, corn may fill you up but humans and animals are not capable of digesting it. It goes in and comes out virtually the same. It will fatten you up quickly without offering any real nutrition. It's just not something you'd want to live on. These days the cows we eat stand in 18 inches of manure (that's where all that Ecoli comes from) and develop and spread disease. Their meat is eventually washed in ammonia, to kill the bacteria (yes, THAT kind of ammonia) but, obviously, this isn't always effective. The meat eventually gets churned up together then packed in nice clean Styrofoam packages for us. One ground beef patty can contain meat from thousands of cows. I know... blechh! All the while our local independent farmer struggles to stay afloat while trying to harvest fresh produce and good, clean, happy livestock.

It's a mess I tell ya!

I left the film about 12 kinds of angry. Angry at the treatment of workers, angry at the treatment of animals, angry at the nepotism that is allowed to exist in government, angry at the way the poor are not able to afford fresh foods, angry at the thugs running the soy bean industry who roam around at all hours of the night spying on and harassing farmers, angry about the deaths that happen more and more frequently from the disease that comes from mass produced meat, angry at how corn is subsidized and in virtually everything we buy (everything from Motrin to cola). Angry, angry angry!

In the end I realized I already have clean living tendencies. I shop at our farmer's market, I recycle and I regularly freak out when people waste water. For God's sake, I just bought a hybrid! Thing is, I didn't buy the hybrid to save the planet. It's nice that it's a low emissions vehicle but the number one reason I bought it was to ensure that I pay oil companies as little money as possible. I believe a reckoning day is coming to the oil industry and I want to do what I can to speed the process up.

Turns out I am most motivated by retribution. That can't be a healthy attitude but there it is. Case in point: My lottery dream. If I were to win the lottery I'd do some traveling and buy my dream house but what exactly is my dream house? Well, it's a small cottage with enough solar panels, fresh water and natural gas to pull it entirely off the grid. I'd plant a decent sized garden and spend time roaming around picking up additional fresh produce, meat and baking supplies from local/organic farmers. Would I do this to save the planet? Not really. Oh sure, I'd do it to leave a smaller carbon footprint and to improve my health but mostly I'd do it so that I paid as little as possible to big business. They're awful, terrible people and they all deserve to go under. I'd love to be a part of their undoing.

By the way, this is all incredibly hypocritical of me. I work for and with the biggest companies in the world. As I've said on numerous occasions, I genuinely enjoy my job. It's just that given the choice and ability the first thing I'd do is leave it all (well, except for a satellite dish and WiFi) behind and do everything I could to tell "The Man" to stick it.

So that is what I really walked away with after watching Food Inc. If nothing else, it really made me think. The film didn't obsess on animal cruelty which I appreciated. (I am completely turned off by hard core imagery and believe it rarely helps a cause.) I only had to avert my eyes a couple of times so don't be scared. If you have a chance you really need to check this one out.

Other docs that got me riled up were Why We Fight, Who Killed the Electric Car and Fog of War. I recommend them all. Speaking as an obviously hard core liberal you might be surprised at how these films avoid laying blame on any one administration or political party. (Well, Why We Fight is not exactly pro conservative but check it out anyway.)

The woman I sit next to at work is a vegetarian. She first tired it out about a year ago and it stuck. She immediately admitted that it had nothing to do with ethics or politics but entirely about her health. She was turned off by what she was learning about growth hormones and thought they were messing with her skin. As a result, she stopped eating chicken, pork and beef. She believes it has helped her skin but admits that despite all the research she's done and all that she now knows about how bad modern food is for us she still craves a chicken McNugget every time she passes a McDonald's. I like that kind of honesty in my friendly vegetarians.

My point? I guess I'm just trying to say do what you can to improve the world no matter what your motivation.

Trading books rocks!!!

As mentioned in numerous posts I am an active member of both Bookmooch and Paperback Swap. Trading books not only keeps my bookcase less crowded but every once in a while a book arrives with a special treat.

Today I received a like-new hardback copy of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq.

The best part about this mooch was the fantastic bookmark I found inside. It is in the form of a buckslip from an attorney in Texas with a hand written note that reads "Bill- If you have already read, give it to someone with a "W 2004" sticker. - Eugene"

Sweet Jesus, somebody in Texas gets it!

That note made my day.

Happy 4th!

May your day be filled with family, friends, good bbq, some sunblock and a healthy portion of your local Twilight Zone Marathon!

"Now, Dimitri...!"

As my friends know, I'm a big film fan. I love revisiting the oldies mostly because I'm always shocked at how much I don't remember about each. Also, because there are so many great films out there, it's easy to forget about just how good some of the older flicks are.

The night before my fun girly Saturday, last weekend, I got in late. I went through my usual bedtime routine changed into pjs, washed my face and brushed my teeth. Then, while settling into bed, I came across an odd choice for bedtime viewing but it was so compelling I stayed up 'til the end. I watched the last 45 minutes or so of Goodfellas. I had completely forgotten just how good that movie is. Of course I've been jonesing to see the entire film ever since. Good music too, and that DiNiro is a psycho.

About two weeks ago I came across the last hour of Jaws. Now, that's a movie that I will pretty much settle on every time I come across it on cable. (But only commercial free. I can't watch these good movies with constant interruption. To do so would be a sin in my book.) The only bummer is that when Quint is munched in half by the shark I now think of my niece and that time I let her and her brother watch Jaws with me. I still feel somewhat guilty about that. It's just not appropriate for a 6 year old but the kid had enough sense to turn her head away from the screen every time she heard that famous music, so that helped. Jaws also makes me think of a fantastic book, recommended to me by Shandon, about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis called In Harm's Way. It tells the story Quint refers to in the drunken scar competition in Jaws and I consider it a must read.

TCM has been dedicating entire days to great film directors this month. I caught a great documentary called Scorsese on Scorsese (that was on the Goodfellas day). I saw a Woody Allen doc that I enjoyed but one of the best was on Stanley Kubrick. I often say "I'm not a fan" when his name is mentioned but it's not entirely true. The trouble with Kubrick is that he directed such an eclectic bunch of films that there is inevitably something in there for everyone. I happen to genuinely admire Lolita and downright LOVE Dr. Strangelove and The Shining. To this day I turn my head when those creepy twins show up on screen. They still scare the hell out of me. I used to believe The Exorcist was the scariest movie out there but now I'm convinced that title belongs to The Shining. (And yes, I look forward to watching The Shining with my niece and nephew some day but I'm afraid that won't be happening for another decode or so.) The flip side to Kubrick is that he also directed some of my all time least favorite movies, films like A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut. I just never need to see those again. As for 2001: A Space Odyssey, I admit that I probably need to revisit it. It bored me to tears when I saw it ages ago. I suppose I'll watch it again some day.

Today is Hitchcock day on TCM. It's been a good day too. I woke to the last hour of Rebecca, one of my all-time favorite movies. I caught Psycho this afternoon and, again, was surprised at just how good it is. My Mom always tells me how shocking it was when it came out. It's good to understand it's place in cinematic history but even without that knowledge it's always better than I remembered. The creep factor is off the charts. I'd forgotten all about Norman doing the peeping Tom routine. I saw a really fun episode of Dick Cavett featuring Hitchcock, that too was good. The man seemed to really enjoying revealing his filmmaker tricks to anyone who would listen. Sort of like a magician who compulsively gives away his trade secrets.

So what's what's the point of this rambling? Well, I made a strange group purchase from Amazon.com today. I picked up special edition DVDs of Goodfellas, Jaws, The Shining and Pinocchio. Fun mix, huh? I look forward to watching them all. I think there's an opposites double feature in there too. Always a plus.

So cool

I

can't

wait!

Checkitout.

(Is it just me or does Mr. Depp look just like Tobey McGuire in that get up?)

Today

Today has been a girly girl day for me. I met some friends at Le Pain Quotidien in Claremont. I'd never been before but I really liked it. I hear there's one in Pasadena that I plan to visit some time soon.

After an early lunch we wandered over to one of my all time favorite shops in Claremont's village. It's called Barbara Cheatley's. It's a girly store with all kinds of lovely little things for ladies. They sell lots of little antique knick knacks, jewelry, aprons, cookbooks, books, cards, quilts, postcards... all kinds of things that you don't really need but really really want. Compared with other antiqe-y stores in the area all of Barbara's goods are reasonably priced.

A visit to Barbara's is always like a treasure hunt. Today, while buying a little book for Mom I saw a small stack of booklets about the history of the American flag. I picked one up behind the counter, flipped through it and loved it. I saw that it was only $1 and had to have it but was saddened to hear another customer had just purchased all 10 that they had in stock. Drats! The little books were ironically made in England, I thought that was the best part. I loved everything about them but sadly have no idea where to find another. It's a typical Barbara Cheatley story. You have to pick up what you like and buy it promptly or somebody will beat you to it. You could spend hours roaming through it all and still feel you haven't seen it all. The displays are gorgeous and they always play the best music. Once, while wandering around the shop years ago I heard some music so good I had to ask what it was. They told me it was the soundtrack for Gosford Park the sang was called Walking to Shoot. It has since become my favorite soundtrack from a film thanks to Barbara Cheatley's.

I was so happy to see that Barbara seemed to be good and busy today. The small independent shops are the ones I love most but worry about these days. It was good to see they were doing so well.

The rest of my day has been a good and relaxing one. Tomorrow is Father's Day and we are planning a dinner of carne asada, rice, beans (well not for me), tortillas, guacamole and salsa. It should be a good one. I just got back from picking up the fixins for my salsa. I'm doing laundry now and will make the salsa soon but mostly I plan to settle in to watch Random Harvest. It's one of Mom's favorites and I've come to love it too. It's a terribly sentimental film but one you can't help but like. I tend to like movies that feature good houses. Random Harvest has a wonderful English cottage that I've always loved. It will be good to visit it again. Also, the film stars Greer Garson and Ronald Colman for God's sake! What's not to love? I also have the latest Vanity Fair. I plan to read it while watching my movie.

Oh! And TCM has done their own version of an opposites double feature tonight. Immediately following Random Harvest is The Bad Seed. It seems Mervyn LeRoy directed both films and TCM was thoughtful enough to air them back-to-back. They've been showing his films all day. I caught the end of Madame Curie this morning and liked it enough to add it to my Netflix queue. LeRoy also directed Gypsy and The Wizard of Oz (but not credited, what's the story there?) but TCM didn't air those today. Bummer. Still, thank you TCM! Thank you Mr. LeRoy for directing such an eclectic bunch of movies. You're the best!!! I just found out you're buried at Forrest Lawn. Maybe I'll drop by and see you some time.

Now that's more like it.

I test drove Hondas today. I saw one just like that little beauty (above) and fell in love. She's a 2008 Civic Hybrid and I heart her. The entire car buying experience surprised me this time around. Going into this weekend I really though I wanted to buy the 2010 Prius. Well that instinct quickly evaporated after yesterday's ordeal.

Today Mom, Laurie and I took Miss Alex to see Up. (It's really good and you need to go see it. It will make you cry though. Don't say I didn't warn you.) On the way home Mom and I decided to do a quick test drive at the Honda dealership we have both bought our last two Hondas. We were immediately greeted by a very nice lady named Angela. I told her I wanted to test drive an Accord and a Civic Hybrid. I then briefly told her about my terrible time at the Toyota dealership. Angela not only listened to me, she paid attention. She took my driver's license and said "I'll bring it right back. I promise!" She did. I then took the hybrid for a spin. It immediately felt like home. I suppose this is due to the fact that I've been driving Hondas for 20 years. I immediately liked it but wanted to try the Accord since that's what I've purchased in the past. The Accord is a great drive, it handles so well and is roomy and I liked it but that cute little hybrid was calling my name. I test drove the hybrid one more time because I was worried it didn't handle quite as well as the Accord. It does not have the get-up-and-go that the Accord has but it's a hybrid and I'm not in need of a getaway car so who cares? Besides, I figure it's only noticeable when doing a back-to-back test drive exercise. I really don't think it will bother me when gas prices soar over $3 per gallon by the end of the summer (as I predict). Also, I was not looking for a 2008 model but this one is fully loaded. It has every option I could have wanted and I love it. I told Angela the interest rate I wanted and what I wanted for my trade-in. When she came back with the ridiculously low interest rate I was floored. We haggled back and forth a bit. I talked her down on some things (like the Lojack I didn't even want). In the end I probably paid more than I had to, but honestly, the whole experience was so much more pleasant that yesterday's that I don't even mind. Besides, when you add tax, registration and all of the other fees I'm not sure the haggling mattered all that much. I just wasn't insulted so I walked away with the car I wanted and feeling fine.

I brought her home tonight and spent about 30 minutes sitting in the driveway presetting her XM Radio stations and the regular radio stations. I set the driver's seat to my liking and read the manuals. What a difference a day makes! I can't wait to do a road trip with her. I tried to program Graceland into the navigation system just so I could one day say "Go to Graceland" and have her guide me, but I think I did it wrong. Still, just knowing that I could go to Graceland with directions to restaurants and gas stations all along the way makes it all so much fun. And that XM radio? It's so great! I listened to the 40's station that played Ella Fitzgerald then a clip from wartime news. I stopped by Willie Nelson's classic Country station because Buck Owens was singing. I spent some time at Little Steven's Underground station and had a blast. 24 hours or Elvis, Sinatra or Springsteen anyone? How about accurate traffic and weather? Maybe some showtunes? Oh, I'm in heaven!

Now I just need to name my new car. Her paint color is called Magnetic Pearl so I may call her Pearl.

Who wants a ride?!

***

In other late breaking news:

Dad just started shouting "Lucy! Come here, quick!" Typically this means there is some sort of crazy nature/animal sight to behold. Dad didn't disappoint. I ran down the hall towards his office and stopped dead in my tracks about half way down. Standing at the sliding glass door about 6 feet away from where Dad was seated, stood a black bear. Holy crap! How many times does this have to happen around this crazy house? Mom and I had earlier commented that we thought there might be a a skunk outside because something smelled bad. We closed the doors and windows to keep the smell out (a common occurrence around here). It seems that poor bear had been sprayed recently. I shouldn't say "poor bear" because he/she went to town on Dad's peach and nectarine trees. Dumb bear. I asked Dad how he noticed him/her and he said "I heard a loud bump against the glass door and looked over and saw it leaning against the glass!" Dad was sitting at his desk with lots of lights on working at his computer. The outside light was on too. I'm frankly a little freaked out the bear didn't seem to be very concerned that a person in full light was in the room he/she was trying to enter. I say "him/her" because Dad couldn't tell if it was male or female because it wasn't fully grown. All I could think was "You mean they get bigger?!" Black bears are much smaller than grizzly or brown bears but when they are standing outside your Dad's sliding glass door they seem plenty big.

Man, I'm tired. What a day!

Well, that didn't go well.

So, I'm thinking of buying a new car. My current car is 10 years old and has 140k miles on it. It currently has no problems but the miles are high and I'd like to have a new car paid for when I buy my house.

I set out today to test drive a Prius and a Honda Hybrid. It did not go well. I went to the Toyota dealership first to test drive a 2010 Prius. Well, the dealership only had one and they weren't allowing people to test drive it because apparently people like to test drive cars with no intention of buying them. (I didn't know this was a hobby.) According to the web site I could expect to pay around $25k for a new Prius. For the record THAT'S A LOAD OF CRAP. The new Prius is only available fully loaded and for close to $40k. No thank you.

I then decided to test drive a 2009 model instead. They only had ONE new 2009 model --option zero. (I didn't even know they made "Option Zero" cars.) Meaning it is the most stripped down model available. Also, it was white and I don't really want a white car. I'm more interested in a silver or charcoal grey car. Also, I'd like to have a mp3 jack and Bluetooth built into my new car. This is 2009 after all. If I'm going to the trouble of doing this, I'd like it to have a few of the modern conveniences.

I drove the 2009 and thought it was ok but was surprisingly not bowled over by it. Everyone I know who has a Prius LOVES them. I then went into the dealership and gave them my info so they could run my credit and make me an offer. After about 10 minutes I got bored. I was pretty relaxed and mellow. I was texting a friend who was telling me to walk out. At 1:25 pm I announced that I had to leave in 5 minutes. They had the nerve to ask why. I know! I told them I was picking up my niece at 2:00 in La Verne. They wanted to know how long it would take to get there. Unbelievable! After more unnecessary questioning the Manager (or whoever he was) came out and offered me $1000 for my old car.

That's when things got really weird.

I don't know what happened to me. I just saw red. I was furious! You know when Cate Blanchet's elf queen character in Lord of the Rings flips out at the fountain and the wind swirls around and she turns all ugly and freaky? I think that's sort of what happened to me. I went from being calm to entirely pissed off. I told them $1000 was a joke and that I wanted my driver's license back (they hold it while you test drive but mostly so you can't leave when you want to). The guy asked what I thought it was worth. I told him at least $2500. He asked where I heard that and I said "From YOUR WEBSITE!". He looked mystified, which only annoyed me more. He kept asking more questions. I asked for my license. He wasn't moving. He then asked "Have we done something to make you mad?" "Um, yeah. I'm mad. $1000 is ridiculous and I want my license back and I need to leave." I finally stood up, which freaked him out. He finally s-l-o-w-l-y walked towards that bullshit room where they claim to ask the Wizard of Oz for permission to give buyers a better deal. I followed him into the room which made him extraordinarily uncomfortable. I don't know what goes on in there but it if his body language was any indication, it's illegal. He said "Oh, um, I'll bring it out to you." I stood there a moment then turned to leave. He brought out my license, I grabbed it, stuffed it in my purse and walked out. He chased me out saying "If I could give you $2500 for your car could we make a deal today?" I said "No. I told you I don't want that stripped down white car." He was bummed. He had run my credit by then so I think he knew he'd blown it. He had.

I think the thing that made me so mad was that nobody at that dealership told me one thing I didn't already know except that a new Prius is ridiculously overpriced. Every other word out of their mouths was ridiculous. They really must deal with morons regularly. Do people really walk in there not knowing what the trade-in value of their car is or knowing what the different options are? The guy kept telling me I could drive away right then and I'd have a week to bring them a check. I nodded and mumbled "I know. I've bought a car before." That didn't' seem to faze him. I told them I was using a service through my credit union that would shop for the best deal and interest rate and negotiate for me. Nobody at Toyota was listening. They just told me my credit union was offering 5.9% which I already knew. I told them earlier my credit union was offering lame interest rates.

Ugh! It was a horrible shopping experience. I'm not even sure I want to bother getting a new car now.

That's pretty bad. When a person with a pink slip in hand and money in the bank is so annoyed you talk them OUT of buying a car from you... you're a bad car salesman.

I may still try the Honda dealership tomorrow but I don't know if I can stomach it.

When I finally got back in my car I just thought "I like my car. It's clean and roomy and I like it. Why am I doing this?" I figured I should cool off before I try to test drive the Honda Civic Hybrid


At this point I may even look into another Honda Accord. It would be my third and that's really boring but it's an excellent car and I like how comfy it is. Oh, I don't know what to do now...

A monster is born

Shandon recently featured a great post on the discovery of her love of dollhouses and miniatures. She has thought of building a kit for a long time and has finally chosen and purchased a kit that she will get started on soon.

I knew I was in trouble when I saw the picture of Shandon's kit. My inner child immediately jumped up and down, clapped, and shouted "I WANT TO BUILD A DOLLHOUSE TOO! NOW! NOW!" However, I was at work (on a 2 minute iced tea break, I swear) so I had to remain calm and resist the urge to immediately troll the internets for my dream dollhouse. Instead, I was a grown up and waited to get home before I began my search. It's kept me busy all evening long.

Mostly I'm drawn to the log cabin kits. I'm in love with The Ponderosa (top pic) but it's a bit intimidating. If I end up building a dollhouse kit I will likely start on something more modest like the Lincoln Log Cabin above (under The Ponderosa). In fact, with a few more windows, I wouldn't mind living in a place with that floor plan. With some Internet service and DirecTv I'd be in business! Well, that and some decent indoor plumbing. Otherwise, it's just the sort of tiny cabin I dream of spending time in. Beyond the log cabins I'm also oddly drawn to some of these fun kits:


I also love this little beauty. It's not a kit, it's just a great piece of art and I think it's pretty great.

She Told Us So

Last weekend I hosted another Opposites Double Feature. This time we watched Detour (with "the world's BEST hitchhiker!") and Murder By Death. As always, it was a lot of fun. This time Mom joined the festivities. Naturally the topic of favorite lesser-known films came up. We discussed lots of Noir gems. Mom, having been a lifelong movie lover, also had some good recommendations. I've seen most of Mom's faves but I'm always surprised when others haven't. Mom told Shandon and Norm that they just HAD to check out Random Harvest and Separate Tables. I've seen both and agree that they are uncommonly good and should be seen be anyone who considers themselves a classic movie fan.

Imagine my surprise when trolling the TCM website I found one of Mom's picks listed as an upcoming Essentials. That's right folks, Random Harvest is the Essentials pick for the evening of June 20th. Be sure to queue up your Tivo. It's worth the time. ("Oh Smithy!"). Another really good one is coming up even sooner. The Letter, featuring my all time favorite opening scene where I inevitably exclaim "Jesus, Bette!", will air as the June 6th Essentials film. Much, much later in the season is one of my picks. The Long Hot Summer is the Essentials choice for September 12th. I finally bought that one since it was always so chopped up on tv. Also, I got tired of my Tivo mocking me with a "psych!" every time I saw the title in the guide. I'd inevitably squeal in anticipation of a Paul Newman moment only to realize it was that awful Don Johnson version of the film. Disappointed! Of course, I could always just watch my DVD but there is nothing like a Robert Osborne opening discussion to kick off a film. I can't wait!

Lately

I haven't had much to say lately that's why I haven't posted much.  I still don't have a lot to report but I would like to recommend Up.  I saw it yesterday with Shandon and adored it.  It will absolutely make you cry but it will also crack you up.  At one point Shandon and I were laughing so hard we couldn't sit up straight.  I had to remove my 3-D glasses to wipe away my tears of laughter.  It was wonderful.  No, you do not have to have a kid with you to enjoy this one.  Treat yourself and go with or without a child.  Either way you'll have a blast.  

I haven't been reading much in the past week but I did start a great new book called The Indifferent Stars Above.  It's a really good new spin on the Donner party ordeal.  My nephew is in the fourth grade and just finished learning about the Donner party.  When I asked him what he thought he sort of sighed and said "well yeah, it was sad."  What?!  He's right but that's certainly not the reaction I had when I learned about it.  I just recall thinking "Cool!" and "Finally some interesting history.  It's about time!"  

You're probably wondering how on earth there could be a new spin on the Donner party story right?  Well, I'm telling you this one goes into details I've never read about before.  The author goes through the physiological aspects of what the party went through.  What starvation feels like, what your brain is doing when you're deprived of warmth, food and water.  He goes into the hygiene of life on the trail and the politics going on between the families and lots of other great details I've never heard about before.  It's fascinating stuff.

I'm also re-watching True Blood.  I pre-ordered the DVDs a while ago and was pleasantly surprised to find them unexpectedly waiting for me one day after work.  I left the set alone until today.  This afternoon I suddenly decided I should watch them with the audio commentaries on.  It's been a lot of fun.

In other news, I've been a having trouble sleeping.  Last night was weird.  I was sleepy very early in the evening and struggled to stay awake past 9:00.  I eventually threw in the towel, put on my pjs, washed my face and went to bed.  I discovered that my Tivo hadn't updated for a while due to my remote device being folded shut.  I spent some time adding things to my Wishlist and picking out new things to record.  Anyone else excited about Nurse Jackie?  I am!  TCM has had some really good stuff showing lately so that's a lot of what's waiting for me in my Tivo's "Now Playing" list.  Anyway, I spent some time flipping through channels but found myself repeatedly falling asleep for about a half hour then waking again for a half hour then zonking out again over and over again.  I watched Jay Leno's last Tonight Show but afterwards wound up on the National Geographic Channel watching things like Solo: Lost at Sea,  Left For Dead: Miracle on Everest and Explorer: Mysteries of Survival.   Eventually it was 3:00 am and I was really tired.  I flipped channels some more and fell to sleep but had to get up early for a hair appointment.  I'm hoping to get a bit more sleep tonight.  I'm thinking I should avoid the stressful survival stuff.  I can't help it though.  True stories of survival fascinate me. Guess that's why I'm still enjoying that Donner party book.   Then again, after dipping into True Blood again I have a feeling I'll be finishing my Sookie Stackhouse books.  Those are sort of stories of survival right?

O-M-G.

Today I had to go to my niece's dance recital. I say I "had to" because if it were any other girl in the world I'd have never done it. I have a long memory and I remembered last year's recital. I spoke to one of my best friends as she suffered through the dress rehearsals. I offered to pick up some iced teas and join her. I don't think I've ever heard a more relieved soul in my life. I went on the endure a 4 hour rehearsal THEN saw the actual recital the next day. Never forget!

My Mom, whom I accompanied today, seemed oddly excited about today's event. I asked "Don't you recall the soul crushing boredom and pace?" She thought I was a grumpy McGrump face and didn't appreciate my attitude. She may have also thrown in "You're being a terrible Auntie." I didn't disagree. If being a good Auntie means faking joy at some of these events, well I plead guilty.

It's not just the bad music selections and (I'm sorry!) not very good dancers but mostly I had vivid memories of parents elbowing each other out of the way as they rushed the stage at the end of each performance to get pictures. Apparently the dance school folks didn't appreciate that either. This year they hired a professional videographer and prohibited any other photography. But I REALLY cheered up when I saw the large sign next to the dressing rooms stating "NO Mothers in dressing Room. NO cameras or video taping allowed." I snickered and said to Mom "Ooooh! The moms were naugh-ty." The mothers sitting in folding chairs around the dressing room entrance didn't seem to appreciate my glee. I'm sorry but it serves them right. I later explained my annoyance to my brother that most parents these days are so preoccupied with capturing a moment that they miss it entirely. I then complemented him for not being one of those fools. He then admitted that he'd forgotten his camera.

My niece's two performances were thrown in between a lot of older girl performances. This was a problem. If you're going to a dance recital I suggest you try to see the little performers. Everything they do is adorable and the outfits are so dang sweet. Unfortunately, I was to sit through many of the older girl performances today. I cringed through most of them. I just think they are cruel. They throw all of these poor pubescent girls on a stage, make them dress in identical, illfitting outfits then make them dance in front of hundreds. *shudder* I just feel so terrible for them. There is always a painfully thin girl, a chubby girl, a terribly flat chested girl, a terribly large chested girl, a tall girl with hunched shoulders, various other reluctant girls then one shining star with perfect skin who is inevitably the best in the class... and knows it. I can always spot the poor girls who have been forced into the class. They look even more uncomfortable than the rest. It's all so awful.

To make matters worse, I later spotted a sad pair of family members shuffle in late. One wore a knit cap, a few skirts and a heavy coat. (Did I mention that it was about 90 degrees today and not much cooler in the auditorium?) She was escorting a terribly overweight and sweaty woman in a dirty tee shirt and on a crutch. I immediately felt sorry for whoever they were there to see. Visions of Carrie ran through my mind. After the performance I ended up feeling sorry for the pair. Traditionally the family and friends of the performers crowd the dressing room doors and give them bouquets of flowers. The strange looking pair stood expectantly with the rest of the parents but held a modest bouquet wrapped in plastic wrap that had obviously come from a home garden. The flowers were pretty but the scene somehow made me sad. I felt bad for them. They knew enough to bring flowers and were doing their best but they looked so out of place. It was just heartbreaking. I didn't stay long enough to see their reunion at the back stage door. I hope they were ok.

It all reminded me of how grateful I was to my parents. They were always just right. They clearly loved us (I'm sure that was somehow embarrassing in my junior high years) but they always fit in nicely, they were always smart and funny and looked cute. Isn't that really all you want when you're 13? They were always very supportive. My mom was especially good at picking up my "I don't want to be here" signal and was usually very respectful of that.

My niece emerged and just wanted to know if she could have a sleep-over with her friends. No. there would be no sleep-overs as everyone had to move on to their brother's baseball tournaments. Alex perked up when her friends started waving and saying "I'll see you at the game!"

In the end I learned that while I may have been a bad Auntie today I wasn't alone. I heard the dad behind me grumble "Well, I'm sorry! I have A.D.D.". I then learned he had smuggled in a tv and was watching the Preakness. My brother exchanged text messages with the other dads. When a group of girls in dreadful tiger outfits came out dancing to Eye of the Tiger he received a text that said "Ladies and Gentlemen the Laaaa-kerrrr Girrrrrrrls!" Michael laughed then leaned over and said "Thank God! I thought they were playing Another Brick in the Wall. That would have been a bit much!" I kind of liked the idea. Dodger scores continued to be updated througout the recital. All of the distractions made me feel better about my attitude. At least I was paying attention. Once I was there I took special care to be supportive. I clapped for those poor miserable girls. I wanted to rush the stage and say "It all gets better! I swear. Just hang in there. College is so much more fun and after college it gets even better... just hang on!" Instead, I clapped and hooted and hoped they'd all make it through.