Because I am a nice wife, I will occasionally jazz up our Netflix queue with a boy movie, especially after a slew of costume dramas. I was very, very brave last week to watch, in its entirety, ""I Am Legend".

I didn't expect to completely adore it.


Will Smith is a pretty thing to see. I've always liked him, despite the Scientology rumours and his way of naming children. He and his wife seem on equal footing, they work well with the ex-wife apparently, and I love that a black man in Hollywood gets the recognition and money that white actors have claimed for so long. I mean, look at them!

But. To single-handedly carry along a plot line - and a crazy one at that - for at least an hour of a major film. That is something that few have done - Tom Hanks comes to mind. I remember a New York friend telling me, after seeing "I Am Legend" in the theatre, that she wished she "hadn't seen my city in that state". I can understand - the shots of Manhattan completely uninhabited, wild, and decaying are amazing and horrible. Still, one can't take their eyes off of Will Smith. He's believeable as a military medical genius, he's believable as a survivorist, he's believable as someone whose sense of self is slipping away.

That said, the movie falls off at the end. The questions of faith and science are nice touches (a la "Lost), and without spoiling it for you I can reveal that other characters appear in various states of humanity. The way the movie MIGHT have ended, however, is highly preferable.

Take some time, if you've seen "I Am Legend", and watch the alternate ending. I believe this was how the movie should have finished. Now to read the books!

Camp Grandma

My children are on their second jaunt to "Camp Grandma". The first occurred during my jet-setting. (In the space of four months I went to London, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. Who you calling BORING, huh???) Yesterday, the urchins left with their grandparents for a brief trip - we'll see them Friday afternoon. One would have thought that they were being shipped to the country for their safety. I'm not complaining: I can't remember a time, even during the sweet toddler years, that I've felt such affection and attention from them. I also can't help but wonder if I'm raising them to be too dependent on me and their dad. Of course I want them to fly....but my gut tells me that they need stability and assurance at this point, so I am encouraging and push a bit, but also return their love.

The minute they left I was expected at a staff retreat. We sat outside in the hot. Still, there was a breeze, it was poolside at a lovely in-town home with a gorgeously landscaped yard, and there was lemonade and watermelon along with catty asides and frustrations (and occasional problem-solving, too).

So obviously when that was over, I left and fled to the gym since I never get to go during the summer. No parking! ANYWHERE! WTF?????


Then, I went home thinking I'd go for a walk -- the temp had cooled. But there was nausea, and pain, and I spent the rest of our first night of alone time in a fetal position waiting for my doctor to call in a round of antibiotics. My dear husband drove me to an all-night pharmacy at 11 p.m. I fell asleep in the car waiting for him and promptly had a nightmare that I was driving and the brakes went out. Honey, if you're reading, I promise we will go out tonight to somewhere more fun, and possibly less expensive than the Cipro was!

Let's Talk About...

....sex, baybeeee.

First, having sex. You can, if you want to, in most cases! Especially if you are, say, a white suburban married woman or perhaps a thirty-something hipster guy with really cute fashion sense. You may want to have sex a LOT, or you may opt out of marital relations. One hundred days in a row, or even 365 days in a row seems....monotonous, but goals are worth having! Not having sex seems to be a common ailment amongst a lot of married couples I know. There are a variety of reasons folks don't do it, and most have to do with daily life and its trevails. Still, it seems like a good idea to get on the bandwagon, at least every now and again. Ok, ladies? Give it up for your guy tonight! Guys: spend a little extra time, please!

By the way, married sex is going to gain some new fans AND haters, soon!


One of the reasons I've been thinking about this topic is that my book club has voted on, basically, a porno (but highly regarded and critically lauded) graphic novel for one of our selections. This has been a tough decision, and maybe offensive to some members of our club. I won't even link to the book here for fear of repurcussions, but my initial forays into the selection left me aroused, offended, and even a bit bored. I'll let you know how THAT discussion goes, when and if it happens!

Finally, there is occasional discussion of the birds and the bees around here. Now, I'm not exactly like the Family Kinsey, but I'm trying to be open and truthful, and still respectful of the age and the innocence and the general repulsion a ten year-old might have. To say that this is like walking a tightrope is about right. It seems to me that the biggest issue someone just finding out about sex might have is why it is, and how it came to be, so very important. Sure, people make babies via this vehicle, but they also do it for nefarious and self-satisfying reasons. And it is everywhere - music, movies, books, adverts. I'm trying to give it its due whilst still making sure that its mores are known and respected. Tough task, that.

R.E.M. at Walnut Creek June 10th, 2008

First, I can safely publish the set list thanks to a. this GENIUS and welcome site and b. my husband taking notes on his Blackberry. I generally hate the new trend in concerts wherein people feel compelled to call friends, take photos, hold up the glowing white light of their phone during a ballad, etc. Still, I enjoyed texting my boss (who was at the Cubbies v. Braves in Chicago) and an old college friend (who got last-minute 12th row seats, grrr) during the show.

So....here's a preview of the show....


....and here's the setlist typed out:

Harborcoat (!!!!!)
Living Well's The Best Revenge
Bad Day
Whats the Frequency, Kenneth?
1,000,000 (!!!????)
Man-Sized Wreath
Welcome To The Occupation
Accelerate
7 Chinese Brothers
Hollow Man
Imitation of Life
Houston (not quite as greasy awesome as on the record, sadly)
Electrolite
Walk Unafraid (I've heard this live now probably 5x)
The One I Love
Final Straw
Find The River
Let Me In (acoustic!)
Horse To Water
Auctioneer (Another Engine) (OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Orange Crush
I'm Gonna DJ

Encore:

Supernatural Superserious
Losing My Religion
Pretty Persuasion (Um, haven't heard that live since, oh, I don't know, 1989?)
Fall On Me (w/Johnny Marr)
Sitting Still (w/Mitch Easter and Don Dixon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Man On The Moon

I should not type anything more before stating that, as you may have read, Stipe wore a SUIT. The entire time. This was no small feat. After "Harborcoat" (a wholly unexpected and delightful opener), Stipe said, "Welcome to the R.E.M. weight-loss program 2008". But he professed to love the heat, as a Georgia boy.

(I did NOT love the heat. It was blinding. Though, my husband did text me, whilst on a beer run, that I am hot when I sweat.)

Stipe only mentioned Obama twice. Amazing!

He was appropriately chatty, which pleased me. Many of Mssr. Stipe's comments centered around his love for the Raleigh area. So nice, especially considering that he travels the world regularly. R.E.M. has a lot of history here, and we were the site of Bill Berry's one and only reunion with the band (in 03...a show that was not even that amazing, except that the completely unthinkable happened. The audience was rapt...it was an incredible moment.)

The set and lighting were, as usual, strange and mysterious and great. R.E.M. works with avant-garde filmmakers and designers, so I expect nothing less. I can tell where they were headed: "Remember, we are a stadium band who make stadium rock, but we want the look and feel of an indie film." They got it.

Peter Buck barely rates notice in concert, which is very rock n' roll. The night of the 10th he was lazy on some songs, especially some of the older stuff, but he was inspiring on new songs like "Accelerate" and "Supernatural Superserious". I could have been listening to a guitarist half his age in a club twenty times smaller.

I'm not complaining about the old songs, though. Being with my husband and with my old college friend and hearing them was nostalgia exemplified. My friend took me to see R.E.M. and Let's Active at the Township in Columbia, SC, about a two-hour drive from Greenville where we attended college. I love the Internet, cause I can look back and see what that show was like -

17 November 1986 - Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
support: Let's Active
set: These Days / West Of The Fields / Harborcoat / Crazy / The One I Love / Feeling Gravitys Pull / The Flowers Of Guatemala / Pipeline / Cuyahoga / Tired Of Singing Trouble / I Believe / Swan Swan H / Lightnin' Hopkins / Superman / Can't Get There From Here / Old Man Kensey / Pretty Persuasion / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / Little America
encore: Driver 8 / Harpers / Fall On Me / Strange / I Can Only Give You Everything

And to that I say, LORD HAVE MERCY. My friend (who still rocks) and our fellow concert-mates (one of whom I recently found again, and the others...whoever they were) got up to the very front of the crowd, nabbed a set-list after the show, and received pieces of Stipe's flannel shirts (he also had hair then). This was not unusual in those days...during one Athens show in the 80s I recall leaving a front-and-center position to go outside, and then coming back in and getting right back up front. After the Township show, my buddy introduced me to Mitch Easter. Dude!

I've only seen my friend once since he graduated in '87? I think? but through the magic of technology we reunited at this R.E.M. show, near 22 years later. The band brings us all together in harmony and love, promoting peace and happiness and rock wherever they go.

OK SO BACK TO THE SHOW:

Here are the notes I jotted down on my early-ass flight to Chicago the very next morning:

Mike Mills had his traditionally goofy stage presence, but his vocals! They were spot-on and as moving and pretty as I've ever heard them. Well done, sir!

Seeing Mitch Easter and Don Dixon come out for "Sitting Still" was not as exciting as Bill coming back, but fun nonetheless and really set Raleigh's show apart. I am very grateful to R.E.M. for doing shit like that, as my Chicago trip made Raleigh seem ultra-boring. But Chicago's R.E.M. show was not as long OR as cool. So HA.

You may know that Johnny Marr came onstage to play on "Fall on Me". That was fun and 80s but didn't sound all that spectacular. Still, seeing Marr in person was very Smithstatistic....as for Modest Mouse, I could have done with about 20 minutes less of them. Jerry, of my college days, texted that they sucked - I wouldn't go that far, but I do think they need to vary up their tempos a bit. Johnny was good & jangly.

The National opened and I was in a very, very hot and humid heaven. I have a thing for the lead singer (he's a baritone! So unusual in pop music today) and the drummer is crazy-good. They didn't have the drums as loud in the mix as on the record, which was disappointing, but they really sounded lovely. The band kept a great rapport with the crowd and played a finely tuned set. I was impressed...you will be, too, if you have not yet checked them out.


I have a hand cramp, so let me wrap this up:

I was eager to hear the acoustic version of "Let Me In", the fabled ode to Kurt Cobain which was probably also an ode to River Phoenix and now, probably an ode to Heath Ledger (also a friend of Stipe's). I preferred Mike Mills's keyboards on "Electrolyte", though that song was not quite as successful as "Let Me In". The acoustic accompaniment was pretty, but Mssr. Stipe's vocals made "Let Me In" ethereal. I read somewhere, sometime, that Bono called Stipe our modern-day Bing Crosby. It's true: he sings beautifully and loftily, and evokes so much.

Also, such a dandy poseur and dancer, and all, as I've said, IN A SUIT in the HEAT.

The overiding themes of the show were political protest and enviromentalism, Not a bad idea in these trying times. One was reminded, amidst all the politics, of how relevant the band's stands have been for lo these many years. Still, there was never too much seriousness, and the nostalgia of the golden oldies never got in the way of the new, the untried, the technologically marvelous, and the driving rock and roll.

It Happens

My son tossed his bathing suit into the toilet, thinking he was putting it in the shower. My daughter never flushes after pooping. The washing machine is currently running.

This after hanging at Lynn's pool and her baby pooped in his swim diaper (this is a very, very horrible phenomena if you are not familiar with it). This action caused her daughter to throw up. Then the diaperless baby peed on my swim bag. What could we do but laugh?

I'm happy to report that I had diarrhea three times today. No salmonella - just the normal life of a 40 year old woman, it seems.

Field Day took place in heat, humidity, and goose droppings.

And don't get me started about the cat.

So its freaking hot. Coolest May on record, then earliest reading of 100 degrees ever, and of course no rain in sight after a damp Spring. One feels the climate is...I don't know, changing!

Due to the hot, the family camping trip was put off. Mommy and Daddy's vision of a sweaty, toss-and-turn night that didn't involve sex did not appeal.

Instead, we day-tripped to the beach! Just when I'm about to hate my town so much I'll have to badmouth it on this blog and others, I remember that a short, two-hour trip away I can find a breeze and temperatures ten degrees cooler than 102. Off we went with picnic, pails, and about $79 worth of sunscreen.

Seriously, here's the breakdown of our trip (you know I'm so budget-conscious):

Tank of gas: $50 or thereabouts
Sunscreen: $10 (seriously, that is how much it costs to protect my family for a few hours)
Boogie boards: $26
Picnic lunch and ice: $15 or less
Dinner out with friends: $40

A day of relaxation, beautiful views, non-stop wave riding, friends and family, all for less than $150. A trip to the local water park would have cost the same, and I would have more than likely have committed some atrocity to my fellow man when packed into such a place on such an intemperate day. Better that we had a few hours of air conditioned car time, just the four of us, and pelicans, sand, and the gentle waves of Fort Fisher.

Yeah, PRINCE!

I don't know how best to describe the month of May in this household. I'm not trying to be a martyr here, but this, after all, is MY blog....so martyrdom is what suits my current mood.

I'm not organized in a traditional fashion. My husband is not "clean" in a traditional fashion. My children are not terribly self-sufficient though they appear that way, thus misleading me. These are the basic ingredients to which we add the insane schedule of people who are probably too social and too involved.

The calendar is just not viewable day by day at this point in the year, and that makes every day seem nearly undoable in terms of logistics, who goes where, etc. Add to all that any minor little stressor: a big case for my husband at work, a family issue, hurt feelings somewhere in my circle, etc. and KABLAM. The castle of toothpicks starts a' wobblin'.

It's not a cheap month, either. We've shelled out, for activities and medical, over $3000 in the last two weeks. My children are going to exactly one day camp apiece, so this is not including that expense. I'm not complaining, for it is a wonderful thing to have dental care and a pool to swim in on these already-hot days. Still, as you all know, the money worries eek into your brain and start to spread like mold.

I'm trying very, very hard to take care of myself. I am not great at remembering to be grateful at night, but I am grateful....for good nights' rest most nights; for exercise (my new goal is to be sore at least once a week. Today's sore is brought to you by: Tennis With the Children. How is it that they are great at every sport? My thighs are crying.); for sweet new babies in our life and their calm, loving parents; for a job I enjoy and that includes rewards like children telling me they want to be singers when they grow up; for online Scrabble; for a month until the conventions; for Memorial Day and a relatively relaxed schedule; for sneaking away with a friend and her mom to catch a movie that, whilst not the finest film I've seen in May, gave me an intense belly laugh or two; for the concerts seen and anticipated; for my family; for a house with air conditioning; for the Trader Joe's guacamole kit; for loaner books from friends that were sweet little truffles of enjoyment; for a purpose in life that seems bigger than my petty woes.

You have to hand it to Ellen DeGeneres for taking a stand...she's getting married, LEGALLY, and now she's wondering why the rest of the country can't catch up to her state. She wonders, in fact, aloud - to John McCain.

The clip is found here...I can't find it on YouTube.

Those of you who know me know that I tend to date gay people in my teens and twenties, and that a lot of folks I love are gay. What you may not know is that Ellen and I agree pretty much down the line. I think that gay rights and perhaps even gay marriage in particular are this generations' desegregation and racial equality statutes. Twenty years from now, when I'm pretty sure that every citizen will have the right to marry regardless of their sexual orientation, what are you going to tell your children about where you stood in 2008?

This is about as rabble-rousing as I get, so if I've just pissed you off, SORRY! And Happy Memorial Day! I work tonight and then BAM! Holiday weekend with some fun relatives and our new niece. There, have I taken the edge off???

Two concerts in two months - a record!

We saw The Swell Season at one of the arguably best acoustic venues in town on a recent Thursday night. That said, the venue is usually used for the Symphony, so Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova both seemed to feel a bit formal at first. They said so. After a while, though, they got very comfy and easy with the crowd, so much so that the onstage banter begain to overcome the music.

IN MY OPINION.

Glen and Marketa are, if anything, earnest as hell. You know that if you saw their Oscar night speeches and performances. Their lessons to the crowd were lovely and optimistic, and all about "make art, make art" and the like. All in lilting Irish and Irish/Czech brogues.

But I've never been one for stage talk. I like the occasional powerful, funny, or relevant bon mot. Any more than that makes me squirm. Glen and Marketa as people were not annoying, but after a while I wondered if they didn't have enough faith in the music they were making.

Which was astounding!

I think I liked Marketa's song best - "If You Want Me". And "Lies" is so incredibly powerful in the movie "Once" as well as on the album that I almost couldn't believe how excellent it was live. The stage manager did a Steve Earle song, the violinist did some tricks with his on-stage recorder doohicky...and that was all fine and dandy. Why did we need it, though, when Glen's guitar and vocalizing are intense enough to hold a hall spellbound? Marketa is a precise pianist and I really like her voice - she's matured since the album was recorded it seems. The band was great, too. Have faith, Swell Season. You sound divine.

Check out this clip (it's not great, but it gets the job done) from Glen's version of "Astral Weeks" - recorded in Louisville a night or two before our show.

My first movie was a short entitled "Jammin' In the Streets". The director has gone on to relative fame in regional theatre; my co-star can currently be seen in the HBO series "True Blood". She can also be seen in a new film premiering in NYC first week of June. I, of course, have become the publisher of a small but vital online journal. The plot of "JITS" was simple: two bored teens with nothing to do are loathe to while away their summer in their stifling hometown. But wait! They can roller skate - with boom boxes! And they do, with style (dashikis, MC Hammer pants) and relative grace. They do tricks, pop in and out of the screen, and then finally come home, exhausted, to fall asleep. The movie has been screened countless times, and if y'all are lucky, I'll try to find a way to post Super 8 to the Internet. Thus, you'll be able to see it, too.

Until that time, and that time may never come, please enjoy the world premiere for the Flight of the Conchords' video, " Ladies of the World":

I love it. I love it all.

Spinning on That Dizzy Edge

Myanmar and now Western China, plus the cruel month of May have me in a funk. New Cure, anyone?



Also, I think that Effexor is much more awesome than John McCain.

To take our minds off of election-night angst, I'll focus on wine! Delicious red wine. And a wine controversy! I love that something that is so tasty and fun for the masses has such a sophisticated, complicated history and structure surrounding it. Like the church. Or Obama. KIDDING!!!

I live in a house divided when it comes to the local, state and national elections. My husband I are truly split on several races, and split on purpose in one race because we are friends with the two people running. Thus, serious guilt. (Don't worry - the candidates are both great and would both do the job well.) But Senator Obama, when you offer free tickets to Arcade Fire and Superchunk on a beautiful Friday afternoon - and it's a school holiday so my children can go - and the show is great and if not a bit ridiculously issue-laden, then fun in a rallyish sort of way, well....you may have won a vote.




And my GOD - Superchunk! Mac and Laura's KIDS were on stage with them. My husband and I figured we hadn't seen Superchunk in about 12 years.

We also got to meet and greet with Win Butler after (Regine didn't come over to us, alas). He was nice to the children.

My son, however, preferred Superchunk:

Second Day, Second and Third Stops

We headed on to Avebury after lunch in Windsor. My husband's people love Avebury, much more than the arguably more famous and fantastic of the pre-Druid stone circles, Stonehenge. Numbers like 5000 BC tend to impress, and we all enjoyed this visit, my second. Twas muddy and off-and-on rainy, just the way England should be.

My children were immediately transfixed.....by the humongous hills they could run and roll down. They didn't really get the fact that what they tromped about in might have been some major civilization's burial site or leadership gathering space...or maybe they did, but they really liked flailing about the expanse of land.



On to Stonehenge, which I was not prepared to love as I have cleaved to my husband and his likes and dislikes. BUT NO, I LOVED IT. IT WAS BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND SUPER COOL!!! Some folks were doing seismological tests on the site. My dad, chatty as he is (much moreso with perfect strangers than his loved ones), found out all about these tests and then we were told about the first archealogical dig that would be taking place the very next week. That dig was the first in 50 years, and it proved very fruitful. (Be sure and listen to audio of Dr. Tim Darvill - what a great British character he seems to be!)





Stonehenge photo by my son.

The Volkswagen Sharan carried on to Salisbury to see the ginormous cathedral. Again, who knows how these people did it. Crazy. 1300 AD or something and the beautiful spires and ridiculously realistic carvings and feats of engineering boggle the mind. The cathedral was reverent and pastoral; the town was tiny and boring. We had a hard time finding somewhere to eat and were even turned away at one tasty-looking place due to the insanely late hour of 7 p.m.


But then we happened upon our happy little Gastro Bistro and it was cozy, warm, ancient, and tasty. Also - a seven-pound menu available til 7:30! Everyone had beers and soups and olives and burgers and were thus fortified for the heinous, rainy drive back to Central London whereupon we only got a little bit lost and had to hoof it back to the Tube station in the rain and HAD to stop so my dad could get Sprite for his imported Maker's Mark and almost had to pay the congestion charge.

That part, as you can tell, was not the best part of the marathon day...but we stayed happy and optimistic and even made a game of the late-night Tube ride with the children, amongst all the post-work revelers. We flopped into the flat, wet and weary, but with many tales to tell our sleepy aunt.

There's a new R.E.M. video and it is a lovely thing. You can watch it on MySpace - I think you have to have an account to do it, but maybe not. Try.

The children have accused their daddy of not laughing much. He laughs at me a lot when they aren't around, of course, and he never, ever fails to laugh at things like this:

Behold, the hair helmet.




Check out my new iMeem song at the left.

The Papal Post

After a rather funny and intense email exchange with some fellow school moms that ended up with Pope debate, I decided to ask a few of my friends what there thoughts were about the Papal visit.

Here's what they had to say:

"......the whole Pope thing is just so totally idol worship.....Aside from the fact of his wacky beliefs (and I am being kind here) what kind of world do we live in which there is the existence of a pope-mobile? I mean seriously, JK Rowling couldn't have written anything more strange and atrocious."

To which I responded:
" I'm actually a bit fascinated with the Pope, or at least with the attention given him. I strongly dislike his beliefs, but find it most interesting that he has at least acknowledged that a bunch of children were molested by their spiritual leaders. I can't think of anyone whom I would want to stand on line to view, and I just stood in line to see the Queen of England - but not on purpose. I don't know, maybe Bono?"

And then I heard back from another mom:

"You should read Angels and Demons - then you'll really be disgusted with Popes and junk. This Pope seems like a harmless baby doll to me. I would like to hear the discussion he had with George Bush. That had to be comical. I think I might stand in line to see the Dalai Lama. It would at least be a line of interesting people - maybe not as interesting as Bono."

and then:

"....don't you think the pope hat is just a LITTLE phallic? Love, Sinead O'Connor. Or, are you too young to get that reference. PROBABLY!"

(answer: I'm not! I was a bona fide Sineadaphile and thought the rip-up was interesting to say the least, and probably career-ending...which it sort of was)

More comments:

"I was shocked to see channel 14 news showing a continuous live feed of the Mass yesterday.
It was a flashback to the revivals of Billy Graham or Elmer Gantry."

"I give him props for meeting with sex abuse victims and talking about
peace at the UN. He seems to me like someone more comfortable as an
academic theologian type who sometimes says things in an overly abstract
or impolitic way that would fit better in a classroom or abbey than a
humongous religious rally. Being a social liberal I of course disagree
with him about a bunch of stuff but that is neither here nor there in
the grand scheme of things. "

And you can read one friend's review of the NYC visit here.

More later - people seem very ready to chat about all this. Why is that? I know ABC thinks (via the close captioning I saw whilst at the gym) that people are searching for meaning in life and for hope in these dark times etc etc etc etc

Well, damn, I can't get on to tell you about the rest of the day trip. Maybe this weekend.

("You" being my online diary. Not necessarily "you" the reader. Though I often think fondly of "you", reader!)

In the meantime, get a load out of this fantastic web site. I keep scrolling through looking for the kind of mom I want to be when I start emailing my children.

Second Day, First Stop

My husband loves to drive in foreign locales. He won't drive us to Georgia or the mountains or beach, and he rarely drives us around town, but put him a car with a left-side steering wheel and a country with roundabouts and he WILL rent a car.

So Wednesday found us behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Sharan. As usual with our European rentals, I wish I could get this car in the US. Maybe sometime soon... My parents were very game about this endeavor, and trusted my hubby implicitly. I'm a fairly good navigator in these situations and I also have a good, loud, "DEATH" that I call out if another car is near or husband makes a false move.

We headed up the M5 to Windsor - yay! My Diana-obsession, and moderate interest in the Royals in general, about to be appeased! But no, closed! But wait, state visit from Sarcozy - just step around there, please madam, and whoa - there is the Queen and Philip, she in a hat! My mother was BESIDE HERSELF. I was feeling fairly good about all of it, still bummed I couldn't get inside the castle, but excited we were having an unusual experience. I chose not to take pictures, but others did.


We stayed put in our excellent vantage point and good thing: the Irish Black horses with their festooned riders came by, with bands, and various other pomp, and soon enough carriages with Charles and Camilla (!), the Queen and President Sarcozy, Madame Bruni-Sarcozy (to my husband's delight. She waved at my daughter ((not my husband, though he will tell you otherwise)) as she had a French flag in her hands.) Carla's fashion was the buzz of London all the rest of the week. (Please do note the date of the previous link's article) She certainly did not disappoint in person, and frankly, neither did anyone else. They all looked totally glamourous and gorgeous.


We found a nice lunch place and exchanged stories. This, by the way, was the first meal wherein I realized I needed to eat like a bird to be able to afford what my children would order and eat. Walking 10 miles a day and eating light are great for me, but feeding them was expensive all the time.

Since it's Masters week, I've been ruminating on the list of what White People Like. (I like soooo many of those things. As you know, if you know me or read this). This being the Internet, there is now a compiled list of what a variety of other groups tend to like. Explore at your leisure.

More R.E.M. - tis the season.

You must purchase the tiny white sponges of hope - even I, the Great Unclean, have found them miraculous. Why, just today I erased 7 years worth of crayon/hand prints/scuff marks off our hall walls and door frames, with just two of the soft bright marvels. (Available, I add at the risk of losing potential millions for endorsing this product, in a generic brand)

And finally, yesterday culminated in a visit to the urgent care. My wacko children had fashioned a gymnastics bar from an old baseball return net thingy. Their feats were astounding, but scary...we had warned them AGAIN and AGAIN that caution must be taken. I was not surprised when my daughter went down, and the bar went down on top of her. Everyone stayed calm, and everyone insisted on being together (which is kind of cute but troublesome too), and we took her in to rule out concussion and broken nose (still not 100% sure, but we hope to get a final reading of the x-rays today). She looks like someone took a bat to her forehead and nose bridge. I wrote a very informative note to the teacher hoping to head off calls from social services, and I've tried not to be a worrywart all day.

Not fun, but not as bad as it could have been.

Don't really know what this is all about, but I'm intrigued. Didn't you ever, just once, make a mix tape for a boy you kind of liked, though he wasn't your type, and knew even though he probably wouldn't like all the pop songs (albeit obscure ones) you put on there, since he was really more into My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, that he might think you were kinda cool?

First Day

We had a rough flight with the headache of the decade and US AIrways' notoriously impudent service. Still, we arrived excited (or I was) and found my parents very easily, and after a few detours in London (just like last time) found my husband's aunt, our hostess. She was immediately warm and gracious and wonderful...and even though I was nervous about invading, it was so good to see her after so long (they've been there over 2 years) that I settled in immediately.

Flat 4 was a sight to behold - in a very posh neighborhood with all kinds of fine cars the likes of which have not even been seen stateside, apparently, but the apartment is just right and tidy and British. We were served scones, black currant jam, and clotted cream almost immediately. Thank goodness, cause then we walked, I don't know, 6 miles?

We put my parents and their aching feet on a tour bus and set off. My children were fairly whiny, jet-lagged, and not loving London yet. As you can tell from the picture: no smiles, and one child not even visible. I told them to suck it up and off we went: Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Parliment, Westminster Abbey, Marble Arch, and I don't know what all else. The first visit to Trafalgar Square cheered the children immensely. Of course! All they want to do is climb and run, and here are the largest lion sculptures this side of Vegas, just for the climbing.


Back to the flat where the children passed out and we enjoyed chili and wine with our darling relatives and their funtastic London tales, plus big-time political talk (uncle is with a major news outlet) with a distinctly British perspective, then bed for good good sleep. Even though we each had a child in our twin bed. Don't worry, they calmed down eventually.

I don't know if I'll bore you further with these diary-type entries, but it helps me remember the nuances of the trip. I should also tell you that I love that Rick Steves, if only because he wrote something that better illustrates my travel philosophy, nay, my family philosophy, than almost anything yet. Well, that and he's on the board of NORML:

Of course, travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic.

Read the whole passage here.

UK Prep Post #3

Forecast for London: snow tonight, 60 by the weekend? (That's like 11 Celcius or something - I really need to brush up on the metric).

Packing: tricky (see above)

Dollar's exchange rate: woeful

Theatre tickets: SCORED!
Woot!

Children's ipods: loaded. With a lot of nonsense. Super Bowl highlights? Old No Doubt albums? And Spongebob.

Cat: taken care of, thanks to the kindness of friends and neighbors. Will she die? Stay tuned.

Marital relations: a bit strained....but sure to stabilize once we get on the plane.

Fears of jet lag being a major issue: high

Ear plugs for plane: purchased (see above)

Anti-anxiety drugs for plane: none! Bad decision? Stay tuned.

And off we go. Pix and deets upon our return. Oh, and don't even try to break into our house. Our neighbors are super nosy.

Happy Easter 2008

My Easter playlist:

Sunday Morning - No Doubt

Spring Released - Grant-Lee Philips

Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day

Sundays (live) - Lucinda Williams

Cross Bones Style - Cat Power

Birds of Springtime Gone By - Joe Lovano

April Chimes - Grant-Lee Phillips (I know. Twice. But at least I didn't also include "Lily-A-Passion")

Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most - Rickie Lee Jones

Jesus Etc. - Wilco

Don't do Sadness/Blue Wind - Spring Awakening Cast

Messiah, Part II, No. 44 "Hallelujah Chorus" - London Philharmonic

Jesus Walks - Kanye West

March 19, 2008

My happiness is overshadowed, and has been for five years.

Careening Towards 40: Part 2 in a (increasingly limited) Series

I've gotten the following comments on the news that I was turning 40.

"Really? I thought you were wayyyy older than that." (you have to know her)

"Seriously, I took you for no older than 38." (Dude. At least 37?)

"I thought you were in your mid-to-late 30s" (.....)

"When you get a blow-out, you look 35, max." (Right???)


So I am beginning the evening of my last night in the 30s. I'm overwhelmed when I think of all that happened in the last ten years. Not necessarily in a good way. My 20s were a period of intense emotional and personal growth, but a hell of a lot of creativity and fun. That cannot be said of this decade. I know that I am entering the age of more loss - but perhaps more wisdom, patience, and acceptance. I've gotten nothing but positive reviews on the 5th decade.

I'm thinking I'll age gracefully, but with an edge. Kinda cranky, but still lovish. No gray hair, but plenty of wrinkles. Indie rock, but slow jazz on weekends. Same as ever, only better.

The green grits went over much better than the burned heat-shaped pancakes.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Careening Towards 40: First in a (limited) Series

Last night, at a Board meeting for a sweet, tiny non-profit, I was asked to give the fundraising report. I had been pleased that my Board appeal for donations had been met earlier in the night by one member plunking down a $100 bill on the table, so I thanked him first thing -

- by saying, "That's awesome that (name) gave a G-spot".

Obviously, I meant C-note.

Children were present.

I had two vodka tonics after arriving home.

Music Monday

My husband likey VW.

I have only had ears for Handel of late, but I have checked into the Yeasayer. What say you?

We've prayed for rain (literally - they keep doing that in church, which....well, whatever. I don't know that God is like Santa...but maybe so. We don't know, so what's the harm in asking is I suppose the thinking.) Now we're getting it, and apparently massive storms, and 50 mph wind gusts, and freezing temps.

I'm sending my husband and daughter to VIRGINIA to a soccer tourney, whilst my son and I stay here to play HIS game (that will be rained out for sure). I hate dividing the family. I hate thinking of my people spending that money to stay in a hotel room just to hang out with the other soccer parents and not play.

I'm not worried, though! In case you were wondering!!

To take my mind off my troubles, I accepted an invitation from a new friend to watch LOST on her HDTV with TiVO or DVR or some other initial. She lived in Switzerland, and so her advance praise of her own coffee-making skillz lived up to the hype, and I think I pleased her with a scone treat.
Besides being a very fun morning, did LOST not rock your world? JEEZ! I was very pleased, scared, amazed, and confused. Who's on the boat? It could be Michael...is that the conventional thinking? Who else isn't dead? Not that being dead matters at all.

As for the HDTV....Juliet was smokin' in her swimsuit scene and Claire's skin is really nice. I appreciated Ben's facial expressions even more than usual, and Hawaii....well, you know how I feel about that place.

Time for a new telly, honey!

You know, you think you're going to have a nice evening of a beer, some ACC bball, maybe a movie from Netflix, maybe even some nookie. And then you realize that the project is due tomorrow and the child did ask you to help, and it will be soooo much easier to do the hard part when he's asleep, and so you cut a bunch of letters out of tin foil and glue them to fleece-covered boards and take little breaks to play online Scrabble and finish off all the Yuengling. Suddenly, it's 11:00 and all bets are off. On to tomorrow.

UK Prep Post #2

I've enjoyed renting Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations". He's bad-ass and too cool and sometimes annoying, but the show itself is interesting and sometimes truly edgy. My children like it a lot, and I think it is fun that we actually have to censor scenes from them sometimes.

The ad for the new season has caught a lot of hype, even from Tony himself. He does look a bit predatory.


At any rate, his London travels aired in February and I missed it, of course. Probably won't be able to Netflix it before we go. But I did read about his picks here.

Prince Harry is such a bad-ass. I really admire his military training, his openness about his family, his hard-partying lifestyle, and now his dangerous service. The rest of you men out there ought to pay attention -- he's making you look soft!

Meanwhile, we ladies have to start polishing, shining, and scrubbing. The competition for attentions will be fierce in coming days.

UK Prep Post #1

I cannot do anything remotely as thorough nor interesting as Melz' Oscar recap, so read hers.

There was competition for my attention on Sunday night, anyway. My friend AV was in the same camp. Apparently, when she came to bed late, her husband asked "what happened?". AV replied, "Oh, Miss Eliza Bennett came to her senses and she and Mr. Darcy declared their love!".

Clooney is not as interesting when he has his cocktail waitress with him. The dresses didn't even rock me. If I had to pick a fave or two I might chose this one, this one, this one, this one, or maybe even this one though SOMEBODY needs to get some stage training if she is going to be an Oscar presenter.

The only time I felt anything akin to happiness during the parts of the broadcast that I watched was when Glenn and Marketa won. The audience was so clearly behind them, too. Melz did acknowledge, and I agree, that James McAvoy's brogue was just as thick as Glenn's. And twice as fine!

For Sunday's movie minute, I'll review the movie I just paid $18 to see, and that was "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" in Disney Digital 3D. Now, I am too cheap to purchase via Fandango ($4 in service charges is 1/5 of a bottle of vodka saved), so we went a few minutes early and hoped for the best this afternoon. I was worried...., but we went to a run-down, out-of-the-way theatre so as to not run into anyone we know, and it paid off. My daughter and I shared the theatre with...


....no one.

Which was fun as hell. We had much commentary, and no one cared that I had a bit of a stomach issue and thus some gassy emissions. The previews were frequent and some in 3D, , and the concert itself was pleasant. I don't understand the appeal of the Jonas Brothers, but then again, who could have explained, circa 1976, my obsession with Donny Osmond? My daughter doesn't really love them anyway. She really loves Miley, and wants to meet her now, and it breaks my heart. Because she has nothing in common with Miley, meeting stars is really not that fun (believe me), and it is likely never to happen. Normal reaction to her first concert, though...I completely understand and remember that very feeling after my first show. (Even though mine was live, I'm pretty sure the ticket cost was less than this movie we just saw). (I did wear a similar style of glasses in both shows, though).

Anyway, the movie is fun, they show a few backstage moments, and I do believe that Miley actually sings for more than 60% of her show. I like most of the songs, I sang along, and like I said, my daughter left questioning the big issues of fame, famous friends, and a career in carefully choreographed pop stardom. A successful afternoon I would say.

For Friday's movie minute, I thought I would focus on Michel Gondry. I enjoy his films and think he is somewhat of a skewed Hollywood type since his direction doesn't fit one specific mold. And now my minute is about up. So read the following:

The Onion's AV Club article with references to YouTube and Dan Clowes (those two seem like a great match to me).

I'm sure you've seen this article - and either identified with it or been angered. The sentence that interests me most is not about sitting Shiva, but this said of those with Obama Comedown Syndrome (OCS):

"A sense of ennui began to creep through the nation’s Ian McEwan-centered book clubs."

Ahem.

My favorite Lost quote from the hype on Season Four:

Then Ben grabs a gun and tries to shoot Charlotte himself and suddenly all bets are off. Locke is especially furious, because he is the only one allowed to murder rescuers in cold blood. So he turns the gun on Ben, and just as he's about to kill him, Ben offers to tell him ANYTHING, ANYTHING! He has information! Hilariously, Locke turns into an addled online fan of the show and sputters, "What is the monster? The black smoke monster?" Ben, speaking for the writers, has no idea.
- from nymag.com

New York also agrees with me and my husband that the last episode, though focused on my erstwhile favorite Sayid, was not that great. Still, not that great for "Lost" is still pretty damned great.....

....proving to me that tv can be as fun as movies and books, but not all that often. I'm also not as well versed as some of my friends...haven't done the research, anyway.

Over here during Flu Fun 2008, we've seen "Hairspray" twice, "Sense and Sensibility", "The Simpsons Movie" (highly inappropriate for the children but highly HI-larious) Wake Forest BEAT DUKE, lots of "baby shows", we've accidentally chipped a golf ball right at the cat, and fought about science fair projects. I also was able to read "On Chesil Beach", Ian McEwan's latest. Whilst I agree with at least one reviewer (reviews read AFTER I finished the novel, thank you very much) that the two characters are wholly unlikeable and not fleshed out fully, I also think there IS a larger theme in the book. The theme of English repressiveness and the stoic nature of its people and governement, versus the rock and roll it produced and the freedom of the 60s. In my view, one character is one English type and another character the other. The book has comedy and edginess but ultimately it is horrible and sad, and made me cry (just like Emma Thompson in "Sense and Sensibility")...and for a book to do that means I must have found it very fine indeed.

Seen @ mamapop.com

Who is R.G.? Do you think the writers (now employed once again!!) were thinking of this guy?

Here's my Valentine's gift to you - enjoy.

Wouldn't you know that REM is playing in London the very day we travel there? Ah well, maybe I'll bump into Mike Mills in Brixton.

Respect? Or "Renew"?

I've tried to be quiet and polite whilst my neighborhood goes down and a new, larger, vastly more expensive one goes up. Now, however, my new neighbors (and some of my old ones) have decided to go ahead and make THEIR opinions known by putting these pretty green signs in their yards that belie their real purpose....the purpose is to encourage City Council to not form an infill task force. Why not? Oh, because our city already has so many task forces!! I encourage you to visit the website of the organization in question to see for yourself, even at the risk of losing you from my side. Why? Because I'm FAIR THAT WAY. (Be forewarned: should you ask for more information, you will be listed as a supporter - by name.)

I cannot hardly state my position as well as my buddy Andrea , who did so very powerfully (and with her raw humor, too) where she writes. I agree with her, but have more fear than she does, as she lives in a historically-protected neighborhood. A neighborhood with a bunch of silly rules, but hey! Andrea's gorgeous three-bedroom, 2.5 bath will never be overshadowed by a 8,000 s.f., four-story, gazillion-dollar monster. Maybe rules are good in some instances? Maybe discussion is warranted?

People have a right - a "fundamental right" as outlined at the linked website above, to do what they want with their homes, and even what the market demands. I, however, do think that in light of the historic drought that our state is experiencing, and the unprecedented growth of our county, the least we can do is have our elected officials examine what is CLEARLY a trend.

If you agree, feel free to sign the Respect4Raleigh petition. If you don't, feel free to join the other organization. Either way, know that since those lovely green and yellow signs have started sprouting up, I'm not going to be quiet anymore.

Facebook: "It's Like the Hotel California"

Eek. And yet, isn't all of the web just like Facebook in this way? I've technically dropped out of my message boards from my first pregnancy - due mostly to a lack of time. But those girls know where I am and how to find me. Unless I change my email address and get a new computer, I'm pretty sure I'm traceable. After the Hard Drive Crash of ought-eight, we've noticed that no one on the Internet seemed to think we were gone at all. We've jumped right back in where we left off.

Facebook is fun, but I don't have much invested in it. I would assume that if it were your link to the dating world, or your only online outlet, or you need to be invisible for a while due to crime, indiscretions, or self-preservation, you might be truly frustrated by the archival nature of the site.

That said, who's up for Scrabulous???

Global warming really cuts down on the snuggling. My poor husband had to resort to putting his hand in my back pocket for warmth and touch last night. Anything else is just too much in these unseasonably mild times.

Fun with Fonts

Today is Ash Wednesday, arguably my favorite day of the liturgical year. Whether or not you believe in God, and you know my issues (Relationship Status: It's Complicated), you gotta like where Jesus' head was at during most, if not all, of his time on Earth. The 40 days in the wilderness and the sacrifices therein are a great impetus to modern-day believers and atheists alike to do something selfless. Frankly, I wish we all were a bit more selfless in general, myself included. Today it is appropriate to take a minute to decide on a sacrifice, or a way to give more time or energy to a cause, or to just reflect on our normal, everyday lives and how we live them.

I've decided, by the way, to keep alcohol on the docket and to also keep having regular intercourse. What will I give up, then? The thing I treasure most, my occasional raison d'etre, my obsession: worrying.

I'm not even worried about how I will give it up.

And I'm not worried that my husband smiled and stroked my hair when I told him. Or that my boss seemed dubious of my success.

Dude. I gave up nagging my husband one year and that went ok (until about a week before Easter, on trash day).

Here's what I've been working on - the Lenten focus of my church job - and if you want to help out, I hope you'll visit our church or drop some change at a place of business that is partnering with us, like NoFo or Armadillo Grill. Or, come out to our benefit concert March 16 (more on that later) Thanks.

"That's a fake!" he says.

"Isn't it?"

Did Facebook mess up my hard drive?

Did Andkon?

Did Mazda?

The time for pointing fingers is passed. The time for solutions, both expensive and complicated, is nigh. My poor husband has been working at work, at the Apple store, and at home to fix things. We really need an IT guy (in addtion to: a wife, a house cleaner, a personal shopper/organizer, and more time in general).

I can't even download pictures of the presh new niece, and there is always the slight, horrible chance that all of our data will vanish (again). We did lose all of our iTunes, but I somehow sucked some of it out of the iPod back on the computer.

It's funny how this stuff consumes your life, but it does. Luckily? We're going to write it all off on taxes.

Now for your daily Democratic moment - see this New Yorker article and tell me what you think.

My hard drive, along with my sense of humor and my work ethic, is corrupted.

I plan to get loads done whilst my computer is at hospital: go to Georgia for 36 hours, take all of my pilled sweaters to Goodwill, have a good cry, make meatballs with my daughter, reglaze the tub, and read something silly and fun. Oh, and lose ten pounds. Dream big, I always say!

For now, I'm at work and blogging at work (!) which has many secretive joys. When I go home there will be no computer, which could be a good thing. I did not enjoy seeing Heath Ledger in a body bag this week.

Speaking of that image, go read my buddy's comments about that and doughnut vomiting, and check out my other friends' blogs as well (listed in the bottom left-hand corner). I'll hope to be coming at ya live by Wednesday or so, from the good old eMac. I also ask that you say a prayer to the data recovery gods. And for Pete's sake, people, back up your stuff. It hurts deeply to lose a year's worth of photos, emails, movies, and music. Let me be your cautionary tale.

I first heard the phrase, "Baracks my world" on Will & Grace. I stole it, used it, then quit using it when I decided I was possibly a Hillary girl. (Not because he does NOT Barack my world, but because I didn't want to be an impolite adversary. I would never use something as shallow as looks or presence, or body type even, in a political discourse. No way, not me.)

Now it turns out you can purchase Valentine cards with a variation of the phrase upon them! Just in time for South Carolina.

With all the worries and frets and extra pressure upon Hillary and Barack in their respective ground-breaking campaigns, maybe it's not so bad to focus on something silly and frivolous every now and again.

Welcome, Little Niecelet

8.11!
11:55 p.m.!
1/21!
Get to hold her on Saturday....can't wait.

More Austen hype.

I accidentally invited people over tonight! WHAT was I THINKING...."Northanger Abbey" is tonight. Perhaps those of you with DVR would be so kind as to share your bounty with me sometime this week?

Time was, a Sunday night wasn't complete without a little Simpsons, a little local brew, and some Mulder and Scully....so bring this on!

Even the coolest peeps like "Enchanted".

But will we lurve "Cloverfield"? Or will it make us sick.

Will I be able to sit through "There Will Be Blood"? Or will I need to see the whole movie through my fingers. I've done it before.

The Mac is troubled. My entire music library didn't appear recently. My expression at the moment of realization was something very painful to recreate and may have caused permanent wrinkles. We got it back, but none of our playlists are in the library. Dude. They are still on the iPod but I have the feeling that if we add any music, any at all to the iPod, that we'll lose the playlists. How will we get along without my husband's "Earnest Music"? (stoopid name, excellent mix). I won't be able to recreate "Derby Day 2004" or "Christmas 2006" or "Gum Surgery 2007". The "F*ck Mix" was a classic created by my inlaws, the "Fleurs et Couleurs" playlist started with "Black Flowers" by Yo La Tengo, natch...but what else was on there?

And now Safari is gone. I KNOW Firefox is more cool but Safari was great and seemingly Mac-ish. Dang, dang, dang.

Any advice from you out there with computer saavyness?

What's that you hear? Why, it's the collective sighs of a thousand English-major, smarty girl types.

It Was Bound to Happen

I know, I know...but the more I think about Superbad, the more I like it.

The air smelled like Hawaii today. Then I turned on the tv and Gilad was leading his siliconed minions in lunges with Diamondhead in the distance (from Kapi'olani Park maybe?). No good. So I flipped towards the Weather Channel. Not good either - en route to that channel I got distracted by Cyndi Lauper wailing "Change of Heart" in Trafalgar Square. The song is depressing enough, as is revisiting my freshman year in college, but seeing London on the screen when I'm just not sure we'll get there this year was too much.

Today was a do-gooder day. I drove, with my friend - let's call her "Dakota River" - to a small town west of here (in the torrential rain, not a drop of which seemed to grace my desert town) to visit a woman who was always kind to me but whose main virtue seemed to be that she was old. For your see, I am hard-wired to take care of old people. My mother did it to the nth degree...to the point where her own health and well-being were jeopardized. That is not my ideal model, but when something is in your blood you are hard-pressed to deny the call to action.

Mrs. James is 92. I found out through church records - she would not tell us her age, lest we share that information with her friends at her assisted living center. Despite the years, she was sharp as a tack today. She remembered everything about not only her past life, giving us dates and place names for the many towns where her husband was transferred in his years as a school principal, but spouted information about national politics, local and state issues, and our church, where we met. She doesn't do formal exercise, but she does motor about with her walker all over her living place. She seemed proud to show us where she eats, does activities, and reads. Mrs. James is an avid Cryptoquote and Jumble solver, and reads quite a bit. Is that the secret of her longevity?

Nope. I declare her secret is not worrying. She is a go-with-the-flow kind of gal. She misses our town and our church (and she still donates to causes in both) but she seems well-adapted and very well-liked in her digs. Mrs. James is not exactly an emotive woman, and she certainly doesn't sparkle with wit and laughter, especially at 92, but she is flexible and takes life as it comes. Thus, she is 92, spry, smart, and takes one vitamin, one calcium tab, and eye drops everyday - and that is all.

(I should add that she said growing up in Texas helped her live so healthily. She said they ate a lot of grapefruit?)

The lesson here is: visit an old person. But also? Know me and love me now, because if stress and worry lead to early death, I'm going DOWN.

That Natalie Merchant. Songstress of my youth (along with Sinead, Siouzsie, and Maria), she encouraged me to activism, musical discovery, and a fierce imitation of her that was often featured on WPLS station identification spots.

Now she's floating without a label, and no contract. No wonder, right? Her music is folksy and political, and her voice is a mere whisper compared to others like her, and she can't dance. (Actually, I lurve her dancing style...it's just not very...current.)

So I find an article discussing her six sold-out shows in NYC and I think - wow, good for her, trying out new material, going it alone, and playing live! Amazing. But read the whole article and see that she actually BURST INTO TEARS during a song about New Orleans, and know that the more things change, the more they stay the same. God love her.

Now That's More Like It

I've seen a zillion movies in the past week. Much, much more my speed than the way things have been going.

Tonight: Atonement. Don't tell my book club (if you are in my book club and reading this, I'll see it again, don't worry! But my husband and I both adored the book and he's peevish when I see things without him, and well, you'll just have to forgive me. I reviewed the book when we read it, and I'm the president, so there.) Keira was great, sexy, long, lean, BRITISH, elegant. I love James McEvoy. I loved it - it had beauty and class and color and sweeping waves of cinematic yumminess. Of COURSE I like the book better - but well done, movie adapters!

Friday night: Superbad. You are expecting me to say I laughed until tears ran out of my eyes, and that Judd Apatow can do no wrong (which I generally do think) and Seth Rogen is a genius and etc. but I wasn't feeling it. It's a dick flick, and though I like to say I can swing with that, for some reason I didn't with this film. I did, however, enjoy the hell out of McLovin.

Thursday: Juno. It is SO sweet, and SO tender, and SO snarky/funny....and the soundtrack SO freaking got on my nerves, but I did love it SO. Important! Do read Ellen Goodman's article about it, if you are so inclined that way...

Tuesday: Enchanted. (Thanks for reminding me, A.!) Completely Enchanting. Amy Adams has it down. I was really into it, and desperately into the big musical number in Central Park. WTG Disney.

Tuesday night: The Bourne Ultimatum. Fun, fun, fun, superfun, delicious. I was very pleased all around. Wish I could have seen it on the big screen. I read, in Parade mag, that Matt Damon is so popular because he is an apathetic hero in this laissez-faire age. Bullshit, Walter Scott!

Boxing Day: Charlie Wilson's War. JuJu Roberts looks great in a bikini. She had some interesting eye stuff going on. Philip Seymour Hoffman is stupendous and raises the game of Tom Hanks. The movie didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I could tell my husband was practically reaching climax due to 2 hours of discussion, in SorkinSpeak, about the Middle East. I was able to name that tune, though: during a bombing scene we heard an electronica'd version of "And He Shall Purify" from the Messiah, and having sung that about 20x this season I quickly identified it.

My husband saw No Country for Old Men, and is hoping to see There Will Be Blood. I'm just too much of a delicate flower these days, alas.

Will you forgive me, on this Epiphany, for sharing one more holiday-themed Internet find with you? Who will not enjoy the jolly, high-brow artistry of a slideshow of New Yorker covers???

Panda Bear - Bros

This makes me wanna surf.

Bring on 2008

This year, we look forward to a new relative emerging from the woman whose lovely belly is pictured above. That, and many fun times and infuriating political moments and musically revelatory sensations. May you enjoy some or all of the same.

My Jones Soda hostess gift (thanks Lynn!), prices vary. Whole Foods Chocolate truffles (these are better than the Cappuccino flavor), $4.99, and Method brand holly berry dish soap, currently on sale for around $2.97.

When entertaining relatives, one can go a bit batty. It is certainly understood that one should BYO Love, Attention, and Appreciation. (I read that, I shit you not, in "O" magazine. Sound advice.) Perhaps you are not eager to discuss the year's tensions, or future travel plans to family obligations (and not tropical getaways), or you just don't need to hear about little Johnny's overachievements yet again. I have the solution for you! Table games!

I've played many this season - in the guise of icebreakers for folks who don't know each other all that well, or in the spirit of convivial fun. One friend has an annual quiz....I found one here and combined some of the questions with this one here. I printed out a quiz that the head of the table will read out during brunch. We'll have children at our table this year (I think its time, and I'm eager to see how that works) so I've left in the easiest questions knowing they will get them.

Copying Lynn's icebreaker, I'll also ask everyone at my table about some faves and least faves of the holiday season. Fave ornament, least favorite Christmas song (religious and secular), fave gift to give, favorite Christmas beverage. I'll also ask each person to share a very favorite memory, hoping that my parents will share some of their childhood and memories of their parents and grandparents.

My children aren't crafty, but they do enjoy making placecards. We used a snowflake stamp, light blue paper, and glitter pens for ours. More creative types can read this article.

I'm looking forward to fun and festiveness around my table. Now, I'm going to go take a sleeping pill.

What a week! First I meet Bill Clinton, and now this? It's all too much.

(I am somewhat peeved about the new time, as it will really mess up my Thursday night issues. Who will host me for Friday "Lost" viewings?)

My children bought their gifts for each other, the neighbor food gifts are done, the champizzle is chilling for cocktails on Christmas Eve, and my melismas are in decent shape for all the Messiah sangin'. Bring on Christmas.

Though I loathe the clutter they create, I enjoy receiving magazine subscriptions (thanks C.! thanks mother-in-law! thanks CP! ) I was thus thrilled to see a feature on excellent subscriptions at The Morning News. This year, Santa is giving my daughter a subscription to Discovery Girls mag, but I'm reminded of how much more delightful and innocent Cricket is. Maybe next year. I love the shout-out to The Week, a fave of my dear friend Lynn (and rightly so! tis the thinking girls' Reader's Digest), and of course I am in lust with Cook's Illustrated.

That said, I don't know why, as today's neighborhood treat cooking went strangely awry. How in the world will I ever do something even slightly complicated?

Can you believe I didn't know that Ella had a whole Christmas album to herself? Where have I been? Here's a place where you can listen and download.

Home with sick boy and pressing deadlines...this seems like the perfect time to enjoy some spiked egg nog or a Prosecco cocktail. Instead, I'll stick with my fave holiday coffee this morning. Later this week, though, I'm going to check out the Jones Soda festiveness. This would make a great hostess gift or even a little something-something under the tree for your relatives and friends.

We interrupt this holiday revelry to smash all your baseball hopes and dreams. I doubt we've seen the last of the indictments. As for John Rocker, I am so proud of how well he has represented my hometown.

Peppermint Cupcakes, Anyone?

From the world's greatest cupcake website. Were it me, I might do a white icing with red glitter, or variations (green with white glitter, etc.). But it's not me, and I can assuredly state that I will not be making cupcakes this holiday season, so just go read the Cupcake Queen and do her bidding.

The Killers - Don't Shoot Me Santa

(to the tune of "Farmer in the Dell")

We all have colds,
we all have colds,
sniffle snuffle sneeze and cough
we all have colds.

No meds work,
no meds work,
nothing that I ever take
seems to work.

I'm glad it's not next week,
I'm glad it's not next week,
at least we're sick right now
instead of next week.

They don't pay me the big preschool music teacher bucks for nothing. Despite being sick, I ran a pageant rehearsal, went to a barbecue featuring the original Red Clay Ramblers, went to a wedding and a reception, and went to an oyster roast -- all yesterday. I can really bring the noise.

For your holiday nugget this post, I recommend the following web site for an intimate look at an emo Christmas tree.... and that is just about as seasonal as I get at 76 degrees.

Happy Hanukkah!

During this, the Festival of Lights, I wish I could honor my Jewish brethren by learning more about their homeland and its ongoing issues. I would also enjoy some babka, if I could find it!! These recipes look too hard for me to make, but would be worth the effort if even marginally successful.

We've been watching Fellini films. Last night, after I finished "La Dolce Vita", I went to sleep at peace despite the dark realities and violence of the movie. But I had meaty, symbol-ridden dreams. I was walking down my current street. The houses were the same mid-century ranches we still have, but only those: no brand new McMansions. As I walked, the houses got smaller, the trees denser, and I was on the street of my early childhood. Both streets are dead ends. I passed so many houses, wondering who lived in each one. Were they people with interesting lives? People who would fascinate me or people not worth knowing? People I might have met before or even know now? I saw the house of my childhood music director who had indeed been my neighbor, but the paint was peeling and the house was dilapidated and empty. At the end of the street, a vision! A beautiful glass and cedar modern house on a woodsy lot near a stream. An Asian man and his wife and child were working on it and invited me to tour. I met the man's father, who told me the story of how he met his wife, the daughter of a wealthy, powerful corporate leader. Then my children joined me, and we heard a funny noise, a noise that was very familiar to me. I knew at once it was my toddler son, waking up from his nap. So I took my children with me, warned them to be very quiet because they were about to be able to enter the past, and walked into the room. My little boy, about 18 months old, was in a crib smiling and asking to be picked up. My children laughed at him and we watched my son's former self until my eyes opened.

Little Wake Forest has done it again, and will go to the Meineke Bowl. Hurrah!