Friday, December 31, 2004

The Scottish Angel of Music

Movie Review: The Phantom of the Opera

Last one of the year folks, and was it a doozy! Can I just say, who knew Gerard Butler could sing like that??? I'm hooked. Okay, so I was hooked on him long ago (can you say "the only good thing about Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life?" Also, I was in love with the character of André Marek from the book, but Gerard certainly made him more appealing in the film version of Timeline!

Okay, so I have rambled on enough about Gerard...maybe...did I mention that I could see him as the next James Bond? I love his accent too :)

Anyway, as I was saying, I was thoroughly impressed with this movie. I went in with low expectations, except for Gerard - mainly so I wasn't disappointed. And WOW - what a show. It is very much like the stage play, but with more depth and darkness. Having seen the play 3 times on the stage, I am quite a fan. I found myself singing (to myself) the entire movie and really pulling for The Phantom for once. (Okay, I love Michael Crawford's voice, but he is no where as sexy as Gerard playing this role). Here is what was amazing about the Phantom in this version - you feel for him. You want him to hold onto his love for this girl who has filled his soul with light. He really portrayed the fear of being undesirable and unloved and alone so well. But when it came down to it, he felt more for his love than for himself and that is one of the best traits anyone could ever have. I really identified with him.

Gerard deserves a nomination for this role, although it is a tough pool this year. And truly, Joel Schumacher's vision and direction really brought this to life. I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job. And having THE scribe of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the helm didn't hurt either.

I did the theatre a favor, though. I'm truly an Alto, so I really just mouthed the words to myself rather than trying to hit Christine's high Soprano notes. Boy, it makes me miss singing in the choir...

Thursday, December 30, 2004

De-Lovlier

Movie Review: Beyond the Sea

I love Bobby Darin's music and I love Kevin Spacey, therefore I should love this movie. So I didn't love it, but I did like it a lot. Now just about anything was better than De-Lovely, but this is more what De-Lovely could have been.

They both jumped around and were a bit hard to follow, but in this one, the musical numbers were fantastical, much like with Chicago. Dancing in the streets and a big finale.

Look - this movie was somehow rooted in fact, but a lot of dream sequences and fantasies - so it was a bit hard to separate fact from fiction (plus the disclaimer at the end didn't help to clarify). However, it was well shot and Kevin is an exceptional singer. It just needed more Umph. More direction. More, je ne sais quois.

Nice job Kevin - I already had bought the soundtrack. But, this is most definately a rental if you are into this kind of thing. I would like to know, who was this kid, William Ulrich. I was quite impressed with him!

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Ho Ho Ho and a Bottle of Apple Juice

I figured I should post something non-movie-review and talk about my Christmas holidays. So here goes...

I picked up Maggie (for those of you not paying attention, my 3-year old niece from California) on the 22nd from the airport - no she was not travelling alone, her parents were with her, of course. So the airport has this crazy rule which only partially makes sense - you cannot "stand" at the exits; only active loading and unloading allowed. It was cold, rainy and my brother needed me to watch Maggie so he could get all the bags (including the car seat), which meant I had to "stand" at an exit. Good news was no one bugged me about it - whew!

We got home to Gramma and Grampa (my parents) and the fun began. Dinners together, cute Maggie-isms, lots of Christmas memories.

It all started with taking her to the zoo on Thursday. She LOVES going to the zoo and had never seen live Pandas before. So off we went, in the freezing temperatures. The woman selling tickets said everything was half price since it was so cold and only the Pandas and Elephants were out. Funny thing, Maggie counted 22 different species that she saw. Granted, a lot of those were in the Reptile House, but still 22 animals. I was smart enough to take quarters and pennies with us because Maggie collects those smashed pennies with the pictures on them. Thank goodness, we found 2 machines and she was very happy to get more smashed pennies for her penny passport back home.

On Friday, Maggie and I made cookies (with help from Mama) - Oatmeal Double Chocolate Cookies. Maggie helped by pouring the sugars into the mixing bowl, adding the eggs (which she had me crack for her), and scoops of flour and oatmeal. I dumped in the chocolate chips and she directed my stirring. I prepared some cookie sheets for her and she and her mom (My sister-in-law, Christina) used the cookie-scoop to place them on the sheets. Then, Maggie's job was to count the cookies. Very cute. So we put out some cookies and milk for Santa and my brother was kind enough to consume them this year. Maggie was quite distressed that Santa did not finish all his milk. We explained he was in a hurry and didn't have the time to finish it all.

Christmas was great - Maggie helped to pass out the presents and seemed to love all her new things. She was enthralled with the Little People under the tree when she came downstairs.

We had a nice Sunday with the family. I saw my cousin Carrie "Bear" who I hadn't seen in close to 7 years. It was fabulous catching up with her and seeing my Uncle Alan who I am pretty close to.

Maggie left on Monday morning and I was very sad. I shed a tear or two as no matter how much time I spend with her, it never seems like enough. I will say that when I was sitting in the long line of cars at the airport - Maggie yelled out "Dadda, Aunt D - I found a Spotting Park - look there" and there, my friends was a parking spot. Now it was way far away from the terminal, but god love her!

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

I, Lindy, Resolve To...

Okay so the new year is fast approaching - how it got to be 2005 already, I have no idea. So in the spirit of making changes for the newest year, I have made a list.

My new year's resolutions:
See more movies - 103 just isn't enough
Abuse alcohol and drugs
Laugh at people who are less fortunate than I am
Step on bugs (ants, spiders, etc) and small creatures
Forgo smiling and stick my tongue out to nice people
Travel to 3rd world countries and sell technology at outrageous prices
Call in sick to work whenever I feel fabulous
Work the systems (call every company I use and threaten to cancel so I get cool deals)

But seriously, I plan to exercise more, take real vacations and do at least one fun thing each weekend that isn't going to a movie. Not sure what that will be yet, but I will do my best to come up with some. Suggestions are always welcomed!

Monday, December 27, 2004

The Song of the Recluse

Movie Review: The Aviator

I am a movie buff. I love movies, I see over 100 per year in the theatre (thank goodness a lot are free), but I am a movie buff who is NOT a big fan of Martin Scorsese. I know he is a genius, but his movies just aren't for me (except for The Color of Money ). This movie was almost the same, but I didn't dislike it. It was actually quite good.

Now, I learned a lot about Mr. Howard Hughes and am surprised that Leonardo DiCaprio played him so well. Who knew he had such versatility? Certainly not me.

I do think that other than Leo, the rest of the characters were quite flat and not nearly as interesting, save Cate Blanchett playing the legend,Katharine Hepburn - and quite convincingly I might add. She was so amazing and impressive - I almost forgot she was Cate and not Kate.

I would highly recommend this movie, but if you are not a Scorsese fan, you might want to wait and watch this at home. It is pretty intense and is 155 minutes - at least at home you can take a break and lighten up a bit after this heavy fare.

Over the Top

Movie Review: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Okay, so I have been a bit remis in posting to this blog in the last 10 to 14 days. The holidays have kept me too busy and I just didn't make the time. I tried a couple of times in the last few days, but everytime I sat at the computer, Maggie came up wanting to play computer games with me. So, even though I saw these movies on separate days, I am posting 3 separate reviews instead of posting them all together...

Granted, I have not read the Lemony Snicket books - so take that into account when reading this review. I loved the story! I loved the kids (okay, I've been a fan of Liam Aiken's ever since The Object of My Affection - that Jennifer Aniston movie no one but me saw).

But seriously folks, Jim Carrey needs to learn that even though there are roles that seem tailor-made for him (The Riddler, The Grinch, Count Olaf), he needs to have a dimmer switch installed so the "over the top-ness" is not TOO over the top. He knows how to act - The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, The Majestic. Why does he not understand that even if the characters are from comic books or such that this does not mean that he has to play it so overboard that he is annoying.

Anyway, the movie was good, the other actors were excellent, but Jim Carrey just killed it being great.

Worth renting...

Rescuing the Bond Company Stooge

Movie Review: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

So Bill Murray is a trip, Wes Anderson is awesome, but this movie is not my favorite of their pairings. I would not put it up there with Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, but it is a true Anderson picture.

It's funny, and the turns this movie takes are very Anderson-esque, but it falls short of his previous 3 movies. Owen Wilson was great, as usual in these pictures, but truly, there was not a real stand-out character (although, Klaus was pretty damn amusing).

This movie is still leagues above other mainstream flicks and I highly recommend taking the time to venture out with the Zissou's.

Here is hoping that 2006's The Fantastic Mr. Fox gets back to freshman standards!

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Flight of the Remake

Movie Review: Flight of the Phoenix

It is hard for, watching a remake of a Jimmy Stewart flick. I love Jimmy Stewart - he is my all-time favorite and I have never seen anything of his I didn't enjoy watching. The original Flight falls into this category. So fast forward almost 30 years and make Dennis Quaid Captain Frank Towns (ripped physique and all) and you have yourself a fine movie. And how exactly does a 50-year old have a 6-pack? Nothing personal, Dennis, but WOW...and yummy ;)

This movie was fun - not at all predictable. Giovanni Ribisi plays the smarmy aircraft designer quite well - and this role is a departure from the original Hardy. No nominations are going to be handed out here, but it isn't that kind of movie. The is action, some internal strife, and my personal favorite, a character who is a chef. Let's face it, no one will top LL Cool J in Deep Blue Sea with his explanation of the perfect omelet:
We will start with the perfect omelet which is made with two eggs not three. Some amateurs use milk to add density; this is a mistake.

And his explaination of physics/relativity:
Einstein's theory of relativity. Grab hold of a hot pan, second can seem like an hour. Put your hands on a hot woman, an hour can seem like a second. It's all relative.

I would like to try Sammi's Peach and Palm Salad. But I digress. If you want a good flick, with a little action and some decent dialog, go see the new Phoenix. Not a bad rise from the ashes of an oldie.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

I Dreamed a Dream

Have you ever had one of those intense dreams where you wake up and expect it to have really happened? You expect to wake up in a different place, or with someone beside you. I have these all the time, and I must say it is getting a little eerie.

So last night I had a dream that took some odd turns. First, I was at work, sitting in my cube, typing away. The phone rang and it was someone I work with, Jason. Apparently, all permissions for customer service agents were gone and the agents were going to start transferring calls to me as I was the only one with full access...and oh by the way, could he monitor the calls I was taking. Knowing me as most of you reading this do, of course I said sure. So I proceeded to take CS calls for a couple of hours. Then my boss walked up and wanted to know what I was doing and why. I was in trouble!

So I had Angie come and take calls at my desk, while I got the permissions restored (which took all of 5 minutes). So basically, I had forgotten to just fix the problem instead of putting on a wacky band-aid. Great, Lindy!

Next, I was in this meeting where everyone seemed to be confused and didn’t understand what we were talking about – but I knew exactly what was going on. So I proceeded to start teaching a class instead of running this meeting – I was in front of a black board and was pointing to words with a piece of chalk – I turned around and everyone in the meeting was suddenly 8 years old. Someone even gave me an apple.

I left work, and went with work friends to Perlino’s (the greatest Italian restaurant in Atlanta) for a nice dinner. Justin gave us the full star treatment and we had a lot of wine and a lot of food. It was great! We left and most everyone drove off, but I was driving one person (previously referred to as the lobster).

The lobster and I got halfway back into town, when we decided to go to my place to watch a movie. My place was perfectly spotless (yeah, right) and we had a blast. Popped popcorn (not sure how we could eat anything) and had the surround sound on and watched The Last Samurai. The doorbell kept ringing and I had to go downstairs and answer it. It was the party neighbors twice and other neighbors the other 3 times – all needing to borrow something.

Finally, the place was quiet, and we enjoyed the movie – a lot! (Insert your own details here.) So things happened, ba-da-bing-ba-da-boom – no need to give more detail than that. And then I woke up.

So what does all this weirdness mean exactly? I’m no good at analyzing. It was very odd and I am having a hard time getting it out of my head this morning!

Monday, December 13, 2004

The Trouble with Lobsters

So I had a weird, but good day. Worked sucked - it is just really crazy right now - but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The beauty of lobsters is that they are sweet and funny and light up my day. The trouble with said lobsters is that they aren't around all the time.

But, for me, as a wuss in the boy department, I try my best to let the men make the moves. I'm not good at it and I always expect the worst. But habits be damned, I went for it. Now my definition of going for it is completely different than most, but I'm a really good flirt and don't mind chatting about just about anything.

I don't tell people I like them - it's too hard for me. I have been badly burned in the past and try not to repeat history. But, I will tell someone that they are funny, or adorable, or that I like having them around, as long as it is within context that I can back out if needed. I'm such a wuss! I'll be an old maid one of these days.

But, I said something I wanted to say and it was well received. Wahoo! Now, I just have to wait a few weeks...darn! Okay, headed out to buy a Christmas Tree! Merry, Merry!

Skipping Bad Christmas Movies

Movie Review: Christmas with the Kranks and Shall We Dance?

So I have to say, that some times I see a movie because it is convenient for me. Christmas with the Kranks was one of those. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good either. It had one or two scenes that were cute or funny, but they were mostly in the trailer. Tim Allen, the holiday movie king, had some moments, but mostly this was forced. Botox, tanning salons, itsy bitsy teenie weenie bathing suits and the battle with the 10 foot tall Frosty were quite predictable and a bit disappointing. Jamie Lee Curtis has been pretty good of late, picking her spots. We barely see her (maybe 1 movie a year) and this was a poor follow-up to the remake of Freaky Friday. It's hard enough seeing her in the mom roles, but she is better suited for the undercover agent mom and the stiff upper lip body switched mom, then the buttoned up, holiday boycotting, buy a hickory honey ham at whatever cost mom. Save your holiday cash for something more worthy.

So the reason for Kranks was to kill time until Shall We Dance?. I am a sucker for Richard Gere - let's face it. He is a platinum beauty and worth every penny, no matter what the role. I haven't missed one of his movies in over 11 years - this would be no different. Granted, I waited a long time (bascially I had no time to see it previously) and had to drive to bumble to get this one done this weekend. But it was worth it.

Look, if I had to give it an overall rating, I would say it was a C+, but I try very hard not to put such labels on films. It's too subjective, after all. But this movie did a couple of things well - dancing and entertainment. This movie didn't need J Lo specifically, but she played her minimal part well. But as a movie, there was little development as to why Richard just had to start taking dance classes. He didn't seem interested in cheating on his wife with J Lo, but they implied that from the beginning. He wanted to feel happy and why looking at a dispondant J Lo in the dance studio window made him think that he should start dancing, I just will never fully understand. But after a weekend of serious movies, I needed something just for the entertainment value alone. Otherwise, my week would have started on a weird footing - and I have enough weirdness in my life as it is.

Look, Richard is no Fred Astaire - no one ever can be again. But he is light on his feet and managed to take a brash, blonde, trailer-trash type dancer and make her look elegant and high-class on the dance floor - that was a feat. And Susan Sarandon has such range and is so believable in every role she undertakes - it was worth the $6.50.

Sunday, December 12, 2004

Being Spanglish

Movie Review: Spanglish and Being Julia

First, I have to start this out with a bit of a rant. Why must the movie companies build trailers that completely misrepresent the actual movie people are spending their hard earned cash to view? This happens way too often for my taste, but I think I am one of the view who might still enjoy the picture. Thus bringing me to Spanglish.

I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan to begin with. But I do truly enjoy James L. Brooks' movies. Adam basically plays Thomas Keller. For those of you not into restaurants or the wine country, Thomas Keller is the owner and operator of The French Laundry in Yountville (Napa), California. This is the most sought-after reservation in all of the U.S. and it is more of a performance art piece than a meal at a restaurant...but I digress.

This movie was marketed as a Romantic Comedy involving a family and their Spanish-speaking maid. Instead, this movie is about said maid and her dealings with an off-kilter American family and how she learns to make her way in Los Angeles. Well done, Mr. Brooks. I was taken by surprise, and there were a couple of scenes where it dragged a bit, but over all, a break from the mold. It needs a run through the editing room, but there were a lot of aspects of this movie that I really enjoyed. Personally, I think Cloris Leachman stole the movie. This is great as a rental, but if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, take the time to go see this one.

Next up, Being Julia. Okay, this movie took some odd turns, and Annette Bening plays a great narcisist, but it was not what I went in expecting. The movie was on a pretty good run, and then it took a strange left at revitalized actress and then seemed to flounder a bit until suddenly it all became clear. It was like watching a great Agatha Christie novel unfold where all the suspects are brought into the study to discuss everyone's motives and watch the masterful mind of Hercule Poirot point the finger at the killer and no one's lives will ever be the same again. Fun!

Most people will not get this movie and will most likely get lost half way through Act II, but those select few will love this crazy romp through 1938 London's theatre scene. Ahhhh, I should have been living in the 30's - I would have had some fun :) One note - there is not enough of Jeremy Irons in this movie.

Saturday, December 11, 2004

Too Darn Hot...

Movie Review: Closer and Kinsey

Let me start off by saying that I did not intend to see two sex movies in one night. It was all in the timing and I don't make the movie schedules. I was an innocent bystander.

Seeming to be more like a play than a movie, Closer was still enjoyable...at times. There seemed to be a lot of fast forwarding going on, only I didn't have the remote. Years would pass between acts, and that was the most disconcerting part of this flick.

Now, take Natalie Portman out of the long robes and heavy makeup, and put her in stripper garb and dyed-fire engine red hair and you can hardly recognize her. She has such versatility - I'm impressed with her a lot. Julia Roberts can do just about anything and I will enjoy watching it, but sometimes need a little convincing - but not in this movie. The words coming out of her mouth - shocking! I love Jude Law (see previous posts) but Clive Owen needs help. He is good to look at, I don't mind the deep voice, but he was less than convincing in this tale.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie enough to not be sorry I paid for it, and being pulled in SO close to a movie, was a little off-putting to me. I think I need to sit on this one a bit longer to figure out if I really liked it or not. I know I did, but not sure what I really liked about it. It was different - and different is always welcomed. And Mike Nichols is a genius. I guess this was his point - to make you feel involved and force you to examine your own relationships. Wow - maybe I need therapy!

Next up, Kinsey...

According to the Kinsey report
ev'ry average man you know
much prefers to play his favorite sport
when the temperature is low
but when the thermometer goes way up
and the weather is sizzling hot

Cole Porter said it best (and usually does). But truly, these characters were NOT average men. They were young men willing to do anything for the cause - sure they were, it meant having sex ALL the time and with many different people. Warning - this movie is not for the timid, shy, innocent folks out there.

This movie was amazing. Now granted, there are a lot of graphic scenes and dialog, but it is warranted. (The poor girl behind me left as she had had enough at one point.) This is the story of a man trying to figure out sex from a scientific perspective. He was a revolutionary. This movie really gives insight into who Dr. Alfred Kinsey was in his day, even if it was dramatized. Liam Neeson fit into this role a little too easily, which makes you wonder.

I think this was an amazing piece of cinema, that many would never understand. However, if you don't mind the graphical content, you should see this movie. It's a dispassionate look into sex - hetero, homo, and bi - that does not preach about it, yet still recognizes the true evil of sexual predators. It isn't for everyone, but it is excellent.

Friday, December 10, 2004

Back to the North Pole

Movie Review: The Polar Express

Think back to when you were just a kid. You believed in Santa Claus, elves and the North Pole. Can you remember when you stopped believing? Was it all at once, or a gradual thing? For me, I can't really remember, but I miss that feeling. Life was so much easier back then and I was much more hopeful and was a real dreamer. That's how I felt when I watched The Polar Express.

The people look a little fake, but they are in digital animation form (even if helped along by performance capture technology and every character is played by Tom Hanks). It was a little longer than I expected, but it was a feel-good movie. I will say that in terms of the original book, it was a much shorter trip, indeed.

Now I think a lot of people don't like the movie so much since it is such a departure from the book (if I remember right, there are more characters on screen than in the book and I don't remember anything about the train derailing), but for a holiday movie trying to restore your faith in things you cannot see or touch, I think they did a really good job.

This is not the typical kid-movie fare, where the script is written as much for the adults as for the kids. But I think most adults will enjoy it for what it is - a fairy tale made for the big screen with action and drama. Overall, a fun ride. It really just put me more in the Christmas mood than I already was, but I don't ming paying $8 for that!

So the one thing that was most disconcerting about this movie was the music. Now I love Robert Zemeckis, but I think he did us a dis-service by hiring the composer from Back to the Future, Alan Silvestri. So the whole movie sounded like Back to the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

A Lookee-loo With A Bundle Of Joy

Movie Review: Ocean's Twelve

Well, it must be sequel week as this is the second one for me in as many days. But truly, the only thing the same about Ocean's Twelve, are the characters and it is about a heist. Who says that is a bad thing? I sure as hell don't!

Take George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon in suits and you have a sure-fire hit with the ladies. But add in a heist or two, lots of misdirection, witty banter and in-fighting - you get a blockbuster worthy of seeing.

This movie had a few villians, lots of stuff to steal, complex schemes to steal said stuff and even had Julia Roberts making fun of herself (with a little help from her friends - hats off to Bruno). Steven Soderbergh knows how to make a sequel worth spending your hard-earned bucks on. He even shot this differently - it was more like Traffic than Ocean's Eleven (not a bad thing). The movie didn't even need to bring in new talent - enter Catherine Zeta-Jones, but she added a flair (and a love interest for Rusty).

So my advice to you, don't see this movie if you are expecting another Ocean's Eleven - you will be disappointed. In some ways, this movie is actually better. Look, who needs cookie cutter movies who just repeat themselves to death (say like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason). I don't - I want something fresh, new, fun.

Why did movies have to stop being fun??? This movie was truly FUN!


Monday, December 06, 2004

Whister's Daughter

Movie Review: Blade: Trinity

So let it be said that I am a sucker for sequels. If I enjoyed the first movie, odds are I will spend the money (or at least the time) to see the 2nd and possibly 3rd movies in a series...I would guess that's why the studios keep on making them.

Thanks to Leslie at 99X and Nick at Chud, I don't have to spend as much money on these as I used to. Whew.

So the first Blade movie was really good - I love a good vampire hunter flick - not to mention, I'll watch Wesley Snipes do just about anything on screen - yummy! The second movie, left quite a bit to be desired. But this third one caught my eye during the trailer. Quippy characters, yummy co-stars and more vamps. I was sold. Honestly, it may have fallen lower on the list of priorities if I was going to have to shell out $7 or $8 on this one, but free is good.

So truly, this movie is more about the sleeper cells of vampire hunters known as The Nightstalkers - a band of misfits helping keep the vamp headcount to a minimum. Quite a shock since the first two movies implied that it was all Blade's work that kept the undead at bay. This gang of renegades has really cool weapons, a blind mastermind of a scientist who has created the vampire Ebola virus and her daughter who looks as sweet as honey, but comes up with doozies like "My friends are going to come and kill you." Next comes the kick ass Abigail, played by Jessical Biel - I have never been a big fan of hers, but her fighting style brought me back to the days of Buffy and the Scooby Gang. Then there is hottie, Ryan Reynolds, whose witty comments and buff exterior make him a welcomed addition to the Blade series. My friend Randee went out with him a couple times; she neglected to tell me how yummy he truly was.

Now, add the villains. The original vampire (known in folklore as Dracula), was kinda cool, and the disturbed Danica, played by Parker Posey round out the cast - can someone please find her a good endontist before it's too late?!?

Overall I enjoyed this movie much more than expected - I will probably buy the DVD only to watch Wesley and Ryan with their rippling muscles and washboard abs. What can I say, I'm a chick!

So this leads me to rate some all time sequels in their order of greatness. Enjoy!

Star Wars Series:
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Revenge of the Sith (I hope)
5. Attack of the Clones
6. The Phantom Menace

Alien Series:
1. Aliens
2. Alien
33. (tie) Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection

Star Trek Series (the original):
1. The Wrath of Khan
2. The Voyage Home
3. The Undiscovered Country
4. The Search for Spock
5. The Motion Picture
6. The Final Frontier

Star Trek: The Next Generation Series: (you cannot rate these with the original)
1. First Contact
2. Generations
3. Nemesis
4. Insurrection

Indiana Jones Series:
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. The Last Crusade
?. Indiana Jones 4 (this has to be better then TOD)
13. Temple of Doom

Jason Bourne Series: **honorable mention since it rarely happens that the sequel is that much better than the original.
1. The Bourne Supremacy
2. The Bourne Identity

That's all I can think of right now - I'm sure I will add more later. I never saw any of the Godfather flicks, which is why they do not appear in this post.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

The Day After Yesterday

Movie Review: Sideways

..or Thelmo and Louis go to the wine country. What can I say about Sideways. Wow, was this a great flick?!

Jack and Miles hit the road for a last blast before washed up TV star Jack gets hitched the following weekend..and hilarty ensues! It covers the highs and lows of being in your late 30's and having to let go of the past (which face it, we all hate to do). It is very Swingers-like. This movie had just about everything to make a picture great, including comedy and drama, with lots of wine flowing. This is a must see for just about everyone. It's real, and it's passionate about wine, love, friendship and realizing what you want and then going after it...and also with an a-typical ending.

It's in my top 3 for the year (#2 between Garden State due on DVD on December 28th and Finding Neverland.

Check it out...tell your friends!

Monday, November 22, 2004

SpongeBob Square-Flop

Movie Review: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Okay kids, spoilers ahead...

Can I just say, what a colossal disappointment. Now, look...I know, I'm 31 and this movie wasn't really meant for me, but even my 3-year old niece didn't like it and that says A LOT! She loves the TV show and has been SO looking forward to seeing The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Wow, can I just say "Suck City?!"

First of all, I didn't go in expecting too much. The SpongeBob laugh for 90 minutes was enough to worry, but Maggie was so excited to see it, that I was excited. So the movie was disjointed and scary. I mean, too much live action and King Neptune pointing a firey trident at poor Mr. Krabs. SpongeBob and Patrick under a heat lamp bring dried out to sell to tourists, complete with SB's arm breaking off because he was so brittle...a bit much, folks! Poor Maggie was fussing and climbed into my lap to bury her face. This movie couldn't end fast enough.

Now she did enjoy the credits and the scenes with the pirates, but that was about it. She kept giving me this look like - "Why did you let me see this, Aunt D?" Anyway, she took more enjoyment from watching the short film clips on Pixar's website. I could have saved myself $40.

Anyway, things are great here - Maggie misses her mommy and daddy, but for the most part has enjoyed spending time with me (and her Gramma and Grampa). We played together and read books and stuck stickers and played with her stamps. All in all, a good weekend! Popcorn, hotdogs, ice cream...easy kid to please.

Anywho, not much more to report for today. Hopefully we can pull off The Polar Express this week sometime to try and erase the horrid SB experience!

Friday, November 19, 2004

I Have Not Failed. I've Just Found 10,000 Ways That Won't Work!

Movie Review: National Treasure

So a wise man once said, that "It isn't the successes that teach you, it is the failures. If you always do everything right, how would you ever learn anything?" My grandfather was a pretty awesome character. He was one of the lesser known (okay, unknown) inventors of my time. He was able to look at just about anything, and figure out a way to improve it, fix it, etc...Basically, building a better mousetrap.

This has been a crazy, and albeit crappy week overall. There has to be something in the water or air, as people have just been rude and obnoxious. I've been insanely busy at work, and my quiet little corner has been discovered, so now there is little rest for the weary.

Rewind to Wednesday night - I attended a screening of National Treasure. God bless Nic Cage. He really helped me to escape my cruddy week to a little adventure tied up in a snazzy History 101 bow. Now Angie, having read The Da Vinci Code did not enjoy this movie nearly as much as I did. If you want to know why, read her blog review.

If you want my opinion, and let's face it, you are reading my blog, this movie was exactly what the shrink ordered. Take Stanley Goodspeed, add a dash if Indiana Jones and a smidge of Thomas Crown, and you have historian Benjamin Franklin Gates fighting for validation of his family's long journey to find the hidden treasure of the Founding Fathers. Now, you have to suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and take in all the historical facts and puzzle pieces that make this movie so much fun. Don't go in thinking you can waltz right into the National Archives and boost the Declaration of Independence in order to find the hidden treasure map on the back. And don't forget, "X" never, ever marks the spot.

This movie is an entertaining game of cat and mouse where Nic and often misunderstood bad-guy Sean Bean race to find the riches left behind by the Knight's Templar. Pretty cool, if you ask me. And one point I have to make:

In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.


The answer is 2, folks! The British came by sea...

Anyway, if you enjoy being entertained, and don't go in expecting the newest Raiders of the Lost Ark, you should truly enjoy this movie. I know I'll buy this one on DVD when it comes out next year!

Next stop? Maggie-central! I hop on a plane this afternoon for San Fran, in anticipation of spending 10 fabulous days with the cutest 3-year old there ever was. So look for reviews of The Polar Express and who can forget, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. I'm still working on Monday and Tuesday, but I will have spent the weekend with Magalicious and nothing can put a damper on that! I'll be posting from SF, not to worry.

Is it time for my flight yet??


Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Finding the Edge of Reason

Movie Review: Finding Neverland and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

So I am more coherent today - thank god! I had a great weekend complete with having the gang over to take all their money playing poker...but a good host always lets someone leave with a little cash...nothing in comparison with my $85 worth of winnings :)

So this past week I saw a couple of flicks - starting with a screening of Finding Neverland. What a pleasant surprise this movie was. It is the story of J.M. Barrie, played by the ever gentle Johnny Depp and the experiences that caused him to write the classic fairy tale of Peter Pan. So this is supposedly the almost true life story, however there is one glaring difference - the movie portrays Barrie's relationship with Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (played by Kate Winslet) as strictly platonic, however they were much more than that in real life (in the early 1900's).

This movie was full of wonderment and imagination - and if you walk out of the theatre not believing in Neverland, I would be shocked! Johnny deserves a nod for this one - there wasn't a dry eye in the house!

Next up was Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Now, like any woman with a pulse, I would watch Colin Firth and Hugh Grant reading numbers out of a telephone book for hours. That said, this wasn't much different. Now I love a good sequel, but detest bad ones. This movie wasn't bad, truly, but it wasn’t great either.

So how do you have a good sequel? Well, recreate the good parts of the first movie without copying them out right. Okay Andrew Davies, learn a lesson from this! Also, this movie takes up 1 month after the last movie, but it’s been 3 years since the last movie was in the theatres – suspending disbelief there a bit, aren’t we?

Mark and Daniel fighting was funny – again. But putting Bridget in a Thai prison, was just too far-fetched to swallow. While it was sweet all the trouble that Mark goes through to help his true love, Bridget, it wasn’t quite as poignant as when he gave her the exclusive interview with the married couple from the first installment. Also, having Daniel in this movie served little purpose, except when he was soaking wet, looking hot as ever. I love Hugh, but he just didn’t fit.

It was cute, but not very high on the hit list of sequels…

Chester is off today, so my day should be pretty calm. Did I mention he is also out the rest of this week as well? He is in on Wednesday, but then I leave for San Francisco to see Maggie on Friday...so 1 more day with Chester until December...NICE!

Monday, November 15, 2004

Everybody Must Get Stoned

Okay, so I am not a big fan of Bob Dylan, but he has a point.

So I went to the dentist for a root canal and ended up having a negative reaction to the anesthesia he gave me...I was catching trails off the TV - the first sign of a problem. Anyway, the procedure was called off and they need to figure out how to do this work without killing me - fun, huh?

So the weekend was a blast - I took all my friends' money in a great poker game (of course it was great, I won like $85). I love my friends, they keep me in stitches all the time.

SO I need to post about a couple of movies from this week - Finding Neverland and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...today is not the day to do that. I'm so out of it - my one on one in an hour should be interesting.

I'm going to try and be effective for the next 45 minutes if I can...

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death and as sweet as love

So yesterday ended up being very odd, yet very satisfying. I got a phone call at work (my fault, I gave The Guy my work number) and I knew I should just let it go to voicemail...I had a feeling. Sure enough, The Guy was on the other end of the phone and wanted to talk to me. He wanted something and he was quite smart about how he went about it.
I was annoyed at Chester - as usual. I had been working hard all day and gotten some praise from my co-workers and some higher-ups and was quite pleased with myself. I made the mistake of defending myself when one of his unprovoked verbal attacks came my way and this prompted him (and he says he was kidding) to tell a Director not to give me positive feedback as it would "go to my head." At least said Director was nice enough to give me a heads up. Moral of the story - I was annoyed and needed a pick-me-up. And The Guy swoops in like Captain America. He wanted to meet me. So I agreed.
I told him to meet me around 5pm at the Starbucks up the street from work (okay, so there is a Starbucks in my building, but too many work people go there and the last thing I want to do is bring The Guy colliding with work).
I drove to Starbucks, figuring it was a public place and wouldn't have to worry about him becoming all hands. Wrong! So we are sitting in the corner table, talking about life (catching up mostly) and he puts his hand on my knee...and I didn't make him move it (1st mistake). Then this bubbly girl walks up and throws her arms around The Guy's neck and is like "Ive missed you, honey!" Okay - this annoyed me (not sure why).
Anyway, turns out they went to high school together at Pace (I totally blocked out her name), but The Guy did introduce me as his girlfriend, much to Bubbly Girl's dismay. Okay, I'm not his girlfriend but I wasn't going to embarass him. So she finally left and we got back to talking. He wants me to give him a shot to prove he has grown up, taken responsibility in his life, yada...yada...yada!
For some reason, The Guy had parked his car like 5 to 10 blocks away and I'm too nice. So I drove him to his car, which, did I mention, was parked behind a grocery store that I'm sure half my office frequents? So I pulled in across from his car, and he leaned over to kiss me goodbye (supposedly innocently) and I just melted. I lost all sense of reason and will power at that point. I leaned in and kissed him again (you know how your body just remembers someone - very dangerous). Next thing I know, we are making out in the back seat behind the freakin' grocery store. Did I mention how I lost all sense of reason?
So I finally kicked him out of the car and told him I needed time and space to think about this. Do I want to try this again when the past 12 times have worked out poorly? I don't think so, but I apparently convinced him to give me the chance to work this out on my own. Besides, I have plans every night this week and really don't have time to think about any of this.
So - today is a new day. I am in a fabulous mood - refusing for anything (even Chester) to bring me down. I had wonderful lobster dreams and The Guy didn't call me in the middle of the night to rudely interrupt such lovely dreams. So wonderful. I'm getting some space, I'm giddy, I even have a bit of the smirks today. Ahhhhhhh...life is GREAT!
By the way, going to be in tears tonight as I am going to a screening of Finding Neverland. I packed some Kleenex! I'm going to ignore the 3rd wheel feelings I'm sure I will have tonight as Angie and I actually take someone with us to this movie (which we try our best never to do). Nothing can ruin this day!

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

There's a Fine, Fine Line...

...so I walk into Starbucks this morning for my usual Grande Caramel Macchiato and was goofing around with my usual Barista. I turn around and see this somewhat hunky, very cute guy talking on his cell phone. I turned back around and made eyecontact with the Barista, and he was like "I saw that!" Apparently I was checking this hotty out and got busted for it - not all bad, the guy stopped me and dropped a line on me. Very cute, and I don't mind being "picked up" so early in the morning...especially after a rough night.

SO it started with my trying to get my reformatted computer back to the land of the living - installing all the programs I need and want, etc. I had some video card issues that plagued me all night long, but finally came to a resolution (not really sure how). Then Angie called. We had one of our boys are stupid phone conversations that we have every so often that usually lasts about 2 hours. I think we kept it to 90 minutes last night, but we kept getting interrupted by "The Guy," aka Chris.

So I explained that Angie was in emotional turmoil and needed my assistance. So after the second call - he left me alone...until around 245am. Did I mention how exhausted I am now. SO he is begging for a chance, at least to see me. I'm trying really hard not to cave in, but it is getting really hard. The Guy just doesn't seem to understand that we are better off apart - how do you get this through his thick skull? No clue.

Anyway, so I had an interesting 2 hour phone conversation with The Guy and needless to say, I got no sleep and am paying for it today. Boys, why do I let them get to me? I'm so soft...what can I say. I just have to stand firm going forward, before I cave in completely!

Back to work!

Monday, November 08, 2004

Sometimes you feel like a smirk...

...so some days you just feel giddy, other times you don't. I feel like I have lost the giddy. Why is this? I'm not sure, but I need to find someone who can help me to find it again.

So I had this weird experience with someone at work about a week ago - let's call him Chester. So Chester, seems to feel that I am cynical and sarcastic and disresptful towards authority...hmmm. Okay, so if anything, I feel dwarfed by authority. I have the opposite problem really - I am almost too agreeable when it comes to people who are higher up the food chain than I am. So what the hell is Chester talking about??

So to make matters worse, today Chester told me that I was much more positive last week and he would love to see me like that all the time. Okay, so I was accused of being too negative towards others when I started in this company and that was 5 1/2 years ago. I stopped at that very moment and became a cheerleader. I do my very best to put a positive spin on everything - to the point that I drive people batty (just ask Angie). So why, does Chester think I am such a bitch? This I need to know.

So this all ties back to the giddiness, or lack there of. There are a few places I might find it, but I am trying not to get sucked into someone else's world just to get that giddiness again. There are a few start attractions - Pants, the Lobster, even a dose of The Flash might be nice...what to do, what to do?

So I skipped a few days...

Movie Review: The Incredibles and Movie Review: After the Sunset

Sorry, but I kind of got busy and then when I finally had time this weekend to post, my computer was uncooperative. So now that my machine in being reformatted, I'm spending work time to post some reviews.

First, The Incredibles! We saw this on Friday and much to our dismay had NO Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith trailer. That was rude! All this hype and AMC didn't get the trailer in time to put it on the movie. I wanted my money back...until I watched the Incredibles and loved it! It is a great flick in the Pixar fashion, but this is more character driven. Sort of a departure from the past fare from Pixar, but still, not sure this deserved the PG rating. There is a wonderful homage to the Speeder Bike scene from Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi that maybe aided in the rating since there is a CARTOON kid in danger. Who knows. It was fun, action packed, but a little slow getting started. I loved having Jason Lee playing the quirky bad guy - it was a lot of fun. I highly recommend it - I don't think you will be disappointed.

Next, we saw the Sneak Preview of After the Sunset. Okay, I do not care that Pierce Brosnan is 51 years old, he is still yummy! Okay, so his washboard abs are a thing of the past (probably good he hung up the shaken martinis), but he is still hot and can walk around without his shirt on whenever he wants. So as for the movie itself, I love the caper-flicks. This movie basically starts at the ending as Pierce retires after being a diamond thief for years to an island in the Bahamas with his sexy, younger girlfriend, Salma Hayek. In comes everyone's favorite airheaded bartender, Woody Harrelson to screw with his head and his life. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. It was not as predictable as one might expect, which is always a treat for me. It opens this Friday, November 12th - go see it!

Otherwise, my weekend was pretty relaxing. I cleaned my apartment on Saturday and then Sunday went with Angie to the barn to take pictures of her horses before spending my night working on the computer - no fun! Hopefully, we got some good shots of the horse, so my weekend had some purpose.

So I fall asleep last night, content on getting 7 hours of rest, when my phone rang in the middle of the night, much to my dismay. Why don't the boys let me sleep? Why must guys call you in the middle of the night and mess with your sleep patterns just to mess with your head even more. But I'm strong...I have convictions...I refuse to be sucked in! That said, need to find a more permanent lobster so I have a 2nd level of defense...ARGH!

Okay, back to work...

Saturday, October 30, 2004

I think I found a lobster who isn't afraid of my dark chocolate layer...

...so its a few hours before my plane leaves - about 8 hours. I'm really happy to be headed home, but I still sorta want to stay. I can't really explain why, but let's just attribute it to lobsters.

So there is this restaurant here that's really a chocolate bar. Chocolate Soup, Chocolate Eggs Benedict, and I just keep hearing about it. Unfortunately, no time to get there this trip, but a promise for a visit next time will see me through.

Many things I want to say, but just really can't tonight. Weird things are afoot and here I am in my hotel room, killing time before the flight - Jessee is off playing with his PlayStation 2, while Dave and Jason are having a cigar at Kiplings. Personally, I'm glad I'm here, taking it easy. I can pack, watch a movie or two and in general relax! As soon as I sleep, I'm going to have some odd dreams that worry me a bit, but you can't be held accountable for what you dream about doing, right?

Anyway, I can't believe it has been an entire week int he Philippines with my boss and I still have a job...shocker! I had thoughts that this would be bad, but I survived!

We ate an incredible meal tonight and I think Jason and I ate half the restaurant - or at least it feels that way. We actually went back to the same restaurant from last night but ate much more! It was fabulous - I definately want to eat there again some day.

I think that's all worth posting at the moment - maybe I'll post from Tokyo again!

Friday, October 29, 2004

What A Long Strange Trip Its Been...

...so this is my last day in the office here overseas. It has been quite a ride - ups, downs, weird food, snazzy hotel rooms, great people, goofiness overall.

It is currently Friday night here - 1015pm. The is THE holiday weekend in this part of the world as most people take off All Souls Day. The office is having a costume party tonight and alas, my Pink Lady costume is at my house in the States :( If I had known, I would have brought it with me. The halls are decorated and everyone really gets into the spirit. I makes me miss home more.

I think we are sight-seeing tomorrow. Which might be fun, even though there is something odd about doing "fun" things with your boss. Maybe it's the weird relationship I have with my current boss, but we just don't "get" each other at all. It causes for a sense of discomfort for sure.

So I didn't get enough sleep this morning - not in the slightest. I am dog-tired and wishing for 3pm so I can give my presentation and go back to bed. I have really enjoyed my time, but when it gets to be October, my life seems to hectic, that coming to the Philippines has seemed to throw me off my game. I'm ready for Thanksgiving with my family and to see Sweet Maggie Ming again. I cannot believe I am not Trick or Treating with her this year. So depressing. I don't even know what she is going as...I might make myself cry here in a minute.

So anyway, I'm sleepy, ready for some good ol' southern cooking - and a day off from work. I'm taking Tuesday off to go to the Pro-Am at the Tour Championship which will be a blast. I need to knock some dust off my camera and take some shots!

I guess I should get back to work - at least for now. I still need to post a rebuttal to Angie's take on my "rules" post...

Thursday, October 28, 2004

Let's Do It Again...

So I know I already posted today, but I am at a crossroads...

I have very high ideals (in most situations) and a strict code I live by.

1) No married men - I did this once, and I justified it to myself and others and still feel somewhat okay in that relationship. His wife was a big mistake and he says he never loved her - and they are long since divorced. Course, he isn't with me either. And I look back on it and it was not a mistake for me, but I would never do that again.

2) Stick with older men - or at least the same age as you. So Angie has this rule she set years ago that she couldn't date anyone who wasn't born when Star Wars: A New Hope was released (originally) in the theatres. Now she is 2 years older than me, so my rule is the same, but with The Empire Strikes Back. Younger guys seem fun to start out, but then their immaturity rears its ugly head and I end up banging mine against a wall. It isn't always true, and I would never dismiss someone I had a spark with over age, but I try not to go looking for a younger man.

3) Don't date people you work with - Again, done this before. How can I not, I feel like all I ever do is work and I tend to make friends at work and hang out with people from work...so who else am I going to date? That said, why is it I meet some of the nicest, sweetess (and yummiest) guys at work. It's like a curse. Do they know they drive me batty? Probably not, I try not to show it. But I am a natural flirt and cannot help myself sometimes. ARGH!

4) Try not to steal someone else's man - this ties into #1 a bit, but even if they are dating someone (and especially if you like the girlfriend well enough), you try not to look. So why do men become more appealing when they have girlfriends? Is it that you can see the guy in a relationship and therefore know he is good boyfriend material? Is it the challenge of getting him for yourself? Is it all just electrons? What's the deal, Lucille?

5) Always see past the exterior - and this one is a must. There are certain things about people that just jump out - it could be looks, it could be their nature...who knows. I'm good at finding diamonds in the rough - no doubt. But why is it that people do not just act like themselves? Honestly, it kills me some of the false bravdo that gets put out there - sheesh!

6) Don't date guys who play head games - I don't want to have to work at it. I don't want to worry about calling him or not - have I waited long enough? Is he messing with me? Put it out there, man. If you are interested, great! If you want a play thing, go jump off a bridge, ya know?

7) Long distance relationships suck - I did it and hated it. It didn't work out, of course it didn't. I was in Georgia and he was in Sweden - how is that going to work? I seriously wasted time in my life when I should have been open to possibilities and even though he is gone now, which saddens me deeply, I know that if it had worked out, it would have been a big mistake. I just don't think we would have grown together - I know me now, and I know how I was then (I was really young) and I am twice the age now and have loved deeply (and been hurt) and would have missed out on a lot of things that made me the person I am today. Those of you who contributed, you know who you are!

Okay, I think those are all my rules. I'll probably come up with another one later. Next point, so what do you do when you meet someone that falls into a couple of these categories? Throw the rules out the window? Live a solitary life? Day dream about how you could have had this person more in your life? It's SO hard. I am trying really hard to "behave" myself and not let my emotions seep through my skin. And is it emotions? I mean, maybe it is just infatuation or just a distraction, but DAMN! You know that crazy feeling you get when something just fits? It's like "where have you been?" "Of course I enjoy myself when you are around," "Can you stick around for always, please?" Man - I think I am ranting a bit...what does it all mean?

Life is hard, and don't mess with Texas. Those of you in the back of the room reading this will understand.

I think I need to fly to France or Orlando right about now...thoughts? I think I need a vacation, or at least a nice break from reality :)

We all breathe liquid for nine months, Bud...

Day 827 in The Philippines and man am I ready for my own bed. I have like 3 cricks in my neck and a hankering for some good old Southern Cooking. Mashed Potatoes, Country Fried Steak, Succotash - yum!

So I need to head home for another reason - basically, my lungs. It is really smoggy here and since this time yesterday, I am having serious breathing problems. It's like trying to push sludge in and out of my lungs. I feel like there is a Mack Truck parked on my chest right now - yuck!

So the plan is to work tonight and tomorrow night (Thursday and Friday business hours for you cats in the states) and then sleep a couple hours and then tour Old Manila. Cool idea, but touring with my boss - not my idea of fun. Jason will be there and he is a cool guy - fun to hang out with. Then apparently, they want to drink Saturday night and party and be stupid - tour the clubs, smoke cigars, etc. Thanks, but NO THANKS. I would like to get some sleep before I spend 18 hours getting back home again. I mean seriously, we would be drinking until it was time to go to the airport. I don't think so - even if it includes lobster.

So my hacking and coughing is driving me nuts - and I talk for hours on end in these presentations. I keep drinking bottled water like it is going out of style. The guys keep going to Starbucks, but I don't want to chance it. I hear the milk here is bad (so I have steered clear) and who knows what they may put in there for flavorings without your knowledge - with my luck, it would be nuts of some kind. I think I will stick with Perrier, bottled water and Orange Juice.

So we had Italian for breakfast (remember I am working nights) and it was pretty decent, but halfway through, I started feeling a bit ill. Not sure why, but I stopped eating to be safe. It must be all the bubbles from the Perrier or something. Now I feel better - but it was this weird feeling I can't explain. As we were leaving, we drove past this movie theatre. Personally, they should have had Garden State playing, but no...the did have The Grudge playing, and as freaky as that movie was, I actually thought to myself "Self, you should go see that again." Alas, no time for movies :(

Okay - on to my next Focus Group to find out who, what, why, when and how.

Later kids!

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

There's No Place Like Home!

Okay, so day 123 and I'm in Manila/Makati City. It is great here, it's almost like being in New York or Downtown Atlanta. The hotel is amazing. I thought the Shangri-La in Cebu was awesome (it was on the beach) but this one is absolutely incredible! I mean, the lobby alone looks like we are at the Ritz or something.

We got into town and were tired and hungry, so Clay and I had Prime Rib (and other goodies) before heading to our rooms to sleep - thank god I got some real food. Lucky Clay is on his way to the airport as we speak and is headed back to the states.

So I am in this current state of flux - I want to be here and do my job, but I really am ready to be home. I mean, first, travelling with your boss is rarely a good idea. Look, my boss is fine - decent guy, I don't let him bug me, I don't dislike him, but he seems to be high maintenance. And I like my own space, or at least the company of a friend.

That said, I am SO ready to get back to the States. Maybe I'll just hop a plane to San Francisco and go see Maggie for the rest of the week? Hmmmmm. It's a thought.

I miss my friends, I miss eating real food, I miss my own bed. Did I mention my medical condition has been fodder for joking, cajoling, and borderline harassment? Yeah - no way I trust anyone anywhere near my syringes if I have an attack - let me die.

Enough - happy thoughts....ummmm, don't have any. Wow, that sucks. I think I have learned a very valuable lesson over here - don't travel with your boss. Unless you are maybe friends outside of work or whatever. I learned this with my last boss, but I thought it was just her. Apparently not.

Oh well - maybe he will let me leave on Saturday.

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Day something or other - not sure, I think it's Wednesday now for me. What I owuldn't give for a Vortex burger right now! The food is fine, but so much I cannot eat. We went to this Asian restaurant (you know, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, etc). Anyway, everything has fish, seafood, fish sauce, coconut, tofu, etc. Things I can't eat. So I ate Teriyaki Lamb and some Satay, but that wasn't much and so my boss harassed me about it. "You must not be hungry, Lindy," "Um, no, I just couldn't eat most of what you ordered," "Oh, you could have ordered more, so you must not be hungry."

Anyway, the call center is great still. I listened in on some calls and am about to go give a presentation. Fun, Fun!

So we head to Manila later this "morning" - the hotel has lobster on the menu - woo hoo! So I need to run, just a quickie note to say I'm still alive and kicking in SouthEast Asia!

Later!

Monday, October 25, 2004

From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon

So I am in Cebu, working at the call center in this little, tiny room, with lots of cold air pumping in...but the humidity here is so bad, my hair still has not dried from my morning shower - silly me for putting it up today.

So I slept for close to 9 hours (during the day here) and woke up at 5pm to shower, get dressed and finish some work. Then we had breakfast (which is really dinner) of chinese food. What an odd way to start your day. So we had really good food (our hotel has a bunch of restaurants) and my co-workers were really sweet not to order any seafood. Orange Chicken, true Kung Pao Chicken, Ginger Beef, and Sweet and Sour Pork - now I know you are thinking, you are in Asia, eat real Asian food - but I swear, this was authentic stuff. It isn't what you would find in a restaurant in the states. They even had Shark Fin soup on the menu (Angie would be SO excitied by that). They bring the roasted chicken and ducks out whole too - Angie, get a fork! I'll call Rob :)

So we got into the center, and there was a big sign welcoming me and my co-workers to the site. Everyone is really nice and sweet and I am having fun. They even have a Starbucks here (only 1, and they don't have the Venti size for anything).

On another note - the BoSox are up 2 games to none (wahoo) and that keeps my boss happy (thank goodness).

Back to work - stuff to do - people to talk to. Later world!

Sunday, October 24, 2004

In Shangri-la did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree

So I finally have arrived. Sorry I didn't post from Manila, but I did not have access to the net. So let's hit the highlights...

Manila - Japan Air was cool - again people were always surprised when this white girl says Arigato instead of thank you. Go figure. The flight attendant, Suzuki, kept waking me to offer me food and beverage - very sweet.

The Manila airport was a bit odd. Customs was fine (really strange that through 4 x-rays, no one stopped me with my epi-pens). We hopped a cab to the "Old Domestic Airport" to wait for the flight to Cebu. Okay, this terminal was sketchy. As Jessee put it, it was like an old 50's era laundromat. We waited in the warm air watching very odd TV with a bunch of Filipinos. The funniest was, and I still crack up about this hours later, was this commercial for the sitcom Friends. Okay, we all know this show is a comedy, but they are clearly behind in the schedule here because they are talking about the triangle of Joey, Ross and Rachael. But it was all serious, and acting like a soap opera. Tune in next time on Friends! You had to see it to believe it. Also Hilary Duff is apparently a big deal out here - every 5 seconds was something about her.

Onto Cebu. This flight was only an hour on an old plane - board from the tarmack, etc. So the flight was uneventful (Jessee and I slept while Dave worked and flirted). So we get into Cebu, and Dave sort of starts worrying. Clay better be picking us up, he better not ditch us, etc. So the weird cabbies were trying to take our luggage - they all wanted to give us a ride to the hotel. We weren't having it. They are pretty bizarre and don't usually take you where you want to go. So Dave called the hotel, and they sent someone to get us.

So now I am at the Shangri-La in Cebu. Very nice, kind of a fancy room. Vanessa has been going on about slippers since May, but I don't see any lying around...very interesting.

So we are on the "Flam Plan," which is to say my nutty boss wants us to act as if we are still on Eastern time. So "NO SLEEPING" he says as we head up to our rooms at 3:30am Cebu time. Meet me for "dinner" which is breakfast at 6am and then you can sleep...whatever dude! I've been travelling for about 30 hours and I need a nap! Did I mention I'm starving too? FOOD! So I need to shower and erase the hours of grime on me from the travelling, close quarters with strangers and my claustrophobia causing me to perspire - ICK!

I'll try and stick to the "Flam Plan," but I'm not holding my breath! Now if only my parents would look at a computer and respond to my AIMs!

Later all

Lost in Transition

...pretty close to Bill Murray - I'm in the Tokyo-Narita airport's business lounge feeling about as out of place as Bill wearing the orange camouflage shirt.

So let me ask you - a business lounge with 15 work stations and only one is wired???? So I was an idiot and left my wireless card at home - stupid Lindy - but still, 1 out of 5 has an Ethernet port? This is Tokyo - they build computers here...one would think.

Anyway, the 13 1/2 hour flight went by pretty quickly. Business class rocks. Every 5 minutes someone is bringing you something to eat or drink or a hot towel. NICE. I slept, I ate, I slept, I watched movies. Overall, not too shabby.

Anyway, I'm here on a layover and am waiting for my Japan Air flight to Manila. So far I have seemed to impress a couple of locals by thanking them in Japanese and bowing slightly. You would think most business travellers would do the same, but apparently not based on the reactions I am getting. Hey man, go with the flow. Thank god for Styx ;)

Okay, powering down - giving someone else the chance to use this port for good andnot blogging. Later from the next country I inhabit!

Saturday, October 23, 2004

So I’m Leaving, On A Jet Plane…

Movie Review: Alfie

But I do know when I’ll be back again – Halloween! So I’m off at the crack of dawn this fine October morning to the Philippines for EarthLink. First stop is Tokyo with Typhoon Nook-Ten bearing down on the Asia – should be good for a few laughs.

I’m traveling with my boss and a co-worker for a week and this should be interesting. I haven’t spent this much time with either of them and now I’ll be seeing them almost non-stop for a week…FUN! I’ll do my best to post from Southeast Asia this week! If nothing else, I’ll keep Angie entertained :)

So I didn’t get a chance to post my review for Alfie – the remake of the Michael Caine classic starring Jude Law. Basically, I think I would watch Jude do just about anything for as long as he likes, but this movie was a true delight. It was funny and sad all at the same time. He is a bastard when it comes to women, but is so charming as he dishes out advice to those of us sitting in the theatre and it certainly helps us women figure out bizarre behaviors of past boyfriends! I especially loved the use of these 1-word billboards that inevitably crept into the shot to give you a clue as to what was coming next – very creative.

Okay, I need to take out the trash and finish putting stuff in my suitcase. Happy Saturday!

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

I’ve Always Wanted to Lift an Immense Quadruped Over My Head

Movie Review: The Grudge

So I am a little behind in my reviews – sorry about that, but life has been a bit, shall we say, nutty?! Anyway, I’ve been a bit busy, but still manage to work in the occasional movie, or other form of entertainment (concerts, plays, etc). If it weren’t for my “hook-up” with the movie passes, I think I might go broke seeing 100 movies a year in the theatres. Tonight was no exception – we saw The Grudge.

Let me explain the history of this movie. It is based on Japanese lore, which states that if someone dies in a fit of rage, or immense sadness, a curse is left behind. This curse basically lives or haunts the place where the person died and proceeds to kill anyone who touches it. Enter Sarah-Michelle Gellar, a.k.a. Buffy the Vampire Slayer who is a nurse/social-worker living in Tokyo with her boyfriend and just happens to be sent to this house where such a curse resides. This movie was originally done in Japan and was called Ju-on and was by the same writer/director. Even the actor who plays the little boy in the original is in this new version. Think The Ring vs. Ringu.

So the movie was great – lots of scary parts, great audience reaction and not as predictable as you might think. If you like suspense and horror flicks – go see this movie. Oh, and Jason Behr – very sexy with his long hair and goatee!

Now for real culture, I saw Bell, Book and Candle at the Neighborhood Playhouse in Decatur, Georgia this past weekend. I have to preface my review with the fact that I am probably the greatest Jimmy Stewart fan of ALL time. I love everything he ever did and was devastated when he died in 1997. That said, I went in with not-very-high expectations – I mean this is local theatre performing a classic tale. However, a friend from work was starring in it, so I had high hopes for him. I was pleasantly surprised.

So the actors were good, with a couple of exceptional standouts. Jason Vaughn (okay, I’m a little biased as he is my friend from work) was extraordinary as the straight-laced, debonair publisher, Shep, who falls under Gillian’s spell. Keep his name handy – I’m sure you will see it in the future. And this says a lot for me, as he was replacing my idol! And Coco Chalfant as quirky Queenie – well she just stole the show. Who is this woman? She made me snigger all night (for Muggles that means snicker/giggle). I wanted more of her on stage, for sure! The rest of the cast seemed to be trying too hard – they seemed uptight in comparison. Maybe Jason and Coco were just too good for this production? I’m not sure, but I would have been happy with a 2-man show! Don’t get me wrong, I know how hard it is to do what they do – I’ve done it – but I guess I just missed Kim Novak and Jack Lemmon!

If you get the chance before the end of October, go and see this production - I think you will enjoy yourself!

Off to bed - more tomorrow!

Oh, what a weird ass day...

So I wake up this morning in somewhat of a daze - nothing too new for 5:15am, but the day still seemed off. I showered, got dressed, did a little computer work for the catering business and then headed off to work. So the traffic was a bear way too early - so it took me twice as long to get into the office. I got here, dove right into work and then realized that I could not work on my first task of the day since I had not received the deliverables from other parties needed to get my task done - and here I thought I was behind schedule.

So I keep hacking and coughing - I cannot stop and it it driving me crazy. People are around that aren't usually and my boss isn't coming in until later...like I said, weird ass day!

Anywho, so lobsters...don't you just love lobsters? I mean, all juicy, with lots of warm melted butter? Okay, so technically, I'm allergic, highly allergic to lobsters (most creatures from under the sea actually), but that's not the kind of lobster I am referring to...Just ask Phoebe from Friends'The One with the Prom Video:

PHOEBE: Hang in there, it's gonna happen.

ROSS: Wha, OK, now how do you know that?

PHOEBE: Because she's your lobster.

CHANDLER: Oh, she's goin' somewhere.

PHOEBE: C'mon you guys. It's a known fact that lobsters fall in love
and mate for life. You know what, you can actually see old
lobster couples walkin' around their tank, ya know,
holding claws like. . .


That's all I'm saying :)

So hum-drum work is not as hum-drum this week. I'm preparing for my trek overseas to meet all these people I talk to each day, and I think it will be a lot of fun, but a lot of work and very exhausting!

Friday, October 15, 2004

15 Minutes of Fame

So this has been a very odd week...but it truly started about a month ago. So I'm watching something on TV - I don't remember precisely what it was - but it doesn't matter for the story. I have the TV on, but I was working in my office on the computer and I heard a familiar voice. I looked up and knew I did not recognize the guy talking - well that's because the TV had moved onto another commercial. Thank goodness for TiVo as I backed up and found a CitiBank commercial...

You know the one, the whole office starts saying "nice email" and "you sent that to the whole company" and this guy sitting in his cube gets this look of complete terror...then the boss walks up and he tries to wiggle out of it by saying "thank you." Well, cube-boy is my friend Brian Baumgartner, whom I have known since we were 8 years old. Talk about a surprise. I mean, Brian and I did all the Drama and Choir stuff together (we had a pretty cool group of talented people) and was a truly talented actor and singer, so I wasn't surprised that he was acting, but I didn't expect to see him on TV right then.

So fast forward to 2 days ago - I was in San Fran for a week, so I was seriously behind in my TiVo watching. I started watching the LAX from 2 Mondays ago (yes, I am watching this show) and there is Brian, playing a characted named Wes. So I went and looked him up on IMDB and there he was. He was also in an episode of The Lyon's Den which didn't air and CSI from last season. SO COOL!

Anyway, not only that, but my friend April was on this show Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn on Monday as well. She is a Morrissey stalker and was in NYC to see him.

So my friends are famous - go figure! Back to work kids :)

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Life has taken over my life - go figure

Okay, so it has been well over a month since my last post, and it has not been intentional by any means. Basically, between work, new fall TV season and quilting, I have had little time in front of the computer - even at work!

Can you say - Meetings suck? I mean, meetings are important, no question. But 10 a day - sometimes more? Usually I have at least some portion of my day double or triple booked. I need a Mini-Me in the worst way.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the independance of not having any direct reports - in fact, it has been fabulous! However, there is only one of me, but my list has grown to be enough for at least 2 people. The Godfather (someone from work) jokes that he puts an S on the end of my name because there has to be more than 1 of me to do all the work I do - he's funny and that is sweet to say, but unfortunately, it is JUST me. I mean, I have Nessa and her team to help - thank god - but their focus has been such that truly, they don't have any time either - ARGH!

Enough about work...did I mention today how fabulous my niece is? Maggie is like the greatest little girl in the history of the world. She is so sweet and so brilliant and calls me just to tell me things. I took her to Shark Tale last week (not a bad flick) and she called me on Tuesday night to tell me that she told all her little friends at school about the movie...and apparently I am Lola!

Okay, so it is time for my next meeting - I only have 6 today...blech!

Thursday, September 09, 2004

And then there were 7...

...so driving home last night, sleepy, grumpy, hungry...it occurred to me that I need 7 of my own dwarves to run the gambit of my emotions on any given day. Unfortunately, so as not to tarnish the reputation of a true classic, I need to start from scratch - so here goes:
Bitchy - probably the most common after a tough day at the office
Hungry - usually spawns from Bitchy and that long day where I didn't even have a break to eat some crackers or something
Flaky - face it, we all have those days
Headachey - I get killer migraines, so this one has to be included
Punchy - A lack of sleep and general nutiness often lead to this dwarf for me - ask anyone
Peachy - On the good days, which are quite often. After all I am a Georgia Peach
Silly - I'm just silly most of the time. I would have said Goofy, but he is another Disney character that I don't want to be identified with.

Now I know, I don't have one that falls in the Doc or Bashful category - that is because those are stupid...Follow a naming convention people! Finish what you started.

Okay - back to work kids...

Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Flash - Ah - He'll save every one of us

Okay, so I am stuck in this ALL DAY meeting with a partner that my company works with. Only the names have been changed, to protect the innocent (and my job). SO let's call them Flash - a little code name Angie came up with.

So Flash, lets us know, way last minute, that we should be attending this 2-day meeting in Florida. If they had given notice...no problem. But in this case, it would have been nearly impossible to pick up and fly to Florida last minute. So now, we are stuck on the phone for half the day, trying to keep up with people in a room an entire state away...

So 90 people like to talk all at once, they don't seem to be listening to us, etc. Wow, the crap is flying.

Man, I'm hungry - is it time for Scrubs yet? Only a few hours to go and somehow Angie talked me into cooking a big dinner to celebrate Zach Braff on a weekly basis. How'd she do that? Hmmmmmmmm.

I'm SO ready to go home and take a nap now - it is kind of a crappy day here, so I am not sad to be stuck inside, but this kind of weather makes me sleepy.

Okay, I'm getting a 15 minute break so I can heat up my lunch - wahoo.

Later

Monday, August 30, 2004

Bonds hit what?

Bonds hit home runs number 695 and 696 and I was there...unfortunately. It wasn't bad, really, it just meant my Braves lost. SF is my 2nd NL team, but when they play each other, I have to root for the Bravos!

The game was good - we really didn't play all that badly; our pitching was the problem. But, we had a blast because of good company. Clare and Erich came along with me and Angie and we had so much fun just chatting and joking around all night...but it was a late night (stupid ESPN).

So I am dragging a little bit today - not the best way to start a week (albeit a 4-day week, 2 of which I should have some peace and quiet).

So I am having a shin-dig this weekend - I'm ready to drag out the grill and cook up some ribs and chicken and portobellos plus some great salads and something fabulous for dessert...the cool people are coming and we should have a wonderful time. I can't wait! I also have a party to go to on Friday night, which should also be a good time...Happy Birthday Heather!

Nuff for now - gotta get back to work...

Saturday, August 28, 2004

And so the story goes...

Movie Review: Hero and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Ahhh, Saturday. A much better day than any other. You can sleep in, you don't have to be anywhere, or do anything...oh wait, yes I do!

So I have a couple of things going on today - first, cooking. My mom has a catering business/personal chef business and since they are going to SF next week to babysit Maggie, she has to cook for two weeks in one. FUN! So I am headed over to help.

My second project, I cannot really talk about here. It's for Maggie, and should my brother or sister-in-law happen upon this site before October 9th, there goes the surprise. Let's just say, we have a lot of work left and not much time to do it in. But it's all fun because it is for Maggie and she is worth it! ;)

So I am off at 10:30 in the morning to cook and so on...but I did sleep in. But before I go, last night I saw Hero (and Princess Diaries 2).

PD2 was cute, fun, sweet, etc. I enjoyed it almost as much as the first. Who gave Garry Marshall that silly hat and the drum? Chalk it up to one of those sequels that should have been a straight to video release - it is Netflix material - save your cash.

Hero was amazing. The best part about this movie, is that you leave realizing that there is more than 1 hero (even though the 18-ish boys behind us didn't seem to grasp that concept). It was beautifully written - it is mostly in flashbacks, but the fight scenes rival Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. My brother will love this movie since it has Zhang Ziyi in it. This movie was truly amazing and I would watch it again.

That's all for now - the kitchen beckons...

Friday, August 27, 2004

Old Lady Who?

So I get home the other night and am completly spent - I'm tired, my head hurts and I'm cranky. I'm on the phone with Angie, venting about my day when my other line rings. I switch over and there is Maggie, my almost 3-year-old niece.

"Hi, Aunt D! I wanna sing a song."

She then hangs up on me - oops! She calls back and tells me I only get one song. I had to explain that I didn't hear it the first time. So then she sang a song for me in Mandarin - it was so cute but I didn't understand a word. So then she wanted to tell me a joke...
Mag:"knock, knock"
Me:"who's there?"
Mag:"old lady"
Me:"old lady who?"
Mag:"i didn't you know you to yodel"

How adorable is she?! We talked for another 10 minutes about who has what color hair and who's birthday parties she is going to - away melted the crappy day. Whew...

Otherwise, it wasn't a bad week until today. Today was complete and utter frustration over people being rude and disrespectful. A true disappointment...maybe Maggie will call me tonight and save my day!

I did eat at the Vortex today - that helped chill me out - thank goodness Angie can predict stressful Lindy times!

Monday, August 16, 2004

There's Beauty in the Breakdown...

So I am finally (and truly) back at work after close to 12 days being laid up. There is nothing less fun than feeling so bad that you don't want to get out of bed for 12 days - believe me...I was close to a breakdown.

Anyway, I am back in the land of the living, but still not 100%. But I am at work and surprisingly, enjoying it again. Of course, my boss is out of town, but that has nothing to do with it...I'm not one of those people who hates their boss.

Saw Garden State again - that makes 3 trips. It just gets better each time! You must see this movie!

So I have caught Olympic Fever - watching tons of Swimming and Diving (and Gymnastics). Loving Michael Phelps. Could he be any cuter?

Time to get back and do a little work before the end of my day. Happy Monday!

Thursday, August 12, 2004

Next Time, Wear Pants...

...don't ask my why that popped into my head yesterday, but it did.

The day was okay, still sick and wanting to wake up when it's over. I was dying for food after work, so Angie and I went to Gordon Biersch and ate - huge mistake. Back to clear liquids for me, dammit. The food was great, but my body was not prepared, I guess.

This week is apparently movie week - after seeing two flicks two weekends ago and nothing this past weekend - I am way behind. It sounds like I'm doing 5 or 6 in the next 3 days, whew...at least Garden State is one of them - YAY!

Anyway, not much else to report. It rained here pretty hard last night, so maybe it will be cool today (course I will be locked up in my office). Maybe when I get to work, it will already be 5pm and I can leave - what do you think?

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

The Dead or Dying...

You ever feel like you were never going to feel good again? I do...day 6 of the illness saga and I was subjected to even more tests, medications and treatments. The doctor pumped me so full of steroids that on the drive home, I had to stop because I was shaking so bad. Anyway, I feel a little better now - no shaking and I can take a breath...and don't get me wrong, but I am tired of medicine and doctors. Where is a magic wand when you need one...I just want to feel better! Course, there are people a LOT worse off than me, so I am gonna quit my bitchin'.

So, Tuesday came and went. I went back to work and was pretty out of it, I'm not sure what I agreed to today . Tomorrow must be better, dammit.

So in my sickly state, I watched Pieces of April - great flick. It was almost too short though. Katie Holmes was great, but Patricia Clarkson rocks. Between that and The Station Agent, she was THE actress last year.

So speaking of great flicks - Garden State...I feel like I need to be doing more for this movie...it moved me...it changed me...more people need to see it and I need a FOGS t-shirt and bumber sticker at least! Okay, enough rambling - it's time for bed and more meds - blech...

Wake me when the illness has passed please :)

Monday, August 09, 2004

Long time...no post!

Okay so it has been over a week since I posted - sorry. I got home from my whirlwind trip to NYC and then was totally sucked back into work (mostly playing catch-up) and was exhausted...so tired in fact that my body decided to revolt and I have been down for almost 5 days with a viral infection (basically, a precursor to Bronchitis) - yeah, sucks to be me...

Anyway, can I just say that cabin fever has gotten the best of me? I am SO bored, but have been so ill, that all I have been up for doing is sleeping. I have been filing through my 325+ DVD collection (plus 5 discs out from Netflix) and I am dying of boredom. I have been eating soup and drinking clear liquids for days (what I wouldn't give for some milk right about now) and hating every minute of it. Why did we wish for illness when we were kids anyway? Being sick sucks. Ferris Bueller had the right idea, man...fake it and then party all day. What I wouldn't give for a clear breath right now.

My brother did call me on Saturday - from Pac Bell Park (yes I am still calling it that) to tell me he was going to see Maddux's 300th win - damn, I shouldn't have left SF!

Last but not least, can I just say that Garden State made $22k per theatre this weekend and The Village only made $13.6k! Go Zach!

Sunday, August 01, 2004

Jersey's Deniro...and shit.

So day 3 has arrived in NYC and it's rainy and still hot - damn! At least in Georgia when it rains it cools off.

So yesterday started out at a little sandwich place, 'wichcraft, down in Gramercy that was amazing. They serve all sandwiched and I had this amazing Roast Turkey with an Onion Relish, Bacon and Avocado...yum. Also, a delicious chocolate cupcake for dessert.

Next came Hugh...I mean The Boy From Oz. Not only is Hugh amazing as Peter Allen, but the girl who plays Liza Minelli (Stephanie someone) was great and had a very Lucy Arnez quality to her. We waited for Hugh afterwards with the mass of people and came "this close" to getting him to sign my Playbill. Then some naked people, clearly just having been fooling around, opened their window from across the street and were taking pictures of Hugh. Just missed him.

So anyway, back to the hotel to relax and wait for Angie's mom, then off to Bolo for one of the best meals I have had in New York - I highly recommend it. It's down near the Flatiron building (on E 22nd) and has Spanish-inspired food. They did this baked Manchego cheese with almonds and roasted bell peppers that just melted in your mouth...ahhhh.

Finally, the evening ended with Zach, I mean Garden State. It was even the better the 2nd time around. The show was sold out and the audience was totally into it. Man he rocks!

Off to brunch...

Friday, July 30, 2004

Ahhhh...New York (Part II)

Theatre Review: Avenue Q and The Boy From Oz

Then was the pen-ultimate - Avenue Q. Can I say how fabulous this show was. I mean, I already knew I would like it and I knew the words to half the songs (hey...I'm a theatre geek who bought the CD). Anyway, the show was hilarious and fun and catchy, etc. Well deserved Tony for Best Musical of 2004. And John Tartaglia - WOW! These guys are the hardest working actors (and puppeteers) on Broadway! Go see it - I highly recommend it.

Anyway, tomorrow is lunch at Wichcraft, The Boy From Oz for a matinee (wahoo Hugh) and dinner at Bolo (gotta love Bobby Flay). Oh yeah, and did I mention I'm seeing Garden State again tomorrow???? Insert shameless plug here:


Over and out, kids.