VELVETDE

In Anticipation

2008-04-05T17:11:00.001-07:00

Super excited for the new Portishead album THIRD, which is supposed to be really amazing...so I thought I'd post my favorite song ROADS from the live Roseland Ballroom album. Beth Gibbons makes me want to cry but in the best way possible.

Back in the Saddle

2008-03-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

I've been such a slacker with my reading over the last year or so but I stepped up my game once we were in Florida and have finished 4 books in a month! Here is the list with my thoughts:

THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER by Tom Perrotta - It was entertaining and very similar in theme to his other books but I didn't love it. I enjoyed it for the first half but then I kind of just wanted it to end already...and then it did, but kind of abruptly. I didn't NOT like it, but I was expecting a little more from him.

THE RIGHT ADDRESS by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman - After I finished THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER I wanted something really light so I headed down to my in-law's condo's library and picked this up. It's about socialites and social climbing in NYC and it caught my eye because I had read a script by the authors years ago. I also knew that they were classmates of Gwyneth Paltrow at Spence and that one of them was the daughter of the owner of Chanel...yes, that Chanel. So I wanted to see if they could write a novel. Answer: not so much. I read it in less than 24 hours and it made Plum Sykes look like a genius. It may have killed a few brain cells but at least it was while I was on vacation.

INTO THIN AIR by Jon Krakauer - It took me forever to read it but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. Heartbreaking but also so well written I almost forgot how disturbing the story is. Until the very end when I cried.

THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Wells - I've been reading this in pieces since Christmas and had actually read a good portion of it years ago when it first came out. At first it is amazing and I was really struck by what this poor girl went through, but then it was just a bit relentless and the same abuses were inflicted over and over and it just started to feel ridiculous. And then I got to the last few chapters and it just seems like it couldn't possibly have happened. I haven't heard of any crazy backlash so I assume it really is a true story, and if that's the case then obviously this woman is truly incredible...and not a bad writer.

Now I'm moving on to REVOLUTIONARY ROAD because Eric read it and loved it and it seems like it will be entertaining, albeit possibly depressing. I'll let you know my thoughts when I finish it, hopefully sometime before Rory's next birthday!

Rory is 2!

2008-03-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late with my postings but the little munchkin turned 2 Feb 28th and I wanted to share some new pictures. You can also see a bunch of new ones at web.mac.com/offmango. The first pic is from her birthday week and the second is from our trip to Florida last week. She's so cute it breaks my heart!

For My Spookybear

2008-03-17T16:43:00.001-07:00

Memories of summer parties and the dorky videos we used to make. If this song doesn't cheer you up I don't know what can! xoxo

Goodbye Ennis del Mar

2008-01-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what there really is to say, except that everyone I know, all of us jaded film people from New York, are truly heartbroken about Heath Ledger's death. He was incredibly talented and it is shocking that someone so young and so gifted would end his life so soon. As readers of my blog know, I was once someone who appreciated his work but not him as a person until he did one little but significant thing for me...held a door open while I was pregnant when he could have easily just let the door close behind him. It made me smile to think a person who appeared so often times surly and above it all to be a gentleman. Anyway, I will remember him most for that but also for his beautiful performance in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and I am truly sad that there is only one more film that I will be able to see him in.

SUPER-freaking-HILARIOUS!

2008-01-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

Forget all the other movies I've seen this year, SUPERBAD is now THE BEST MOVIE EVER! Eric and I watched it this weekend and my god I've not laughed that loud and that long for years. My stupid-comedy bar is set at OLD SCHOOL and I'm pretty much always disappointed when I see a new one (I'm talking about you 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN) but on a whim I ordered SUPERBAD from Netflix and I must say it is even funnier than the Vince Vaughn scenes in OS. It's all about Michael Cera (George Michael Bluth to you ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT fans), who at 19 is funnier than most of the more successful comedians around. His reactions are priceless and the boy can dance too!

In case you think I've totally gone cheesy hollywood I would just like to remind you that the director is Greg Mottola who started with a fantastic indie film 10 years ago called THE DAY TRIPPERS and he was a big part of my interest in SUPERBAD. He's been directing TV during the last decade but this proves he is a very good comedy director and I hope he gets more work in features.

Anywho, you should rent SUPERBAD right now and experience the funny for yourself.

That is all.

Rory at Christmas

2008-01-09T16:26:00.001-08:00

We had a great time in Cleveland for Christmas Week. Rory had no concept of Santa or presents for that matter, but we had a great time with Grammy and Gramps and Rory stepped up her language skills a bit. She's now saying most words that end in "at" (think cat, hat, etc.) and can not only point out all the letters of the alphabet but can say about 90% of them too! Now if I could only get her to ask for things with words instead of whining I would be so happy.

Memories

2007-12-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Just a little something to remind me of a happier time, when Christian cared so little about Hollywood acceptance that he dressed in drag with Todd Haynes on the cover of the Village Voice. I had this as my screen saver for years.

NNNNNOOOOOOO

2007-12-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

Apparently Christian Bale has suffered some serious head trauma because there really can be no other excuse why he would agree to star in a new TERMINATOR movie directed by that hack McG. All I have to say is he better be making mad money. And he better look super hot.

Pigtails

2007-11-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

Almost 21 months and I can finally put her hair in pigtails!! C'mon, she is the cutest, non?

5 More Days

2007-11-11T15:05:00.001-08:00

I. Can't. Wait.

RADIOHEAD DOES NEW ORDER/JOY DIVISION

2007-11-11T14:52:00.001-08:00

I've died and gone back to 1986.

RADIOHEAD DOES THE SMITHS

2007-11-11T14:22:00.001-08:00

And Thom does his best Moz...and they all seem to be having such a good time reliving their youth!

Fall Movies

2007-10-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

It is finally my favorite time of year...pretty leaves, turtlenecks and the Fall Movie Season! I wasn't able to see too many films last year but I'm doing pretty well this time around and have seen 4 movies so far. It all started with 3:10 TO YUMA which, despite having a bit of a hack director, was very well done. I admit that the Christian Bale element probably swayed me, but in general it was very entertaining. Then came INTO THE WILD which I reviewed in an earlier post. After that we were able to see MICHAEL CLAYTON (entertaining and well done but it clearly wants to be very "important" and really isn't) and GONE BABY GONE (heart wrenching but really impressive for a first time director). I still need to see LUST, CAUTION, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, CONTROL and ELIZABETH not to mention all the others that will be coming out in the next few months. My head hurts just thinking about it but I will do my best to see as many as possible. Now I just need to find a babysitter!

IN RAINBOWS

2007-10-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hubby downloaded it today and though I had heard most if not all of the songs before, I am still shocked at how beautiful a record they created. I will confess that the last half is my favorite, most likely because it goes into the more atmospheric songs that I tend to love but Rory prefers the first few songs since she was dancing to them with utter glee. My favorite thus far is Videotape, which I believe they played in LA or at least I have it on a bootleg from one of the '06 concerts and have always liked it but I can say it is even more beautiful on the album. I must give it a few more listens to give a true response but my first gut instinct is that it's better than HTTT but not quite up to OK COMPUTER. But we'll see, I tend to change my mind after about a week of obsessive listening.

FYI-the image above was taken from their website, I don't own it and hope they don't get annoyed that I'm using it!

RORY

2007-09-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Since people keep forgetting how to get to Rory's site, I'll post it here again. It's a bit tricky and for some reason won't work if you try to get there from a saved bookmark. It may not even work witha link so please type in web.mac.com/offmango. I've put up some new photos of our girl frolicking on the beach today with Daddy while Mommy was in the city. And yes, I am aware of the fact that she is dressed exactly like me.

In addition, I'm trying to add a picture to this post and it's not working, so I apologize. If you go to her site you can see lots of them!

RADIOHEAD

2007-09-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

So I used to visit the Radiohead blog constantly and then all of a sudden they stopped posting, presumably to finish their album which had been in the works for over a year. So anyway, I randomly went on today and boom, jonny posted just this evening that they finished the album and are selling it on their site! You can pre-order it and will be able to download next week and get a hard copy in December. Being the fanatics that we are, Eric and I ordered the hard copy for $80 but justified it because a) you get the download and b) it comes with lots of cool stuff. We did find it difficult to order and had to use our debit card because it wasn't taking our credit, but I finally got it to work and we will have the new album downloaded on October 7th.

You too can pre-order by clicking the "those crazy guys from oxford" link on your right. I'm assuming they are self releasing so everyone should support their efforts and buy it straight from the site. Do not, i repeat, DO NOT illegally download it. That's just all kinds of wrong. Oh Thom, once again you've made my day.

FCU with Bill Murray

2007-09-30T16:32:00.001-07:00

Everyone should watch this short, directed by my friend Dan Beers and starring Bill Murray. Hilarity will ensue.

INTO THE WILD

2007-09-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

I know I've been remiss in my blogging duties but it was a long and tiring summer and I've just now begun to feel good and have some time to write. I wanted my first post to be positive so I'll start with my review of INTO THE WILD, Sean Penn's adaptation of the Jon Krakauer book that I originally read in 1996. I went in very excited because I loved the book and kind of have a crush on the star, Emile Hirsch. Yes, he's all of 22, but I can't help it, he's adorable and a truly good actor who I've liked in nearly everything I've seen (except THE GIRL NEXT DOOR and ALPHA DOG, neither of which I could actually get through). INTO THE WILD is gorgeous, it's heartbreaking but it's also inspiring. Not in the abandon all your wordly possessions and trek to Alaska way, but in the ultimate realization that enlightenment and happiness mean nothing if you don't have someone to share them with. It made me want to go home and hug my family and tell them exactly how much I love them, just to make sure they know it. Anyway, I highly recommend the film and am pretty confident that it will be nominated for Best Picture and Best Actor at this year's Oscars.

On a funny side note, I met Pauline for brunch before the film at Cafe Colonial, an old haunt in Nolita. As we were waiting for our check I looked outside and saw Sheryl Crow waiting for a table. She had a stroller which I'm assuming held her newly adopted baby, as well as incredibly clear skin and toned arms. Not a huge fan of her music but man, she looks fantastic for her age.

So I've learned some valuable lessons today, chief among them: make everyday count AND do lots of bicep work.

Even More Good News

2007-06-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

I think Hubby actually mentioned this to me last week but it didn't register until I read Simone’s Blog and there they were...the dates for the summer Cure tour. MSG the day after I have to be in Brooklyn for a wedding...hhhhmmmmm...this could possibly work. Who wants to babysit??????

LITTLE CHILDREN

2007-06-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

The problem with having a baby and not having a baby-sitter is that you never get to go to the movies and see films when they are actually still in theaters. Thus the reason I just saw Todd Field's masterful LITTLE CHILDREN. Eric and I were expecting a super depressing story but were pleasantly surprised to find it's actually quite witty and almost fun (though to be fair, there is some heavy stuff going on and it can be quite emotional at times). I was a huge fan of IN THE BEDROOM but I know it's not exactly a crowd pleaser, and make no mistake, this isn't really a particularly commercial film either, but it is pitch perfect from the script to the directing to the fantastic acting. My only issue is that I feel he rushed the ending a bit, but it didn't ruin the experience for me and I absolutely recommend it.

And can I just say that I LOVE Kate Winslet. Love her. How is it that she hasn't won an Oscar yet when she has made all the right acting choices and is always completely amazing? The world is an unfair place.

Exciting

2007-06-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hubby just informed me that there will be a Verve Reunion in the near future!!! I was a bit skeptical seeing as the source is just a blogger like me, however another friend heard about it so I'm optimistic it is real. No US dates for the shows but they are apparently working on an album and that is certainly good news. As P and I have discussed, we love us some Richard Ashcroft but he is infinitely better with the whole band than as a solo artist. Now if only Morrissey and Mars could patch things up...

Good For David Chase

2007-06-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

I am so not going to be a hater. I think he did a great job with the Sopranos finale and while I understand why some people are frustrated I think it was a very fitting end to the show. I don't know if Tony got whacked or Meadow got killed or whether they are all just going to enjoy their dinner and live life as they always do, pretending the evil parts of Tony don't exist while at the same time accepting the benefits that come with it. Tony will always lead a life of tension and so perhaps that's just what we were watching, just another day in the life of a mob boss and his family. Regardless, I enjoyed it and the more I watch the last 10 minutes the more I truly appreciate how he left it.

OCEAN'S BLAH

2007-06-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

Eric and I were finally able to have a date night thanks to his mother's visit and fantastic baby-sitting skills (no crying from the girl!!!!). We had to see OCEAN'S 13 since it's my Sodie and I try to support him whenever possible. I will admit that I am one of the only people who actually liked OCEAN'S 12 so I was very optimistic about the third one. Unfortunately I was supremely disappointed. I can usually forgive my man anything but OH. MY. GOD. IT. WAS. SO. BAD. Bad writing, bad acting, a waste of talented people and it was just so haphazardly put together. I think there were maybe 2 funny lines in the whole thing and they were given to Casey and Scott. WTF??? Sodie has clearly lost his mojo and I blame Jules Asner. Being married to an entertainment reporter would drain even the most talented person of their creativity. I vote for a speedy divorce and a new breakthrough a la OUT OF SIGHT.

After we got over the shock at how awful the movie was we got ourselves to a new Bistro in town that was super good. Yummy tapas and sea bass followed by an ill-advised trip to Dairy Queen that produced heartburn that was still with me this morning.
Thank God the Sopranos finale redeemed the night (more on that later).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPOOKYBEAR

2007-06-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the big 3-4 Celvyn!!!! It feels like just yesterday that we celebrated your 20th at Chuck-E-Cheese, but alas, we are now old and unable to spend our evenings at weird chain restaurants with both pizza AND games. Genius.

Anyway, I hope you have a very happy day and enjoy the last year before you officially enter your mid-thirties.

Cougars. COUGARS!

MIG'S VIDEO

2007-05-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Alex's husband Mig directed the new UNKLE video for "Burn My Shadow" featuring vocals by Ian Astbury from The Cult. Alex plays the wife in the tv show the hot guy from ER is watching. I warn you, it's a little bit disturbing.

15 Months

2007-05-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Rory turns 15 months this week and as you can see she's turning into a real toddler! Her checkup went well and she was a champ with her shots once again. I do think my pediatrician might be wrong about her weight and height...he says she is in the 25th percentile for weight (meaning kind of low) and 40th for height. She's clearly not starving so we don't see how she's a lower weight than average but at the same time we swear she's pretty tall...who knows. All we care about is the fact that she's happy and healthy and running around like a champ.

PS - If anyone is having trouble getting their babies to sleep through the night without needing you (I'm talking about non-newborns) then I highly recommend the Dr. Ferber book on sleep issues. I never follow books but was at the end of my rope when Rory developed a problem but the book really worked and she is now able to get herself back to sleep if she wakes up and is comfortable playing on her own in the morning so that I don't have to rush in as soon as she wakes. Everyone needs to follow what ever program works for them but I swear, it changed our lives and I am soooo much happier.

2007-05-21T18:34:00.001-07:00

New INTERPOL album coming out July 10th. Wahoo.

Like the new single "Heinrick Maneuver"...not changing the face of music or anything like that but is very much what I've come to love from my guys and makes me jump around to boot. If only they could fix their site and figure out why it keeps closing on me...damn pc-centric websites!

In other happy news, it seems from this photo that Paul has lost much of his alcohol bloat. Sadly I fear he's moved on to another vice that slims you right down, but hey, he looks pretty good regardless. As Lainey would say, me likey!

Intellectual Stimulation

2007-05-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of myself...I've actually finished two books in the last month. Of course in the old days that would actually be kind of embarrassing, but since I don't have time to finish a magazine anymore I'm pretty happy with myself.

The first one I finished may not count since I had read it 10 years ago. I was interested to learn that Sean Penn directed an adaptation of INTO THE WILD starring a young actor named Emile Hirsch who I think is going to be pretty amazing one day. He's made some interesting choices and is very young so I'm keeping my eye on him. Anyway, I remembered that book as being pretty interesting and a quick read so I revisited it and in fact it was both interesting and a quick read. The odd thing is that now that I'm a parent I am reading it very differently then I was at 23. It was always heartbreaking but now I really had a hard time thinking of how it must have destroyed these poor parents' lives to learn that their son died such an awful death and that much of it was because of his anger towards them. I just hope Eric and I can learn to really communicate with Rory so that feelings don’t fester and eat away at the family like they did in this book.

After that uplifting experience I decided to go back to THE SECRET HISTORY, which I had started a few months ago only to abandon 80 pages in. I had heard about it after reading reviews of another novel I've recently finished, SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS. Apparently they have similar themes but HISTORY was published in the early 90s so is much older. I was surprised I hadn't heard of it before but once I started talking to people they all said the same thing...they liked it in the beginning but then got completely bored and put it down about half way through. It's the story of a group of college kids at a small liberal arts college in Vermont who take their studies in classic Greek to an extreme. It was a little too RULES OF ATTRACTION for me though it was clearly trying to be much more intellectual than that. It is long and sometimes very slow but not a bad book. I just wasn't all that entertained and in the end it was kind of like, eh. I could have spent the time reading something better. On top of it all was the fact that it's pretty depressing and solidifies my thoughts on why Rory will not be going to a small liberal arts college (those kids are all nuts!). I had thought that I would move on to WUTHERING HEIGHTS next but decided instead that I needed a little frivolity and have instead started on PERSUASION. I thought I had read it in college but realize that I had actually only seen a BBC movie of it and hadn't actually read the novel. So off I go to begin some Jane Austen and hopefully regain my faith in the strength of character that young people can posses. After the last two books I am truly fearing for Rory's future.

The Angels United

2007-05-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is a little late but hey, I'm a busy girl. So, Mary and I took Kate and Rory down to North Carolina to meet Andrea and Ava (and Mike too!). We were a little nervous about flying without husbands but it all worked out and the girls were amazing on the plane. Here's a picture that pretty much sums up the week. The girls liked each other and would play near one another and occasionally interact, but mostly they just played alone and stole each other’s toys. It was funny to see how Kate and Rory looked up to Ava for her ability to climb on everything and actually say words...I swear Rory was jealous and is now trying much harder to communicate verbally. All and all it was a great trip and I was so happy to see my Andre and meet her little angel. I hope we won't have to wait as long for the next reunion.

Long Time, No See

2007-05-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. So much has gone on but it's all been good and it's too much to write so let's just start new.

I think I will discuss the end of the 06-07 TV season since it was a big rollercoaster ride for me emotionally. My favorite show is gone, my second favorite show was almost gone but thankfully will be back and the rest of the shows have been pretty disappointing. Let's discuss:

GILMORE GIRLS: OK, so it sucked this season. We all know it sucked but I still hoped it would continue into next year. I thought maybe they would have bribed Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, the genius duo who created and ran it for 6 years, to come back and make up for the atrocious job that was done by the new team this year. Well they didn't, and not surprisingly the stars didn't want to come back with such shite writing. So it's over and the last episode, although better than most of the ones this season, was completely anti-climactic and disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I got totally weepy, but I think it was because I thought of all the wonderful moments in years past that made me so happy and I was so sad that I wouldn't get to have that anymore. But we all move on...if I survied the cancellation of MY SO CALLED LIFE I can survive anything.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: I didn't want to watch this but Eric made me and boy am I glad that he did. Hands down the best writing on television and just so raw and real. I love this show and am sooooo happy NBC is giving it another chance.

THE OFFICE: It had it's good days and bad days but the finale was great so I will leave the season thinking happy thoughts.

LOST: It has gotten much better over the second half of this season, though this week's episode was another one where nothing really happens and I got a little bored. I know the finale is going to be a "mind blower" as our friend Brian, a writer on the show, has told us, but I'll wait to see it before I say I was really happy with the season.

That's pretty much all I watch now. I occassionally watch UGLY BETTY and it's fine and when I remember I watch ENTOURAGE but it's not appropriate for baby and I go to bed so early I always end up forgetting to watch it. Same with SOPRANOS and THE TUDORS. They are all sitting on my Tivo but I just can't get myself to actually watch them.

On a positive note, the lack of TV interest has brought me back to books. I am almost done with THE SECRET HISTORY and while I got kind of bored mid-way and I kind of just want it to end already, I'm interested enough to stay with it. The same can't be said for the other 2 I have sitting next to my bed waiting to be finished. Things are just boring me so much and I can't take the time to really get into them. When I'm done with HISTORY I'm going to reread Wuthering Heights and then tackle Brothers Karamazov...wish me luck.

BABBLE

2006-12-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

At first I was a little hesitant, I mean reading about a new online magazine for "hip, urban parents" in the Times Style Section can turn you off, even though you used to be an urban parent before succumbing (happily I might add) to suburbia. However, upon further reading it did seem like something I might be interested in and at least it seemed different. Intelligent parents with a witty take on childrearing and the hope that maybe it would be less irritating than the really earnest websites with moms from Indiana who never have anything negative to say about the very difficult work of being a parent.

I was right...and wrong. The whole marketing to the cooler-than-you Soho family is a tad annoying but in general BABBLE has articles written by real parents who I could actually be friends with. They don't just discuss the beautiful moments, but instead talk about the embarrassments, the feelings of inadequacy, the physical pain of being a new parent...all with humor and warmth and the real feeling that these people love their children, but they are not blind to the fact that it's damn hard to do this without everyday bringing a new disaster along with moments of complete joy.

So for all you parents and soon to be parents or even people who think they might one day be parents, I urge you to read BABBLE and belly laugh like I did over the honesty of the writers and the absolute hysterics of having a baby.

Chachachachanges....

2006-12-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been over 5 months since my last post but as most of you know, it's been quite busy. We've finally relocated from the icky LA to the glorious East Coast...Connecticut to be exact. It's not New York City but it's close enough, and who am I kidding thinking I'd survive one winter having to lug around a baby in the NYC snow, sleet and god knows what else. As it stands now I can pop into the city on a regular basis (and have, 3 times in one month) but also have the space and clean air Rory really needs. I also have a bedroom that is almost double the size of my entire first apartment, so bite me you city snobs.

Let's see, what else has happened? Rory is now crawling and standing and well on her way to walking on her own. She is practically running when we help her and is desperate to be independent of us so I'm fully expecting to turn around one day and see her sprinting towards me.

I've also become the proud aunt of Sean Patrick. Congrats to Ellie and Pat for bringing such a beautiful boy into the world.

There's been so much going on since I've had to make up for 2 and a half years of social isolation. I will try to post each day but as all new moms know, it's tough to get the free time.

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays!!!

4 MONTHS

2006-06-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Rory has made it to her 4 month birthday and we couldn't be more proud. She suffered through her shots like a champ and was told that she can now eat rice cereal and mashed up veggies and fruit...she's growing up so quickly! We will hit another milestone tomorrow when we leave her with Jen while we attend the Radiohead concert. Good luck to us all!!

Yeah, Baby

2006-06-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

So Eric's devotion to me and my Radiohead obsession has paid off. As I've told you before, he stayed up until 3:30am trying to get tickets on their fansite presale. He was successful but didn't know what seats we had, they just said "first available" so we really weren't sure where we would be sitting. Well, I picked them up from the post office yesterday and opened the envelope to reveal two PIT SEATS. Meaning the very front, and for anyone who has been to the Greek Theater in LA, you will know that the pit only holds about 20 people. So basically I will be right in front of Thom, watching him do his crazy dance and sing his little heart out. I'm so excited I can't even tell you!!!

My husband is a GOD!

Now, if they will only play The Bends, How to Disappear Completely and Optimistic, I can die happy.

Rights

2006-06-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

I don't understand why people think it is the government's job to tell two human beings who love one another and want to legally become a union for life that they can't do that because they happen to be of the same sex. Why are there so many Americans who are ignorant to the fact that we are restricting basic human rights to a group of individuals who are citizens of what is supposed to be a free society. Why is it that so many of my very good friends, most of whom, if not all of whom, are in long term committed relationships with people they love and plan on being with for life, can't have the same rights as Eric and I do? Now, some of these friends don't even want to get married, but others do and unfortunately they are being told that they can't strictly because they are homosexuals. To me, that is the same as telling someone they can't vote because they are a woman, or they can't sit in the front of the bus because they are a certain color. All Americans should have a right to choose.

Intolerance in any form that restricts basic rights to one group of people but not others is un-American, and thank God the Senate finally made a good decision and stopped this Right-Wing crusade from going any further. I look forward to the day when all of this is in the past and all of my friends have the same legal rights. Until then I have to be happy that the government has to stay out of people's love lives for a little while longer.

Rory

2006-05-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me that I haven't posted any pictures of Rory yet, so here you go. Not to toot my own horn, but she's really amazingly cute. You can go to Rory's own site for lots of pictures.

OH, I'VE BEEN TO PRAGUE...

2006-05-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Yes friends, Noah Baumbach's KICKING AND SCREAMING, the most quotable movie EVER, will be released on criterion dvd after 11 long years of only being available on vhs. This is exciting not only b/c my vhs copy is so old and used it hardly has any color at this point, but also b/c the bonus features include a short film that I worked on called "Conrad & Butler Take a Vacation" that is absolutely hysterical. I haven't seen that short in 6 years and it brings back great memories of my favorite job so I am really super excited.

So Cel, Kimmy and Beth, bring on the quoting wars. I'll start..."Go Away Cookie-man."

ERIC AND MADGE

2006-05-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

My husband, who finds Madonna beyond irritating and ruined my viewing of her last documentary by whining to me the entire time that she was annoying, is currently at a special "intimate" concert she is putting on as a preview of her tour. It seems this is a special friends and family show and although he is neither of those things to her, his friend works at a big management company and had an extra ticket. He just text messaged me saying he is 50 feet from her and that she sang "Live to Tell". I text messaged him back that he sucks and that I now hate him.

UPDATE:
Eric is now a big Madge fan and promises he will never say a bad thing about her again. He was super impressed with the show and thinks she's pretty darn talented. He said he even danced a little...I know, it's shocking on so many levels.

MY FIRST MOTHER'S DAY

2006-05-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Rory and I had a great day. We woke up early and ichatted with Grandma and Grandpa Waldron so that they could see their Granddaughter on our first Mother's Day. After that we had a visit from Uncle Chris who was in town for business. We all went to have brunch at Alcove and met Sarah who was in town unexpectedly for family reasons. Rory was a little overwhelmed by the mob of people at brunch but she calmed down when Chris held her and we all had a great time. Chris came back with us to the house and held Rory for another two hours (I swear he wouldn't let her go!) and then we said goodbye and spent the rest of the day watching the Gilmore Girls marathon on TV. We had a great mother/daughter bonding time and I was so happy to have her with me. I am the luckiest Mom in the world.

Shut Up Tom Cruise

2006-05-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

Now that the destined-to-be-awful M:I 3 is out, can we please ban all Tom Cruise publicity for the next, say, decade. I am so sick of him and his ugly bangs and creepy grin and can't even deal with his crazy crap anymore. And what's with Katie's (excuse me, KATE's) weird hair? It just makes her poofy post-pregnancy face look worse. I was feeling sorry for her until I realized she did this to herself and will have to suffer the consequences. Of course when he divorces her in 9 and a half years maybe she too will get a new mega-career, a la Nicole. Here's to hoping.

EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE

2006-05-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that I have the most wonderful husband in the whole world. The man stayed up until 3:00 am Monday night refreshing the ticket purchase page of the Radiohead fan site trying to get advance tickets to one of their two LA dates at the Greek Theater. Since the site was not saying what time they would put the tickets up, people had to just guess and keep trying. So my husband, bless his heart, tried every hour until 3:00 am when he tried for what he swore would be the last time and low and behold, they were on sale! So we have two tickets (though they didn't say where the seats are so I'm hoping they aren't crappy after all of that) and, at this point, no babysitter. So anyone interested in watching Rory on June 30th please let us know!!

In other exciting news, Eric was finally able to have alone time with Rory that didn't end with her in hysterics. Normally I come back from the one day a week I get out by myself to find Rory screaming at the top her lungs and poor Eric ready to stick his head in the oven. I think she finally realized that taking a bottle from her father tastes just as good as it does coming from me and yes, I may be gone for two hours but I will eventually come back. It was a big breakthrough and we were all so excited! Now I can leave the house without feeling huge amounts of guilt. Wahoo!

I'M BACK

2006-04-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm a mom. I have a daughter. I'm responsible for this daughter for the next 18 years. It's a good thing she's so damn cute!! Please say hello to Rory Claire, born February 28th in Los Angeles. Even though she put her mother through 48 hours of labor only to then decide to turn around and become breach creating the need for a C-section at the last minute, I still love every inch of her perfect little being! For those of you who want to see many pictures, please visit HERE to see her from birth until now with more updates on the way. Her father has turned into a very demanding photographer who can't see her for one second without taking a picture.

I will try and post more often now that I have the swing of things and Rory is able to occupy herself while in her chair staring at the dancing fish. I want to thank everyone who sent her cards and called with your congratulations...we really appreciated hearing from all of you!! The next goal is to get her to the East Coast so she can meet everyone!!

Getting Ready

2006-02-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

So I am now officially one week away from my due date and I have to say it's obvious my body is getting ready. I've had what are called Braxton Hicks contractions for the last three nights and although they aren't the "real thing" that will bring labor they do prepare your uterus for the real deal and that means we are one step closer. I'm also getting much more tired and less interested in going out and doing things. I was so exhausted today that I had to go back to bed two hours after I got up in the morning and stayed there until 1pm. At that point I got up, showered, ate some lunch, im'd with some friends and then plopped myself on the couch and pretty much stayed there the rest of the day and night. I literally had no energy to do much more than eat and read Vogue and that hasn't really happened since my first trimester. I'm hoping this was just the effect of being very busy yesterday (I had a doctor's appointment, a lunch date and I made dinner for our friends and stayed up until 11pm!) and not something that will be happening every day until labor kicks in. I really want to continue with my yoga and cardio and just get myself outside to enjoy the nice weather before I'm more confined to the house once Baby is here. In any case, I can feel that things are going on in the body and have a feeling I won't be pregnant for very much longer. It's such a strange thought to know that someday soon I won't have a bump but will actually have a human being who I'm responsible for! It's all so terrifyingly exciting.

Wahoo

2006-02-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to their blog we now know that Radiohead are back in the studio and it looks like they are working hard. I had heard they would be doing some shows here in June but that seems a little too soon so I'm hoping the album will come out in the fall followed by a tour in winter and maybe we could actually be comfortable with getting a babysitter by then and go to the show! As most of you know, there is little else in life that makes me happier than a Radiohead concert. I dance, I sing, I stare longingly at Thom...it's really the perfect evening for me. It's been almost two years since hubby, Cel and I dragged ourselves in the 100 degree desert heat to Coachella just to see them and although the drive and the weather made life slightly miserable, once the sun went down and they started playing "There, There" I was happy as a clam. Even Baby likes their music (evidenced by her jumping around in the belly when we watched a concert on TV) so I think she will understand if mommy and daddy need to sneak away one night to watch them. So here's to hoping that they finish the album by the end of spring and get it out in fall for all to enjoy.

Weekly Catch-Up

2006-02-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

I know I've been a complete slacker when it comes to posting but I have been trying to get everything ready for baby's arrival and let me tell you, there's a ton to do. So let's see, what's been going on?

We watched Arrested Development and were overwhelmed with emotion. We laughed, we cried, it was just lovely. We promptly ran out and bought seasons 1 & 2 on DVD...I can't wait to watch the outtakes!

I finally found nursery bedding I like after 3 attempts, so I am much happier. I went through a little "nesting" obsession last week and had to make everything perfect for baby. Everything has to be color coordinated and in perfect position. Unfortunately the latter is an issue because of the size and layout of the room, but I'm learning to deal with it.

We met with the one and only pediatrician we found close by and who was recommended by a few people and thank god we liked him. He's kind of old...well, he's really old, but I figure we'll hopefully only be here a year or so, so all he needs to do is last that long and we're golden. Did I mention he's Heidi Fleiss' father. And that he delivered Leo DiCaprio and Madonna's children? We are sooooo LA.

I've been feeling really uncomfortable and heavy and just not so great the last couple of days and low and behold I went to the doctor and found out baby has "dropped" and her head is in my pelvis. As my doctor so thoughtfully explained, my pelvis is not used to having a head in it, so it's gonna hurt. Not only that, but it's just going to get worse before it gets better. Oddly I lost a pound from last week to this week even though I feel HUGE. This whole pregnancy thing is very strange.

Speaking of odd pregnancy things, my friend who is due the same day as me had a very bizarre thing happen last week. We were having lunch and as she was telling us a story she all of a sudden lost her words. Now, I have been forgetting words I'm trying to say a ton lately, but she literally lost the ability to say words. She started reading the menu and could not get the words out. It was kind of scary so we took her home and she ended up going to the neurologist the next day. Apparently this is a common thing for pregnant woman...something to do with increased blood flow to the baby and it doesn't go to the brain or something odd like that. She's fine now, but man, it was weird.

Last night was our 5 year "dating" anniversary (it was also Valentine's Day but that is less important) and we celebrated with a fancy meal at a place that required I dress up. Thankfully the one nice dress my parents bought me still fits nicely, even though my belly is twice the size it was the last time I wore it. Anyway, we had a lovely meal and the most delicious chocolate cake I've ever eaten. Afterwards we exchanged gifts and then watched HOUSE. It was a really nice evening and then we realized it was most likely our last fancy meal out for a very long time. Oh well, who needs the calories?

Oh, one more thing. In keeping with the three year rule all of my friends seem to have with regards to living in Los Angeles, my friend Susan may be moving to London for work and leaving me here with exactly one other friend. Now, I love her and want her to be happy but why is it that not one of my friends stays here beyond three years? It’s just so odd. I’m hoping Jenny Porst gets into USC or UCLA and comes here for grad school so I can have her back. Then I’d have two friends…wahoo!!!

Goodbye Arrested Development, We Love You So

2006-02-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

Well, after two and a half years of comic genius, FOX is finally serious about dropping the best damn comedy ever to hit American TV. Our beloved ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT is airing its final four episodes tonight and Eric and I will be on our couch laughing uproariously and then probably crying when they do the final "On the next Arrested Development"...because, get it, there may never be a next Arrested Development! It's so nice of FOX to continue its support for the show by putting the final episodes opposite the Olympic Opening Ceremonies while at the same time offering absolutely no advertising to let people know it's actually on (I had to read it on E!Online for God's sake!). Once again, I refer you to DEFAMER'S coverage for a little chuckle on this very sad day.

Memories, Like the Corners of My Mind...

2006-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

As I was driving home from Whole Foods after having just spoken to my oldest and dearest friend Andrea, what should I hear but Alphaville's "Forever Young" (the slow version to boot!)...the song that we (and when I say we I mean Andrea, Mary, Heather and myself) all screamed out the window of our Senior Trip hotel room while watching the boys across the courtyard who were walking around in their underwear knowing full well all the girls were spying. That song always brings back such great memories and it's even all the more funny that I spoke with both Mary and Andrea today and emailed with Heather. I was going to attach a picture from said trip, showcasing our keen fashion sense (anyone remember tucking and rolling the jeans??!!!) as well as our complete dorkiness (why I took a picture of Ed, Mary and Andrea eating sandwiches at the Zoo I will never know) however our scanner isn't hooked up so I guess I will save all my friends from major embarrassment. I just hope that baby meets a group of friends who support and love her as much as mine have done for me over the last 15 years. Oh my god, not only am I super sappy today, but I just realized how old we are!

Happy Yet Sad

2006-01-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

Yeeaaaah, BROKEBACK received 8 Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

BOOOOOOOO, CRASH received 6 nominations including Best Picture while my beloved SQUID AND THE WHALE and MATCH POINT only received one each (both for screenplay). Because obviously the Academy is full of total morons.

Once again, I ask you to visit DEFAMER since their comments always perk me up (example, in giving a list of all the deserving people and films shut out by the CRASH coup they cleverly write "Of course, there are others, but we don’t want the negativity tainting our utterly pure and righteous anger over Crash’s success."). AMEN, brother.

Cathcing Up

2006-01-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

I haven't written in a while so I thought I would do a catch up post. First of all, I never wrote about my excitement over the BROKEBACK wins at both the Golden Globes and the Producer's Guild Awards! This means it will not only get a best picture nomination for the Oscar's but will quite likely win!!!! Fingers crossed everyone. I also have to give props to James for his acceptance speech at the Globes. It was humble and kind and he sounded genuinely surprised to have won. We were all proud of our old boss! I just need him to not wear the dorky bow tie he wears everyday...please let the publicity people at Focus force him to put on a real tux with a real tie for the Oscars. I also loved Ang's speech. He's such a quiet man in everyday life that I get surprised when he actually speaks, but he just seems so happy about the film and its success that his excitement is infectious.

Now on to my growing anxiety about all I have to accomplish in 5 weeks before the big day. Although we bought all our nursery furniture, it is sitting in boxes in the room that I've discovered is much smaller than I had thought and once it's all put together there won't be much room to move around. Good thing the child will only be in the crib and not running around the place! So on top of having to put the nursery together I need to decide on bedding, which for some reason is driving me insane, then I have to buy curtains and a big curtain to put in the doorway between our room and the babies room since there isn't an actual door. We also need to install a dimmer on the light in the nursery so that I don't wake Eric up when I go in to nurse at night. Did I mention I need to buy diapers and burp clothes and towels and a sound monitor and bottles and bottle cleaners and nursing bras and install the car seat and learn how to work my stroller...aaaahhhh. The one thing I do know is that I will not be going back to Babies R Us since it is the most frustrating store I've ever been to with the worst staff EVER. Camille says BuyBuyBaby is a much better store but they are only on the East Coast so that's not so helpful. I'll just have to order everything that I can't find at Target (the best store ever).

OK, I think I feel better having gotten that all out of my system. I know it will all get done and all will be perfect, blah blah blah, I just get a little hyper. I'm from New York, give me a break! Well I'm off to the gym to try and de-stress a little more and after that we will tackle the crib and changing table. I know my husband is just sooooo excited about that.

Who Said Chivarly Is Dead?

2006-01-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

I love when people prove me wrong. Case in point, Heath Ledger. I was walking to my yoga studio today and I see this guy outside on his phone and I'm thinking, that looks kind of like Heath Ledger. Well, as I get closer I realize it is in fact the star of my favorite movie from this year, however I didn't get too excited because A) He's not nearly as cute as he used to be & B) He always kind of struck me as a jerk. As I approached the door and he was going in ahead of me not only did he hold the door instead of letting it close before I got in, but he purposefully came back out to hold it so that I could enter first. Now, I'm a jaded New Yorker so this not only shocked me, it also warmed my cold brittle heart. So once inside I had to wait for another class to let out before the prenatal class began and as I chatted with one of the other moms to be, out walks Michelle Williams from her yoga class. The girl is tiiinnnnyy and luminously beautiful in person, even after just having given birth. Heath was waiting for her and he came right over as she was headed towards the exit and gave her a huge hug and they both just smiled and melted together. I swear I almost fell in love with both of them on the spot.

So the lesson learned is that not all actors are bastards, even if they come across that way in interviews, and apparently they can have really good relationships that make them blissfully happy, just like us normal folks.

Belly

2006-01-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

Since most of my friends have yet to see me preggers, and the belly is growing steadily by the day, I thought I'd share a photo to prove I really am with child. Only 6 and a half weeks to go! Last night we watched a lovely birth video in our class that was shot circa 1985 with a cast that included a husband who Eric decided looked like a serial killer. Being the mature adults that we are, we both started laughing uncontrollably and I ended up having to leave the room for fear they would kick me out of the class. The best part was seeing the actual child come out, which I'm sorry, should not be shown to people who are going to have to do that in a few weeks! I don't want to know, let's just get there and get it over with instead of having this horrible image running through my head from now until March 1st. The instructor did tell the men they have to do lots of massaging and other things to make us relax while in labor, which was nice, however when she was demonstrating ways for the woman to move her body to relieve pain and help the baby get into position she added moaning sound effects that once again made me laugh. So all in all the class was mildly disturbing while at the same time, kind of hysterical. Totally worth the cash, I'm sure.

METROPOLITAN On DVD!!!

2006-01-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Criterion Gods, one of my all time favorite films, Whit Stillman's METROPOLITAN, will be released as a Criterion DVD on February 14th. Apparently there will be commentary and other special features! You can pre-order it on Amazon HERE or wait for Valentine's Day to buy it for that special someone. I, of course, have pre-ordered because I know I'll forget that it's coming out in about two days. Now if only KICKING AND SCREAMING would get a DVD release, I would be such a happy girl.

Laughing Through My Tears

2006-01-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Today came the news that one of the worst films of the year has been nominated by both the Writer's Guild and Producer's Guild for best screenplay and picture, respectively. What this means is that it will almost certainly be nominated for an Oscar and could, if the Academy does what is usually does and screws up big time, win the Oscar for Best Picture. Now, I tend not to get really upset by nominations, and this year I have to admit is exciting because so many good movies are being nominated, but honest to god, CRASH is a BAD MOVIE. What's worse, it tries to sell itself as an amazing movie. But it's BAD. I would venture to say it was far worse than MILLION DOLLAR BABY. So what's a girl to do when such news is sprung upon her?

Read DEFAMER and laugh your ass off at their coverage of this scandal. Oh how I love them so. If not for their witty (ok, some might say obnoxious) reporting, I might have to stick my head in the oven.

So go to them right now and learn a little something about bringing in humor when all hope is gone.

List Update

2006-01-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

So we saw MUNICH and MATCH POINT and while MUNICH won't be making my top ten list, MATCH POINT will, which means EDUKATORS gets knocked off since I think MATCH POINT is a better film. It was highly entertaining, fantastic acting and the best part is that it didn't feel at all like a "Woody Allen Movie."

Just to clarify, I didn't hate MUNICH, it just didn't grab me emotionally and it was way too long. I did like the acting very much but as with every Spielberg film, he ruins the end by making it painfully heavy handed. It did give me a new appreciation for Eric Bana, so it wasn't all bad.

Another Top 10 List

2006-01-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Since it’s New Year’s Day and I keep reading everyone else’s “Best Movies of 2005” lists, I thought I’d do one of my own. Some of the films will be ones that I saw at festivals and haven’t come out yet, but since I feel like there was a lack of quality films until about October, I need to pull from every source.

In no particular order, except the first film is my favorite:

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (I’ve written so much about this, I think you can all understand my feelings by now.)

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK (Smart, beautifully acted and timely. And yes people, it is possible to make a film that is less than 2 hours!!)

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (Pure Noah, but at the same time, such a leap in terms of maturity and story telling. I just loved every second of it.)

THE DYING GAUL (Well, the entire movie up until the very end, but it was so good until that point I have to add it)

WHY WE FIGHT (A fantastic documentary out of Sundance that I believe is being released in 2006. Intelligently shows the American need for war and the underlying reasons why we engage in battle.)

BRICK (Another Sundance movie that will be released in 2006. I hope they cut about 20 minutes, but it’s an incredibly cool teenage film constructed like a 1930s noir.)

MYSTERIOUS SKIN (Like SQUID, this was a giant leap for Greg Araki, and a truly disturbing look at the effects of child abuse.)

BATMAN BEGINS (On par with THE BOURNE IDENTITY in terms of smart action films. And let’s be honest, Christian is just HOT. If only they cut that last scene with Katie Holmes doing her best DAWSON’S CREEK, or maybe every scene with Katie, it would have been nearly perfect.)

THE EDUKATORS (It’s not a perfect film, but I loved its energy. Also, I’m a sucker for Daniel Bruhl, so that may have added to the enjoyment.)

THE CONSTANT GARDENER (Painful to watch but so well constructed and acted, it was one of the first films I saw this year that really had an impact on me.)

Honorable Mentions: HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, WALK THE LINE, DOWNFALL, RIZE, SYRIANA.

Films I haven’t seen yet so could not count: 2046, CAPOTE, MUNICH, MATCH POINT, GRIZZLY MAN, CACHE, KEANE, THE BEST OF YOUTH.

Film I hated but for some reason so many critics loved: CRASH (I’m sorry, but not only is it not a good film-too many stories, too many people, not nearly enough character development-but it’s so PC it turns back around to being racist.)

**UPDATE: We saw MUNICH and all I have to say is...not so much.

It's Christmas Week!!!

2005-12-20T14:47:00.000-08:00

You would think that since I'm not employed I would have gotten all of my Christmas shopping done way early. Sadly, this is not the case. I realized how much I still had to get done yesterday and frantically tried to order as much online as possible without spending too much on expedited shipping. I also made the brilliant decision to hit the Beverly Center (ick) and then try to get to Best Buy so that I could finish buying for my sister and brother-in-law. Well, I tried and failed to find a parking spot at Best Buy for a good 20 minutes when I finally gave up and waited another 20 minutes to get out of the damn parking lot. After that hellish experience I decided I was done going to stores and would have to just suck up the extra shipping fees and order everything. I am finally finished with all the family and friends but I still have a few small things to get for Hubby. Thankfully none involve malls or major shopping destinations.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that someone actually got me to go to Las Vegas. I had sworn it off but Bethy B requested we all meet there to celebrate her master's degree and although I pleaded my case everyone told me I was a terrible friend so Eric and I relented and took a nice drive to Sin City. It was really great seeing everyone but I feel very strongly that there is no need for me to ever go back. On the up side, I did win $150 at a slot machine. Chris came back the mega winner, having won $1000 his first night and then another $1000 the next day. I begged him to take us all to see the Celine Dion show but he wouldn't do it...selfish bastard! The best part was getting to see all the cheerleaders who were there for the national championship! It was like BRING IT ON right in front of our eyes! So I survived Las Vegas, but it is not a place I ever want to visit again.

And finally, I want to let all my NYC friends know that I am thinking of them during this crazy transit strike. I wish I could have gone on strike when I was working, since apparently their starting salaries are what I made in my last position, and that was after having gone to school for 4 years followed by more school followed by 9 years of work experience and many years of 12 hour work days. But I'm sure working behind a token booth is quite taxing too. Bah Humbug.

Finally!

2005-12-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

We finally got into a screening of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN this afternoon and let me just tell you, it was worth the wait. It was heartbreaking and beautiful and I am so proud of Ang. I actually cried for a good long while, which is odd for me since I'm not a movie-crier. There are two scenes in particular, towards the end, that are just so perfectly directed and emotionally devastating that I think it deserves the Oscar just for them. I truly hope people aren't afraid to see it because they think it will be too preachy or have too many gay sex scenes. In all honesty, it's just an amazing tragic love story, the fact that they are gay is almost inconsequential and there are far less sex scenes in it than in most films today (really, there is just one). So anyone who is looking to see a beautiful love story that will make you truly appreciate what you have in this life, should go see this film.

One last thought, for all of you ex-GMers, you know it's a great film when even Jawal is happy that James might win an Oscar...can you even imagine that speech???

WTF?

2005-12-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

THERE ARE NO WORDS...

The Globes Get it Right and other Shocking News

2005-12-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

Finally, a year when the Hollywood Foreign Press got some taste! Normally I wake up on the day the nominations are announced and prepare to be bitterly disappointed (exhibit A, all the MILLION DOLLAR BABY awards from last year), however this morning I was greeted by a list so good I almost cried. Of the 5 Best Drama nominees I've seen 3 and will see a 4th on Friday (BROKEBACK) and the 5th when it is released on Christmas (MATCH POINT). I actually really liked the three that I've seen so far (CONSTANT GARDENER, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, and HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) but my heart is hoping that BROKEBACK will be as amazing as I think it will be and that it will win. The best part of this list is that CRASH is not on it. For some reason that is completely beyond me, critics have loved that film (much like MILLION DOLLAR BABY) and I was expecting it to get a nomination even though I thought it was one of the worst films I've seen in a long time. Thankfully I was spared seeing it listed and will not have to hear much more about it this year.

Moving on to the nominations for Best Musical or Comedy, I've seen 2 of the 5 and liked them both (I actually loved SQUID AND THE WHALE and liked WALK THE LINE - if not for the performances I don't think it would have stuck with me). I read the script for MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS but have yet to see it, and not sure I will but I do plan on seeing PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and THE PRODUCERS. I'm rooting for SQUID because it was so damn good and Noah Baumbach deserves this success.

As for the acting awards, etc., I don't have much to complain about, though I wish Noah had been nominated for screenplay since he's winning awards for it all over the place.

I haven't looked at the TV stuff much but I know ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT wasn't nominated, which is a crime. However I'm so happy with the film stuff I refuse to be angry.

So, to wrap up, it's a good day for indie film and a great day for film lovers in general. I'm a happy girl, even if I'm still BROKEBACKless.

For a complete list of the nominees, you can click HERE

Brokeback Breakdown

2005-12-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

So, I woke up in a very good mood today since it's Eric's birthday and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN opened in LA today. I started to feel sick during the morning so I took a nap so that I would feel better for our afternoon movie and our birthday dinner at Pace. I worked through my desires to vomit while blowdrying my hair and ordered tickets on moviefone for the 2:20 showtime. I get all the way to the last stage of ordering and it looked like it had gone through, though the page didn't load completely but since I had pressed "confirm" I thought all was fine. NOT SO MUCH. We get to the ONE theater in LA that is showing it and it's already crowded and I see that all the shows are selling out. I go up to the kiosk, put my credit card through and it says I don't have any tickets. UM, EXCUSE ME? I try again, same thing. Eric tries his card, same thing. We go to the customer service desk and she gets the same thing. Then she says there are exactly 2 seats left for the 2:20 show and we can have them. Of course when she tries to order them it comes up as SOLD OUT. I'm feeling particularly hormonal (and nauseous) today and so I kid you not, I almost cried. I was pissed at Moviefone, I was pissed at the theater, I was pissed at Focus Features for only putting it in one freaking theater in all of LA...needless to say, I think I scared my poor husband. He was very sweet and explained that we could see it tomorrow, which of course I realize, but I'm still wanting to cry. Bless his heart, he didn't tell me to relax and get over it and just deal, instead he was very considerate and loving. So now I'm back home, being denied the first chance to see a movie I've waited for a year and a half to see, waiting for my husband who is taking a VERY long time to get back from a place that is only 20 minutes away. I don't know if I'm more upset that I can't see what I know will be the best damn love story ever, or if my husband may have fled in fear for his life and I won't see him until after the baby is born and my hormones calm down.

Bad Friend

2005-12-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

Poor Josephine not only has the stomach flu, but had to remind me that today is in fact December 1st, which as we all know is her birthday. I am blaming my pregnancy but it's probably just the fact that December is way too early this year.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO JO, I wish you a speedy recovery and much love on the big 3-2.

xoxoxo,
D

So Much to Be Thankful For!

2005-11-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! While we were away, Andrea and Mike became parents to beautiful daughter Ava (seen here with her brother Burkley, my favorite dog in the world!). Although she's a teeny tiny thing, Ava is healthy and happy and gorgeous, just like her mom! Congrats to the whole family!

Congratulations also to Lisa & Louie who have a new baby boy to join baby Jack. Little Alex was born on Thanksgiving Day and is a healthy addition to the Perry family!

In other baby related news, I just realized I'm hitting my third trimester tomorrow and I'm a bit panicked about all I need to do. I have to buy furniture, clothes, diapers, monitors, etc, etc, etc! Thank God I have friends to tell me what I absolutely need and what can wait. I ordered the stroller this morning and already received the car seat and BabyBjorn from my darling sister and her hubby (thanks guys!!!) so I'm getting in shape. Both the babies listed above were born early so now I'm in rush mode to try and get everything in case Baby K decides to appear ahead of schedule.

Congrats again to the new parents!! What a great way to start the holidays!!!

OFF TO FLORIDA

2005-11-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

Well, we are off to Florida tomorrow for our Thanksgiving vacation with Eric's family. Although I hate the fact that we have to fly to get there, I am very much looking forward to relaxing on the beach with my husband and seeing lots and lots of movies.

Speaking of, we saw HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE yesterday and let me tell you, it was fantastic. Now, I was worried about the Mike Newell direction since I haven't really loved any of his films (well, ok, I did love FOUR WEDDINGS when it came out but I've since seen the issues with it). Anyway, once I read all the incredibly positive reviews I felt better and I must say, I think it was even better than Alfonso Cuaron's PRISONER OF AZKABAN. It was VERY dark and quite scary (I don't think kids should be seeing this film but apparently I'm not in the majority since there were plenty in our theater) but at the same time really funny and entertaining. I won't say anything to ruin it, but I recommend everyone see this film, if you haven't already. It's made over $100 million in three days so they must be doing something right.

On to even happier news, my oldest and dearest friend Andrea will be giving birth to her first baby tomorrow and although I'll be traveling the whole day I will be checking in with her on my layover and thinking of her the entire time. As she said to me today, I shouldn't be so nervous on the plane ride since her experience will be much more painful and scary. Good luck André, I love you!!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOMMY!!!

Fertile Myrtles!!

2005-11-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

Yes kids, it's true, these three ladies will all be mothers in a few months, ending nights like the one documented in the above picture of partying all over downtown Manhattan only to end up dancing atop the bar at Automatic Slims. With the news that not only Andrea and I are pregnant, but now Mary too, we must hang up our dancing shoes to devote ourselves to raising well adjusted children who will hopefully never dance on bar tops, unless it's Automatic Slims, or take drunken pictures at 5 AM on some unknown West Village street. So congrats to Mary and Jon and little baby Ammirati, we are so excited for you!!!!!

A Good Weeekend

2005-11-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to you all. We had a great weekend of shopping and movie watching, my two favorite activities, as well as brunching and dinner out of the house...it was all so exciting. I was able to show Eric our soon-to-be nursery furniture and stroller (all of which he approved) and got to see nearly naked Jake Gyllenhaal in JARHEAD! What could be better? Oh, and we finally saw GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK and it was worth the wait. That George Clooney can direct a movie, I tell you. Here are the reviews:

JARHEAD - Since I thought the trailer was absolute genius and I think Sam Mendes if a fine director, I was thinking this movie would be brilliant. It wasn't. It wasn't bad or anything, it just disappointed me in that it was pretty much non-political and there were some story holes that I just couldn't get over. But it has some good acting, beautiful cinematography and a full frontal shot of Jake (though I swear it was shadowed but Eric says it wasn't). It also had a scene with the boys drunkenly singing OPP, which brought me back to 1991 in a big way. I recommend the movie, but be warned, it is not a masterpiece.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK - I had only read positive things about this film but that can often mean I will be disappointed when I finally see it (i.e. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) but I am not exaggerating when I say it is one of the best films I've seen in many months. The directing was so confident I couldn't believe it was the same person who made CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND. The acting was amazing across the board, it looked gorgeous and the subject matter, though taking place 50 years ago, was very relevant to today's political landscape. I highly recommend you all run out to your local art house and catch this.

In other exciting movie news, you know your movie is destined for greatness when it's in a post on the DRUDGE REPORT. Yup, the home of conservative crap-ola has a lovely little article with some woman from Wyoming complaining that a film saying there might actually have been gay cowboys in her state should never have been made because clearly, there are absolutely no gays in all of Wyoming, damnit. Well, sorry sweetheart, but BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has definitely been made and it's going to be HUGE so deal with it. And although I was not a fan of the trailer the first time I saw it, I have found myself all choked up each time I see it in a theater. I know I'm all hormonal and everything but that shot of Heath holding Jake's shirt on the hanger gets me every time. God, I can't wait for December 9th.

I LOVE NY Politics

2005-11-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

So I was doing my daily gossip read and my fav blog GAWKER has a post about a new political ad released by Freddy Ferrer, the Democratic mayoral candidate running against (and very far behind) current mayor Bloomberg. Now, I kind of like Bloomie, he's not Giuliani, but he did make all the people stop smoking in bars and I appreciated that. This ad, however, is hysterical. You must watch the whole thing and really pay attention to where Bloomie's hand moves and what Bush's legs do once the hands get to a certain spot. If I was still a NYC resident I would vote for this guy just because he had the balls (pardon the pun) to put out this ad!

Happy Saturday

2005-10-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

It is once again sunny and warmish in LA so the funk has lifted and I even convinced my husband to take a walk with me this morning. He will be going to a Halloween party tonight at his work but since I like to pretend this particular holiday doesn't exist, I will be staying home. He only decided to go this morning so his costume will be a a cowboy hat, a jean jacket and boots. I told him if anyone asks he should say he is going as Heath Ledger in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN...there's nothing like dressing up as a gay cowboy and he'd be promoting what I know will be my favorite Ang Lee movie ever!

Now onto even more exciting news. Celly attended last night's DM show at Bowery and has a lovely report on his blog, scary Dave Gahan pictures included. He says it ranks up there with our first Morrissey show at Jones Beach and the amazing Radiohead show at Liberty Island, both concerts are top of my list so that is saying a lot. He even got to see Carlos D. from Interpol, not my favorite of the band but anyone who comes out to support the Mode is a friend of mine. I'm sure Celvyn is still recovering from his night so I won't yell at him for not calling me yet to discuss in detail. P's friend Julie is a genius and decided that although she didn't have tickets she would go down to see what was going on, and low and behold, they let her in! God bless those resourceful fans.

Well, enjoy your weekend and eat lots of candy for me!

Cloudy Skies, Breast Pumps And Other Exciting News

2005-10-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

You know how everyone thinks that it's sunny and 75 degrees in LA all the time? Well, they are sadly mistaken. It has been cloudy, chilly and just plain icky for over a week. Normally I would love this since it reminds me of an actual fall, but the truth is, I like sun. It cheers me up. It helps the grass grow. And it's one of the only pleasant things about this damn city. So if you're wondering why I haven't posted in a while it's because my funk has hit and I blame the weather.

On a happy note, all this is making me stay inside the house so I've actually started working on the baby registry. Camille was lovely enough to spend a good hour and a half last night over IM telling me what I should register for. It's all so overwhelming what with the health hazards and safety issues involved with some of the products. Who knew a little thing that helps your baby stay on her back at night could cause serious problems from the toxins in its anti-flammable material???? At least I've gotten some good advice on the breast pump issue from dearest Andrea. She says go for the good one since I could conceivably be pumping for a year unless I want to whip out the breast in public whenever my little dumpling cries for some food. I know you will all rest easy knowing that has been decided.

Welcome Home Damon!

2005-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

A very close friend of the family who has been stationed in Iraq for the last few years is finally back in the US for a break from combat. I wish Eric and I could go to his "Welcome Home" party in November but unfortunately a trip to upstate New York isn't in the cards right now. My parents have had some bad news coming from friends in the last few weeks but this is really fantastic to hear and I hope all the McGurgans have a great time meeting Damon at the airport this weekend.

In other happy news, although I won't be going to the D-Mode show at Bowery, apparently Celvyn will be (as per his blog, not him actually telling me -- maybe he's still mad that I made fun of him for attending a Kelly Clarkson show). I would cry about how unfair this is, but he's an even bigger fan than I am so I'm not going to begrudge him his fun. Hopefully they'll play "Everything Counts" so he can do the whole "grabbing hands, grab all they can" audience participation thing. I of course would be too engrossed watching Dave's pelvic thrusting so up close to be able to concentrate on singing, but I'm sure Celvyn won't have that problem.

War and Peace

2005-10-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

I have been trying, for literally a year, to get through WAR AND PEACE, to no avail. I've read other books during this time, countless websites, hundreds of scripts, many an issue of W, Vogue and In Style, but I'm only on page 88 of the freaking Tolstoy novel. Not to toot my own horn, but I read both CRIME AND PUNISHMENT and ANNA KARENINA, both very long, very important Russian novels, as well as the mother of all books, ULYSSES, but for some reason I just can not get into what is supposed to be the greatest novel ever written. I'd say it was restlessness caused by the pregnancy, but since I've only been pregnant for around 5 months and this has been a problem for 12, that can't be it. Has California turned me from a reasonably intelligent person into a total moron or am I just a total lazy ass? So much to ponder, but I can't do it for too long because Access Hollywood is on soon!

A Sign of the Apocalypse?

2005-10-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

I know there's a good reason behind this, but the idea of Bono having lunch with Bush just gives me the heebie jeebies. I read the NY Times Magazine article about Bono's crusade against poverty and AIDS and I know that he has to go through Bush to get money, but seriously, does Bush even know where Africa is? Do we truly believe he cares about helping a third world country when he can't even help his own citizens? I understand meeting with Clinton, I can even understand meeting with Blair, but meeting with Dubya is just soooooo wrong. I feel the need to take a shower now.

Baby!!!

2005-10-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

We had our big Ultrasound today and took home this profile shot of our little baby girl! It seems Eric's dad was correct and it's a She!!! Blessedly she seems to have her father's nose and from what people are telling me, she has my mouth. How funny!!

In other baby news, I felt our little one move for the first time last night and it kind of freaked me out. I had to immediately call Andrea to confirm that what I felt was the baby moving and not my stomach having some kind of freak out. I think we have a dancer or gymnast on our hands because she's pretty much moving around none stop in there. Now we just need to decide on a name, which is proving to be more challenging than we had thought. I'm looking for an Irish name that isn't too long or too weird so that she will avoid years of ridicule at the hands of mean spirited elementary school children (not that I'm bitter). It's our first parental challenge but I think we're up to the task.

Let's Have a Black Celebration...

2005-10-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Apparently P's friend Julie was correct and DEPECHE MODE will be playing a show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Now, for those of you who aren't aware of just how amazing this is, it would be like seeing them play in a large living room, if that living room also had a balcony. You can only win the tickets through radio stations and our local LA pseudo-alt-rock station is in fact giving them away, the problem is I have no idea when the show is and since I can't travel once December hits, I don't know if I should bother trying. I know, my life just keeps getting more and more difficult. Let's go through the positive things about winning tix:

1. I've loved DM since I was 14 and have seen them 4 times, though always at huge arenas and never at an intimate club (except the Dave Gahan show at Hammerstein that Cel and I went to that was ultimately kind of lame).

2. The above mentioned Dave is off the smack and looking and sounding fantastic, so best to see them while he's still sober as opposed to the 1994 show when he looked like he might keel over and die at any moment.

3. I haven't really loved an album of theirs in many a year but judging from the first single "Precious", it sounds like they are back in fine form and I think this one might go on heavy rotation.

4. Bowery Ballroom is the place where my darling husband finally got up enough nerve to kiss me in 2001 and thus began our hot and heavy love affair.

5. I'd get to go back to NY for free!!

Decisions, decisions...

Poor Anna

2005-10-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Apparently the girl who wrote THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA isn't the only one who dispises Vogue's Anna Wintour. Peta let her have it, literally, with a pie in the face, for running fur ads in Vogue and denying Peta the chance to run anti-fur ads. Sometimes there is justice in the world. (Photo is from this article).

Rain, Schmain

2005-10-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the trip to our beloved NYC, and I'm still basking in the glow. We had so much fun seeing all of the friends and my family and didn't let a little thing like torrential downpours stop our good time. Eric also quite enjoyed the U2 show on Saturday night and was sweet enough to call me during "One" (though I could only hear screaming) and "Whose Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" (the whole audience was clearly singing along and I got all depressed that I wasn't there with them). Despite missing the boys from Dublin I did get to see everyone I wanted to and was able to hit all my favorite spots (East Village, Lower East Side, Brooklyn, West Village, Tribeca and Soho) and blessedly avoided going anywhere above 14th St. except in the cab going back to JFK and for some cookies with Mary and Mille at City Bakery on 18th Street. My only regret is that the trip was so short and I only spent about 3 hours with my parents and sister, and we had others around us so there wasn't much one on one time. The time we did spend together was lovely (you can read more about this at CEL'S BLOG ) and we all enjoyed seeing Kimmy's little one Matthew who is one of the most well behaved 9 month olds that I've met. I like him extra because he boogies down in his high-chair. Thanks to the Madstone girls for coming out in the nasty weather to have dinner with me at Banania (where we got free dessert b/c I'm "with child"!!) and to the P for giving me a bed to crash in. Thanks also to B for giving me lots of cookies as well as encouraging me to buy the super cute boots I saw at Camper. I will say that some of the most relaxing moments were at Soho Sanctuary followed by the lovely lunch with Mille where she told me all the scary things I have to look forward to as a mom, like $5,000 summer camps...wahoo!!

I would also like to point out that I saw more actors this weekend in New York (Mike Myers, Billy Crudup, Gina Gershon and the kid from Everwood) than I've seen in my entire year and a half in Los Angeles. Very odd.

So, in conclusion, I have to say that despite terror warnings and 10 inches of rain, I still prefer New York to LA and can't wait to move back. I miss my family and friends so much and all the 70 degree weather in the world can't compare to the benefit of loved ones and an actual social life. No pressure, but someone please buy one of my husband's screenplays so we can move back!!!! Pretty please with cherries on top.

THE CITY SO NICE THEY NAMED IT TWICE

2005-10-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

So we are off to NYC tomorrow morning for a long weekend with friends and family (and U2 for Eric). I've been obsessively watching the weather and seeing as they change their minds daily (it will rain everyday, no wait, only Friday, no no, actually, everyday) I've banned weather.com from my computer. Rain or shine I will see a good amount of friends as well as my parents and sister, so weather be damned. Highlights will include a pre-natal massage at SOHO SANCTUARY (Camille, you are a genius) and dessert (which means chocolate cake!!!) at Bethy's apartment. It will be a glorious 2 and a half days.

Now, if only I could teleport myself to and from so that I didn't have to fly, all would be right with the world.

Sleep tight, grim right, dear Interpol

2005-10-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

After what seems like years of touring, my favorite NY hipsters have laid down their instruments for a much deserved rest after their final show at Webster Hall last night. Since it was in the good city and I am in the bad city, I was unable to attend, but thanks to their amazing FAN FORUM i heard all the details. Apparently there was some group hugging involved...of course in my current hormonal state I probably would have burst into tears at this sight and Eric would have been mortified and so it's best that we weren't there.

Here's hoping they get themselves into a studio sometime soon so I can stop listening to the same two records over and over (and over) again. Sigh.

God, this pregnancy is making me so sentimental.

THE SHINING Reworked as a Disney Film

2005-10-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Who knew someone could make the film that terrified me for a full year as a child look like this year's biggest heartwarmer? Now I know how they got me to see THE ISLAND.

Fun and Games with Radiohead

2005-09-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

I think all of my favorite bands should follow RADIOHEAD's lead and start their own blogs. There's nothing better than reading the incredibly random thoughts of genius musicians at work, or in this case, geniuses avoiding work. It's always fun to see pictures like this one of your idols clearly drunk and lost in the middle of the woods at night while they are supposed to be recording an album. Obviously all those who say Thom has no sense of humor are jealous blasphemes. Or possibly Coldplay fans.

A Little Something for P

2005-09-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Pauline needs a little cheering up today and I thought this lovely picture of her boy Shawn from Stellastarr* would maybe do the trick (ok, it won't, but it's something pretty to look at). He's no Paul Banks, but he does have a Robert Smith circa 1979 thing going on that I'm kind of digging. Also, he seems very tall, perfect for my P!

101 Degrees

2005-09-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yes kids, that is the high temp in Los Angeles today. Right now it's 96 and feels so thick I can't even stand to be outside for more than 5 minutes. Unfortunately the heat and dryness are creating scary fires again. I miss my New York Fall days.

In happier news, LOST was fantastic last night. I even figured out what number 108 means (thanks to some column I read this morning). If anyone's interested, it's the sum of the lottery numbers that keep popping up. Freaky. Eric and I also caught the fact that the shark that almost ate Sawyer had the weird symbol from the hatch on its belly. We paused and did it very slowly and there it was. Even Freakier.

I also want to thank all of my friends who have pointed out that my feet will swell from the pregnancy so best not to get the $1265 boots in the below post. Listen people, if I wanted reality I wouldn't have asked for someone to buy me thousand dollar crocodile boots.

Obsessed

2005-09-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

I want these boots. I've been obsessing over them since I saw a picture from the Dior runway show back in the spring. I do recognize the fact that at $1,265.00 a pair, they might be slightly out of my price range. But hey, if anyone feels the need to get them for me as a gift, I'm a size 38.

Why, Why, Why...

2005-09-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

...are there so many bad shows on TV this season? We gave a good amount of them a shot but my lord, it's as if all the writers have lost their brains. Or perhaps all network execs think the American public has lost their brains. Who knows, but I will give a list of the new shows Eric and I watched and our reactions to each. I think you will notice a pattern:

PRISON BREAK - I heard all these great things about this show and it stars the guy that played the devil on the last two episodes of JOAN OF ARCADIA (rest in peace) so we were both rather excited about this. We should have known better when Brett Ratner's name appeared in the credits. It really has to be one of the most implausible story lines I've ever seen and some of the worst acting to boot. I don't think we actually got through the entire pilot because it was just too painful.

BONES - I was never super confident in this one, but it has David "Angel" Boreanaz so we had to give it a try. It completely rips off the whole X-Files thing but again, the stories are just so ridiculous. Oh, and once they started showing the CSI: Miami type office sets they completely lost me. Oh, oh, oh, and they had a 5 minute musical montage with some random slow love song as the lead chick dissected a skeleton. That was it for us.

SUPERNATURAL - It's trying to be (yes, again) an X-Files for the teen set, and it does have a similar creepy atmospheric look, but the acting and the writing are again so bad that it's hard to watch. I mean, I lived through Jared Padalecki on Gilmore Girls for years and always cringed when he spoke, but now he's in almost every scene!! Eric likes this one a bit more than me, but I think he will be watching on his own.

SURFACE - All of a sudden, all over the globe, people are discovering sea monsters that like to kill people. Or are they aliens? Or even better, did the government create them? So many questions but so little interest in finding out the answers. Eric kind of liked it because he feels it has a Spielberg quality. Sadly, that is no incentive for me. With all the characters involved, could they not find at least one person who could actually act????

INVASION - I will say off the bat that I actually kind of liked this one. It's not amazing but it is creepy and SOME (I stress that) of the acting is pretty good. Oddly, it is also about weird alien things that seem to live in the water, but I think they actually inhabit the bodies of humans, kind of like V, so it's a bit more interesting. Now if they could just take the little girl out of the plot, because she is truly irritating. I thought Eric was going to reach into the TV and strangle her.

REUNION - Another premise that was so promising. Six best friends from high school are brought back together 20 years later when one of them is killed. Each episode shows a different year, starting in 1986 at their HS graduation and leading up to the 20th reunion. Also in each episode is a snippet of what happened after the murder and the cop who is investigating. All the actors are very pretty, but none can actually act. And in the first year alone there's a fatal car accident, one kid goes to jail because he is covering for another friend, a girl gets pregnant and abandons her college plans to have the kid...and I thought I had an interesting group of friends. It was all just so silly.

Well, that's all we've watched so far. I still need to catch KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL, COMMANDER IN CHIEF, MY NAME IS EARL, RELATED and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. I've heard good things about each of them, but as is evidenced by the group I just described, hype means absolutely nothing.

Now onto the sadest part of this week's TV experience. So far my three favorite shows have had incredibly bad episodes. The wit, charm, and humor I have come to know and love from all of them went right out the window. Maybe all the writers went on a mini-strike the week these were produced. All I know is that it's a sad state of affairs when the three best shows on TV have such uneven episodes. I looovvveee ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT but the story was quite weak and some of the jokes just fell completely flat. Now, I am sure it will redeem itself next week, but other than the chicken dance thing, I was not amused. I was telling myself to relax since I had Tuesday to look forward to with both GILMORE and HOUSE but alas, both shows kind of sucked. If Rory doesn't snap out of her incredibly annoying attitude problem I may just stop watching GILMORE. Even her hottie boyfriend Logan is bored with her. And it just isn't the same having Lorelai and Rory apart. PLEASE have them reconcile soon, it really is starting to hurt the show. Now on to HOUSE, why would they think we needed an entire episode devoted to Cuddy and her feelings of inadequacies next to House? And is it just me or were there scenes in the show that seemed like they were from another episode. It was so uneven in tone and acting that I told Eric to fast forward through parts of it because I couldn't stand to watch. To add insult to injury, there won't be another HOUSE episode until after the baseball playoffs...in NOVEMBER!! Let's hope the writers get some inspiration between now and then and start doing the work I know they are capable of.

Thank god we have LOST tonight or I just don't know what I would do with myself!

First Time

2005-09-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

There are a few reasons I decided to start a blog. First and foremost, I live in Los Angeles with my husband while all of my friends and family live in various other cities (like New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, etc.) and I thought this would be a good way to keep everyone up to date with what is going on in my little world. The second reason is that, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little bored and want something new to do. I've been out of work since March and am now 4 and a half months pregnant and therefore not looking for a job, so I need something to occupy my day. Lastly, there has been so much going on in my life as well as in the greater world that I feel there is finally enough content to fill a blog.

What has been happening, you may ask? Well, for one thing, in the last two years I got married (today is our anniversary!), moved with my husband from New York to LA without either of us having a job, found a job that I liked but did not love, lost said job 11 months later, watched my aspiring screenwriter husband first have a screenplay optioned and second find a manager, and finally after almost a year of trying (and trying), I became pregnant. And that's just what happened to me personally. It's been a great two years for most of my friends and family with weddings and births and new jobs and other successes, it's finally a time when we are all coming into our own, and it's very exciting.

So from now on you should hopefully hear from me on a daily basis discussing life, movies, music and anything else that comes to mind. Speaking of, everyone who lives in New York City should go see FORTY SHADES OF BLUE, which opens tomorrow. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year and has gotten rave reviews. My very good friend Jawal is one of the producers and the film itself is a quiet, sad and beautiful film worthy of your attention. It will open in LA in October at the NuArt so all LAers should see it then.