God bless those affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy.

And shame on the media who have decided to place the blame for this incident squarely on university administration and law enforcement officers.

Don't miss it!

Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin will be holding a saxophone clinic at Paige's Music in Indianapolis on April 24th at 6:30 pm. Jeff plays with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, one of my all-time favorite groups. If you are a sax player, a jazzer, or just want to know how this guy can fit two saxophone mouthpieces in his mouth at the same time (dirty!), I recommend you check it out...the guy is absolutely brilliant.

(And for more Jeff in Indy, come to the Jazz Kitchen in Broad Ripple on May 13th where he will be playing with his Mu'tet. For more info: www.jeffcoffin.com.)

While I am commenting on things Heidi will probably disagree with....

Let me preface this whole post by saying that I am an absolute music snob. Those who know me know that I never listen to Top 40 radio - I listen to a lot of jazz, Broadway, soul, and anything recommended by my brother, Kyle, who has the best musical tastes of anyone I know. My favorites musicians run the gamut from Jamie Cullum to Bela Fleck to Alison Krauss to Pat Metheny to Michael Brecker to Tower of Power, etc.

That being said:

Y'all remember back inthe good ol' days when I was recapping American Idol...you know, back when Idol was good. Well, if you do - you will recall that I was a huge fan of one Elliott Yamin The adorable guy with the funky teeth and the killer soul and R&B sound. Well, the funky teeth have been replaced by veneers (and, I hate to say it, but they look a bit like Chiclets stuck in his head), but the voice is still there. Oh yeah....I bought his self-titled album on iTunes. And let me just say how much I love it.

Yes, it still has the same production quality of every other Idol's first album (a little too clean, a little too pop), but it is so very clear that this guy has a phenomenal voice and musicality that I believe that been missing from every Idol that has come before him....and apparently after him (read: San-effing-jaya). Seriously. If you are a pop fan, get this album. If you are even an R&B fan, get this album. This boy can saaaang. And he does a cover of one of my top ten favorite songs ever, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" - just awesome.

I really think that this is the best male voice that has come out of Idol yet (yes, even better than Clay Aiken - and for me, that is saying something)...and with a little more time and experience, Elliott Yamin could have a significant musical career ahead of him.

"Thank God You're Here..."

Is anyone else watching this show on NBC? It may just be my odd and unfailing love for Dave Foley that I am watching (seriously, I have had the biggest crush on him ever since Kids in the Hall and News Radio), but I am really enjoying it.

If you don't know what I am talking about - TGYH is an improv "game" show, somewhat similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway? - only they use well-known actors...Jennifer Coolidge, Wayne Knight, Kevin Nealon, etc. in the different sketch scenes. David Alan Grier (of In Living Color) is the host and Dave Foley is the "judge." It's pretty damn funny...and there's nothing else on at that time....so yeah, I am hooked. These actors are put in costumes, and sent through a door where someone greets them with "Thank God you're here!" and the actors are thrown into a scene. Hilarious. One of my favorites so far: Joel McHale (from The Soup...or Talk Soup...or whatever the eff it is called) - just fantastic. Love him.

And Dave Foley.

Not so good.

Root canal this morning. Suck.
Jammies and Jon Stewart at 1:00 in the afternoon on a Thursday....Not-So-Suck.

The joys of the weekend.

• Taking the first motorcycle ride of the year.
• Spring cleaning the garage...and boy, did it need it!
• Enjoying a matinee of "Little Children" at our local indie theater. Seriously, a great film...true to the book, entertaining, with fine performances by Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley.
• Watching Peyton Manning on SNL...(paraphrasing) "Coach, I just thought about going out there for the second half, and a little pee came out." Hee.
• Catching up on "Friday Night Lights" and "Grey's Anatomy" - God bless you, DV-R!
• Sleeping on freshly-laundered sheets.
• Reading a chick lit book: "Cocktails for Three"...good, mindless entertainment.
• Drooling over Daniel Craig as James Bond in "Casino Royale."

Yup...I think that's it!!!!

Dancin' with Steve Sanders, Joey Fatone...and some other people.

Okay, since I am not watching AI, I thought I would check out this season's "Dancing with the Stars," if only to see Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering, actually) get his dance on w/my girlfriend, Cheryl Burke. And so I did....and I have to say, I was quite impressed....with the guys...and Cheryl.

My faves: Joey Fatone. No question. He's adorable, funny, and can certainly groove...even if his partner looked a bit skankified. Also - Ian Ziering. Pretty good...and he's still got it in the looks department. Apolo Anton Ohno....now that boy can move. If he can make time to practice, he will definitely stay in the competition.

Not-so-faves: Ummm....the completely achy-breaky Billy Ray Cyrus. He is out of his element. And mullet gags just aren't going to cut it. Oh...and, basically, all of the ladies. Not really impressed at all....though I think Laila Ali may be able to make it happen.

Honorable Mention: John Ratzenberger. Excellent. Confident, handsome, smooth. He is certainly not going to go the way of George Hamilton and Jerry Springer. He showed he can do it - even given only 2 weeks to learn the first routine.

Oh- can I just say that Heather Mills is NOT a "charity coordinator" or whatever bullshit job title they gave her. She is PAUL MCCARTNEY'S EX-WIFE. Period. Nothing more, I'm afraid. And I don't care about her leg...I'm sorry, I don't. Either she can dance, or she can't. That's all that matters.

Lastly, I am starting a campaign to have Samantha Harris maimed....who's with me???!!!

*sigh*

THEY HAVE TO END THE SEASON (AND POSSIBLY THE SHOW) TOGETHER, RIGHT?!?!? I HAVE PUT WAY TOO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT INTO THIS SHOW FOR THEM NOT TO END UP TOGETHER, DAMNIT!!!

*end of obsessive rant*

I've gone batshit crazy, y'all!!!!

One Helluva Weekend.

First and foremost, CONGRATS TO THE COLTS!!!
I could not be more happy for Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, and the rest of the boys in blue. It is certainly a well-deserved win for a classy team like the Colts.

Second - I saw The Painted Veil at our local independent theater....Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber and the China countryside as a backdrop....truly a lovely film. I highly recommend it.

Third - B/c of the crazy cold weather, I spent much of the weekend indoors, bundled under a quilt...watching Seasons 2 and 3 of Gilmore Girls...reliving the good 'ol days.

And finally, today....is the big 3-0. Yes, dear reader(s?), I am officially old. My husband bought me a lovely watch, my work colleagues decorated my office, and a friend bought me the "Birthday Girl" Philosophy gift set...what could be better????

Hope everyone else had a weekend as lovely as mine!

I don't care that he's dating Jessica Simpson.

I really really really love John Mayer's latest album, Continuum. Okay, I am a big JM fan - I even skipped Torts my first year in law school so I (along with a couple law school cohorts) could see him in concert...well worth it. (Sorry, Professor Magliocca...it just was). This album is the most musically diverse and challenging of all of his work - though, honestly, I don't even want to include his second album, Inside Wants Out - it wasn't all that spectacular. (Okay, it sucked). But his live album , As/Is, and his blues stuff are just impressive....

Anyway...I say all of this as background to say how much I love Continuum. I especially love "Bold As Love" and "Stop This Train" and "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room." Just great stuff, really.

What else am I listening to?
Hmmmm....
Alison Krauss & Union Station's So Long, So Wrong
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook
Patton Oswalt's Feelin' Kinda Patton (Okay, he's a comedian...but I'm still listening to him)
Herbie Hancock's Possibilities

How 'bout you? What are y'all listening to right now?

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.

Bears vs. Colts - Super Bowl 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My town isn't going to know what to do. Coach Dungy was right about where the Super Bowl should be played...right here in my town, baby!

All I have to say about it is...

GO COLTS!!!!

This fantastic win by the Colts capped off a fantastic weekend - great conversation, shopping, and lots of wine with my best girlfriend, and a couple good movies with my hubby.

What could be better?

The Globes...

One of my all-time favorite awards shows - nothing goes better that movie & television stars AND booze. Makes for entertaining television. Favorite moments of the night:

• America Ferrera's truly heartfelt acceptance speech - she so deserved the award for Best Actress in a Comedy (for Ugly Betty, in case you didn't know!).
• Ugly Betty's win for Best Comedy (of course, I was sad too that The Office didn't win...it was a toss-up for me!)
• One of my many boyfriends, Hugh Laurie - and his win for the portrayal of the ever-sarcastic, self-destructive, gorgeous Dr. Gregory House.
• Meryl Streep's witty acceptance speech - what a class act.
• Helen Mirren's awards for portraying both Elizabeths...I saw The Queen, and have never been so impressed with a performance.
• Sacha Baron Cohen's acceptance speech...hee hee.

Not so great: Warren Beatty's loooong-winded thank you for his Cecil B. DeMille Award....and Tom Hanks' incessant use of the word "balls." Ugh.

Happy 2007!!!

I spent a wonderful weekend with my mom and dad, brother & sis-in-law, and in one word - it was fab. We did a kind of Christmas/NYE combo - with dinner and presents on Saturday night and NYE celebrations on Sunday, and it was perfect. Nothing better that eating, drinking, playing games and watching movies with the fam. Also, I have to say, I much prefer Garrison Keillor's NYE special to the creepy Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest New Years Rockin' Eve. If nothing else, it makes me feel young :) I didn't know half of the performers scheduled to play on NYRE. Yep - gotta love ringing the new year in with some sparking shiraz and Emmylou Harris....old school, baby.

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Years' weekend!

Ho Ho Ho.

No, this is not a post about Brit Brit and her labia majora....although certainly numerous posts could be devoted to such a topic...

Instead, I am just thinking about how much I love this time of year. I really do. It's rather childish, but I don't care. I love me some Christmas. I love Christmas lights and wrapping gifts and Barenaked Ladies' Christmas CD and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and White Christmas. Love it, love it love it.

I also love the firm "Holiday Gathering," as it is called. I am blessed in that I actually enjoy the company of the people I work with - as such, I am really looking forward to this Saturday's annual open bar/bad DJ/be-nice-to-partners'-wives fest held at the local country club.

In other news...
Did anyone else who watched GG last night think that Luke could have completely kicked the shit out of Christopher???? Yep, me too. Scott Patterson is one whole hunk of a man and David Sutcliffe? Yeah, notsomuch. Along those same lines...Luke needs to keep the ball cap on...wow. SP's forehead has turned into an eighthead. Very sad.

"“I wnt 2 dvrce u.”

My favorite lady lawyers and I were debating the trashiness of Britney Spears (Hence, the title of this post...which is what Brit Brit sent to K-Fed, letting him know of her interest in dissolution).

Here are my thoughts, posted on Amanda's blog. Seriously, the girl is a mess.

Randomness.

Watched my first episode of "Veronica Mars"....love, love, loved it. The title character, and the acturess, Kristen Bell, who plays her, completely remind me of my girl, Lawren.

Am completely hooked on "Friday Night Lights" - it could just be Kyle Chandler's lovely locks...and his legs in a pair of shorts, I don't know, but I do know that an overwhelming sense of sadness washes over me when it ends.

What the eff is up with "aerie tuesday" on the CW during "Gilmore Girls"? Not only did I not enjoy last night's episode, I really didn't like these silly nitwit girls fake-discussing the show afterwards!

Excerpt from yesterday's email to Amanda....and yes, I am still sore.

Ugh. So, I have decided that karma is real and it bit me in the ass today. J [names changed to protect the newly-shorn] got the world's worst haircut yesterday, came into my office and I literally laughed in his face...uncontrollably. It was and is bad. Like, I guess his mom (yeah, mom cuts his hair) effed it up and the only way to fix it was to buzz it. Yeah....all gone. Bad. Really bad. Anyway, here's where karma comes in. I made fun of him all day - I called him a cancer patient (awful), a prison inmate (also awful), and a Buddhist monk (okay, that was pretty accurate)....and then later, when I walked across the street to get coffee, I did a typical Kelly P. maneuver and went ass over tea kettle in front of our building. (shoe caught in pant cuff...yep.) I am still hurting.

Damn karma.

Anyone surprised by this supreme act of klutziness?? Anyone? Bueller?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!

DEFENSE VERDICT!!!!!!*




*Yeah, we represented the defendant...in case you couldn't tell.

Damn you, DV-R!

I don't normally curse at my DV-R...I LOVE my DV-R most days. Except for last night. I had taped Gilmore Girls b/c I knew I wouldn't be home in time to watch...So at 10 pm, I settled in for some good GG time. And while I am not completely thrilled with the storylines or the writing right now (just not as sharp as it used to be be - I miss you Amy Sherman-Palladino!), I was getting into it...enjoying Lane & Zach...and loving Rory's struggle with IM sex talk....and most importantly, trying to follow Lorelai through her very difficult Luke/Christopher decision. Anyway - very last scene of the show, Lorelai picks up the phone, and ............and.....???

"Delete this Selection"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

My DV-R cut off the end of the freakin' show.

WHAT HAPPENED? WHO DID SHE CALL? Did she call anyone?

Was she just calling Al's Pancake House? Or Sookie?

For the love of God, someone hook me up.