For those of you in the know...

Isabelle Jade [Chinese name]

or

Maya Grace [Chinese name]

Thoughts, please....

He's at home...washing his tights.

So, there's this new show on TNT called "The Company." I have not yet seen it - though it is patiently waiting for me on DV-R. It stars Chris O'Donnell, Alfred Molina, and, the main reason I want to watch - Michael Keaton. Is it weird that I am still harboring a bit of a crush on Michael Keaton from back when he played "Batman" in 1989??? I think so. Loved him - loved the hair, the glasses, the tortured soul...and of course, the Batsuit (w/o the nipples, thankyouverymuch, George Clooney). Loved all of it.

This goes back to the strange celeb crush question I asked some years ago....I guess I can add "Michael Keaton circa 1989" to the list, huh?

And speaking of shows on basic cable- anyone watching "Mad Men" on AMC? (This is why I love my DV-R.) The lead character, Don Draper...what's up with that guy? Seriously tortured soul. Excellent show - if you're not watching, I suggest you check it out....if only to relive the good ol' days: Drinking bloody marys at client meetings, drinking scotch in the privacy of your office, drinking mint juleps while pregnant. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) Ooh, also - Niagara Falls on your honeymoon, and flirtin' with the gals in the typing pool. Good stuff. It's certainly a time period that hasn't received much attention- and it is fascinating.

Silly donkey.

Bonnie and Rock? Seriously? Could Bonnie be any more annoying? Apparently, I do not understand the job duties and responsibilities of a "nanny" - according to Bonnie, it entails cooking fried cheese, making beds, and Windexing things. Hmmm....tough gig.

I am now on Team Rock......I can't believe I just said that.

Good morning, Baltimore!!!!

Go see "Hairspray." No, seriously...go.

It is a toe-tapping good time. The leads are amazing - Nikki Blomsky, Zac Efron (adorable), Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken...etc, etc, etc - all wonderful. I don't know the actor that played "Seaweed Stubbs," but he blew me away....

And - though his "Baltimore accent" was absolutely annoying, I enjoyed John Travolta as "Edna"...I mean, he's no Divine or Harvey Fierstein...but who is????!?!?!

I am off to buy the soundtrack, since the Broadway CD that Chuck gave me is completely worn out.....now, go. See the movie. You won't regret it.

Summer Lovin'...

TV Show: Hell's Kitchen
Seriously, Gordon Ramsay's use of the word "fuck" is a thing of beauty. And something about him is completely sexy. As for the cheftestants, I am in Team Waffle House - go, Julia!

Book: New England White by Stephen L. Carter
I read his first book, The Emperor of Ocean Park, and it is one of my alltime favorite books. So psyched to start the new one......of course, this may change once Amazon sends me HP & the Deathly Hallows.

Beer: Land Shark. Yum-a-dum-dum. Thank you, Jimmy Buffett, for coming up with a yummy, refreshing beer - best enjoyed on my new deck. Woo hoo!

CD: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
Okay, I know, I know. I am a ginormous nerd. This has got to be the best audio-book I have ever heard...well played, Scott Brick, well played. (Ooh, for those of you who are fans of this book, my brother told me that a movie version is pre-production, with Tom Hanks playing Daniel Burnham and Tom Cruise as Dr. H. H. Holmes. PERFECT.)

Yep, I'm back...

but more importantly, she's back - Energy Spatula is back in blogger business.**

Welcome back, E.Spat. I've missed you.

**Thanks to Kel for the heads-up. (Sorry, girl - how insensitive of me!)

Hi-larious.

Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?* by Jen Lancaster. **

Buy it, read it....don't drink Coke while doing so, or you will do some serious sinus damage.

*Does that title rock or what?
**She's from Huntington, IN - how funny is that?

Reee-al tomato ketchup, Eddie? Nothin' but the best.

You know those movies that, if they are on television, you HAVE to watch - even if you have seen them a million times, or even if the movie is three-quarters of the way over - you still have to watch? Well, that was me yesterday.

(Yes - I am a slacker. I took the red-eye home from Vegas, and didn't go into work....way too sleepy...and slightly hungover...can you be hungover from food???)

I caught National Lampoon's Vacation, The Blues Brothers, AND the classic Rear Window. Luckily, I caught the last one from the beginning...and how great is that movie? Seriously -Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Raymond Burr. Excellent. A trifecta of awesome. If I had found Grosse Pointe Blank, my slack-ass day of TV would have been perfect.

What about y'all? What are those movies that YOU have to watch if you find them on TV??

Cross your fingers and hold your heart.

The title is for my BFF Amanda. Thanks to her and my girls, Kyleen & Heidi, and law school buddy, Matt, for coming to see my show yesterday. Though I was unable to see them, it was awesome to know that they were in the audience rooting for me. Thanks guys, for making the trek north for a little KP and Cole Porter. You are the best.

In other news, I have new wheels! Yes, I have finally rid myself of the Accord, and am now, oddly, driving the same kind of car as my parents. Does that make me feel a little old? Yep. I am afraid so. Or maybe my parents are just extra cool. I think it is the latter. Either way, I LOVE my new car. Here it is:

It's a Hyundai Santa Fe...and it rocks. Fully loaded with fabulous butt-warmer seats and a killer sound system. (And it has a 5 year/100K warranty which is pretty awesome.) So very excited about driving it to Gulf Shores in a few weeks!!!!

Like the loss of an old friend.

Where you lead, I will follow
Anywhere that you tell me to
If you need, you need me to be with you
I will follow where you lead

If you're out on the road
Feeling lonely, and so cold
All you have to do is call my name
And I'll be there on the next train

Where you lead, I will follow
Anywhere that you tell me to
If you need, you need me to be with you
I will follow where you lead

Goodbye, Stars Hollow....I will miss you all...Kirk, Miss Patty, Gypsy, Babette & Morey, Sookie & Jackson, Michel, Paul Anka, Lane & Zach, Luke, and of course, the Girls themselves.

*sigh*

Thank God for DVDs.

For an absolutely perfect eulogy, brilliant dialogue and all, check out:
http://roundheadedboy.blogspot.com/2007/05/shamus-on-gilmore-girls.html

Freakin' SWEET!

I know that, in the past, I have discussed the virtues of certain radio stations...but since moving to the Fort, I have stuck to NPR and my iPod, because, well, all I could find were country stations. ("We have both kinds of music: country and western."*)

Well, no more. I have found the greatest radio station - only been on the air up here for abut 20 days...and well, I love it. It is perfect for someone like me - born in the late 70's, graduated from high school in '95...they call it "classic dance." And boy, is it.

A sample from this morning's drive in to work:
Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long"
Earth Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland"
MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This"
Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation"
Andy Gibb's "I Just Want to be Your Everything"

I have also heard "It Takes 2 (to make a thing go right)" by Rob Base and Michael Jackson's "Do You Remember the Time?" (back when MJ rocked my world).

Tell me that doesn't rock....especially on a Monday morning....

*From the movie...no, you know what? I am not going to tell from what movie that quote came. If you don't know, you need to be smacked in the neck with a sock full of quarters.

Out of the mouths of gays.*

Apologies to my reader. The lack of blogging is not for lack of things to discuss, just no time to get them down. I am currently in the home stretch of rehearsals for a show I am doing at our local community theatre. Honestly, when I started I thought it would be Waiting for Guffman, but to my great surprise, it is not. My fellow performers are talented, wonderful people and I am truly happy I decided to audition (AND that the director chose me to be one of the 8 that make up our small cast). So...that's where I have been....

Lastly - to my fellow Gilmore Girls fans, Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is now my new favorite song....who's with me?????

*Has absolutely nothing to do with anything in this post. It's merely my favorite line from my favorite bitch-on-wheels, Wili, from last week's Ugly Betty.

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*