The Best of Seven

Hard to believe the year's over, isn't it? So, to honor the year that was, this time around I'm going to share a roundup of all of my favorite things from 2007. This is mostly a pop culture list, so note that I'm including things that *I* enjoyed in 2007, regardless of whether they came out in previous years... I'm not a stickler here. :-)

Movies


Best Film: This one is pretty easy, actually, with the Coens' No Country for Old Men. It stays with you, and I expect to hear it called out several times from various podiums (podii?) during awards season.

Best Popcorn Flick: I saw this one on DVD, but I wish I'd seen on it the big screen... yes, I'm actually honoring a Michael Bay film, cuz Transformers was a dang good time. Honorable mention: the weird, silly, gorgeous, and ultimately satisfying experience that was 300.

Best Comedy: I'm a card-carrying member of the cult of Apatow, but unlike most critics I thought Knocked Up was by far the superior offering from the Apatow clan this summer. Hilarious, with heart. Whereas Superbad was just intermittently funny, with some heart.

Best Romance: Swoon, how much did I love Waitress??? A lot. It was charming and quirky, gave Keri Russell a great role to breakout in, and featured the always-dreamy Nathan Fillion. Tasty as pie.

Best Documentary: Again, this was on DVD... No End in Sight bears viewing by all, even multiple times. It's not a standard liberal-propaganda-anti-Iraq film, it's really more of an analysis of what really happened, told by the people who were in the thick of it.

Television

Best Show: Lost. Of course! Would you expect anything else? The season finale, "Through the Looking Glass," was nothing short of brilliant. My 2 favorite scenes were Charlie's final attempt to help the 815ers, with the warning that it's "Not Penny's Boat," and the last minute realization that we're watching Kate and Jack in a flash- forward. Edge of my seat! (Honorable Mention: 30 Rock and its man among men, Alec Baldwin.)

Best New Show: A tie, between ABC's Dirty Sexy Money and NBC's Chuck. While one is a soap about the uber-rich and the other is a a spy action/comedy, they're both good plain fun. Neither takes itself too seriously, and they both offer great escapism on a weeknight. (Until the darn strike took them away, of course.)

Best Reality Show: Top Chef. After an obnoxious second season, TC came roaring back this year with a group of talented, interesting professionals and a really compelling competition. I would've been happy with any of the final 3 winning, and though Hung was never my favorite I do respect his talent and can agree with his final victory.

Best TV-on-DVD: (Since this is how I watch about half my shows) Dexter. Season 1 had me rushing home from work to grab those little red envelopes out of my mailbox and dig in. Can't wait until Season 2 comes out!

Books

Note: I read a lot of books, so it's very hard for me to narrow it down to just a few favorites. Here's my attempt....

Best Fiction: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. What a wonderful conclusion to a beautiful series. Thanks for the 10 years of fun, Jo!

Best History: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This just might also be the single best book I read all year. It's a fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln's political leadership, and an enlightening, exciting, and amazingly accessible survey of the major political and culture forces and figures who shaped America's Civil War and its aftermath. A must-read (but set aside 3 months for it).

Best Contemporary Non-Fiction: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. If you are what you eat, Kingsolver offers a lot of great advice to make sure you're eating the healthy products of sustainable agriculture. And her turkey sex stories are unforgettable! (Oops, can't believe I forgot my honorable mention - Elizabeth Gilbert's beautiful and powerful Eat, Pray, Love. I spent the first part of 2007 recommending it to everyone I know!)

Best Book Club Choice: This covers the category of "books I would never have picked up were it not for my book club friends." And the winner is.... The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. It's a great Gothic mystery, and true to form, this gal and I were able to pick up on all the not-so-hidden lesbian subtext, always a treat for our whole book club!

Best Modern Literary Giant I've Finally Read: Philip Roth. I've been hearing about him forever and ever, and this year I finally started his Zuckerman series with The Ghost Writer. Loved it - his writing is so evocative and rich, and I now have several more waiting for me in my Amazon cart.

Music

I'm not really much of a music person, surprisingly, so I just have one category:

Best New Album: Magic by Bruce Springsteen. The Boss is back with the E Street Band, and he's pissed off about the state of the world. The lyrics are strong, passionate, and resonant, and the music is the lush E St sound we all grew up loving.

Food

Best Restaurant: Oyamel. This new PQ establishment won out over Acadiana, for both variety and consistency. I've always enjoyed my meals at Oyamel, and I like the variety on the menu as well as the fun, easy ambiance. I've had some fantastic stuff at Acadiana - their gumbo is to die for, and so are the desserts. But I've been disappointed in some of their entrees, so I may just stick to small plates whenever I go there again.

Best Meal: Thanksgiving, thanks again to the wonderful hospitality of Scotte and J-Lo.

Best Meal I Make Myself: I'm not much of a cook, but again thanks to Scotte's advice I've started making a really tasty tilapia and diced tomatoes dish. Very easy, and very healthy. Hooray for when diet food just tastes like food!

Best Dessert: This is another simple diet-friendly option I've started doing at home - berries and cream. I take a bowlful of berries - fresh if in season or frozen - sprinkle them with Splenda, and top it with a big dollop of fat free Cool Whip. Tasty and good for you, and it actually does fill that ice cream craving!

Random

Best New Intellectual Pursuit: A tie, between my newfound history geekness, with associated reading, doc watching, and historic site visits, and my Dalai Lama-inspired interest in Buddhism.

Best "Playing Tourist" Experience: The Lincoln Assassination walking tour, perfect for history geeks of all ages!

At The Movies

Very typical of a Christmas break, I have actually seen three movies in the last week. And since an unexamined movie is not worth watching, or something like that, here's my report:

First up, on Christmas Eve, the entire Stef family headed to one of Bloomington's two (yes, only two) cinemas to check out the latest Will Smith adventure, I Am Legend. I don't know what it is about Will Smith, but he is so darn watchable in just about anything he does - whether it's a cheesy romcom, a serious family drama, or a big-budget sci-fi actioner - so we're lucky that he tends to make pretty good choices for films that showcase his charms and talents. (Side note, I also have come to really respect Mr. Smith as a business person, cuz from all I've read he sounds like just about the hardest working man in show business. There's a reason he has a huge global box office, and is known as the first international African-American superstar - he goes to just about every country on the map to stump for each of his films. Way to work for it!)

Anyway - to the movie. This is a good, old-fashioned scary movie. The bleak future it portrays seems more than possible, as human hubris (personified by an uncredited Emma Thompson) finally outweighs the survival of the species, and that's really the most chilling part of the movie. In this near future, the Earth becomes a desolate place populated by packs of creatures who barely resemble their former human selves as they seek the dark and feed on any prey then can find. The movie does a great job of making these creatures damn scary, all the more for how believable they seem. Left alone among them in an empty Manhattan, Will Smith is the former soldier and scientist who still believes the end of the world can be reversed. Smith portrays his Robert Neville with a combination of despair, hope, and growing madness that is really compelling (take that Charlton Heston!), and for most of the film his richest relationship and scenes are with a very expressive German Shepherd. Overall, for the thrills and chills, the subtle moral themes, the great visual effects, the beautiful dog, and the showcase of one of our best movie stars, I give this an A-.


On Wednesday, before I had to head to the airport, Mom and I decided to kill a few hours at the cineplex with a cute, sweet little movie - Disney's Enchanted. I'd been hearing for weeks about how simple and fun this one was, and it really is a good time. As long as you're able to stand watching a matinee with - gasp! - children around you, this is a good way to spend an afternoon. The movie takes a familiar story - an animated Disney princess falls in love, the evil witch wants her destroyed - and gives it a modern, snarky twist. This princess, Gisele - gamely played by the great Amy Adams - is cursed and sent to the "real world" via a sewer grate in Times Square. There she meets the cynical, lovelorn, but still-so-dreamy divorce lawyer Patrick Dempsey and his adorable daughter. Songs are sung, Manhattan rodents do a bang-up cleaning job, the colorful characters of Central Park do a dance number, and eventually the princess is saved by her true love, then she does some saving herself. Hooray for modern girl power fairy tales! James Marsden hams it up as Gisele's cartoon prince come to life, and you've got to give him credit for being willing to look so ridiculous. And Susan Sarandon appears to be having a ball vamping it up as the evil queen. Amy Adams is the heart of this movie, for sure, as she plays Gisele without a hint of irony, really going for it in playing such an earnest and sweet character looking for love. And, surprise, she can really sing! Since this movie made even my cynical Mom laugh, I give it a B+.

Last night, Scotte and I ventured out to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Now, I admit I went in to the theater predisposed to not like this movie - I didn't really like the first, and I'm not a Nicolas Cage fan - but I also knew I had to see it because of its Civil War-related story and, really, because I believe you can only legitimately mock something if you've actually seen it. And... well... the writing is pretty bad, the movie is held together with a fairly preposterous and razor-thin thread of a plot. (Scotte and I were both heard to say "Yeah, right!" at a few different points.) By the end, you just might find yourself asking "How exactly did this relate back to the Lincoln Assassination?" This movie, and the first, fall into that category of action adventure movies that always remind me of a theme park ride - they have to keep you moving along really fast with lots of bells and whistles so that you don't stop and stare at any one point too long and realize just how cheesy and flimsy it is.



But, all of that being said, I do own up to laughing for real at several times during the movie, cuz the sidekick character, Riley Poole, is very snarky and funny, and Jon Voight and Helen Mirren are great as Cage's parents. The supporting cast is impressive all-around. The movies would just be so much better with a different star! I don't find Cage to be appealing at all - not funny, interesting, smart, compelling, attractive - nothing. Ah well. If you liked the first movie, you will probably also like this one. But I give it a C+.

Best. Gift. Ever.

Remember on Christmas Eve, when I posted my list for Santa? And the one thing I wanted Santa to bring most of all was nothing other than the man of my dreams. Yeah, big expectations, right?

Well, imagine my surprise to find that under here...


... the hottest of all hotties was all wrapped up with a bow? Woohoo!


My brother got me Sawyer for Christmas! A talking Sawyer, with a full-size prop. Don't be naughty.... it's a replica of Sawyer's childhood letter. Proof of his tortured soul, the vulnerable, hurt, scared child inside that sculpted exterior. (Ha!)

Yes, my friends, Santa decided I was very nice this year!

What I Want for Christmas

I admit I'm a terrible person to buy gifts for (for whom to buy gifts? that doesn't sound right), cuz I don't like lists and I subscribe to the "just saw something that reminded me of you" school of gift-giving. For me, ideally, it isn't about the gift itself but the fact that someone was thinking of you in a special way. And there really are sugar-plum fairies, I swear!

I've bent a bit over the last few years, giving away a standard-but-personal gift to most people... but in my heart I would still really like to receive those special, thoughtful, personal gifts. But I know that's harder and harder, especially cuz my family doesn't see me enough to really know my personal tastes... so, I do the lists, mostly of the Amazon.com variety.

I suck at sticking to that too, and my family just busted me for being someone who puts something on a wish list one month and then goes and buys it myself the next. Hey - if I check the list and no one has bought it, and I still want it, isn't it fair game? I take it off right away! But, no, busted. Once again I'm too independent and don't let other people do things for me. I know, a blessing and a curse.

Anyway.... the point of this post.... is to share my sky-high wish list. All DVD sets and paperbacks aside.... Santa, if I am indeed on your nice list, here's what I really want for Christmas this year:

10. More time to spend with my friends. All of our lives are filling up with marriages and careers and mortgages, oh my! But we still need to spend quality time together just to remember how fun and supportive we are... so, that 25th hour in the day would really come in handy.

9. The courage to get over my ridiculous new driving-phobia (how's that for personal?) and get back behind the wheel again. I love not having a car, but lately I've really felt helpless and useless cuz I'm scared to drive. Let's get over that, shall we?

8. An end to the writers' strike, soon, so that LOST can stay on schedule. Yeah, priorities.

7. New furniture. That's pretty simple and tangible, I know, but I've had some of my stuff for so long... and most of what I got in my first apartment was just carbon copies of what my parents had when I was growing up. I want my place to look more like ME and less like what I thought it was supposed to look like 10 years ago.

6. Continued improvement in the Stef family's health, physically and emotionally, including my own.

5. More willpower and strength to resist temptations - of the tastebuds, the wallet, the heart, and the soul.

4. A Democratic victory in 2008. Let's paint the town blue!

3. To come home and see that Cleo has miraculously cleaned my apartment. She would so deserve that giant canister of catnip that her Grandma got her then!

2. World peace. (And a Winnebago)

1. Someone to love, who loves me back. Santa, think you can find me Mr. Right in your bag of tricks???

That's a pretty achievable list, eh? :-) I hope you all get exactly what you want... or what you need... this year.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Technology is So Yesterday*

Wouldn't you think that every time you upgrade to a new piece of personal electronics, it would actually be an improvement on the old model? Well, caveat emptor.

I just went through the kinda fun process of realizing that I have long since qualified for Verizon's new-every-2, and replaced my 3-year-old Motorola with the dying battery with a new purpley-blue Samsung model. I'm typically a very late adopter when it comes to technology, so I don't need lots of new-fangled stuff. My criteria for a new phone? It can make calls and send texts. That's it, that's all I wanted. The Samsung model I found online seemed pretty decent - fitting both of those criteria - and even though I didn't really care about getting a camera phone, they just about all come that way now so I was ready to accept it.

I got the new phone about 2 weeks ago now and have been getting to know it (no time wasted reading a manual, of course!). And, sadly, I'm finding out that even while it does perform the basic functions I need, this Samsung baby is missing a few of the features I really liked about the Motorola oldie-but-goodie.

The new one doesn't have "Get It Now!" capabilities, which AS warned me about but I didn't really know what that meant. Turns out, that's the way you can download cool ringtones. This phone? No cool ringtones. I'm stuck with the horrible, tinny, Casiotone-esque choices that come with the phone - like Bell 2 or Melody 5. Ick. What happened to a plain old ringer style, if nothing else? So, the new phone is permanently on vibrate. I *so* don't want to be that person with the obnoxious ring on the bus.

And... the latest downgrade I discovered this week? While the new phone is adequate in its texting capabilities, I suffered a great loss as I realized while clicking through the punctuation options for the #1 key...and clicking through....and clicking through... no parentheses! What?!? How can they have gotten rid of the parentheses? No more smiley-faces for me? But that's a huge part of my texting charm! :-) Alas, I must now always resort to sticking my tongue out- :-p How sad.

On another matter... does anyone have any luck with buying external CD/DVD drives? My trusty laptop stopped recognizing or working with blank CDs months ago - long after the 2-year warranty ran out. So while I can still play CDs and DVDs, I can no longer write to CDs. That means I haven't backed up my hard drive - with its growing iTunes library - in more than a year. A little scary. My choices right now are either: (1) pay for the laptop to be fixed, for who knows how much money and who knows how long a time without it; (2) upgrade to a new laptop - always tempting, though this doesn't really seem to justify it; or (3) spend about 100 bucks on an external drive. Option 3 seems to be the easiest bet. Any thoughts?

* I can't take credit for this great post title - that belongs to Joyous, who uttered this great line in the midst of one of our emoticon-free texts this week!

Mid-Season Handicapping

The early awards season has been trucking along, even amidst our collective strike anxiety. And I *know* you all are just dying to hear my comments on where things stand.... so here's a treat:

My take on the major categories of the SAG nominations. (Really, couldn't their union come up with a more peppy sounding acronym? There's some joke in there about what aging actors try to avoid most....!)

I like the SAG noms every year, even though they don't get as much hype as a telecast (broadcast on basic cable!) because they show what the actors themselves are thinking about this year's performances. And they're a great indicator of the eventual Oscar and Emmy nods, cuz actors are one of (if not the) biggest voting blocs in both Academies. Fun!

14th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS®
NOMINATIONS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

GEORGE CLOONEY / Michael Clayton – “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Daniel Plainview – “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage)
RYAN GOSLING / Lars Lindstrom – “Lars And The Real Girl” (Sidney Kimmel Entertainment)
EMILE HIRSCH / Christopher McCandless– “Into The Wild” (Paramount Vantage)
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Nikolai – “Eastern Promises” (Focus Features)

I've only seen two of these movies - Michael Clayton and Into the Wild. I'm a little surprised to see Gosling on this list, cuz I read lots of weird stuff about his movie But, he's a darn fine actor. This is a strong category - hard to call. I'm guessing the critical momentum might line up for Daniel Day-Lewis... but I'll pick Clooney as my fave.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

CATE BLANCHETT / Queen Elizabeth I – “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (Universal Pictures)
JULIE CHRISTIE / Fiona – “Away From Her” (Lionsgate)
MARION COTILLARD / Edith Piaf – “La Vie En Rose” (Picturehouse)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Mariane Pearl – “A Mighty Heart” (Paramount Vantage)
ELLEN PAGE / Juno MacGuff – “Juno” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

I've only seen Angelina Jolie's performance of all of these. Wow, I need to get out to the movies more often! I've read strong reviews for each of these women, and I'm gonna guess that this is Julie Christie's. Actors love to reward long careers, and I think I read somewhere that Ms. Christie has had an Oscar nom, or at least buzz, in each of the last 3 decades.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

CASEY AFFLECK / Robert Ford – “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
JAVIER BARDEM / Anton Chigurh – “No Country For Old Men” (Miramax Films)
HAL HOLBROOK / Ron Franz – “Into The Wild” (Paramount Vantage)
TOMMY LEE JONES / Ed Tom Bell – “No Country For Old Men” (Miramax Films)
TOM WILKINSON / Arthur Edens – “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

This category makes me so happy! I've seen them all except for the younger Affleck, and I'm looking forward to that on DVD. It's a very tough race... Holbrook's performance was so charming and poignant. Tommy Lee was great, but he was kinda playing his usual gig. Tom Wilkinson was fantastic as a lawyer suffering a breakdown. But for sheer power of the performance, I'm going with Javier Bardem. His killer was so chilling, so menacing, that he's becoming a bit of a modern day Bogeyman - as in the guy you'd least want to run into on a dark country highway. Great work.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

CATE BLANCHETT / Jude – “I’m Not There” (The Weinstein Company)
RUBY DEE / Mama Lucas – “American Gangster” (Universal Pictures)
CATHERINE KEENER / Jan Burres – “Into The Wild” (Paramount Vantage)
AMY RYAN / Helene McCready – “Gone Baby Gone” (Miramax Films)
TILDA SWINTON / Karen Crowder – “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

I saw both Keener's Earth Mother performance and Swinton's brittle, unethical corporate shrew.... Putting aside the great reviews for Amy Ryan and the usual Blanchett love and Ruby Dee's legendary status, cuz I haven't seen any of these offerings, I am going with Tilda Swinton.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

3:10 TO YUMA
AMERICAN GANGSTER
HAIRSPRAY
INTO THE WILD
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Hooray! A best picture sneak preview! A few surprises - as 3:10 to Yuma and Hairspray show up here but nowhere else. Strong ensemble performances but no specific standouts? Is that what the SAG members are saying? I am going to go with my personal fave of the bunch, which also seems to have most of the mo' going into the season -- No Country for Old Men.

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

MICHAEL KEATON / James Jesus Angleton – “The Company (TNT)
KEVIN KLINE / Jacques – “As You Like It” (HBO)
OLIVER PLATT / George Steinbrenner – “The Bronx is Burning” (ESPN)
SAM SHEPARD / Frank Whiteley – “Ruffian” (ABC)
JOHN TURTURRO / Billy Martin – “The Bronx is Burning” (ESPN)

Ah, tv movies and miniseries - where stage and film actors go to get an extra paycheck and troll for awards. I haven't seen any of these, so who knows? They're all strong actors - anybody's guess.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

ELLEN BURSTYN / Posey Benetto – “Mitch Albom’s For One More Day” (ABC)
DEBRA MESSING / Molly Kagan – “The Starter Wife” (USA)
ANNA PAQUIN / Elaine Goodale – “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” (HBO)
QUEEN LATIFAH / Ana – “Life Support “ (HBO)
VANESSA REDGRAVE / Woman – “The Fever” (HBO)
GENA ROWLANDS / Melissa Eisenbloom – “What If God Were the Sun?” (Lifetime)

Also didn't see any of these -- but I'm not a Debra Messing fan, so I hope she doesn't win for that seeming piece of fluff on USA.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

JAMES GANDOLFINI / Tony Soprano – “The Sopranos” (HBO)
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – “Dexter” (Showtime)
JON HAMM / Don Draper – “Mad Men” (AMC)
HUGH LAURIE / Dr. Gregory House – “House” (FOX)
JAMES SPADER / Alan Shore – “Boston Legal” (ABC)

I so need to see Mad Men. It's coming on DVD soon... and eventually the 2nd season of Dexter will be out, too. For me, this race is between Michael C. Hall and Hugh Laurie, and I'd give it to Hall. But the Guild may honor Gandolfini for his work over the whole series.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

GLENN CLOSE / Patty Hewes – “Damages” (FX)
EDIE FALCO / Carmela Soprano – “The Sopranos” (HBO)
SALLY FIELD / Nora Walker – “Brothers & Sisters” (ABC)
HOLLY HUNTER / Grace Hanadarko – “Saving Grace” (TNT)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson – “The Closer” (TNT)

Cable really is taking over in terms of more prestigious series and roles, eh? I've never seen any of these shows, but for the same reason as above I'd guess Edie Falco. (She rocks as Jack's secret lover, too!)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – “30 Rock” (NBC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott – “The Office” (NBC)
RICKY GERVAIS / Andy Millman – “Extras” (NBC)
JEREMY PIVEN / Ari Gold – “Entourage” (HBO)
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk – “Monk” (USA)

ALEC BALDWIN ALEC BALDWIN ALEC BALDWIN ALEC BALDWIN
Sorry, Piv, you've picked up a few statues over the last few years. Alec's Jack Donaghy rocks the world, thus he needs some gold.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Newly – “Samantha Who?” (ABC)
AMERICA FERRERA / Betty Suarez – “Ugly Betty” (ABC)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – “30 Rock” (NBC)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER / Nancy Botwin – “Weeds” (Showtime)
VANESSA WILLIAMS / Wilhelmina Slater – “Ugly Betty” (ABC)

This is actually a pretty good category. I love me some Fey, but I think she's a better writer than actress. I've totally gotten over my M-LP hate from the West Wing days and have come to enjoy her Nancy Botwin. And America Ferrera is always endearing... but this category belongs to the incredibly fierce and fabulous Ms. Vanessa Williams. Willy is the best reason to watch the whole show!

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
THE CLOSER (TNT)
GREY’S ANATOMY (ABC)
MAD MEN (AMC)
THE SOPRANOS (HBO)

I do NOT understand all the Boston Legal love. I've seen the show a few times but it never grabs me - too cartoonish. Grey's hit the skids in a big way when that ferry crashed during sweeps. I'm guessing this one goes to The Sopranos to send them off into the dark night (the black screen) in glory.

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

30 ROCK (NBC)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
ENTOURAGE (HBO)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
UGLY BETTY (ABC)

Wow, the first and only category in which I've seen - and LOVE - all 5 nominees! This is a tough one, as these are my favorite comedies. But, even though it's sometimes uneven, the painful-belly-laugh-soda-snorting-explosion-per-episode ratio of 30 Rock far outweighs any giggles or guffaws from any of the other shows.

How Sweet It Is

I made fudge! Yes, little old me, the non-domestic goddess. Thankfully, my Mom has the easiest recipe ever. Here we go....

The raw ingredients:

The PB goes into the pan. Wow, thatsa-lotta-peanut-buttah!

Add in the white chips for lots and lots of sweetness

Yum! Peanut butter soup!

Into the pan you go....

Now it's chocolate's turn...
Goodbye Mr. Chips!
Almost done....

Swirly gooey chocolate fun! Into the fridge you go!

And the next day, we have FUDGE!
This is called Tiger Butter, I think cuz of the swirly stripes. Mom said she clipped the recipe out of the paper, and it's the easiest thing ever. You do have to chill it over night, and cuz the recipe doesn't include paraffin or any other solidifying agent, you should keep it chilled right until you're ready to serve cuz it will get gooey as it warms up. Yum all around!

Off to the holiday parties we go!

I Did It!

Have you seen that new commercial for Jenny Craig, where Valerie Bertinelli gets all teary-eyed? She says she's so excited to wake up on New Year's morning this year, because for the first time ever she won't have to make a resolution of losing weight. Well, I am just as darn excited as Ms. Bertinelli.... because although I'll still have to make that particular resolution this year, I can finally cross another one off my list!

Every year on January 1, I bang my head against the wall (metaphorically) and say "This year, I will FINALLY get my finances in order." And, ta dah! 2007 was actually the year I did it!

With this week's paycheck, I have now completely paid off my credit cards. That's $7,000 in one year, folks. Hooray!

I'm not the most spendy person in the world - usually my biggest expenses are restaurant meals, short weekend trips, and boxes from Amazon.com. But, this is an expensive city to live in (ahem, RENT!), and over the last 5 years I'd racked up the aforementioned debt. Even selling my car back in 2004, for which I got almost $4k, wasn't enough to put a major dent in it.

But, finally, thanks to a nice Christmas bonus, a fat tax refund, some strategy in maximizing balance transfers and interest rates, some self-discipline in planning travel and curbing online impulse buys, and - most importantly - reaching that blissful point in my life where my INCOME is greater than my EXPENSES (took me 'til I was 32!), I've actually kept my resolution!

What a feeling of relief. Happy debt-free dance of joy!

And, the best part is.... I'm NOT actually thinking about where to start spending money next! :-)

Obsession, Treason, and Murder in a Matinee

This afternoon, I was finally able to check out the new Harman Center for the Arts with the matinee performance of Edward II. I was impressed... with the space, a hesitant yes, as I need some repeat visits to better gauge how I feel about the entry lobby (very crowded today) and the performance space itself. But, since the play's the thing, it was an afternoon well spent... Edward II was a real treat, even at almost 3 hours!

I had very high expectations walking into this show, which features the combined talents of director Gale Edwards and lead actor Wallace Acton. I'd seen their collaboration twice before... in a riveting production of Hamlet at Carter Barron in Rock Creek Park, and most importantly in Richard III at the Lansburgh, which still stands as the single most thrilling theatre experience I've had. Ms. Edwards is a great director, who pulls together story and language, performances and design, into really compelling updated-yet-timeless productions of some of the classics of Western theatre. And in Mr. Acton, it appears she has found a muse... his humpbacked Richard and his Prince of Denmark were both stellar performances.

So, yeah, this show had a lot to live up to in my mind. I already knew the story of Edward II, having seen a very modernized version put on by Duquesne University's Red Masquers about 7 years ago, but I was looking forward to seeing STC's approach with obviously a lot more money and established talents.

And I was a little hesitant, knowing that subject matter. Shakespeare's histories are usually my least favorite of his plays. Troops of lords and earls stomping on and off the stage in big sweeping costumes, scheming about deposing the king... that's a big yawn for me. In fact, TSC's productions in repertory of Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 were particularly painful, in my humble opinion. Even though Edward II has its share of lordly machinations (and stomping), the play and this production balance it well with the more personal stories of obsession (E2's love of the banished Gaveston) and ambition (Isabella's marital frustrations turning her eeeeeevil and plotting with Mortimer to take the throne).

Perhaps the difference with this history play is that it's Marlowe's, not Shakespeare's. Or perhaps it's the hand of director Edwards at work. Or perhaps it was the strength of the cast - including Mr. Acton, Andrew Long as Mortimer, and the knockout Deanne Lorette as Queen Isabella - who inhabited their characters and gave them motivation beyond mere words on a page. Or, probably, all of the above.

Whatever the reason, this was a great show. The set was spare but often transformed to bring us to the battlefield, or the monastery, or prison; the lighting and sound enhanced the show throughout; and, typical for a Gale Edwards show, the costumes were phenomenal. Mr. Acton wears a full-length black flared coat in one scene that my friend and I both loved!

You know, it's really a great feeling sometimes to have your high expectations actually be met. :-)

PS - A shout out to this lady: Thanks for scoring me such great seats!

More Than Meets the Eye

I'm a little surprised to be saying it, but the Transformers movie is actually pretty awesome!

I usually watch DVDs while working on my computer, kinda only half paying attention. But, nope, I let my computer go dark and totally pulled my chair closer to the tv, I was so sucked in. Good blockbuster fun. It reminds me a bit of Independence Day - a feel-good, rah-rah, escapist popcorn movie that I wouldn't mind watching a few more times on cable on boring Sunday afternoons.

The cast is great - Shia is still the golden boy, and John Turturro brings it in a hilariously wacky role - and Michael Bay really knows his way around FX, explosions, and crazy action scenes. But, the story is actually compelling... if you follow the mythology of alien robots driving our highways...and they do a good job in giving the Autobots (the good guys) some personality. I guess that might be the hand of executive producer Steven Spielberg at work. The movie has a good sense of humor, with lots of snarky self-aware pop culture references, and it's the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously that makes the whole thing enjoyable.

I only wish I'd seen it for the first time on the big screen!

The Long Dark (TV) Winter

It's actually starting to happen. The writers' strike is still going on (solidarity, WGA!) and my favorite shows are beginning to run out of episodes. The ads for all those ridiculous reality shows (the great American choir? Carrie Ann vs. Bruno dance-offs? American Gladiators?) fall somewhere between utterly depressing and strangely reminiscent of SNL sketches. And I'm starting to get the "what will I do without my stories???" shakes.

So, my "Survive the Strike" plan is now going into effect. It's not a very elaborate plan... really, my best defense is a good offense, or something like that. I'm upgrading to the Netflix 5-at-a-time plan with the goal of seeing just how fast I can burn through my mega-queue.

I will be using this time to catch up on a wide variety of movies, of course, but also to finally check out some of those late, great tv series or seasons that I've somehow missed. Currently in my queue:

• Profit - Brunette loved this show back in college, and most of the Heroes blogs say this was a much better use of uber-hottie Adrian Pasdar.
• The Tudors - I'm loving Showtime series these days, and also can't wait for the new seasons of Dexter and Weeds to come out on DVD.
• The Dresden Files - a quirky series about magic and mysteries? Sign me up!
• Wonderfalls - another quirky series that sounded really good when it was on, but I never got the chance to see it before it was cancelled. Thank you, inventors of Netflix!
• Curb Your Enthusiasm - I've never seen it, but friends swear it's hilarious. Why not?
• Roswell - Aliens and a WB drama? Two tasty ingredients.
• The L Word - I've also missed out on this one, but it has lots of friend love so I must check it out.
• Dead Like Me - Winter seems like a good time for a drama about death and stuff.
• Prime Suspect - Helen Mirren rocks, so I'm looking forward to checking out one of her signature roles.
• 24: Season 6 - Is it really as god-awful as everyone says? I loved season 5, so I'm going to at least give it a shot.

And, since my Amazon habit had lead to towering and somewhat scary piles of books all over my apartment, I will also be using this strike to catch up on all of my reading!

What about you, trusty readers? Anything you're doing to make it through the tv-less winter?

Fresh Perspective

I am just now starting to realize the benefits of having a brother who just happens to be a high school guidance counselor. Over the last few months, little bro has actually become a really good person for me to talk to about whatever frustrations may be bringing me down. He's really good as a sounding board, and he gives sound advice too. It's surprising how much he's learned dealing with adolescents and teens... and it's more than a little sad how much all those experiences really do translate over into our adult lives. In many ways, we never leave those old patterns behind.

Tonight, in a conversation about difficult friendships where he professionally referenced the sociological concept of "girl wars" and I brought up the ever-popular "frenemies," he taught me some new lingo: ladders & anchors. These are two types of friends. In layman's terms.... ladders are the friends who help you advance, or rise up, and anchors are the friends who bring you down or keep you stuck in place. What a great description... I love it! I told him this new lingo makes me happy, cuz I like snappy labels for things. :-)

I really try to surround myself with ladders, and I really value the good influence they are on me. Ladder friends make me laugh, make me get my head out of the sand (or my a@@, wherever it might be), and help me find real solutions to whatever the problems may be. I've got lots of ladder friends, thank goodness.

I do have some anchor friends, too, but I've learned over the years that I need to manage those friendships and the amount of time I spend with those folks to keep it positive and not slip into that sometimes so tempting funk of self-perpetuating negativity. I definitely have had times in my life where I sought out anchors - heck, I probably even was the anchor for more than a few people - but as I've gotten older and gained more experience and insight, I really do try to be more positive and seek out others who promote the same kind of positivity.

We're all human, of course, and I'm just as likely to fall into that funk as anybody else... but I sure am glad to know I have so many good people - friends, family, peers - who remind me how healthy and satisfying it is just to stay positive. Thank you, ladders o' mine!

Not a Good Sign

My sit-at-home funny ha-ha moment of the night?

I totally forgot John McCain was running for President!

I was sitting here, eating my dinner in front of Hardball. Chris interviewed Mike Huckabee and he was interspersing clips of the Republican debate from last night. So the clips were bouncing from Rudy to Mitt to Huckabee to Rudy to Mitt to.... wait, who's that guy? Oh my God! That's John McCain! Oh, yeah, he's running too!

Seriously, that was went through my head. I *almost* feel bad for McCain. It's pretty much a sure sign you're gonna lose if people actually forget that you're running!

Shooting Ourselves in the Foot

This DC Office of Tax and Revenue scandal really pisses me off. How in the world can we expect the rest of the country - albeit begrudgingly - to give us voting rights and more autonomy when this kind of ridiculous scandal emerges? The corruption is horrible enough... have you read about what those people spent all the money on? Ferragamos, Faberge eggs, and weed. As a resident of the District, I'm ashamed.

Ah, the dreams of DC statehood... even the faint glimmer of hope for a voting member of the House let alone the Senate... we hardly knew ye.

I've Had Enough of Cinderella

Brunette and I had a great conversation today over sushi (as most of our best convo's are) about romantic expectations, particularly the unrealistic kind. How much are our dreams and our choices shaped by the love stories we see on the screen?

I have my moments of being a hopeless romantic...and that probably has not served me well in real life. I've always been one to hang on or hold out for way too long, because I've developed these elaborate fantasies in my head about living some grand romance. I want a love story for the ages, as if it had been scripted by screenwriters... so it's quite fitting that they're currently on strike.

I have spent years of my life hoping for - and trying to force - one of those tried-and-true formulaic Hollywood stories. You know the one, in which two best friends finally realize after years of ups and downs that they're right for each other... the Harry and Sally moment...."the search is over, love was right before my eyes....." Ugh.

And I'm pretty tired of it. Sure, it's one thing to be a total 'shipper as a tv and movie fan... cuz how can you not root for the hero and heroine to realize that they're soul mates? Ross and Rachel trying to open that locked Central Perk door and have their earth-shattering kiss...Pam pouring out her soul to Jim after walking across hot coals...and Big following Carrie to the most romantic city on Earth.

Great moments in tv relationship history. But not so great for this little heart of mine, cuz it keeps selling me more and more on those unrealistic dreams.... Cinderella may have been swept off her feet, but she too was a fictional character.

So, in honor of our modern classic heroine, I sit here on my laptop and pose to you my faithful readers the following:

Would the world be better off if Carrie and Big had never ended up together? Was this just another Cinderella story setting us up for disappointment?

I'm not saying I should give up on the hope for romance... but that I need to redefine what romance is. With all the fantasies pushed aside, I want something real. And that means I need to open myself up to something real, and not keep clinging so tightly to these notions that I should accept nothing other than the fantasy or the melodrama. Someday my Prince will come, too... but he may just be a regular guy in a polo shirt and jeans. And I'm ready for that. You hear me, universe?!?

Somewhat related side note: Even though I've never seen a full episode of American Idol, I have to confess that the AI-style mainstream pop songs are one of my guiltiest pleasures. Currently, I'm addicted to that new Jordin Sparks song "Tattoo." I first heard it when she sang on the Pillsbury float in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Marketing works, even the shameless kind.... I'm such a product of pop culture.

He Ain't Heavy

My little brother came to visit! We just had a very enjoyable 3-day Thanksgiving holiday, featuring food, folks, and fun. (But no McDonald's.) Like a few years ago when my parents visited, I got to play tour guide of this city that I love. Since little bro hadn't been to our nation's capital since the Reagan Administration, there was lots to show him.

Wednesday

Little bro got into town in time for lunch, and after grabbing some Potbelly's I gave him a tour of my office and our exhibits at the museum where I work. He was duly impressed (with the exhibits too, not just with the toasty sandwich). Eventually we made our way up to AdMo and then to Dupont, where Onyah and Reporter Boy joined us for a few hours of good greasy bar food and shuffleboard at Buffalo Billiards. Later, we took advantage of the wonderfully unseasonable weather and walked the Mall. I highly recommend visiting the monuments at night, it's when our city looks its best.

Thursday

Turkey Day! Once again, I benefited from the gracious hospitality and wonderful cooking of Mr. Scotte and Mr. J-Lo. Thanks boys, especially for being so welcoming of my little bro! We spent the day laughing, talking, eating, drinking, and watching movies, and my bro got to meet lots of folks from my DC circle, including this newlywed couple and one of these guys, plus Joyous and Jane Austen and the other newlyweds in their matching Hawaii t-shirts. This is why Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday of the year. :-)

Friday

Friday was our whirlwind tour of DC's cultural offerings... and trust me, getting out and about the day after Thanksgiving is not for the faint-hearted. I can't imagine what the malls were like, but I can tell you that at the museums there were people - and strollers - EVERYWHERE!

We started with a morning visit to the International Spy Museum. This was actually my first time going, since I'd never found a reason to justify that high ticket price (grrr) before. But, we actually had a really good time! It's a very thorough look at espionage, ranging from all the modern gadgetry and disguise tricks to the role of spies throughout world history. The museum is very interactive, with a little something for everybody, and the exhibit is a lot bigger than you might think by looking at the building from outside. Plus, there's a great gift shop... with everything from Jack Bauer gear to Nancy Drew party games to Mao and Che t-shirts. Worth a trip!

After lunch at Austin Grill, we had some time to kill.... and made our way to the National Museum of Natural History. Normally this is one of my favorites of the Smithsonian, but the horrendous crowds were too much to battle. We explored a little bit of the Ice Age and dinosaur exhibits, which were almost dangerously mobbed, and found a newer exhibit on African Voices. This was pretty cool, and since it was sadly not at all crowded, we did get to explore. We fought our way upstairs through the hordes for a 2 second look at the Hope Diamond, and then burst back out onto Constitution Avenue for some air. Word to the wise... do NOT go to the Mall (or the mall) on Black Friday. Not if you value your personal space and comfort and actually want to SEE anything.

Then, at little bro's request, we hit the E Street Cinema to catch a matinee showing of what I'm happy to call the best film I've seen all year - No Country for Old Men. The cast is universally superb - with Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Woody Harrelson all inhabiting their West Texas cowboys perfectly. But the real center of this film - the cold, dark, mysterious center - is Javier Bardem's chillingly evil assassin. See this movie, and hope you never run into Bardem on the side of the highway.

After a dinner of lamb kabobs at Skewers, we finished our tour with the evening show of Keegan Theatre's Mojo Mickybo at the Church Street Theater. This was my first time in the Dupont theater space, and my first time seeing a Keegan show, but I was really impressed and will plan to check out more of both in the future. This play was a really fun, fast-moving two-man show about childhood in Belfast in 1970. As we were leaving, the folks asked us to spread the word and tell people to come see the show before it closes on 12/1, so.... see it!

At this point, we hit about the 12-hour mark of playing tourist, and we were exhausted.... it takes a lot out of you!

Saturday

And now it's Saturday morning, and my poor bro is stuck with at least an hour delay at National. I repeat my own mantra to you all... never fly Northworst. They're in the boring terminal and they are ALWAYS delayed. Ah well, he'll be home soon, and then we'll get to hang again in Bloomington in a few weeks. But I'm glad he's finally gotten a little taste of my world here.

The Monuments at Night

Wednesday was the perfect night for walking the Mall - clear, warm, and quiet. Enjoy!

Teen Dreams

I was bored on the bus tonight, and suddenly found myself remembering my early celebrity crushes... you know, those gorgeous guys that stared at you longingly from posters on your wall, or pictures taped up on the inside of your locker door. Sigh. That's the stuff preteen dreams were made of!

My earliest crushes make me laugh these days. Remember when Ricky "The Rickster" Schroeder was the coolest thing around? I used to daydream that he was my boyfriend... the raciest those fantasies ever got was that he would come to my school and walk the halls with me holding my hand!

Sixth grade was a big year for me, as that was when we finally had lockers. Oooh, let the magazine clipping begin! I *couldn't wait* for the latest issue of Teen Beat every week, so I could clip out every single picture there was of Mr. Pritikin himself, Kirk Cameron.

My middle school crushes lasted through early high school, and for a while the total love of my life was that quintessential '80's Jersey Boy, Jon Bon Jovi. I felt a real connection to him, you know, cuz he had the same birthday as my brother (March 2). See, we were destined to be soul mates! I swear, at one point I had memorized every bit of trivia ever printed about him, and this was way before the days of Wikipedia.

I had a whole folder of magazine photos of him, and I had this actual Rolling Stone cover hanging on my wall! Look at him, those smoldering eyes, that dreamy crispy crunchy hair! While it still makes me look twice nowadays to recognize him without all that hair, I do have to give JonBon props, as he has aged very well. Still a sexy man!

When I wasn't dreaming of seeing a million faces and rocking them all, I was obsessing over a certain soulful singer who's become a bit of an archetype in my life. Once "Faith" came out in 1987 !!!!, I was a total goner. George Michael, what a heart throb! Ah, my first gay crush. AND my first Greek crush. Mr. "I Want Your Sex" is just a harbinger of things to come, trust me...

For most of high school, I refrained from putting up celeb pics in favor of real-life guys and candid friends shots. Plus, by then I was more into bands like U2 and Depeche Mode, and it just was not cool to put posters of them in your locker. Puh-leeze, how conformist and mainstream. Scoff!

College meant more posters on the wall, and I'm proud to say I was not one of those "Waterlilies" or "Precious Moments" or "French bistro" girls. I can't remember all the posters I had up, but I know U2, Depeche Mode, and Madonna were in the mix. (Posters in your dorm room were infinitely cooler than clippings in your locker, so I was proud to display the bands by then.) Still, these weren't exactly celebrity crushes, it was more about putting a little personality up on the walls.

Grad school... I don't think I had any celeb stuff anywhere. I had a real grown-up apartment by this time, and was having fun decorating for real.

But, once I started working.... I learned the joys of doing image searches on the Internet. So as the locker door was to the 1980's, the computer desktop was to the 2000's!

After I saw the original "Wuthering Heights" I just had to put up a pic of the astoundingly gorgeous young Laurence Olivier. Take a look at him... those eyes! Those cheekbones!

After having Sir Larry up on the screen for about a year, I saw "Gosford Park." Oh. My. God. That is when I first discovered Mr. Clive Owen. And onto the screen he goes...


Noticing the trend here? Way back to Mr. George Michael, I'm a sucker for brooding foreigners... Give me a furrowed brow, a tortured soul, and a sexy accent and I'm done. This is not a trend that has served me well, alas, but I'm willing to hang onto it in just the celebrity arena. I do not wanna give up on Clive!

So what of my pinups now? As you know, over the last few years I've taken up photography as a hobby, so now my real walls and my computer desktop have become gallery space for my own images. That means I have to use this here little blog for my pinups these days. So, for good measure, I give you....


SAWYER!!!!! Seriously, it doesn't get any hotter than that. Have I finally broken free of my brooding foreigners and gone back to my good old American shaggy-haired roots? One can only hope.

What about you, trusty readers? Who were your teen pinups??? Come on, dish!

The Best Policy

There's something to be said about recognizing mortality - your own or that of those you love.

I had dinner with someone really close to me tonight, and it was one of those evenings that featured some very deep conversations. I was very much in a sharing mood, talking about some of the ups and downs of my life this year, especially stories from my most recent trip to see my family in Indiana.

I revealed that this was really a very important visit, perhaps even more so in hindsight, and not just because of the paradigm-shifting time spent with the Dalai Lama. This trip also included some very deep conversations with my family, and I shared tonight that those conversations were some of the most honest ones I've ever had as an adult.

Normally, I'm a really non-confrontational person. I tend to absorb things, even the things that really bother me, and just keep them inside to fester, fester, fester. I often toss and turn long into the night, reliving past hurts and conversations that I wish had gone differently, losing sleep and a bit of my mind as the hours tick by. Tonight my dinner companion asked if I have trouble expressing myself, but that's not it. I (rather ironically considering the company) said no, I have no problem expressing myself and my frustrations to any 3rd party with a set of ears who happens to walk by... my problem is in expressing myself to the actual people who should be hearing what I'm saying!

My family gets along pretty well, for the most part, but there is a lot of baggage and history there like with most. And I'm the kid that moved away, so I don't see them very often and when I do there's rarely time to delve much deeper than a surface visit. And usually I don't think there's any reason to rock the boat, even if times come up when maybe I should.

BUT... this family visit was different. For the first time in a very long time, I actually said what was on my mind. Rather than just letting parental stuff bug me and continue to pile on top of years of little irks, I actually said "please don't say that....don't project what you think I'm thinking..." and articulated my own real feelings on the subject at hand. No nodding and fake, resigned smiles this time.

And you know what? There were breakthroughs. Like, seriously, real conversations about how we affect each other and how we relate to each other and how we are trying to cope with the lasting effects of our checkered history. With promises to try and listen, and communicate, and understand each other better in the future.

Wow. Families don't have to be little powder kegs of hurt feelings, or sadness, or regret, or misplaced guilt... they can actually just be people trying to care for each other and enjoy each other's company. Amazing.

My dinner companion was a great listener, and after hearing my revelations said "This was your first trip back, right?" As in, was this was my first visit since there was a real health crisis this summer? Actually, it was the 2nd, but my first trip in September was so quick that there wasn't really time to explore thoughts further than "Wow, I'm so glad you're alive!" This visit was longer and allowed for a lot more quality time spent with each other. I hadn't really thought more about it myself, but what my friend was getting at was true. Even though I was not there in person in the midst of the crisis, it has had its lasting effects -- and I think this newfound commitment to honesty may be one of the best. Because life is too damn short, and we truly love each other too much, to choose any other way. Another breakthrough.

Now.... I just need to work on figuring out how to be more honest with myself. I'm my own toughest customer, for sure. I should look back over my notes and see what the Dalai Lama's advice is about that!

Double Booked

Continuing my week of cultural adventures, I actually did two things tonight. Since I so rarely have such a busy night, I thought I'd mark the occasion with a blog post for your enjoyment. :-)

First up, book club at Raku in Dupont. Mmmmm noodles! The setting was appropriate, as we discussed the novel Silk by Alessandro Baricco. This novel, written in Italian, tells the story of a 19th century Frenchman and his travels to Japan in search of priceless silkworm eggs. On his journeys, he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman and he becomes instantly infatuated. Each year, he leaves his wife behind in France and makes the treacherous trip across the world in the hopes of another glimpse or encounter with the mystery woman. The real world interferes, however, with Japan's civil war and disease among the silkworms.

The story questions the meaning of love and fidelity, and features some of the most beautiful, vivid, lyrical language I've seen. In fact, it also includes just about the dirtiest sexual passage I've ever seen in a novel, as well. Our book club seems to have a knack for finding unexpected erotica in popular fiction! But the book was enjoyable, barely a 90 minute read tops, and we had a great discussion. Any book club meeting that can include references to Jabba the Hut AND how "The Notebook" chokes the kitten but still makes us sob is an evening well spent!

Next, I made my way back over to National Geographic for the photo-conservation lecture "From Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam." This was a great program, as the German photographer Florian Schwarz gave an impassioned and entertaining talk on the need to preserve North American biodiversity by protecting the connected lands in the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor. Florian (what a great name!) shared some gorgeous photographs of grizzlies, wolves, and the amazing landscapes of the American West, which are all collected in his book (a great holiday gift idea).

In explaining why we should listen to a German guy's pleas to preserve North America's natural resources, Schwarz made an interesting comparison: In Germany, he said, they have a wealth of recorded history - cathedrals, cities, civilizations that are hundreds and even thousands of years old. But what we have in the Americas is a living natural history, ecosystems that have remained largely unchanged since, I dunno, the last Ice Age. Europeans, he said, have lost that natural history and there's no way of getting it back. Well, when he puts it that way, it sure does make sense.

To learn more about this conservation effort, check out the Y2Y site.

Thus ends my week of culture, but have no fear... I'll be exploring again next week when baby bro comes to visit for the first time in about 2 decades. I've got to show him my city!

My Cultural Capital

I have spent the past week playing "culture vulture," sampling some of the great cultural resources our fine city has to offer. I didn't quite plan to do all of this in just a week, but it's a great lesson in how much there is to do and how fun it can be to just soak up the art and history that are all around us here in our nation's capital. (Buckle up, this is gonna be a long post!)

Tuesday
I started my adventures at National Geographic, with a lecture on Palenque and the Ancient Maya World. The lecture given by the entertaining father-son duo of the Drs. Stuart focused on the discovery and excavation of this ancient city, hidden in the Yucatan jungle for centuries, and the story its art and architecture tell of the line of kings led by Pacal the Great. I found the most interesting part of the evening to be the discussion of what the fields of archaeology and anthropology mean to modern cultures - what does it mean for the current residents of the Yucatan, the living Maya, to learn about these ancient civilizations of their ancestors? How does it help build identity and cohesiveness for the modern people? Thought-provoking stuff.

I love these NG programs (branded under the umbrella of National Geographic Live!) because you can hear fascinating stories about history, culture, photography, and the natural world - like the best lectures you had back in college - but there's no test afterwards! I try to go to several programs each year, and I have tickets for 2 more this fall. Stay tuned!

Wednesday
The next night, some pals and I made it over to Woolly Mammoth to check out their world premiere of Melissa James Gibson's Current Nobody. This show puts a contemporary spin on Homer's The Odyssey, with the story of a war photographer who returns to her family after 20 years of adventures "off the map."

Here's the thing... I didn't really like this show. I could see what the playwright was going for in her modern interpretation - flipping the gender roles so that the woman is the one who leaves and sees the world, and making some subtle references to our current war society - but it didn't really work for me. Even though it's a modern setting, she kept a lot of the language referring to mythical beasts and ancient cities... so a lot of the show seemed neither here nor there, temporally. Gibson could have easily translated the ancient tales of the Cyclops and the Land of the Lotus Eaters to more realistic contemporary dangers, and the show would've been better for it. Unfortunately, mixing the myth in with what was supposed to be a current story was a little a jarring.

I also was a little disappointed in the casting... here's where a year spent at the Shakespeare Theatre Company has made me a bit of a snob, as I've learned how to recognize actors who have had classical training. It really does make such a difference. I hate criticizing stage actors, since I know it's a much more difficult profession than it may look. But in this case, except for the actress who gives a strong performance as the daughter, I was underwhelmed.

That being said, I do think the design of the show was creative. The set was pretty stark but functioned well from bedroom scenes to a press conference and back, and the most inventive part of the whole production was how it incorporated video into the show. The back wall of the set became a giant screen that showed live footage of the play itself, offering the audience a new perspective on both the action onstage and behind the scenes - extending the set itself by hinting at other rooms just off the stage. You can sorta see what I'm talking about in the photos here on Woolly's page for the show. So, kudos to the design team.

Well, even though I didn't love the show, I'm glad I went. I'm sticking with my dramatic resolution of seeing more theatre, and that sometimes includes opportunities to think critically about how a production could be better.

Saturday
I went in for a second helping of drama this week with my subscription to The Studio Theatre and its production of Conor McPherson's The Shining City. My old home, PPT, had done a production of McPherson's Irish ghost story The Weir several years back, so I was looking forward to seeing him give the genre another shot.

After my disappointment on Wednesday, I put some heavy expectations on poor Studio as it had to redeem contemporary theatre for me, at least for the time being. Thankfully, I really enjoyed this one!

The story worked well. Ian, a former priest/new therapist, is adjusting to his new life, finding a bit of inspiration in his first patient. Ed Gero, a DC fave, does a great job as John, the man haunted by his wife's death and struggling with guilt over his own infidelities. In a case of "physician, heal thyself," Ian explores his own path as he counsels John, and the language and performances both convey what feels like a very real story. In my book, that's a great accomplishment. The set design works well, and I liked the way the contemporary music set the mood. All in all, it was a good afternoon at the theatre.

Sunday
Finally, today a few friends and I braved the holiday weekend tourists at the National Gallery to take in the Edward Hopper exhibit. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. Hopper has always been one of my favorite artists, and his work always brings about a bit of nostalgia in me, as his New England looks a lot like my Upstate NY home.

Hopper is probably best known for his oils, like the iconic and often-imitated "Nighthawks," and there were several good examples included in this show. My favorites, however, are his watercolors depicting scenes of Gloucester, Mass, Maine, and Cape Cod. I particularly like his study of the lighthouses in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, as well as one of his early notable works, "The Mansard Roof."



I took a bunch of notes on my gallery guide to help remember what I wanted to say about the exhibit... but since this post is already getting quite long, I'll just treat you to the actual scribbles themselves:

• watercolors as precise as oils
• solo figures in urban landscapes = isolation and loneliness surrounded by humanity
• immortalized the everyday
• abstraction even in representation

This was a great way to spend a Sunday morning... and speaking of spend, I dropped more than 90 bucks on Hopperabilia at the gift shop! Ah, museums love me.

Fall on Campus

While in Indiana a few weeks back, on breaks during the Dalai Lama's lectures, I had the chance to explore a bit of IU's Bloomington campus (alma mater to every member of my family but me). The leaves had just started to turn, and there were a few perfect scenes of fall.