Tuesday, June 30, 2009

And the Darwin Award Goes To...

Me.

I just smacked the hard bottom of the boot that's protecting my right Achilles tendon into my left ankle... HARD. It's swelling up. If that's not the dumbest thing I've ever done, it's definitely the dumbest thing I've done today. Off to bunny hop to an ice pack...

I Am The Short Note Singer!

Why is it that Sesame Street still makes me laugh louder than almost anything else?

Monday, June 29, 2009

Beyonce at the BET Awards

In mom's words: "She was appropriately reverent in a room full of clowns." Also, the words stunning, flawless and perfect come to mind. A perfectly beautiful tribute to Michael Jackson.

Bravo, Beyonce, as always...

Farrah Fawcett

Mom and I just watched Farrah's Story (me again; her for the first time.) I'm still amazed at Farrah's courage and her willingness to be so open in her documentary. I hope it wins some kind of an award, because it most certainly deserves it.

Mom: "I didn't know she went back and forth to Germany so many times for treatment. Why don't we have this technology here?"
Me: "I don't know, the FDA?"
Mom: "Oh. They suck."

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Old friends

My parents and I went to a 30th anniversary party for our dear friends Kathy and Mark yesterday. We met Mark and Kathy 15 years ago and they haven't changed one bit. Their house is warm and welcoming... their family even more so. I'm going to spend today being thankful for them. And for shared music, shared friends, bonfires, new additions, S'mores and fireflies. Welcome back, summer :)
--
Sent from my mobile device

Rhythm Nation

Still one of my favorite music videos of all time, and it's been years since I've seen it. Enjoy.

Friday, June 26, 2009

MJ's Tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr.

He wrote and performed this song only once, for Sammy Davis, Jr. It was written specifically for this occasion... and it blew me away today.

Michael Jackson in Concert

If you ever wanted to know what a Michael Jackson concert is like, imagine two and a half hours of THIS -- no breaks -- he never left the stage. He changed his clothes on stage in a tent. I've never been so entertained in my life:



The Hartford Courant's headline today: The Thriller's Gone. What an amazing title. Bravo.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Achilles

So I have Achilles Tendonitis (or something equally as ridiculous.) I was totally fine this morning and arrived at the Travelers Championship ready to assist the players. A couple of hours into working on the driving range, my Achilles tendon and lower calf were on fire.

I went to the First Aid area and got the thing wrapped up. Also got 3 Ibuprofen. The end of my session with the doctor went like this:

Doctor: "You should really try to wear high tops from now on."

Me: "Really? Like, as in, 1985 high tops?"

Doctor: "Ha ha. Something like that."

Me: "I already have braces. Now you want me to wear high tops, too? What's next... slap bracelets?

Doctor: "Well, if you don't wear high tops you may wind up with a ruptured tendon."

Me: "I'll take my chances."

I really am my own worst enemy.

-- Sent from my mobile device

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Falling Slowly

This is why I watch So You Think You Can Dance. Falling Slowly is the best routine I've seen yet. I have a crush on Jonathan. He's adorable. Pay attention to the facial expressions. Priceless. It's a perfect depiction of love and all the complications and emotions that go along with it. I could write a term paper on this dance.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Pool Parties

Pool parties in movies always look 10 times better than any pool party I've ever been to. At the pool parties I go to, the girls sit around and talk about how fat they are and the men drink beer and eat hamburgers and start fights. So Hollywood, maybe a little more research is in order.

"We don't have to."

Yesterday, I got to spend the day with Amy Ellen. People always ask me if it's hard to stay close friends with the first friend I ever had. I've known Amy since I was born. It's not hard at all. It's the easiest thing ever, actually.

We went out for a wonderful lunch outside, had a few drinks and went for a lovely walk. The first thing Amy said when we got back to my apartment was, "I'm putting my sweatpants on." One of the many reasons why I love her - she speaks my language.

Then she had to call her boss to check in. Her boss asked what she was up to tonight. Here's Amy's response: "I'm with my best and oldest friend Jen. What are we doing? Um... we're just kind of sitting here. I'm doing work and she's working on her resume." Then she laughed and said, "We haven't seen each other in 6 months and we're not even talking to each other." I started cracking up and said, "We don't have to."



There's nothing but comfort when you've known someone as long as I've known Amy. There are no secrets, there's no trying to impress each other. We've impressed each other enough already. Now we get to concentrate on enjoying each other and making each other laugh.

After we finished our work, we watched Horton Hears A Who (laughing out loud at all the same places), then watched the season finale of Real Housewives of New Jersey (acting mortified at all the same places), then Rescue Me (which neither of us understood, so I have to watch it again and report back to Amy.)

And then it was time for bed. We're grown-ups now (kinda) so a lot has changed since we were little girls. We both have our own beds when Amy comes to visit and we drink martinis now instead of juice, but I remember so many years ago when I would sleep over at Amy's parents' house on the pull-out couch in the basement. We would be up all night talking about boys and about which girls we couldn't stand and which girls we wish we were friends with. It seems like only yesterday that her dad was coming downstairs to yell at us to go to sleep, for crying out loud.

But most of all, I remember the laughter. We laughed so hard and for so long that we cried and our stomachs hurt. It was the laughter that usually got us in trouble back then, because it was always the loudest and too late at night.

So that's what I was thinking about last night at midnight when Amy was shouting at me from her bed in the other room, "I'm trying to think of a way to make your resume more creative!!!!! Maybe we could do it as a poem?!?!"

Then the laughing started.

In a world that changes by the minute, it's still nice to know that some things never will.



PS - Amy is STILL sad that Betsy got a trophy and she didn't. Last night we were trying to figure out why I was so happy without a trophy. My answer: "Who knows? My mother probably pumped me full of drugs before the recital."

And more laughter...

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Wet Shoes

I wrote this years ago. Can't believe I never put it on here. I have no idea why, but it's one of my favorite things I've ever written...

Today at the parking lot at the train station I saw two men's shoes (very nice expensive loafers) abandoned in a puddle, and I've been thinking about them all day. How does a man lose two loafers in the rain? I think about things like this.

It was raining really hard last night and I can imagine this young guy getting off the train without an umbrella and he's happy and celebrating something (an engagement, a raise, a new lease on life) and he was so excited but so wet from all the rain that when he got to his car he just decided to shed his wet shoes with his past life.

Shoes in a puddle making me think. I can almost picture him running through the rain to get to his car. Maybe he's been telling the story all day.

Maybe he has no idea why he woke up this morning without shoes.

A lot of people walked past those wet shoes and didn't even see them, but I've been thinking about that guy all day.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Dog ear

Everyone knows I love to dog ear my books. Someone once told me it's disrespectful to the author to do this. I don't understand that. If I'm dog earing, it's because I love what the author has written. Here's my most recent dog ear:

"It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like... gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would do anything for her, be anything for her... You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother."
~ Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer

If that's not worth a creased page, I don't know what is.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Millions



My newest movie recommendation is Danny Boyle's Millions. He made it several years before Slumdog Millionaire and it's delightful (which is my new favorite word to use when describing movies that are wonderful and fun for the whole family.) Don't forget to add it to your Queue.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Homage Must Be Paid


RIP David Carradine

Monday, June 1, 2009

Tumblr or Blogger

Which one do people like better?