No, it's not Friday yet, but February also starts with an F. I'm just thrilled to bits that January is finally over and we can move on to the rest of the year. I know I haven't blogged much in the last few weeks. I just haven't been motivated. I've been trying to keep the house clean, reading up a storm, working on my Chick Lit Central blog, dealing with crazy weather, baking (got this new peanut butter bar recipe that just requires some butter melting and refrigeration), taking care of the kids, trying to rest with this pregnancy and shopping (sometimes out of necessity).
Last week, I went to the hospital to get a tour of the maternity ward. I wanted to see it because I was new to this hospital, having given birth in two different states prior to this one. The woman leading the tour reminded me of Gloria from "Modern Family," as I couldn't understand half of what she was saying. I was also the only one there who had given birth before, as she made it feel like a kindergarten class for parents-to-be. The tour was only supposed to go 45 minutes but this went well over an hour and had way too much detail involved. Still, I was relieved to find out that we can use our cell phones and we get free wi-fi. :) The TV costs $5/day once we're in the recovery room, but if I am there during Oscar time, I will deal with that cost. (When I had my younger son, there was no way I was going to miss "American Idol.")
This past week, two of my friends (one local and one from my previous community) had baby girls. I'm very happy for them, but it makes me long for a girl of my own. I still want a healthy baby no matter what, and there are pros to having either gender. My older son does have his heart set on a girl and I worry about disappointing him if it's a boy (even though my younger son would be happy then). My BFF's Magic 8 Ball confirmed that it will be a girl, so we'll just have to see if it really works the way it should! :) Two more of my friends are having babies next week (b'shaah tovah). One is local and one lives far away. I know one will be a boy as she's been talking about it ever since she found out. The other is sending off a strong boy vibe, so we'll just have to see. I'm excited for both of them. It was nice being able to talk about my pregnancy with them this entire time.
In terms of this pregnancy, I plan on it being my last. My husband and I agreed on only three kids a while ago. I was aiming for just two originally, but was okay with three. I knew I wanted another one and chose to get pregnant this past year. I won't miss the morning sickness, but I will miss the feeling of a baby moving around inside me and getting to hold a newborn for the first time. Once my kids grow up, I feel like that's it. I have been writing down the cute things they say and posting them to my blog about them. I love reminding my older son about some of the funny things he said when he was the same age as my younger son. He finds it hilarious too. Anyway, when I was on the hospital tour, I felt unsettled by the fact that my baby will soon be physically detached from me and they'll become a separate entity (i.e., their own person). I didn't give it much thought before, but now it's something that nags at me. I also don't know how I'm going to juggle things with three kids. My older son is very independent but I've been warned that even he could regress. Yikes! I also worry that I'll be jealous of people who are continuously having babies, even though I did choose for this time to be my last. How conflicted is that?!?
In the meantime, I shall list some things I am looking forward to in the coming months, aside from having another baby (b'shaah tovah).
1. Valentine's Day (I still love it.)
2. My 7-year wedding anniversary.
3. My younger son's 3rd birthday/upsherin
4. Purim
5. My family visiting (for younger son's birthday and to meet the baby, b'shaah tovah)
6. "Glee" Super Bowl episode (3 days!!!)
I haven't seen too many movies recently. In January, I saw "Dinner for Schmucks" (pretty funny, but also a train wreck), "The Social Network" (interesting, even though I heard that it's not completely factual) and "Freakonomics" (some parts I liked, some parts I didn't). I also read some good books, all of which I reviewed at Chick Lit Central. I'm currently reading "Night Road" by Kristin Hannah. It's interesting so far and has a Jodi Picoult feel to it. Reminds me of "The Pact" in some ways. Lots of gray area. Earlier in the month, I read "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford for the book club I'm in from my community. It was also a well written story, but I thought the ending was kind of forced and a bit sappy. Still, a worthwhile read!
I got the soundtrack to "Free to Be You and Me" from Value Village. I think I enjoy it as much as my kids do. The first time I remember hearing the song was when I went to overnight camp the summer before my freshman year of high school. Some of the words were changed around and they kept inserting one of the counselors' names in it. They also added the name of the camp in there too. Then I went to a "nostalgia night" during freshman year of college and some people were acting out scenes from FTBYAM. Afterward, we watched the video in someone's dorm room. It was really cute. Then I didn't give it much thought till I moved to NJ and one of my friends had bought the DVD for her kids. A friend might get me the DVD soon, so that would be cool.
My "Little Shop of Horrors" soundtrack cassette has died though. I need to get it on CD. I love that soundtrack! I hope to find it someplace soon. I was so glad when someone sent me the "Joseph..." soundtrack, even though my younger son has become addicted to it. In order to not become satiated of the music, I found a bunch of kids' CDs to play in the car. I hope the variety will be helpful!
Other than that, I have an annoying cough that I wish would go away! I'm just taking Tylenol Cold for it since that's safe for the baby. I'm hoping some cough drop brands will be safe too. I can't take it much longer!
Till next time....
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Broadway Baby
I've posted in great detail about a few musicals with which I am obsessed. Namely, "Rent", "In the Heights", "Joseph..." and "Wicked". I still love all these musicals and listening to the Original Broadway Cast recordings always takes me back to the feeling of when I saw the live performances.
However, I haven't talked as much about some other musicals that I love. I thought I'd put together a little list.
1. "Miss Saigon": "Rent" isn't the only Broadway musical that is based on an opera. "Miss Saigon" is a modern adaptation of "Madame Butterfly." It's a heartbreaking story, and the music makes me cry whenever I hear it. I love listening to Lea Salonga's portrayal of Kim, the Vietnamese girl whose American soldier husband is forced to leave her behind with their son and move on with his life. The sacrifice she makes for her son is so sad. It's impossible not to cry through the show. There are some entertaining and funny songs too though, thanks to the Engineer (played perfectly on the Broadway recording by Jonathan Pryce). I originally saw it in downtown Chicago where they were able to land a helicopter on stage. I liked the music at the time but had trouble getting into the story. I was 16 though. I saw it again at a smaller theater where the focus was on the story and the music instead of the scenery. This time, I sobbed throughout. I was 25 this time. It was a cathartic experience and the intimacy of the stage made the story feel that much more intense.
2. "Les Miserables": This is by the same producer as "Miss Saigon," oddly enough. I like it mostly for the music. The songs are so memorable and easy to follow along with. George even got "Master of the House" stuck in his head on an episode of "Seinfeld." :) I've seen it on stage four times. I was 15 the first time and just liked it for the songs at that time. When I saw it again at age 21, I was crying so hard that my glasses kept fogging up. That was probably the best performance. The two times I saw it after that were enjoyable, but didn't carry the same momentum. In any case, it's hard to see "Les Miz" and not sing along! I sing the songs to my kids all the time, as well.
3. "Avenue Q": I first wanted nothing to do with this musical because it won for best musical instead of "Wicked" at the Tony Awards. Then a year or so later, I heard that it was worth listening to the OBC recording, so I decided to give it a chance. Then I was laughing out loud and kept wanting to listen more often. In 2007, I finally got to see it on Broadway and it was even funnier that way. It's like "Reality Bites" meets "Sesame Street." Lots of puppets swearing and talking about sex. My favorite songs are "Schadenfraude" and "I Wish I Could Go Back to College," as I can relate to both. I also love that a woman plays Gary Coleman. It would probably be weird to see it now that Gary Coleman is dead, but who knows?!?
4. "Guys and Dolls": I've only seen school productions, but I really enjoy the music. We learned a lot about it in musical theater class when I was in high school and I found the soundtrack to be very addictive. It has that old school musical feel and it's just a lot of fun.
5. "Into the Woods": I've seen it at a community theater, at my old high school and at a professional performance at the Marriott Lincolnshire (same small theater that did "Miss Saigon" so well). I still can't get enough of it. I love all the songs and the dialogue. My favorite motto comes from it, as well: "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor." I also love the PBS performance with Bernadette Peters that I have on video. There's just something so appealing about it and I can never seem to tear myself away.
6. "Little Shop of Horrors": I've also seen various stage versions of this musical (at different professional levels). I last saw it in downtown Chicago when I was pregnant with my older son. It's such a fun musical with great songs by the same songwriting team that brought us "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast." I first fell in love with it through the movie with Rick Moranis that came out in 1986. I listened to the soundtrack all the time after that. Some songs are different in the stage production and the ending is changed, but it's still enjoyable to watch.
7. "Tick Tick Boom": Jonathan Larson wrote this before he wrote "Rent." It's a one act musical but tells an interesting story through dialogue and some fun and interesting songs. The whole feel of the musical is very powerful and there are only three performers who do the entire show. I got to see it with Christian Campbell (Neve Campbell's brother who also starred in "Trick"), Wilson Cruz (Rickie from "My So-Called Life") and Nikki Snelson (played Brooke in "Legally Blonde" on Broadway). I even got to meet the actors after the show. So it brings back special memories for me.
I'm sure I could list quite a few others (such as "Aida," "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Beauty and the Beast," etc.), but these were the ones that stuck out the most for me from all the musicals I've seen.
I'm not as impressed with what is on Broadway nowadays, but I hope someone will write a good musical again soon. I do want to see "Next to Normal" when it comes to DC. I'd also love to see "The Last Five Years," as I've been listening to the soundtrack for the last seven years and still love it.
However, I haven't talked as much about some other musicals that I love. I thought I'd put together a little list.
1. "Miss Saigon": "Rent" isn't the only Broadway musical that is based on an opera. "Miss Saigon" is a modern adaptation of "Madame Butterfly." It's a heartbreaking story, and the music makes me cry whenever I hear it. I love listening to Lea Salonga's portrayal of Kim, the Vietnamese girl whose American soldier husband is forced to leave her behind with their son and move on with his life. The sacrifice she makes for her son is so sad. It's impossible not to cry through the show. There are some entertaining and funny songs too though, thanks to the Engineer (played perfectly on the Broadway recording by Jonathan Pryce). I originally saw it in downtown Chicago where they were able to land a helicopter on stage. I liked the music at the time but had trouble getting into the story. I was 16 though. I saw it again at a smaller theater where the focus was on the story and the music instead of the scenery. This time, I sobbed throughout. I was 25 this time. It was a cathartic experience and the intimacy of the stage made the story feel that much more intense.
2. "Les Miserables": This is by the same producer as "Miss Saigon," oddly enough. I like it mostly for the music. The songs are so memorable and easy to follow along with. George even got "Master of the House" stuck in his head on an episode of "Seinfeld." :) I've seen it on stage four times. I was 15 the first time and just liked it for the songs at that time. When I saw it again at age 21, I was crying so hard that my glasses kept fogging up. That was probably the best performance. The two times I saw it after that were enjoyable, but didn't carry the same momentum. In any case, it's hard to see "Les Miz" and not sing along! I sing the songs to my kids all the time, as well.
3. "Avenue Q": I first wanted nothing to do with this musical because it won for best musical instead of "Wicked" at the Tony Awards. Then a year or so later, I heard that it was worth listening to the OBC recording, so I decided to give it a chance. Then I was laughing out loud and kept wanting to listen more often. In 2007, I finally got to see it on Broadway and it was even funnier that way. It's like "Reality Bites" meets "Sesame Street." Lots of puppets swearing and talking about sex. My favorite songs are "Schadenfraude" and "I Wish I Could Go Back to College," as I can relate to both. I also love that a woman plays Gary Coleman. It would probably be weird to see it now that Gary Coleman is dead, but who knows?!?
4. "Guys and Dolls": I've only seen school productions, but I really enjoy the music. We learned a lot about it in musical theater class when I was in high school and I found the soundtrack to be very addictive. It has that old school musical feel and it's just a lot of fun.
5. "Into the Woods": I've seen it at a community theater, at my old high school and at a professional performance at the Marriott Lincolnshire (same small theater that did "Miss Saigon" so well). I still can't get enough of it. I love all the songs and the dialogue. My favorite motto comes from it, as well: "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor." I also love the PBS performance with Bernadette Peters that I have on video. There's just something so appealing about it and I can never seem to tear myself away.
6. "Little Shop of Horrors": I've also seen various stage versions of this musical (at different professional levels). I last saw it in downtown Chicago when I was pregnant with my older son. It's such a fun musical with great songs by the same songwriting team that brought us "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast." I first fell in love with it through the movie with Rick Moranis that came out in 1986. I listened to the soundtrack all the time after that. Some songs are different in the stage production and the ending is changed, but it's still enjoyable to watch.
7. "Tick Tick Boom": Jonathan Larson wrote this before he wrote "Rent." It's a one act musical but tells an interesting story through dialogue and some fun and interesting songs. The whole feel of the musical is very powerful and there are only three performers who do the entire show. I got to see it with Christian Campbell (Neve Campbell's brother who also starred in "Trick"), Wilson Cruz (Rickie from "My So-Called Life") and Nikki Snelson (played Brooke in "Legally Blonde" on Broadway). I even got to meet the actors after the show. So it brings back special memories for me.
I'm sure I could list quite a few others (such as "Aida," "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Beauty and the Beast," etc.), but these were the ones that stuck out the most for me from all the musicals I've seen.
I'm not as impressed with what is on Broadway nowadays, but I hope someone will write a good musical again soon. I do want to see "Next to Normal" when it comes to DC. I'd also love to see "The Last Five Years," as I've been listening to the soundtrack for the last seven years and still love it.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Mellies
There has been a lot of great entertainment out in the first decade of the 21st century. I wanted to personally pay homage to some of my favorite TV shows, movies, books and music from 2000-2010 (I'm including 2000 here since it kicked off the new century and millenium and also because I didn't include it in my 90's posts because I feel that way.) I'm doing these as top 10 lists, in no particular order (provided I can think of 10 for each category). So, here we go...
Movies:
1. Where the Heart is (2000)
2. 50 First Dates (2004)
3. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
5. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
6. Up (2009)
7. Finding Neverland (2004)
8. Chicago (2003)
9. Stardust (2007)
10. Juno (2007)
Television:
1. Arrested Development
2. Firefly
3. Ugly Betty
4. Desperate Housewives
5. Glee
6. The Office
7. Modern Family
8. American Idol season 8 (because of Adam Lambert)
9. 90210 (the new series)
10. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Songs/Musicians:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Lady Antebellum
3. "Suddenly I See" by K.T. Tunstall
4. "American Ride" by Toby Keith
5. "Hey Ya" by Outkast (reminds me of my honeymoon)
6. Michael Buble
7. Pink
8. Idina Menzel's "I Stand" CD
9. "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles
10. "In the Heights" original Broadway cast recording
Books:
1. "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert
2. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
3. "The Hour I First Believed" by Wally Lamb
4. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
5. "Second Glance" by Jodi Picoult
6. "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah
7. "In Her Shoes" by Jennifer Weiner
8. "The Opposite of Me" by Sarah Pekkanen
9. "The Undomestic Goddess" by Sophie Kinsella
10. "If You Could See Me Now" by Cecelia Ahern
Movies:
1. Where the Heart is (2000)
2. 50 First Dates (2004)
3. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
5. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
6. Up (2009)
7. Finding Neverland (2004)
8. Chicago (2003)
9. Stardust (2007)
10. Juno (2007)
Television:
1. Arrested Development
2. Firefly
3. Ugly Betty
4. Desperate Housewives
5. Glee
6. The Office
7. Modern Family
8. American Idol season 8 (because of Adam Lambert)
9. 90210 (the new series)
10. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Songs/Musicians:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Lady Antebellum
3. "Suddenly I See" by K.T. Tunstall
4. "American Ride" by Toby Keith
5. "Hey Ya" by Outkast (reminds me of my honeymoon)
6. Michael Buble
7. Pink
8. Idina Menzel's "I Stand" CD
9. "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles
10. "In the Heights" original Broadway cast recording
Books:
1. "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert
2. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
3. "The Hour I First Believed" by Wally Lamb
4. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
5. "Second Glance" by Jodi Picoult
6. "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah
7. "In Her Shoes" by Jennifer Weiner
8. "The Opposite of Me" by Sarah Pekkanen
9. "The Undomestic Goddess" by Sophie Kinsella
10. "If You Could See Me Now" by Cecelia Ahern
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
January doesn't have a feel
There's this episode of "Seinfeld," where they talk about certain weekdays having a "feel." They said that Tuesday didn't have a feel. I can sort of agree with that. It's the day before the middle of the week and if "Glee" is not new, it's just not exciting. In that respect, I think that January is the only month of the year that doesn't really have a "feel." August comes close and would probably pass by in a blur if I didn't know so many people with birthdays that month. However, January just seems dull and gray all the time and feels like it's going to go on forever. The only thing I look forward to is having a day off mid-month for Martin Luther King day. (That, and the 50% off sale at Value Village in honor of MLK day.) I know Tu B'Shevat is in January most of the time, but it's not my favorite holiday by any means and I don't like most fruits. I've only ever done something for Tu B'Shevat once and that was last year. I know they have stuff going on this weekend from our shul, but I am not motivated to participate. It's a "new year for trees" in Israel. While that's all nice and special, the trees here look like dead limbs because it's winter and it's hard to get excited about trees in other countries. I'm sure Tu B'Shevat is way more exciting and fun in Israel. January just feels like a month to get through in order to reach February. I think it's because the winter holiday excitement is over and everyone is back in their regular routines.
I recently asked an author I interviewed (for Chick Lit Central) what she liked most about January. I was looking for inspiration. Her answer was "snow." We're supposed to get snow tonight and I'm actually hoping it will stick this time. I was actually excited to see snow on Saturday, and then it disappeared as quickly as it arrived. I don't mind a few inches that the kids can play in, and possibly a snow day, as long as there's no "Snowmageddon" this year.
I don't mind having time to lay low for a while. I'm getting to rest up for when the baby arrives (b'shaah tovah) and read lots of books. There's not much pressure to shop right now, other than for necessities. I just hope that in the future, I can create or find something to make January more fun and interesting overall. 'Til then, just counting the days 'til February (20 to go...)
I recently asked an author I interviewed (for Chick Lit Central) what she liked most about January. I was looking for inspiration. Her answer was "snow." We're supposed to get snow tonight and I'm actually hoping it will stick this time. I was actually excited to see snow on Saturday, and then it disappeared as quickly as it arrived. I don't mind a few inches that the kids can play in, and possibly a snow day, as long as there's no "Snowmageddon" this year.
I don't mind having time to lay low for a while. I'm getting to rest up for when the baby arrives (b'shaah tovah) and read lots of books. There's not much pressure to shop right now, other than for necessities. I just hope that in the future, I can create or find something to make January more fun and interesting overall. 'Til then, just counting the days 'til February (20 to go...)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The other Adam in my life
I mentioned in my "Starstruck" post that aside from Adam Lambert, I also wanted to meet Adam Sandler. As he has a new movie coming out soon that looks really cute, I'd like to post about my favorite movies of his. (I've seen almost all except for "Punch Drunk Love" and "The Longest Yard," as I fell asleep through most of the latter.)
1. Billy Madison: Some of his funniest lines come from this movie. I love the premise and all the silliness it evokes. It's totally college humor, but I still laugh about it and quote it as an adult. The best is his argument between shampoo and conditioner. I have to side with the conditioner though.
2. Happy Gilmore: It's the only way I'll ever find golf interesting. And it also has a plethora of great lines and witty comebacks. The music selections are fun and nostalgic, as well (especially "Carry on Wayward Son" by Kansas, which I just had to play now to set the mood for this post). Even with all his rage, Happy is easy to sympathize with. And remember, "friends listen to "Endless Love" in the dark."
3. The Wedding Singer: This is one of my all-time favorites. Eighties nostalgia, funny lines ("I am a material girl, or boy"), great music, fun characters and great chemistry between Adam and Drew Barrymore. It's just a great story overall and so romantic too. I cry at the airplane scene every time. It was so good that it was even made into a Broadway musical.
4. Big Daddy: A cute little kid (of course he's 16 now or something like that) and lots of Styx music....how can you lose? Toss in Hooter's jokes and you have a classic comedy flick! Another tearjerker too, especially now that I'm a parent. And, of course, great lines! So much to love about this film!
5. 50 First Dates: Adam and Drew are back again with all their chemistry for a perfect romantic comedy. I cried twice as much as I did for "The Wedding Singer" or even most other romantic comedies. It's so original and charming. I fall in love with it over and over again, the way Drew falls for Adam every day like it's the first time. And you can't forget (excuse the pun) about "Ten Second Tom." :) The other bonus is that a Neo-Futurist had a pretty big part in the show. (Lusia Strus played his friend Alexa.)
6. Click: I wrote a post within a post about this for Time Warp (how appropriate) Tuesday a while back. This pretty much explains why I enjoyed this movie so much. "Click" here.
While I laughed a lot at "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," I wouldn't rank it as a favorite. And "Grown Ups" was pretty much full of sight gags, funny as it appeared to be. I pretty much like him in comedic roles, where he really shines. I wasn't a fan of "Spanglish" or "Funny People" for this reason. Probably why I never saw "Punch Drunk Love" anyway. I do have to mention how much I loved his humor on Saturday Night Live. Opera Man!!! He came up with lots of funny roles and really played into his characters, making them very memorable over time. He made himself so memorable that Jimmy Fallon did a perfect and hilarious impression of him on "Celebrity Jeopardy" (on SNL, of course). He was also in a movie called "Mixed Nuts," where he had a small role that involved singing songs he made up at random times. He stuck out as really funny for that reason. I can't even remember much else of the movie besides his singing. He had some really funny CDs too....at least his first two stand out the most. My friend and I even acted out one of the skits at Theater Ted. We performed "The Buffoon and the Valedictorian."
All of the above are reasons why I'd love to be in the same room with him and shake his hand. (And get a picture together, as well.)
1. Billy Madison: Some of his funniest lines come from this movie. I love the premise and all the silliness it evokes. It's totally college humor, but I still laugh about it and quote it as an adult. The best is his argument between shampoo and conditioner. I have to side with the conditioner though.
2. Happy Gilmore: It's the only way I'll ever find golf interesting. And it also has a plethora of great lines and witty comebacks. The music selections are fun and nostalgic, as well (especially "Carry on Wayward Son" by Kansas, which I just had to play now to set the mood for this post). Even with all his rage, Happy is easy to sympathize with. And remember, "friends listen to "Endless Love" in the dark."
3. The Wedding Singer: This is one of my all-time favorites. Eighties nostalgia, funny lines ("I am a material girl, or boy"), great music, fun characters and great chemistry between Adam and Drew Barrymore. It's just a great story overall and so romantic too. I cry at the airplane scene every time. It was so good that it was even made into a Broadway musical.
4. Big Daddy: A cute little kid (of course he's 16 now or something like that) and lots of Styx music....how can you lose? Toss in Hooter's jokes and you have a classic comedy flick! Another tearjerker too, especially now that I'm a parent. And, of course, great lines! So much to love about this film!
5. 50 First Dates: Adam and Drew are back again with all their chemistry for a perfect romantic comedy. I cried twice as much as I did for "The Wedding Singer" or even most other romantic comedies. It's so original and charming. I fall in love with it over and over again, the way Drew falls for Adam every day like it's the first time. And you can't forget (excuse the pun) about "Ten Second Tom." :) The other bonus is that a Neo-Futurist had a pretty big part in the show. (Lusia Strus played his friend Alexa.)
6. Click: I wrote a post within a post about this for Time Warp (how appropriate) Tuesday a while back. This pretty much explains why I enjoyed this movie so much. "Click" here.
While I laughed a lot at "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," I wouldn't rank it as a favorite. And "Grown Ups" was pretty much full of sight gags, funny as it appeared to be. I pretty much like him in comedic roles, where he really shines. I wasn't a fan of "Spanglish" or "Funny People" for this reason. Probably why I never saw "Punch Drunk Love" anyway. I do have to mention how much I loved his humor on Saturday Night Live. Opera Man!!! He came up with lots of funny roles and really played into his characters, making them very memorable over time. He made himself so memorable that Jimmy Fallon did a perfect and hilarious impression of him on "Celebrity Jeopardy" (on SNL, of course). He was also in a movie called "Mixed Nuts," where he had a small role that involved singing songs he made up at random times. He stuck out as really funny for that reason. I can't even remember much else of the movie besides his singing. He had some really funny CDs too....at least his first two stand out the most. My friend and I even acted out one of the skits at Theater Ted. We performed "The Buffoon and the Valedictorian."
All of the above are reasons why I'd love to be in the same room with him and shake his hand. (And get a picture together, as well.)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Always look on the bright side of life...
Today’s Daily Challenge ("Look on the Bright Side") was to turn a negative into a positive:
Find time today to reflect on something negative that happened recently which is still upsetting you. Are there any lessons to be learned from the experience? Is there something you could do differently next time to get a different outcome?
I have been pretty happy lately and have tended to brush off a lot that was bothering me and move on. I remember getting annoyed at the inconvenient scheduling issue at my OB’s a few weeks ago, but I got to finish my book. (Same with having to take the 3 hour glucose test…gave me plenty of time to read.)
However, the one issue that does grate at me at a lot is the state of the basement/toy room. I know it’s my kids’ space and that at least it’s not invading on the rest of the house, but it drives me crazy when I spend a whole afternoon cleaning and organizing EVERYTHING without much help from my own kids and then I look a week later and it’s all in disarray again. I vented about it on Facebook a few weeks ago because it was bothering me that much. I think my friends have picked up on my frustration and are more diligent about making sure their kids clean up before they go home. I definitely appreciate that outcome. However, it doesn’t resolve the misplacement of items that took me forever to find and put back in place the first time around. It hit me the most the other day, when my younger son wanted to play with a game and some of the pieces were missing. He seemed so disappointed and it made me upset that people don’t have enough courtesy and just take things out and scatter them everywhere. I could combat this by telling my friends to tell their kids to only play with one thing at a time and put everything back together before taking out something else. I’m not sure how much the kids would remember it, but it gets me so annoyed in the meantime. As this new baby is going to be here in the next month or so (b’shaah tovah), I’d like for them to have toys that aren’t completely mismatched or missing parts. I’m glad I put some baby toys aside already, but there’s still a lot they won’t get to play with because of this type of situation. Again, I need to remind myself that the positives are:
1. The stuff is mostly contained in the basement, leaving the rest of the rooms (aside from their bedrooms) toy free.
2. People, including kids, are making the effort to help clean up more often these days, instead of leaving it all for me.
3. There’s always Freecycle or donation programs if the toys get too out of hand. I can also replace items at a very low cost from the thrift store.
4. This shows that my children have friends who enjoy playing at our home.
Find time today to reflect on something negative that happened recently which is still upsetting you. Are there any lessons to be learned from the experience? Is there something you could do differently next time to get a different outcome?
I have been pretty happy lately and have tended to brush off a lot that was bothering me and move on. I remember getting annoyed at the inconvenient scheduling issue at my OB’s a few weeks ago, but I got to finish my book. (Same with having to take the 3 hour glucose test…gave me plenty of time to read.)
However, the one issue that does grate at me at a lot is the state of the basement/toy room. I know it’s my kids’ space and that at least it’s not invading on the rest of the house, but it drives me crazy when I spend a whole afternoon cleaning and organizing EVERYTHING without much help from my own kids and then I look a week later and it’s all in disarray again. I vented about it on Facebook a few weeks ago because it was bothering me that much. I think my friends have picked up on my frustration and are more diligent about making sure their kids clean up before they go home. I definitely appreciate that outcome. However, it doesn’t resolve the misplacement of items that took me forever to find and put back in place the first time around. It hit me the most the other day, when my younger son wanted to play with a game and some of the pieces were missing. He seemed so disappointed and it made me upset that people don’t have enough courtesy and just take things out and scatter them everywhere. I could combat this by telling my friends to tell their kids to only play with one thing at a time and put everything back together before taking out something else. I’m not sure how much the kids would remember it, but it gets me so annoyed in the meantime. As this new baby is going to be here in the next month or so (b’shaah tovah), I’d like for them to have toys that aren’t completely mismatched or missing parts. I’m glad I put some baby toys aside already, but there’s still a lot they won’t get to play with because of this type of situation. Again, I need to remind myself that the positives are:
1. The stuff is mostly contained in the basement, leaving the rest of the rooms (aside from their bedrooms) toy free.
2. People, including kids, are making the effort to help clean up more often these days, instead of leaving it all for me.
3. There’s always Freecycle or donation programs if the toys get too out of hand. I can also replace items at a very low cost from the thrift store.
4. This shows that my children have friends who enjoy playing at our home.
Monday, January 3, 2011
I'm not Jack Nicholson, but....
I started taking up this daily challenge thing through Facebook. However, I don't seem to receive the daily challenges in my e-mail like I'm supposed to. This must have gotten fixed, because I got this challenge today: Share 5 things that are on your bucket list.
It suggested I share it on Facebook or Twitter, but those posts seem to get lost in the shuffle. Instead, I am sharing it on my blog. The funny thing is, another chick lit blog I frequent (chicklitisnotdead.com) always has authors posting their bucket lists. I was thinking of doing something similar for myself and now is the perfect opportunity.
In no particular order, here are 5 things on my bucket list.
1. Write a novel. I have some ideas swimming in my head but have yet to put them on paper (or computer). The publishing world scares me though. Especially after what I've heard from some of the authors with whom I've connected this past year.
2. Travel to Europe. It's a plan I put aside when I became pregnant with my older son. I still would love for it to happen someday. Amsterdam is on my list of places to visit because of a close friend who lives there. It would even be fun to bring the kids so that they could meet her daughter. I also want to go to Italy.
3. Learn how to read and speak Hebrew. I'm halfway there as I can follow along with prayers and recite most my memory. However, I can't have a real conversation in Hebrew because I don't understand most of the translations. I think it would be helpful if I ever were to go back to Israel.
4. Meet Adam Lambert in person. Can you tell that this is something I really really really want? I'm such a 13 year-old sometimes! :)
5. Take my kids to Disney World. I know Disney World is super expensive these days and getting away on a trip anytime soon is nearly impossible, but I'd like to be able to do this for them. My parents wanted us to go with them on some timeshare deal, but the timing never worked out...either it was too close to the high holidays or I was having a baby or we were moving...something was always going on. However, I get misty eyed when I watch those commercials where parents tell their kids that they're going to Disneyland or Disney World. I wouldn't mind going to Disneyland, but living on the east coast makes a potential road trip a lot easier to plan if flying is too much of a hassle. I used to go there with my family when I was younger and I always loved it. I can't imagine my kids growing up and saying they've never been to a Disney park.
On this challenge, there was a second step....
Next step: Write down one dream on your bucket list, along with one step you can take this year to make it closer to coming true.
I think the easiest would be to write a novel, as I have nothing keeping me from writing down at least one of my ideas. I think the first step could be to write out a summary of my ideas and see what sounds better on paper.
Thanks for listening. I'd love to see your bucket lists!
It suggested I share it on Facebook or Twitter, but those posts seem to get lost in the shuffle. Instead, I am sharing it on my blog. The funny thing is, another chick lit blog I frequent (chicklitisnotdead.com) always has authors posting their bucket lists. I was thinking of doing something similar for myself and now is the perfect opportunity.
In no particular order, here are 5 things on my bucket list.
1. Write a novel. I have some ideas swimming in my head but have yet to put them on paper (or computer). The publishing world scares me though. Especially after what I've heard from some of the authors with whom I've connected this past year.
2. Travel to Europe. It's a plan I put aside when I became pregnant with my older son. I still would love for it to happen someday. Amsterdam is on my list of places to visit because of a close friend who lives there. It would even be fun to bring the kids so that they could meet her daughter. I also want to go to Italy.
3. Learn how to read and speak Hebrew. I'm halfway there as I can follow along with prayers and recite most my memory. However, I can't have a real conversation in Hebrew because I don't understand most of the translations. I think it would be helpful if I ever were to go back to Israel.
4. Meet Adam Lambert in person. Can you tell that this is something I really really really want? I'm such a 13 year-old sometimes! :)
5. Take my kids to Disney World. I know Disney World is super expensive these days and getting away on a trip anytime soon is nearly impossible, but I'd like to be able to do this for them. My parents wanted us to go with them on some timeshare deal, but the timing never worked out...either it was too close to the high holidays or I was having a baby or we were moving...something was always going on. However, I get misty eyed when I watch those commercials where parents tell their kids that they're going to Disneyland or Disney World. I wouldn't mind going to Disneyland, but living on the east coast makes a potential road trip a lot easier to plan if flying is too much of a hassle. I used to go there with my family when I was younger and I always loved it. I can't imagine my kids growing up and saying they've never been to a Disney park.
On this challenge, there was a second step....
Next step: Write down one dream on your bucket list, along with one step you can take this year to make it closer to coming true.
I think the easiest would be to write a novel, as I have nothing keeping me from writing down at least one of my ideas. I think the first step could be to write out a summary of my ideas and see what sounds better on paper.
Thanks for listening. I'd love to see your bucket lists!
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