The Art of Gift Giving

It is slightly shocking to me how the idea that Christmas has been lost in the commercialism has existed for centuries now. Yes, centuries my friends. Apparently as people we are never satisfied that anything is ever exactly as it should be for us. I’m not sure what I think about Christmas. Truthfully I’m not sure that I have an opinion about the nature of the holiday one-way or the other. I do know this though that I absolutely love gift giving. Before the rants about commercialism begin please note that I love the art of gift giving year round from birthdays, graduations, holidays, to happy Wednesdays. And this has nothing to do with the consumer aspect. It’s not about the shopping, or the spending money, or the retail therapy. It’s not even really about me, or the self-satisfaction that can come from achieving to reach the end of a shopping list. No it’s about the art, better yet it’s about the potential for the incredible story telling.

A good gift to a friend or a family member can be many things. It can highlight or underline a great part of your shared stories. Or it can be a leading hook to a new chapter. Sometimes a gift could breathe new life into an old story or give the characters of your life a new outlook. Personally I tend to work in themes, umbrellas of general thoughts, making that my starting point every Christmas season. Being a storyteller I thrive on crafting messages and creating narratives. So that being said I start thinking of themes sometime in June and have usually nailed my encompassing plot point for gifts by September. This is for several reasons first because it’s a process that amuses me and second because I like to shop early and in segments.

This year I am working under the concept of my life being like a sitcom. Having myself spent most of the year watching some of the best television of the last decade it was an idea that came to me rather easily. Every movie or show that I watch, every book that I read, and every song that I hear has the possibility of reminding me of someone. The entire idea was based on making hand-made Christmas cards. The front of the card would state simply – “Sometimes My Life is like a TV Show (or movie depending on the gift)”. And the inside would finish the sentence, “with a great cast of characters.”  Then the personal note would vary based on what show/ movie I got for that particular person and end with wishing them a happy Christmas episode or scene. Because people in my life are my supporting cast, they are the constant characters there for every chapter or just guest starring. 

These gifts are fun and give me a way to demonstrate what my relationships mean to my friends. I gave someone the first season of How I Met Your Mother, with the reassurance that they were going to love the show and thanking them for being the Lily and Marshall in my life. While giving someone else the fourth season of the same show and telling them they had been part of all my legend – wait for it – dairy nights of my life. I gave myself the opportunity to give my friends a visual, a concrete example, of what our relationships mean to me. A picture is after all worth a thousand words, so you know, a moving picture should be pretty priceless. I gave someone the third chapter of Greek, praising them for being the Cappie to my Rusty. Or someone else the special edition of Gone with the Wind with a note that congratulated them for being the belle of all the balls I had been to and having the gumption of a certain Miss O’Hara. I was able to express gratitude to my friends for bringing magic, cleverness, friendship, and loyalty to my life by giving their chosen Harry Potter scarves and a season of Pushing Daisies. There are a few more, but honestly, this is a way to personalize an easy gift for the people in your life. There is something irresistibly powerful about being able to personalize something by relating it back to you.

So I know that Christmas is only a day away, but remember gift giving isn’t only done during the holidays. For all who dread gift giving, heed this advice the art of gift giving comes from thought and having fun. It’s about your relationship with that person. Think about why you like them, what you know about them, what makes you happy to see them. For example if you know someone drinks coffee from Starbucks everyday and you know they get the same drink everyday, get them a gift card. Last year a friend bought me a gift card for Starbucks for 17.75. How strange? Is what most people would think? But there was a thoughtful note attached, the amount on the card was the exact amount for a week of vienti iced lattes (my drink). It was so thoughtful, a way to bring in a note of personality to an otherwise impersonal type gift of a gift card. 

The idea is that you know someone else well enough to know what will bring a smile to his or her face. If you are one of the ranting critics of the commercialism of Christmas remember that though it might seem like it the art of gift giving is just about spending money, it really is not. Christmas is about family, friends, and the spirit of giving, miracles, and renewal. So let it be just that, enjoy the memories you create in the holiday episodes of your life.

And They Lived Happily Ever After.

Disney magic is pratically part of who I am as a person at this point. From my five years with the company, to my almost 9 years as an Annual Passholder, and my ridiculous amounts of visits to Disneyland. I have seen ever animated movie that has come out in my lifetime since Little Mermaid (excluding Home on the Range, which by the way was the 50th animated film ever made and I have NO idea why I still haven't seen it...). I use to glitter, well I still do sometimes, because of the glitter in the princess dresses and t-shirts at work and we would all joke that it was just the pixie dust. So as a bonfide Disney Fanatic even I admit that the latest few films have been missing a bit of that disney magic. Let me make something clear though, I was never one of those people that thought that the magic was lost because the movies were no longer in traditional 2-D hand drawn format. Don't get me wrong, I adore the original format and find it to be a great artistic treasure that we shouldn't lose just because we fear the market has outgrown it. My problem laid in the idea that Disney animated films had somehow lost their way in terms of how they told their story. The sincerity of the story and the power of the characters and the beauty of their setting, the universal themes that ring true from Snow White to Lilo are what I believe to be critical to the Disney legacy.

So Princess and the Frog had me excited for a lot of reasons. Yes, yes, like everyone else on a soapbox about the movie the beautiful art of hand drawn animation was something that I was excited about. It's not joke my friends, it's absolutely beautiful. The detail of every seen is beyond incredible, from the patterns of the wallpaper on walls to the delicacies of the dresses in the little Charlotte's room. Or the bayou, it's breathtaking, just breathtaking. Another reason for my excitement, it was a princess movie! And not just any princess movie, it was an American princess movie! From everything I read and watched (which was a lot) she was actually going to be a real princess, because I was worried it being in New Orleans it was going to be some fakey Mardi Gras princess thing. But no, Princess Tiana is indeed a princess not like Giselle who is NOT a princess at any point during, before or after her movie. What else could really have me excited you ask? There is going to be an evening star! There is wishing! There is singing by the characters! The director's are the men who shaped my childhood with the Little Mermaid and Aladdin. They brought to life two of my all time favorite princesses. And the music was being brought to life by Randy Newman (for those of you unfamiliar with him, he has done every Pixar film so far, so you know amazing). What else is so special about this movie, the entire company seemed to be behind it.

As you might have been able to tell, yes I have seen the film already. I went to one of the special advance screenings that were taking place at the Disney Studio in Burbank, just last night. The Disney Studios is one of two places in the world that wash me with a sort of calm and serenity while also instilling a sense of urgency and exicement. I'm not even sure if that's the best description to what I feel when I'm on the lot, but I walk around sometimes just taking in the fact that one man created this entire empire, this entire story and he walked those streets through those halls, etc. It's actually become one of my life goals to somehow achieve getting a Disney Legends award, because how cool would that be? Anyway enough about that for now, back to the movie. The audience for our screening last night got one great honor and surprised (though I don't think half the audience realized it, but the 30 cast memebers with me did) John Lassater actually introduced the film. John Lassater is the Walt Disney of our age, he's the man that created Pixar and is currently in charge of the films of the company. So he's part of the reason we're getting these new back to our roots stories from Disney. He did his little speech about Princess Tiana being a go-getter and a girl after her own dreams not waiting for her prince. I'm really not going to go into how much that particular description bothers me (because he's not the only one to be touting this statement). And though I love Tiana and I completely agree she's a hardworking girl that is working hard towards her dream and not just sitting around waiting. I can already hear the critics objections that she still compromises herself for the prince and that she is willing to give up everything for a guy. Not that I agree, I just can hear those Disney critics on their soap boxes shouting disney movies depict women as submissive girls, always slave to the men in the movie. I've got news for them though, their watching the movies wrong. Snow White protected herself by running away and finding a way to survive away from evil step mom. Cinderella didn't wait for her prince to come to her, she went right up to that palace and got him herself. Belle actually ran back to save the Beast from the angry mob of townspeople. Ariel found a way to get what she wanted and even without a voice was incredibly resoureful to her cause. Each one of our Disney Princesses didn't just wait around for anything, and even more so each one has been strong in her own way and it's absurd to claim otherwise.

Ok that might have been my little rant about that but really now onwards to the movie. The interesting thing about the Princess and the Frog is that it sort of starts where other fairy tales have ended. I don't want to give away to much but as you can tell from the trailers Tiana kisses Naveen the frog she turns into a frog herself. So the adventure isn't about the relationship so much as about getting back to being human. The love story stems from them getting to know each other. I found it to be a somewhat refreshing approach that here they were a very pretty girl and a overtly handsome prince (that was inspired by the Jonas Brothers) find a way to fall in love as frogs. I really liked the idea that they were falling in love with each other and not just with their titles, their looks, or their material objects. The story really is driven by the individual characters, by their adventure to self-discovery and like I said before I think that's what drives disney stories into our hearts. The audience can grow with the characters on screen as they go through a self-changing process of some sort that always involves some kind of magic that usually comes from themselves.

The setting and the music are as much characters in the film as are only of the actual characters. The city of New Orleans is beautiful and full of life and culture in every moment of the film. There was a moment when they were talking about gumbo that I think I could hear my stomach growl because I was straving. The colors are vibrant the backdrops are gorgeous. And the music! I was in love with the song that Tiana sings about almost being there from the first note. And the evening star is ever present in the sky and the resident firefly of the movie even has a crush on her (his Evangeline, as he named her). Aside from those aspects, I was thrilled to see a real bad guy. Dr. Facilier was evil, he wasn't a sugar coated verison of some bad guy that won't scare little kids. No this bad vodoo witch doctor was the real deal, reminding me of Scar or Malificent. He was dark, his numbers were creepy and the little girl sitting in front of me had to close her eyes during one of his songs (I think it was Friends on the Other Side). Now I don't need things to scare kids, but at the same time what is the struggle worth unless its actual against something truly evil? The bigger the bad, the harder the struggle, the sweeter the victory.

I could go on and talk about how Charlotte was a whimisical humorous character, that was somehow just perfect. Or about how the clothing was just perfectly matched and you're all going to wish you were a nine year old girl that could fit into that Bayou wedding dress. But really I leave you with these thoughts, go see the movie, promise at least one thing is going to make you smile or warm your  heart. Get the soundtrack because that is surely worth it. And get excited because we might be entering Disney's next golden age, I can not wait for Rapunzel next year...

Before there were 7, there were 6 others

Back from the commercial break.... I know right, not that long? So here is what happened next and where the night proceeded to outdo itself with every passing minute. Jon informed us, the audience, that the band was going off stage and that they would come back and sing whatever it was that the audience was singing. It was a social experiment of sorts, to see if we could unite our voices into one. It sort of worked. I say sort of because I spent some time discussing with my little circle, the friends I came with, the engaged couple we had newly meet behind us and the younger couple in front of us. I was on the verge of starting a rendition of Company Car because that's what the bride to be behind us wanted when I heard the noise of singing towards the front. I could not as the people next to me could not make out what they were singing. But Jon heard it and that's all the really mattered. The band came back out and I laughed as Tim came up to the mic and simply stated, "Oh I really like this song!" And Jon kind of stumbled around for a moment laughing that we as an audience were really giving them a run for their money. 

Faust, Midas and Myself is one of my favorite songs. It was my favorite song on Oh! Gravity. When I first heard the CD all the way through. Though since then I have a little fight with myself about if I my favorite is Burn Out Bright or 4:12... Anyway. I snuck a video of this song because, well I just sort of had to. Sorry House of Blues security that was watching me suspiciously from on top of the bar. I know I was told no video and no flash, but I didn't use flash and everyone else was taking video! My guilt made me stop halfway through the song but still, I got a good part of it. Then they played Stars, which if the band hadn't already had my love with that song was written they would have won it. There is nothing I love in nature more than the stars so the fact that there is an entire song about their purpose in life could not make me happier. The moment when Stars turned into The Shadow Proves the Sunshine was momentous to say the least.

  

Oh! Gravity kept the crowd rocking and at a request from some friends from the East Coast in the audience the band played Dirty Second Hands. As in the picture on the left, I was trying to actually capture the clock (which is also in the video) that was hanging off stage above Tim's head. Next they played what Jon at first described as a Camp Song that everyone could sing (which really confused me cause I thought something like Gone, or Company Car). He went on to explain that he wrote 24 for a girl, he had tried to impressed with his skateboard (and ended up doing something to his wrist). My friends who was with me was more than thrilled at the story and the song (it's her favorite). So they definitely made her night. Playing Dare You to  Move made my night better because as I said in the

part 1, that is one of the original songs I heard. I thought it went so well with the overall theme of the

night's story, keep moving forward. 

Here is the point where I think I was caught off unsuspecting again (like when Tim was on the opposite side). The band started playing Love is a Movement. I have never heard them play that song, especially not in the rendition that they did last night. It was beautiful and I caught myself singing before I was even aware they were playing that song. It wasn't even something I had fathomed, Love is a Movement to openly transition into Meant to Live? It was what we disney people might call a magical moment. I was thrilled at the the conclusion that I came to with the help of the band's set list thus far. Switchfoot has evolved as a band, playing with the same themes and struggles that everyone does. Every album has been a different sound, a different essence, a different perspective of the same story. Every song has built upon the last in ways that are truly significant to the movement of thoughts, emotions and inspiration. The band has grown with its audience, possibly partially as a commercial move to continue selling albums but also I think out of personal growth as well. We were all on the same page of our own books last night and it was awing. 

Now is the only sad part of the night. Not really for me, it was actually the best 

part of my night, but the young couple that had been in front of us ducked out at this point. Newcomers to the bandwagon I assume because they left before the always guaranteed encore. So you know we clapped and clamored for about three minutes before the band came back (at least they don't make us beg). They started playing  This Is Your Life and Jon jumped off stage and into the crowded. He veered stage left (the side that Tim was on and I was not). He steered himself through the crowd and jumped onto the bar on that side of the floor, underneath the hanging balcony and sang to the crowd. Not unusual for Jon, crowd interaction is his classic movement and an essential part of the integrating of the audience at each show. 

What surprised me as that after he jumped off the bar on that side he completely crossed the great divide of people (it was a sold out show) and came straight at me. Now as all adoring and complying fans would, we parted a path for him. Almost too late I realized that my purse was directly in his path and could potentially make him fall on his face. My purse was on the floor because it weighed at least 5 pounds and I had been carrying it for about 3 hours while standing around (Seriously though the security guard made me empty it and made fun of me for the array of objects I carry around -books, dvds, canned food, you know everything). So I used my foot to move my purse in hopes not to trip him with either my stuff or my foot cause that would look bad. 

Jon proceed to climb the bar in front of me and start singing Awakening. Yeah. I was standing in front of him as he hopped the bar, looked around, took pictures with the girl's next to me camera. It was surreal. I took pictures of his shoes because that's what I was starring right at whenever I looked forward. There was no better way for the show to end me personally, because it was just breath-taking. Watching him sing to the crowd next to the kids sitting on the bar. So I leave you with those images but more than anything else I want to say something about Switchfoot the band, the music, and the performances.  

As a writer, as a crafter of stories and as someone who is constantly looking for a muse and inspiration I thank the members of Switchfoot for all their help. Looking up the definition of inspiration I describe that the archaic definition states that to inspire is to take into the lungs in breathing, inhale or better yet to infuse by breathing. Switchfoot has transcended being just a band, or even just an inspiration. Their music, the story they choose to tell, breaths new life into not only what I choose to create and the stories I choose to tell but also in me as a person. Their melodies are encouraging cajoling motions, urging us, pushing us forward. They are motivating their audience, their fellow players on the stage of life to be, to do, to light the way with their love and resilient spirits. So keep on rocking guys, you're really doing great. I can not wait to experience what comes next. 

It's Been a Journey

Incredible is what I have to say about the Switchfoot concert at the House of Blues in Anaheim on November 27th, 2009. Absolutely incredible. Honestly I haven't had that perfect of a night in ages. I didn't get stuck in ANY traffic getting down to Anaheim. I was at the merriest place on earth (because it was on downtown disney and that's what Disneyland is called during the holidays). I had dinner with some of my oldest and best kindred spirits. I saw an amazing concert by possibly one of my all time favorite bands. I got to drive home and see the Los Angeles city skyline clearly. And the stars were out. It was like the perfect moment in time for a few hours last night and it was just wonderful. But I'm not here to talk about my serenity of the night of black friday, I'm here to talk about Switchfoot.

Music is one of the purest forms of storytelling. Lyrics alone are intricate stories built in few words and concisely. Combined with harmonies and beats, its no wonder we often find ourselves unable to get a particular song out of our heads. Switchfoot as a band are marvelous orators of the narrative of humanity. They convey everything needed to pluck your emotions and get your empathy for their stories when you're just listening to them in your car or off your computer or through your headphones at the gym. But when you see them live, it's like the curtain has been lifted up and you can see every color of the chords they are striking. It's something similar to that moment in Ratatouille when Remy cooks and the screen explodes in visual imagery of the process. A Switchfoot concert is a place where everyone who enters is a character and as the night progresses the audience and band essentially become one voice telling the same story.

I have been following Switchfoot for years. I have been to quite a few of their concerts up and down the California coast. Each and everyone a unique experience with different audiences, different songs, different outfits, and different kindred spirits alongside me singing. And I have seen some pretty amazing performances and I have experienced once in a lifetime moments. I will never forget watching Stars performed on the pier in Santa Monica as the sun set over the Pacific. A smile will always come to my face when I think of being pushed into the gate protecting the stage in San Francisco and the bouncer taking pity and giving us water bottles. I've watched Jon climb on speakers, stage towers, bars, banisters, and pretty much anything that's taller than him. I've seen them in venues with chairs, under palm trees, in grassy fields, in balconies, outside and inside, at night and during the day. So I've experienced many a show and though each really was an nothing short of amazing, last night they cleared their own bar.

The show was exactly what it set out to be, an evening with Switchfoot. The stage was completely set up, seagulls hanging from the ceiling and all. Going into the concert I knew two things: 1) Switchfoot was going to play their whole new album from start to finish 2) I didn't know any of their new album. I know what you're thinking, being such a Switchfoot fan how did I not already have every word of the new album memorized? Well the thing is that I hadn't had time to pick up the new CD at first (I had this weird thing that I needed the physical copy and I almost caved) and by the time I did have a moment I noticed they were going to play it at their concert as if we were listening to the CD. Upon that discovery I made a decision, I would wait and hear the new CD live. I could not have made a better decision, the impact of the music was so much more intense. As the boys came out on stage I noticed one more thing that has nothing to do with the actual music, Tim Foreman was on the wrong side of the stage! How did I know this? Like I said I've been to many a concert and I am always (except for once in Soma, SD) on Tim's side of the stage. ALWAYS. It's where I gravitate to whenever I enter a venue so when he walked to stage right and not stage left (his not mine), my mouth kind of fell open. If by chance any of the members of Switchfoot do read this, can someone let me know if this is a permanent change because I need to plan accordingly (not that Drew wasn't also awesome, it's just a forced habit).

So onward to my thoughts of the show itself. It started with a bang, the strumming of the guitars setting the tone immediately. I don't know about anyone else, but my breath is taken away whenever Jon starts singing (CD or live) I mean it's powerful, passionate and just hitting the nail every single time. Needle in the Haystack Life echoes of so many of the ideas that Jon tends to discuss in his lyrics constantly. But like the incredible artists that they are, its the same story told over in different words and different tone ensuring that they are still effecting touching their audience. I heard them loud and clear what an empowering thought: We are once in a lifetime? Of course we are!

Now I'd heard the next song because though I kept away from the CD no one could keep me away from their newest video. So I could sing along with the chorus of this song, I could feel the striking thoughts as I sang the words. I made a mess of me, constantly in their songs, there's a call to look inward and not blame others. This song is no exception, jamming on the guitar and bobbing to the music we're being called into action on ourselves. Song three's mellower tone surprised me at first, you know the transition between mess and your love is a song is clear. Though Jon did pause in between these two songs to greet the audience for a few minutes. The ballad though just like the rock tunes of moments before inspired the audience to sway with emotion, sing out loud and feel the love. The love with which not only the song was mostly likely played with but with which the band has lived their lives. The line that caught my attention immediately, I've kept my dreams unbroken.

Back to the rocking. Here Jon took a few more moments to explain his inspiration for the song The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues). In the true tradition of songs such as Beautiful Letdown or Meant to Live, the music sent Tim and Drew into playing their guitars with their entire bodies. Their hands controlled the strumming, their heads moved to the beats, their feet moved them about the stage. And it's really just very fun to watch, it's like being at a wedding and not being able to deny yourself the chance to dance because the bride and groom are grooving so lovingly on the dance floor. Back into something of a ballad, I can't even describe how much I loved this song. Again first time I had heard it and the chorus was something that seemed to ignite a flame somewhere inside me. Do you love me enough to let me go? How many images those words pushed into my mind. I no longer was just seeing Jon singing his heart out into the mic. It's wasn't just Drew humming the chorus into his newly acquired mic. It wasn't just Tim bouncing onto his toes as he sang parts of the song. No I saw memories, friends, family, movies, books, articles, characters and stories yet to be written all flashing before my eyes.

Free was played next, I liked the song but at this point I was having some trouble seeing as someone taller than me had just moved right into my line of sight. And then started what I at that moment, from the second they started the oh-oh-oh part I declared my favorite. Why? I like the rhythm, I love the energy, I could just feel the happiness bubbling to the surface. I can't even explain how I think it happens, there are just songs that can do that. Especially some of Switchfoot songs. And Jon explained it before they started playing about how it was (as the namesake of the album) about the storm coming, the storm leaving, the storm happening. Something like the eye of the storm, as someone shouted to him. This song is about fighting, its about always keeping up the fight even when you see it coming for you. Fighting even when your in the grit of it. Fighting even after its gone and your tired enough to just stop. And the melody of the song itself promises the ability to keep you energized in the fight because you can't silence my love. It's an anthem that's antagonizing the storm itself and being the type of person I am, I loved it.

The next song had me on the verge of tears before they even started it. And immediately debunked Hello Hurricane (at least at that moment) as my favorite song of the album. Jon took some time again, explaining. He wanted to apologize (while still partially blaming his dad) for giving up the  piano as a kid. Now I've meet Mom Foreman (like I said, I've seen them A LOT) and she's pretty much the sweetest lady ever and so proud of her sons. So that pretty much set the tone for that song and then Jon started playing the piano, after jibbing at Jerome for a few moments. And it's really just a beautifully epic song about the whole of life from the beginning to the part where you get beat up to moving forward. Life lesson learned over and over in their songs again because two of the first songs I ever heard of theirs. Amy's song - have a fire and plow through. Dare you to Move - get up off that floor friends and start again.

Bullet Soul was next, reminding me a little of sounds of Playing for Keeps and the album of Learning to Breathe. The overlying theme of the album at this point seemed clear enough, move forward in the world with love. And Switchfoot seemed ready to push us with their music, push every listener forward through their storm at least enjoying the soundtrack playing. I really liked the idea of "I want to start from the start" thinking of the need of myself  and others to jump into the middle of everything. Moving into Yet, the guys all moved forward which is possibly the only time I've seen Chad out from behind his drums  (besides when he's not on stage). The band moving closer to each other, moved the audience closer, created a close knit atmosphere for this narrative about inner struggle with a firm affirmation that the fight was still going on. My favorite part of this song? All the words, confusion and dreams and breaking hearts. Going through my own current struggle, the echoing moment of "If it doesn't break you're heart, it's not enough..." resonated. The words  break repeating seemed to beat with my heart. But the true moment was when Jon and Tim sung together for a few moments, it felt like a grand moment of walking in front of a family window and seeing brotherly affection. It's not something you can fake and its not something that anyone is generally privy to unless they are family. So from thanks guys for letting us be part of your family last night.

The last two songs of the night were somewhat of a blur but next was Sing it Out. Sing it Out struck me as a another chapter to go with Your Love is  A Song. It's a story about asking for help, about being supported through your troubles by another and the sentiment made me grateful for the countless kindred spirits and moments of my life. It was also satisfyingly fulfilling to sing the words of this song out loud with the band and though I didn't know all of them yet, I could gather the main gist of it well enough to partake. The last song of the new album (Hello Hurricane, for those who missed it) Red Eyes brought all new elements for me to intake. I watched Chad on the drums for a little while. I giggled at watching Tim play the what I suspect was a xylophone (him not being on my side of the stage). I noticed the repeated theme of home, eyes and sorrows. The constant search and the ever hoping battle. I was in awe at the mixing of the first and the last song, a poetic tribute to coming full circle about the everlasting ability to come back from anything.

I have almost another hour of the concert left to review. But I fear that this is getting extremely long so here is where I insert a commercial break.

Didn’t you know winter means Christmas

This isn’t going to have anything to do with winter or Christmas really, except for the idea that in our world cold weather is winter and winter is Christmas. So poor Thanksgiving is just like the starting line – or side dish to the bigger picture. This is true on many levels for a person like me. What kind of person you ask? Well first off in Southern California anything that dips under 75 outside is cold to us, when we suddenly can’t wear our flip flops and tank tops it’s winter only for about three months but still. So there we have our first criteria cold. Moving into what makes me so special (and really probably tons of other people) I worked in retail for five years, and before that I worked with children and before that I worked a movie theatre. Why does this matter? In retail the winter starts in august, that last week if you really pay attention. We use to get backpacks and lunch totes in June, no joke, June. So November in the mind of retail, particularly a children’s store, is Christmas. The week of Thanksgiving is the most exhausting week of anyone retailer’s life (usually) and the day of Thanksgiving is the only day you’re going to get off that week. Ok, you all figured that’s what I meant with the retail but why did working with kids and movie theatres matter? How did they impact my whacked out sense of an entire season being about one holiday and not the three that take place in that time period? Working with kids you start doing “holiday” crafts somewhere in the beginning of November and keep doing it until the end of December. I once spent more than 3 days baking and putting together gingerbread houses, so families could decorate them. I made a couple dozen snowmen pancakes with powder sugar for snow. I taught how to make countless Rudolph the red nose reindeer crafts some with candy canes and peppermint patties, some with paper plates and paint. Moving on to the last thing, movie theatres. I worked in one for five years (five seems to be my number), and I worked all five Thanksgivings and Christmas Days for them. But here is like the retail dilemma, not because of the amount of work but because when November starts it’s the start of Oscar Race/ Christmas Holiday Season. The winter holidays (all of them) has just become the idea of Christmas, which is slightly skewed and control by what we consume but you know, at least we’re aware of it?


But this blur was actually going to be about Thanksgiving. It’s the first year in a while where I haven’t been at work until the first few hours of the holiday and back to work before the sun is up on Black Friday. I did still work, because you can’t teach an old dog new tricks at this point, but it wasn’t the same frantic stressful urgent atmosphere. There are a few things that are interesting about Thanksgiving. One it’s a completely American holiday, like actually many of the holidays that are on our calendars but this one everyone who is here seems to embrace. The ideals of Thanksgiving are just genuinely something worth embracing. I read an article about Thanksgiving a few days back. From my reading two things struck me. One I’m upset that my turkey is not going to be as delicious as the Turkeys given to Truman. It has something to do with how our poor turkeys are mass-produced like so many of the things we consume, and apparently the poor things aren’t even dynamically correct. I imagined humans being produced to look like Barbie, top heavy and functionally useless. The second thing was that the author of the article (I didn’t write it down but I’m sure it was from the MSN homepage…) mentioned that if the holiday originated with the Pilgrims splurging as a celebration of thanks during hard times that we should take a page out of their book during our hard time. What a great message to leave a reader with, yeah things are hard now. But at least you’re not looking daunting at starting an entire country, establishing a town, dealing with harsh unknown weather, and having to catch your own turkey. So I ate turkey (even though originally they probably ate duck), and loved my mashed potatoes (even though they didn’t have those originally they apparently still thought they were the devil), and I was just thankful for whatever particular thing could make me smile.



Not to say that I forgot my background completely. Like I said I still worked because you know, that’s just what I’m use to. But more importantly at 10 PM, I went out to shop at the store I use to work for experience the insanity of Black Friday from the other side of the glass. Not going to lie to you all non-retailers, it’s much more fun behind the counter. Granted I suppose that if the store is completely prepared and the employees happy to be there the shoppers can tell and that makes all the difference. I might also be generally overly critical maybe the average shopper doesn’t care if you make their experience enjoyable or if the cashier is enjoying themselves and smiling. It’s doubtful that anyone else that got into the line to purchase his or her items last night actually timed their wait time. But I was programmed this way and I’m hard to impress because on Black Friday I could manage a line of people very quickly, personally I could ring a transaction within 43 seconds of starting (no matter how much stuff you had) and I did it with a smile and seriously had a blast doing it. Not to say that my cashier wasn’t on the ball last night, because she was very sweet and quick and in all fairness most of their cashiers were very new and inexperienced still. So like I said my standards might be to high, but walking into the store last night only an hour after they opened I wasn’t wowed. I didn’t feel the initial shock of the perfection of the set up, or the powerful sense of magic. But maybe things have changed and maybe that’s why I moved on? It’s still sad because believe me, there is no greater sense of immediate accomplishment after pouring everything you’ve got into something. So I miss it, the rush of it and the enjoyment of building a community with your co-workers and with your guests (consumers). So if you’re shopping this weekend, think of the incredible amount of work that went into the entire setting that you’re in from that wheel at the bottom of the rack (we use to clean those) to the speedy checkout. Even though ABC Family has been playing Christmas movies for about a week and shopping centers started playing carols three weeks ago, enjoy the true beginning of the holiday season! Happy shopping!

The 65 hour window

It has been just about 65 hours since I saw one of the most anticapated movies of the fall. Actually it's more like 64 hours and 50 minutes since the ending credits started rolling on the screen, but hey who needs to be that accurate? So why the window, cause honestly it's not like I went to bed when I got home at 2:25 AM on Friday morning. Why did I wait to post my thoughts, rants, review, loving adoration or whatever it might be for New Moon? Two reasons actually, 1) I didn't want my opinion to affect anyone else's first time viewing experience. I seem midnight movies for several reasons, the biggest reason, no one else can ruin my first impressions if I see it first! And this is one of those movies, one of those moments that because everyone has been waiting for it, everyone has to tell you what they think. So either you go into the theatre next weekend with expections so high, there's just no way you're going to like it. Or already knowing what you're going to hate and liking it anyway. And 2) I wanted to think about it, again that initial response is sometimes different. I could have loved it not because I actually loved it but because I've been waiting 12 months to see it... 

With that said. What did I think? I've only seen it once (groan all you want critics, I will more than likely see it again). And it's the end of the weekend and it's had the third openest weekend of all time, surprised? Not really. So people liked it. Or maybe fangirls liked it (loved, might be more accurate). So I would like to start with as a fan of the books, as a fan of the story, as a avid fan of the casting of the movies, I really did like it. Second, everyone admits that it's better than the first one. That being said, the film itself is beautiful. It's one of those book turned movie moments that I could relate to Harry Potter 3. Before you all freak out because Prisoner is the movie no one likes, I mean it in terms of the cinematic art to the actual picture not the way the story line was butchered. Quite the contrary for New Moon, the story line was kept completely intacted which was really refreshing. Though not different because, afterall, Twilight did the same thing for the fans. But the colors, the angles, the movement of the action everything was done with such a precision and love for the moving picture that I would have liked it even if I hated the story. But really the way the pages in the beginning showing passage of time were filmed in a 360 view from the window, or the awesome fight scene we've all seen in the trailer. It was all just beautifully put together.

With the story in mind, I did have a sense that unforunately the film had a pacing problem. A wrongly placed pause there, a second lapse on action here, I can't really put my finger on it but there was a slight problem. Some of the action was built up great, some of the emotion had me riding along on the rollercoaster just perfectly. But there were other moments when I felt the audience was rushed into feeling or experiencing what was going on by both the movement of the narrative and the acting. Rushed in a way that wouldn't be noticed by the die-hard fans that have read the book a dozen times so it could be dismissed, but it was there. In connection with this slight problem, I have to mention my problem with Edward (Rob Pattison). Please first note, I am pretty convinced that Rob Pattison IS Edward Cullen for all intensive purposes. I adored his protrayal of one of my favorite vampires in the first film, I really thought he nailed it. This being said, I didn't have a problem with how he was Edward only with how fast Edward became a martyr and how it came across on screen. I don't blame anyone in particular, but I felt like he went from being miserable in the beginning (because even before the Jasper thing) to being aloof and unattainable. Now flipping the coin on this issue for me, I've always been way to understanding of the situation in New Moon. I understood Edward and his reasoning and I never once doubted that he was going to come back in the end. So maybe this protrayal of him, is more intune to how everyone else felt about his leaving in the book? I don't know, I had issues with it because like I said I really thought he captured his own cahracter in the first film. So it was like a sudden shift in the second film to capturing how Bella saw his character instead. Not sure I liked it as much? Next time he won't exist so much just in Bella's head, so we'll see which way Rob Pattison takes it?

On actors, world watch out for little Taylor Launter. He's going places, not only did his character steal the show in the book but his acting stole the show on screen too. I know at least one person came out of the movie having switched teams, not me but you know others. And Billy Burke really does steal the few scenes he's in, he's just so entertaining to watch. Also let's not forget the under appreciated Bella school friends, Mike and Jessica in particular. They really bring their small parts to life, they are everything I ever saw those two characters being. They balance out all the crazy just the right amount and I love them for it. And Emmett (Kellan Lutz, thumbs up to your candid ability to capture Emmett so PERFECTLY) relief in any scene he's in. Oh, and the wolves, again the casting director couldn't have drawn up more perfect actors for any of the roles. And just not to leave her out, K.Stewart really did capture just how sad and broken Bella really was even the motions of holding herself together that are described in the book.

Moving into the realm of impossible to please fan. Why was Jasper still in high school? He graduated with Rose and Emmett. AND what was up with his wig? If anyone who has any power over his wig reads this, please fix it. We all noticed, I promise. And Jackson has no need to look ridiculous when he's playing Jasper. Why didn't Alice come to school with Edward in the beginning, because we needed that great wind shot of Edward heading towards Bella by himself? We could have done that with Alice still getting out of the car. Promise. There's a few more nitpicking items that I won't bore you with.

Instead I leave you with this critics of the film, read the book. Because then you might understand why it's so dark, why there's a love triangle, and why we will keep wasting our money on it. If you don't understand, read it twice. Everyone else, please enjoy the tad bit of commericalism that the film turned into with Jacob Black eating Burger King and Bella flying Virgin to Italy. Appreciate that it gave them a bigger budget to bring all our favorite pages into life. See it a few times and be able to make fun of how absurd imaginary Edward looks when Bella is drowning (The only hallucation I didn't like), or how silly it was for Bella to get on that strange guys bike and not be kidnapped? Aside from that see you all in line next year in June for Eclipse, we all know we're going to see it!

A Secret to Never Tell

Three seasons in & only about a year of people telling me, is how long it took me to check out this little CW show called Gossip Girl. It was predicted I would get attached to this TV show, I know it's starting to seem that I can get attached to any TV show - but believe me I'm a bit hard to impress. It's all about the story telling. But here where the key predicators to my love for this show: 1. Pretty Good Boy who looks Bad and has a great shorten named - Nat, 2. Scandal and Drama on semi-real basis mixed in a relatable idea of private privileged high school, 3. Characters with Passion and believability. 

I have only watched 4 episode of it, but it was enough to ensure that I would need to watch at least the rest of the first season. The beginning had me intrigued immediately with the fact that the audience was thrown into the middle of the gossip. We didn't get a back story, we didn't get the entire exposition. Just like any real gossip it came out in sections, parts of it moving slowly. Now I know this show seems a bit like a soap opera and possibly trashy, but there's something truly smart about it. I think it might be the characters themselves, but so far as I can tell the story line is well established and plotted out. Maybe it loses its foundation somewhere along the line, but I don't know yet. So we shall see how the show stands the test of time, it's still pretty well loved so I think it does okay.

As of right now, I'm a Blake Lively fan. She really does bring a life into her character that makes it just generally watchable. It's something like comparing how Reese Witherspoon brought Elle Woods to life like no one else could. Also I just like her character. Now I don't like Chuck but he's character is perfected flawed. He's a gossip king, wasting away his existence and using every girl that walks past him.  But he seems a loyal enough friend, at the very least useful to Blair and protective of Nat. And Nat and Dan  have pretty much every quality I like about the teen protagonist with just tiny differences. Nat has a father that is over-bearing and controlling of his entire life and future, demanding him to work as an asset to his family fortune. While Dan has a very supportive father that wants nothing more than his son to reach his own dreams and achievements. Nat is confused about his future, unsure that his family's structure is really what he wants and how he wants it. Dan loves his family but could also want to move away from them, get his independence and make his own way. Both boys are in love with Serena, shock! They are slightly gullible, prince charming types with big flaws that I have either yet to see or are coming up. Nat for example doesn't think things through and tends to trust that the other side really has greener grass without figuring it out himself.

All in all, I felt like the show took a page out of Sex in the City and made it younger. Personally I had no love for sex in the city, but this show definitely caught my attention. But we will see what I think when I finish the first season!

Where we’re going we don’t need roads!

Back to the Future might easily be described as one if not my favorite movie of all time. It is for sure the film that has affected how I viewed all other films, I’m not entirely sure why or what about it captives me to such a degree but it does. Part of that magically hold the movie (and its two sequels) has over me is in part due to the charm of a Mr. Michael J. Fox. I was born the year that Back to the Future came out in theatres and though I can make no claim one way or the other that it was the first movie I saw in my entire life, I know it was among the first. Honestly I have no idea when the first time was that I met Marty McFly and Doc Brown they have always just seemed to exist with me. As I’ve grown as a person, as an academic, and as a professional my love and the intense effect of that one movie and that same actor seemed to have also grown. Everything I read about it now, or have read about it in the past just cement its place in my heart.

Taking all this into account, it would be no small surprise to anyone that one day back in April when I was wondering the Barnes and Noble at the Grove I sought out the latest memoir from Michael J. Fox. My respect for Michael J. Fox has expanded from that initial and everlasting crush/ attachment to Marty McFly to his other acting roles to in more recent years his gracious and courageous battle with Parkinson’s. Whenever I come across anything about him or his foundation in magazines, newspapers, and that electronic feed from yahoo that keeps me endlessly informed over everything I read it. So like I said it wasn’t strange that in April I was looking for his newest book just recently having arrived on the shelves. I was particularly intrigued because of the title of the book (I can hear all the groaning about judging a book from it’s cover/ or title as the case may be, but first impressions are no joking matter my friends) Always Looking Up, The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. I’m an optimist at heart though no one who met me past my junior year of high school will completely agree, I was and always will be. So the title of the book amused me to no end and I was intrigued to know what he had to say about life.

It has taken me six months to read Always Looking Up and not because it was fascinating, intelligent and witty on the contrary I hoped for and more. No it took me six months to read his book because parts of it hit all too close to home for me.  I purchased the book in April, consequently that was the same month where I decided to ultimately give notice to the Disney Stores. Being a person in search of a muse (or as some might see it, in constant need of being entertained) I immediately started reading. Within the first four pages I knew that this book had found me, not the other way around. For being a book about optimism there is a large amount of journey to the happiness in it, the storm of sadness before the peaceful calm of happiness. I read up until page 25 before I had to stop the first time and leave the book aside for a few days. On page 24 there was a heart wrenching parallelism about Michael J. Fox the actor and his character on Spin City. It was the moment that Fox was leaving acting behind him because of his health and subsequently his character was leaving a job that was his life because of a scandal. No use pretending it didn’t affect me not only because it was just sad, but also because it was like looking into a mirror a little bit. No I wasn’t leaving my place with the stores due to some life impacting illness, but I was leaving because of circumstances beyond my control and it was the company that was my life.

So naturally I stopped reading it at that moment. The next time I picked it up I read on through the first section and there is wonderfully painted picture of the greats that Michael J. Fox has met and worked with in his life. Describing his afternoon with Lance Armstrong and his being in the mist of the Tour de France with Robin Williams is nothing short of incredible. I couldn’t read the words fast enough, or enough times to truly capture what the experience of working or talking to Muhammad Ali must have been liked for him. But believe me you get a taste of some amazing interactions. The next time I stopped reading was when Michael J. Fox discussed the storm cloud of how he was accused of faking his P.D. in the commercial. I remembered this event, it angered me when it happened, it still angered me when I read about it. And it truly made me sad when I read about his mom's reaction to the whole situation. So I put it down again and didn't pick it up again for four months. When I did pick it up again, I didn't put it down until I read the last line. 

          

I have pages of quotes written down from happy-go-lucky advice, to witty wisdom, to funny jokes. So in the words of Mr. Michael J. Fox himself: "We are where we are. If we keep moving, we'll be someplace else. We'll know when we  get there." So you out there without the book, move to a bookstore or your local library and find a copy and then read it, it will move you to a new place!

The pods are gone!

Today I replaced my sad, bent out of shape, well-loved golden wamu debit card with a new shiny blue chase debit card. It was the last change in a series of changes as wamu no longer really exists, and I know the bank was going under and all but I'm going to miss the gold cards and red shirts. More importantly I'm going to miss the way that I was greeted every time I walked into my bank and the pods.

The pods? I know strange thing to miss about a bank. For all of those who don't know what I'm talking about Washington Mutual had banks that were set up in a more modern and welcoming style than the classic counter. Over the past few weeks I have watched as the open air space of my bank became constricted and classical. Changing the setting of a story changes the story itself and I can't help but feel that the same applies to the bank.

My Washington Mutual bank was an building in an L shape, the doors open to the ATMs. The main part of the bank was styled in a while that there was open space on all sides of the guest walking in. Pods were spaced on either side, presenting an ability (or created sense) of choice. The original set up created a sense of home, a personal space rather than a rigid business space. As a guest walking in, I could walk around desks and interact not only with the employees but also with the actual furniture. The concept was more familial, laid back, and engaging.

I'm  not against the average bank and when I walk in now I know what is expected of me. There is on the left side all of the counters and on the right side cubicles of separate desks. I am socially cued to understand that I stand in a confined line and go up to the counter. The space is much more enclosed and no one makes eye contact with you when you walk in. But this is the way that banks have always been, no nonsense, straight line, structure first businesses. That's what we have come to expect, that's what makes them serious enough to deal with our money. I just can't help it if I miss the feeling of belonging I got from my old pod styled bank. But you know, lesson learned from Mary Poppins a bank is a place of business and it should reflect just that I suppose.

Video killed the Radio Star

A giant light bulb went on over every media mongrel a few years back. High School Musical was a long shot at a sell, but it was a little movie of the month for the disney channel not much to lose right? I mean how many people aside from the 6-12 year olds of the world watched Jumping Ship or Halloween Town? But the sudden success of the little movie that could was incredible, and the spark of that light bulb. Its an old concept see Singing in the Rain or Jazz Singer. But what changed? Musical Movies weren't the only thing that could sell, musical shows are just as easy. Not only are they selling points, but shows can create new multi-talented stars, not only posters and signings but CDs and concerts. No surprise that Disney moved into the market they were already well versed in, anyone remember Mickey Mouse Club? With the sensation of Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers there was a paving of the wave for the older crowd's singing show, Glee.

I started watching Glee back in May when it premiered, though not completely willing. Truthfully the show didn't truly seem like it was going to appeal to me, it seemed a staple of the Fox network with corky outrageous characters that weren't only surface. I wasn't overly impressed or pleased with that first episode and didn't really think twice about watching the show or not when it returned in the fall.  But then the Hulu Gods decided to release the director's cut of that first episode and one late night I gave it a second chance. The director's cut was definitely more of a golden apple, so I kept watching on. By episode three, I was disappointed again thinking that the show had lost it's voice a tad bit too early.

Because by episode three, or well-intentioned overly passionate Glee Club director already had abandoned his club to follow his own ambitions. There were two episodes, I believe 3 and 4 that were suddenly not about the glee club almost at all anymore and that's the name of the show. But last week, the magic came back and the focus was truly about the club itself again. The match up of the boys and girls was truly a treat to watch. Though really, everything just seems to move along too fast. Take for example Rachel leaving the Glee club because she doesn't get the lead. The lesson that she can't always be the center of attention, yet by the time she comes back (end of that episode) she is still given every lead? Lesson obviously not meant, or not learned?

The show itself is not on top of any of my lists, but I love watching singing. I keep tuning in because I love the combination, the true art of musical performance to tell the story. I can't wait to see what songs are going to be switched up, what costumes and etc. I'm not really that emotionally involved with any of the characters themselves, all of them being slightly too outlandish for me.

I did connect to Kirk's trial in Preggers, and I got a real kick out of April's guest star appearance. Sue and Terri are enough to make me want to stop watching the show. I hate pretty much everything Sue says (though at the end of tonight's episode I might concede a little bit). And the fake preggers wife sort of drives me crazy! Quinn feels like the show's token preggers teen. Does anyone else notice that suddenly teen pregnancy is the new show staple for drama. Its no longer a one episode warning to the population but an actual character type. Not that I find it problematic but slightly over done at this particular point. Maybe if it had been presented in season 2, I wouldn't be so over the idea already. I enjoy awkward popular A-lister lead though overbearing Rachel could tone it down a notch (I think she's starting too). But maybe I will grow into each character?

As long as the songs keep coming and the performances are up to par, I will keep watching! Also as long as iTunes keeps putting up the weekly songs, I will keep buying them (though an album should be made, soon... cause 1.99 for each song? maybe a pick and choose 7 song album price??)

A Place to Mediate the Man in the Sky

Friday night rolls around and I get a phone call. A friend is getting a group together to see a The Invention of Lying at 7:40 PM. My response, oh well I wanted to go to the movies but that movie was not on the top of my list. The friend proceeded to try an possibly find a movie that was closer to the top of my list, but we couldn't agree on anything so I finally decided to just go with it. When I had said that the Invention of Lying was not on the top of my list, I wasn't kidding. It held no real appeal to me, the trailer wasn't breathtaking and not even the premise rang of any real promise of an interesting story. Honestly I didn't really believe the foundation was going to be set up properly, a world without lying? Why was there no lying, brain functions? But then no one could really go against it, right? Not socially taught to lie? But even then it seemed unlikely that everyone would just accept that? Anyway you get the picture I had problems with the concept being believable enough to be entertaining.

So the movie started and here is how the premise worked - people just couldn't lie. It wasn't really explained, it was just a stated fact that was constantly proven by the characters dialogue with each other. The acting was enjoyably natural, maybe the actors of the film were genuinely amused that they got to speak hidden truths? When are you ever going to just flat out tell someone that they are not your genetic match, but you'll go on a date with them anyway because you're afraid of being alone? Or tell you're boss that you didn't feel like working because you thought they were getting fired? But overall the movie wasn't interesting, as I had predicted the premise was slightly far-fetched. The worse bit of it though was that the narrative moved slowly and almost without purpose for what seemed like hours! Not to ruin it for someone but its a movie about boy meets girl, boy wants girl he can't have. Everything that happens leads to that main plot line, the lying starts as a selfish action that is then turned into a tool for the pursuit.

The most interesting section of the movie was when the main character was discovered telling a lie. The thing is though that no one knows its a  lie, because in their world lying can not happen. So the rest of the world believes what he is saying is true, that he has access to new information. This is where the main character, Mark weaves a tell about the man in the sky. I'm not going to give more about that away, but know that there are enough religious parallels, echoing of mockery and social commentary that it almost makes up for the boring parts of the film. Almost.

The next best part was the acting. It was natural and genuinely enjoyable. Also there were several guest appearances that were completely unexpected. If you're bored on a friday night, or maybe a tuesday afternoon (for the matinee price) the acting is almost worth watching the film.

Genetically unable to keep a secret

On the third floor of the Anaheim convention center during the weekend of the D23 conference was the ABC viewing room. It was like all the other conference rooms except that it was designed to look like a house with several mailboxes in front of it. Each mailbox was designed for a particular show, some of the new and some of the well-established. I was particularly intrigued by the one mailbox designed to look like wood, with a glass of red wine sitting on top of it and the show's title stenciled into the side. Why was Brothers & Sisters represented by a wine glass?

I had thought about watching the family drama a few times, one because the name intrigued me and two because Rob Lowe was in it. I'm by no means a Rob Lowe fangirl, but I do sort of have a special place for him because of West Wing. Now this wine glass made me think it might be my cup of tea after all. Wine, Family Drama definitely two of my favorite subjects. So when I was walking past the rows of television on dvd at Blockbuster, my eye caught the first season of Brothers & Sisters. And so the race began...

I watched that first disc and was captivated. It took three episodes for me to collect all the characters names, which is only slightly an accomplishment. The fact that it took that long was a poor reflection on the show because honestly it shouldn't take the audience that long. But though that was hard and might have turned me off had I had to wait a week in-between the first three episodes, by episode 4 I was in in love. I cared about Walkers, all their family drama, all their laughter, all their merriment. Yes I didn't figure out until  about the middle of the first season that Sara and Kitty were the oldest and then it was Tommy, Kevin and Justin but that wasn't that important. There was so much about  the Walkers that reminded me of my family and so much that wasn't like my experience at all, but it was the right amount of heart to be addicting.

Now knowing that I was in love, I ran back to blockbuster to get the next two discs of the season. The entire stock of the first and second season were sitting on the back counter and I was informed that they were being sent out. Now this was going to be a problem because blockbuster employees told me that I wouldn't possibly have any time before the show was sent out to finish season 1, and definitely no way I was going to get to the second season. But I decided to test my fate, and basically not sleep for two nights in order to get through the show and I did!

Watching the Walker family at full speed, I enjoyed every moment of it. It might be a great drinking game to attempt to watch the episodes and make some kind of shot count for how long it takes for a secret to get around. Maybe something like you'll drink if Kevin tells Kitty first, or if Justin tells Tommy last. Something like that might be interesting. There is definitely drinking in every episodes and with Tommy owning and operating a vineyard, it only became more and more ingrained with the very essence of the family. Also the music selection, even though so artfully subtle, is very good and definitely adds a character to the show it otherwise might not have.

Though some of the story lines are soap opera-isc it does again not diminish the heart of family which is what drives the show. The characters remain true to themselves, to their family ties, to their actions and behaviors with each other and it is a real treat to feel so engulfed. Though I suggest if you're new to the show to at least try the first three episodes before truly making a judgement. Reveal in how normal your family was or smile at the reminder of how close you are and with a good glass of wine the audience experience in complete.

Dark & Twisted

I watched the first two seasons of Grey's Anatomy pretty religiously. I was all into McDreamy and McSteamy. I saw the Denny Debacle as it happened for the first time on TV. By season 3, I was busier than usual and missed episodes here and there but still watched as Addison left and even tried to watch Private Practice. Never got into Private Practice and unfortunately at that point I basically stopped watching  Grey's, not because of anything in particular just didn't have the time. I always intended to catch up and being almost two seasons behind I decided it was about time.

The interesting thing that struck me as I've caught up to the newest episode of season 6 is that the entire show is based on one thing. The show is about Meredith Grey, but more than just that it's about a dark and twisty girl with a thing for tequila. That's how her friends described her in the episode where Izzie would not remove herself from the bathroom floor. And that's how she has remained, though admittedly she has grown as a character because she no longer runs from Derek. But there she has not gone and gotten "normal" and she really still isn't that "stable" and we all know she won't really be anytime soon. Its somewhat amazing that the show has maintained Meredith's voice, her relationship with everyone has remained true to her character.  Not all of the characters have remained true to themselves as completely as Meredith but it's important that the title character did. Even when Derek goes through his dark period, when Meredith comes back to him she comes back with a bottle of tequila.

The main concept of Grey's Anatomy that has held my interest for years is that in the show the characters create a family tie. Not just any family tie either, because some of the characters don't even really like each other. Alex and George never really find any common ground, even now in the episodes where Izzie is dying they end up fighting with each other before discovering they are both losing someone special. Izzie herself never really connects on any level with Christina and Meredith, yet she tells Christina first about her illness and she plans Meredith's wedding. The five of them work with each other and spend most of their time fighting, but when they need each other they are there. And they are all kept in line by Bailey, the maternal figure of the group as their resident. The relationships are maintained impacting by different love interests and actual family members like little grey.  Their little family actually expands to add Derek by the time he moves into the house and starts protecting little grey from his best friend.

The other relationship that makes me really like the show is the Derek and Mark relationship. Best friends for two decades, that have survived each other through better and worse. Though they fought a few years because Mark slept with Derek's first wife, they maintain their relationship. My favorite part might be when Derek's mom comes into town and studies Lexi after cornering Mark about why he's been avoiding her. It proves just how close the two men have been their entire life, that Derek's mother has so much love for her son's best friend.

Aside from the relationships that are so well written the next best part of the show are the musical montages and selections. The songs that shadow the emotional scenes are perfect, they strum at anyone's heart strings surprisingly well. The words and the notes are haunting and really play into the scenes, the characters and the raw emotions. Grey's Anatomy might be one of the main sources for finding new songs, I have downloaded quite a few of the songs that I liked after the episodes (which makes me love the creators of the what you heard part of the website). Though I might admit that I'm still in search of the song that play when George's father died because it was beautiful. So for anyone that stopped watching, if you have the time the episodes are a fun watch. Though season 4 might be a bit to get through, it definitely picks back up in season 5 and I have high hopes for the new season.

The Great Cupcake Expedition

With October being a month of sweets, treats and tricks what better way to start the month blog with the tale of the cupcake expedition. The fact that starts this little tale: I have a love affair with cupcakes. That was a simple fact turned into an adventure by the discovery that cupcakeries existed! Cupcakeries my friends are like bakeries but only for cupcakes.

The story begins quite a few months ago, one afternoon when I decided to give blood. In the same shopping complex as United Blood was a little store called Cupcakery. The Cupcakery is located on Thousand Oaks Blvd. in the city of Thousand Oaks, it's a fancy dancy little shop with a cupcakes on a tree in the window. That was the first ever Cupcakery I saw and visited. A strawberry shortcake cupcake with delicious strawberry frosting. But that was the end of the book, or so I had thought.

Sometimes I get on kicks, cravings that drive me to Vons at midnight in search of things like cupcakes. An old friend suggested that I try a place called Sprinkles in Los Angeles. She pretty much swore her life on the fact that this Cupcakery was the best. And so the expedition began!

The first and foremost place was indeed Sprinkles. We rode around Little Santa Monica Blvd in search of our cupcakery for the day. A car full of five young adults, trying to decide what exactly this place was going to look like. We had decided it would be bright colored and have rainbow umbrellas on top of tables. This imagined images might be why we missed it the first time, because it was just a building. A brown building with the word sprinkles in pink, very very small word on the top of the building. So we missed it, turned around and parked. We waited in line, my friends declaring that this place better be the best damn cupcakes they've ever had for the wait. The wait was well worth it! I ordered a red velvet cupcake and a key lime west cupcake. The key lime west is a seasonal item and that idea makes me want to cry because I dream about this cupcake. We all dream about those cupcakes, we are slightly convinced they put some kind of addictive substance into their frostings. And the red velvet, one of their most popular flavors I happen to save for later and let me tell you that cupcake is amazing cold. I actually have gone back several times since that first time to Sprinkles, and still only eat the red velvet after its been in the fridge for the night.

Here is where the expedition really took off because, I raved about those cupcakes. I dreamed about those cupcakes. I was pretty sure that Sprinkles was cupcake heaven. But others, seemed to disagree. So I started getting suggestions of other places that were better than Sprinkles. First place was Suzy Cakes in Calabasas where I ordered a red velvet cupcake to have some comparison point. It was good, but the frosting was different. The frosting at SusieCakes is the original cream cheese frostings while at Sprinkles the frosting was not completely cream cheese but some combination with vanilla maybe? Whatever it is, it makes it better at least to me because I don't like cream cheese frosting.

The week after that I tried a place literally across the street from SusieCakes called Crumbs. Aside from Sprinkles, Crumbs is the cupcakery I have been to the most since my first try. The conclusion of these visits is that Crumbs ranks 3 out 5 in cupcakeries. At Crumbs the chocolate cupcakes are definitely the better ones - they are wonderfulness. The red velvet runs into the same problem for me because of the cream cheese frosting bit. I also tried the raspberry swirl which is also sort of awesome. The interesting thing about crumbs is that there is inserted frosting/ topping inside the middle of the cupcake. Another great thing about Crumbs is that there marketing campaign is sort of wonderful and reminds me of Disneyland's current marketing strategy. It's about celebrating the everyday little things and I support that.

The last cupcakery I went to was Dots! In Pasadena an adorable little place, windows with painted dots and cute little seats and tables. What is even better about Dots is that there are regular sized cupcakes and  baby cupcakes! They are cheaper than the other places and because of the baby cupcakes you can try more flavors. The red velvets are delicious, because they also use the mixed type frosting that is not just the cream cheese. The flavor selection is vast and they really are very good. Dots is definitely number 2 out of 5 and though its even further from me than even Sprinkles its worth the drive.

Sprinkles is still number 1 but I recommend that if you have the chance you try each of these places. I have added the links to most of the places below and pictures of my favorites!

http://www.sprinkles.com/index.html
http://susiecakesla.com/
http://www.crumbs.com/
http://www.dotscupcakes.com/

Everybody Lies...

Sometime quite a few afternoons ago, I was flipping through channels when something caught my eye. I'm not entirely sure what caught my eye at first, it had something to do with the tense lighting and music and the presence of the characters on the screen at least I suppose it did. There were doctors in an elevator, one not dressed like a medical professional but more like the cool kid in high school that seemed arrogant and intelligent. There was a young girl, Michelle Tractenberg to be exact, was basically dying and said cool doctor was not allowed near his patient. I was absolutely enthralled when said maverick doctor caught the patient in an elevator in what seemed like a staged coop. He examined the patient for a tick and found it seconds before the patient reached problematically low heart rate. Up until this point I thought that I had found an interesting medical movie, until someone walked into the room and told me it was actually a show. The show was of course, House. From then on I would watch the mini marathons of it on USA, addicted to seating on the edge waiting for who was right and if the life would be saved.

That's how I started watching house, not in any particular order and never regularly. So when I stumbled upon this large block of time I've been handed, House was on the list of shows that I should catch up on. Over the last few days, I have watched the first four seasons (and not season 5 only because Blockbuster did not make it available). Watching House has been like riding a roller coaster having one thrill after another, feeling the anxiety of climbing to plummet, and always knowing you had the same characters around you. It was comforting, yet always new.

 Dissecting the show into why it's such a ride is something entirely different. The first reason I started watching was aesthetic, an impulsive decision based on my visual and emotional response. The particular episode that first intrigued me happened to fall in the timeline of season 2, episode 16: Safe. The middle of the episode, like almost every episode of house, was visually displaying a tension. The show itself is visually pleasing with a balanced amount of close ups to convey proper emotions, to the moving walk and talk shots. The lighting represents everything from the natural aspects of a hospital to the mood of the characters, to the feelings of the patients. Placing the crafting of the technical aspects of the show aside, we boil down to the essence of the ride: story.

Each episode is a story of what? Mystery Disease as the problem, race for the answer as the plot, character development as the details, and ultimately diagnosis/ treatment as the resolution. Each episode is constructed in the same manner, always a patient with unknown disease. Always a patient that lies. Always clues and answers hidden in the details. Does that really keep compelling an audience to keep coming back for six seasons? The episode formula definitely keeps a person entertained for a few episodes, but not six seasons. The story is the entirely story, the focal point being Dr. House himself. A genius, a truly talented doctor with a drug problem and a lack of social skills.

Herein lies the genius of the show, the entire series is about House and his relationships. House is maintained as a character, as a person, as a functioning doctor by his team, his only friend and his boss. The writers/ creators of the show make the audience like Dr. House, the unlikable character by not only making him the main character but by associating him with so many other likable characters. On some level people can associate to this genius, over the top, anti-social doctor. And on many other levels the audience can associate with the over giving best friend (Wilson), the over achieving boss, the emotionally attached (Cameron), the need to pleaser (Chase), and the self- righteous (Foreman). The audience loves how House over analyzes everything, how he solves every case, how he's an ass to everyone, how he gets whatever he wants through manipulation. The essence of the show is how House survives and actually cares about his relationship without ever really showing it or saying it. The creators have established a world and characters so perfectly that it is hard to stay away while the drama unfolds.

I can not wait to see season 5 and I have heard nothing but good things about the season opener last monday. I'm going to stay on this ride, as long as the characters keep pulling their weight.

Wigs are like shirts, which one to wear today?

Before J.J Abrams worked on Lost and made a Star Trek movie. Back when the WB was still the coolest channel around and still existed. A little show called Felicity existed, about a girl with pretty hair that followed a high school crush across the country to a New York University. The plot of that show is not important, what is important is the small secondary character that was only on three episodes named Hannah Bibb. Hannah Bibb was played by a somewhat unknown actress of the time Jennifer Garner. I wonder if during the filming of those three episodes J.J knew he had found his upcoming leading lady.  In 2001, Jennifer Garner appeared in her first but definitely not last wig on the show Alias. 

I had wanted to watch episodes of Alias when it was repeated on TNT, but could never really understanding what was going on. Alias is one of those shows that you must watch from at least some beginning point, every episode is connected to the last ten. Maybe its something that J.J Abrams likes to do, as many of you Lost fans might know. After finding someone that owned all six seasons that I could borrow it from, I started watching.  

These are the things that I learned about the show Alias:
- No one actually dies 
- No one is who they say they are 
- No one is on the side they say they are on 
- Basically 1-3, Everyone lies 
- A good costume for a woman involves a wig 
- A man is apparently unrecognizable and only needs a different set of clothing and sun glasses
- Haing something to trade with the government keeps you out of jail 
- Family is complicated 
- Everyone should learn more than one language 
- Don't trust people who tell you they are working for the CIA and offer you a job 


Generally the show is very good for the first two seasons. Season 3 and 4 start to see a steady decline. And season 5 and 6 leave faithful fans sad and slightly unfulfilled. I found myself annoyed at the lack of secretive spy behaviors after season 2, I thought everyone was being less careful about being discovered. It seemed that the writers lost love for the story they were telling, becoming complacent with the very obsessions that drove the characters. I especially thought it unnecessary to write in the unsavory twist with Vaughn! But I won't spoil it for anyone that hasn't watched it yet.  


Its a good relaxing show, with a little too much strain at the end but the beginning is well worth it. And once you get started you might as well finish.