The Reason I Love My Friends

OK, so just following the theme of thinking about Funtimers and wishing we were all together again, these are the top reasons - from the past week - that I miss you guys!

1. UCLA Football, what a game! But I watched the second half by myself in the middle of the night.
2. Ummm, political conventions this summer?!? Holy cow for both parties, this race is going to be fun. Well played, I say, and won't it be interesting to see how the final two months play out?
3. Bob Costas on Conan O'Brien - seriously, if you haven't seen it, please find it somewhere.
4. My friends checked in with me to make sure I was OK after Tom Brady's injury.
5. Fox Sports has an amazingly fast data feed, far superior to CBS.
6. Good excuses to look forward to fall, including pumpkin spiced things and colorful scarves.
7. When I text some of you, you are at or on the way to the beach.
8. Brian Williams is funnier than Jon Stewart.
9. Football theme music

Mostly, the best part of these things is that I don't particularly have to explain them. You guys are the best and I think about you every day!!

Good Times, Good Times

I was thinking about all of you guys, and I wanted a throwback to yesteryear....here we go:

From Friends

Oh no, Dharma's back (no I don't mean Jenna Elfman).

Just found out about this. It doesn't seem to be doing much yet but who knows.

http://www.dharmawantsyou.com/

Look! It's Jenny at ComicCon!

Courtesy of Great White Snark

I Love Kat Deeley

Seriously. She rules.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

If you have not yet seen Dr. Horrible, drop everything you are doing, set aside 42 minutes, and watch this immediately.  That's an order!

Fascinating

This is a really interesting article. I particularly like the seventh paragraph.
http://www.cnetnews.com.cn/2008/0701/959353.shtml

UPDATE: Well, I don't know how this page was rendered in your browsers, but my point was obviously unclear. Yes, it was in Chinese, but paragraph 7 looked like this:


Can you read the English parts? IBM, DataPower -- that's me! DataPower is the product I work on, and I just thought it was cool that we were mentioned in a foreign-language article. Apparently there's no Chinese character that means DataPower.

Here's one that will require less explanation....it's My Book!

Return from Belize

Hi all! We were quite the spread out team in the last few weeks!

I had a wonderful trip to Belize again, it was really neat to go to some of the same places that we went last year. I don't think we take the opportunity to return to vacation spots very often, there is so much of the world to see, but I was surprised how familiar things were. Some of that has to do with the country itself. Since it is so new in its history (became a country in 1981), there is so much progress that can be made in one year. The othe reason for familiarity was working with the organization in the country that our church works with. It is called The Word At Work (http://www.twaw.org/) and helps so much to connect with local people and culture.

This trip we spent most of our time working on a school that is being built in an area of Belize City known as the Burial Grounds. The preschool was started last year and was meeting in Unity Presbyterian Church. The church purchased the adjoining property and with the help of TWAW, has invested in a hurricane grade shelter for a school that will eventually hold all grades. This fall the school is adding Kindergarten and 1st grade.

Our trip would not be complete without another island trip and that led to more phenomenal pictures. What a beautiful place! And striking in that it hadn't changed much at all. 20 miles off shore, a quick 1 hour boat ride to paradise. Still no running water there, but our guide caught 18 lobsters for us to eat for dinner the night we were out there.

Life doesn't get much better than this!

Just Watch It

Don't ask questions, just watch it. And by the way, what do I get for my contestant winning Survivor?

Late to the Game - SPOILER ALERT

OK, I have been weeks behind on Survivor, but I JUST got caught up and have finally watched the whole shebang. And I agree with all previous posts: BY FAR, THE BEST SEASON EVER. The Erik episode was amazing, I couldn't believe it, it was hilarious, masterful, and so tragic. Poor Erik, I did feel very bad for him. Those girls are phenomenal players. Cirie deserved to win the whole thing, and I'm not just saying that because she was my girl! (I just felt so terrible for her when she was crying at the end and apologizing to her family for letting them down) I think she directed the entire arc of the game and almost every single strategic move. But I also think if Amanda had taken her, she would have won, so I don't fault Amanda for going with Parvati...although that didn't work out so well either. Final thoughts: I still can't stand Parvati, and I can't believe she won. She is a "mean girl" and I'm still stunned. Right now I'm watching the reunion show, and they haven't shown yet how everyone voted, but I'm guessing even after all that happened, Eliza voted for Parvati. What an idiot, that she would claim to respect both of those girls for their game playing, but then still vote for the girl that was just flat out mean and bitchy to you. Ugh.

OK, those are all my thoughts. What an amaaaaazing season.

(Dang it, Cirie!)

non-spoiler alert

1:51 in: Ozzy is a douche bag tool.

COME ON!!!

Seriously Eric? Are you serious? I think you and Dolphin-boy Ian should get together and have a sappy insecure love child that needs to be loved so badly that it will do anything.... ANYTHING to win "redemption" in the game of Survivor. Ugh, it's like he has never watched the show. GROAN.

I should offer a Survivor prep-course:
Lesson 1. Leave your desire for "integrity" at home. You either have it or you don't. If you need to talk about your integrity, then you probably don't have any. Embrace your lack of integrity... you'll go much farther.
Lesson 2. NEVER GIVE UP IMMUNITY. If you're tempted to, refer to lesson 1.
Lesson 2a. If you have hidden immunity and you think you should play it... PLAY IT!!!! DUH!!!
Lesson 3. Listen to Jeff during Tribal Counsel. He always draws attention to what's about to happen. PAY ATTENTION!!
Lesson 4. DO NOT believe people who proactively speak during Tribal Counsel. They are liars. If they question your integrity, refer to Lesson 1 and use the phrase "pot calling the kettle black" (alternate phrase choice: "so your s*** don't stink?").

Follow my four simple rules and you will go far in the game (or at least avoid looking like an idiot when you get voted off).
------------------------
I personally felt awful for Eric. Did you see how he ran away after Jeff snuffed his torch? Poor little guy.
------------------------
I can't decide if I want Amanda or Cirie to win. I think Cirie has played a better game, but she's at that point where she needs to start letting the jury know that she's been the puppet master. You can't wait until the final tribal counsel to say, "I've been doing these things all along." People don't buy it. She has the benefit of that no one actively hates her or blames her for them getting voted off (except maybe Ozzi who hates everyone and blames everyone)... and what's the deal with Ozzi's poncho? Douche bag.

Really they should just let James pick the winner.

Oh, Eric... you let me down. Your naivety and James's bum finger undid my chances of winning.

Looks like it's down to Kim, Danielle, Jaime, and Jenny.
Original drafts:
Katherine: Yau-Man and Jason
Kevin: James and Erik
Jenny: Cirie and Mary
Danielle: Ozzy and Natalie
Kim: Amanda and Joel
Jaime: Parvati and Chet
GMo: Eliza and Tracy
Kristin: Ami and Mikey B

I am looking forward to:

• Amanda trying to convince the jury of the quality of her game.
• Natalie trying desperately to make it into the final three.
• James's commentary during the Final Tribal/reunion.
• Yau-man's return.
• and (hopefully) some awesome Jeff Probst travel shots
  

I envision:

1. him holding on to the fin of a dolphin which swims him to a industrial port,
2. where a giant crane picks him up using a claw,
3. dropping him into the seat of a rickshaw,
4. running along side a moving train which he jumps onto,
5. climbs on top of where he finds a hang-glider,
6. jumping off as the train goes over a bridge,
7. sailing near a hot-air balloon,
8. going across a zip line from the glider into the basket of the balloon (not sure how they'll work the mechanics but I think if anyone could do it, Jeff could),
9. and finally the balloon crashing through the ceiling of the studio for the finally!!

Panache!

BEST!
SURVIVOR!
EVER!

Arrived Safely in Atlanta!

Hellooooo, my friends! After a much too long period of radio silence due to car driving and apartment searching, I am finally coming back to the land of communication!

The good news is that I have an address and my belongings have been delivered from the shipping company. The bad news is the belongings are still in the pod and need to be unpacked and set up. Any volunteers to help with that this weekend?

Here is a rough sketch of my cross country journey, the highlights will be fleshed out with additional details over time and more hilariously in person I am sure, but just get everyone caught up...
- I had to search for two pregnant cows in the cactus infested terrain of Tucson, AZ
- I drive really fast and got my first speeding ticket ever in NM
- Dyer's BBQ in Amarillo, TX, is about as "pit stop" as they come and just as fabulous
- My paternal grandparents are finally getting to the mind space to move out of their home
- Driving in pouring rain for 10 hours is not fun, even if it is from KS to TN
- The Grand Ole Opry is pretty cool
- No major car troubles
- No major fights with traveling companions (I was only concerned about one and his initials are also KD)
- Fried chicken in the south really does taste better
- My new apartment is literally across the street from Target

I miss you all tons and can't wait for trips back home and visitors to the southeast!

I heart Googly-eyed plants

Ok I had to put this up because it was so damn weird and so damn funny. Perhaps it is just my strange sense of humor. See what you think.

I heart Bon Jovi

So, tonight Jaime and I went to a real legit rock concert (as long as you consider Bon Jovi a legit Rock band). It was really fun... so much fun that I might catch them on my little jaunt with KD to Arizona when they play in Glendale. I have to check with my hostess and see if she's up for it.

Daughtry opened the evening and although he was fairly good, the guitars were turned up too loud and we couldn't understand much of what he said when he was talking. Hopefully, he'll learn a bit from Bon Jovi while out on the road (mainly that you don't have to crank up the guitars and turn up the distortion to put on a good show). Also, the live versions of his songs are a bit harder than on the album. I would give him a B-.

We were happily surprised that the switch from Daughtry to Bon Jovi took only 15 minutes. I don't know that I have ever been to a concert (except Jingle Ball with its revolving stage) where the transition took less than 30 minutes.


I wanted to share with you the highlight of the evening. It wasn't singing along to fabulous favorites like Livin' on a Prayer, Wanted: Dead or Alive, You Give Love a Bad Name, Blaze of Glory, or a Richie Sambora version of I'll be There for you. Though they were all pretty awesome; there's nothing like hearing almost 20,000 people screaming "Whoah, living on a prayer."


No, my favorite part was the first encore song. The concert rocked all night long, but for the first encore song the group came out with an acoustic set-up and sang a beautiful rendition of one of our favorite OC songs.



This isn't the concert version, but the quality is a lot better on this clip. Anyway, it was gorgeous and the first time the crowd was almost silent all night.

The only thing less that 100% perfect with the Bon Jovi set was Jon Bon Jovi's dance moves. They are a cross between his big hair 80's moves, funny 80's aerobics videos, and Southern baptist church services. But he still looks amazing (*** side note for the ladies only*** especially his booty) as he creeps closer to 50 years old.


I was looking forward to this concert (thanks for the great X-mas gift mom!)- it was everything I could wish for... tons of Bon Jovi's greatest hits from the late 80's and early 90's along with a nice assortment of their cool new music. They sang 25 songs and their set lasted 2 1/2 hours. All in all it was a wonderful concert!

It's no Clue Crew, but it's something!

So I'm involved in a new little project called Shindy TV. I think I've told most of you, but if not, Shindy is an online entertainment website that focuses on cool, fun things to do around San Diego. It's sort of an online TV station, as most of it is video content. I'm now one of the hosts, and I've done two shoots so far. They are both finally online, and I'd love for you guys to check it out! Go to http://www.shindy.tv/ and the opening video that's up right now is the shoot I did on St. Patrick's Day at The Tilted Kilt. The other one I did (the first one, actually), is at Basic Urban Kitchen & Bar; you can just click on the link and it will take you to the video. Keep your eye out in the Tilted Kilt video for an unexpected cameo appearance by Murrieta Valley HS quarterback Nat Bandel!

Enjoy! And mock at will.

Let's put the collective will of the TNFTers to work!!

I don't know how well you've studied the NCAA Tournament brackets but by some random chance (or the result of the influence of a higher power) for the first (and probably only) time UCLA could play Cornell in the Final Four!!!

Among the various reasons this would be awesome (uh, Bears vs Bears game - watch out Colbert, Red/White - Blue/Gold, Cornell making it to the Final Four!!!), perhaps the best is that it would pit Katherine's alma mater versus Kevin's alma mater.

Why would I want to create such possible conflict in my marriage, you may ask? Well, for one, I don't really care who wins the game and in no way would it influence how much I love my wife. For two, I think it would be neat. And for three, it would give us an easy solution to a potential problem we'll face later in life: namely, where's Lyla going to go to college?

This conflict is already bubbling over the surface, with each parent trying to make the case early for their school. Instead of letting this carry on for the next 17+ years, a Final Four match-up could serve as a fair way of picking for us. I think both of us would submit to the arbitrary authority of a national supporting event as the basis for a pivotal decision in our daughter's life.

I've mentioned the Collective Will of the TNFT Group before. Based on the composition of the South and West brackets, I don't think anyone will object to UCLA and Cornell making it to the Final Four. So, if you don't mind, start well-wishing the Bruins and the Big Reg all the way to San Antonio. Cornell first plays Stanford tonight at 5:00 pm (and I think everyone can get behind a Cornell victory).

Let's Go Red!!!!

U! clap clap clap clap C! clap clap clap clap L! clap clap clap clap A!

Do You Has?

Happy Saint Patrick's/Monkey Day!

Lyla wants to know where she can get one of those sweet green mustaches.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top o' the mornin', everybody! Please enjoy this festive greeting from two angry Irishmen.

Something interesting for my fellow random-knowledge geeks

Came across this website: http://www.damninteresting.com/

It's a collection of articles on various topics all either history or science related. Very similar to the types of programs they play on the Discovery or History channels. Enjoy!

Forget March...it's Lost Madness!

So every Friday on washingtonpost.com there is a Lost analysis in their Celebritology blog. Today they introduced a very exciting development: Lost Madness! You can go through the bracket and pick your favorite Lost characters, much like your favorite basketball teams! You can even choose from various random Others, the Polar Bear, and Arzt. I picked UCLA in the finals against the Smoke Monster. Click HERE to start voting! Then get back to work.

Perusing my SPAM folder - the following contains bad innuendo and euphemisms

Every once and awhile I look through my Gmail SPAM folder to see if anything semi-important got sent into there. I always chuckle at the solicitations I receive (I have 4 email accounts that I forward to Gmail and some of them are so old I've lost complete control of them). I wasn't sure about the appropriateness of posting something risqué so I've left out the real bad ones.

*Warning - if you are offended by bad innuendo and euphemisms, do not read any further*

Here's some of the better SPAM subject lines I've received recently. These are all real emails. Oh, (sic) for all of these.

Let’s start with “direct and to the point.” No ambiguity here:

Most popular shlong enlargement

Why be a tiny cocktail sausage, when you can be a mighty wiener.

These next ones know it’s really all about the ladies:

Pick up a chick anytime with this.

Enjoy the last laugh over the sports jocks by getting ALL the hot chicks.

Enlarge your instrumment and you will be popular among girls

When unzipping means unleashing a monster... watch ladies ooh and aah with delight.

And, of course, there are the attacks on my self esteem:

Be a member of the Big Boys' Club.

I want to be a macho man

Enhance your reputation with this.

She is trying to damage your reputation

Let's bet that my male aggregate is bigger than your

Don't be looser increase your male aggregate

Only losers have small male organ

And my personal favorites – the Practical Considerations:

When you reach the growth size that you want to achieve, you no longer need to take VPXL

An increase in cells allows for more blood to enter the ----- making the ----- larger and the -------- more intense.

You'll need larger pants

And finally:

where did you get that sofa?

Pre March Madness... Madness

As the resident sports nut, a title I happily claim, I just want to give Kevin congratulations for his team beating us all to the big dance later this month. The first invitation was officially granted to Cornell this weekend for becoming the Ivy League champ.

Who's ready for brackets??!!?

But what about the fake idol?!?

I find Kevin's earlier observations about James to be quite astute, but can we please talk about Ozzie carving a fake idol and re-hiding it??? Brilliant, just brilliant. I love it. And also, Lost is the greatest show in the history of time. Good thing I don't have a tendency to exaggerate.

James solved a puzzle? He might just be the best player ever.

I was shocked when James quickly solved the reward challenge puzzle on this week's Survivor. I mean, I know he's a great player: strong, hard working, understands basic Survivor strategies like keeping a strong alliance together. But to add on top of that puzzle-solver, he just might be too good to be true. I think the best part of it was that he was as shocked as the entire audience that he got the puzzle right. "'Triumphant'? Is that a word?" I love it.

Fortunately he also displayed some negative qualities in this past episode that will hopefully protect me from getting too attached. Namely, the rudeness he exhibited toward whatsherface. I think that, combined with the fact that he couldn't influence his way out of a paper bag, are the two chinks in his armor. But for now, with Yau-man out of the way, the path is clear for James to show just how smart his is (and use all that physics he's learned while digging graves).

That's What She Said

This just made me smile for one minute and 49 seconds straight. I can't wait for new episodes of good TV!!!

Happy Birthday GMo!

Though Genevieve's Oscar picks last night didn't come in quite the way J-Wed's did, there's still reason to celebrate....today is GMo's birthday! Happy birthday....hope it doesn't turn into a case of the Mondays!

A Fun Times Conspiracy Theory - The Ring's Survivor Luck

Submitted for your review: alternate theory as to why the Rings do well in the Survivor draft.

For the first few Survivor: Fun Times seasons, the punishment for having your draftee voted off the island (or in the case of Survivor: China, voted off the gigantic land mass) was to supply dessert the following Thursday.

Since the Rings losing a player would result in a diabetic-friendly dessert (read: cardboard aftertaste) the following week, you all subconsciously hoped that we would do well. Those thoughts not only impacted the draft/selection process for players but also traveled back in time and around the world and impacted the players themselves as the played the game. The really is no force in the world like the collective will of the TNFT group (it's on par with the strong force... also transmitted as gluons).

This subconscious behavior has become habit, as is evident in our success so far (even though we are not doing the dessert thing anymore).

The Luckiest - Survivor Style

Does anyone else think the Ring luck is ridiculously weighted when it comes to Survivor?

Sheesh. Katherine loses a player and picks up a fantastic replacement.

Kevin has the best of the pretty people gang, somehow the least threatening fave who is smart enough to know when to keep his mouth shut.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Survivor producers try to thwart the Ring luck this week only to have Kathleen spend yet one more night on Exile Island, find the stupid idol and return to further strengthen the juggernaut.

Other non Ring thoughts, since I watched delayed version this week and couldn't discuss. Cirie is toast, there is no way her "alliance" lets her get to the merge and there aren't consequences for putting her foot down right now. Too early to make your stand. Are the faves sending Kathleen to Exile so she will find the idol and therefore stick around as a weaker player on the other team, or do they think she won't ever find it?

Congrats to Jenny!

My official congratulations to Weddel J for her victory at the Oscars Watch party last night. Who knew she had so much pop culture knowledge?! Well, I guess we all did, but isn't it nice when all the hard work of studying (reading mags and watching movies in this case) pays off in the end? I hereby crown you queen of Oscar Watch until next year.

Bummer for Atonement and Michael Clayton, both significantly nominated and surprisingly non-awarded. What was it, just one major award between them?

Thanks for the cupcakes, they were tasty!

Happy Birthday Danielle!!!

Woo woo!!

It's Go Time

The Survivor premiere is on Thursday, and we still need to decide how we're going to draft. I think we're all okay waiting for the numbers to dwindle until we'll just have two each. We can choose from the following options for the selection process:

A) Pick numbers to draft two Survivors
B) Randomly pick two Survivors
C) Draft one, randomly pick one

My vote is for C.

Also, Fun Timer and Nebraskan Kim will be making a special appearance at Grand Rapids Fun Times this week, so we will be watching the premiere in only two different places. That's a little better, right?

Barton Broke His Nose

Unfortunately, no, this is not the new title of my first children's book I plan to author.

Yesterday Barton did his best to protect me from rainy traffic patterns and ended up with a smashed hood and broken front fender. All in all, everyone is OK, but I certainly don't recommend getting in a car accident in the rain. I am reliving the stream of thoughts that went through my end in the bizarre circumstance of seeing a large passenger van careen from one side of the freeway to the other.

What is happening? Do I speed up or slow down? Where is that going to ricochet? Am I slowing down fast enough? If I break harder will I slide? Is that a true perpendicular angle? Is anyone behind me?

Needless to say, all of that was overcome with What just happened? and Is anyone hurt? (the answers to which are you hit the van and no, thankfully) but I am struck at how quickly the mind can work. After a few minutes getting cold in the rain, climbing into a tow truck and being rescued by my parents, the day was able to continue.

I still hate airbags and love seatbelts. I am now driving Big Behemoth, my affectionate nickname for my parents old Mercedes, at least until the insurance companies straighten things out and I can get a rental car.

Yikes! Thank goodness for safe Hondas and Chevy vans. It could have been so much worse.

Oh yeah, and boooooo Giants.

Choosing a Candidate

They say you should never discuss politics or religion, but here I am broaching the subject. We talked about candidate-picking quizzes a bit at Fun Times, and I went home and found several options (and took them all). I wanted to pass along the URLs....perhaps they will be helpful at the polls on Tuesday. I'll keep the results in the comments section, so if you don't want to know how much of a commie bastard I am, don't read the comments.

First is my favorite from the last election, from SelectSmart. It gets right to the issues and allows you to provide a priority level for each question: SelectSmart

Next up is the Electoral Compass, which not only shows candidate affinities but also places you on an economic left/right and social progressive/conservative spectrum: Electoral Compass

Next, from a small-town news channel in Illinois, is WQAD's Select a Candidate Quiz. Simple, but still surprisingly accurate.

Next up is my least favorite, USAToday's Candidate Match Game. I didn't really like the questions, but it includes every candidate, including those that dropped out long ago. It's also pretty fun, graphically.

Glassbooth asks you to prioritize the issues, then tailors the questions to the importance you place on each topic.

The last is perhaps the most interesting, and definitely the most unique. It explores the mathematical concepts behind voting in general, and demonstrates that an election result could be changed by the manner in which it's conducted. It's part of Mathematics Awareness Month.

Happy voting!

Celebrity Run-ins

One of my favorite celebrity encounters happened when Kevin and I were in New York. We had ducked into a stationary shop to pick something up, and as we walked back outside, Kevin wasn't looking where he was going and almost ran into someone. "Watch out, Kev," I said. "Don't run over Ethan Hawke." He looked cold (Ethan Hawke, not Kevin).

And, my freshman year of college, I was running on the track with my roommate. This was right after the summer Olympics when the US women's gymnastics team had finally beaten the Russians to win the gold medal. My roommate and I started joking about Kerri Strug, who had injured herself in the course of competition that summer. I started fake limping as I was running and yelling something about Bela Karolyi. We were cracking up about this -- I think I even fell down, clutching my ankle, at one point. And then we heard someone running right behind us on the track. We sort of calmed down, and then Kerri Strug ran past. I knew she had enrolled at UCLA that fall, but I hadn't seen her at all before that moment, and actually never saw her again. I think that was for the best.

I'm a big jerk.

First Class to Bel Air

Last week's Fun Times included an impromptu performance of the theme song for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, because doesn't every meal deserve an early 90's TV theme? [Blog challenge: Pick an interesting meal from the past month and tell us what TV theme should have accompanied it.]

Anyway, the conversation drifted to the song's 'lost verse,' which was shown during the first episode only. Now, thanks to the series of tubes that make up the Internet, Fun Timers all over the country can enjoy this rare treat together.



PS- I didn't say that the additional verse was good, did I?
PPS- For an additional bit of trivia, stick around until the end of the credits to see who directed the first episode.

Mini-Me

Here's an outtake from a previous post on our other blog....D wouldn't let me post this to a broad audience. Though Willow is still confined to her kennel at night, we've been letting her come up onto the bed when she starts whining early in the morning. It obviously doesn't take her long to get comfortable.

More stalking pics

This is me spying on Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa's husband,on our Regis and Kelly cruise. It looks like I might actually be trying to talk to him here... but no I am just spying on him and watching other brave fans go up and say hi.


Here I am stalking Josh Groban- I got his autograph, but failed to say anything to him.


Ok, I didn't actually see Prince William but this is what it would've looked like if I got close enough to him.

Best Celebrity Encounter- Stalking Michael Ball

As many of you know, my favorite musical is Les Mis. My love affair with the musical began when I first saw the 10th anniversary special of Les Mis staring the best of the best from the previous 10 years. The highlight was first hearing Michael Ball sing.


He has the most unbelievable Broadway voice and from that point on I bought every album I could get my hands on. Trouble is Michael Ball is a UK sensation, but nobody has heard of him across the pond. I would go into stores and ask and most clerks would respond with "Do you mean Michael Bolton?" and I would once again leave empty handed.

I realized, though, after spending way too much money on import cd's that I really only liked him singing Broadway music as his gigantic voice seems a bit too much for normal pop songs. Think Josh Groban singing Matchbox 20.

Skip ahead 6 years and Jaime and I are planning our first trip to Europe. I wonder what the chances are that Michael Ball is performing when we are going to be there. As luck and destiny were to have it, he was staring in the new musical rendition of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Not the most challenging piece musically , but I was happy to take what I could could get. So we bought tickets and waited anxiously.

After the show (PS British people go nuts over the theme song.. it was a bit embarrassing) we left and saw a bunch of people over by the stage door. They were waiting for the cast to come out. Anyway to make a long story short (I know, too late), we didn't get his autograph the night we saw the show and neither of us can remember why.

The next night we had very little to do so Jaime suggested going back over to the theater and trying again. I didn't want to at first(thought that might be a bit stalkerish) but then changed my mind. I realized though that we had to get dressed up again so we looked like we had just been to the show.

So down we went and out he came. I wish I could tell you that I said something brilliantly witty or wished him a happy birthday (his birthday was the previous day- don't ask how I knew that). I think I just handed him my program and mumbled thank you. I get very, very shy around famous people.This time I got my autograph and still have the program to this day.

Jaime even managed to get me in a shot with him. This style of shot has become a running gag with us. I think I have one similar with Josh Groban. I am too petrified to ask for a shot together so I position myself near the star and Jaime snaps away. Yes, I realize this makes me an utter coward, but C'est la vie.

A Michael Ball exclusive

I found this video amongst our pictures from Europe. Jaime took it as Michael walked towards him. He had passed me long ago; fortunately, Jaime was in position further down the line.

My favorite part is after the woman in blue asks for a picture. Michael puts his arm around her and turns and looks directly at Jaime. He did this because Jaime had been taking pictures and filming him the entire walk through the crowd. I don't even want to know what he thought Jaime was doing or why he was so interested.

What's your best celebrity encounter story?

Mine was back in 2002 or 2003, I was living in New York and had just gone to a performance of The Producers. It was later in the run so Nathan Lane was in it but Matthew Broderick wasn't. It was still very fun and I'm glad I went. I remember that the show was very popular that I had to buy tickets like four months in advance. After the show, my friend who had gone with me and I walked over to the Toys'R'Us that's in Times Square. For those of you who have never been, it's a neat store: three stories with a ferris wheel in the middle.

We get there and we're walking around and in the section right next to the Lego section we notice an area that's been cordoned off and set up with a stool-like chair and a bunch of floor pillows. Looked around but there weren't really any signs explaining what was going on so I asked a store employee (for the sake of the story let's pretend that I asked Geoffrey himself). Geoffrey bent down and told me that Dr. Ruth Westheimer was doing a promotional reading of her new children's book. "Wow," I thought to myself, thanked Geoffrey for his help, fed him some leaves from an Acacia tree, and decided to stick around for the reading.

So we stood and listened to Dr. Ruth read her story to a bunch of kids that had materialized from out of nowhere (I think it was the understudy cast from the production of Annie that was playing down the street). I don't remember what the story was about but it wasn't about sex (the kids all kind of looked disappointed). Afterward, Dr. Ruth worked the line of spectators shaking hands and signing autographs. When it came to be my turn, I took the only piece of paper that I had which was my playbill from The Producers and bent down toward her (she is tiny!! I mean short, really short! Like Webster short!) and asked,

"Will you sign this: 'To Kevin, my best friend, never stop dreaming! Love, Doctor Ruth'?"

She looked over at me, hesitated for just a second and in her thick German accent, coldly said,

"No."

It was awesome.

I don't think Kevin knows Lyla as well as he thinks he does

Lyla's a part of the Patriot's fan club. I'm cutting the sleeves off of a tiny sweatshirt as soon as I finish typing.

LET'S GO BOLTS!!!

Katherine's sleeping right now and I'll probably get in trouble for this, but here's who Lyla and I are rooting for:

Go Chargers Part Deux!

This is a blurry picture of Benjamin, wearing his Chargers uniform, pumping his fists in the air because he is PSYCHED to beat the Patriots this weekend. Samuel totally agrees, but he was wearing his Broncos jersey during this particular photo shoot, and that just wouldn't make sense. His aunt is currently wearing her #32 Weddel jersey, but she can't take a picture of her back. Not for lack of trying. And no, no one is here in my office to help me.

And this is what I will be singing (with verses) all weekend long: San Diego...SUPER CHARGERS! San Diego...SUPER CHARGERS---CHARGE!!

San Diego Super Chargers- Beat the Patriots!

Hey all you Charger supporters out there. I found this on the VH1 Best Week Ever blog website and thought it was a perfect warm-up for the big game this weekend. I know we are going to lose, but a girl can dream can't she. And just think about how much the entire country would love us!!!

BWE SPORTS: Top 10 Reasons Why We All Want The Patriots To Lose

I’m at the VH1 corporate retreat for the day, likely receiving motivational speeches from James Carville and/or Susan Powter, so I’ve turned my title of “One Dude On The Site Who Cares About Sports” to Josh Lay, one of our Best Night Ever producers. Take it away, Josh:

Pa•tri•ot n. one who loves, supports, and defends one’s country. Or one who was, are, and will be unbeatable in the 2007-2008 NFL football season. I mean, honestly, can anyone beat the New England Patriots? Sure, the Jaguars kept it close for a few quarters, but whoopty freakin’ do, they still lost. Let’s not kid ourselves — no one can stand the idea of the Patriots going undefeated and winning the Super Bowl more than anyone can stand listening to Jessica Simpson’s “A Public Affair.” Why do we want them to lose so badly? Here’s a list of ten reasons:

10. Picked last in kickball syndrome. We’ve all been there. Team captains are chosen. One by one, classmates side with their best friends and the superior third-grade athletes until you and the handicapped kid are the last two remaining. And because they feel bad for him, you’re the last one chosen. Thus, you are a loser. What? You’ve never been there? Then you probably play for the Patriots, and I hope you lose.

9. Junior Seau’s haircut. It looks like Thriller-era Michael Jackson meets Kid ‘n Play. And no one with that kind of haircut deserves a Super Bowl ring. Perhaps his own ’80s sitcom or barbershop named Silly Seau Cuts but definitely not a 2008 Super Bowl victory.

8. You have a crush on Gisele. As long as Tom Brady keeps winning, Gisele will keep dating him. Which means your secret Gisele crush will never come to fruition. Not that she would date me—I mean, you—anyway, but it’s the principle. At least I can keep my fantasy relationship and Google her till my heart’s desire. Wait, did I just write that? I blacked out.

7. Boston wins at everything. Tea parties, rotisserie chicken, baseball, and now basketball. So what if Boston Market offers easy on-line ordering and convenient take-away meals for all occasions? I can’t stand bandwagon Red Sox fans and the fact that the Celtics are actually good again. No one city should win that much. And having a losing professional hockey team doesn’t count. Please, Boston, at least let us have our football.

6. You’re a fan of any other NFL team. There are 32 NFL teams, 14 of those teams played the Patriots (Jets, Bills, Dolphins played them twice). If your team was one of those 17 victories for the Patriots this year in the regular season and/or post-season, your team lost. That simple. You want revenge.

5. Head coach Bill Belichick’s plethora of hooded sweatshirts. Admit it. You can’t stand ‘em. No one should a) have that many hooded sweatshirts, b) wear them that often, or c) cut the sleeves off. All I’m asking is for a classic polo or maybe even a nice team-branded tee. But no, it’s always gotta be the sweatshirt. He has more hoodies than my grandmother has Christmas cat sweaters. And that’s saying something.

4. They already have three Super Bowl rings. Honestly, do they really need one more? Their fingers are already loaded: wedding ring, high school ring, college ring (I know you still wear your Marshall ring, Randy Moss), three Super Bowl rings. C’mon, don’t be that kid that wears them on his thumbs.

3. They cheated. Sure, we’ve all done it. But we weren’t winners; we were just trying to maintain a C average. The Patriots may have the most explosive offense and hold every record on the planet, but they were accused of stealing hand signals from opposing teams. That’s enough for me to root against a team I already don’t like.

2. The mustache of Larry Csonka could disapear forever. As a pro football Hall of Famer and running back for the ’72 Miami Dolphins (the only team to go undefeated and win a Super Bowl), Csonka and his stache made history. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl this year, there will be no reason to keep ol’ Csonka around. There will be a new sheriff in town. No more Csonka. No more magnificently flowing mustache. Sure, we could still catch Csonka hosting North to Alaska on the OLN network, but I don’t think I even get that channel. Do I?

1. Tom Brady. Seriously, could he be any hotter or more talented? No. He is a prime athlete, la creme de le creme. And I’m a straight guy. Of course, I’m sure he could have me batting for the other team. After all, he’s Tom Brady. I mean, Bridgette Moynahan is his baby momma, and he’s still shacking up with Gisele. It has got to stop. Granted, if he loses, he’ll just host another night of SNL and pose for a cologne ad. But for that one moment when he loses, he will be human. And that will be enough to soothe our bitter souls.

Finally an explanation- it's the brain monkeys

So I've been doing a lot of blog reading lately (to Jaime's chagrin). I seem to have some spare time on my hands and an incredibly amazing knack for avoiding grading. I think you have all experienced my absent-mindedness at times. It drives Jaime crazy. I'll start a sentence and stop in the middle because I don't remember what I was talking about. Or I'll bust out the most random non-sequiturs at the most random times. Well, I have finally found the root of my problem--- Brain Monkeys! I found this post on the blog of a young adult literature author named Maureen Johnson.

THE THOUGHT PROCESS - By Maureen Johnson
Friday, January 11, 2008
The ideas just come from my brain. I store stuff up there, and the brain monkeys play around with it and put together different combinations. They come to me with stuff all the time, as your brain monkeys must do for you. They are not always helpful.

BRAIN MONKEYS: Hey! Guess what we put together today! That time you got stung on the lip by a bee, your hatred of fried eggs, and that wallpaper pattern from your bedroom when you were little!

ME: That’s nice. What am I supposed to do with that?

BRAIN MONKEYS: We have no idea. We just put stuff together. Now we’re just going to run “My Humps” through your head for an hour while you try to work.

ME: #%$#$&*^&^!

BRAIN MONKEYS: Oh, and that question you were going so crazy about . . . what was it, two weeks ago?

ME: What question?

BRAIN MONKEYS: About that scene you were writing, with the thing . . . anyway, your iPhone cord is in your purse.

ME: That’s not what I asked!

BRAIN MONKEYS: Yes you did. You were wondering about that an hour ago. About an hour. Maybe it was yesterday. Anyway, that’s where it is.

ME: What about the scene?

BRAIN MONKEYS: What scene?

ME: You just said you figured out that scene I was having problems with! What scene was it, and what’s the solution?

BRAIN MONKEYS: Oh, we don’t have a solution. We were just thinking about it. That was a tough one. We have some random facts about squirrels, if that will help.

ME: It won’t.

BRAIN MONKEYS: How about the smell of blue cheese after a wild summer rainstorm?

ME: Do I even know that smell?

BRAIN MONKEYS: Probably not. We were going to work on it for you. Do you think Fergie felt at all self-conscious when she sang the words “my lovely lady lumps”?

ME: Just shut up, okay? Turn off the song.

BRAIN MONKEYS: If you want. We have some commercial jingles we were going to play for you later, but if you want them now . . .



The writer's brain is always at work.


But every once in a while . . . a great while . . . they get lucky with the soldering iron and make something I can use. In the case of Suite Scarlett, for instance, I can tell you that I was sitting at my desk when then the brain monkeys handed my something that went roughly like this:

BRAIN MONKEYS: Hey! You know how, when you were little, you liked stories about a lot of people crammed together in one building, like in The Westing Game or the All-of-a-Kind-Family stories?

ME: Yeah . . .

BRAIN MONKEYS: You know what buildings have a lot of people in them? Hotels.

ME: That’s true.

BRAIN MONKEYS: And how you love New York, where you live? And how your best friend was the poster child for Easter Seals when you were in third grade? And all those hours you spent in theater school sitting on the floor watching actors learn how to do stagefights and pratfalls? And how you love Patrick Dennis? And we found this Art Deco sunburst pattern.

ME: Slow down . . .

I think this is, in some fashion, how all ideas for books come about. Your brain fuses together a bunch of things. So, you can either take “I don’t know” or “Brain Monkeys” as my official answer. When I make the FAQ, that’s what it will probably say!

This one's for the ladies

Ok girls, are you ready for the most wonderful, fantastic, tremendous news ever? I hope you're ready because this news might just blow your mind. Gentlemen, just stop reading now because you really won't care a bit about my news.

Here's a little hint...

And another.....


Do you give up? Ok, I'll tell you...





PBS is running a 10 week Jane Austen series!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD- I don't know how to contain my excitement.

Unfortunately, I am a bit late in spreading this amazing news as Sunday night was the first movie and they aren't replaying it. It was Persuasion which was always my least favorite Austen novel. I was pleasantly surprised, though, by how much I enjoyed the new adaptation. I am actually considering rereading the novel. Austen historians believe it to be her most mature and developed novel; maybe I missed something the first time through.

Four out of the six novels are new movies. Next week is Northanger Abbey, which is generally felt to be Austen's weakest piece, but it was also one of her first. Perhaps the new movie will highlight the best of the novel.

The highlight, though, has to be the three week BBC Pride and Prejudice (I do own it on DVD, but I still plan on watching it on TV) staring my love Colin Firth. He is just the dreamiest Darcy ever; I don't care if that statement makes me sound like a 15 year old from the 50's. You can't hide the truth.

Another exciting feature will be the movie Miss Austen Regrets based on Jane Austen's letters. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it has got to be better than Anne Hathaway's barely true version of Jane's life.

You can also go and vote for your favorite Austen leading man on the PBS site created for the event. It's such a hard decision. Do I pick Darcy for his dashing good looks and reserved yet wounded nature? Do I pick Knightley for his thoughtful sincerity and sage advice? Do I pick Edward Ferrars for his fierce loyalty and firm convictions? I just don't know.


Frederick Wentworth even made a case for himself in the new version of Persuasion (the actor's incredibly good looks might be swaying my decision though.)

I'm thinking Katherine might be the only one who made it to this point in my post, and perhaps the only one reading who isn't pondering whether I have finally lost my mind. Fortunately, she will understand my excitement and maybe, if she isn't dead tired, she will be able to experience the joy that is 10 weeks of Jane Austen.

If you didn't already know, I love Jane Austen. And to finish off my post I would like to show you the proof of this love.

Yes this is Jane Austen's house and yes I did go all the way out to Jane Austen's house when we went to England.

This is Jane Austen's desk. She would sit in her parlor and hide her writing. The door leading to this room creaked and she would cover up her manuscripts when a non-family member would enter the house. They don't want visitors to touch anything, but I'll tell you a little secret. I grazed the table a bit. Perhaps I hoped bit of her magic and genius might rub off on me.

Or maybe it is this weird thing I have about being in places where important things have happened and taking in everything I can. We travel down the canals of Venice and I imagine the courtesans littering the bridges. I stand in the Place de la Concorde and hear the throngs of people cheering on the guillotine. I walk through the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and wonder if I am stepping on a piece of floor where Louis the Fourteenth paced hundreds of years ago.

Well that was a bit of a diversion. I hope you all have a chance to catch one Jane Austen movie over the next 9 weeks. Give Jane a chance. You will quickly understand why the new personalized plates on my car read AUSTNFN. (YES I DID!!!)

I promise to leave you all alone soon (aka for Katherine)

I just wanted to give you a few more reasons to tune in for Pride and Prejudice February 10th, 17th, and 24th on PBS.

Mr Darcy (Colin Firth) is just too sexy


And really just because it's funny as hell. Jane Austen might be rolling over in her grave over this one. I like to think she had a good sense of humor; she would probably get a good laugh out of this cinematic gem.


Just one more for those of you with some spare time on your hands

New blogs for my blog-loving friends

So, I found these fun blogs while shopping around for blogs to add to my Google reader. I miss my fabulous Office so much.

Maybe these will hold me over until the writers get back to work. These are official NBC sites so they aren't some weirdos sitting around making up fake stuff. Hope you enjoy.

Look What I Did This Weekend

Hey everyone--

While all of you were watching your various sporting events, I was at Guru Tattoo on Garnet. Yes, it hurt a lot, but I really wanted to show my love and committment to the Funtimers. Hope you like it!

It Was A Great Weekend

My little San Diego sports head is just about to explode, but fortunately I survived the most fantastic weekend in life.

It started with a victory by my UCLA Bruins and continued to roll through victories for my NE Pats, my dad's KU Jayhawks, my SD Chargers, my mom's Duke Blue Devils and a loss for the stupid Cowboys. Throw in the Green Bay win and my partiality to the great Fav-re, and I couldn't have scripted better results. And on top of the good outcomes, I thoroughly enjoyed the sportsmanship of the games. Exciting, dramatic, nerve wracking... seriously, could it have been better?!!?

Oh, right, all of this was over by 8pm on either of the nights (just one more perk of the left coast) so I could sufficiently wind down for good night's sleep. And tickets for Padres Spring Training went on sale.

The sun is shining and I couldn't be a happier clam!

Happy Monday to you all!

Roll call!

I was going through the pictures on our computer and found this one from Mark and Jess's wedding. Hurray! We miss you guys.

Countdown to Survivor

So, the new Survivor cast was announced last week, as some of you probably saw, and they're doing Fans against All-Stars. I think it looks like a good season, and am looking forward to drafting again, although we'll have to give some thought to what the potential punishments for losing will be. I think we might have to go in a blog-related direction, instead of dessert.
Anyway, there are twenty Survivors (twenty-two if you count Amanda's boobs this time), and eight of us if everyone wants to play. Is everyone in? The first show is February 7.
Also, a question for the season: What is Yau-Man without Earl?

Forgive me Martha for I have sinned

Ok, so I feel incredibly guilty about this recent purchase. Yes, this is pancake batter and yes it is cheez whiz style. I guess that makes it pancake whiz. I feel so horrible about buying my pancake mix in a can, but it is so tasty and so easy.

I haven't had pancakes at home for years mainly due to my laziness, but also because the process makes a bit of a mess and I am not into cooking messes. But guess what? No mess here. Just shake, press, and voila you have beautiful golden brown pancakes. Jaime and I had a full breakfast of pancakes in about 10 minutes on Sunday. No fuss, no mess, little clean-up- and they're organic, too!

Where can I get this amazing miracle of breakfast ease you ask? Just head on down to your local Costco and you can get a three pack of your own. Or if you are a SD funtimer you can ask me nicely and I will just give you one of my three cans, because really three cans is just too many pancakes for one girl to eat. I hope Martha can forgive me.... though I doubt she will understand. That woman is crazy! Crazy awesome!

Grand Rapids wins

For all this talk about cold weather, looks like Grand Rapids is the place to be right now.

Batten down the hatches

This post is not meant to dissuade all you cold state people. You should still heed my previous plea. Remember that California is in dire need of rain, so this storm will be very helpful in that regard. And even though it is going to pour cats and dogs, it is still expected to be almost 60 degrees.

With all that said ....watch out kids it's coming right for us!!!!!

Ember has taken precautions necessary to protect herself. Her storm shutters are up and she is ready to weather the predicted torrential downpour.

To all our SD friends- get out your canoes, kayaks, or other sea faring vessels. We're gonna need them!