The Game

This year for Christmas, I gave M tickets to a Dallas Cowboys game. I was so excited because my hot island boy had never been to a Cowboys game and I wanted to "Dallas-ify" him. Little did I know we'd end up at the same game as Jessica Simpson. Our seats were positioned where we could see her with that big, fake hair. And other fake body parts.

The game was fun and exciting at first. Things were moving and it was looking to be a great game. But by the second quarter, the game was looking as bad as "Employee of the Month." Once it hit half-time, Jessica left her fancy window seat and bolted out of there. I thought she left the game but those watching at home told me that she just moved further back into the box suite. But switching seats didn't matter because the game just kept getting worse. By the fourth quarter, it was evident to me that we were not going to win.

The good news was that we were seated near a very angry woman who stood up and SCREAMED vulgarities throughout the game to everyone from McNabb to Romo to Owens. Of course, only those of us lucky to be sitting in that section could hear her insightful words of wisdom. My favorite of the night was, "McNabb, you pussy! Go put a fucking brace on your shitty knee and go warm that fucking bench!" I kinda wish the players could have heard her potty mouth because she was f-ing hilarious!

The game ended (horribly) and we walked out of the stadium with some serious disappointment and some serious anger towards Jessica Simpson. I guess I can't really blame her for the Cowboys losing as she was not on the field. But I can blame her for being a fussy distraction. It just seems fishy to me that a team like ours could fail so miserably once she got onto the scene. It seems even fishier that she flocked to Romo only after he signed over his soul for $65 mil.

Despite/Because of it all M was very grateful and said he had a great time. Since the game was a wash, our favorite part of the night was meeting the bat-shit-crazy people in the audience and having fun ourselves. Here are some pics:

M and me on our way into Texas Stadium














M striking a pose after the game













Cowboys-Elvis and me

Christmas Wishlist!

It's that time of year, people! So here's what is on my wishlist. And it's really just for M because he never knows what to get me. :)

Tote Bag

Flight of the Conchords Season 1

Once

USB Heated Gloves

Noise Canceling Headphones

Or do me a solid and make a donation to my favorite charity, The March of Dimes.

¡Fridalicious!

Oh. My. Gravy! Last night M and I went to Frida's Mexican Bistro for dinner. It's a cozy, new place tucked in the Cedar Springs area of Dallas, otherwise known as the gay district.

It turns out the owner of the restaurant, Jose Cruz, is from the same village in Mexico as Frida Kahlo. That definitely gives him some Frida-credibility. But Jose also built his famous culinary reputation at The Mansion. Yes, that Mansion.

I started off with a Frida-Rita (there's fresh guava in the margarita!) which was strong and sweet. Our appetizer was taquitos stuffed with potato and sprinkled on top was queso blanco. It came with a side of guacamole. The taquitos were flavorful and surprisingly light. That guacamole was so fresh that I could smell it even before the plate hit the table. They also brought out chips and salsa. I've never had salsa like that in my life! It was so good I was eating it with a fork!

M ordered arrachera a la chininque which was a skirt steak with roasted peppers and beans. The peppers were in this creamy, spicy sauce. Delish! The beans were so good that M wanted to order a giant bowl of them to go. I ordered sabana de pollo which was a pounded chicken breast covered in a mixture of queso blano and mushrooms. It also came with rice and sauteed veggies: carrots, peppers, chiles and jicama. ¡Aye Chihuahua!

M and I absolutely LOVED everything at Frida's. I can only remember 2 other times that food made me swoon and that was in Rome and Paris. And now I can add Frida's to the swoon-worthy list! What can I say? I'm crazy in love and now I kinda want to grow a unibrow.

Me in front of Frida's Bistro after the feast!

Turkey Day Birthday

Well, my birthday fell right on Thanksgiving Day this year. And yes, thanks to my friend Livia, I did get a new coffee maker. :) Thanks, L!

The first time my birthday fell on Thanksgiving Day was when I turned 4 and I can actually remember it. And it didn't bother me. But when I turned 9 it happened again and I was steaming mad. A little girl wants a birthday cake with 9 candles on top ...not a turkey with a big 9 candle stuck in it.

When I was little, I didn't have birthday parties because all my friends were out of town for the holiday. So growing up, the birthday was just not a big deal and over time it was actually fine with me. It bothered me when I was really young, but it didn't take me long to understand the importance of a low profile. I still celebrate, but it's low key.

So this year, I was hoping my Turkey Day Birthday would be a little under the radar. But it was not. My coworker, Nancy, decided to bake a cake for me. She did it on a Sunday night and took it to work the Monday after the holiday. I was so surprised! Then she opened the lid and I saw this:

I laughed so hard that I was wiping away the tears and almost couldn't breathe. Evidently, after icing the cake on Sunday night, the top layer of the cake split and slid down the sides of the bottom layer. To fix it, she decided to pre-slice the cake. But it didn't work and you can see the result. It was, by far, the most creative cake I've ever had! The best part was that it tasted awesome! Moist, chocolately goodness. And it didn't take long for word of the "eruption cake" to get around the office.

So my birthday was not exactly under the radar as usual. But what a way to make a debut!

Coffee Maker Funeral

Ok, so yesterday I discovered that my darling little 4-cup coffee maker bit the dust. This was a major bummer and here's why...

When I bought my house everyone told me I was crazy because I had never even lived alone. Why would single, little me buy a house? Truth is, that house swept me off my feet and we have continued our real estate love affair for almost 5 years now. In yo face, naysayers!

The downside of buying a house before you are married is all the expensive loot you must buy to make the house a home. I had no bridal shower or wedding reception to provide me with things like a toaster oven, a blender, real plates and, of course, a coffee maker. Plus, I had to adjust my spending for the mortgage. So I budgeted and slowly started buying stuff for the house. And every birthday and Christmas I was begging for a "house something." I hated sending out my Christmas wish list filled with things like an electric drill and a rake instead of Cynthia Rowley heels and a Yorkie-Poo. But over time, I was done and the "Pimp My House" years were gone.

Also, finding that perfect coffee maker was NOT easy. I needed a 4-cupper that was short enough to fit under my cabinet and no paper filter required - save a tree! And I didn't want a digital read-out because I want to unplug it after I use it - save energy! Of course, to match the kitchen, it needed to be white - save HGTV! A tall order, indeed! I called it my "Starbucks Tall Order!" But one magical day in 2003 I was in Target and found it *on sale* ...and yesterday, it died.

In the last 24 hours I have been to 3 stores and roughly 2,386 web sites. Still no replacement. I hope you have set aside some cash for a coffee maker. My birthday is in 2 weeks.

Some Things Never Change

I flew to the Panhandle to visit some friends and family. The Amarillo area is weird because there is a certain small town feel to it after all these years. I went to pick up my rental car on the other side of the airport and the worker just handed me the keys. He didn't check my paperwork, he didn't even ask my name. He just smiled, put my luggage in the rental and waved as I drove away. It was something right out of 1967 ...minus the whole racist/segregation thing.

I spent Friday at my Tía Susana's house in my old home-town and she showed me some of her awesome recipes. Albondigas, frijoles and home-made corn tortillas. Yummy! On Saturday, my buddy Livia and I decided to go back to my old hometown to see my Tía and hit the garage sales. We went to a local convenience store and looked for the newspaper but they, "didn't have it yet." It was 9:30 a.m. and there was no paper yet? WTF? We checked another store and there was nothing. Finally, at the 3rd store we were able to pick up a copy of Friday's newspaper! I felt as if I Livia and I were in the twilight zone. That crazy episode where it turns into 1967 once you cross the city limits of the small town.

On Sunday, Livia and I stayed in Amarillo and went out searching for some breakfast tacos. We went to a store and they only had bacon tacos. Yuck. This little Latina eats no pork so we had to try another store. The second store only had tortas at lunch. Dammit! Finally, the third store was the charm. I had to beg them not to put beef on mine. This little Latina eats no beef either! We felt like Goldilocks needing 3 tries to get the right food.

I couldn't believe it took 3 stores to get an old newspaper and 3 stores to get breakfast. But, in all honesty, the trip was a success. I scored some cool old books for my collection and I found some funny stuff at the Amarillo Flea Market. I got to watch Livia kick ass in a tennis match. I got a tour of my old university. And best of all, My Tía Susana showed me her coveted recipe for capirotada. And I have proof...

My Tía's apron but my capirotada!


My Tía and me after 2 long days of cooking.

Win, Place, Show

M and I went to Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie last week. Now, you know we are not the typical "horse race type." The "horse race type" is usually a 65 year old chain smoker who wears lots of gold jewelry, cowboy boots and as much polyester as possible. We didn't exactly fit in. But we wanted to check it out. M was fresh from a gambling win in Vegas and sometimes I can channel my dad's winning streak and get lucky. (Did you know my dad has NEVER lost a door prize? One time, he won 8 door prizes in one night!)

So we got a fancy reserved table for a whopping 6 bucks and dissected the race program to choose our horses. We have no expertise in this field so we based our bets on the scientific proof of past race history and cool horse names. Yes, that's a novice move, but out of the 7 races we saw, we won 5 of them! We won close to $300 that night. Woo-hoo! I'm sure that upset the chain smokers who made the foolish bet on 'Cash In The Hand' instead of 'Spicy Taco Belle' like we did.

Speaking of Taco Bell, did you hear that they opened a restaurant in Mexico? I can't even begin to express how wrong that is. Taco Bell tried that 15 years ago and it flopped and now they are trying again. And it's flopping. I bet their next move will be negotiating a Starbucks in the Colombian coffee bean fields.

Anyway...here's a pic of M flashing some cash and trying to pick the next horse.

Vera Vera

I read about a new colletion at Kohl's called Simply Vera Vera Wang. Naturally, the girly girl inside me did a little cartwheel and let out a little scream just thinking about it. So when the collection was unveiled at Kohl's I was in there with the other ladies clawing through the racks of luscious clothing.

What you may not know about me is that I've been a devout virtual Vera Wang follower for many, many years. I was only a virtual fan because her stuff is WAY out of my price range. But the Kohl's stuff was right in my price range and I couldn't wait to get my hands on some of it.

The shirts were dainty, the pants were flowy, the sweaters were cozy, the coats were lovely. And not one thing fit me properly. My regular size fit me, but not well. One size smaller was all wrong; one size higher was far too large. Like the song says, "I've been waiting for this moment... but it's not quite right." Clearly, Vera was not thinking of curvy Latin girls when she created her new, affordable line.

Coming to the realization that the cutest outfit in the right price range doesn't fit well is like meeting a hot, smart guy who is single but is gayer than a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The good thing is that Vera did think about accessories including purses, shoes, home decor, etc. And I bought this on sale for $50. Not bad!

VMA Drama

Oh, the drama following the VMAs has been enough to keep Perez Hilton writing for another year! Of course, a lot of it has to do with Britney. Truth be told, I would have loved for Britney to steal Rihanna's umbrella and re-enact the minivan attack. But... well, we all know what happened instead.

But the funniest thing to emerge from the aftermath of the VMAs was Chris Crocker. If you have not had the pleasure of seeing Britney's biggest- and maybe only- fan, check it out here. Hilarous!

Then, if you have time, check out Seth Green's interpretation of Chris Crocker. Double hilarious!

The VMAs

First off, Happy Birthday to my sister, C.

So, did you guys watch the VMA's on MTV last night? All my friends can talk about is how bad Britney's performance was... and I do agree. But there's a lot more there to discuss. For example:

1. How awkward and funny was it when Jamie Foxx totally went off script and threw off Jennifer Garner? I was hoping JGar would let loose and just go with the joke. (Like that one awards show where she almost fell on stage and then said, "I do all my own stunts.") But she kept steering back towards the script and Jamie kept steering far away from it. That tug of war was hilarious!

2. Those hotel suite parties looked like they were wild, crazy and a ton of fun. I was getting a little jealous of the people getting an intimate concert from the Foo Fighters. Then I found out MTV hired people to "party" when the cameras were on. Oh MTV, how silly you are. I would have "partied" with the Foo Fighters for FREE!

3. Sarah Silverman is so gross. I thought her opening monologue bombed and, judging by the lack of laughter in the room, so did everyone else. I don't like that her jokes always involve genitalia and bodily functions. She tries way too hard to be edgy and funny but it just comes off as desperate and contrived. Booooo Hissss!!!!!!!!

4. Chris Brown stole the show. He was fun, exciting and even did a little Michael Jackson for those of us born in the 70s. What a hot performance! I actually felt bad for those having to perform after him... talk about a tough act to follow.

5. My friend, S, sent me a ballot of all the VMA categories and nominees. I entered my predictions and waited to see how many I would get right. But I bombed! I only got 2 right - Monster Single of the Year was "Umberlla" by Rihanna and Quadruple Threat of the Year was Justin Timberlake. All the others I predicted were wrong. Ugh... I must be getting old.

6. Speaking of getting old, let's talk about Britney Spears. She, like many of the performers last night, lip-synched. But her performance was just plain hard to watch. Her unoriginal choreography and lack of enthusiasm made it boring. I could hardly watch but I hung in there because I had heard she was working up some "magic trick" with Criss Angel for that performance. But it never happened! WTF?? For someone whose past VMA performances included dancing with snakes and kissing Madonna, this one was far below expectations. Oh and on a side note... I honestly don't think Britney is fat, but that outfit made her look fat. Yuck!

What did you love/hate?

Reverend Clara

Hey Web friends! Did your August go as fast as mine? I just noticed it was August 26 and couldn't believe it.

This month started off fast with my brother J's wedding. He and his wife wanted a very small, immediate-family-only kind of wedding. I was totally down with that because I actually hate weddings. The kicker was that I was the celebrant of their wedding! I got ordained online and became a reverend. I performed their ceremony, sent in their marriage license and it's totally legal. How funny is that!? A pic from the ceremony is below.

The middle of August was jam-packed with work stuff. I had a full two weeks of super busy days and nights of work. We were preparing for some upcoming training events that we lead. We were also unpacking and getting settled into our new offices. I got a new corner spot with lots of window views which totally makes up for the summer I spent in "The Dungeon."

In the middle of all the August craziness, I got sick. Maybe it was because of all that stuff with work... or maybe it was hormones... or maybe I should not have spent so much time preparing to start my own church. :) Either way, being sick sucks and after 2 doctor visits I'm finally better. Here's hoping for a slower, healthier September.

Crappy Week

I must admit I have not been having a good week so far. I've been sick on and off. Not sure what's wrong with me but if another migraine comes my way, I just might jump off Reunion Tower. There have been some stressful, busy days at work and that doesn't make it any better. I need a slow, lazy weekend where I do nothing. Maybe I'll try to squeeze that in soon. In the meantime, I will use these few online things that always make me smile:

Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg received an Emmy nomination for their "Dick In A Box" skit/song from Saturday Night Live. It always makes me laugh. You can check it out here: Dick In A Box .

It's not news, it's Fark. Fark is a site that lists its news stories in various categories. My favorite category is "Not News." When I'm having a bad day, it's nice to read some funny news instead of the otherwise depressing stuff.

Blogs that belong to my friends/family. My favorites are:
Braden's -he's my cutiepie nephew
Susie's -she's my buddy in Round Rock and she rocks!
Jenn's -she's got some sweet and funny kid stories
Perez Hilton's -so I don't actually know Perez Hilton, but my mom comes from a Perez family so maybe we are distant relatives...plus his blog is such a great guilty pleasure!

Mike Coolbaugh

My heart goes out to the family of Mike Coolbaugh. I work with his sister, Lisa.

On Monday, July 23, we got word from Lisa that her brother had died on the baseball field. Mike was the batting coach for the Tulsa Drillers. Mike was positioned at first base while his team was hitting. Tino Sanchez, a left-handed hitter, hit a foul ball and it headed towards Mike. He raised a hand to block it but it was too late. The ball ruptured Mike's carotid artery and he died.

It truly is such a rare kind of accident and it was so awful to hear of that happening to such an outstanding man. Mike leaves behind a growing family: Joey age 5, Jake age 3, and his wife, Mandy, who is pregnant with their third child. She said that if her unborn child is a boy she will name him Mike.

On Sunday, July 29, some coworkers and I traveled to San Antonio to visit Lisa and pay our respects to Mike. It broke our hearts to see Lisa because, like Mandy, she is pregnant also. They both have a hard time eating and the emotional stress effects your entire body. Seeing the two of them grieve so deeply while trying to maintain a healthy pregancy was so hard.

The media swarmed the Coolbaugh house in San Antonio after word of this rare accident got out. But after a family press conference they backed off and gave the family their privacy. Some of them did write beautiful stories about Mike. Here are a few of my favorites:

Brian Anderson

ESPN

Fox Sports

The Tulsa Drillers

Please keep the Coolbaugh family and the Sanchez family in your thoughts and praryers.

Tales from the Dungeon

First of all, Happy Belated 4th of July. I didn't do anything wild and crazy for the holiday. I just provided my own body as a smorgasbord for all the mosquitos that are a result of the Biblical Rains.

Anyway... my office is getting remodeled so our entire department has been moved to a high school across the street from our building. Normally, this would be no big deal. Except the high school has limited, if any, air conditioning. And it's going through renovations so I have to smell that smell that happens when old carpet comes up and new carpet goes down. Icky!

We get no cell phone reception and only one bathroom has running water. Also, since we are used to packing a lunch, we were ticked to find out we have no refrigerator, no microwave and no kitchen-type area in which to eat our lunch. The computer lab we are sitting in at the high school is called The Dungeon because it has brown cinderblock walls and no windows. And somehow it has become infested with flies and gnats.

Hot, muggy, stinky, no cell phone, only 1 bathroom, insects and packing lunches that need no refrigeration or heating. So it's kinda like camping... but indoors with Internet.

My "indoor camping" did include a hike through the halls of the school. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything interesting... just a McGruff The Crime Dog puppet and 17 yearbooks from 1989. I hope my new office gets done quickly.

I Don't Like The Cell Phone Lady

I have a very observant boyfriend who said that in the early part of our relationship he noticed I was very picky and sensitive. But it is just now beginning to surface in our conversations. And I guess I am picky... or maybe I just have a ton of pet peeves. Here are some examples:

• I went to Las Vegas with M and I only wanted to use the restroom in the Paris casino because they had the softest toilet paper.
  


• If I sleep in any bed other than my own, I wake up with severe back pain because I need a feather bed.
  


• When I call a cell phone and get voicemail, I hate having to wait for the "lady" to say "To leave a message press 1 or press pound for more options...blah, blah, blah" I had it removed on my phone. You should do the same.
  


• After 2 alcoholic drinks I immediately vomit...unless it's wine then I can drink a whole bottle.
  


• I do not touch door handles, elevator buttons, public pens, etc... because I am terrified of germs.
  


• At a recent family get-together I didn't eat 90% of the stuff because I don't like it. Watermelon, beef fajitas, menudo, steak, etc... None of it was going near me. My sister, A, did try to force feed me and I have have proof.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  So, maybe I am picky. Are you picky? What are your sensitive spots?

Gmail = Junkmail

I rarely use my Gmail account. I logged in yesterday, cleaned out the junk and today I logged back in. This is what I found...207 junk e-mails in ONE day:

















And this is a brief clip of what the junk e-mails look like:















Does your Gmail junkmail look like that after one day also? It should not be this way. Especially after they arrested this guy. Ugh!

Maybe Flies Are Good

If you have ever shared a meal with me in a restaurant, then you know I'm picky and I ask a lot of questions... but I'm always nice to the wait staff. So you can only imagine my shock and horror brought on by these two events:

El Fenix - 05.01.2007
My boss decided to take our group out to lunch to honor the administrative professionals in our office. It was a week after the official week...but better late than never. They decided to go to El Fenix. I looked through the menu and was surprised to see their lunch specials were around ten bucks each! Ten bucks for tacos...are you kidding me?? Anyway, I went with the flautas and hoped for the best. The rest of my group got their food and our waiter informed me that mine was still cooking. When it arrived, it was still pink and cold in the middle. I didn't want to cause a stink so I just kept quiet. Good thing I wasn't paying.

Scotty P.'s - 05-02.2007
After the mess at El Fenix, I didn't have a good feeling about attending a birthday lunch for a co-worker at Scotty P.'s. I took a leap of faith and ordered the greek salad. I took 3 bites. On the 4th bite, I discovered a HUGE nasty fly in my salad. He probably drowned in greek dressing. There was a long line of hungy people waiting for a hamburger and I didn't want to gross them out. So I quietly approached the register and whispered, "There's a fly in my salad." The employees blurted out, "WHAT? A FLY IN YOUR SALAD? WHERE??" I showed them the fly, they called a manager and he said to me, "Would you like another salad without the flies?" I said no. He said the only thing he could do for me was a refund or a gift certificate for a free meal. I took the gift certificate. So if I don't like you, please be expecting a Scotty P.'s gift certificate on your birthday. Maybe flies are good!

Keeper of the Gems

Do you know who Leslie & The Ly's are? If not, then we seriously cannot be friends any longer. Just kidding. But you really do need to find out about this group. Specifically the lead singer, Leslie Hall. Leslie had her very first Denton show yesterday and I was there. It was fan-flippin-tastic! My brother, L, went with me and we had a great time!

After two opening acts, Leslie hit the stage. She was wearing her gold jumpsuit, blue eye shadow and oversized glasses. She rocked, she rolled, she shook, she danced. She was amazing. Her show started with her famous "Gold Pants" song. Then she went into her classics such as "Zombie Killer" and "Shazam I'm Glamorous." The whole crowd was totally into her and she had a room full of loyal fans. Her songs are hilarious, her stage presence is strong and her sparkly magic is incomparable. After the show, she came out to sign autographs, take pics and just chat with those who stuck around. That was the best part! I loved getting to meet her.

For those of you not familiar with Leslie, she is the owner and founder of the Gem Sweater Mobile Museum. She collects those sweaters that were attacked by the Bedazzler in the 80s. She even dubs herself "Keeper of the Gems." Also, she is a rapper from Iowa who writes all her own lyrics and her mom makes all her stage costumes. You really should check out her Web site to find out more:

http://www.lesliehall.com/

Enjoy these pics from one of the BEST nights of my life!

Even the girl in the wheel chair got down!




















This was Leslie's big entrance!



















Thank you for those gold pants!




















My hero and me!

A Letter to Zach Braff

Zach,

Do you know what an Ultimate Hate is? It's a phrase we made up years ago to describe a celebrity/celebutard we despise. A long time ago, my friend S told me her Ultimate Hate was Tara Reid and her hubby's Ultimate Hate was Joan Rivers. My sister C's Ultimate Hate is Queen Latifah. In fact, her extreme distaste for Latifah is often the butt of jokes and pranks - including the anonymous family member who enrolled her in the Queen Latifah Fan Club.

So, are you wondering if I have any Ultimate Hates? Well, I do. Nicholas Cage. His voice gives me the heebie-jeebies and then there's that whole thing about naming his kid Kal-el. Oh, and then there's Jennifer Lopez which I think requires no explanation. And now, there's you. I read the May issue of Elle magazine and I also did peruse some lyrics of Mandy Moore's new album. And frankly speaking, you now appear to me as narcissistic and sanctimonious. Also, you shouldn't use movie roles/offers to try to get women you don't stand a chance with. (Natalie Portman and Rachel Bilson.) You are a repeat offender with those smarmy tactics and now I welcome you to my Ultimate Hate list.
Sincerely,
CJ

Vote For The Worst

I don't really watch reality tv but my friend, S, encouraged me to watch season 6 of American Idol. I made a promise that I would watch it and I truly have seen every episode this season...which is a lot for a commitment-phobe like me.

The first few weeks were funny because the bad singers were good for a laugh. (Remember the guy who thought he was a tiger and growled at Paula? Hilarious!!) Then they narrowed it down to 24 singers and that's when "the competition really started." But that happened to be the moment in time where I almost bailed because I just couldn't stand the bad singers, namely the male contestants. But S kept me motivated with her funny recaps of each contestant and I hung on.

Well, they all seemed to get a little better as the show went on and I grew to be a big fan of Chris Sligh and Melinda Dolittle. But the bad singers, like Sanjaya and Hailey, were still on the show and they were driving me nuts. I couldn't figure out how they were still hanging on while other talented singers like Sabrina were getting cut. Then Best Week Ever told me all about Vote For The Worst and it makes sense now.

VFTW claims that the early part of AI uses the bad singers to make a funny show and draw in the audience. So VFTW believe the bad singers should also play a part in the later part of the show and that, my friends, is why we all had to shield our eyes when Sanjaya came out with a faux-hawk and cover our ears while he squealed through his song. Sadly, that is also part of the reason why Chris Sligh was eliminated this week. Bummer.

I guess I do understand the reasoning behind Vote For The Worst and I even understand the humor involved. But I will be one angry Latina if Melinda loses to Sanjaya. Don't think I can't pull out a "Sana, sana colita de rana" and jinx Sanjaya. ¡Sí puedo!

5 Things I Learned This Weekend

1. My brother, L, knows tons of lyrics from Beyonce songs and evidently loves her music.

2. Dennis Hopper touched the right side of his face 13 times while presenting an award to Laura Dern at the Independent Spirit Awards. Then she kissed that side of his face while accepting the award...yuck!

3. My 2 year old nephew loves disco music and has some new dance moves. I'm pretty sure it's my mom teaching him those groovy moves.

4. I don't like Wal-Mart. At all.

5. Jack Black will make any awards show better. Go to YouTube and search for the song he did with Will Ferrell at the Oscars and you'll see why.

Little Life Still Little

I had one of those reflective kind of weekends. I'm 31 now and my life is not exactly where I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, I love my little life. But it's odd how things turn out the way they do. I had many ideas for my life when I was younger. Those ideas that meant so much to me back then faded somehow ...and I didn't even notice they had faded. I realized this weekend that I didn't care that they had faded.

You see, there was a time when I was delusional about my future. Way back in my pre-teen years I thought I would be enjoying a wild life while married to Ad Rock from the Beastie Boys. Then, as a teenager, I was totally convinced that I would be married to an English bloke who would insist that we name our children Ian, Liam and Hyacinth. In my under-grad years, I thought I would get married after grad school and I would just pick up some dude on Fry Street. I never did suspect that I would be 31 and not even thinking about marriage. I have nothing against marriage - I just don't think about it for myself.

I went to a bridal shower for my friend Candace on Saturday afternoon which started my life examination. And as the weekend crept by, I really thought about how different my life turned out to be. The thing that surprised me the most is how happy I am with the way my life is going. If I was 17 and someone told me that I would be single at 31, I probably would have jumped off Reunion Tower. And yet, here I am, totally loving life!

Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't trade my sweetie for the world. He is one of the most beautiful parts of my life. But our upcoming trip to Vegas will not include a visit to a chapel. :o) My little life may still be little - but I now know that it's unfolding just as it should be.

2 More Down

I watched 2 more movies from my list and here's what I think.

Volver - It's in Spanish - not my kind of Spanish but in Spain Spanish. There were some difference but the subtitles helped. This movie is intense and has a very serious, dramatic theme. But the actors are so good they actually give it a calm, graceful delivery. Penelope Cruz is worthy of an Oscar nod. I wish she would win, but I don't think she will. Rent it so you can rewind if you miss a subtitle.

The Queen - This movie should have been called Tony Blair's Queen or The Queen and Tony. It basically just tells a version of what happened in the week following Princess Diana's death. Tony Blair is urging the "Palace" to make a statement and he is carefully but firmly encouraging the "Palace" to be more considerate about the death. I thought it would be more of a biography-type thing. But no dice... rent it.

I still have about 7 more movies to go...and now I have to add Factory Girl and Bridge to Terabithia. Wonder if I'll have time to see all 5 of the movies nomiated for movie of the year?

SuperShuttle SuperSucks

I recently flew from Austin to Dallas Love Field. I got off the Southwest flight at 6:14 p.m., proceeded straight to the baggage claim, got my bag and headed to the shuttle pick up area. But, I saw no shuttle...only cab after cab.

So I called SuperShuttle and explained to them that I booked the ride 6 days in advance and prepaid but saw no van. The lady from SuperShuttle said that those reservations are only based on availability, even if you prepay 6 days in advance. So my options were to take a cab and pray that SuperShuttle actually refunds my credit card or wait 30 minutes for a SuperShuttle. I decided to wait and that was a mistake.

At 6:40 I sat down in the SuperShuttle to find that another guy was in the van. It's a shared ride so I didn't necessarily expect to be the only one in there. They usually group you with people who live in your area- but this time that was not the case. This gentleman, Mr. Reynolds, missed his ride and just jumped on a SuperShuttle sans reservation. So we had to drive him all the way to the Gaylord Convention Center in GRAPEVINE!!

It took forever to get all the way from Love Field to Grapevine and there was nothing I could about it. And the whole time, all I could think about was the Grammy Awards that was going to start in a few minutes. After dropping off Mr. Reynolds, the SuperShuttle driver turned around and said to me, "Would you like to get out of the van and go look inside the lobby of the hotel? It's beautiful, you should see it."

My jaw dropped and I pulled myself together just enough to say, "No. I've seen it." The driver said OK and we were off. We were approaching 635 which is the highway that leads me home. The driver's talking GPS system was telling him to merge but he missed it! He ended up on 114! If you live near Dallas you know that's heading straight to the airport...DFW International! So now I'm telling him where to go, the GPS system is telling him where to go and we still ended up inside DFW airport!! I started at Love Field and now I was in DFW!!!

He finally got it right and we were on the way to Plano. We pulled into my driveway at 8:01. I had spent only 46 minutes on the plane and 1 hour 21 minutes in the van! That's ridonkulous! I'm going on a SuperShuttle strike.

Questions About TV

I have a lot of questions about TV these days. I don't channel surf, I ONLY watch what's recorded on my TiVo. I hate the rush of new shows that come out each season. I usually wait for trustworthy friends (Susie and M) to give me a heads up on a show and I'll TiVo it. But lately I've come to dislike TV even more...

Who cares what Donald and Rosie think?
Donald and Rosie need to shut it already. I mean, why is so much emphasis placed on a real estate monster's opinion about the entertainment industry? And why is Rosie's opinion suddenly of extreme importance? That's like paying close attention to Jessica Simpson's opinion about the new Mensa exam...or placing bets based upon Ryan Seacrest's Oscar picks. It just doesn't make any sense.

Why does Isaiah Washington not know how to speak in public?
That guy is a walking time bomb. While he does a great job at acting, he's just as bad in public interviews as Anna Nicole Smith!

What the hell is wrong with Paula Abdul?
I saw an "American Idol Rewind" special on Fox the other night and it was a replay of an episode during season 1. Way back then, I would watch and I remember thinking that Paula seemed a little "off." But compared to her recent antics, she was downright professional and poised in season 1...which isn't saying much. How is she keeping that job?
Speaking of American Idol...
I find it so funny that America, the land obsessed with physical appearance yet the fattest country, is mad that the judges on American Idol are "too harsh." Ugh... I think they just have the guts to tell it like it is. I know you secretly agreed with Simon when you saw that guy in Seattle and thought he looked like a lemur. Now, should the judges vocalize those comments? Maybe not. But at least they're honest when they say what America is thinking.


Who ever said show business was fair and kind?
We have all watched enough E! True Hollywood Stories to know that show business is ugly. It's mean, it's fierce and it will spit you out once it's done with you. (Britney Spears, Screech, Macauley Culkin, Pee Wee Herman)

How did I end up in a TV society where people complain when a judge is brutally honest and the CBS Monday night line up got renewed? Ugh!

Holiday Movie Review

Over the last several weeks, there have been a ton of movies hitting the theaters that I just can't wait to see. I actually have a list with 18 movies on it right now. Instead of listing them all, I will list the ones that I've seen so far (which is half) and a brief review of them in alphabetical order. My ratings are as follows: Watch it! Rent it. Skip it.

Bobby - I dug this movie but the critics hated it. Here's the hard core honest truth that nobody would say or write about this movie: If you are not a minority, you will hate this movie. If you are a minority, you will love it, identify with it and respect Emilio Estevez for taking a stand. Watch it!

Borat - My sweetie and I paid to see Stranger Than Fiction and then afterwards snuck in to a screening of Borat that was just about to start. This "Susie Special Double Feature" was not planned, it just sorta happened. But Borat is so good that I would have paid to see it again and again. As we left the theater, I considered throwing 7 bucks at the cashier because the movie was that good. Watch it!

Charlotte's Web - Super sweet movie that, as you know, has a sad ending. This version isn't a musical but it's well done and if you like Dakota Fanning, you will not be disappointed. Rent it.

The Holiday - If you know me then you are well aware that no Jack Black movie goes under my radar. The Holiday was cute. I am really not a big fan of romantic comedies but this one was redeemed by Jack. It's too bad he wasn't the main character - that would have made it better. Rent it.

Little Miss Sunshine - Fantastic. Hilarious. The family in this movie is going to remind you of your own family. I missed its theater run but saw it on DVD. If it were still in the theaters, I would urge you to watch it so you MUST rent it!

Marie Antionette - I got into this movie for free - I got the cute face discount. Granted, it was a discount from the nerdy guy at the dollar movie, but it was still free. That turned out to be a good thing because this movie is poop. They should call it Marie Pooptionette. It's terrible. Skip it.

Pursuit of Happyness - I like Will Smith and his son is adorable in this flick. Any person with even half a heart will immediately relate and feel genuine compassion for this father-son team. Watch it!

Stranger Than Fiction - I'm a wordy girl so this movie about words and books appealed to me. It's such a cool story. Will Ferrell should win some sort of award for his role in this movie. He's outstanding. But the ending wasn't my style at all. Rent it.

Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny - This is probably the best movie ever made. Jack and Kyle prove to the world that they can rock. WATCH IT!