And....2008 Is A Leap Year

So this is one of those years that have an extra day in order to keep the calendar year synchronised with the astronomical or seasonal year. This sounds a little too scientific for me but, if they say that's the reason, I'm sure it is. I was thinking today what it would have been like to have been born on February 29th. If you were born in 1960, for instance, you'd be celebrating your 13th birthday today. Well, not really, because those born on this day celebrate their birthday either on February 28th or March 1st.

Yesterday, one of my son's close friends and great poker mind, Chris Lee (aka genius28), celebrated his 21st birthday. He missed leap year by only one year. Now that he's 21, I think he's about to turn the poker world on its ear, an expression meant to change a type of activity in a surprising and exciting way and something I definitely think Chris is going to accomplish. I think we'll be hearing a lot about this boy in the coming years. Happy Birthday "G".

I was also thinking what it would have been like if our daughter had been born on February 29th and didn't have an actual "birthday" every year. Since there is no one in this world who enjoys their birthday more than Liz, this could have been nothing short of a tragedy. Her birthday is on April 2nd and already we're counting down the days.....33 more to go.

In years past, leap year was the one time that women could propose to men. The men got so scared by this that they changed it to only one day during the leap year when they could ask a man to marry them and that day was February 29th. Needless to say, most men hid in their homes and never saw the light of day on February 29th.

While reading up on leap year, I came across a great book by Peter Cameron which I have now ordered from Amazon.com. It's amazing how I end up finding some of the books I read. This book was actually written in weekly installments and published in a magazine. It chronicles a year in the life of New Yorkers lost in the twilight of the 80's.....sounds good to me. You can look forward to a review of this book as soon as I finish it.

As another leap year comes and goes, it will be another four years until we see another one....2012. Wow that looks funny! And it will be another four years before I can, once again, write about February 29th.

American Idol Redux

I can't believe that only a week has gone by and already I have to revisit my prior American Idol winner prediction. After the performances of this week, the young 17 year old, David Archuleta, just might be this season's golden boy. While he's always been in the hunt and at the top of the radar, this week he clearly pulled away from the pack when he sang John Lennon's Imagine. I actually got the goosebumps while watching this performance. One of Michael's friends, Josh, who had seen it an hour or more before I did (he's in Phoenix), sent me an instant message telling me that he just witnessed a performance that gave him the chills. Since Josh is a 6'4" guy, I figured it had to be great to give him the chills. I immediately told him not to tell me which performance he was referring to so I could see if the same thing happened to me. Well, as soon as David Archuleta began singing, I knew this was what he had been talking about.

I went to You Tube to watch his previous performances, while in Hollywood, and during one song, Heaven by Bryan Adams, there was a background singer who was actually wiping her eyes while he was singing. She was so touched by him that she was crying. Can anything be more the sign of a great singer? Someone who can touch your heart in such a way as to give chills to a guy and bring tears to the eyes of another performer. And it's not just that his voice is so mellifluous. It's also the fact that he's so humble. When the judges compliment him, he is so thankful for their praise as if it's so unexpected. And this is clearly not an act. You can tell how genuine this kid is.

So, while I still think Michael Johns has a good chance, it's nice to see that there's some good competition going on this season. Unfortunately, I think all of the talent is on the male side as there are probably at least five good male singers in the competition versus perhaps two females who are good but don't stand a chance against the guys.

The Final Table

It's a big day here in the Martin household as my son has just made the final table at the WSOP Council Bluffs Circuit Event. This is his second final table....the first being at the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam, this past November, where he came in second place. He's going into this final table as the chipleader and we're all rooting for him to win this darn thing.

Here's a picture of him taken at the final table by Pokernews.com. This is also where I follow the coverage as they do live reporting from these events. Since this is a World Series of Poker tournament, it will be filmed by World Series of Poker.com and I should be able to watch the entire thing live online with a half hour delay. He has been at these featured tables before and the cameras make it so hot but it's also so very exciting. I wish I was there to cheer for him but he has a number of friends with him so I'm sure they'll be cheering loud enough for me.

So good luck Michael.....bring this one home!

UPDATE: He finished in 2nd place for $94,263.00. Guess this one wasn't his to win. We'll have to wait until the next tournaments, which should be San Remo and Monte Carlo -- both in April.

I've Got Good News and I've Got Bad News...the Bad News First!!!

And the bad news is....I don't have a clue about picking Academy Award winners. Of the eight categories I predicted, I was four for four. I guess 50% isn't all that bad. The truth is that I pick what I "want" to win and not what "should" win. No Country For Old Men, clearly the most disturbing movie I've ever seen, walked away with most of the awards. Surprisingly enough, all of the acting awards went to foreigners....Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Actor, British, Javier Bardem, Best Supporting Actor, Spanish, Marion Cotillard, Best Actress, French, Tilda Swinton, Best Supporting Actress, British. So I hope no one claims that we are not an Equal Opportunity Academy Awards.

As usual, the real news of the night was who was wearing what and who looked the best and, most importantly, who looked the worst. My absolute favorite for best dressed was Heidi Klum,pictured here, followed by Katharine Heigl and Kerry Russell, not pictured here. The absolute worst dressed was the Best Supporting Actress winner, Tilda Swinton. I honestly don't think I've ever seen anyone dressed so awful.....not even in the supermarket.

I think that the show, as usual, was uneventful bordering on boring. I thought John Stewart's material wasn't really that funny. A week ago, he could have blamed that on the writers' strike but, unfortunately, they were back in full force for the ceremony so the fault lies with them.

Now for the "good news." I wasn't paying as much attention as I might have had I not been playing in an online poker tournament at the same time as I was viewing the Oscars. For those of you familiar with the Pokerstars big Sunday tournament, commonly referred to as "the million", I went very deep getting knocked out in 18th place at 2:30AM after playing for ten hours. The fruits of my labor netted me $8,445.55. That's the most I've ever won in an online tournament. The most fun for me was that Michael didn't even know I was playing in this tournament until there were only about 150 people left....we had started with about 3200. That was a fun text message I sent him telling him this news. (He's in Omaha right now playing in a live tournament). He and all his friends immediately started watching and wishing me good luck in the chat box. I so appreciate all the support I get from all my "boys" while I'm playing. Thanks guys.

So as much as I would have liked to have gone eight for eight in my Oscar predictions, I'm happy with the way my night ended.....how about you?

OSCAR PREDICTIONS

If you're a reader of this blog, then you probably know by now that I made an effort to see every picture nominated for an Academy Award. In doing so, I thought it would be easy to make my own predictions and see if the Academy got it right after all. What I failed to realize, however, is that the Best Actor and Best Actress nominees, along with the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress nominees didn't necessarily have to appear in the films nominated for Best Picture. Therefore, a few of my predictions will have to be mere guesses -- such a pity. Next year I'll know better and it will be my quest to see all pictures given any awards at all!!!

So without further ado, here are my predictions/guesses for tomorrow night's 80th Annual Academy Award winners.

BEST PICTURE ------ Atonement

BEST ACTOR -------- Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)

BEST ACTRESS ----- Julie Christie (Away From Here)*

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR ----- Javier Badem (No Country For Old Men)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS --- Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There)*

BEST DIRECTOR ---- The Coen Brothers (No Country For Old Men)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY ---- Diablo Cody (Juno)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY ---- Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)

These are the main categories and the only ones I will be predicting. Those followed by an asterisk are merely guesses. I think Julie Christie will win because she is the sentimental favorite and I've also heard she was terrific in this role. I pick Cate Blanchett for her role as Bob Dylan because the Academy loves to award those who mimic other real life characters --remember Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote. The best picture award was a tough one as I think it could go either way between Atonement and There Will Be Blood although No Country For Old Men will probably win but I refuse to pick it because it was just so disturbing. The best actor category was easy as Daniel Day-Lewis will win this hands down.

So, can I go eight for eight.....only tomorrow night will tell. Until then, the balcony is closed.

Movie Day VII

Just forget about Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper -- I'm the new movie critic in town. Of course, I say this in jest, but truth be told, I enjoy reviewing movies almost as much as I do reviewing books. In this case, the movie we saw today, Atonement, was a screen adaptation of a book written by Ian McEwen, a book that won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2002. When the movie was over, both Linda and I looked at each other and, at the same time, said "I Loved It." The "It" we both loved was an old time love story taking place in 1935 when England is just on the brink of war.

My first comment has to be about the lead actress in this film, Kiera Knightly, who absolutely has to be a director's dream. Her face and countenance are just mesmerizing on the big screen. She is simply flawless both in her appearance and her acting ability. She was not even nominated for an Academy Award for this performance which surprises me.

Everything in this film was remarkable from the scenery to the casting. At one point, the soldiers are being evacuated on a beach at Dunkirk, France and you can see the White Cliffs of Dover in the distance showing such a sharp contrast between the devastation on the beach and the hope of going home to England. The photography was just mesmerizing in this scene.

As in all melodramatic love stories, there is always something or someone keeping the lovers apart. In this case, it's Knightly's younger sister, who, by sheer misinterpretation, sets the course for destruction both in her own life as well as her older sister's. The actual "atonement" is when she comes to terms with what she's done and tries to right a wrong.

This film is moviemaking at its finest. A great cast following the direction of a great director equals an academy award nomination. Can it win the big prize? We shall see on Sunday night.

As with all movie days, we get to eat out and since this was another early movie, we again opted for breakfast. With that thought in mind, we headed back to our favorite "breakfast" haunt, Cracker Barrel. We just can't get enough of those pancakes.

So, we have achieved our quest of seeing all of the movies nominated for Best Picture at the 80th Annual Academy Awards. My prediction for the winners will follow....I know you'll be waiting with bated breath. And lest you think that the word I should be using is "baited", think again. The term "bated breath" refers to holding your breath while waiting for something to happen. I take the time to explain this because my brother Bobby loves to critique my writing and this will save him the time of looking this up in a dictionary. Perhaps I'm just trying to "bait" you Bobby!!

2008 AWARDS WON BY ATONEMENT

Best Original Score (Oscars), dario Marianelli
Best Picture (Golden Globes), Atonement
Best Original Score (Golden Globes), Dario Marianelli
Best Film (BAFTA), Atonement

Season 7 -- American Idol

I've been a fan of this show since it's inception . As much as people joke about it, it has clearly produced some incredible talent. Sometimes this talent has not come from the actual winner, ie Daughtry, but, in most cases, the best and most talented singer has won....Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood.

They're touting this season as the season with the most talent thus far and, guess what, I have to agree. After watching the initial 12 guys and 12 girls sing, I'm convinced that this year's winner is going to be a guy. And after watching some of the talent perform on this first night, I'm still reeling that homeless singer, Josiah Leming, didn't make the final 24. They showed clips of him living in his car as he pursued his dream of becoming a singer. I thought he was terrific and he's not even on the show. But then he appeared on The Ellen Show this week and she gave him $8,000 worth of musical equipment to help him on his way towards his dream. This made me happy to see and I just hope I don't end up reading that his homeless, living in a car scenario was some ruse to get him on the show.

I don't think there's anyone in the female group who stands out as much as the male contestants. There's one girl who reminds me of Carrie Underwood but, since we already have one Carrie Underwood, there's certainly no need for another. I'm going to go out on a limb here and pick the winner. This is someone who actually gave me the chills when he sang Bohemian Rhapsody in Hollywood and then Light My Fire on the first official show of the season. His name is Michael Johns and here he is....

There's one other boy who's only 17 years old, David Archuleta, and he actually has a chance but the time is right for Michael Johns to walk away with this year's win. I know a lot is being said about some of this season's contestants, as many of them have had recording contracts or have been on Star Search or have put out a CD but, according to the show, as long as they are presently not under contract with a recording studio, they are eligible to compete. While it might defeat the purpose of finding someone who has never performed anywhere, it does give those, who have never gotten the exposure needed to succeed, a chance to achieve the fame they so deserve.

So there will be a lot of songs sung and a lot of episodes watched before we finally get to the finale where the winner is selected. It will be a two hour show and, of course, the winner will not be announced until there are only 4 minutes left in the show leaving the viewer, who has loyally watched all season, only three minutes to share in the excitement while everyone congratulates this year's winner.....Michael Johns. Let's see if my prediction is right.

The Boys From Brazil

.......and i'm not referring to the famous Ira Levin novel. In this case, I'm talking about two of my favorite people, my son Michael and his good friend Nick, who have just returned from a three week trip to Brazil. Here they are pictured with another friend who was visiting Rio from Sweden. They were there for Carnival which, according to them, could only be described as Mardi Gras x 10.

I never really understood before exactly what Carnival was and was surprised to find out that it marks the beginning of the Lenten season in Brazil and is held 40 days prior to Easter. So, while I'm giving up chocolate for Lent, the Brazilians are parading up and down the street in full party mode. It's actually supposed to be considered as a farewell to the "pleasures of the flesh" so this profane event marks the beginning of an abstinence of sorts for perhaps all things fun in Brazil.

Carnival is an elaborate parade of all the Samba schools, who train all year long for this event. As a matter of fact, the street they dance down is only used for Carnival and it could take each school as long as ninety minutes to parade from start to finish. Here's a picture of one of the schools and you can see the work involved in coming up with these floats and costumes. This almost makes the Mummers look like a preschool. I think the most interesting thing to me is the fact that social roles and class structure are forgotten during Carnival as the wealthy dress up as commoners and men dress as women and the poor dress up as royalty. These people train an entire year before this event and it's supposed to be one of the happiest times of their lives. In so many of the other pictures Michael brought home, you can see the joy on their faces as they parade down the street in full regalia.

As the guests of a well known Brazilian businessman and racehorse owner/breeder, Goncalo Torrealba, they enjoyed Rio deJaniero as only the natives do. Their host was so generous and so gracious in making sure that they were treated to everything the great city of Rio has to offer. I can't even imagine what Carnival must be like but I'm told it's nothing like I've ever witnessed before in my life. Similar to throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain in Rome, both Michael and Nick have vowed to return to Rio again next year.

As if Carnival wasn't spectacular enough, they also flew by private jet to the ranch where the horses are kept and got to spend the day riding. Does it get any better than this? Nick grew up riding horses but this was the first time for Michael. Unfortunately, he was given a horse that obviously didn't feel like being ridden so his first horseback riding experience will be one to remember.

Some other things of note that they've mentioned upon their return are how wonderful the people are. In the past year, Michael has traveled around Europe and thinks the people in Brazil are clearly some of the nicest and most accommodating people he has ever had the pleasure to meet. They were also very surprised at how good the food was and tried things I can't even pronounce.

The only unfortunate thing was that very few people spoke English. Since Portuguese is the national language. they both plan to learn some of this language before they return. So all in all, it was a very successful trip and one of their favorites thus far. Their next trip is to San Remo and Monte Carlo in early April. I'm beginning to think that they might need a manager to travel with them but somehow I don't think I'd be interviewed for this position.

From a mother's perspective, this was the one trip I was the most nervous about. I don't know why. South America?? A Visa needed for entry?? The jungles, the rainforests?? So much I didn't know about that world just south of us. Well, I obviously need not have worried as these boys were so well taken care of and all I can say is "Thank You" to the wonderful Torrealba family for their incomparable hospitality. Obrigado!!

THERE WILL BE......

And the Oscar goes to.....Daniel Day Lewis....for his amazing performance in the movie There Will Be Blood. By now you've probably guessed that today was, in fact, "Movie Day" and, in our quest to see all movies that have been nominated for an Academy Award, it was this movie's turn to be critiqued by moi.

While the movie was very engrossing, I think the best word to describe it would be unnerving. For two and a half hours, you're waiting for something to happen, as something "must" happen since the word blood is in the title. And the symphonic score always made you feel that danger was lurking in every scene. I don't remember ever being so mesmerized by the music that was played during a movie. While watching the credits, I realized that the score was done by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead fame. Somehow I can't put the two together, because the music in the movie is more of a symphony and not his usual rock guitar, but I am incensed to find out that he was not even nominated for an Oscar for this work. For me to come away from that movie thinking that the music was almost another character in the film and then to find out it's not even been nominated clearly shows how Greenwood has been given the shaft by the academy voters.

As far as my statement about Daniel Day Lewis winning the Oscar for Best Actor for this performance, my reasoning is simple. He actually was acting. He wasn't just reciting some lines written for him. He put on the performance of a lifetime as he portrays an obsessed, egocentric, deranged oil man who, through deceit and lack of principles, turns a few successful oil leases into an oil empire. The character he plays is so unlike himself that you actually don't even realize that's Daniel Day Lewis on the screen. At one point, Linda actually asked me "Who Is that"? I rest my case.

This has always been my criteria for a great actor/actress.....can they be someone else on the big screen or are they still themselves just with a different hairdo or different attire? Let's face it -- Sandra Bullock is always Sandra Bullock, Meg Ryan is always Meg Ryan but Meryl Streep is whoever she needs to be for that particular film. The same here for Daniel Day. He becomes this oil tycoon to such an extent that he's probably now (in his real life) moved to Texas searching for some more black gold.

This is a sweeping American epic set on the dusty plains of Texas where all the players are soul dead. Would I recommend it as a go see? I'm not sure that I would although it's a movie I'm glad I saw and one that will stay with me for quite awhile. Let's just put it this way -- it's not for everyone.

On a lighter note, since the movie started so early, we opted for a late breakfast in lieu of an early lunch. What better place for this than Cracker Barrel. There's nothing like some hearty pancakes followed by some hearty movie going. All in all, another successful movie day, which is clearly becoming my favorite day of the week. Today I was accompanied by my FF Linda -- my cohort in critiquing all things movie related. Come to think of it, we critiqued more than movies today but that's part of the fun of "Movie Day." Till next week and.........Atonement!!!!

2008 AWARDS WON BY THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best Actor (Oscars), Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Cinematography (Oscars), Robert Elswit

Best Actor (Golden Globes), Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Actor (BAFTA), Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Actor (SAG Awards), Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Actor (Critics' Choice Awards), Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Composer (Critics' Choice Awards), Jonny Greenwood

Old Faithful

One might think, by looking at the picture to the left, that this post is going to be about the famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park. But, why would I write about Old Faithful when today is Valentine's Day? Wouldn't it make more sense to write about flowers or candy?

Well, you'll never guess the answer to that question so I'll tell you. I have someone in my life who's as faithful as "Old Faithful" is although he's not that old. This someone, without fail, has called me up to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day for as long as I can remember. No matter where he is and no matter how busy he is, I always get that call. Rather than leave you hanging, I'll tell you that this "geyser" is my baby brother Kelly. Ten years younger and always considered the baby of the family, we must have done something right to make him so considerate. As his only sister, he just

never forgets me. I hope he reads this and knows how very much I appreciate that call.

Now, before I get a call from my daughter asking me why a Valentine's Day post is about my brother and not about my husband, her father, I'll tell you about the other "Old Faithful" in my life. Yes, I have two. This one has been wishing me a Happy Valentine's Day for almost thirty years now. The difference between this one and my brother is that this one gives great gifts as well. I remember when we were first married and he would come home with flowers and candy and I would actually get mad. How hard is it to come up with flowers and candy? That's definitely not a very original gift. So the flowers and candy turned into jewelry and beautiful purses and this year, he walked in the door with a blue Tiffany's bag in his hand. Who cares what's inside....it's from Tiffanys.

My real present, however, arrives tomorrow when my son gets home from Brazil. So, in essence, you can get the flowers and the candy and the purses and whatever's in the Tiffany's bag. But the real gift from this "Old Faithful" are the children he's given me.....because they are my favorite Valentine's Day presents.

The Hypocrisy Of It All

I don't think there's anything that bugs me more than hypocrites. Lately I've been experiencing more and more of this until my blood is about to boil. Case in point....Pat O'Brien, co-anchor of The Insider....a tattletale celebrity news show that spends most of its time talking about who's in rehab and who's out of rehab. Well, let's face it, rehab is the new AA lately. We've followed Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and, more recently, Eva Mendez and Kirsten Dunst as they have entered "Club Rehab." These are usually the lead stories on shows like The Insider and Entertainment Tonight and then usually make the "Hot Topics" the next day on The View.

So last week, Pat O'Brien went into rehab. Yes, this is the same Pat O'Brien who was in rehab once before after leaving sexually explicit voicemail messages on a coworker's cell phone, while heavily intoxicated. He then poured his heart out in a primetime TV special with Dr. Phil, apologizing to his family and coworkers for the pain he's caused. I'm sure his wife wasn't thrilled when she listened to the tapes of those calls. While I have no problem with him entering a rehab facility again, my problem lies with these same shows that don't make this a news story. It's all very hush hush with Donnie Osmond filling in for Pat O'Brien....yet they never say why.

Today, I was watching Oprah and she had the entire cast of The Cosby Show returning on her stage, on a set designed exactly like the old Cosby living room. They all looked great and most of them have become very accomplished. And then, via satellite, we get rewarded with the great "Bill Cosby", who appears with his holier than thou attitude passing himself off as father of the year. This is the same Bill Cosby who recently settled, out of court, a sexual harassment suit. One might say that the suit was not valid but then, how does one explain, the dozen or so other women who came forward with the same story. I just don't know how people can still fawn all over Cosby when they know darn well what he's done and, reportedly, has been doing so for years. He puts himself out there as such a family man and I just wonder how all those fathers, of the girls he reportedly sexually harassed, feel about him.

Recently, in the Philadelphia area, we had a news anchor, Alycia Lane, suspended for allegedly assaulting a NYC police officer. This would be the same, recently divorced, Alycia Lane who sent several emails and bikini clad photos of herself to a married NFL network anchorman. Unfortunately, these emails and photos were intercepted by his wife, who then fired off a scathing email of her own to Lane. No hypocrisy involved here but the hypocrisy lies in the fact that Channel 3 News, WCAU, went on like nothing had happened and, when she no longer appeared as the nightly news anchor, they didn't even announce that she had been suspended. Isn't this news? Why wasn't it reported?

Why are all these celebrities, who have power, barred from having their own stories reported and talked about? They seem to protect their own yet everyone else is fair game. So these were my ruminations on a day where the snow is falling and my car, which is supposed to be very upscale, doesn't work in the snow.

50th ANNUAL GERIATRIC GRAMMY AWARDS

I think this is the first time, in a long time, that I'm actually looking forward to watching the Grammy Awards. Now that I've become an "Ipod Fanatic", I know so much more about current music than I ever have in the past (except for when I was a teenager, of course). This whole Ipod/Itunes concept has totally taken hold of me since I got my first Ipod two years ago. Now I am not only the proud owner of that Ipod but have added an Ipod Shuffle and another Ipod Nano to my collection.....in addition to the IHome which serves as both an alarm clock and a docking station at the same time. There's nothing better than waking up to your own music coming from your very own Ipod.

Just watching the pre-show red carpet, I can already tell that this is a different Grammy award show than in previous years. For one thing, the nominees are actually dressed beautifully as compared to past years when they showed up looking like the dregs of humanity trying to outdo each other in the "outlandish" department. The big news tonight is that Amy Winehouse wasn't permitted to leave London to attend the ceremony....she's England's Britney Spears but she actually has talent or so they claim. Another interesting fact is that Plain White T's is there with the "real" Delilah. He told her one day that he would write a song about her and it would make him famous and then she would be his date at the Grammys. What a prediction!!!!

Wow, we start off with an Alicia Keyes/Frank Sinatra duet....it's definitely going to be a night to remember. And this was followed up with a tribute to the Beatles with a medley of their songs, while Ringo Starr watches from the audience. And, sadly enough, Kanye West then sings My Mama which is particularly sad after the tragic death of his beloved mother last year. He will later win an award and, while trying to thank his fans and peers for all their support during his mother's passing, the music starts to play telling him to cut it short. Needless to say, Kanye was not happy. A performance by Tina Turner was a nice touch and got even better when Beyonce took the stage and they performed Proud Mary together.

Then the Grammy's took a turn for the worse and, what started off to be a promising evening, went downhill from there. It was as if they felt that since it was their 50th Anniversary, all of the rest of the performers/presenters should have been in the business for over fifty years. Bring on Keeley Smith, Andy Williams, Tony Bennett, Little Richard, Herbie Hancock and an orchestra performing Gershwin and Jerry Lee Lewis.....are you asleep yet?

And all night long they're telling the viewers to hang around because Amy Winehouse will be performing live from London. She ended up basically sweeping the event and I just don't get it. She was awful and drugged as usual. The finale was Herbie Hancock winning album of the year......which must have been a sentimental vote because it seriously doesn't make any sense at all.

So what started off to be a night to remember ended up being a night worth forgetting. Well, at least they all looked good -- that's a step in the right direction.

Fool Me Once..........

I have two brothers, Bobby and Michael, who defected to the west coast, many years ago, in search of a "kinder, gentler life." We like to say they weren't tough enough to make it in New York -- an inside family joke that they won't think is funny. lol They are both living in Spokane, Washington, the site of some record snowfall this 2008 winter season. I've received numerous phone calls and emails from them advising me of yet another storm. Last week, Michael, who is a teacher, had the entire week off because all the schools were closed.

Today I received yet another email from my brother Bobby advising me that the white stuff (and I mean the white stuff that falls from the sky) has hit once again. This is what his email said: "We had our 26th snow storm of the season last night. They finally plowed our street on Fox Point Drive." And he includes this picture with his email.

I couldn't believe my eyes. A "flurry" of emails went back and forth. From me: This is your street? You mean there are houses on the other side of these snowbanks? Is that your car? Who's taking the picture? Well, after going back and forth three or four times, he finally told me that was a picture from NYS Route 11 in Oswego, New York. Always the joker my Bobby. I thought the picture was so amazing that I decided it was worthy of a blog entry. Can you imagine driving through this? Can you say "highway avalanche"?

So, once again, New York proves to be the tougher place to live so their decision some thirty years ago was obviously the right one. They might have had 26 snowstorms but they don't have a picture like this to send me.

DOUBLE FEATURE

Today I did something I haven't done since movies were twenty-five cents and, with that, you got free popcorn.......I saw two movies in the same day. Since today was "movie day" with my friends, we decided to throw caution to the wind and make it a "Double Header."

We started out with 27 Dresses this morning. Let me preface this by saying that I really am not a Katherine Heigl fan yet, everyone I know, who has seen this film, has insisted I see it. Having seen her on Grey's Anatomy, I just didn't get all the fuss being made over her. After seeing this movie.....I get it. She's terrific. Her range of emotions run the gamut as she portrays what every young women never wants to hear -- "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride." In this case, "27" times until she finally becomes the bride. I laughed, I cried and I highly recommend this one for a purely enjoyable movie going experience.

We then headed over to the Olive Garden to have a relaxing lunch since we had over two hours to kill before our next movie was to begin. At almost 2PM, it wasn't that crowded since the lunch crowd was gone and the dinner crowd wasn't near to arriving. We asked for a table for three as this week it was Pat, Linda and myself . We followed the hostess to our table and she brings us to a booth right outside the kitchen. I looked at her and said, "This won't work. Could you possibly give us a worse table?" Is it just me or does this happen to everyone? Do I look like someone who wants to sit at the worst table in the restaurant? Needless to say, she then escorted us to a more desirable spot but I still don't understand why I always have to go through this. Do I look so nice that people think I'm not going to complain? Little do they know.

I know, as soon as my daughter reads this post, she's going to be rolling on the floor laughing and pitying the hostess that dared offer up the dregs of the establishment to me. I have to say, however, that after we were seated, it was a most pleasurable experience as the salad and lunch were great as was the service.

We then made our way over to our next movie, Juno. I had heard so much about this one and was actually looking forward to it much more than 27 Dresses. As it turned out, 27 Dresses was a much better movie and much more enjoyable. I feel like Juno was like an "after school special." While it was well acted, I just felt there wasn't enough meat there to make it a full blown movie. I'm shocked that it's been nominated in the Best Picture category for the Academy Awards although I'm not surprised that Ellen Page was nominated in the Best Actress category. Was it such an off year for movies that this is considered one of the top five? I think I could say the same for Michael Clayton which was good but certainly isn't Oscar material.

So we still have to see two more of the nominated movies before the Oscar telecast on February 24th......Atonement and There Will Be Blood. I look forward to posting all of my Oscar picks here as we get closer to the event. We all loved our "Double Header" today and look forward to a possible "Triple Play" in the future.

2008 AWARDS WON BY JUNO

Best Original Screenplay (Oscars), Diablo Cody
Best Original Screenplay (BAFTA Awards), Diablo Cody
Best Writer (Critics' Choice Awards), Diablo Cody
Best Comedy Movie (Critics' Choice Awards), Juno
Best Feature (Independent Spirit Awards), Juno
Best Female Lead (Independent Spirit Awards), Ellen Page
Best First Screenplay (Independent Spirit Awards), Diablo Cody

40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS

And I'm not talking about the 2002 movie with Josh Hartnett, although the setting might be the same as it does take place during LENT.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season, which will eventually lead up to that high holy day of Easter. As a child, this day was always marked by getting ashes on our forehead (something I hated) and deciding what we would give up during this forty day period. Of course, back then, we tried to get away with easy things like mashed potatoes or liver but that never did fly with my mother.

So, as I sit here, I'm trying to decide what I will give up for the next forty days. The only thing that makes sense, and the only thing that would be a real sacrifice, would be to give up chocolate because there's not a day that goes by that I don't have some sort of candy made with chocolate. This would end up killing two birds with one stone as it would also help towards my diet and improve my overall health. So that's it.....NO CHOCOLATE FOR THE NEXT 40 DAYS!!! Somehow, writing it down makes it more real and, if I write it down, I will be forced to do it.

I remember some years ago, when my son was about 10 years old, I asked him what he would give up for Lent. I told him that it had to be something that he really liked or else it wouldn't count. He looked at me and said, "I'll give up playing video games for Lent." I couldn't believe my ears but he was true to his word and, to this day, it's something I've never forgotten and something for which I've always been proud of him. It's the kind of thing a mother never forgets especially since kids at that age played video games for hours upon hours every day and he was willing to give this up. Needless to say, on Easter morning, the first thing he did, upon awakening, was to pick up where he left off. That day, there were a few new video games on the TV to show how much I had appreciated his sacrifice.

I've now put away all the Milky Way, Almond Joy and Snicker bars I have in the house not to mention the peanut M&M's and chocolate covered caramels. I bid farewell and told them to sit tight until March 23rd. And, just in case you're thinking that there are more than forty days between today and March 23rd, you're right because Sundays are not included in the counting of the Lenten calendar.

By the way, if you're wondering why this post was done in purple, it's because this is the color for the season of Lent......a color fit for a King and in preparation of a King.....and, if you're reading this, I'm not referring to you, my brother Michael!!!!

SUPER BOWL XLII

Today's post will be done in three stages....BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER....so I can publish my thoughts as the game is progressing. And let's face it, we're just as interested in the pregame show, the halftime show and the commercials as we are in the actual game.

BEFORE

This year, however, is a special year as "my" team will be playing in the Super Bowl. Having lived in New York for 36 years, the Giants have been my team of choice since I was a little girl. I use the word "choice" very loosely, however, as I really did not have a choice in picking a football team since I grew up with a father and *three brothers, who were all diehard Giant fans. As if this wasn't bad enough, I ended up marrying the world's biggest Giant fan who then turned our kids into Giant fans. If the Giants can win today, it will be the third Super Bowl win for them having beaten the Broncos following the 1986 season and the Bills following the 1990 season. They failed to beat the Ravens to close out the 2000 season. Needless to say, the odds are not in their favor coming up against the Patriots, who haven't lost a game all season, but with a spread of 12 points, I think they'll definitely cover.

*EDIT: I am hereby forced to edit one of my own blogs. After reading the above, one of my brothers has sent me this email.........I have a correction to make (and it's not even of a grammatical nature). Your youngest brother was never, and will never be a Giant fan. So he did not get to bathe in the thrill of the victory. Yeah, it is true. Kelly was a Redskin fan early on. Then he became a 49ers fan when he lived in S.F. Now he's a Bears fan. No loyalty.

Unfortunately, I am not in any football pools for this game. My brother Kelly did not come through as his contact is no longer doing it. I used to get added enjoyment in checking all those boxes at the end of each quarter with the hope of winning....no matter how small the amount might be.

It was nice to see Alicia Keys in the pregame show singing one of my favorite songs "No One". It's probably my "most played" song on my Ipod. I see that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are the featured performers for the halftime show. I have one question.....who the heck is Tom Petty? I'm sure he's someone famous but why do I, someone who is very up on pop culture and music, etc., know nothing about him. I admit to having heard the name before but I have no idea what they sing. When I think back to past halftime shows featuring the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Prince, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder -- need I go on -- this just seems to pale in comparison. Well, I hope my doubts are wrong about this one. And aren't you so excited that you'll get to read these thoughts of mine when you read the DURING section of this blog?

DURING

Well, I have one word for Jordin Sparks, winner of 2007 American Idol and singer of this year's National Anthem......WOW. That was right up there with the Whitney Houston rendition. Her father, a former Giant, must have been very proud.

End of 1st quarter -- Giants 3 Patriots 0 -- Looking good

End of second quarter -- Patriots 7 Giants 3. Giants have come to play and have been all over Brady. Anyone who picked the over in the under/over will probably be out of luck today.

HALFTIME SHOW -- Are you kidding? This is a great opportunity for anyone having a party to socialize with their guests because they surely won't be watching this show. What an incredible disappointment.

End of third quarter -- Patriots 7 Giants 3....Come on Giants!!!!

OMG, OMG.....WE ARE GOING CRAZY!!!!! 29 seconds left....Giants 17 Patriots 14

GIANTS WIN!!!! GIANTS WIN!!!!! GIANTS WIN!!!!!
I just wish my father was still alive to witness this.

AFTER

I'm actually hoarse right now from cheering and screaming. Our poor dog has hidden under the bed because she's just not used to this much noise. Our son is in Brazil at Carnival and was texting and calling us all during the entire game. He called when there were 10 seconds left so he was able to hear them win.

It's just so exciting when your team wins and to win in such an exciting game makes it so much more special. So it was a very successful and enjoyable Super Bowl for this family. As Super Bowl XLII comes to a close, I want to thank the New York Giants for giving their fans such a great season.

COMMERCIAL WINNERS --

#1 -- Budweiser Clydesdale horse with the dalmation

#2 -- Gatorade commercial with the Black Lab

#3 -- Bud Light Cheese Ball

#4 -- Pepsi Max

#5 -- G2 Gator just because it featured Derek Jeter

And Kudos to Doritos for kickstarting the career of Kina Grannis, a 22-year-old songwriter, who won a contest to sing in a commercial during the first quarter of the game. I've already purchased her song, Message from your Heart, from Itunes and it sounds a little like a mixture of Colbie Caillat and Sarah Bareilles......two of my absolute favorites.