To Cash or not To Cash

"WHEN" is the question! This weekend was our annual trip to Foxwoods in Connecticut for the WPT Ladies' Poker Tournament. Last year it was held on a Sunday, but this year, they changed the venue and it started on Saturday morning which meant we left here on Friday. It's about a 3 1/2 hour ride from Pennsylvania but Pat thought it wouldn't be too much out of the way to drop off her daughter's dog , who she had been watching all week while said daughter was away on a business trip. Her daughter only lives an hour and a half away from us. Yikes!!!!

So we had decided to begin our sojourn at 12:30PM but didn't get on the road until 2PM because my car had to be inspected and they decided I needed two new back tires which meant it wouldn't be ready in time. So we started off the trip a little bit stressed and it got worse from that point on. There was an accident on the turnpike and there were so many trucks going by so slowly and blocking my view that I didn't see our exit and ended up getting off at Exit 16W instead of Exit 16E. After backtracking a bit and frantically calling my husband Bob, we finally found our way, walked the dog, carried the 40 lb. bag of dog food up the stairs (actually Pat did this), loaded up her refrigerator with all the food Pat had bought her, said good-bye to Bear (the very cute and darling dog) and headed for the George Washington Bridge. At this point, it was 4:30PM on Friday and needless to say, the traffic was incredibly heavy. The good news is that by the time we hit the New Haven area, it was so late that the rush hour traffic in that area had passed. We finally arrived at Foxwoods at 7:30PM....not too bad...only 5 1/2 hours.

We dropped everything off in our adjoining rooms and headed out for dinner. We opted for the same place we had eaten last year, Al Dente, and were glad we did. The food there is incredibly good as is the service and the ambiance. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Foxwoods as it is definitely not one of my favorite places. I can't exactly put my finger on it but I guess if I had to describe it in one word it would be "tacky". They are in the process of building a new MGM Grand Hotel on the premises and that's where we intend to stay the next time we go there.

Up early the next morning, we headed out to breakfast and then on to the tournament which began at 10AM. Once again, it's probably our favorite thing to do...we just love it!!! The women are all so nice and so much fun. It's why we choose only to play in the ladies' events. I don't think I'd enjoy it as much if there were men at the table. I started off slowly until I came upon a hand I'll never forget. I know many of you readers aren't poker players but, for those of you who are...Michael, Josh, Nick, Daut, Nat...you'll definitely appreciate this hand. I am sitting with JJ and the blinds are 50/100. There is a preflop raise of 300 and I call. The flop is J8A. The other player bets 1K and I raise it to 3K and she calls. The turn is another 8 and she bets 2K and I move all in and she calls. She flips over AA so she has a full house, aces over eights to my full house of jacks over eights. Wow, that really stinks for me until the river brings me another Jack and I now have quads. This one hand put me at over 10K in chips at the first break and looking pretty darn good (we started with 5K in chips by the way).

I accumulated some additional chips during the next two levels and then my run of cards ended...just like that, I got nothing. I guess I really need to learn how to play when you get no cards since this is something definitely lacking in my game. By this time, they had posted the payoffs and thirty players would get paid. I made it to right before the dinner break when I was finally dealt my first pair in about three hours...55...so I pushed only to be up against KK. Oh well, close but no cigar. I ended up finishing in 48th place...18 away from cashing.

The good news is that I'm getting closer; the bad news is that I still haven't cashed. But I will continue to try. Since we were both knocked out before dinner, we asked the front desk if we could check out and not be charged for the room and they agreed so within a matter of 15 minutes, we were packed, checked out and on the road again. All we talked about on the way home was how much fun we had. We also talked about finding a Friendly's where we could have our favorite tuna melts and a Happy Ending Sundae which was really so appropriate as every trip always ends "happy" for us.

Until the next event, I remain, Cashless in Washington Crossing.

It's All In The......

MARJORAM!!!! How could a lovely sprig of leaves be so unappealing to me. And the word unappealing is putting it mildly. I absolutely can't stand this stuff.

It all started about a year ago when I was in my local gourmet market and purchased some of their formerly delicious three cheese meatloaf. When I got home, I took one bite and spit it out. It tasted like there was cleaning fluid in it. I thought perhaps when they cleaned the showcase in the store, some windex or something got on the meatloaf and ruined it. I never bought the meatloaf again. Then, while eating in a neighborhood pub, I ordered a Shepherd's Pie dish. Once again, I couldn't eat it because of the taste but, at that time, didn't put two and two together. They told me it was made with lamb so I figured it was the lamb I didn't like. Then, last summer, while at the shore, we ate at a quirky little restaurant and I ordered some innocuous dish (can't even remember what it was) and there it was again...that taste I can't stand.

Now I was convinced that there was an herb or spice out there that I just didn't like. But how do I find out what it was. I searched the Internet, I spoke with friends, I asked cooks that I knew but no one could help me. Then this week, at my same local gourmet market, I purchased some eggplant parmesan and there it was again, that taste. Now I was on a mission. Somehow I would find out what it is that causes me to throw out this food.

The next day I headed for that same gourmet market and found the owner of the store. Since this is a local market, I know him quite well. Nicholas, I said, "Can you tell me what spices you put in the eggplant parmesan?" Since he's also one of the cooks, it was easy enough for him to rattle off the ingredients.....oregano, basil, parsley, thyme. "No", I said, "it's none of those. There's something that was in the eggplant and was also in the meatloaf at one time." He said, "Let me check it out" and back to the kitchen he went. When he came back, he had the answer I've been searching for.....it was the dreaded Marjoram. Apparently, instead of putting individual spices into the eggplant parm, they used an Italian Seasoning blend which included Marjoram. Just to be sure, he opened up a new bottle of Marjoram and had me taste it. Yuk!!! That was it. Mystery solved. Now at least when I order something in a restaurant, I can make sure that it doesn't include Marjoram.

And the good news is that my local market, Colonial Farms, will no longer include Marjoram in any of its food. It's nice to have such pull. This is one of the things I just love about living in a small town. I'm so glad that when George Washington crossed the Delaware River in 1776 for the Battle of Trenton, they decided to name a town after him and that's where I ended up. Go Washington Crossing!!!!

The Chill Factor

I've decided that this is what it comes down to for me -- which singer actually gives me the chills when they perform. There was a great article in this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine which said that some TV is "Ear TV" and some TV is "Eye TV". Of course, at the moment, I can't remember who wrote the article and thus cannot give credit where credit is due. But suffice it to say that the explanation is rather simple. Some TV is so mediocre that you hardly watch it and might be listening to it while doing something else and that gives us "Ear TV". On the other hand, if you are mesmerized by something and follow every minute, then that is classified as "Eye TV". Lost, for example, can only be classified as Eye TV because if you take your eyes off the set, you'll definitely miss something important.

Such is the case when watching American Idol. You can listen to most of it while doing something else but, every once in awhile, something catches your ear and forces you to watch and listen or, in the case of the One Republic song, Stop and Stare at the TV. That's exactly what happened to me during last night's broadcast of American Idol. I halfheartedly listened to most of the contestants until Michael Johns came on singing Queen's We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. I have already stated that I am a huge fan of his and think he has a great chance of winning and his performance last night is one of the reasons I feel this way. In one word, it was "amazing" and Simon Cowell felt the same way telling him that he had actual star quality when singing that song.

Then we come to David Cook, this season's male rocker. He sang Michael Jackson's song Billy Jean but sang the Chris Cornell version of it. Lest you think I'm way up on my rock music, I have no idea who Chris Cornell even is but I feel obliged to give him credit for his rendition of this song. To say it was amazing would be an understatement. It was unbelievable. I even rewound it so I could listen to it again. Itunes sells these songs as soon as the show is over and I will definitely be purchasing this one as well as Michael Johns' performance.

Disappointments last night were Jason Castro and David Archuletta. Hasn't anyone told Archuletta never to sing a song no one has ever heard of? Simon even made a comment to this effect insinuating that it might have been David's "stage Dad" father who picked the song.

This is what makes American Idol so exciting. There are so many different types this season. Brooke White, another favorite of mine, is reminiscent of Carly Simon. David Cook reminds me of Daughtry. Michael Johns reminds me of so many different performers as he really can take on so many different personas on stage.

But it all boils down to one thing for me and that's the "chill factor" and only two performers did it for me last night....Cook and Johns. I guess I'm a rocker at heart. (Did I really just type that)?

Happy Easter

I know, I know, I know. Remember, I went to 12 years of Catholic schools. So what do I know? I know that Easter is the most important religious day for all Christians because it is the day that celebrates the resurrection of Christ. And if you didn't know this because I'm telling you, you surely remember it from Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of Christ. Since that movie grossed almost one billion dollars, I'm assuming most people saw it.

Easter was always a fun time for me when the kids were growing up as I was big on coloring eggs and making up great Easter baskets. I remember one year filling up Liz' basket with everything that said New Kids on the Block on it. Michael's baskets, of course, were usually filled with video games. Unfortunately for me, when I was growing up, my mother was big on Easter bonnets. I have more pictures of me with ugly hats on than I care to remember. But before you think that she didn't get us baskets filled with candy, think again. She was great at this stuff and that's where I learned my craft.

So I digress. We all know the real importance of Easter this year. It means I can eat chocolate again, the thing I gave up for Lent. So where did this sacrifice get me. Initially I lost at least 5 pounds because of it. But then I started to make up for the loss of chocolate by eating muffins and cake. Not really a good thing and actually worse than the chocolate because it takes more cake and muffins to satisfy a sweet tooth than a piece of chocolate does. So I quickly had to get this in check before I gained back those 5 pounds. So what did I learn? I learned that a chocolate a day keeps the cravings away and I'm probably better off eating a piece of chocolate candy than I am eating a box of donuts.

And lest anyone thinks I'm being irreverent with this blog, think again. I'm only joking as surely I know that the real meaning of Easter is about everything good and holy. I can't even joke about it because it's something that's ingrained in my being from all those years of being taught by the nuns of St. Cecilia's and Bishop McDonnell's. So on this holiest of holy days in the Christian calendar, I say to you "Happy Easter" and may the Easter bunny bring you all that you crave.

Pre-Easter Dinner

This weekend, we opted for the pre-Easter celebration at one of my favorite restaurants, P.F.Changs. This is actually a new restaurant to this area having only opened within the past year. Prior to ever eating here, I had heard so many great things about it and was actually happy that I wasn't let down as I usually am after something is built up so much by others.

In attendance was my daughter and favorite son-in-law, Liz and Bryan, my son Michael, husband Bob and moi. Usually the wait is in excess of one hour but today we decided to go at 5PM which really worked to our advantage as the wait was only 20 minutes. I guess we picked the right night to go because, even when we were leaving, there wasn't a wait. Needless to say, a lot of people obviously don't go out to dinner the night before Easter. Guess they were all home waiting for the Easter Bunny to arrive.

I don't think I've ever eaten anything at this restaurant that wasn't terrific. Tonight, for the first time, I tried lettuce wraps courtesy of favorite son and it's definitely something I would order again. Unfortunately for me, I was so full by the time the dessert menu was presented that I couldn't partake although my daughter had ordered some fabulous banana concoction that I wished I had room for.

Tomorrow is Easter and thus the end of my chocolate Lenten abstinence. It's been a long forty days and I'm not sure I'll do this again next year. I'm thinking that next year I might just give up soda....it might just be easier than the chocolate.

Dancing with the NON Stars

This week, ABC came out with its sixth season of Dancing With The Stars or, as I like to refer to it, Dancing With The NON Stars. Most of the time, I don't know who half these people are. But, all of the time, I am entertained just the same. This is one reality show where the participants actually have to work like crazy to secure their spot for next week. And, if you're slightly overweight, you're sure to be in great shape by the time the show concludes.

With a cast of 6 men and 6 females, it's easy to see who will be eliminated first. I said these very same words when Jerry Springer was part of the cast yet his fan base kept him on the show quite awhile. So my elimination process is loosely based on their performance although we all know that if they're popular, they will stay longer than they should.

Who should go?

Penn Jillette -- over 6'5 and big and clumsy
Adam Carolla -- should stick to comedy
Steve Guttenberg -- should stick to acting even though I can't remember the last time he was in a movie
Marissa Jaret Winokur -- very cute but it's going to be hard for her to compete because she's not as agile as the other contestants
Monica Seles -- I wanted her to do well but she was far too stiff
Marlee Matlin -- getting the sympathy vote from the judges just like Heather Mills did

So that leaves us with six who actually have a chance --

Kristi Yamaguchi -- definitely the one to beat
Priscilla Presley -- 62 years old and looking great
Shannon Elizabeth -- the longest legs on the show...how can I not root for a poker player
Jason Taylor -- should give up football and become a model because he's so good looking
Christian de la Fuente -- very Latin and very hot
Mario -- the youngest on the show and clearly the one of the men to beat

So there you have it. I think it's between Kristi Yamaguchi and Mario to take this one down this season. But even if you don't win, as much as the title of this show is Dancing With The Stars, it could also be known as How To Revive Your Career. Let's face it. Donnie Osmond is riding high once again simply because his sister danced on the show. Marie Osmond is getting her own talk show. Drew Lachey is almost as popular as his brother Nick Lachey. Lisa Rinna is now doing red carpet interviews. Paulina Porizkova is now a judge on America's Next Top Model. Joey Fatone now hosts a game show. And why do athletes like Evander Holyfield, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Clyde Drexler go on a show like this when they're already so famous.? Clearly it's to broaden their fan base and gain new admirers. I certainly like them better than when they played their respective sports.

In any event, all of these "D" List stars will be dancing their way to better careers and possible moving up the list to "C" or "B". Let's just hope that Kathy Griffin doesn't decide to do this show because where would we all be if she no longer is able to tape her own reality show, My Life On The D List.

What Is Blogworthy?

So my son-in-law emails me today advising me that I haven't updated my blog in three days. This, by the way, is the same son-in-law who I stated in a previous blog was my favorite son-in-law. At that time, he advised me that he would be my one and only son-in-law since I only have one daughter and that is why he's my favorite. In our family, we like to refer to him as "Karaoke Bry" as he is seen here at one of his favorite spots singing away. And lest my daughter complain that she doesn't like the picture of Bryan singing karaoke, I've added yet another better one for her. In all actuality, it's very hard to find a picture of Bryan without a) Liz in it or b) a beer in his hand. Here is the actual email I received.

What is going on? I believe this is the 3rd day in a row without a blog update????? For those of us that have to work on Good Friday it would be a perfect time to read a little Terra Firma. You're leaving your biggest fans out in the cold. Real nice.

I reply that I really didn't have much to say and that's why I haven't written anything in three days. Another email comes and it says, "When is Michael coming home?" I reply, "At 7:40PM". Another email from FSIL, "Well, isn't that blogworthy?"

Which brings me right back to the question....What Is Blogworthy? If said son-in-law thinks that the time of the arrival of my son is worthy of a blog, so be it. Here it is Bryan.

My son Michael is arriving in Philadelphia on Southwest Flight #607 which leaves Chicago's Midway Airport at 4:25PM and gets into Philadelphia International Airport at 7:40PM. His father, your father-in-law, better known to you as Mr. Martin, will be picking him up. His mother, better known to you as Mrs. Martin, will be home making his favorite dinner (chicken cutlets and chicken rice) so that the king has something to eat as soon as he gets here. His favorite dog, Belle, will be awaiting his arrival because he's the only one who takes her on nice long walks.

Later on this evening, I will make him one of his favorite banana shakes. He will probably take this up to his bedroom where he will either be playing poker, playing FIFA, playing guitar hero or just relaxing. Everything in the world will be fine because Michael has finally gotten home for Easter.

How's that Bryan? Do you really think it was blogworthy?

THIS JUST IN...NEW EMAIL RECEIVED.

"Laughing like crazy and trying to post a comment but I forgot my login information. Loved it."

So I guess it was blogworthy if it made his day!!!!!

The Bachelor -- Again!!!!!

Here we go again. The 12th season of The Bachelor and I'm still watching. This time, they had to go to England to find the latest bachelor, Matt Grant, 6'5", charming and very good looking.

As usual, the casting is very similar to past seasons. They have the resident drunken tramp, who this season stuffed her thong into his pocket on the first night. This is usually enough to get him to give her a rose but our English bachelor might just have some class. Bye bye to the slutty girl.

When the twenty-five girls first emerge from their respective limos, I enjoy making a list of the fifteen girls I think will be given a rose on the first night while ten are sent packing. This season, I went 12 for 15, only getting three wrong. That's not too bad. But, you must realize that I am the mother of a bachelor and usually have a good eye for the kind of girls a single guy might like, or should I say the kind of girls a mother of a single guy might want him to like.

I think I'll need one or two more episodes before I pick the winner. But are they ever really winners? After a month or so, they usually break up and the so-called "winner" is left crying. According to all of the online reality sites, however, this bachelor did, in fact, find true love in America. Haven't we heard that before?

So I'll hang around until that final rose ceremony even though I realize now that it's probably all a sham. But at least this time it's an English sham!

HAPPY ST. PATRICIA'S DAY

While the rest of the world is celebrating St. Patrick's Day, I'm celebrating the birthday of the other saint born on this very same day and that would be St. Patricia, aka my BFF Pat. Born Patricia Bambino, her parents decided to honor that great saint by naming their daughter after him. It just makes it so easy each year to remember her birthday as it falls on such a momentous occasion.

Last year, we celebrated by playing in a ladies' poker tournament at Foxwoods. This year, we played in the Caesars WSOP ladies' event instead. She's so lucky that all of these poker tournaments seem to fall on or around her birthday.

Speaking of luck, it was not by chance that she was born on St. Patrick's Day. It definitely was meant to be as she is clearly the luckiest person I have ever met. Since we also work together, we attend many business functions where drawings are held and prizes are won. Sometimes I tell them not even to bother picking out a name and to just give the prize to Pat as we all know she's going to win anyway....and she usually does.

But, the truth of the matter is that I'm really the lucky one because I get to be her BFF as well. The space in this blog is not large enough for me to relate all the fun we have whenever we're together. We have been friends for over twenty years and, like good wine, it just gets better and better.

So in a fictional world of lepruchauns, shamrocks and good luck, I found my pot of gold at the end of my friendship rainbow when I came upon my very own saint, someone who is loved by all, especially moi.

And to my other BFF's out there, your time will come in my blog. It's not your birthday, is it???

Hail Caesar!!!!

On Saturday, we (Pat and I) made another trip to Caesars to play in the 2008 WSOP Ladies' Poker tournament. This is the second year in a row that we have gone to this event. I don't know why we love these tournaments so much but, truth be told, we do. We love everything about them -- the comraderie of the other women, the competition, the feeling you get when you rake in those chips and, most importantly, finding the best place in Atlantic City to have dinner. We're almost ready to put out our own Zagat's Atlantic City edition.

We usually leave the night before so we're well rested and fresh by the time we sit down at the poker table. This time, however, we weren't able to get a room at Caesars so we decided instead to leave home at 8AM, which would get us there in plenty of time for the "Shuffle Up And Deal" call at noon. Our initial plan was to leave early enough to get there in time to register and have breakfast before playing. Once Pat's husband Bill heard of our plan, he offered to make us breakfast before we departed, which meant getting to Pat's house a half hour earlier. Might I add here that it was well worth it. He made us a breakfast that rivals any IHOP or Denny's or any other restaurant known for their breakfasts. He had gone out early in the morning and bought special raisin bread from which he made the most delicious French Toast I've ever eaten. This scenario worked out so well that we might have him make us breakfast before we leave for any of our future tournaments. Thank you Chef Bill.

Now on to the tournament, the reason for our trip. Once again, I didn't cash but I'm definitely getting closer. Out of the 365 players who entered, I came in 65th place but, unfortunately, only 36 people cashed and I wasn't one of them. I make no excuses for not getting there. I'm doing everything I've been taught by the best of them (Michael and friends) but the powers that be have not aligned for me to win as of yet. I will keep trying and will definitely have fun doing so.

A funny thing happened before the tournament started and I feel obliged to report it. Since we had an hour or so to kill, we decided to window shop all of Caesar's famous Pier shops. When we got to the end of the stores, we walked up to the third level where most of the restaurants are so we could pick out where we would eat later on that night. We couldn't make up our minds and looked for somewhere to sit to discuss the options. Lo and behold, we found these great Adirondack chairs that were set in sand in front of a huge picture window that looked out on to the ocean. It was heaven!!! We stayed there for at least an hour talking and laughing and people watching. Now here's the funny thing -- Pat says to me "Isn't this great? Don't tell anyone about this spot." "You don't think anyone else knows about this?", I whispered. "Okay, I promise not to tell anyone." So later on I'm still playing in the tournament and Pat has just been knocked out and she comes over to my table and tells me she's going to go back to "our secret spot" and relax. Fifteen minutes later, she comes back with a sad face and tells me that she couldn't even get a seat, they were all taken. Guess her secret's out. lol If any of you know Pat, you'll know how funny this story really is. She always says things like this. I'm chalking it up to yet another Patism and that's why we all love her.

So, getting back to dinner. While Pat was waiting for me to finish, she was able to scope out the restaurant scene and came up with a great place for us to eat -- Phillips Seafood. And guess where it was??? Close to our "secret" chairs. Rather than order a full blown meal, we opted for the soup, New England clam chowder, a salad, a wedge of Iceberg lettuce with blue cheese and bacon and dessert, coconut cream pie. Can you say DELICIOUS!!!! Dinner was beyond great and we would definitely go back there again.

We left Caesars shortly after dinner because we both had to work on Sunday. As we were leaving the casino, I realized I didn't have my wallet. What is it with Caesars? The last time we were there, we couldn't remember where we had parked the car. Now I can't find my wallet which was obviously much worse than losing the car. I decided to retrace my steps and headed straight for the poker room. Fortunately for me, it had fallen out of my bag and one of the ladies had picked it up and turned it in to security. At this point, we're wondering what we'll lose the next time we visit Caesars. Hopefully not our shirts!!!!

Until next year's event, Et tu Brute.

Disgusted and Disgusting

How many more of these stories do we have to hear? I'm so sick of these politicians and their stupidity. They're so full of power and think they're above the law. And if you look at them, and Eliot Spitzer in particular, please tell me what woman would even want this guy. No wonder he had to pay a prostitute. And his fall from grace is even more notable since he preached on a platform of high morality yet I guess he felt he didn't have to follow the rules himself. He was someone who enjoyed bringing down other powerful men or should I say helping in the ruination of their careers. Well, I guess the words "What Goes Around, Comes Around" are true in his case. Enjoy the ride Mr. Spitzer.

But here's my real complaint. When will the time come when one of these wives has the backbone to tell her guy to do the press conference himself? Why do these wives have to stand before the world and be humiliated because of their husbands' trangressions. Is it "Stand By Your Man" no matter what. This guy is the married father of three daughters and a man in public office who owes something both to his family and to the people he represents yet he has no problem laying out in excess of $80,000 to prostitutes. And this is what Silda Spitzer chooses to stand by. Tell him to get the heck out of your life. It's something Hillary Clinton should have done years ago. I think she'd be more respected today if she had had more respect for herself and kicked him out .....of the white house. Well, I guess she couldn't have done that. Too bad as he's another arrogant one who is above the law.

And then we have Dr Laura Schlessinger on The Today Show blaming it on his wife because she didn't spend enough time thinking how to give her man what he needs. According to reported documents, he was paying a higher price than usual because what they were doing was considered dangerous. Excuse me Dr. Schlessinger that his wife didn't realize this was what he needed to feel just a little bit more arrogant than he already was.

The name of the prostitution ring was called The Emperor's Club and clearly, in this case, the Hans Christian Andersen tale rings true as This Emperor Had No Clothes.

No Comment

I hear so many complaints from my friends that they wanted to leave a comment on my blog but either didn't know how to do it or, for some reason, they tried, and it didn't work. This seems to be a universal complaint with Google blogger.

But, I'm here to tell you that it's relatively easy. When you read a post you want to comment on, simply click on the word "comment" at the end of the blog. It will bring you to a new page with a box that says "Leave A Comment". Simply type in your comment and make sure you sign your name so I know who you are. Then, click in the circle that says Anonymous and then click on "Publish Your Comment". It's that easy. Of course, if you're already registered with Google Blogger, then you can just sign in under your name but you know that already.

If it wasn't for my good friend JoAnn, I'd almost get no comments at all. Don't make me call you all out on this! I get emails from many of you saying you liked my blog so if you can type an email, you can post a comment. Do you hear that Bryan? There's a shout out to my favorite son-in-law. And, if all else fails, I found a site where I can buy blog comments. I will resort to anything.

So, I'll be expecting numerous comments from all of you. And, if it must be in another language, no problemo. I can translate.

Two Things In Life You Can Be Sure Of.....Death and Taxes

But, if you live in our area of Pennsylvania, there are three things.....Death, Taxes and Your Electricity Going Out whenever there's any kind of a storm. The Post Office has a slogan that says, Neither snow nor rain nor heat, yada, yada, yada. Well, our electric company has a similar slogan that says, Whenever there's snow, or rain, or sleet, or wind, or heat, or hail, we can assure you that you will lose your power. We moved here twenty-two years ago and, after losing our power a half a dozen times, I wrote a letter to the newspaper editor saying exactly what I said above. It was published and I looked at it today and here I am two decades later saying the same thing. It's just unbelievable.

I don't get it. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in the dark ages since they can't seem to keep the power going in inclement weather. Our scenario is even worse because we have private well and private septic so when the power goes out, not only do we not have electricity, but we also don't have water and thus the use of toilets. I surely don't know what the answer is but I just love venting about it.

And when you don't have electricity, you don't have cable and if you don't have cable, you don't have the use of the computer and on and on and on. When I see those shows on TV showing people roughing it, I know that's not for me. Yet our electric company forces me to live this way at least a dozen times a year. Well, at least I have a computer tonight to tell you all about it. Tomorrow I might not as they're predicting a little wind in the area!!!!

My Guilty Pleasures

During the recent writers' strike, everyone was concerned that there would be nothing to watch on TV and we might all be relegated to watch those dreaded "Reality" TV shows. Well, I said, "Bring It On" because I just love my reality TV. I never really got that involved in the original MTV pioneer of reality TV, The Real World or the follow up to that, Road Rules, although I was very up on some of the houseguests just from listening to my son and daughter talk about them like they knew them.

My first real introduction came in the form of a show where 16 contestants were stranded on an island off the coast of Borneo for 39 days and the last one standing was the winner. I remember seeing the promos for this show and thinking that I would watch the first episode but there was no way I could imagine a show like this making it. I couldn't have been more wrong as this show has become the landmark of all reality TV. Thus is the power of Survivor. With the latest episode, Fans vs. Favorites, it marks the 16th season of this highly rated show. It's a show I always look forward to and a show I never miss. One wonders how they can maintain an audience, while the premise stays the same, yet they seem successful at it. Recently, they have upped the ante on the challenges and some of them have been downright physical to the point of being dangerous. And yet, I continue to watch as "Thursday" is "Survivor Night".

There's another favorite of mine that always begins on fourth of July weekend or thereabouts. This is probably my most guilty pleasure and one in which I invest way too much of my time. The problem with Big Brother is that not only is it on three times a week, but you can watch live feeds 24/7 and, for the past two seasons, Showtime airs it live for three straight hours each evening from midnight to 3AM. Last season was the first time I watched the live feed and it will be the last time because I found myself addicted to it and basically wasted so much time where I could have been doing something much better. As a result of the writers' strike, CBS decided that they would take advantage of this opening in their lineup and air, for the very first time, a winter edition of Big Brother known as Big Brother -- Till Death Do Us Part. For the first time, the houseguests will participate as couples -- couples who have never met before entering the house. This is the one thing I like about Big Brother. They say to "expect the unexpected" and they never disappoint this viewer.

And then there's the "Trumpster" with his highly self-touted show "The Apprentice". This season it's been upgraded to "Celebrity Apprentice" and I use that world "upgraded" very loosely. I actually never thought I would like a celebrity edition and yet I find I might like it even more than the original. It's fun to see these stars being fired by "The Donald". Maybe they can get a glimpse of what it's like to be in the real world. This is another show to which I've been tuned into since its inception. I love the challenges and only wish this had been around when I was in the business world. If this had been the case, as they say in poker, "Ship It", because, hands down, I would have won and, by now, I'd be firing Donald Trump.

Perhaps the cadillac of all reality shows, and the one that involves a tremendous amount of talent on the part of its contestants, is Project Runway. Again, it's another show I've been attached to since the very beginning. The huge draw towards believability is Heidi Klum, as the moderator, who is probably one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. It's funny to think that years ago, it was all of these supermodels whose faces were seen on the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Now it's TV and movie stars who have replaced these models, since they obviously sell more magazine copies than the unknown model would have. The season finale culminates with the final three showing their "lines" at Bryant Park during Fashion Week. For a designer, this is the "ultimate" and something that would have been impossible before this show came to be.

So, while I felt bad that people were out of work and the "show couldn't go on", as far as I'm concerned, it didn't even put a dent in my TV watching. As a matter of fact, I considered it a nice reprieve from all those incessant sitcoms and crime dramas. It gave me the ability to indulge myself in my reality TV and all of my Netflix offerings. Too bad the strike is over.

Why Am I Always "Late to the Party"?

All I can say is "thank goodness for Netflix." Because of this great concept, I'm able to catch up on those TV shows that I missed during their premier seasons. I've been a member, almost since its inception, having been incensed by the way Blockbuster was raping their customers with late fees on a daily basis. I got great satisfaction when Blockbuster tried to copy the Netflix strategy and really couldn't compete.

My first catch up took place with a show that Entertainment Weekly referred to as "The Best Show On TV That You Haven't Seen" and that was Friday Night Lights. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this show. It is so much better than the original movie and the casting is far superior -- even though a few of the cast members in the movie do appear on the TV show. I even bought the DVD for my son for Christmas, in the hopes that I could win over another viewer but, as yet, he's one of those "who isn't watching it". The writers' strike has stopped production on this show and there's rumors that it might be cancelled. I would be devastated if this happens as it's the one show I look forward to watching every week.

The next show that I didn't watch at its inception was Heroes. The premise just didn't appeal to me....super powers given to people who can save the world. It's just not my cup of tea. But, my son insisted that it was one of the best things he's ever seen so, needless to say, I had to check it out. Once again, I became an immediate fan and caught up with every past episode before this new season had even started. This is one show that I know there's no chance of it being canceled because it's just that good and it has tons of followers.

Similar to most people of my generation, I tend to gravitate towards the main TV channels, CBS, ABC and NBC, but, as of late, I'm finding that some of the best shows are on FX, HBO, SHOWTIME and other similar channels. It's no surprise, based on this, that I missed out on one of the best shows ever to be shown on a television set and that would be Damages. This is one that was found by my BFF Pat. Since we basically like all of the same things, I figured I would have to check this one out. Unfortunately, it wasn't being offered by Netflix yet but I was able to find a site where I could download all of the previous episodes. As soon as I started, I was transfixed. First of all, Glenn Close has the lead in this show playing a high powered attorney who runs her own firm. The fact alone that Glenn Close would associate herself with a television show should have been impetus enough for me to watch it from the beginning. The first episode starts off which someone being questioned by the police. So begins the mystery that will keep you guessing until the last episode. Apparently, they will have a different case/mystery that will wrap up in the season finale.

And lastly, this brings me to my newest find, Nip Tuck. This was a show I had heard a lot about but had shied away from because of all the cutting and blood. But, once again, Pat kept talking and talking about it so I made it my business to watch one or two episodes this season. That was enough to get me hooked. I immediately went to my other BFF, Netflix, and ordered the first season. Since I was already fully enmeshed in this current season, it was fun to go back and watch how it all started. This show already has a few seasons of production under its belt so it will be awhile before I get fully caught up.

I have a few more shows that I've heard raves about but haven't watched and I'm looking foward to The Wire, Rome and The Tudors. The first two I already have in the house so I just have to get my hands on The Tudors. Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to find the time to watch all of these shows. Yesterday, my husband commented that with all the channels on TV, he can never find anything good to watch. I looked at him like he was crazy and said that unfortunately I find too much I want to watch.

I think from now on I should just watch all of these new shows when they first hit the airwaves so I'm not always finding myself behind the eight ball. So forgive me now while I leave you to watch Disc 3 of Season 1 of Nip tuck........

20 Days In and Counting......

Well, I'm halfway there and all of the chocolate in the house, when I started this, is still in exactly the same condition as it was.....untouched and uneaten. And wow, this is hard. It's not just giving up chocolate candy; it's giving up anything that has chocolate in it which includes any kind of cookies and cake and ice cream as well.

On a positive note, I guess I really do eat a lot of chocolate because I've lost at least five pounds since the beginning of Lent. I also found out that I drink more soda when I eat more candy because I don't think I've had more than one can of Diet Coke a day in the past three weeks. So obviously the candy make me thirsty or else Coke and Candy just go together. So now I've killed two birds with one stone and, by doing so, got healthier at the same time. Go Lent!!!!!

It's amazing to me how a Catholic upbringing can stay with you your entire life. Even if I'm tempted to have a piece of chocolate, I just won't. There's no two ways about it -- I just can't do it. It's funny how easily some addictions can be controlled. Yet, as soon as Easter comes, I'm sure I'll be delighted to be back on Coke and Candy once again. What a vicious cycle.

So with three weeks left to go I've found out that it's obviously mind over matter when it comes to giving up something or else it's the fear of the wrath of God if you're a Catholic. Whatever the case, I'm almost there.

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