I just HAD to post this video...I can't believe I didn't see this until now!
There's nothing like the Muppets to put me in the holiday spirit! Well, that and Christmas music, wrapping presents, decorating, snow...and watching White Christmas.
Well I have to get back to work, but I just wanted to say Happy Christmas Eve! I love Christmas Eve about as much as I love Christmas Day because the anticipation of Christmas is so exciting! Just multiply that excitement times about a million and you can imagine how those shepherds felt as they traveled to the stable after being scared out of their pants by a choir of angels...they probably didn't know what on earth to expect, but the thrill of leaving their sheep and wandering out into the night had to have them chattering nervously together while they walked --
"Can you believe all those shining angels? I'm still seeing spots!"
"Who do you think we're going to meet when we get there -- will there be famous people at this thing?"
"Do you think our sheep will be ok?"
"We're gonna get in so much trouble for this!"
"Heheheeee!!!"
And then imagine their surprise to find out that the person causing all the commotion was surrounded by the humble and lowly conditions of farm animals, hay, and horse poop. Someone just like them! It must have been a sight beyond their wildest imaginations, and yet so familiar that they may have felt that it was real...genuine. Something they could believe in.
Merry Christmas Eve! I hope that tonight you feel the joy of giddy anticipation that those shepherds must have felt so many nights ago!
Peace on Earth!
Lis
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
grey gardens and newsroom nuggets
Let me first just say that I'm home in K-town for the weekend, I'm snuggled up in bed with my laptop in my pitch-black dark bedroom...and our cat (also black, like the night and this bedroom right now) is as nocturnal as I am and he is on the prowl. I keep hearing him stalking around, but I can't see him. Creepy...
OK, so anyway, I just thought I'd catch up and I apologize in advance because this is gonna be a long blog.
~~~
First, thoughts from the newsroom...
This morning was busy! When winter weather hits the Midwest, it really becomes the meteorologist's show, and today was a perfect example. I knocked out pretty much all of the news stories just for live shots and stories about road conditions, and I gave a TON of time to the meteorologist. Plus, schools were delaying and then cancelling, so that kept things hopping around the station as well. In case you didn't tune in last year, I am the person the superintendants call to say that school is canceled, and I am the one who puts it on the air in the little bar at the bottom of the screen. A friend of mine said yesterday, "Do you realize how much power you have? I mean, you could make a LOT of money off of that." That's assuming high school kids would be willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money to have me "accidentally" cancel school. It would have to be a ridiculous amount of money because I would get fired.
Anyway, this is just a small joy, but I noticed yesterday that two of my stories made it all the way through the day to the 11:00 news. Now let me explain why this is significant to me -- The only time I write anything is if it's new for the morning or if we have breaking news. The other day we had two breaking news stories: a train crash and an armed robbery. Now, usually these stories run again at noon, but by five or six, they don't make the news because there is a lot more new stuff twelve hours after my show. If the story does make the evening news, it's usually rewritten as a VOB or as a package. But when a story that I actually wrote makes it through the whole day, I always feel a small sense of pride. And yesterday it wasn't just one, but TWO!
Oh, lord, the cat is in here...somewhere...I wish I could explain how creepy this is! Haha!
~~~
OK, topic two -- Grey Gardens. Grey Gardens is a documentary made in 1973 about a house of the same name, and the two ladies who lived there -- Edith Bouvier Beale and her adult daughter Edie Beale (or, "Big Edie" and "Little Edie.") Big Edie was Jackie Kennedy's aunt, making Little Edie Jackie's cousin, and like the rest of that well-connected family, they used to be very wealthy socialites. Then for a reason unknown to me (I'm going to have to find a biography), the glamour, wealth, and men in their lives faded away to leave a mother and daughter in a dysfunctional, codependent relationship. The two women became very eccentric and their once-fashionable home in East Hampton became a run-down house full of cats and raccoons. The Beales never left the house and lived in such squalor that apparently their home was finally inspected with a threat of eviction. After they passed the inspection, a pair of brothers came out to the house to film a documentary of the two women in their current lifestyles. The result is Grey Gardens, a charming yet disturbing chronicle of these two women and how they chose to live.
It's equally heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch the mom and daughter's eccentric mannerisms, conversations, and choices of clothing -- Big Edie is exposing herself half the time ("I'm about to get naked, so you better watch out!") while reliving her days as a singer by warbling to old records from the 1930s and talking about how she had a wonderfully fulfilling life..."I had my cake, loved it, masticated it, chewed it and had everything I wanted." Meanwhile, Little Edie fashions clothes out of everything in the house, always covering her hair with a dark scarf, dancing around the room, and talking about how her days at Grey Gardens are numbered and how much happier she'd be in "the city" (meaning New York City, where she once lived before her mother persuaded her to come back and take care of her). The soundbytes from the two ladies are so priceless and perfect that you'd think someone had written the lines ahead of time, and yet they are so delusionally and earnestly spoken that you know no one could ever come up with this dialogue.
Now, a few years ago, someone had the idea to make Grey Gardens into a musical, and it started off-broadway. It then came to Broadway in (I believe) 2007, where it didn't run for long, but definitely made an impact, winning several awards. Now that I've seen the documentary, I'm exploring YouTube for snippets from the show, and it looks like it too would have been fascinating to see. The first act is a sort of historical fiction of what the Beales' life would have been like when Little Edie was a young woman hoping to be married, showing how Big Edie's selfish desire to keep her daughter from leaving drove the two apart; Little Edie leaves with a suitcase at the end of the first act. Act two opens on the delapidated 1970s version of Grey Gardens, and (from what I've seen) weaves the wonderful lines from the film into song and dialogue between the now eccentric mother and daughter. Christine Ebersole played the role of Big Edie in Act One, and Little Edie in Act Two, and she is sensational. In all my research of the show so far, all I see is people pointing to her and saying, "Now that is how you sing a song on Broadway. Now that is talent!"
If by any chance I've sparked your curiosity, look up "Grey Gardens" on YouTube...the entire documentary is there in sections, as are several songs from the Broadway show. Especially check out "Revolutionary Costume for Today" and "Around the World." I would watch the documentary first because it gives you much greater appreciation for the songs, their lyrics, and Ebersole's ability to capture the essence of the women in the documentary.
OK, that is it for me! Sorry, I told ya it was going to be a long one! But hopefully I've given you an interesting read.
And I think the cat just farted. Is that possible? Do cats fart?
Until later!
OK, so anyway, I just thought I'd catch up and I apologize in advance because this is gonna be a long blog.
~~~
First, thoughts from the newsroom...
This morning was busy! When winter weather hits the Midwest, it really becomes the meteorologist's show, and today was a perfect example. I knocked out pretty much all of the news stories just for live shots and stories about road conditions, and I gave a TON of time to the meteorologist. Plus, schools were delaying and then cancelling, so that kept things hopping around the station as well. In case you didn't tune in last year, I am the person the superintendants call to say that school is canceled, and I am the one who puts it on the air in the little bar at the bottom of the screen. A friend of mine said yesterday, "Do you realize how much power you have? I mean, you could make a LOT of money off of that." That's assuming high school kids would be willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money to have me "accidentally" cancel school. It would have to be a ridiculous amount of money because I would get fired.
Anyway, this is just a small joy, but I noticed yesterday that two of my stories made it all the way through the day to the 11:00 news. Now let me explain why this is significant to me -- The only time I write anything is if it's new for the morning or if we have breaking news. The other day we had two breaking news stories: a train crash and an armed robbery. Now, usually these stories run again at noon, but by five or six, they don't make the news because there is a lot more new stuff twelve hours after my show. If the story does make the evening news, it's usually rewritten as a VOB or as a package. But when a story that I actually wrote makes it through the whole day, I always feel a small sense of pride. And yesterday it wasn't just one, but TWO!
Oh, lord, the cat is in here...somewhere...I wish I could explain how creepy this is! Haha!
~~~
OK, topic two -- Grey Gardens. Grey Gardens is a documentary made in 1973 about a house of the same name, and the two ladies who lived there -- Edith Bouvier Beale and her adult daughter Edie Beale (or, "Big Edie" and "Little Edie.") Big Edie was Jackie Kennedy's aunt, making Little Edie Jackie's cousin, and like the rest of that well-connected family, they used to be very wealthy socialites. Then for a reason unknown to me (I'm going to have to find a biography), the glamour, wealth, and men in their lives faded away to leave a mother and daughter in a dysfunctional, codependent relationship. The two women became very eccentric and their once-fashionable home in East Hampton became a run-down house full of cats and raccoons. The Beales never left the house and lived in such squalor that apparently their home was finally inspected with a threat of eviction. After they passed the inspection, a pair of brothers came out to the house to film a documentary of the two women in their current lifestyles. The result is Grey Gardens, a charming yet disturbing chronicle of these two women and how they chose to live.
It's equally heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch the mom and daughter's eccentric mannerisms, conversations, and choices of clothing -- Big Edie is exposing herself half the time ("I'm about to get naked, so you better watch out!") while reliving her days as a singer by warbling to old records from the 1930s and talking about how she had a wonderfully fulfilling life..."I had my cake, loved it, masticated it, chewed it and had everything I wanted." Meanwhile, Little Edie fashions clothes out of everything in the house, always covering her hair with a dark scarf, dancing around the room, and talking about how her days at Grey Gardens are numbered and how much happier she'd be in "the city" (meaning New York City, where she once lived before her mother persuaded her to come back and take care of her). The soundbytes from the two ladies are so priceless and perfect that you'd think someone had written the lines ahead of time, and yet they are so delusionally and earnestly spoken that you know no one could ever come up with this dialogue.
Now, a few years ago, someone had the idea to make Grey Gardens into a musical, and it started off-broadway. It then came to Broadway in (I believe) 2007, where it didn't run for long, but definitely made an impact, winning several awards. Now that I've seen the documentary, I'm exploring YouTube for snippets from the show, and it looks like it too would have been fascinating to see. The first act is a sort of historical fiction of what the Beales' life would have been like when Little Edie was a young woman hoping to be married, showing how Big Edie's selfish desire to keep her daughter from leaving drove the two apart; Little Edie leaves with a suitcase at the end of the first act. Act two opens on the delapidated 1970s version of Grey Gardens, and (from what I've seen) weaves the wonderful lines from the film into song and dialogue between the now eccentric mother and daughter. Christine Ebersole played the role of Big Edie in Act One, and Little Edie in Act Two, and she is sensational. In all my research of the show so far, all I see is people pointing to her and saying, "Now that is how you sing a song on Broadway. Now that is talent!"
If by any chance I've sparked your curiosity, look up "Grey Gardens" on YouTube...the entire documentary is there in sections, as are several songs from the Broadway show. Especially check out "Revolutionary Costume for Today" and "Around the World." I would watch the documentary first because it gives you much greater appreciation for the songs, their lyrics, and Ebersole's ability to capture the essence of the women in the documentary.
OK, that is it for me! Sorry, I told ya it was going to be a long one! But hopefully I've given you an interesting read.
And I think the cat just farted. Is that possible? Do cats fart?
Until later!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
if you can't stand the heat...
...get the hell out of the kitchen and FAST!
That's a little lesson I learned last night while trying to "deep fry" some chicken. I meant to go grocery shopping yesterday morning after work, but it was just too cold, and all I wanted was to go home, turn the heater up, and snuggle up in my amazing bed and sleep. So that's what I did. Then I planned to go grocery shopping last night, but my sister called and we ended up talking for almost two hours, which meant I wouldn't have time to hit the grocery before getting ready for work.
That's ok, I thought, I still have lots of frozen stuff in my freezer that I can cook.
Dun dun dun...
So, one of the things in my freezer was a bag of frozen, breaded chicken that you are supposed to deep fry. Now, let me explain what this meant for me. First, I have never deep fried anything myself before. Second, I don't own a deep fryer. These two things usually wouldn't be a problem; whenever I try cooking something new, I head to the trusty ol' internet to Google step-by-step instructions. I am an intense rules-follower in new situations (can you imagine what kind of a mother I'll probably be someday?).
But last night, for some unknown reason, I decided to do something totally uncharacteristic and just wing it. (Chicken wing it! Ahhh haha...lame joke, I know.)
Here's what MY step-by-step instructions would have looked like last night had I written them down:
Step 1 - Cut a hole in a box...
No, just kidding. That's just the first thing that came to my mind as soon as I typed "Step 1."
Step 1 - Get out a small frying pan, put it on the stove, and turn the stove up to about 6.
Step 2 - Get out your bottle of vegetable oil and pour it into the pan. Don't worry about measuring it out in measuring cups or anything; just pour it in till the pan is about half full.
Step 3 - Let the oil heat up, uncovered, while you put the chicken in the microwave to defrost (this will take about 7 minutes).
Step 4 - Once the chicken is thawed out, stick a fork in it and just dump it in the pan of hot oil. Don't be shy; just go ahead and toss it in there.
FWOOOOOSH!!!
Seething hot oil frothed up and spattered all over the kitchen as soon as that chicken hit the pan. I actually jumped about five feet out of the way and then just watched as hot vegetable oil covered the surface of the stove. I edged back over to turn the burner down, and I could feel little airborne drops of oil hitting my arms and face; it felt like tiny pins pricking me all over. Grabbing a sponge, I tried to wipe up the oil from the stove top, but I mean, it's oil, so it didn't really feel like soaking up into the sponge. Instead, it just spread itself all around and dripped onto the floor.
I went to get a towel to wipe everything up, and slid across the floor (oil + tile = slippery situation), so then I had to wipe off my bare feet AND the floor before stepping back onto the tiles.
Holy crap.
By now, the chicken is most definitely fried, and just as greasy as can be. I was trying to figure out what to do next, when an image popped into my head of what my mom and dad did when they were frying fish: put the fried pieces on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil.
But because I haven't been to the grocery, I am out of paper towel.
So the fried, oily chicken just goes onto a plate where it sits in its own oily little puddle of sad little dinner disaster.
I decide to put the chicken on some lettuce and smother it with honey mustard dressing, hoping that the lettuce will soak up the oil and the honey mustard will give it a flavor other than grease.
Nnnope. It was not very tasty.
So I think I'll stick to what I know for now: Hamburger Helper, eggs and French toast, quesadillas, and anything I can fit into a George Foreman grill.
Until I get a deep fryer and learn how to use it.
That's a little lesson I learned last night while trying to "deep fry" some chicken. I meant to go grocery shopping yesterday morning after work, but it was just too cold, and all I wanted was to go home, turn the heater up, and snuggle up in my amazing bed and sleep. So that's what I did. Then I planned to go grocery shopping last night, but my sister called and we ended up talking for almost two hours, which meant I wouldn't have time to hit the grocery before getting ready for work.
That's ok, I thought, I still have lots of frozen stuff in my freezer that I can cook.
Dun dun dun...
So, one of the things in my freezer was a bag of frozen, breaded chicken that you are supposed to deep fry. Now, let me explain what this meant for me. First, I have never deep fried anything myself before. Second, I don't own a deep fryer. These two things usually wouldn't be a problem; whenever I try cooking something new, I head to the trusty ol' internet to Google step-by-step instructions. I am an intense rules-follower in new situations (can you imagine what kind of a mother I'll probably be someday?).
But last night, for some unknown reason, I decided to do something totally uncharacteristic and just wing it. (Chicken wing it! Ahhh haha...lame joke, I know.)
Here's what MY step-by-step instructions would have looked like last night had I written them down:
Step 1 - Cut a hole in a box...
No, just kidding. That's just the first thing that came to my mind as soon as I typed "Step 1."
Step 1 - Get out a small frying pan, put it on the stove, and turn the stove up to about 6.
Step 2 - Get out your bottle of vegetable oil and pour it into the pan. Don't worry about measuring it out in measuring cups or anything; just pour it in till the pan is about half full.
Step 3 - Let the oil heat up, uncovered, while you put the chicken in the microwave to defrost (this will take about 7 minutes).
Step 4 - Once the chicken is thawed out, stick a fork in it and just dump it in the pan of hot oil. Don't be shy; just go ahead and toss it in there.
FWOOOOOSH!!!
Seething hot oil frothed up and spattered all over the kitchen as soon as that chicken hit the pan. I actually jumped about five feet out of the way and then just watched as hot vegetable oil covered the surface of the stove. I edged back over to turn the burner down, and I could feel little airborne drops of oil hitting my arms and face; it felt like tiny pins pricking me all over. Grabbing a sponge, I tried to wipe up the oil from the stove top, but I mean, it's oil, so it didn't really feel like soaking up into the sponge. Instead, it just spread itself all around and dripped onto the floor.
I went to get a towel to wipe everything up, and slid across the floor (oil + tile = slippery situation), so then I had to wipe off my bare feet AND the floor before stepping back onto the tiles.
Holy crap.
By now, the chicken is most definitely fried, and just as greasy as can be. I was trying to figure out what to do next, when an image popped into my head of what my mom and dad did when they were frying fish: put the fried pieces on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil.
But because I haven't been to the grocery, I am out of paper towel.
So the fried, oily chicken just goes onto a plate where it sits in its own oily little puddle of sad little dinner disaster.
I decide to put the chicken on some lettuce and smother it with honey mustard dressing, hoping that the lettuce will soak up the oil and the honey mustard will give it a flavor other than grease.
Nnnope. It was not very tasty.
So I think I'll stick to what I know for now: Hamburger Helper, eggs and French toast, quesadillas, and anything I can fit into a George Foreman grill.
Until I get a deep fryer and learn how to use it.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Home for Christmas (Show)
Pictures from my weekend during the 75th Anniversary Purdue Christmas Show, as promised!
Backstage during the show...
This is Clarice, who leaves her beautiful home in Hawaii every summer to spend the school year in West Lafayette studying engineering! She is the sound technician for the Purduettes and a total sweetheart!
In the green room with the Kids Choir!
The kids were fascinated with my camera and decided to take some pictures...serious close-up pictures! They were funny.
The view of an empty Elliott Hall from the stage.
Getting our line-up set before the show. It was so fun to meet all of these amazing alumni!
Back with old friends...
Israel, who like me works in TV and is also a Second City comedian in Chicago! So proud!
Greg, who is now married and expecting (well, his wife is expecting. He's not like that creepy dude on the news who got pregnant). He is going to be a great dad!
Kelly stopped by the alumni room to say hi on her way onstage. She was one of my little sisses when I was in Purduettes!
Chris, who now works for the Purdue Alumni Center. He and I will be doing a civic theatre show together this spring!
Jeff, who is engaged and getting married this spring. He is such a sweet guy and loves trying to imitate Will Farrell's Robert Goulet impression. GOULET!
Monica, my roommate for three years. She now works at PMO and is graduating at the end of this week!
Sunday afternoon I got to sit out in the house with my family and watch the show. Then I surprised my mom by being a part of the alumni set! She couldn't believe I kept it a secret from her...hehe!
The Purduettes and PMO Kids Choir onstage. The girls were, in my probably biased opinion, the best part of the show! I was so proud!
The Glee Club onstage.
After the last show, it's tradition to sing a song written for PMO, "There Will Always Be a Song." That definitely made me cry! What a memorable weekend!
Coming soon, more stories from the newsroom...it's been a busy week!
Until later!
Backstage during the show...
This is Clarice, who leaves her beautiful home in Hawaii every summer to spend the school year in West Lafayette studying engineering! She is the sound technician for the Purduettes and a total sweetheart!
In the green room with the Kids Choir!
The kids were fascinated with my camera and decided to take some pictures...serious close-up pictures! They were funny.
The view of an empty Elliott Hall from the stage.
Getting our line-up set before the show. It was so fun to meet all of these amazing alumni!
Back with old friends...
Israel, who like me works in TV and is also a Second City comedian in Chicago! So proud!
Greg, who is now married and expecting (well, his wife is expecting. He's not like that creepy dude on the news who got pregnant). He is going to be a great dad!
Kelly stopped by the alumni room to say hi on her way onstage. She was one of my little sisses when I was in Purduettes!
Chris, who now works for the Purdue Alumni Center. He and I will be doing a civic theatre show together this spring!
Jeff, who is engaged and getting married this spring. He is such a sweet guy and loves trying to imitate Will Farrell's Robert Goulet impression. GOULET!
Monica, my roommate for three years. She now works at PMO and is graduating at the end of this week!
Sunday afternoon I got to sit out in the house with my family and watch the show. Then I surprised my mom by being a part of the alumni set! She couldn't believe I kept it a secret from her...hehe!
The Purduettes and PMO Kids Choir onstage. The girls were, in my probably biased opinion, the best part of the show! I was so proud!
The Glee Club onstage.
After the last show, it's tradition to sing a song written for PMO, "There Will Always Be a Song." That definitely made me cry! What a memorable weekend!
Coming soon, more stories from the newsroom...it's been a busy week!
Until later!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
vacation day five and the weekend that followed
I promise this won't be long because a) it's almost 3:00 AM, b) I am about to completely crash, and c) there is no possible way I can put into words how fantastic my Friday and Saturday have been!
I'll just say that this weekend I've been participating in the 75th Purdue Christmas Show as a member of the Alumni Chorus. Not only has it been a joy and a thrill to have the opportunity to be back on the Elliott stage for a Christmas Show, and to be surrounded by the beautiful voices of the Purduettes and Glee Club, but it's also been just overwhelming to get to relive these moments with some very dear friends I don't get to see very often.
Tonight in particular was fabulous...which is probably evident by the fact that I'm still up at this wee hour! But I don't think I can describe it verbally...when I get all my pictures loaded onto my computer, I'll just show you what a great weekend I've been having!
Until then...nighty night!
I'll just say that this weekend I've been participating in the 75th Purdue Christmas Show as a member of the Alumni Chorus. Not only has it been a joy and a thrill to have the opportunity to be back on the Elliott stage for a Christmas Show, and to be surrounded by the beautiful voices of the Purduettes and Glee Club, but it's also been just overwhelming to get to relive these moments with some very dear friends I don't get to see very often.
Tonight in particular was fabulous...which is probably evident by the fact that I'm still up at this wee hour! But I don't think I can describe it verbally...when I get all my pictures loaded onto my computer, I'll just show you what a great weekend I've been having!
Until then...nighty night!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
carpet cleaners (vacation day 4)
So, the carpet cleaners finally DID show up this morning...after me spending all week with my furniture upside-down, they came at 8:30 this morning.
The knock on the door woke me up. I had, once again, spent the night on my couch. But for some reason I couldn't get to sleep last night -- actually, the reason was that I went to the library and brought home a book that I started last night and haven't been able to put down -- so I decided to just stay up and watch the morning news that I am taking a week off from producing. That was like an out-of-body experience, and I kept calling shots to no one, just shouting them at the TV like our director Kim would be able to hear me across the river. I have a hard time watching our news when I'm at home sometimes because I start doing stuff like that.
Anyway, after the news was over, I read a little more and then eventually fell asleep, and then the knock on the door woke me up.
Crap, I thought, realizing I was a grungy mess. But I also was too sleepy to care if these guys judged me for my greasy hair, nasty breath, scrubby clothes, or very un-made-up face that definitely was showing some blemishes. I let the two guys in and moved the last couple of things out of the way, including my desk chair, which I rolled onto the kitchen floor and sat in with book in hand, thankful I'd have something to keep me occupied while the carpet guys were busy cleaning.
One guy was older, probably in his 40s or 50s, and the other was around my age, probably a little younger than me. They were both really nice, and made small talk with me over the roar of the carpet cleaning machines. The younger one observed that he could usually get an idea of what people were like based on what the inside of their homes looked like, and that he could tell I was "pretty laid back." The older guy asked me about my piano, saying he knew a lady who played organ at church and that when he went over to clean her house, he would always ask her to play for him. I wished with all my might that he would NOT request a tune from me, and thankfully he didn't. Which is good, because I honestly couldn't just sit down and play anything except chopsticks without putting someone through a very painful musical experience. I just don't play like that anymore -- strictly note-plunking for vocal purposes. When people ask me to play, I always feel like Kiera Knightley in Pride and Prejudice. Only worse.
The carpet dudes finish pretty quickly (not like I have just acres and acres of carpet floors, you know) and they wish me a happy holiday and disappear out into the hallway just as quickly as they came. I locate my slippers and gingerly make my way across the carpet back to the couch, my little island of living space while I wait for the floors to dry. No sooner do I crack open my book and find where I left off than I hear another knock on my door.
I get up and answer it. It's the younger of the two carpet guys, asking if they left a bucket in my apartment. I do a quick check around the apartment and then return to the door to tell him I didn't see anything. THEN he tells me the real reason he came back was because he wanted to ask me out on a date.
G-uh...what?!
I explain to him that I'm not really dating right now, which is true, but he takes it as a cop-out answer that he nevertheless accepts, wishes me a nice day, and leaves.
Aww geez. Seriously? I'm so glad I'm not a guy. I cringe at the ribbing he's probably going to get from his work partner when he catches up with him at the next apartment. You have to hand it to him for having guts, though.
So there you have it. I got asked out by the carpet guy. I'm so glad this 4-day-delayed carpet cleaning at least turned out to be the makings of a good story!
I'm going to bed.
The knock on the door woke me up. I had, once again, spent the night on my couch. But for some reason I couldn't get to sleep last night -- actually, the reason was that I went to the library and brought home a book that I started last night and haven't been able to put down -- so I decided to just stay up and watch the morning news that I am taking a week off from producing. That was like an out-of-body experience, and I kept calling shots to no one, just shouting them at the TV like our director Kim would be able to hear me across the river. I have a hard time watching our news when I'm at home sometimes because I start doing stuff like that.
Anyway, after the news was over, I read a little more and then eventually fell asleep, and then the knock on the door woke me up.
Crap, I thought, realizing I was a grungy mess. But I also was too sleepy to care if these guys judged me for my greasy hair, nasty breath, scrubby clothes, or very un-made-up face that definitely was showing some blemishes. I let the two guys in and moved the last couple of things out of the way, including my desk chair, which I rolled onto the kitchen floor and sat in with book in hand, thankful I'd have something to keep me occupied while the carpet guys were busy cleaning.
One guy was older, probably in his 40s or 50s, and the other was around my age, probably a little younger than me. They were both really nice, and made small talk with me over the roar of the carpet cleaning machines. The younger one observed that he could usually get an idea of what people were like based on what the inside of their homes looked like, and that he could tell I was "pretty laid back." The older guy asked me about my piano, saying he knew a lady who played organ at church and that when he went over to clean her house, he would always ask her to play for him. I wished with all my might that he would NOT request a tune from me, and thankfully he didn't. Which is good, because I honestly couldn't just sit down and play anything except chopsticks without putting someone through a very painful musical experience. I just don't play like that anymore -- strictly note-plunking for vocal purposes. When people ask me to play, I always feel like Kiera Knightley in Pride and Prejudice. Only worse.
The carpet dudes finish pretty quickly (not like I have just acres and acres of carpet floors, you know) and they wish me a happy holiday and disappear out into the hallway just as quickly as they came. I locate my slippers and gingerly make my way across the carpet back to the couch, my little island of living space while I wait for the floors to dry. No sooner do I crack open my book and find where I left off than I hear another knock on my door.
I get up and answer it. It's the younger of the two carpet guys, asking if they left a bucket in my apartment. I do a quick check around the apartment and then return to the door to tell him I didn't see anything. THEN he tells me the real reason he came back was because he wanted to ask me out on a date.
G-uh...what?!
I explain to him that I'm not really dating right now, which is true, but he takes it as a cop-out answer that he nevertheless accepts, wishes me a nice day, and leaves.
Aww geez. Seriously? I'm so glad I'm not a guy. I cringe at the ribbing he's probably going to get from his work partner when he catches up with him at the next apartment. You have to hand it to him for having guts, though.
So there you have it. I got asked out by the carpet guy. I'm so glad this 4-day-delayed carpet cleaning at least turned out to be the makings of a good story!
I'm going to bed.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
just another reason to love NBC...
I realize that three blogs in one day is seriously overkill for the two of you who read all of my posts, but I'm just so excited about this that I couldn't wait to talk about it. Kind of like in the movies when the guy gets the girl's number and he's supposed to wait more than 24 hours but he can't because he's so excited to ask her out (is that the rule? 24 hours? I wouldn't know since I'm not a guy).
Anyway, if you know anything about me, you know that I love TV so much, I decided to get a job making TV, and you also know that three of my favorite things about TV are on NBC: 30 Rock, The Office, and Saturday Night Live.
Well, now you can add one more thing to that list: Jimmy Fallon.
I don't know how I missed this until now; starting in March, Jimmy will be back on NBC hosting Late Night! And for people like me who are information junkies, he's doing a daily blog on his show's site to keep everyone updated on the show as it comes to fruition (ha HA! How often do you get to use THAT word?!).
And not only can you use the show website to ask Jimmy questions and make comments on his video, you can also link up with him via several social networking engines like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (good thinking, NBC!). So, Jimmy is here, there, and everywhere letting us know what's coming in March. Could a girl be any happier?
Yes. If I could get a job working on Jimmy's show, that would probably make me insanely happy. I wonder if his producers could use an assistant? Someone to help time the show? Get the guests ready? Make coffee? Lol. But seriously, working on a show like that, especially at NBC in New York would pretty much be the cherry on top of a career ice cream sundae.
But in the meantime, I am really excited we'll be seeing much more of Jimmy!
Anyway, if you know anything about me, you know that I love TV so much, I decided to get a job making TV, and you also know that three of my favorite things about TV are on NBC: 30 Rock, The Office, and Saturday Night Live.
Well, now you can add one more thing to that list: Jimmy Fallon.
I don't know how I missed this until now; starting in March, Jimmy will be back on NBC hosting Late Night! And for people like me who are information junkies, he's doing a daily blog on his show's site to keep everyone updated on the show as it comes to fruition (ha HA! How often do you get to use THAT word?!).
And not only can you use the show website to ask Jimmy questions and make comments on his video, you can also link up with him via several social networking engines like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (good thinking, NBC!). So, Jimmy is here, there, and everywhere letting us know what's coming in March. Could a girl be any happier?
Yes. If I could get a job working on Jimmy's show, that would probably make me insanely happy. I wonder if his producers could use an assistant? Someone to help time the show? Get the guests ready? Make coffee? Lol. But seriously, working on a show like that, especially at NBC in New York would pretty much be the cherry on top of a career ice cream sundae.
But in the meantime, I am really excited we'll be seeing much more of Jimmy!
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