Are pigs taking flight?

Never in a million years did I think I'd say the following words, but:  Bravo, Bill O'Reilly!

Eggs-ceptional recipes

Here's a food story I wrote on "out-of-the-box" stuffed eggs.  I am a deviled egg nut.  Thank God they're allowed on Atkins and that I don't have cholesterol issues.  Bon appetit!

Stick a Forkinit, this is fun!

Our food writer just turned me on to a great new site for food lovers called Forkinit.  It's a simple but brilliant social media concept that allows you to organize and share recipes with other foodies without knowing all of their personal business or religious beliefs. (Bonus!!)  I just joined (as BoomerGirl) and found a great recipe for Baked Kale Chips.  Mmm!  Can't wait to try them!

Another reason to love NOLA

   Check out the Stella! screaming contest at the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival this year.  (I so love that town.)
   Hang in for the video that plays after that and enjoy a Finnish anchor woman's hilarious fall from grace.

Viva, Vetrazzo!

 I love the idea of recycled glass in concrete for the center island counter top.  I'm 80% sure my stove top will go there (with recycled butcher block everywhere else) and it seems like a practical and contemporary choice, even though our tastes lean toward the traditional.  I'm also digging the color, Charisma Blue (below), because it'll compliment my Polish pottery, blue Le Creuset pots and all the wood tones (floor, counters, etc.).   Hmm, could that be yet another decision down?

Mama be cookin' now!

    The old man finally gave the green light to our long-awaited kitchen remodel and the planning began in earnest this weekend. (That's what happens when your favorite team goes down in the first round of the Big Dance. See? Every cloud does has a silver lining)  A few major decisions have already been made: tearing down one wall, bumping out another, center island instead of a peninsula.  That leaves approximately 17,865 more decisions to make in the next month or so. (Tylenol, please.)
   As die-hard DIYers, we (meaning he) will do much of the work ourselves (himself) with material we already have, like a bunch of hard maple flooring from K.U.'s Robinson Gym that will become our butcher block counter tops.
    Pictured above is Inspiration Kitchen #1, an all-white affair that, excepting a few details like the corner sink, is pretty close to the goal.
   Do I expect this to go smoothly?  Not at all.  But if you have any advice to make the process a little easier, please let me have it!
   War stories to follow, I'm sure.

The adventures of Lucy, cont'd.

My column today is about the seemingly well-behaved pooch you see in this photo. Don't be fooled.

Take that, WBC!

  One of the downsides of living in Kansas (and, yes, there are some, endless Wizard of Oz references notwithstanding), is knowing the vile Westboro Baptist Church is a mere 32 miles from my home.  I have learned to ignore the misguided and hateful protesters whenever they come to town, but often feel like I'm copping out when I do. 
  That's why I love this enterprising young man in Illinois and his proactive yet peaceful idea.  Check it out here.

What I'd be doing tonight if I lived in NYC

Broadway's latest offering, "Come Fly Away," combines the music of the crooner of all crooners, Frank Sinatra, and the creative vision of famed choreographer Twyla Tharp. With fifteen of the world's best dancers, the show tells the story of four couples falling in and out of love at a swinging nightclub on a star-lit evening.  Enjoy this little preview, even if you can't get to the Big Apple anytime soon.
 

Mo' MoFam

Can you stand one more shout out for "Modern Family"?  Here's a piece on my two favorite cast members in USA Today.  See if you can tell which one is really gay and which is straight. OK, nuff said.

I knew it all along.

A Facebook friend shared this today and I couldn't resist passing it along.  Funniest headline ever... with a kernel of Freudian truth, perhaps?

"Modern Family" 101

As promised, here's your pop quiz:
1)  Did you watch MoFam last night?
If "no":  2) Why the hell not?  And here it is online so you can pass the quiz.  (Obviously, I've become a MoFam evangelist.)
If "yes":  3) Is there a funnier actor on the planet than Eric Stonestreet (aka "Cam")?

Idol chatter

  Need a little post-American Idol debriefing?  Join my friend, Short Jewish Gal, each week as she dishes and prognosticates on the hit show Americans love to watch and say they hate.  (Or, is that just me?)  Here is Carol's most recent entry about last night's disaster installment.  Feel free to weigh in.
  Oh, and need I remind you that "Modern Family"" is on tonight on ABC?  Check local listings for air time.  Seriously.  Just do it.  You'll thank me later.  Or now, if you want.  (OK.  You're welcome.)  But, pay attention.  There will be a quiz tomorrow.

Enough already, Mother!

This is what the radar looks like this morning.  It's not snow, just rain, and for that I am thankful.  But, seriously M.N. (Mother Nature), haven't we had all the gloominess we should have to bear?  My question's rhetorical, but still....

Life goes on

Yes, my favorite team bowed out in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament and, yes, I was a sad, sad sack for a while. But this joke, cracked by Jimmy Fallon, made me smile:
     "Health care passed, Tiger did 2 interviews, and Kansas lost. So if you’re a Republican slut in Topeka…you had a bad weekend."

Two of my favorite musical people

Cole Porter and Annie Lennox:

Annie Lennox Every Time We Say Goodbye
Uploaded by SGILT. - Explore more music videos.

Day 1: Spring 2010

At least it's the perfect excuse to stay inside watching basketball.  Kahlua and coffee, optional.

Bracket: Bad

This is clearly something I should have read.  How does one bracket go so very wrong in less than 12 hours?  Ouch.

An Irish Blessing

   "May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future." 
   Happy Paddy's Day, everyone.  I'll be back to the blog as soon as I fill out my bracket.  (It's only taken me three days.)

Sunday selections

I raged against the corporate machine in my column today.  It felt kinda good.  I also met some real Irish people this week, which made me feel like having a Guinness.  But, at 8:47 in the morning (which is REALLY 7:47 to me, despite having 'sprung forward'), it's probably a wee bit too early.

And introducing.... Lucy

Overnight, the Palm makers miraculously added video capabilities to the new Palm Pre Plus I'm test-driving.  (I hope I never get so jaded that I can't marvel at a 15-minute remote upgrade that turns a cell phone into a video camera.  Seriously cool.) Here's my first attempt at film-making by smartphone, starring the lovable Lucy.  I may not be Kathryn Bigelow, but my leading lady just might be the cutest Cocker Spaniel ever in the history of the world, don't you agree? (Yes, I have done voice-over work before, as a matter of fact.  And, yes, I did write the script myself.)

Just....really bad

I love Ellen, but rarely get to see her show anymore.  Luckily, she has a website which features a photo gallery called Worst Paid-for photos, or something like that.  Oh, I could have SO contributed to this collection.  Let's just be happy I didn't know about it.  Enjoy....

Don and Betty Draper: The new Barbie and Ken?

   The NYTimes reports the addition of four "Mad Men" dolls to Mattel's ridiculously still-popular Barbie line.  I don't know how I feel about this from a marketing point of view,  but I will note that a) the red-headed Joan Holloway (I refuse to use her married name) is the best likeness and b) the plastic Don Draper and Roger Sterling can't fill out a suit like their in-the-flesh counterparts.
   Sorry, Mattel.  I don't think I'll be buying the dolls, but when miniature versions appear in Hallmark stores as Christmas ornaments, count me in!
   Meanwhile, Season 4 begins in July, 2010.   Will Betty still be a major character? (The doll seems to suggest she will.)  And will little Sally still be a part of Don's life?  She's the only one who's got it together in that family! 

Old Spice: Old school to new cool

   Every man in my family - from my grandfather to my 28-year-old son - wears Old Spice.  Not the hippest choice, until this genius ad campaign changed everything.  "I'm on a horse."  Priceless.  
   (OK, who cares about any of that?  I just wanted to put that steamy Isaiah Mustafa on my blog so I can see him every day.)

An Oscar postscript

I promised myself I wasn't going to do an Academy Awards wrap-up post because, frankly, I was beyond bored by the show last night.  But since this blog is a tribute - of sorts - to us folks of "a certain age," let's give props to fellow baby boomers Jeff Bridges (born 1949), Sandra Bullock ('64, she just made it into the club) and Kathryn Bigelow ('51) for taking home the big prizes last night.  Hollywood may be a playground for the young, but experience and time-tested talent usually win gold.

Contact lens: Not ready for my close-up

At my age, it's hard enough coming up with a profile pic that I can tolerate, much less post online for all to see.  That's why, when one of the kids snapped this one Friday night as a test of my new smartphone's camera, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself not cringing at the result.  OK, so the eyelids have become droopy over the years and the neck's a little turkey-like, but it wasn't totally unfortunate looking.  Except for that weird arrow-shaped reflection in my right eye (where I wear my one contact).  What the what is that?!!

After zooming in and sharpening the focus, I look like some kind of weird Scientology follower having her last meal before a stint of hard labor at Sea Org.  Take me to your leader, Tom Cruise!

My Oscar ostracism

 

Why are all these little Oscars snubbing me?  Because I have seen so few new movies this year, I shouldn't even be allowed to watch the Academy Awards tonight.  I did watch "The Informant" with Matt Damon on 'On Demand' last night and enjoyed it tremendously.  (I realize it was 'so last year' but that's how I'm rolling these days.)  So, I vote for "The Hurt Locker" simply because I want a woman director to win although, the truth is, I liked the directing a helluva lot more than the movie.  I'll be rooting for "Precious," sight unseen, and George Clooney in anything because, well, he's George Clooney and always gorgeous in evening wear. 

March Madness, Martha Stewart style

  Every year at this time, I throw decorating caution to the wind and transform my living room mantle into a shrine honoring my alma mater's basketball team: The Kansas Jayhawks.  The picture above is really a "before" shot since by the time the NCCA tournament is over in - my lips to God's ears - early April, the shrine will have taken on a ticky-tacky life of its own.  Friends and family will have come for watch parties and added flowers, t-shirts, dead taxidermy prairie hawks, red and blue Mardi Gras beads, lucky Nacho buckets (don't ask) and the like - for good luck not necessarily good taste - until my humble shrine rivals Lourdes or Elvis' grave....

 God, I love basketball post-season!  

"Giant panda in the room"

Yes, it's another shameless plug for my favorite sitcom, "Modern Family" and my pet character, Cam.  In this scene, Cam and Mitchell's adopted (duh) daughter, Lilly, has just said "Mommy" when their female Asian pediatrician comes over for dinner.  Just in case you missed it...

Trololololo...

   Dear friends, phantom spam comment leavers and stalkers,
   I've been away from the blog for too long and I want to make it up to you.  So, watch this video.  I couldn't figure out how to embed it and it might take a little while to download, but it's worth it.  I promise.
   Warning:  Don't watch it more than once.  This little ditty's as sticky as "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" and you'll be singing it for days.  Here's a link that explains it, should you be that curious.
   I'll try not to be a stranger again.  At least, not any stranger than the Trololo guy.
   Love,
   Me