Well, it’s back to work today after the holiday time-off. As much as I love structure and returning to a normal schedule, I wasn’t happy when my alarm when off at 6:15 this morning. I hit snooze a few times and tried to lay there quietly, as to not wake up Tyler too early. Actually, it’s never because I’m worried of waking HIM - he gets plenty of sleep. It’s that when he DOES actually wake up, he runs into my room and demands that Mommy gets up and helps him put together his spaceship, or makes him breakfast, or whatever short list of demands he can think of first thing in the morning. And when I haven’t hit snooze enough times to prolong my wake, I’M NOT READY TO GET UP AND NO I DON’T CARE WHERE YOUR WALL-E TOY IS. But as 6:45 rolled around and I drug myself out of bed, I realized something that prompted an audible sigh of relief:  HE’S NOT HERE.

Tyler is at his grandparents’ house this week because his sitter is closed. I had totally forgot and was intentionally being quiet so I didn’t wake him and force MY day to start.   So as much relief as I felt, him being absent always leads to a sad feeling when I don’t start my day seeing and taking care of him.  I was pretty blah this morning by the time I reached work, but I’m finally starting to snap out of it.

A good dream about Panda Express (and orange chicken) and a phone call from a best friend (Sara) helps turn things around.  And finding out that we have TWO days off this week, instead of one?  BONUS.   It’s all good.  I’m going to try and end this year on a positive note.

Happy New Year!

Create-Your-Own Concert was something that I started back in 2005.   It was a fun way to dream up the ULTIMATE concert with whoever you wanted to play.  So let’s do it again!  2008 style!   The rules are the same as they’ve always been:

Create the following:

1. Line-up
2. Pick ONE headliner
3. Create a set-list for headliner ONLY
4. Venue

Rules:
+ Must be bands that are currently together
+ Maximum of 5 bands or artists on one show  (no one REALLY follows this one)

For myself, it will be interesting to see how my tastes have changed (and how they haven’t changed.. lol)   For shits-n-giggles, click here for my 2005 Concert:

Now for my 2008 CYO Concert:

1. Lineup:

MAIN STAGE

Coheed & Cambria *Headliner*
Number One Gun
30 Seconds to Mars
Justin Timberlake
Kanye West

SECOND STAGE (aka the singer/songwriter stage)

Cary Brothers *Headliner*
Josh Radin
Matt Nathanson
Howie Day
Meiko

2. Set-list for Coheed (EASY!)  Play both entire Apollo albums.
Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV
Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Vol 2: No World For Tomorrow

3. Venue:

Again, I’ll take Northerly Island.

HOW ABOUT YOU???

Here’s wishing everyone a great holiday this year.  Thank you for all your support and for reading my drivel.  I am so thankful for everyone in my life who has been there for me this year.  It’s been a rough one and I could never have made it through if it weren’t for some of my best friends:  Jason, Loree, Joe, Greg, Becky, Sue, Judit, MJ, Sparky, Jason, and my sister Jeni.   I love all of you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I cannot say much about this movie without totally spoiling it for those who have not seen it yet.  But I will say this - it is some of Will Smith’s best works yet and it is a total confirmation as to why he is one of the biggest movie stars today.   He throws his all in each film that he creates and it never ceases to amaze me the amount of emotion and vulnerability he shows in some of his characters.    Seven Pounds is the ultimate tear-jerker, almost life-changing type of movie and I challenge anyone to come away from it un-touched.

I would also selling this movie short if I did not mention the amazing acting skills of Rosario Dawson.  She has long been one of my favorite female actresses (25th hour, Clerks 2) and she is frail in heart but strong in spirit in this movie.   She can easily carry a movie and I look forward to seeing her play more leading roles.

I recommend seeing Seven Pounds - it IS worth a $12 theatre ticket.  Maybe in a few weeks we can talk more freely about this movie when more people have seen it.

What did you think of Seven Pounds?

I’ve heard the acting is so terrible it overshadows what COULD have been a good movie.   Which upsets me because this is a subject that I’ve always been so interested in (WWII, Holocaust, Hitler) and I have never been a big fan of Tom Cruise, so I guess I can’t say I’m surprised at the reviews I’ve heard.

Has anyone already seen it?  Or looking forward to seeing it?

1. J*** in my pants (S34EP10) (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone.  Cameos: Justin Timberlake, Molly SIms and Jamie-Lynn Sigler)

 

2. D*ck in a box (S32EP09) (Andy Samberg, Justin Timberlake)

 

3. Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals (S34EP04) (Andy Samberg)

4.  Lazy Sunday (S31EP09) (Andy Samberg, Chris Parnell)

5. Natalie Raps (S31EP13) (Natalie Portman)

6. Dancers (S34EP08) (Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Horatio Sanz, Andy Samberg, Paul Rudd)

Almost all videos for this skit have been removed for some reason.  Here is the best one I can find, and I cannot embed it.  But it is SO worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-QKt2UlnYk

SNL goes through its humor phases, as comedians come and go.  When I was young we watched the Saturday Night Live brilliance of Dan Aykroyd (1975 to 1979),  John Belushi (1975 - 1979), Chevy Chase (1975 - 1976)… Eddie Murphey (1980 - 1984)… on to Phil Hartman (1986 - 1994), Chris Farley (1991 - 1995) and of course the fame of Wayne’s World - Mike Meyers (1988 - 1995) and Dana Carvey (1986 - 1993).  Those players, along with other re-occurring hosts (Steve Martin) and comedians (Chris Rock, Jay Mohr, Adam Sandler) were what I remember most about SNL.   In the late eighties through the mid nineties, I watched SNL every week with my parents and friends.  And then I remember it beginning to slide downhill.  At the time I figured that I just grew out of it and no longer found it humorous.  Sense of humor definitely changes and evolves in all of us as we grow (and dare I say “age”) and the things we once found funny, no longer make  us laugh.

Over the past year I’ve began watching clips of SNL online after it airs.  Hulu.com seems to be the best outlet for all of the skits, shorts & performances of the show each week.  Once in a while I would come across a great skit (most skits with Wil Ferrell never seem to disappoint).   But then  SNL seemed to step it up a notch with their “Digital Shorts” when they released “Natalie Raps”, “Lazy Sunday” and the infamous “D*ck in a box” with Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake.   Once again, I became hooked on SNL again.  

I rarely watch it “live” any more, depending on the musical guest usually.  But Monday morning when I get into work, I look forward to cruising Hulu and finding all the skits, clips and shorts from last Saturday’s show.  I know some people find Andy Samberg incredibly annoying, but I can’t help but love him.  He’s made me laugh and made me a fan of SNL again.

I am going to end this post - since it turned out to be more lengthy than I anticipated - and the next one will contain my Top 10 favorite current SNL skits & shorts.