My Obsession Du Jour: Enchanted ("That's How You Know")

Yeah, "That's How You Know" didn't get an Oscar. But it's still a ridiculously catchy song that's bringing me a lots of joy these days. Newsflash, I connect with the song as a romantic, subconsciously overwriting all the "how do you know he loves you" lyrics with something more ... Princess Charming. The amazing Kristen Chenoweth (a superstar to you if you're a Broadway fan) performed the song in the live telecast for billions, and you can see why they went with an experienced stage person for that performance. Man, she does a lot of getting from point A to point B in a big, frilly dress (while sounding like an angel). Her performance is richer than Amy Adams' movie version, but it's also designed to be more of a "show" than a character moment for a former cartoon princess and the bemused guy who's just starting to experience the full extent of this woman's magic as she moves from two dimensions to three. Amy Adams' sweet version is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRYU4cqUAUs&feature=related

Finally Feeling Normal Again

So this cold, or whatever the hell it is, is finally easing up. Don't get me wrong: I'm still producing occasionally bright red snot. But I'm feeling more normal. No more pain around the area of the eyes. No more pain with every step. And I can sleep again! Of course, the boys now have pink eye. We'll see if I end up with that. Right now, every time I think of their eyes, mine itch. But even with that, I'm still getting better. I can see 100% from here!

My son wants you to call him . . .

I have a cold.

And I am too tired to whine. What does that tell you? I am treating it with lots of carrots, Kool-aid, plain water, Airborne, the occasional cold pill and inertia. I feel better than I did earlier today, when my teeth were chattering. I forget: When you're all cold like that for no reason, does it mean you have a fever?

Now, in front of the fire, in a sweatshirt, with a very warm computer on my lap, I'm just shivering a little.

There's my candidate (Hillary in Seattle)

We were closer than this picture looks. And very tired after standing and waiting for two hours. But she is a rock star.

Enjoying Time With My super "Friends"

So, at Dear Wife's insistence, we've started watching the classic comedy "Friends" from the beginning. And I'm enjoying it waaaay more than I thought I would. I mean, I really enjoyed the show, and I knew it had moments of brilliance, but in retrospect, I believe it holds up really well, and is one of the bet sitcoms ever. And while the writing is terrific, I think credit goes to the cast. They really take things into three dimensions, whether it's physical comedy involving no lines at all, or distinctive line readings that make jokes greater than the sum of their punchlines.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing about this is because I came across this online, and it so fabulously combines two of my passions that I had to share it:

Our big day in the snow

This is what we did instead of watching the Super Bowl. Best decision I've made in a while.

Slide down, ride up!

Magic Jack: Too Good To Be True?

So, I got one of these Magic Jack things from a friend. And though it seems like hoodoo, I think we may try it. Here's an excerpt from the PC Magazine review:

Those commercials advertising cheap voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone rates look appealing, but there's always some fine print: You have to switch cable-TV providers, install a VoIP-smart Internet router, or something. And you end up ticked once a month when the bill from MCI, Verizon, or some other telecom robber baron dips into your wallet. If this sounds like your bio, the YMax magicJack is for you: 2 minutes of setup, voice quality that's almost indistinguishable from a straight analog POTS line, and a cost of just under $20 a year for unlimited nationwide service. ... MagicJack's call quality is amazing—almost too good to be true.

Having Trouble Telling Web Sites Apart?

OK, here's a pretty funny video, basically a house party where the attendees are the personificatoins of well-known (and slightly lesser-known) Web sites. Google knows everyone, of course. Wikipedia just wants info, but doesn't care if it's right, snipes Snopes. (And after the whole 1985 thing, I'm just glad I've heard of all the Web 2.0 sites mentioned.) I wish Amazon had more of a personality in the video, though. I'm not sure the suit is right.

Click here to see it.

1985: What? It's a Song Too?

OK, so I'm in the Red Robin bathroom (you know, where all the kids today go to hear the popular tunes), and a boppy little song that catches my ear ...

When did Motley Crue become classic rock?/And when did Ozzy become an actor? Please make this stop/Stop!And bring back Springsteen, Madonna/Way before Nirvana/There was U2 and Blondie/And music still on MTV/Her two kids in high school/They tell her that she’s uncool/Cause she's still preoccupied/With 1985.

1985. (!!!) Well, that's the year I graduated high school. And since this song sounds like "Summer of '69" (aka written about a time by someone who didn't live it), I quickly realize that ... Oh. My. God. Teens of today think of my teen years as something as distant and strange and maybe cool but mostly silly as I thought of the '60s. I felt a little ill, though that may have been the overwhelming air freshener.

So the song is called "1985," as you might expect. It's by a band called Bowling For Soup. (Thanks, Wikipedia.) It came out in 2004, so I'm late in learning about my place in other people's faux nostalgia. I was also late in this particular play of the song, so I didn't hear the first couple of verses, about how the 1985-oriented mom pretty much hates her life, 'cause things didn't turn out like she imagined back in her big-hair days. Sad. My song would be a lot different.

Tina Fey as Tinkerbell .... THAT's Disney Magic!

OK, so I have kind of an odd crush on Tina Fey. I don't think about kissing her or anything like that. I actually had a dream where we were coworkers and just made each other laugh. I mean, how cool is it to be the 21st-century Mary Tyler Moore -- except that you write AND star in your show?

Anyway, I love that she's Tinkerbell in these new Disney photos by Annie Leibovitz. Jessica Biel is getting most of the attention for her smokin' hot portrayal of Pocahontas, but Tina Fey shows an adorable exasperation as Tinkerbell. Big ups to TheDisneyBlog.com for posting the closeup, 'cause you can barely see her in the main photo.

The Presidents of the USA at our holiday party

I love working @ amazon.

New Star Trek teaser!

So my inner Trekkie is breathless with excitement over the new teaser site promoting the J.J. Abrams reboot of the beloved classic series. The movie is due at Christmas, and I can tell you now that I'm as excited as I was when "The Motion Picture" hit theaters back in '79. Let's hope that the new movie isn't as overwhelmed with grandiosity (honestly, I don't see how it could be). Anyway, the trailer basically shows the ship under construction, a time-honored Trek tradition (the curves of the Enterprise are as beloved as the curves of any Orion slave girl). I can't wait to see what's coming. Oh, and be sure to click the red dot to the right of "under construction" for more images of the ship being welded together, etc.

I'm so excited. It makes me want to buy a Star Trek uniform shirt. But Cheryl has pointed out to me that if I do that, I may be seen as irredeemably geeky. (Well, only if I wear it in public.) Hmmmm. We'll see.

Fatal shooting where I catch the bus....

So this morning I walked past some balloons and flowers attached to a pillar and for a moment, I thought they looked festive. Then I remembered that they were there to mark the shooting death of a 38-year-old woman. The P-I reports that it wasn't random -- she was targeted by a teenager and it had something to do with money. But that it still doesn't make any sense.

I missed the shooting by about 20-25 minutes, which compared to my near-crash on I-5, feels like an eternity. I don't know what a person can do to avoid these kinds of things. Unfortunately, people get shot in all kinds of places, and I'm not going to stop going to malls ... or McDonalds ... or post offices ... or bus stops. And I hope it never comes to that.

New playland at the Supermall!

The tired "bacon and eggs" play area at the Auburn Supermall has been refreshed with a regional theme, including trees and mountains. Two thumbs up!

My face & hand . . .

. . As done in pegs at the Olympia Children's Museum, which is AWESOME! (And I didn't love it anywhere as much as the boys did.)

Top Chef and spray cheese .... mmm, mmm good

I'm feasting on cooking shows, of all things! I mean, really? Who'da thunk I'd be fan of shows that involve emulsions, sauces and mascarpone?

I used to be a lifestyle editor, which meant that I ran the newspaper's food and restaurant coverage. But it will come as no surprise to anyone that I was not particularly food-aware -- unless you count obsessiveness as awareness. I was the girl who ate a turkey pita for lunch every day (and sometimes for dinner too) for an entire semester in college. One of my absolute favorite things to eat is Kraft mac 'n' cheese, and one of my new favorite treats is spray cheese from a can. (Believe it or not, I'd not ever had that until a week or so ago! As I told Cheryl, when I was growing up, it was waay too expensive.) In fairness to me, I also learned to appreciate morels, fresh oysters, seasonal produce, and Pam's salmon.

Maybe it's my time in the food world that has led me to my latest obsession: Top Chef. Just finished season one. I also just finished Hell's Kitchen, the Gordon Ramsay show. So I'm all about braising, plating, seasoning, etc., etc. And I enjoy my spray cheese and Diet Mountain Dew. I'm full of complications. But as much as the chef stuff, I think what I enjoy about these shows is the compeitition and the personalities. And it feels more accessible to me than, say, Project Runway. Though that might be next.

Phiten: Probably crap, but I still want one

Good Lord, I am susceptible to marketing. Well, certain kinds. Here's an example. I saw this story at seattlepi.com, and now I wants me a Phiten necklace:

The Japanese-based company said it melts small doses of titanium and mixes it in water to form a dye, which is then fused into the fabric of necklaces, T-shirts, socks, shorts, tape and discs, which resemble a small round Band-Aid. The company claims that by wearing its products "energy flow is stabilized" and fatigue sets in later and recovery time is shortened. ...

"I really like it," (pro QB and Hasselbeck pal Damon) Huard said. "If I'm not wearing my necklaces to bed I'm a little stiffer. I think there is something to it. I figure it can't hurt me. I wear it under my shoulder pads every game, and I wear a bracelet, too. ... Phiten power, baby!"

Amazon has them, of course. Feel free to buy one off this link. We'll see if I buy one. The fact that I wear a magnet bracelet probably indicates a propensity, though mostly I wear that because it was my mother's.

Cars Land, and a target return date for Disneyland

A post on the LA Times travel blog is packed with goodies for a Cars-centric family such as ours:

1. Disney's California Adventure won't just be getting a Cars ride, it's getting a Cars land!

2. Cars Land is targeted to open 2012, WHEN CARS 2 COMES OUT!!!! Hello, Cars 2??? That is HUGE.

Here's a little more about the signature ride itself (it's called Radiator Springs Racers):

"Based on the animated “Cars” movie, the indoor-outdoor attraction combines a leisurely dark ride prelude with a dueling side-by-side race car finale akin to Epcot’s Test Track in Orlando, Fla.

According to MiceAge, the $200-million E-ticket promises to bring to bear virtually all of the classic Disney ride components: theme, technology, animatronics, special effects, interactivity, story line and thrills. The ride starts with a race briefing from the movie’s star, Lightning McQueen, and concludes at the Wheel Well Motel scene from the movie."

Less "leisurely" is this promised ride: Mater's dizzy, noisy tow truck adventure.

DCA will make a great Pixar Land. Here's a look at the ride that's coming this year (2008), which we saw under construction (it's called Toy Story Mania).

So there's our target return to Disneyland. We can hit Disney World and a Disney cruise in the meantime. :)