79th Academy Awards Fashion Recap

My roommates and I hosted an impromptu Oscar party last night. Thinking the awards ceremony began at 7 and the pre-show started at 6, I crawled out of bed at 10 till 7 to a living room full of friends. (Yep, After watching Kentucky lose to Vanderbilt for the 5th time in a row- I can't even talk about it- at Jonathan's with Lana, I needed a nap before the Oscars. Yes, That sex-with-an-alligator will get you every time!) Rhonda, Joe, Amy, Sarah, Lana, Brad, and new friends from church Kevin & Jeff all made an appearance, as well as me, Nat, and Em playing the hostesses with the mostestess. The guys got a kick out of our constant commentary as the celebrities popped up on the screen. Some critical, some complimentary, but we all know that next to the actual films being awarded, the fashion is the next important thing. I am uninspired at work today and will therefore devote as much time as I can to an accurate recap of the Oscars last night- the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Best Dressed


We all agreed that Nashville native Reece Witherspoon looked amazingly fresh in her flowingmidnight blue strapless gown, and shiny straight hair. Of course, she wasn't going to top her ballgown from last year, but as a presenter this year, she looked classy to the max.






Penelope Cruz nailed it with this apricot confection by Atelier Versace

Kate Winslet played up her porcelain skin with this mint green gown. She looked elegant and well-put-together. For a curvaceous woman, she always dresses herself well.



Some have chided Naomi Watts for this pale yellow number, but I'm a fan. It's not an expected color, and I think she comes off looking cutting edge and the opposite of red carpet cookie-cutter.


This devilish Prada girl made an impact on me in a gorgeous form fitting royal blue gown. It made her noticeable without stealing the spotlight, and made her stand out among the crowds in her first big Oscar appearance. Will we be seeing more of Miss Emily Blunt? We might is she keeps dressing like that!

Finally, the always-sheik and glamorous Cate Blanchett looked classy and
elegant. Again, there are naysayers out there who have criticized her choice (I've tried to stay away from reading media opinions until I can finish this blog) but I think the dress shows off her figure and commendable posture extremely well. It's eye-catching and sparkly without being flashy, and what color do you call that? No one can say for sure, so it becomes a topic of conversation! Smart lady.

Type Casting

Helen Mirren lived up to all the hype- not only did she win accolades for her performance in the Queen, but she looked like royalty in her glittering gown. I haven't seen the movie yet, but every interview I've seen of her, she comes off very gracious, and seems very honored to have been chosen to portray the Queen mum.



George Miller appears to be channelling a real-life version of the characters for his award-winning animated film, Happy Feet

Fashion Faux Pas

Ok Gweneth. It looks like somebody said, what the ugliest color we can put on Gwen? Puke-salmon? Gwen: "oh okay, this is definitely the best Oscar dress out there- I'll take it." Even if it were in another color I'm not sure it would be redeemable. The side-swept hair that she and Nicole were both sporting is a desperate attempt to me to be "different" and fails miserably. Don't tell me that's a style that laypeople will be copying in the fall. I can assure you, it's not. We love you Gwen, but this frock has flunked.




Anne Hathaway- what were you thinking? This dress was not the White choice for you. You were in film centering around fashion, were you not?



And Cameron, we know your recent break-up with JT could not have been easy, but we beg of you, come back from Futurama, Judy Jetson, come back to reality, the one where you're a beautiful woman, deserving to look pretty.

"Listen" Jennifer: "Love you I do" but tonight is your "One Night Only" and you sure were not our "Dreamgirl" in this gold lame' jacket. We had "Patience" and you did take off the offensive jacket once inside, and we are even more glad you declared that "I am changing" into the red slinky number you donned for the big Dreamgirls song and dance number. Aside from bosoms hanging out, this dress was more up your Diva alley. Now "It's all over" and you have an Academy Award out of the deal. We're so proud of you. All's well that ends well. The Dreams all looked heavenly in their red ensembles.

Again, Kirsten's stylist must have taken her cue from Gwen's gal, because it appears that they decided to go with the most blase' of hues for the most critical of fashion events. Kirsten's always been a quirky actress, and this dress fits that persona for sure. Either that, or maybe she's becoming friends with Bjork. Look out for the full swan get-up for next year's Oscars.

Meryl, Meryl, Meryl. You're not exactly the new kid on the block. You're no stranger to Hollywood, and in fact you were even nominated for the best actress award tonight. Granted, you and I both knew that there was no chance in Hades that you would win, but come on, at least don something a little more dressy so that we don't assume you think you're headed to your kid's parent-teacher conference!





I suppose negative press is still good press, because it gets people talking about you, but I'd like to know who the risk-taker was when they decided that this sackcloth would make a positive statement on the red-carpet. No one knows much about this smoky eyed seductress (I'm too lazy to even look her name up on imdb, but I know she played Sibella in last year's Kingdom of Heaven) but she sure isn't going to gain name-recognition in a frumpy beige dress (if it can even be called that) like this one.


The Jury's Still Out

There are things I like and things I don't about Nicole's fire-engine red dress. The color is attention-grabbing, but the color combined with china doll skin and make-up is perhaps a bit too harsh. The hair, I've already made reference to, but I was annoyed by it. And finally, what's up with the bow? I suppose it dresses up and otherwise-ordinary red dress, but from fashion royalty like her, I expected more.


I can't decide about this gown. The guys agreed that the horizontally-lined neckline is not flattering to her figure. And to me this dress is copying a previous red carpet event that did a much better job of channelling the Grecian Goddess. This one has the sparkles but isn't different enough from that other gown, and definitely doesn't top the other in style and grace. It's blah, just like J-Lo has been lately.

While it's true, the girl can sing (I'd pit her up against Mary J. Blige any day) I think maybe her mom is still making her outfits? It's borderline to me. I keep going back and forth to thinking it's hideous and then admiring her originality. I'm open to be swayed one way or the other.

The Ties Have it

Leo has sure grown up, and boy, does he clean up well! Here he is posing on the red carpet with fellow Blood Diamond cast mate Djimon Hounsou, who also looked quite handsome.

One of Britain's It-Boys, Clive Owen makes a statement in his head-to-toe black .

Here's two of my favorite Latino cutie-patooties Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna smiling for the camera.

Finally, the Dreamgirls newcomer doll baby, Keith Robinson looks debonair in his black tux and silver tie.

I'm a big fan of all the men paring the ties with their tuxes. That said, Mark Walhburg sure can make a bow tie look hot!

WHEW!!! This has taken me all day to do... working with so many pictures is not an easy feat! I plan on getting around to part 2 where we talk about the actual awards show (can we say, Longest show EVER??!!) and the films that were honored, but for now, the fashion review is all you get. Discuss.

Cliche a Day: Feb 23rd

(it was) close but no cigar
nearly successfull, but not quite

"Carnival games of skill, particularly shooting games, once gave out cigars as a prize. A contestant who did not quite hit the target was close, but did not get a cigar."

Things that make you go hmm! Actually, my immediate thought was Carnies. Small hands. Smell like cabbage. There's always a movie quote lurking around the corner!

Also, following up on the latest Pac-man situation, Gerry House was talking about the situation on the radio this morning, and his co-host Mike reported that a Channel 4 news online poll revealed that 90% of the responders said that the Titans should send Jones packing. To which Gerry quipped, so it becomes a verb... "Pack, Man!" That Gerry is so witty!

I liked you better as a Pizza Hut video game.

Does anyone remember the Book It Club? In elementary school you would read a certain number of books in a month, and if you met your goal, you got a star on your bookIt button, and a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. Besides my own personal pan cheese pizza (it's a long running joke in my family that like Joey, Amanda doesn't share food) the other great part about going to Pizza Hut was getting to play Ms. Pac-Man. I loved that game, and Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Sue (guess which foe was my favorite??), and wasted who knows how many quarters on that game while we waited for our pizzas.

These days, there's a different Pac-Man on the block. And just like the video game version, he's constantly getting himself stuck into corners with the bad guys coming after him, or caught unawares and just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The latest in a string of unfortunate events for everyone''s favorite Titan:

Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones witnessed, but wasn't involved in a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club that injured three, his lawyer said. This is after he allegedly spit on a woman in a nightclub here in Nashville, and after he was caught riding ATVS on George Jones' property. After Jones was supposedly laying low, and quoted saying that he wouldn't be going out, and if he did he would go to a jazz club or a place where older folk were hanging out. Apparently Vegas strip clubs are where the old fogies and jazz musicians are frequenting out these days.

Come on, Pacman, focus! Go after the bad guys (ie, the opposing team members), eat the pieces of fruit and score points when you can and take your game to the next level. Stop getting caught in a corner and blowing your chances in the NFL. One quarter only allows you 3 lives you know.

does it get any better?

I have a free night tonight, and I cooked a delicious dinner of chicken quesadillas (minus my infamous secret ingredient of dish detergent) with black beans, I've got a load of laundry going, I'm and watching Invincible with my roomies... men in mud playing football... Mark Wahlburg's muscles bulging under his t-shirt.... yummy! Sorry, but the man candy in this movie is just insanely appetizing! Ok, so picture this: Nat and I are poised on our respective couch and loveseat, both of us with our laptops, and checking our email and littering each other's myspace pages with comments. Emily walked in after the movie had started and laughed at us. My favorite myspace comment from Nat:

Seriously, a marriage proposal ecard, how lazy can you get? That's almost as lazy as sitting on the couch, checking email and myspacing people while watching a movie. Who does that?

She discovered tonight while browsing the free e-cards on American Greeting that they make e-card proposals. A woman who says yes to an e-card proposal has a life full of underwhelming expectations ahead of her, poor girl. That's even worse than Berger braking up with Carrie on a Post-it-note. Which Mia Sorvino invented by the way, Emily.

Brains Borders also was the only one of us to get the double meaning of the movie title InVINCEable, named after the protagonist and real-life Philly hero, Vince Papale. After pondering her insight I agreed, yes, I suppose they couldn't call the movie InPapaleable. (Yeah, you knew I would go there.)

Let's hope that I can wrap up the evening with a UK win... it's the second half and it's still only a 2-point game. Is it football season yet???? Drain the Tubb! Please!

Post Script- Kentucky beat LSU tonight. That's right. Don't faint, UK has Won a ballgame.

weekend tid-bits

A nice low-key weekend has come and gone. (Today was still part of my weekend- call it a mental health day if you will). A few thoughts on the 3-day weekend:

The performances with the Nashville Symphony for the Philip Glass piece are over and done. I never thought I would say this, but I actually ended up liking the music a lot, and am sad because all that hard work and months of preparation, and I am 95% sure that i will never sing that obscure work ever again. Most of the choir never warmed up to the piece so I'm sure there were a lot of happy people once the final note had been played on Saturday. I am a self-proclaimed music geek though, so I was giddy at the fact that the composer was there, a man whom I first studied in Dr. Pen's music history class in college, a man whose music I hated, then grew to appreciate through film scores such as the Truman Show, the Hours, and then this choral work he composed for the Nashville Symphony. I even went to the lecture Philip Glass gave Saturday night and he talked about the process for composing a film score, an opera, and finally the Passion of the Ramakrishna, which was the new piece of his we were performing that night. To have a living legend of a modern American composer sitting in my midst I was, in a word, Starstruck.

Riddle me this: Nashville goes multiple days in a row where it doesn't get above the freezing temperature mark, yet when it decides to snow the better part of Saturday, it's all of sudden to warm for any of the snow to stick- what gives??!!

Vanderbilt beat Florida, and Joakim Noah got into a near-fist-fight with Vandy coach Kevin Stallings on the sideline-- I laughed my tail off! Especially humorous was when you could hear the Vandy crowd chanting "Noah Sucks" at the end of the game!

Then I sighed in frustration as my Wildcats lost their 3rd SEC game in a row to Alabama. We're not ranked anymore, and we're 3rd in the SEC east behind Florida and Vanderbilt. "Is it football season yet??"

My best-friend-Heather-from-home was in town this weekend. She, her sister Angie, and I hung out, watching the Departed (my second time to see it- man, I LOVE that movie!), we killed time in Sephora and I played with the makeup but did not purchase a single thing (major breakthrough!). Also, it is important to note that both of the new products I blogged about not too long ago on here were both front and center on the first tabel when you enter the store, I felt quite pleased that Sephora took my advice and featured these 2 items. :o)

Our blonde trio also went to see Music & Lyrics. I loved it. Angie hated it. Heather fell somewhere in between. To me, the opening sequence of the entire 80's-esque video of Hugh Grant's has-been 80's band POP was worth seeing the entire movie. The songs are catchy, I laughed a lot, and I left the movie theater after seeing a romantic comedy all warm and fuzzy and not depressed. Is it going to win an Oscar? Don't count on it, but if you are female, wanting to enjoy some feel-good, mindless entertainment, then this movie is for you. Except for Ari, who can't stand Drew Barrymore. It's unfortunate, since the movie revolves around music and songwriting, but you will hate this film if you can't put up with the leading lady. Sorry.

I am giddy because tonight was the first weeknight I've had in 3 weeks with nowhere to be. Tomorrow night promises more of the same, Hallelujah!

2 months and counting!!!

Today is February 15th- that means 2 months from today is tax day, April 15th (yes folks, she can count AND walk & chew gum at the same time!). I always put my taxes off till the last minute, but not this year. (It would be so much more impressive to say that I've already gotten mine done, but I haven't.) I am however vowing to not put them off till the last minute. I used Turbo tax last year and it was something like $9.95 for the basic plan and did take a while to go through, but I felt that it was more thorough than the Telefile I had done in previous years. My only other complaint with Turbo Tax is that you do still have to print off a document and mail it in to the IRS to complete the process, so it's not entirely simple as point and click and fill in the blanks.

Are there any accountants out there who'd like to enlighten us with some tricks of the trade, or any of you mathematically-inclined/detail-oriented gurus who have some helpful hints from Heloise on the joys of filing your income tax returns? I dread the process because it takes so long, but it's just one of those things you've gotta do as an American citizen, kind of like putting up with Everybody Loves Raymond syndicated reruns (does anyone out there actually love Raymond anyways??) or watching the Chicago Cubs blow their chances at the World Series at the end of every season.

ok, so maybe Cupid doesn't suck so much after all

I know I was channeling the "bitter, party of one" vibe last night when I composed my anti-Valentine's Day blog. The day devoted to love is about halfway over and I am a big enough person to admit that it hasn't totally sucked. In fact, it's been a really good day. And while I still maintain that Valentine's Day to me would be more fun if I were in a relationship, I appreciate and value all the citizens out there who are embracing the day regardless if they're in a relationship or not. I especially think it's great for those single gals who declare their independence for the day and affirm that they are indeed single AND fabulous (see Emo & MAB's take on Valentine's Day for a more positive outlook!), but I represent the other half.

I am with the half who wants it to be okay to express a negative thought without everyone jumping down my throat, telling me I'm wrong for feeling lonely on Valentine's Day, and giving me some alternate/temporary solution to make me feel better. I appreciate more the person who can put their proverbial arm around me and say, "it's not wrong to feel this way, and it's gonna be okay-" because I know that it is. I know God's love is all that I need, and I know He loves me more than any Man ever can, but while I'm on this temporal Earth, God has given me the social desire to be paired up with a member of the opposite sex.

That said, here's my cheery, optomistic 14 things that make Valentine's Day great in the world of this DIVA!

1. snow flurries on the way to work! Like I always say, if it's going to be this dadgum cold, at least give me some white precipitation!

2. Valentine's e-cards from friends & family

3. the BBC Single Focus brunch that the guys of our Sunday school class put on for the girls this past weekend

4. an Excuse to wear pink (as if I ever need one!)

5. the anonymous person who for the past 2 years has left a single red rose on the desk of every female employee the morning of Valentine's day

6. a Chic-Fil-A chicken biscuit from my teamleader Jody. I used to eat these all the time, but since the new diet and workout plan took effect I've avoided them since August so this was a well-deserved treat!

7. Lindt chocolate truffle squares- foodgasmic- run to the store and buy these if you've never tried them!

8. I talked to a customer today whose named was Rick Crick. I kid you not. It made me smile!

9. An email from my sister Laura who offered that I could touch her weiner. Let me clarify. She has a miniature dachsund named Julius, aka, a weiner dog. It's a long-running joke that Laura loves weiners (both hotdogs & the canines)

10. a dress rehearsal tonight for some of the most difficult music I have ever sung, and now that performance time is almost here, the progress we've made as a choir has been very rewarding.

11. piggybacking on that, I get to sing tonight with the Nashville symphony in the new Symphony hall- always a treat.

12. dinner tonight after work with "my Valentine," Tadd at "our place"

13. the 3rd annual Chocolatepalooza party at our apartment, to which I will be late in arriving- save some chocolate fondue for me, girls!

14. my fabulous group of friends and family who encourage me, and remind me that God has everything in control even when I don't believe it for myself.

Curse you, Cupid!

All of my best Valentine's Days have been spent with my fabulous single girl friends. The flip side of that of course is that I have very few experiences of being in an actual relationship on Valentine's Day.

Let's start from the beginning: Daniel Weathervane made me a homemade Valentine in Kindergarten and gave me a chandelier crystal as a gift. Very sweet and flattering, but I have no idea where Daniel is today. Jumping way ahead, Thomas DeMarcus and I spent V-day together my sophomore year in high school and attended the BHS-Franklin High School basketball game together, but at that point Thomas actually hadn't gotten up the guts to ask me out yet, so that doesn't count. Junior year Owen gave me a huge stuffed Teddy Bear that came to be known in my family for many years to come as the "Owen Bear" and it actually resembeled the giver of the gift. I eventually sold the Owen Bear in a yard sale a few years later and haven't regretted the decision since. Senior year I was with Grant. Grant and I went to see a movie (Message in a Bottle) and it was seriously one of the most depressing movies I have ever seen- I think I cried- not very romantic or sweet at all. And well, college, there were zero relationships of which to speak, so we're 0 for 4 there. There was also He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named a few years later, and that was long distance and certainly not filled with happy memories because he didn't even call me on Valentine's Day till 11 o'clock that night.

And here we are in 2007. I won't claim to have low self-esteem because a Hallmark Holiday reminds me that I'm not in a relationship, but it is just that- a reminder. Pink hearts and cards are everywhere, and is it so wrong to wistfully wish that the flowers sitting on a coworker's desk were for you for a change? I'm tired of hearing about how empowering it is to be single and for a change want to be honest about this dumb holiday- it sucks to be single on Valentine's Day! It doesn't matter how many cards you get from friends, how much chocolate you consume on the day, or what fun plans you have for the evening. It's just not the same as being in a relationship and spending the day with that special person! So there's my transparent moment for the day. Sorry to be Debbie Downer, and I sincerely hope each of you have a wonderful day, but I'll just be glad when it's over for another year.

Now give three cheers and one cheer more for the hardy captain of the Pinafore!

I thought it high time I get my drama queen self back on the stage, and so I'm currently in rehearsals for H.M.S. Pinafore at Pull-Tight Theater (the same theater where I did Pirates of Penzance in 2005). One of the cast members has put together a really cool website where you can "meet the cast," read trivia about the show, and see photos of the set currently as it's under construction.

I'd love for you to come and see the show! Performance dates are as follows:

Friday March 23rd
Saturday March 24th

Thursday March 29th
Friday March 30th
Saturday March 31st
Sunday April 1st (Just kidding!) (Not!)

Thursday April 12th
Friday April 13th (my Dad's birthday!)
Saturday April 14th
Sunday April 15th (make sure your taxes are done before you come)

Thursday April 19th
Friday April 20th
Saturday April 21st

Cliche a Day

Today's Cliche a Day is a phrase very near and dear to my heart; one that I grew up hearing my mother say, but have rarely heard anywhere else. Coincidentally enough though, a customer of mine said this on the phone the other day, and I couldn't help but laugh! Today's Cliche a Day phrase is (drum roll, please!)

Hunky dory
to be okay; everything is good

Huncho-dori was a major street in Yokohama, Japan, that was frequented by American sailors on leave during the Occupation that followed World War 1. To be in Huncho-dori was to be enjoying leisure activities and having a good time.

I wonder if "enjoying leisure activities" might be the PC term for hooked up with Geishas? Oh well, I Geisha had to be there! (Boo, Hiss, Throw your tomatoes!)

I am curious, Mom, was hunky dory a phrase you inheritated from Papa, who might have picked it up from his dad who was in WW1?? BTW, Ari, I am finding that many of these cliche phrases stemmed from war slang, and am enjoying the daily snippets of education. And for the record, yes, I enjoy the word snippet very much.

TGIF everyone!

Cliche a Day

Ari got me a desk calendar called "Cliche a Day" and every day you get a new phrase and the historical background behind it. Today's phrase I found to be particuarly inspiring:

In the Pink
in good health and ready to go

In traditional English fox hunting, hunters wore scarlet-colored jackets called pinks. If you were wearing your pink, you were ready to go hunting.

How cool is that? So the next time any of you single girls are on the hunt for a good man (Charlie Brown) you can say you're "in the pink!" ha ha

SuperBowl Weekend In Review

Wahoo. Hooray for weekend updates! I felt that this was a particularly action-packed weekend and deserved mention. January is now a thing of the past, as this weekend Urrshered in the first weekend of February. (How are those new year's resolutions going for everyone? I have still not conquered the snooze button. Every morning we do battle, and every morning the snooze button wins.)

Friday afternoon I escaped the clutches of work to meet Ari and Bart at Jonathan's, our favorite local watering hole, and enjoyed a few 2 for 1 Heffewizens and appetizers, after which we went back to Ari's place and hung out and listened to music. We had the most interesting conversation that night- Bart posed the question, what are the greatest American rock & roll bands of all time? It had never occurred to me until we got into the conversation that many of what we would call legendary rock & roll bands (ie the Beatles, Led Zeplin, & the Rolling Stones) are all British! Same with many of our modern rock bands of note (U2, Radiohead, & Coldplay). However, many iconic pop and rock solo acts are dominated by the Americans. It was a very lengthy discussion, and we did come up with many viable candidates including Lynrd Skynrd, Red Hot Chillipeppers, & the Beach Boys.

Saturday morning I met Mom & Dad at the Brentwood Waff, followed promptly by a trip to El Gym-o, and that night went with Taddly to the Opera. (Yes, that's Opera, not Opry, as many people asked when inquiring about my weekend plans!) We saw Gounod's Romeo & Juliet from the 3rd row, and overall it was lacking in luster. The soprano's acting was terrible, her singing was just so-so, and while we both liked Romeo overall, the music itself was pretty dull. This was my first experience in French opera, and more amusing than the opera itself were the people in the audience- the man hacking up a lung a row in front of us, and Tadd and I fighting to keep a straight face. Also there was a "guy" sitting near us who stood up during intermission and Tadd & I both exclaimed to one another that we thought was a "he" until he stood up and we realized "She" had glasses, no makeup on, a very short haircut, and a suit jacket & matching skirt! Well maybe she's European, Tadd remarked. Nope, we both said simultaneously as we heard "her" say something to the lady she was with. A younger foursome down front had formal dresses on, and the guys wore shirts & ties. All that to say, you definitely see some characters at the opera, and we ain't talkin' 'bout the ones on the stage!

Sunday morning after church, a group of 7 of us ditched Sunday school in lieu of having breakfast/lunch together at Cracker Barrel. So much for eating healthy prior to pigging out during the Superbowl! The most exciting thing about this meal besides the yummy food, and the scatterbrained-but-cute server, was that we had a celebrity sighting- Natalie's first since she moved to Nashville- we saw Josh Turner with his wife and baby wandering around the store while waiting for a table. What's cool is that
a, he has to wait for a table like everyone else, (and that he doesn't attempt to use his clout to bypass the wait)
and b, he's a spokesperson for Cracker Barrel, and he actually eats there!
We were all giggling like schoolgirls and stealing glances at the shorn country singer, and hoped with every table near us that opened up that the Turners would be sat in our vicinity. No such luck. That's probably a good thing, because I doubt we would have behaved ourselves. MA might have already blogged about this, but she was "the girl who cried Josh Turner," faking Natalie & I into thinking that Josh was coming towards us to be seated nearby.

Later on that day was of course, the Superbowl. I watched the game over at the house with Mom & dad, Laura and George who made an appearance, and Tadders. Backing up, the 4 Bradleys were sitting around watching TV killing time before the game came on, and I found the funniest show on Animal Planet! It was the Puppy Bowl III- all it was was an enclosed play pen for puppies that was designed to look like a football field, and there were cameras filming various puppies playing together on the field. At one point a "referee" came on camera and bagged up some doggie poo, and called a penalty for "intentional grounding." There was also a "bowl cam" underneath a clear bowl of water on the field, so you got to watch the puppies drink and paw at the water from above. It sounds really lame now that I'm writing about it, but I promise it was really funny and amusing at the time- Way better than the Ghost Hunters show that Laura wanted to watch.

Back to the real event of the day, I was severely disappointed in the Superbowl commercials- total Yawnsville for the most part, but so excited at the outcome of the game. It was an interesting match up to have 2 former SEC quarterbacks playing against one another, and I of course, am a big Peyton Manning fan, so I was enjoying myself. Whether he deserved Superbowl MVP is up for debate, but at least the monkey is off his back now. He is a phenomenal quarterback, he beat the Patriots, and he won the Superbowl. He's going down in the Hall of Fame.

PS, the Tennessee Titans can now proudly say they beat the Superbowl champs in the regular season!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

I’ve got my own pet peeves, just like anyone else. For example, leaving time on the microwave after food has been taken out instead of clearing it to display the clock again. Also it’s no secret the stretch of interstate on I-65 South between Concord Rd and Old Hickory Blvd. is the bane of my existence on many days for the simple reason that Tennessee drivers have an apparent memory lapse on this stretch of road and cannot remember that the speed limit is 70- mph, not 60, not 55, and definitely not 50, which, yes, I have been stuck behind some of these drivers while preparing to exit.


One of the biggies though, is Winter Without Snow. What's the point of cold weather if there's no winter wonderland to sweeten the deal? If there's none of the white stuff, I say give me my 80 degree summer days, please. I'm tired of freezing through the first half of my commute every morning waiting for my heat to kick-in, and fed-up with scraping frost off Thomas' windshield!

Now I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch, but it would seem that there may be cause for excitement here in the Nashville Metro area:




Today's forecast according to weather.com: "cloudy with scattered snow showers and flurries becoming a steady accumulating snow later. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. About one inch of snow expected."

And again, tomorrow's forecast: "chance of precip 90%. 1 to 2 inches of snow expected."

Now you northerners may be scoffing at the mere giddiness of one inch of snow which will in all likelihood, melt by lunchtime, but we Southerners are just itching to have one good snow. As bad as it would be to get stranded in my apartment at the top of a big hill with my Netflix movies tomorrow morning, I think I could manage.

In the Pink

Probably one of the best days of my life was my 18th birthday. It was just a perfect day. But coming in a close second was the day that Sephora opened its doors in Nashville, TN. Seriously, I would say that I was like a kid in a candy store, but having never been a big candy eater, I'll say I was like me as an 8-year-old in a store full of Barbie Dolls.

Some of the newness of Nashville's Sephora store has worn off, but I still have a twinge of unhappiness if I am for some reason in the Green Hills area, but can't swing over to Sephora for a visit. In fact, I have a Sephora gift card that I got for Christmas that has just been burning a hole in my pocket, but I'm holding off as long as I can before I spend it.

To tempt and tantalize me, I get weekly emails from Sephora with new product reviews, and this week's email featured a few rose-colored hued makeup palettes I thought I'd share with you all!

The first is a delicious combo of colors from Too-Faced. I am a sucker for all-in-one pallettes because I am anal retentive when it comes to co-ordinating my eye, lips, and cheek color. These pinkish-hued neutrals go well with the majority of my wardrobe, and okay, I'm also slightly drawn to this product because of its pink packaging. So sue me. For just under 30 smackeroos, you get 2 concealers, blush, 2 powder eyeliners, a brow duo, 3 eyeshadows, and 2 lipglosses. Best of all, you save time when packing for the gym by tossing this baby in with your foundation and you're good to go! (Is anyone else as sick as I am of those annoying Taco Bell commercials??)

The other item that popped out to me was Benefit's Hopelessly devoted to pink. Quite simply, it's a pallette of pretty pink shades for the eyes and lips, and again, goes well with the bulk of my wardrobe.

Disclaimer (and I don't even know 'er): Wearing pink eye shadow can be a tricky feat, as you don't want to look

a) like you're suffering from uber-contagious conjunctivitis, or

b) like you're posing as an albino rabbit.

The trick is to keep the pink on the eyelids light, and play up the pink lips and cheeks to achieve an eye-catching monochomatic look that's fresh and fun without being scary.

Happy Beautifying! (and PS, MA- look who finally got the hang of linking pictures to their respective websites? wahooo!)

Oscar Noms are out

In building up to the main event, The Academy Awards, which will take place Sunday, February 25, 2007,

I'd love to hear some of your predictions for the winners. There are quite a few movies I wanted to see in the theater that I never got around to seeing, and I will try and remedy this before the awards take place, but here are my current predictions for some of the biggies. All noms for these categories are listed, the ones in bold are my pics:

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond”
Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson”
Peter O’Toole in “Venus”
Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness”
Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children”
Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond”
Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls”
Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Penélope Cruz in “Volver”
Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal”
Helen Mirren in “The Queen”
Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada”
Kate Winslet in “Little Children”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Adriana Barraza in “Babel”
Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal”
Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls”
Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel”

Achievement in directing

“Babel” Alejandro González Iñárritu
“The Departed” Martin Scorsese
“Letters from Iwo Jima” Clint Eastwood
“The Queen” Stephen Frears
“United 93” Paul Greengrass

Best motion picture of the year

“Babel”
“The Departed”
“Letters from Iwo Jima”
“Little Miss Sunshine”
“The Queen”

Tom Brady. So Hot Right Now.

If any man ever wondered why women Really watch football, let me let you in on a little secret: it's all about the men in uniform! I go gaga for the guys in tight, shiny pants, and the strong, athletic bodies, and it's nice to see men who know what their job is, and they aggressively get it done on the field. Yes, it's a primeval way of looking at the game, but guys, don't fool yourselves into thinking that you enjoy the sport for any more noble a reason- the competition, the physical battle of wit and strength, and the added bonus, the scantily-clad cheerleaders on the sidelines (read: dancers who shake their assets in short, spandex half-outfits).

I spent my Sunday evening with the guys- Miller, Brad, and Jason, watching the Colts-Patriots game. They got a taste into the female psyche as I drooled over Tom Brady, and they enlightened me with their theory of every man feeling a strong kinship to a specific animal. (Miller is a wolf, Brad is a polar bear)

Poor Tom looks so dejected here after losing to the Colts... perhaps I should make a special trip up to New England to console him?

Tied to our jobs

So I know most of us don't exactly LOVE our jobs... and probably many times we feel like we are chained to our desks for 40 hours a week. But what if you were literally chained to your desk? As in, physically restrained so that you were not able to leave your desk? This is no hypothetical question. The story you are about to read is both sad and true. The names have not been changed because the author enjoys making fun of herself and the antics of her day to day life in hopes that by reading her anecdotes the reader would get a smile on his or her face.

It was a normal Wednesday morning. I woke up late. I showered and sprayed some scrunchy stuff in my hair to avoid having to blow dry it. I arrived to work frazzled and started to go through voice mails and emails. Eventually I started to make some phone calls and noticed that it was rather chilly in my office on this particular morning, so as the phone rang and rang and rang I reached under my desk to turn on my space heater like I had done so many times before.

It was a simple maneuver I had mastered, the squat and reach, my headset on, ready to say "hello" in a flash should the person on the other end of the line answer, and in one deft move turning on the bringer of warmth to oscillate and make my cube nice and cozy. But this morning was not like every other morning. On this morning the scrunchiness of my hair made it highly susceptible to snags. Snags on metal thingies that I had no idea were underneath my desk. Snags that would prevent me from being able to return to a normal sitting position. Snags that would impair my ability to even reach the phone base to hang up. So there I was, my head bowed and parallel to the desk, headset on, phone ringing, the answering machine finally picking up, and I was unable to free myself from whatever I had tangled my hair on. This was quite the predicament.

I started to panic when I realized I couldn't reach buttons on the phone to hang up, and panicked further when I couldn't free myself from the uncomfortable position. I don't know all the details of what happened next- everything is just a blur, but I know I asked timidly for help from Jody, the girl who sits next to me. Surely as a fellow female she would understand the trials and tribulations of hair entanglement and be able to free me safely. But after I called her name with no response I realized in horror that she was on the phone with a customer and unable to hear my pathetic pleas. I turned my head as much as I could to try and get the attention of Todd who sits behind me, but I was unable to contort my body so much without yanking out handfuls of hair.

Suddenly, my friend John came valiantly to my rescue, noticing that I was in pain and hearing my whiney statement of "I'm stuck" to anyone who was listening. I was literally chained to my desk! John quickly pulled the headset from my head and discovered the source of my snag- a metal thingie on the bottom of my desk. His capable hands worked quickly to free my hair without resulting to cutting it out with scissors and I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat upright once again. I thanked him profusely as he pointed out to me the source of my angst so that I could avoid it in the future.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Because now I was free to sit at my desk once again, safely removed from harm's way, but now I was also expected to get back to work.

Punked

Back in the day when Heather and I spent our summers working at Lifeway together, one of our favorite pastimes was calling coworkers at the store while we were off or on break, and ask for items that didn’t exist. The one we used for each other was to call and ask for The Living Bible, a translation that was no longer in print. Sometimes we would call and ask other unsuspecting employees for the book, “How to beat your child into submission” by Dr. James Dobson. This was an especially fun trick to play when the sales associate actually went to look for the book!

Once I got to Brentwood Benson, the joke was to call a new sales rep and place a mock order for 300 or so hymnals, in which case the rep would get really excited that they had made such a big order, and then the rep on the other end of the phone would laugh and tell them they were only kidding, and that the order wasn’t for real. If the seasoned rep was particularly tricky, they wouldn't tell the newbie until well after the conversation had ended, and the rep had plenty of time to share with everyone else on the sales floor what had taken place before they went and broke the news to the new employee.

Today however, the joke was on me. I had just gotten back from a very productive lunch break in which I had run several errands and picked up a sandwich to bring back to work. I had just cleared my email inbox, and was going through my voicemails when I got a particularly annoying/curious voicemail. A 615 area code phone call, however the woman said she was calling from Connecticut... interesting because I have Just taken over CT and hardly anyone from that state knows to call my extension... I continue to listen. She tells me her name, Katherine McDoogal, and proceeds to say she is looking for the sheet music to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," and that she is doing this as a solo and her children's choir is backing her up. (You would think I would have caught on that this wasn't for real, but you'd be surprised what people will ask for.) So below is the actual verbatim message I typed out while I listened to this strange request: (phone numbers scrambled to protect the not-so-innocent)

615-648-2067 katherine mcdoogal in CT place order twinkle little star 615-265-6196 ext 120

As this woman droned on in her message I found it odd that she was in CT, had a nasally, northern accent, but had a local phone number... I know, Amanda, how dumb can you be? But it had been a crazy day, the phone ringing nonstop, so I proceeded to call Miss McDoogal back, only to be greeted with the direct line to one Miss Mary Anna Brown. I was so flustered that I had fallen hook, line, and sinker, that I could barely put two and two together at what had just transpired. Mary Anna was obviously elated that her little trick had worked.

And I had been beaten at my own game!

Lunching with Loved Ones

Tis been the week of lunch dates- that glorious hour in the middle of my work day, where I am able to escape for exactly 60 minutes, lest a few precious minutes of my vacation time be snatched up in order to compensate for my tardiness, and catch up on life with a dear friend. Monday was January 1st, and we were still off on holiday, so back to work on the 2nd it was. That evening was spent where I won a date with Tadd Himelrick. We dined at Chili's and then watched the first 5 episodes of season one of Arrested Development. This is a show that several good friends of mine have sworn up and down that I would love, so I finally succumbed to the pressure and watched it. It did take a few episodes to get me interested, but I am hereby publicly admitting that my smart friends were right, I love the show, and will be booking some time with the Taddster as soon as our schedules permit to finish the first season on DVD.

Wednesday, January 3rd was lunch with Momma B and Laura Lee at Logan's. Thursday was TGI Friday's with Thomas (no more Oreo maddness- what's that all about?!). Friday was McCallister's with Beth, and finally, today yielded a trip up and back to Louisville to have a long lunch with Colleen and Holt. It was worth the drive since I hadn't seen either of them since July.

I love dining with friends, but for the sake of my pocketbook, I must insist upon several Lean Cuisines, and lunches in the 2nd floor cafe this week. And let me just tell you how excited I am about that!

Drum Roll Please...

And here we are, well into the new year, and it’s my first blog of 2007. I know. I continue to disappoint and abandon You the reader. Guess what my new year’s resolution is? To Blog More! Ha ha that would be a good one, wouldn’t it? I am only kidding of course. In lieu of last year’s much talked about list, I have made a new resolution this year, and that is not to have any resolutions! (Which, I suppose IS a resolution in itself, but whatever) That way I don’t have to feel guilty about breaking them! I did write in my journal (with pen and paper… how positively prosaic) several “goals” for the new year. Most of them are going well thus far, but one at the top of the list- “do not hit the snooze button” I broke the morning of January 2nd- the morning I started back to work after having a week off! I literally rolled over and chanted the mantra to myself.. “new year’s goal- do not hit snooze” and then I rebelliously hit the large button and rolled back over for 10 more minutes of blissful zz’s.

The 12 Days of a Cannelton Christmas

The Bradley clan did something different for Christmas this year. After attending the 9am Christmas Eve service, we piled into 2 cars with our 3 dogs and all our presents and headed up to Cannelton for a fun old-fashioned family Christmas (minus Chevy Chase). Things are always chaotic when all the families get together (chaotic in a good way) but I thought the best way to break it down would be in a creative (& accurate for the most part) list to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas. So without further ado...

On the Twelfth day of a Cannelton Christmas my family gave to me

12. glasses of punch dad drank on Christmas Eve
11. times Braedon & Nicole listened to the Wiggles songs on repeat while singing and dancing
10. number of adults that fit around the Big Table on the back porch for dinner
9. Grandkids at the house
8. the combined number of stores to which Mom & Dad got gifts card this year
7. pieces of our traditional homemade coffee cake the four Bradleys collectively ate on Christmas morning
6. the number of cameras we had snapping pictures of the various family groups around Papa & the Christmas tree
5. different dogs at the house (Stockwell, Oscar, Ginger, Oreo, & Julius)
4. siblings present (Mom, Lisa, Kristina, and Michael)
3. the number of times I walked around the entire Tell City, IN Walmart to buy some last
minute forgotten things on Christmas Eve for my mother
2. Great-Grandkids at the house (Natalee & Nicole)
1. Great-Grandfather/Grandfather/dad to bring us all together in one Mr. Harry Lee Huber

I sincerely hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!!

Getting a Handel on things

Thanks to MA, we have pics from Tuesday night's dress rehearsal. I thought I'd share a few of these with you guys since I'm on a blogging roll today:

Here's me smiling for the camera (You can always count on MA to take lots of good pictures!)

And here is yours truly, finally appearing as though she has a "Handel" on her music!

A View of the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and Symphony in the new Schermerhorn Symphony Hall

A lady on the front row who Mom & MA (what a dangerous combo, sitting those 2 together) had a good laugh over, watching her mouth open to the size of a softball!

We perform tonight and tomorrow night to sold-out audiences. I have been listening to Messiah here at work the past few days and am beyond excited to finally be performing this major work! Hallelujah!

The road to the Gym is paved with good intentions

I got up this morning with the intent to go to my Thursday morning spin class at the Y, keeping in line with my 3-for-3 workouts this week so far. With "dad gum it's Christmas" still going full swing at work, I've got to stay in the gym in order to allow myself to eat all the tasty treats baked lovingly by my coworkers! Well, the alarm went off, I sang along to Beyonce on my clock radio while I got dressed, and like a pack mule, grabbed everything I would need for the rest of the day. Or so I thought. On my way out the door, I hung my clothes on the back of one of our dining room chairs and put on my coat. Then I picked up my pink gym bag, and out the door I went. Still dark, I pulled up to the Y and began to gather my things to head inside.

purse: check.
gym back: check.
Work clothes on hanger: ... I scan the back seat...
Work clothes on hanger... I scan the front seat... and begin to get frustrated...

You can see where this is going. It's going to me driving all the way back to the apartment (still in the dark, and mourning the loss of sleep), and getting ready sans workout. You can imagine my frustration when I came in and hung my coat on the same chair that my work clothes were mistakingly hung.

So what did I do to make up for the missed spinning class this morning? I got ready early, made myself some coffee, and enjoyed it in my pink Christmas travel mug along with a 7 layer cookie on my way to work!

Heroin, romantic comedies- same thing

Amidst this crazier-than-ever December, we three roommates (of Nashville are) took some time out of our busy schedules to meet up for a movie on Monday night. We planned on seeing The Holiday- hailed by some as the Best Romantic Comedy EVER, so of course we had to see it!

I don't know if I would say it is the best ever (my fav is still You've Got Mail, and how can we neglect When Harry Met Sally? In fact, throw in Sleepless in Seattle and, are we sensing the Meg Ryan trend here, you've got yourself some classic romantic comedies. Seriously Meg, embrace your niche instead of (literally) fighting your way into a horrible movie like In The Cut. Go back to what you know. Heck, even Kate & Leopold wasn't that bad of a movie because of you.

So the Holiday was everything we expected. We laughed. We cried (thanks FR for the much needed tissues- "I'm a bit of a weeper!") It was better than Cats. But maybe not so much better as the classic Romantic Comedies I listed above. But it was very good- perhaps even "totally brill" which is maybe my new favorite British phrase. The movie inspired me to swap flats with some fabulous young British singleton over Christmas and meet a Jude Law look-alike to fall madly in love with in one week's time. (Hey, it could happen!)

It also inspired us to tap our arms several times during the course of the film implying that we needed another "heroin fix. See Em's infamous post Just Like Heroin for the full story, but basically her point is that women watch romantic comedies that make our emotions soar and then the movie ends and we come crashing back down to reality. So we watch more movies to bring us up again, we crash, and the addiction continues. Similar to the highs and lows of being on heroin. Or so I've heard.

All that to say, I give the Holiday 2 thumbs up. It's a fun chick flick to go see over Christmas with your gal-pals or girlfriend (guys).

To wear or not to wear?

Lately my friends and I have had numerous discussions on the Taboo act of wearing that infamous piece of festive clothing- the Christmas Sweater. It's perfectly acceptable, and particularly adorable to dress children in red velvet dresses with fur trim, and fine to dress them in red from top to bottom with a matching bow during the Christmas season. Additionally, we sort of laugh and accept the fact that many of our mothers are of the mature age now where they are donning Christmas sweaters (daily if it's my Mother, with red pants to match!). And while we agree that our moms are cute in their snowmen vests, and reindeer mock turtlenecks, we swear to each other that we will Never be caught dead in something so hideous.

But what is so bad about the Christmas sweater? What makes it a universally-unaccepted article of clothing once you hit the teens and is locked in that category until you hit 50 where it becomes acceptable once again? I mean personally, I don't see what is so tacky about a bulky sweater covered with ginormous poinsettias. Office Max has even gone to great lengths to make fun of the often-laughed-at Christmas sweater (I think maybe the only thing poked fun at more during the holidays would be the Fruitcake) that they have a website where you can create a virtual tacky Christmas sweater and email your creation to a friend.

While I agree that most holiday apparel is indeed unflattering for the trendy dresser, I myself am wearing a fashionable Christmas shirt that I got from the Gap last year. It's fitted and green and has a tiny reindeer made of rhinestones on it. Christmas socks are also festive and fun, mainly because you can wear them proudly without causing too much of a distraction to the rest of your ensemble, because how often are one's socks really displayed? And then there was that incident in college with the Christmas bra.... disaster.... but all I can say is that there are ways to wear your holiday spirit proudly, even if it's not as obvious as a snowman covering the entire length of your torso.


Post Script: Momma B took this picture with the intent of including it on her comment after this post, but technical difficulties prevented her from doing so. I am displaying here now for you all to admire. :o)

Roadtrippin It part 1

Backing up one more weekend, in the wee hours of the morning (the alarm went off at 4:30 am) following the Dixie Chicks show, Steph and I piled into her gracefully aging Saturn and headed up to Lexington. We rolled into LexVegas at 10:04 for the 10 am wedding shower I was trying to make. Steph and I parted ways, and I entered into wedding shower world for the next half-a-day. Ariana's maid & matron of honor threw her a Holiday-themed shower (hence some of the less than ideal gifts, ie. not one but Two dancing Santas, and a to-die-for cookie plate with a cat on it. And by to die for, I mean, I nearly died watching Ari gush over gifts which she obviously had no use for!). It was a blast though getting to know some of her family and close friends better (I think after 7 years I just might have Beth & Katie, the twins, straight!) After a highly competitive clothes-pin game where you couldn't cross your legs, I lost (sorely, I might add) to Ari's aunt Carol. Carol and I ended up being friends though, so there were no hard feelings.

What else went on this weekend you might wonder? Or you might not. But here it is:
*Ari's secret hot cousin
*Watching (& laughing at) drunk girls playing darts
*Ang & Ari not having heat in the guest bedroom the first night
*Puccini's Smiling Teeth- the quaint little Italian restaurant in Chevy Chase for Sat night dinner
*Massive peanut butter desert (compliments of the aforementioned secret hot cousin)
*Drunk christmas caroling (ok, we didn't do this, but Liz wanted to)
*The pink bathroom at Marika's
*Being locked out of the house at 3am.
*Rekindling friendships with old (intoxicated) college friends.
*Eyeball trees.
*I really couldn't find my toothbrush this time!

Is there ever a dull weekend in Lexington? All I will say is that there was no Cider consumed on this trip, and that all parties involved are another year older, wiser, and more mature than last year's infamous tales of woe. This was all around a fun girls weekend, and the wedding countdown (6 months to go!) begins. Now if only we had some Bridesmaids dresses...

Roadtrippin It part 2

This past Sunday I was reminded again about how precious my years of Singledom really are. Me, Bryce, Bethany, and Jessica met up at the Cool Springs Starbucks on Sunday morning and took a road trip down to Montgomery, AL to hear our fellow coworker Erin, perform. She was the featured solist in their holiday pops concert, and so it was a really big deal! It was great to be able to take off for a day and not have anything to hold us back from the 8 hour round trip! The four of us sang along to Michael Buble', NSYNC (Bryce's cds!) and Jess and I had a dance party in the back seat to my Florida 2005 mix (what a great cd mix Em!), prior to singing every Christmas carol we could think of, and switching off singing lead and harmony. We took turns playing the peg game on the table at Cracker Barrel and ate our weight in food (I enjoyed my potatoes and green beans, even though there's apparently a study which says that those foods are now considered bad for you). Bryce tried to convince us he could run 60 miles per hour, and then proceeded to "demonstrate" in the parking lot of the Montgomery Starbucks.

Erin had no idea we were coming, and her face was priceless when she spotted us after the show. That for me, made the entire trip worth it to me! Her family welcomed us into their home for a visit before we had to get back on the road, and they were all so funny and amiable that it was very hard to leave! After the concert Erin's grandmamma hit on Bryce so we were in stitches about that, and Bethany called Erin's brother-in-law Scott when his name was Chris, but he thought it was hilarious, along with the rest of us. MA- Erin's fam has a big Blue Russian cat that looks almost exactly like Jack, but he hissed at me, so I don't think we share the same special relationship that Jack and I do!

I love that I work in a place where I can spend a day laughing with coworkers, and where we support each other in parts of our lives that have nothing to do with the 8-5 day. Some days the work we do can get monotonous, but it's the people I work with, and the people who benefit from the work that I do that keeps me here.

Dad Gum It's St. Nick's Day!

Another year almost over, another St. Nicholas Day, and yes, today also marks the beginning December-long celebration at work called Dad Gum It's Christmas!!

I'm heading home after work tonight to have dinner with the family and open our stockings to see what St. Nick brought us. For a detailed explanation, see December 2004's post on the holiday!

I have been listening to Christmas music at work, and I have my cube decorated with lights, a tree, a pink fiber-optic angel, my Kentucky Blue Santa hat, and a stocking hung by the cubicle with care, in hopes that coworkers will bring me presents and treats! (You think that's a bit over-board?) So far I've received several offers for lumps of coal, and 40 cents in my stocking!

Chickens from the South

As we near the end of 2006 it is time to squeeze in one (maybe last) concert review for the year. Friday night several thousand fans put politics aside and showed up to the GEC to hear a trio of women play and sing their hearts out. (Because the only reason anyone listened to what lead singer Natalie Maines had to say a few years back about the president was because of the innovative music that shot the Dixie Chicks to the top of the charts, making them a household name.) And like it or not, the girls are still at the top of their game despite many radio markets refusing to play their records, and many conservative fans boycotting their concerts. Before introducing one of their new songs that came from the Shut Up & Sing movie soundtrack, Natalie quipped, "here's a new one that you haven't heard yet- well of course you haven't heard it on the radio!"

I am admit I am guilty for falling prey to the media influence, and the DC became out of sight out of mind for me the past few years. Friday night rekindled my devotion to the DC, and brought back many happy memories from college as former roommate Stephanie and I sang our hearts out from the audience (The hand motions to Travellin Soldier made up while tailgating for a UK football game would be one of the better memories)! It is refreshing to hear clean, pure harmonies (hey, what a novel idea- singers who can sing!) and even more impressive, to see artists who can actually play several different instruments.

The Tennessean gave them a glowing review, and so do I.

Where in the world is Amanda SanDiego?

She's been enjoying the 70 degree late November weather...
Nothing helps me get in the Christmas spirit better than to drive down the road listening to Christmas music with the windows down! Me and the Roommates are decorating our place for Christmas tonight, putting up the tree, cooking dinner and watching The Office & Gray's Anatomy together. It should be a fun night, and is (correct me if I'm wrong) our first planned event together at the apartment since we moved in 3 months ago (Daaannng Gina, we are busy girls!)

She has been working like a mad woman...
New job responsibilities and a shifting tide in the office environment have forced me to limit the blogging and emailing and focus on (shocker) work. Plus due to the nature of my hectic schedule and the still obstintate laptop & internet, it's been difficult to manage my Domain at nighttime too.

She has enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, full of Family, Food, Football, & Shopping (sory, I couldn't find an F synonym that pleased me!)...
It was a whirlwind weekend- Laura & I drove up to Cannelton last Wednesday night and met mom & dad and The Boys who were already there with my Papa. That night we did kareoke at the Pumper- where else? (Pumper? I don't even KNOW 'er) I sang "When You Say Nothing At All" and "Rocky Top," which both turned out to be real crowd pleasers! Ryan & Matt sang their rendition of "the Wheels on the Short Bus go round and round, all through Bucktown!" And I have plenty of pictures of Jerry dancing to "Go Jerry (Johnny) Go." Eric, I am mentioning you because last time you got mad at me for not posting anything about you!

Thanksgiving we ate so early that I wasn't even hungry yet, so I did what every American did that day- I shoveled the food in anyways! In keeping with last year's TAR tradition, the Publix pilgrim salt & pepper shakers were put in various compromising positions, and every time mom would catch them in the act, she would sit them upright again, only to discover another lewd pose just moments later. My uncle Michael called us in the middle of dinner to announce the big news that they are expecting baby Number 3 (I think Missy is hoping for a little DZ legacy since her other 2 are boys)! This also makes 16 first cousins on that side of the family now!

Friday we got home early and mom, dad, and I boarded one of 5 fan busses to Memphis for the Ravenwood-White Station playoff game. Ravenwood won and will thus be playing for the state title for the second year in a row. "We believe."

Saturday was a disapoining loss by UK to an unimpressive UT football team. We are still waiting to see where Kentucky will play for their bowl game, and hopefully it will be played here in Nashvegas. I got a good start on my Christmas shopping and spent a relaxing evening at home watching a movie and unwinding from the weekend.

She finally got to see the Lion King, thanks to a nice birthday surprise...
I won't bore you with the details of the show- you can read MA and Emo's reviews since they were both enamoured of this play. I will say this- love, love, Loved the costumes, really enjoyed the new music for the score, and hated adult Symba. He wasn't loud enough, he over-enunciated, and came off very effiminate, despite his bulging muscles. He didn't come across at all as a powerful jungle king, but perhaps instead Queen of the Jungle Lounge. I was overall impressed with the magnitude of the show, and the costumes are what make it amazing, with people doubling as animals and dressing up to be part of the set. Ok, I said I wasn't going to bore you with details. I lied.

She has got her Christmas cheer now, and plans on blogging more frequently...
Seriously! Like finishing up LONG overdue blogs about DC, etc, and wishing Happy Birthdays to gal pals Heather, Lisa, & Lana, all who have had birthdays in the past week!

A weekend at the Pidge

"There are 9 of us... that's almost 10!"
"Well, with our big personalities, it's like having an extra person."

Thus the Girls' Second Annual Cabin weekend comes to a close. Me, Mandy, Sarah, Em, Natalie, Rhonda, Mary Anna, Amy, and Lana took off on Friday afternoon/evening (depending on which car you were in) east on I-40 and headed up to the Smoky Mountains for a weekend getaway. Already slightly crowded in the car with 5 of us, and all our stuff, we stopped for groceries and piled them on our laps in the back seat before finally making our way to the quaint "Deer Crossing" cabin.

We handily prepared a simple dinner of spaghetti, salad, and bread, watched MA's friend win a lot of money on Deal Or No Deal, and "chillaxed" in the hot tub before car number 2 rolled in a few hours later. The 9 of us played a fun game of Celebrity Charades, and somewhere around 2am we all finally crashed in our respective sleeping spots. Besides MA & Lana keeping everyone up with their talking and Lady Bug infestation crisis, I think we all slept pretty well. The next morning we cooked breakfast, drove out to Clingman's Dome, and hiked to the highest elevation spot in Tennessee. We were all amazed at the snow covering the shady parts of the mountain side, and Sarah christened her own little spot of yellow snow in the woods before beginning the trek up the mountain! Walking back down the trail, Lana and I decided it would be appropriate to sing "Climb Every Mountain" ... in fact, we pretty much found it appropriate to sing wherever we were- on the porch of restaurants, in the middle of playing board games, in rocking chairs in front of the Applebarn... there was no venue to large, no spot too public for an impromptu sing-along. Luckily Sarah was always there to chime in with her BGV's and sometimes interpretive dance moves.

After hiking, car numero uno- the ones who wanted to head back to the cabin for lunch, hottubbing, and football (yours truly, of course) got about a half mile from the cabin before we came to the stark realization that none of us knew the code to get into our cabin. We frantically dialed the cell phone numbers of the other 4 who were hiking, but to no avail. They obviously would not have their phones with them on a hiking trail! After exploring many options (a broken window split 9 ways would not be that much money), MA called the leasing office as soon as we pulled up the cabin, and luckily they believed us and gave us the code with almost no questions asked. I guess it's a good thing we weren't robbers.

Meanwhile on the trail... the other girls realized mid-hike that we wouldn't be able to get into the cabin so they high-tailed it back tot he car and cut the excursion short as a result. All's well that ends well however. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, and headed into Pigeon Forge that night for dinner at The Old Mill Stream restaurant. The first thing our super-awesome server said to us after we were seated was, "I've had dreams like this!" We giggled appreciatively (not Chortled, mind you.) (PS, we have found a word that Sarah doesn't like that I DO... there are others we discovered as well, but 'twould be wrong to put them here. Perhaps on another site- ThaT AIN'T right for example). Seriously though, we 9 gals can be a lot for one man to handle, and during dinner we wanted for nothing. The food came out quickly, our glasses remained full the entire time, and even splitting the checks was no hassle whatsoever. Server-Boy came up one time as we were discussing the outcome of the Ohio State-Michigan game and as he overheard part of our conversation he exclaimed incredulously, "you watch football too??!!" Apparently guys in Nashville take it for granted that while we are girly girls too, many of us follow sports passionately. Maybe in other places that is not the norm for the female population, but here in the south it seems to be a requisite to watch football, and we're all proud of our heritage.

After dinner was game night back at Deer Crossing, and this morning we created our own worship service in the living room. I joked that this morning we were all going to the "early service" since we had to be up, packed, and ready to start by 8am. On our way out of town we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at where else, the Applebarn, and shopped for a few hours at the outlet mall before finally making our way back to middle Tennessee. Sarah played DJ for us on the way home and led us down a walk down Memory Lane by serving up a smattering of early 90's hits from Mandy's cds, and we amazed ourselves by remembering all the words to TLC, Boys II Men, "Snoopy Dogg Dogg" and many more, singing at the top of our lungs in between laughing at ourselves.

It was every bit the relaxing weekend I had hoped for. Now all I have to do is unpack!!

A poet, and I don't know it

A few days ago I received the strangest email:

Dear Amanda

I find your poetry so apt to our everyday life and am a huge fan. Your words express the emotions that we are sometimes so afraid of saying outaloud. I love your work.

Take Care :)

Written from someone who, at first glance, I assumed read my blog, but then I realized he had said "poetry." Well, I thought, I mean I know I'm articulate and witty (and humble!), but I don't know if I would consider my blogs Poetry per say.

THAT'S when it hit me. This stranger had not intended to write an email to Amanda Bradley, the DIVA, Amanda the blogger, or Amanda, the sassy twenty-something. He meant to contact Amanda Bradley, the greeting card writer! We are in fact 2 different Amanda Bradleys who, while both sharing a penchant for writing, live what I guarantee are drastically different lives.

I'm sure the other Amanda Bradley gets emails from my adoring divadomain fans all the time too.

Fall is for Football

This weekend was a good weekend for football on many different levels- high school, collegiate, and NFL. Lucy, Let me splain.

Ravenwood High School won their playoff game and are in the process of making a run for their second straight 5A state championship. Mom lives and breathes RHS football so she's pretty pumped. This weekend while I'm off gallivanting in the mountains, Ravenwood will travel to Hunter's Lane to take on the big, bad metro school. Go Raptors (and I don't even know 'er)!!!

On the collegiate level, pigs are flying somewhere because Kentucky is now ranked #2 in the SEC east, ahead of Tennessee. No, you did not misread that. Thanks in part to Kentucky whooping up on Vanderbilt, and UT losing to Arkansas, the unthinkable has happened. Pause for a moment while I grumble about the fact that even though Vanderbilt is a local team, no TV station or local drinking establishment even, was showing the game on TV, so dad and I were relegated to listening to the 2nd half of the game on streaming audio in front of the computer. Fun times. Kentucky is now bowl eligible following this Vandy win, and we have what should be an easy non-conference game this weekend, and then finish out the season with a trip to Knoxvegas in what could be a great game for UK.

Finally, MA & I spent a chilly afternoon cheering the Titans to a one point loss against Steve McNair's Baltimore Ravens. It was a tough defeat since we led the entire game when we were predicted to lose, but all it took was one bad call for our home team to lose momentum, and a blocked field goal was all she wrote. MA and I did enjoy befriending the cutie-patooties near us (it's amazing how a UK hat can spark many a good conversation), and I did have a blast even though we did end up losing the game. A few hours later, I thawed out and my body temperature climbed above 90 degrees.

I would have to say that football is one of Fall's better attributes, though I could do without the brisk air for which Fall is synonymous. (Football in 75 degree weather is ideal for me!)

When your world looks kind of weird...

I know, I know... I have let you down. And what's worse, I have let myself down. I'm so ashamed. And it's not been because life has been so completely boring that there's been nothing blogworthy about which to write. Quite the opposite rather- there have been blog ideas- many topics to cover- the DC trip (I promise once blogger co-operates with the uploading of pictures it will happen), the white trash bash, the fall colors, the election, Britney Spears' marriage being done-zo, Faith Hill's so-NOT-kidding expression caught on camera at the CMA's, a birthday (happy 21 to me), and SO much more, all for only $19.95 plus shipping and handling.

Mostly it boils down to me working out in the mornings and thus being dog-tired at night, so the desire to stay up writing is lacking. And at work, it's been busy, and my own Mac continues to be the bane of my existence, and thus, is still not cooperating, making it difficult to use the internet at the Deuce (did we decide on this name for the apartment?) (Am I even There enough to warrant naming it?).

Anywho.... the straw that broke the camel's back today so to speak- the topic that prompted this blog was the most random of them all. I was talking with a co-worker, a Muppet babies reference came up, and suddenly I remembered (and sang) the entire Muppet Babies Theme song! Cody was impressed, as was I! Where did it come from? Isn't it weird to suddenly remember something you'd forgotten? Kind of like those people you run into from high school that you haven't thought about in years, who you forgot even existed or played a part in your life story- and then suddenly you see them and you're taken back to 5th period Algebra II where you admired Brian Hartshorne from afar and how his chiseled jaw line moved expertly up and down whenever he chewed gum, which was often, and you couldn't have agreed more when he was voted Best Looking Senior. Hypothetically speaking of course. I'm JUST sayin...

Don't be disapointed... the rest is coming!

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.