Oscar Redux & AWP Preview

Well, I did pretty well this year. 14 of my picks were correct!
I am most proud of choosing Alan Arkin for Supporting Actor, and "Babel" for original score.
I also like that "Little Miss Sunshine" won for best original screenplay. His was probably my favorite acceptance speech. I liked that when he was kid he had actually taken a 600 mile road trip with his family in a VW van with a broken clutch. 600 miles?!? No big surprises other than Arkin. I guess Melissa Ethridge was a surprise, but I can't say I had strong feelings about that category.

In other news, Hightouchmegastore and I depart on Wednesday for parts Southern (and warm, I'm hoping for warm!). In Atlanta we will hob-nob, no doubt, with great writers and those who possess great wit and charm. I'm speaking, of course, of none other than Otterbutt and Terrible Mother. We may see some other people too, who knows, but those are the important ones. Because of my stupid diet (do I seem testy?), I won't get to drink, but I look forward to enjoying their company while eating copious amounts of allowed food (which are those?) and pointing out famous writers.
No one is reading this year that I would want to stalk, but maybe I'll stand in line to give John Barth some kind of testimonial about how "Lost in the Funhouse" changed my life. It did! I swear!

I hope we get to see a movie on the plane. Yeah! Movie!
See you on the flip side. And by flip side I mean later.

Oscars!

It wouldn't be right if I didn't post my picks for tomorrow's Oscars. I have to say that this year I think I have been the least involved of any year, except for maybe the year Son was born! But, I did manage to see one of the Best Picture nominees, so I feel entitled to pick at will. And so......

Best Picture: Little Miss Sunshine (I love a underdog!)
Director: Martin Scorsese (A make-up Oscar. He deserves one, maybe not for this film....)
Actor: Forest Whitaker!!!! (I heart him!)
Actress: Helen Mirren (the Queen of our hearts!)
Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin (maybe a long shot, but he was so funny!)
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson (I'm a sucker for a good story)
Adapted Screenplay: Little Children (I wasn't crazy about the novel, but it was a novel!)
Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine (great dialogue!)
Animated Feature: Happy Feet (penguins win!)
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth (I haven't seen it, but I've heard)
Documentary Feature: Iraq in Fragments (a political win)
Foreign-Language: The Lives of Others (I've read reviews)
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Cinematography: The Prestige (because it's the only other one I've seen)
Costume Design: Dreamgirls
Editing: Babel (because it needed some? the cuts from scene to scene?)
Makeup: Pan's Labyrinth
Score: Babel (why not?)
Song: Um, something from Dreamgirls? The odds are good (3 out of 5?) I'll choose "Listen"
Animated Short: The Danish Poet (because it has Poet in the title)
Live action Short: Binta and the Great Idea (I liked the picture)
Documentary Short: Recycled Life (I don't know, I like the title)
Sound Editing: Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest (like I have any idea)
Sound Mixing: Dreamgirls (because it has music?)
Visual Effects: Superman Returns (because I've seen it)

Well, check back Monday for my numbers. One year I won a free pass for a movie, and Middlebrow and I saw "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" for free. Yeah! But I haven't entered anything this year.
Did I mention I love award shows?

On "American Idol"

Like most people, I am addicted to “American Idol.” And, like most people, I like to think I’m smarter than the rest of those idiots who watch “American Idol.” Unlike them, I have not watched every season of "American Idol," I do not vote on "American Idol," and, I am not obsessed with being on "American Idol." It’s because I can’t sing. I don’t even sing in the shower. Sometimes, when I’m alone in my 2001 Saturn SL, I crank up the factory installed FM radio and sing along with Rick Springfield doing “Jesse’s Girl.” I also like to sing along to the Talking Heads and Death Cab for Cutie, but in no way do I think this qualifies me to even stand in line to try out for "American Idol." I am not one of those non-singers who thinks that just because I agree with Simon, somehow I can sing. Nor am I one of those non-singers who tries out just so I can be on the humiliating worst-of outtakes and then claim, to anyone who will listen, “I was on ‘American Idol.’”
I would like to say that my ability to recognize my lack of talent in the singing department somehow makes me above it all, that unlike other Americans I don’t think I will somehow have my 15 seconds of fame, but it’s not true. My 15 seconds will come, eventually, when I receive a long-deserved literary prize for the novel I’m currently not-writing. Then all those people who didn’t get my artistic vision, who didn’t like the rhyming poems about penguins that I wrote in grade school, or the people who didn't get me in graduate school, who said things like "I don't like the main character. Why is she so angry?", all those people will be sorry, and will claim to have known me when, and when I’m walking around town in a long black evening gown and tiara, carrying my prize in my arms as if it were a newborn baby, I will snub them by turning away when they wave. Or perhaps I will condescend to give them a little smile that conveys, “Not now, little people, I’m busy.”
I know. I can’t claim to be smarter, or that I’m not prey to the little movie we all have in our heads, you know the one, the one where you look so amazing even you are a little in love with you, and the confetti falls from the rafters and everyone is clapping, and you see yourself with that “Who? Me?” look on your face, like you just can’t believe it, it’s finally happened, finally, everyone sees what a genius, what an amazing person you were all along, and finally you’re going to get an oversized check for a million dollars. The truth is, we all have that little movie in our heads. Maybe it’s part of human evolution. Where cave men would draw paintings of themselves killing a giant mammoth, we make movies in our heads where we finally get what we think we deserve. It keeps us alive. Maybe these narracisstic little movies help us get up in the morning, even if we never change out of our pajamas.
Maybe that’s why 52 million of us love American Idol. Because while we’re watching 24 singers compete for one title, we believe that our little success fantasies could come true. It’s the American Dream, small town nobody becomes big time superstar and starts dating Justin Timberlake and/or Brittney Spears. It could happen. Or at least we need to believe it can. And isn’t that why TV is so popular? We need to believe that someone’s life is better than ours. Or we need to believe that we are better, more talented, smarter than someone else. I know I am. I'm better than all those other idiots out there who are thinking the exact same thing.

The Benefit of Low Expectations

My favorite thing about seeing movies at the Dollar Theater (which actually costs $1.50, but nevermind about that, that doesn't have the same ring as Dollar Theater, who would call it the Dollar-Fifty Theater?) is that my expectations are so low, I am often pleasantly surprised when the movie is better than average, good even.
Take tonight's selection, "Stranger Than Fiction." Going in, I knew it starred Will Ferrell (whom I love, and will always love if for no other reason than the Cheerleader Skit on SNL), Emma Thompson (who doesn't love Emma Thompson? If you don't, I don't want to know. She said something once in an interview about having a "big-shouldered" admiration for something or someone, I forget, but I still think she was talking about me), Maggie Gyllenhal (besides having the world's most attractive brother AND husband (is that fair?), she's an amazing actress), Dustin Hoffman (as a college professor! who is also a lifeguard! and reads Sue Grafton while he's lifeguarding!), and wait, I haven't even gotten to the best part, Queen Latifah!!! (as the writer's assistant. Is that fair? I'm sure I could write a great novel if I had Queen Latifah to bring me coffee and arrange notecards in my sparsley furnished apartment).
My expectations for this film were low. How low? Well, I had heard almost nothing about it (buzz=0), and it seemed like it had hit the dollar theater pretty quickly, so I was prepared for it to be funny in parts, charming in parts, and to have some flaw, major or minor, that would make me like it a little less.
Well, of course I was pleasantly surprised. The only flaw, that I could see, were the several scenes where the mic was lowered too far. But being the great post-modernist that I am, I wondered, briefly, if I was supposed to see the mic. Like the director reminding me, "hello! you're watching a movie!" Unfortunately, I think it was just a mistake. But, as I said, that was the only flaw.
The great strengths of this film, aside from the amazing cast, were the intelligent script, the clever but not too clever camera work, and soundtrack.
Plus, Dustin Hoffman, as charming, caffeine-swilling, self-involved college professor, gets to say, quoting from a line that is the Will Ferrell character's life, "Little did he know? Little did he know? I wrote a paper on 'Little did he know.' I taught a whole seminar on 'Little did he know.'" Perhaps the reason this film did not do better is because only graduate students and college teachers will think that is funny.
But count me pleasantly surprised. I highly recommend this film. And, actually, the dollar theater is still the dollar theater before five.
So that's the benefit of low expectations.
(Unfortunately, my expectations were not so low for the Ginger dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free cookie I took as my "snack." Let's just say I was not pleasantly surprised. But I did eat the whole thing.)

Happy VD!

Inspired by Dean Dad's Valentine's Day post (well, maybe more by some of the comments, though the post itself was very sweet), I've decided to tell you a heartwaming story about how Middlebrow and I got together (exactly 10 years ago!).
First let me say that we went on three dates before we even kissed. On date three, we talked about couples we admired, people who seemed to have genuine partnerships and equality. We talked about how we didn't want to be like our parents (his still married, mine divorced and married to new partners), mostly because we didn't like the imbalance we observed. Among the people we admired were professors in the department where we were both graduate students. One couple we liked for their choices: one car, they took turns cooking and caring for their children, and they both were (are) successful in their respective fields. That, we said, was how we wanted to be. Let me remind you, we hadn't even kissed yet!
Maybe a week or so after we actually kissed, it was Valentine's Day. We agreed that we were against it, Middlebrow mostly because of his employment at a grocery store where, on February 14th, he saw man after man come through his line with a card and a bunch of flowers. Original. So though we don't celebrate this holiday (that is, after all, just another way for companies to get you to buy their products), I'm always reminded that we "got together," as the euphemism goes, right around this time.
It's mind boggling to think that we started dating 10 years ago. (Just for the record, we got engaged after we dated for four months, though I lied and told my parents it had been six months and we got married after we had been engaged for a year). We got engaged after we had the "what are we doing next year?" talk in the kitchen of my apartment. I said something like "I'm not living with someone ever again unless I'm married." We had already decided we wanted to go to graduate school. The next day we were grading papers in a cafe and Middlebrow looked at me and said, "What happened last night? Did we decide to get married?"
But looking back, we have done most of what we talked about on that third date. We finished graduate school, sharing the childcare the whole time. We both have jobs, and we still split the childcare (though I have to say that, lately, Middlebrow has done more than I have). We both cook and do laundry (though, of course, I think I do more of both); Middlebrow does all the man things like killing spiders and plunging toilets and fixing bathrooms.
But, all in all, we have a very equal arrangement. We both like to sit around and read. We like to drink wine and watch movies. Is this not, I ask you, the basis of all good relationships?
And just a note in response to some of those comments over at Dean Dad: some women want to stay home with their kids. I know many women who do and are perfectly content. I'm just not one of those people. But I'm glad I could make the choice I did, and I'm glad I found a person who wanted to make those same choices. This, to me, is one of the great rewards of feminism: we get to invent what we want home, marriage, and family to mean to us. Not that we judge women who make choices we would not make. But that support exists for women to make a variety of choices, and that we support and facilitate each other's choices. (I recognize not all women are free to choose. And we work to change that. But some women are free to choose. And we support that.)
On that note: Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happiness? Location? Money?

Middlebrow and I have been having our annual go-round about whether we can just choose to be happy, if where we live is more important than our salaries, and if we need more money. Oh yeah, and how our house is too small. We always agree on that.
Right now at our CC we are having the annual discussion about how we are woefully underpaid. It's stunning, however, to see exactly how underpaid we are, compared to CCs in other parts of the country. I could be making about $30,000 more a year if I lived in, say, California. Aye, as they say, there's the rub. We don't want to live in California. We do, however, want to make $30,000 more a year. I know, housing would cost more. But that much more per year?
In my mind, it's all about long-term benefits, meaning retirement, and earnings over the course of my career.
Of course, I have to remind myself that we love Son's school, and that, having lived here for almost nine years, we have an actual community, something we both value highly. But, are we allowing ourselves to be exploited?
Obviously I didn't go into teaching for the money. But it's apalling how little we are being paid for the same work (in some cases more work!) than teachers in other parts of the country!
So how do we decide what's more important? Lately I've been leaning towards being happy. But with the new information I've been receiving, I feel like maybe I'm selling myself short. I know the legislature in our fair state is not going to wake up and raise our salaries (at least not in my lifetime). I do love where we live, though I don't always love the politics or the liquor laws. I love our proximity to outdoor recreation. Did I mention that our house is too small?
Today I looked at job listings in other states. It looks like I could start for at least $10,000 more almost anywhere else.
Tell me, what's a girl to do?

Travels in Gastro-Intestinal Health

I realize the title to this post does not bode well. Those of you who know me know that I like to complain that my stomach hurts. Well, I finally went to see a Naturopath. I found out many things, including that our state has one of the most rigorous processes for certifying NDs. Also, my insurance covers it. Yeah!
So. I went in armed with my paper work and my suspicions about what I am allergic to, maybe. My guesses: dairy, wheat, soy. So, my plan is to do an elimination diet and then reintroduce foods, one every two days.
What, you might ask, does one possibly eat when one is not eating anything? It turns out mostly fruits and vegetable (but not corn, and no citrus). Also, I need to eliminate rice because I eat so much of it. But, surprisingly, lamb and pears are two of the most hypoallergenic foods. So I can eat lamb and pears! I can also eat chicken and fish. And potatoes. Yeah potatoes!! I'm also eliminating nuts and seeds. Then after you start to feel better (how long is that?), you reintroduce the food. You have to eat a lot of the food for one day. The part that describes drinking a big glass of milk makes me want to throw up. So I think I'll skip that one, but I may test cottage cheese, etc.
Meanwhile, I'm taking lots of supplements, many of which are supposed to help my stomach and some of which are just for general health. And one to help me sleep. I'll let you know how that goes.
All this to say that if I seem irritable and fatigued, you'll know why. Come Monday, I'll be subsisting on vegetables and fowl. But I might be sleeping more, so it could even out.
And yes, this means no wine. No wine? Somehow I'll muddle through.

The Tyranny of the Child's Birthday Party

As Middlebrow and I sat last night contemplating where (o where?) we might be able to have Son's 6th Birthday party, we remembered: we never had no stinking parties!!
When we were kids, we maybe had a few friends over and played pin the tail on the donkey. Since my birthday is in December, we couldn't have an outdoor party. I don't remember any parties from when I was a kid. Except when I was in 8th grade and my best friend and I had a joint birthday party at the Holiday Inn. Complete with sleep over at the hotel, swimming and miniature golf. Those were the days, baby!
But as I edged nearer to a nervous breakdown last night, wrestling with the guilt I would feel if we didn't invite everyone, imagining the school ostracisim of us, the exclusive partiers, trying to figure out how we were going to either a) pay for every child in his Kindergarten class to go bowling or b) fit everyone in his Kindergarten class into our 500 sq. ft. home, Middlebrow came up with an elegant solution so simple it boggled the mind: no party.
What? you will say. No party! But listen here: I hardly ever had parties, and I turned out fine. When Son was 4 we took his whole pre-school class bowling. Were we nuts? yes! It was insane!
Last year we invited just the boys to our house for a Spiderman birthday.
But this year: Middlebrow will take Son and a friend or two for an afternoon extravaganza. The benefits: no presents! no paper plates! no pizza and cake to throw away! no goodie bags!
Son and I will make a cake to his specifications. Frosting! Decorations! Hooray!
And we don't have to spend $200 to do it! Ah, the liberation of simplicity!

Recipe for Happiness

1. Swim often. Why do I continually have to relearn this? I finally bought a new swim cap ($8.95 at Pool and Patio) and then made it to the pool around 2 pm. The hours this semester are better, meaning I may be able to swim three days a week. Hip hip hooray!
2. Don't stay up too late drinking wine and watching the new DVD you just got in the mail, "Grease." (I blame Amazon and Middlebrow for this. But it's so tempting to begin a movie library. So far we have: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Hannah and Her Sisters, Annie Hall, Monster in a Box, When Harry Met Sally, and of course, Grease. Next I'm lobbying for Saturday Night Fever.)
3. Write every day. Again, I still haven't learned this. Even if it's only one sentence, I need to write every day. My sanity depends on it.
4. Play games with your child. It's fun! It has been too long since I sat down for a good game of Uno with Son. So today I did. He ate Triscuts while I munched on carrots. We each won one game. All fair! We are also fond of Blink, Clue jr., Dinosaur Dig, chess (well, he's fond of it. and I try hard), Connect Four, and any card games.
5. Get your errands out of the way. This, again, is a lesson I constantly relearn. Why do I defer? I finally got over to REI and they replaced part of my binding for free. Free! And I returned some pants and then I got my new swim cap, all things I've needed to do for what feels like forever.
6. Sometimes, eat canned soup for dinner. This goes to sanity. Sometimes, I just can't care about cooking. Mostly the day after I stayed up until 1 a.m. watching movies. But it's okay. Also good: bagged salad, and sandwich night. All good. And the added bonus of very little clean up.
7. Take Son sledding or skiing. Must get outside. Ignore inversion. Get ya-yas out. Must get ya-yas out.
8. Take time to chat with acquaintances. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I see someone I know at, say, the grocery store or the library. I like to chat with them. It makes me feel like I live in a community rather than a city.
9. Sometimes, sit and stare into space.
10. Ignore your email. Every once in a while.

Take a Minute

I spent a few hours yesterday volunteering for an amazing film at Sundance, The Devil Came on Horseback. It is about photographer Brian Steidle and the photos he took in Darfur. I was actually working for SaveDarfur. The film was horrifying, showing footage Steidle took when he was in Darfur and still photos he took of the bodies. He was one of the first people to bring pictures back of the genocide. He and the filmmakers were actually at the film, along with a survivor from Darfur who is working to collect survivor testimonies.
What's most horrifying about this film and Steidle's work, however, is that we've known about the genocide in Darfur for so long and still are doing nothing. In my work at the college, I get the opportunity to meet many amazing African students. I always wonder what they think of American culture, when they have so recently come from refugee camps where there are no schools, and see us with our laptops and iPods, ignoring all the people being killed whom we could save, if only we could get our political leaders to pay attention.
Please take a minute to follow the link above to SaveDarfur.org, and send an email to President Bush. With all the money we are spending to kill people in Iraq, it seems that we can afford to spend a little money to save lives in Darfur.
I believe more and more people are paying attention and raising their voices for this cause. Please join me. And see the film if you can. It's playing in town again next week.

Wrong!

Well, it should be no surprise to anyone that I was right about only 5 Globes, and wrong about 15. But c'mon. I hadn't seen any of the movies, and hardly any of the shows, so 5 is pretty good under the circumstances.
Most hideous dress: Cameron Diaz (you know, since "In Her Shoes" I love her, but her dress looked like gauze. With a wing. I mean, c'mon)
Hottie: Reese Witherspoon. Divorce looks good on her!
Dress I need to see again: The actress who plays Dr. Torres on "Grey's Anatomy." First of all, I didn't think they would win. Second, they only showed like two people's dresses and then they hurried them off the stage. She had on an intense red dress and she looked great (I think?).
Best speech: Well, it's a toss up. But the Brits definitely won. First Hugh Laurie said his crew "always smelled of freshly mown grass" an image I used in my creative writing class today. But Sasha Cohen's whole fart speech was hilarious. And Bill Nighy saying, "I used to think awards were empty, useless things. Then I received one. Now I know they are meaningful." Priceless! And Jeremy Iron too. And Helen Mirren. Yes. The Brits rule. Oh! Except for Meryl Streep. She made a statement about small movies. Love her!
Worst speech: Um, everyone else? Why can't American actors stop thanking their press agents and lawyers? It's gross. And boring. Hello. We want imagery and dry humor!
Back to work. Until Oscar time!

Globe Picks

Well. I do feel better, thank you very much, but I am sad that tonight is not the night of the Golden Globe Awards. Here at Dr. Write, inc, we really love us some award shows. So, because it is too cold to go outside for any reason besides getting in the car, I will name some names I hope to hear tomorrow night. Also I hope to see some hideous fashion on the red carpet. That's almost as fun as the good fashion.
Let me just preface this by saying that, unlike other years when I have seen at least one or two of the movies nominated, this year I have seen exactly NONE of the dramas, and only ONE of the comedies. So my picks for who will win are, of course, educated.
I have to say that when Judi Dench is up against Helen Mirren my mind does a sort of crazy tango. But I have to pick Judi Dench for the Best Actress in a Drama category, because it's SO OBVIOUS that Helen Mirren is going to win for Prime Suspect. It was the last one. Of course she's going to win.
Okay, let's see, Leonardo DiCaprio or Leonardo DiCaprio? I'll pick Forest Whitaker. Why? Because he's Forest Whitaker.
In Comedy, I actually have seen one, which I will pick: Little Miss Sunshine. Funny. And heartwarming.
For actress, I'll pick Toni Colette, because she's been my favorite for so long. But I know it will go to Beyonce. I have nothing against Beyonce, but people love to give a rock star an acting award. They just do!
I want Chiwetel Ejiofor to win for Actor. Why? Because I have seen Kinky Boots. And also I want to see someone with a cue card try to pronounce his name!
In Supporting, I think Jennifer Hudson will win for Dreamgirls. Buzz, people, it's all about buzz. And I like me some American Idol revenge too. Who doesn't?
I'm gonna pick Mark Wahlberg for supporting actor. He's Marky Mark. Say no more.
Animation: Cars
Foreign: Apocalypto? Ha. Ha ha. No, Volver.
Director: Scorese. Because they feel sorry for him. Poor Martin.
Screenplay: Notes on a Scandal or Little Children (for obvious reasons. I'm a writer!)
Score: No pick
Song: Listen from Dreamgirls
Best TV Drama: Heroes (buzz!)
TV Actress: Edie Falco
TV Actor: Michael C. Hall
Best TV Series: The Office
TV Actress, Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus!!
Actor: It's going to go to Zach Braff because it's his last year. But it should go to Steve Carrell.
Best Mini-Series: Prime Suspect!
Best Actress in M.S.: Helen Mirren!
Best Actor in M.S.: Bill Nighy (haven't seen it. But I heart him!)
Supporting Actress, series: Sarah Paulson from Studio 60 (and to think I once found her annoying!)
Actor: No idea.
I hope this wasn't too annoying. Check back in Tuesday for cynicism and mirth at the winners/losers/fashion losers.
BTW, I've been wearing my pajamas for about 4 days. That's right: fashion loser!

Sedentary. Jet-Lagged. Cold. Me.

After two days of hanging out in my pajamas (okay, today I actually showered AND changed out of my pjs), I finally feel almost healthy again. I think I have recovered from Jet Lag. Symptoms: cloudy head, confusion, body weighed down by gravity, 7:30 bedtime, 6:30 a.m. waking. I recovered from jet lag only to be clotheslined by whatever cold/flu/death virus is currently in vogue. One day I felt great, the next I was convinced I had strep and at least three different varieties of flu and/or sinus infection. But I seem to be doing better. Unfortunately, I have been informed that intermittent recovery is one of the signs of this cold/flu/death virus. So it could be I feel okay until tomorrow. Whatever.
I am taking the opportunity of this long weekend to pick up anything lying on the floor of my house and shove it in a garbage bag. Then, I might dust. If I feel like it. I most definitely will not clean the bathroom. I may watch a movie. I already read one book (entirely unrelated to school!) and I may read another. Oh, and also finish a few books I only have one more chapter of and add them to last year's book totals.
I am definitely NOT doing any outdoor sporting events. Have you been out there? With the wind chill it goes from f*ing cold to too damn f*ing cold, which is why the geniuses of our time have invented TV and DVDs and what not.
Happy Long Weekend. And let's take some time to remember why we have an extra day off. And not be too cynical about whoever our local organizations have invited to speak. I'm just going to try to be nice, which for me, right now, is a challenge.
Happy Winter!

Home from the Land of Mayo and Smoking

We made it back! We're alive! And alert, yet tired.
Yesterday was an exhausting long distance event. We left our hotel in Madrid at 10 a.m. local time (2 a.m. hometown time). We spent three hours in the Madrid airport (mostly drinking cafe and eating, so it was good), then 9+ hours on a flight to Atlanta. Yes, that's correct, 9+.
The pros of the flight were the movies, "Scoop" which was okay, and "Invincible" which was good (I love me a sports feel good movie), and the food. On overseas flights, I feel they try to convince you about the time change using food. They bring out the food, proclaiming, Okay, it's dinner time, regardless of the actual time, and everyone just goes along with it. But the food was actually good, there was an ice cream snack in the middle of the flight, and I was sitting next to the most adorable girl ever (she was Spanish). At one point she clued me in to which in-flight radio station I should be listening to by saying, "Seis. Shakira" and dancing around in her seat. I almost spoke her level of Spanish.
The negative aspect of this flight was that about the time we wanted Son to take a nap (about six hours into the flight), he became Devil Child, writhing around, falling on the floor, pinching and hitting us. Basically proving to everyone on the flight that we are Bad Parents. On the plus side, the minute we boarded the plane in Atlanta, he fell asleep and slept the whole way home.
So, from Madrid to our doorstep was 21 hours. Oh joy! We went to sleep around 11:30, but we all woke up, wide awake, at 6:30. Son wanted breakfast, so we all got up. I just fed him an enormous lunch, so we'll see how our body clocks work on adjusting back to our schedule stateside. No more siestas or dinner at 9 pm!
All in all, a great trip. Son picked up more Spanish than we realize. Yesterday at the Atlanta airport he said, "Dos. I have to go dos. In my language, we say dos." Cute, and yet. . .
I loved Spain, though I won't miss the constant smoking. As a parting gesture, our departure gate was near the "Smoking Point" in the airport, which of course had no doors, so the smoke just drifted out so that we could all share in it.
As Son said, Why does everyone in Spain have to smoke? And let their dogs poop on the sidewalk. But that's another conversation all together.
Glad to be back. Stunned that I have to go back to work on Monday.

Oh The Food!

I know, I know. It will sound like gloating. But what else have I done in Spain? I haven't gone running, though I have walked about 100 miles since we got here. I haven't been doing any brain work, unless you include one Sudoku puzzle (I messed up the second), and a few New Yorker articles. I haven't cooked at all. I may have spread some avocado on a piece of bread, but that hardly counts as cooking. I made a few minor purchases (mostly bottled water, for which I have been criticized, albeit in a joking manner). I also bought some cookies for tonight's festivities. And some wrapping paper.
But the food. It really consumes our days and nights, and by consumes I mean it's what we do. That and the wine.
So I'll start with a few nights ago, when Middlebrow and I made our way out into the world alone, armed only with a Triana map and some recommendations.
We started the gastronomic tour at Blanco Paloma or white dove. We shared the tapa special of the day, two slices of zucchini between which was sandwiched a green substance with shrimp. The whole thing was deep fried. It was good. We also had Pollo con campiones (chicken breast with mushrooms, served, of course, on top of potatoes).
Then we went to Bar Esperanza, a brightly lit place with seating at the bar for about ten. Here we had the gambas ajillo (shrimp with garlic). It was served in a little earthenware dish which had just come off the gas range. In it were shrimp and slices of garlic swimming in olive oil. We ate this with some bread. I observed many of the other patrons consuming Ensalada Rusa. Middlebrow, being a recent visitor to Russia, commented on the fact that it basically looked how salad looked in Russia, which is like a big heap of mayonnaise. It was, in fact, potatoes, but mostly mayonnaise. It looked like mayonnaise jello. I observed with a grimace how the patron of the place opened a refrigerator to top this salad with more mayonnaise. We did not partake of this abomination.
We headed out for Casa Ruperto, home of the deep fried game hen, but it was not open. Que lastima! So we stopped at an unknown place, Cafe Tranvia and had the tortilla de la casa (tortilla of the house) which was a standard tortilla with cheese on top. But it was good.
We came home and convinced everyone to go out with us again. We made it to Los Golondrinas , which means the swallows. Here we did not eat, but had one drink before the kids officially melted down. It was only eleven!
The next night we went to Sol y Sombra, a bar with a bullfighting theme. Sol y Sombra refers to the seats at bullfights, those in full sun (sol) and those that are shaded (sombra). This was definitely my favorite bar. It was decorated with bullfighting posters, and in the back room, jamon serrano hung from the ceiling.
Here we had solomillo (pork loin) cooked with whole garlic cloves. Delicious, with the added bonus of garlic on bread. We also had gambas ajillo again, also very good. We also had merluza al jerez, a white fish cooked in sherry. It was so good. We also shared two bottles of house wine. For all that it was about $80. For six people! With two bottles of wine! I know. It's crazy!
Last night El Don y Scorpion's Tail took us out to Blanco Paloma restaurant. We had a lovely sit down dinner. The kids had chicken and patatas fritas. We had an amazing cut of beef served with duck fat (basically), and an equally delicious piece of fish. To start we shared a salad of watercress that was served with goat cheese, walnuts, pears, and an amazing raspberry dressing.
Again we had great wine. For dessert, we shared a chocolate souffle, cheesecake, and the kids had cinnamon ice cream. It may have been the best ice cream I ever tasted. But of course they only let me have the smallest taste.
We finished with a golden colored liquor made from some kind of herb. It was strong, but good.
I should mention that the table behind us was filled with Spanish women wearing reindeer horns (you know, the kind made from felt). They were having some kind of tacky gift exchange. The kids called them "The Smoking Reindeer." They gave the boys each a set of reindeer horns. I took some photos, so look for them soon on Flickr.
When we got close to home, we heard singing. There was a small band in the plaza near the apartment, singing songs. We got to hear one of the songs about Sevilla, it was even about this neighborhood, Triana. The crowd was full of people from age 10 to about 70. We watched for awhile. It was great fun. They gave us some liquor (anis, unfortunately). It was a lovely end to the evening.
Today, El Don has been outdoing himself cooking for our dinner of tapas. We will have crepes with smoked salmon (S.T. will make these), some mushrooms, Espinacas (the spinach with garbanzo beans), solomillo (Pork Loin cooked with whole cloves of garlic in red wine), Tortilla Espana (spanish tortilla made with eggs and potato), conejo (bunny!).
Tomorrow, El Don is making a type of paella with small pasta and a crazy assortment of mariscos (shrimp, calamari, oysters, mussells, etc.).
Then we will eat leftovers until we leave for Barcelona on the 27th.
Merry Christmas Eve and happy eating to all of you.

Espana Update

Hola! Greetings from Spain. After more than a week, I might almost be adjusted to the time here. Maybe. But today I woke up before noon (what an accomplishment!), had some tea, and then we took Son to Torre del Oro. No, it's not a tower made of gold, but a lookout tower and a naval history museum. Son enjoyed looking at the city from the tower, and then we ran around.
We've seen some amazing stuff here, most notably Alhambra. Today we went to Alcazar Real, a lesser castle from the Moorish period, with great gardens and a maze. Son and Friend had fun.
We've mostly been eating and drinking amazing Spanish wine that we send Son and Friend down to buy at the corner store, Don Jose's. The wine costs between 2,50 E and 4 E. Yes, that's about $6 max. For great wine!
We're planning a big dinner of many varieties of Tapas for Buena Noche (christmas eve). So far we've decided on mussels, shrimp, tortilla de Espana (egg, potatoes), salmon, espinaces (spinach and garbanzo beans). Did I mention the olives? They have a store just for olives!! My favorite are the Verditas (green, raw). They are so mild. I think of them as "soft." My favorite part of the day is before dinner when we hang out, have wine and drink olives.
FYI, "buenas tardes" which means "good afternoon" lasts until around 8 pm. Then it becomes noche, or night.
Highlights from the trip:
Watching "Without a Trace" in the hotel in Madrid. I had seen it before so I could follow the story. Plus, how hard can it be. Someone's missing. The agents ask, "Donde esta? Donde esta?" But the best part was the incredibly low, macho voice that they dubbed in for Anthony LaPaglia's voice. It was hilarious.
That son's favorite part of the trip, so far (at least last night, when I asked) was "when we looked at the pictures." His favorite was Goya's "Perro semihesnueda" or something like that. It's the "Semihidden Dog." And "Saturn eating his children." That's my favorite.
Son says "si" when I ask him questions and Scorpion's Tail got him to do some reading in Spanish when we were out at the Cathedral.
Tonight Middlebrow and I are going out for Tapas in Triana. Son is staying home and having pasta with butter and cheese. Sad.
It's 7:00 pm in Triana. Son and Friend are having an "early" dinner. It's the Spanish way.
Click on my Flickr link to the right to see pics from Alhambra. I'll upload some others later.
Luego!

Adios, Cha-Cha

Well, this will be the last post stateside. I am in the throes of packing and drinking coffee and reading. And socializing with Otter Butt, just for awhile before I leave.
I am SO in the throes of pre-trip mania, that I forgot today was my birthday until I went to yoga and had to write the date on my card. Funny. I guess I'm losing my memory already. And so young. And then we had to do sun salutations for the sum of my age digits. It's 11. You do the math.
So adios cha-cha. That's son's way of saying "Adios, muchacha."
We will try to blog from Friend's house in Espana. And give you updates.
Middlebrow has a Flickr account so we'll try to upload pictures too, so you can see how much fun we are having.
And don't forget to compliment me on the new shape of my eyebrows. Middlebrow is SO not equipped to be complimentary on this front. But it matters. It really does. Not as much as TV, but still.

The Way TV Could Be (Can Be?)

I know I spend way too much time writing, thinking about and, more importantly, blogging about television, but I am just too enamored of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to let another week go by without examining why it is so good.

First, and I felt this way about The West Wing for the first three or four years, Sorkin et. al. shows the world not how it is, because that's way too depressing. But he shows how it could be. But more importantly, how it should be. On The West Wing, this meant we got to see how the world could be if we had a President that, I don't know, knew something about economics. Was a Christian who didn't believe in literal interpretations of the Bible. Believed in the separation of Church and State. Upheld the Constitution.

Now, and I know even as I write this it sounds ridiculous, Studio 60 demonstrates how TV could be. But wait. Maybe it's not ridiculous. How much time do most Americans spend watching TV? If TV were more intelligent, more democratic, more socially engaged, wouldn't that be beneficial for boneheads like me who spend so much time watching it?

Let's take tonight's episode, for example. As Middlebrow pointed out, this is what SNL should be. On the fake SNL, Studio 60, there was a skit about Santa being caught on the Dateline Predator cam. Funny, right? And Danny (Bradley Whitford. I heart him) made room on the show for a tribute to New Orleans complete with black and white photos and a brass section from N.O. And, more importantly, the boy got to kiss the girl. Satisfying.

This show also afforded not one but three characters the opportunity to make speeches and stand up for the First Amendment. Ed Asner!! got to make a speech about the First Amendment. On primetime television, baby.

More importantly, and this is my main point, people, so listen up: the show is not saturated in irony and sarcasm. Here's what I love: characters make speeches about the First Amendment and they are serious. They are not tongue in cheek. The show is saying that these sexy, rich people feel things and that's cool. It's smart and funny. It's okay to feel. In fact, the show goes out of its way to make you feel things. About New Orleans, for example, or the First Amendment.

And that, my friends, is why I love it. Plus I love all the actors and the witty banter. There's that too. And the blonde woman from the British Office. Did I mention Bradley Whitford? And Matthew Perry has left that other show far behind. I may heart him too.

A Sign I'm Still A Runner

Somehow, in the bitter (and I mean bitter) cold that has descended on us in the past few weeks, I have lost touch with the runner inside me. Don't get me wrong, I have still been running, but inside on a treadmill. I don't hate it, but it can get boring. So I was beginning to think that maybe I'm not so much of a runner. Maybe I'm just someone who works out.

Leave it to the January edition of Runner's World to remind me that I am, in fact, a runner. Just reading the list of 2007 marathons made my heart race. And then I found the Valley of the Sun half-marathon in Mesa just before Spring Break. So I'm thinking about it. The problem? I'll be in Spain when my training should begin. I guess if I run twice a week or so when I'm in Spain the whole thing could work. Plus it will give me the chance to run in Spain. Yeah! Spain!

In other news, I'm doing pretty well on my Finishing Books I Started This Year in an Attempt to Bolster My Year-End (reading) Numbers. I finished Michael Martone by Michael Martone (hilarious), Success Stories by Russell Banks (pretty good), The Evil B.B. Chow by Steve Almond (decent), and I'm almost done with Body Toxic by Susanne Antonetta. This last one is really good. I think I got bogged down in the earlier chapters, which focus more on the environment, but I'm really liking the later chapters which focus more on the "self-medication" she does, and on her journals, which are banal but fascinating. I have one or two others I need to finish, which may or may not happen this year.

I'm also done with all the grading I can do until Monday. Then it's a mad dash to the finish line. (I'm awfully fond of running metaphors as well.)

The (almost) End of the Semester Run-Down

Number of classes until I'm done, done, done: 11

Number of days until we leave for Spain: 15

Number of loads of laundry I'll need to do before we go: umm, 42?

Number of weeks completed for next semesters' syllabi: 3 (for one class) and 4 (for another)

Number of book contests I sent my book(s) to: 3

Number I've won: 0 (to be fair, only one is "over")

Number of poetry month poems I turned into short shorts for my book: 2

Number of Christmas presents purchased: 7

Number for Middlebrow and Son: 0

Number of students I'll be SO glad to see the last for many reasons, not the least of which are in-class use of hand-held devices and the fear he could go postal: 1

Number of books I'm looking forward to reading on the plane: 2 (can I finish two on the plane?)

What I'll miss most about Christmas in the States: my family, and cookies

What I'm most looking forward to doing in Spain: seeing friends, drinking wine with friends, sharing tapas with friends, everything?