Julia London's Blog, page 57

I FEEL PRETTY!

I love to entertain, love having friends and family over, love making trays of appetizers, cooking fun meals, and concocting fattening desserts.  As for the caloric fallout, I figure, hey—that's what treadmills are for.

Right now my sister-in-law and niece are visiting from New York and we're having a blast.  Sadly they're leaving tomorrow, but today I'm hosting an I FEEL PRETTY party for them.  My sister-in-law is a fabulous hair dresser (her haircuts are seriously the BEST) who works in a very upscale salon on Long Island.  Needless to say, I'd very selfishly love to have her move to Georgia so I could get a fab haircut every six weeks (told you it was selfish, LOL!).  So I'm hosting a party for her and inviting some of my gal pals, giving them the opportunity to get an incredible haircut! (and maybe convince her to move to Georgia!)  I'm serving caviar and champagne and cake pops (my latest obsession) and lots of little nibbles.  Brenda (my SIL) is going to give haircuts and hair-care tips and everyone is bringing along their favorite beauty products so we can have Beauty Show-and-Tell.  I think we'll have a blast—and get pretty while we're at it!

Are you feeling pretty or are you craving a make-over? Do you enjoy hosting parties–or do you prefer to be a guest? What's your all-time favorite beauty product?    

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Grave Expectations

Heaven knows, we need never be ashamed of our wolfish cravings. . . .

Bristly, sensitive, and meat-hungry Pip is a robust young whelp, an orphan born under a full moon. Between hunting escaped convicts alongside zombified soldiers, trying not to become one of the hunted himself, and hiding his hairy hands from the supernaturally beautiful and haughty Estella, whose devilish moods keep him chomping at the bit, Pip is sure he will die penniless or a convict like the rest of his commonly uncommon kind.

But then a mysterious benefactor sends him to London for the finest werewolf education money can buy. In the company of other furry young gentlemen, Pip tempers his violent transformations and devours the secrets of his dark world. When he discovers that his beloved Estella is a slayer of supernatural creatures, trained by the corpse-like vampire Miss Havisham, Pip's desire for her grows stronger than his midnight hunger for rare fresh beef. But can he risk his hide for a truth that will make Estella his forever—or will she drive one last silver stake through his heart?

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Zen and the Art of Parents' Weekend

Before my grand birthday vacation to the wonderful world of Disney, I had the chance to visit my daughter at college for Family Weekend (We always called it Parents' Weekend, but I guess my daughter's school is more inclusive, and we did bring her brother along).

Adorable Daughter, being adorable (says her mom).

Sadly, we left the Oh Yeah CD in the other car, so there was no pulling up with windows open and embarrassing song booming from the speakers to greet her. But, she was very happy to see us. Even happier with the prospect of decent food. Her campus food is not so good. I don't have to worry about her starving because a) they do have a salad and sandwich bar, so she has options to survive b) she has money to go out when she can manage it- and she spends some time in Manhattan, a short train ride away and c) my husband's aunts, an uncle, and cousins live close by and they will make sure she thrives.[image error]

Highlights:

I got to see what her dorm room looks like as a work-in-progress, and it finally looks like a real dorm room, complete with decorative posters. It was neat and clean for one whole day, proving she was prepared for our arrival, before she reverted to form and rampant disarray (later that day). Her roommate is comparatively organized and tidy, but apparently quite forgiving because they get along great (God bless Texas- the roommie is a Texan).

Catching up time. She was happy to stay at the hotel with us, sharing a room with her brother and having a whole lot more space to mess up temporarily, plus a cozy big bed to herself with air conditioning and warm blankets. So we saw a lot of her, had lots of chances to talk, and plenty of time to feed her well (including some of her friends with parents who couldn't make it) leaving her with the impression that we are the Greatest Parents Ever.

We caught two great shows on campus, an improv performance from comedy troupe Baby Wants Candy and a professional stage production of Othello. Two great performances, lots of fun.

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Baby Wants Candy interacts with the audience to perform fully improvised on-the-spot plays.

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Robert Cuccioli (Iago) and Lindsay Smiling (Othello)- incredible actors.

No orchestra performances were planned, because it's so early in the school year, but we were able to attend an orchestra rehearsal, which was insightful and amazing. My daughter, a violinist, auditioned for orchestra and earned the spot of Principal Chair, second violins, which is pretty darn awesome for a freshman and I am extremely proud. I look forward to returning for performances.

We left her happily well fed and dreaming of Thanksgiving Break, when she gets to come home for a whole week. I'm impressed with her college, her progress, and had a wonderful time. I was left feeling a little guilty that I always ignored Parents' Weekend when I was in college, and never asked my parents to attend (or told them it was going on). But I did go to school half an hour from home, so I saw them lots anyway (and that's my excuse).

How's the school year going for your kids? Or for you? Did you ever have your parents attend Parents' Weekend, or did you routinely attend them when your kids were off to college?

 

 

 

 

 

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Rivals for the Crown

Two childhood friends are caught in a web of intrigue, conspiracies and love as a valiant nation's freedom hangs in the balance.

1290: Turmoil erupts when Scotland's child queen perishes en route to claim the crown. Two bitter foes – John Balliol and Robert Bruce – emerge at possible successor, but England's Edward I has his own designs on Scotland.

In London, Edward has expelled all Jews from his kingdom. Rachel de Anjou is heartbroken to leave behind her best friend, Isabel de Burke, and travel with her family to the Scottish border town of Berwick. Danger is everywhere, but the tall, dark Highlander Kieran MacDonald presents a risk of a different sort.

Isabel, appointed as lady-in-waiting to Edward's queen, attracts the notice of two men – Henry de Boyer, an English knight, and Highland outlaw Rory MacGannon. As the enmity between Scotland and England reaches its violent peak, each woman must decide where her loyalty – and her destiny – lies.

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The Birthday Babe

[image error] For the record, this is NOT going up late because I forgot. It's going up late because the food at Disney just looked so yummy that I couldn't bear to post a new blog. Really. No, REALLY. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

All right, fine. Don't believe me. Okay, I confess: I completely spaced today about the blog…I know, I know. Shock and awe, right? JK? Spacing out? How can that be? Is hell freezing over? Is this a sign of the Apocalypse???? No, just a sign of the fact that I recently turned mumble-mumble years and clearly those brain cells are dying.

And, alas, Sherri is right. She IS the youngest whiner. As I was telling her yesterday, I'm not used to not being the youngest. I'm the gal who wasn't even old enough to drink in law school! But, alas, my claim to youth is no more. Sherri gets that torch, and since today actually is her birthday, I dedicate this blog to her, the youngest whiner among us.

So….everyone give Sherri a virtual present! Me, I give her a lifetime pass to Disneyworld, along with a Fast Pass to EVERY ride, and a bucket full of cuuuuuuuubbbbeeeeesssss.

Y'all?

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Tomorrow, Tomorrow

No, I'm not auditioning for Annie (though I am sure I would be rocking the red curls). I'm excited about my birthday. Tomorrow, I turn mumble-mumble. That's right! The big mumble-mumble. You don't really need to know my age, right? Let's just say I'm the youngest of the Whine Sisters and leave it happily at that. I'm the youngest! YAY![image error]

I blogged in advance because my sweet husband took me somewhere special for my birthday, my favorite place on earth, Walt Disney World! Yes! He's the greatest. We're here for their annual Food & Wine Festival, and I'm sure we're having a good time (early prediction).

The Food and Wine Festival takes place in Epcot's World Showcase. In addition to the usual countries (Canada, UK, France, Morocco, Japan, America, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, Mexico) you can visit and sample at booths with food and wine and beer and other bevvies from lots of fun places. Brazil, Australia, Poland, Greece… the list, and the fun, goes on and on! They even have a booth dedicated to champagne and dessert. I'll report when I get back, but here's a sample of what I am tasting, from one of my favorite blogs, the Disney Food Blog:

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Ireland: Warm chocolate lava cake, fisherman's pie, and meade.

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Pomegranate Kir in France (with some escargot, of course).

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Steamed mussels in roasted garlic cream from Belgium

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Barbecued short ribs with kimchi slaw from South Korea

And of course, I will be visiting every park and getting my ride on. Maybe I'll pick up some more cuuuuubes. A girl can never have enough cube in her life. We'll have to be careful with the sampling tomorrow, because my birthday dinner is scheduled for World Showcase France's Bistro de Paris, one of Disney's more adult restaurants. They don't even have a children's menu. HA! Don't worry parents, you can find one downstairs at the Chefs de France.

I love food and wine! Which means I will have to put extra emphasis on fitness and healthy eating when I get home. But for now… it's my birthday! Gonna party like it's my birthday!

Where's your favorite place? Your favorite place to celebrate? Are you adventurous when it comes to dining?

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One Voice

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."  –Alice Walker.   I just wanted to share with you a video my daughter shared with me.   Women make up fifty-one percent of the people in the United States, and yet consistently the media chooses to misrepresent us.  And in so doing, they are sending the wrong message to girls growing up in the US today.  The following address both the problems and the solutions.  I was moved.  I hope you will be too!

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

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Things that Julia London Needs To Know

As I was thinking of today's topic, I pondered several choices, politics (BOO!), the mystery of the lysteria tainted cantaloupe murders, why I don't like Amanda Knox, the demise of the Playboy Club (the series), why I like the new show Person of Interest, and my weird dream last night.   Deciding that Julia London needs some educational support (it's something in her eyes, is what I'm thinking, that perpetual confused look), I decided to cover them all, so Julia (Kathleen raps ruler on desk), "Pay Attention."

1.  First of all, in yesterday's daily political kerfuffle (write the word kerfuffle ten times and then use it in a sentence, and not the one I am writing), Chris Christie, after giving the matter weighty attention, decided not to run for President of the United States.  I think Chris Christie is a funny guy.  I like to listen to him, and I like his self-deprecating style.  However, I can like Chris Christie because I live in New York and he's not my governor, so it's allowed.  If I lived in Jersey, (when hell froze), I would probably not like Chris Christie.  However, the interesting piece of all that was the discussion of whether Chris Christie could ever win an election because he was a man of wide girth.  Historians were trotting out the usual statistics, the taller candidate usually wins, the prettier candidate usually wins, blah, blah, blah, and how people would not vote for Chris Christie because he was super-sized.  This bothered me.  I kept thinking, what if Jesus Christ came back to earth and he was fat?  Would everybody walk away and pledge their support for Satan?  Would Letterman do a top ten list about What Would Jesus Eat?  I don't know.  These are the conundrums that occupy my mind.

Death By Cantaloupe

2.  I don't know if you realize this, Julia, but there is a bacteria known as listeria that is bad.  Very, very, bad, except, and I bet you don't know this, lysteria is naturally occurring.  It is found in the soil, and can infect vegetables, and animals as well.  Listerosis is the infection caused by the lysteria bacteria and it's a LOT worse than salmonella.  Currently, there is a listeria outbreak of contaminated cantaloupes (say that seven times fast).  I bet you don't know this, but I have a cantaloupe in my refrigerator, which has been sitting there for about four weeks.  I haven't cut into the cantaloupe for two reasons a) I am secretly worried that the cantaloupe has already gone soft and I will get mad at myself for buying it and not eating it and b) I don't want to die.  Now, Julia London, realize the beauty of this internal debate. The human will to survive is strong and can trump anything, no matter how unflattering or trivial. So if you want to win an argument, the final answer should always be "I don't want to die."

3.  I don't like Amanda Knox.  I don't trust her.  I don't want to die.

Angry Birds of the Peacock Persuasion

4.  Yesterday the NBC peacock stomped all over the bunnies of the Playboy Club (the series).  Now, Julia London, we call this first sentence a hyperbole.  Hyperbole is an exaggeration, not meant to be taken literally.  In this case, the NBC peacock did not run out and trample a bunch of underdressed cocktail (not a hyperbole) waitresses.    No, actually what probably happened was four suits sat in a room and drooled over the table as they watched the show and then one female (probably dressed in a suit as well, most likely non-revealing) papered the room with the poor reviews and press coverage of the series.  This probably carried no weight with the programming execs,  until she laid out the advertising revenues from the show (two quarters and seven pennies).  That, they understand, and the series was regretfully axed (another hyperbole).

5.  I like Person of Interest.  It is odd and smart and the hero kills people who deserve to die, while saving the good people from the bad people.  Also, it's fun watching the show use the technology that it does.  We watched Jurassic Park this weekend and I admired the imagination of Michael Crichton who uses just enough science to make it feel crazy-real.  Person of Interest does this with high-tech.  It feels crazy-real.   I don't know if you know this or not, but Michael Crichton died in 2008 (I know that Dee knows this, because she loves Michael Crichton).  However, do not read Michael Crichton's Timeline because it's a stinker (Dee and I agreed on that).

6.  I had a very weird Law & Order dream last night.  I was in the Marriott Marquis (as an employee) and Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green were both shot by the bad guys.  I called the cops, because both were in very bad shape.  The cops were late to arrive because they couldn't find the proper loading dock, and Ed Green died.  Lennie survived.  I woke up thinking that Jerry Orbach was still alive.  I was sad when I realized it was just a dream.

Questions for the day, do you think a large-sized political candidate could win a Presidential election? What new shows are you watching? Do you ever have to throw out produce and then beat yourself up (that's hyperbole, Julia London) for it? Do you think Amanda Knox is guilty? What new shows do you think they should axe (another hyperbole) next?

 

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Tell Me Something I Don't Know

There are a lot of well meaning people in the world who like to help others.  If I have a problem, I only have to post on Facebook and dozens will cheerfully answer my question, no matter how dumb.  My friends will also tell me things I need to know.  Their information is always invaluable because then know what a doofus I am.

I admit it–there is a lot of stuff I don't know that I ought to know.  I am helpless in the kitchen.  I don't think about things like new bank fees (learned that on Facebook) or how to get stains out of whites, or how much is too much for coffee.

But I have lived a few decades, and I am not completely out of it.  So yesterday morning, when I was out walking my dog, and I told a neighbor I had gotten a splinter, I could not help but wonder what prompted her to tell me how to get it out.  Yes.  With a straight face, she told me how to get a splinter out of my finger.

Not too long ago, a woman at yoga class told me when it's really hot, you need to drink a lot of water.

A guy at a gas station saw me studying the three options for gas and informed me that my car needs premium. Really?

So now I am wondering if it is me.  Do I look like I have a few brain cells missing?  Is it that some people speak their thoughts aloud and don't realize it?  Have people run across others so out of touch with the world around them that they feel compelled to explain the most basic things, like how to get a splinter out of their finger?

I am ready for someone to tell me something I don't know.  Like…what to do about my volatile retirement account (thank you Wall Street), or what things I should do to bring more readers to my books, or how to wade through all the political talking heads and make an informed decision about the presidency next year.  Tell me that kind of stuff.  I think I have the splinters covered.

Do you have people who offer you free advice?  What is the most obvious thing anyone has told you?  Do you have precocious kids around who tell you things that you know, but they say it like you just woke up?  (I had one who told me this weekend I am not very smart.  Hmm….detecting a pattern here)

 

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Spooky….

Oh, yeah, baby! It's that time of year! HALLOWEEN! The time when we hang our ghosts from the mantle, and the Great Pumpkin comes down the oven vent and fills them with candy. Oh, wait. That's not right.

The time when we leave pumpkin pie under our pillow, and the Squash Fairy comes and leaves us crisp dollar bills.

No?

The Pumpkin Bunny?

Well, at any rate, it's my favorite holiday! And the kids, too, although they get more stash at Christmas.

Yesterday, we started decorating (my birthday is the end of September, and I just cannot do Halloween before that. The kids wanted October 1, but we were on the road. So yesterday it was.) We're not finished. Finishing will require a trip to one of the Halloween Super Stores that move into abandoned stores for the season. We try to add something cool each year. Last year was a sound activated witches broom. Much fun.

Right now, we have a graveyard starting in our front yard, a ghoul hanging on our door, a light up pumpkin snow man, a ghost (who would light up if the light bulb wasn't broken) and some glowing skeleton heads. I have a million orange lights to hang, but this house is brick and my step stool isn't tall enough to reach the trim. That means I have to dig the ladder out (and that meant we didn't do it on Sunday).

And, of course, there are the MOVIES!!!!!! Don's on a roll DVR'ing the classics for us to watch with the girls (He watches Abbott & Costello Meet Frankestein with them every year). This year our big Halloween movie with our bookclub is Peter Straub's Ghost Story. Haven't seen the movie in years, so I can't wait…and the book (about 100 pages in) is fabulous.

Do you love or hate Halloween? Any fun traditions? What's your favorite holiday?

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