Monthly Archives: January 2014

I Broke a Personal Record Last Weekend

Posted on January 31, 2014 | 9 comments

I am a child of the 80s. And everything that came with it. I listened to homemade mix tapes (usually peppered with Casey Casem’s voice) on my walkman, I wore acid wash Guess jeans with zippers at the ankles and I sure as hell wanted my MTV. I also had about 57 different celebrity crushes back in the day. So when the opportunity to see a whole slew of them (what’s the plural for teen idols? a bevy? a gaggle?) all in the same film presented itself back in 1983, my friends and I stood in line at the movie theater to buy a ticket. Actually, we stood in line four times to buy a ticket.

Anyone remember this timeless classic?

I had a cat named Sodapop. I think that perfectly demonstrates the extent of my commitment to this movie.

It was a golden era. Rob didn’t have a criminal record, Tom hadn’t started worshipping aliens, Patrick was in peak health and C. Thomas hadn’t donned blackface for one of the dumbest, least-credible and most racially offensive movies of all times. Yet.

But, as the film taught us, nothing gold can stay. And time marches on. But I so loved the movie. Which is why I saw it in the theaters more times than any other film in my lifetime. Until now.

Because I now have a daughter who loves movies … and young actors … and interesting stories about troubled kids … stories that get their roots in current kid lit. Which is how I broke my record. Just last weekend actually. When … for the FIFTH time … I saw the second film in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire. Here’s its WAY more intriguing trailer.

Now, before anyone thinks I’m an extravagant spendthrift, please allow me to “defend” myself and tell you a little about my five moviegoing experiences.

Viewing #1 – Opening night. A local theater was offering a double feature with the first and second movies. They had giveaways, trivia contests and prizes. Viv and I went together. It was held on a school night. I won the cool mom award that evening. (Paid by me)

Viewing #2 – One month later. My son has actually read all the books, too. And, while he isn’t the super fan my daughter is, he wanted to see the movie, too. So Viv and I brought him. Two times to the same movie isn’t that weird, right? (Paid by me again)

Viewing #3 – Vivien asked my mom (Hi, Mom!) for a movie gift card for Christmas so she could see the movie again. It was one of the top items on her list. And she got it. So what was I to do? (Paid by Viv’s grandmother)

Viewing #4 – Intrigued by Vivien’s obsession with the trilogy (she’s read each book multiple times), my mom started reading the series as well. When she finished the first book, we all watched the first movie (which we, of course, own) on DVD. When she finished the second book, she offered to take Vivien and I to see the movie with her. She knew I’d seen the movie three times already, so she treated. (Paid by Viv’s grandmother again)

Viewing #5 – With the holidays behind us, school back in session and the movie only playing in two theaters in town, I thought my big screen Catching Fire days were done. Then my dear friend (Hi, Heather!) gave us our belated Christmas presents. And what do you think she gave my daughter, her Godchild? Yep. A gift card to the movies which, at Vivien’s request, we used the very night we opened it. (Paid by Viv’s Godmother)

And, with that, history was made.

I broke my own personal record in the category of Number of Times Seeing the Same Movie in the Theater. (Shut up. It is SO a thing.) Honestly, besides getting to see my daughter light up like a Christmas tree five times, I love that I did it … because I’m pretty freakin’ sure I’ll never get to six.

But then again, the third book has yet to be made into a movie. (sigh) Okay, Vivien. Game on.

For MamaKat’s writing prompt: Write something inspired by the word golden.

9 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged catching fire, Hunger Games, i broke a personal record, I saw catching fire five times, seeing a movie five times in the movie theater, The Outsiders, what we do for our kids

Do You Want to Build a Snowman? New Orleans kids sure do!

Posted on January 27, 2014 | 8 comments

Here I sit in the waiting room of my family’s orthodontist’s office. As of this month, both of my kids are in braces. (A moment of silence for my checking account, please.) Two kids in braces means I’ll be clipping a lot of coupons, painting my own toenails and eating in a whole lot more for the next two years. But … (wait for it) … (it’s becoming my catchphrase) … (your ad here) … I digress.

Because I did not open up the WordPress app on my phone today to talk about belt tightening. (Stupid belt. I hate that belt.) Actually, I wanted to talk about the weather. Specifically SNOW!

It’s expected here late tomorrow.

Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof. And weathermen never lie! (cough)

And that’s a real rarity in my neck of the ~~swamp~~ … ~~mosquito-infested quagmire~~ … woods. (I can say these things because I’m from here.) In my lifetime, it’s snowed here six times. And I can really only remember the last two times, because my babies were there. And I do mean babies. They were so little.

In 2004, it snowed on Christmas Day. We had a freakin’ White Christmas! That has NEVER happened here before. And it likely never will again. Never mind the fact that Katrina hit the following year. It will always be one of my favorite holiday memories of all time.

Four years later in 2008, with Katrina behind us and a new address on our mailbox, it happened again. This time on a chilly December morning right as we were leaving for school. For the record, we were three hours late that day. Even Milo (only 8 months old at the time) joined in on the fun. I’ll never forget that day either.

Now here we are, more than five years later. Snow “threatened” us just last week. And it actually came in several nearby cities an hour or two away. But it never made it as far down as New Orleans.

Stop teasing us, Mother Nature. My daughter’s school is now closed tomorrow AND the next day. Her dance class is cancelled. My son’s basketball game has been called off and, amazingly, even his school is closed tomorrow. I have hot cocoa, rubbery boots and strawberries we can use as miniature snowman noses. We’re ready. Please don’t disappoint my little people.

Seriously, my girl’s been singing this song all day.

8 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged 2004 snow on christmas day in new orleans, 2008 snow in new orleans, frozen, praying for snow in new orleans, snow in new orleans

I’m Giving Cheese a Break and Talking About Theater Today

Posted on January 24, 2014 | 8 comments

My friend, Kelley, called me this morning. I had just shared a link on Facebook that grabbed her and she wanted to chat about it immediately. For those who don’t already know, I’m a theater freak. To me, there’s no better day than one spent in a theater seeing a great show. While eating high-end cheese. But also being skinny. And having my feet rubbed. Sitting next to Johnny Depp. Or maybe Ellen Degeneres. It would depend on the show. But I digress.

My shared link was all about Broadway Across America, the touring company that consistently brings exceptional (some shows more than others) musical theater to my part of the world. They just announced their 2014-2015 season. And what a season it is.

As I said on my personal Facebook page, it’s the “strongest season we’ve had in a while. Almost every one is a home run. And that’s as sportsy as this theater geek is gonna get.” (So far I’ve called myself a freak and a geek in this post. Very self-deprecating but at least it’s poetic.) Let’s take a look at the season and I’ll offer you my two cents. (Because I have no friggin’ idea what’s going to happen at the Super Bowl. Seriously, who’s even playing?)

Chicago

I’ve seen this show twice on Broadway. It’s one of my all-time favorites. The first time I was lucky enough to see Bebe Neuwirth in the role of Velma and even meet her afterwards. (We took a picture but I’m going to blatantly lie and tell you I can’t find it. Because my eyes were closed. And it’s from, like, 15 years ago so it’s stored way out of reach. Plus I looked fat. Because I was standing next to freaking Bebe Neuwirth!) Each song is better than the last and the show actually made me laugh. So many shows have tired jokes in them. Oh, and I have never seen the movie so I can’t offer any comparisons.

Phantom of the Opera

I’ve seen this show a few times. This music is very pretty and sophisticated. It’s an Andrew Lloyd Webber production for Pete’s sake. But, personally, I like a little spoken dialogue in my show. Mr. Webber and I disagree on this point. Every one should see the show at least once, on Broadway if possible in a stationary production so that the iconic chandelier is at its most grand. Beyond that, I find my soundtrack to be satisfactory. Many will disagree with me here. I welcome other opinions in the comments.

Dirty Dancing

I haven’t seen this show and would normally be a little wary. I am not typically a fan of clumsy adaptations that gets their roots in mainstream cinema. Flashdance, Ghost, Legally Blonde … these don’t usually resonate with me. However, I will somewhat (bashfully admit) that this show intrigues me. Maybe it’s because it’s already filled with music and, obviously, dancing. Or maybe it’s because I was a kid when I actually saw it the first time so it holds major nostalgic moments for me. (Dear Broadway Producers, I would also like to see theatrical mountings of Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, ooh, and maybe Better Off Dead. Thanks, Michele)

Annie

I’ve seen this show countless times. Heck, I think my daughter’s seen it countless times, too. And, yes, we’ll be going again. Confession. I’m pretty sure I can sing every word to every song in the score. Go ahead, judge. One day I’m going to put on a red wig and that old costume my grandmother made for me decades ago and sing my heart out on YouTube for all of you. I expect that my kids will probably be removed from my custody that same day. But I’ll just stick out my chin … and grin … and saaaaaaay …

Once

I have not seen this show. Nor have I seen the 2006 movie of the same name upon which it was based. What I know is that it received eleven Tony nominations in 2012. And then went on to win eight of them including Best Musical and Best Book. It’s a different kind of show, one in which the cast also serves as the orchestra. And a very minimalist set with a bar in the middle of the stage is used. A bar that, for the Broadway production, actually operated as a real one serving drinks to theater patrons before the show and during intermission. I have no idea if the traveling show will be able to reproduce that charming offering but it’s pretty cool. I’m very much looking forward to this one.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

I’ve seen this show a few times. It’s my exception to the Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-I-wish-there-were-dialogue rule. Joseph is a fantastic show. And I’m not just saying that because Vivien and I were lucky enough to perform in it with a great cast last summer. The show is a clever take on the ancient biblical story of Jacob and his many sons. The lyrics are smart and every song draws its roots from a different musical genre including classic county & western, calypso, jitterbug, disco, French ballads, etc. We even caught Dave and Dean humming the music under their breaths a few times last summer. And that’s saying something.

Mamma Mia

I’ve seen this show several times, both on and off Broadway. It’s a fun show but, in my opinion, you have to like ABBA. Fortunately for me, ABBA was in frequent rotation on my Dad’s turntable back in the day. Thus, I was pretty familiar with most of the music. Of course, there is an actual storyline, too, so you could go for just that. But some of the songs are pretty shoe-horned into the plot. Which is hilarious if you actually know (and don’t hate) the music. (Confession. One day, I hope to see this show with a bunch of women and gay guy friends. That sounds like a blast!)

* * * * * * * * * *

So, I’ll be plunking down some big dollars soon to renew my season subscription. Fortunately, I’m raising a junior theater freak so maybe I can just blame it on her. “But Dave, Vivien would LOVE to see Annie” …. “Well, yes. I KNOW she’s already seen it, but THIS time I hear the dog’s actually going to go out into the audience and do tricks!”

That sounds believable, right?

This post was written in response to MamaKat’s writing prompt: Who was the last person to call you? What did they want?

8 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged 2014-15, annie the musical, broadway across america, chicago the musical, dirty dancing the musical, joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat, mama, mamakatslosinit, mamma mia, once the musical, phantom of the opera, season subscription, writing prompt

‘Gimme’ a Second to Tell You About this Movie

Posted on January 20, 2014 | 5 comments

Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen any of these movies.

High School Musical?
Encino Man?
Josie & the Pussycats?

Aww, come on. Don’t be shy. You guys know no one here can actually see you, right? The thing is … if you’ve seen those movies, you’re familiar with Vanessa Hudgens, Brendan Fraser and Rosario Dawson. Or at least you’re familiar with one side of these actors. Please allow me to introduce you to another, completely unrecognizable side of each of them.

There’s a movie opening this week called Gimme Shelter. These people are all in it. Along with James Earl Jones, Ann Dowd and a whole cast of other very talented people. You’ll hardly recognize them, especially Vanessa Hudgens. Think of it as her version of Charlize’s Monster (only she’s the good guy in this one). Take a look at the trailer.

Mel and I were lucky enough to be asked by our friends at Grace Hill Media to pre-screen the movie. (Heck, yeah! I felt special.) The running time for the movie is exactly 100 minutes. And I’m not exaggerating when I say it held my attention from the very first minute to the very last. (You’ll see.) It’s based on a true story so I never felt I could predict the plot line. It surprised me. It made me cry. It made me smile. It made me angry. And (truth?) it made me want to be a better mother. (That’s always a good thing, right?)

It is not a film to be taken lightly.

But it is a film that found me Googling the real story and the real people behind it as soon as the credits rolled. Speaking of which … the film makers employed the use of split screens featuring the actors alongside their real life inspirations. I always love that. And I wanted to know more, what parts were real and where people were today. I’m weird that way.

And you will be, too.

Gimme Shelter. Plan to see this one. It’s sure to be poised for a few nods. My two cents.

5 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged gimme shelter, movie review, vanessa hudgens

My Five Favorite Things (Spoiler: There IS a cheese listed here.)

Posted on January 17, 2014 | 13 comments

Today’s post is brought to you by MamaKat: Name your five current favorite things.

This task seems easy enough. Except it says current … so I can’t pick Donny Osmond or leg warmers or anything like that. (Both still totally awesome, by the way.) And actually, since I’m limited to only five things, I think I’m going to impose a few more rules on myself.

I can’t list any people. People can’t be favorite things. That’s just demeaning. (Plus I might do something tragic like list Johnny Depp before my kids or something.)
I can only list one food. (Otherwise, duh, this list would just be five different foods.)
I can’t let this post sound like a sponsored advertisement by extolling the virtues of my favorite hair product or anything like that. (Yawn.)

So, with those extra rules now in place, I give you …

My five current favorite things

1. Mt. Tam Cheese

There are no words to describe the amazing delicacy that is Mt. Tam. Screw that. Here are the words: It’s made by the cheese WIZARDS at Cowgirl Creamery. It’s their signature cheese and, if you must know, also mine. (Yes, I have a signature cheese. What of it?) It’s an award-winning, decadent, buttery, triple-cream cheese that is said to have “a mellow, earthy flavor reminiscent of white mushrooms.” I got a full wheel of it for Christmas and (truth?) I ate the entire thing by myself in two sittings. If you reach toward my plate when I’m eating it, I make no apologies for what could happen to you or your grabby, little fingers.

2. H&M Shirt … AND … 3. Skinny Mirror

Is it confusing that I’ve combined numbers 2 and 3. What am I saying? You guys are geniuses. You’ll keep up, right?

I bought that shirt on a trip to New York at the H&M Store on 5th Avenue. I walked right past Saks, Prada, and Salvatore Ferragama and strolled my frugal ass into the H&M Store. I love that place. Because I can usually get six great things for less than three digits in under an hour. (God, I hate shopping.) It’s colorful (I’m often accused of wearing too much black), feminine (always a good thing when I want to prove I’m a girl), and goes in at exactly the right place on my waistline. And if I had to do it all over again, I would buy five of them. Seriously, it takes ten pounds off me.

And speaking of taking pounds off … I want a skinny mirror. But not just any skinny mirror. I want the one that hangs in the girls’ bathroom on the first floor of Vivien’s school building. (And now that I’m posting it here publicly, there go my chances of stealing it off the wall. Geez, I am such an IDIOT!) Over the years, I’ve taken a few friends to gaze into its ~~fallacious~~ … ~~fictional~~ … flattering reflection. And it’s never disappointed. Honestly, it’s probably best that I don’t have this magical tool all to myself. For I might spend the rest of my days staring at a distorted image of my own hips. Just call me Narcissus.

4. Modern Family

If you’ve seen the show, you can stop reading. Because you get it. Modern Family is funny. It makes me laugh. And, honestly, I don’t laugh a lot. I’m a hard person to make laugh out loud. So I love it when I find the rare show that can accomplish that. Over my lifetime, there really haven’t been very many … 30 Rock, Frasier, Friends, Newsradio, Seinfeld, Cheers, Taxi and Arrested Development. That’s about it. So thanks, Dunphys and Pritchetts. And please, keep it coming.

5. Writing Prompts That Ask for Lists

Number 5 is sort of my Being John Malkovich moment in this blog post. It’s the self-aware part where I actually list “writing lists” as an item on my 5 Favorite Things list. Does that make sense? Well, it’s true. Nothing makes for an easier entry. So thanks, MamaKat, for yet another opportunity to list out a few mundane things about myself and then have the nerve to call it “writing.”

* * * * * * * * * *

What are some of YOUR favorite things right now?

13 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged being john malkovich, cowgirl creamery, H&M, mamakat, mamakatslosinit, Modern Family, mt. tam cheese, skinny mirrors, TV that makes me laugh, writing prompt

#KetchupWithUs 34 – Belly up to the #BlogHop!

Posted on January 15, 2014 | 10 comments

Here at #KetchupWithUs headquarters, the high-brow, test-your-limits, bare-your-soul writing prompts that you guys have come to expect from Mel and me are currently in … well … hibernation.

Giving new meaning to Ketchup versus Catsup.

For now, we’re just running a good, old-fashioned blog hop. The overhead is much lower and it’s the only way we could secure our liquor license. So pull out something you want to share, show off or expose (geez, that sounds terrible!) and link ‘er up at the linky below. Oh, and be sure to visit some of your fellow linkers and say hi. There are scads of truly awesome people in this little community of ours.

Our esteemed Ketchup With Us Featured Writer from last time is …

Coach Daddy

BEHIND THE KETCHUP

Click here to read how this foolishness all began.

KEEP TRACK OF OUR STUPIDITY

Facebook (Michele /Mel)
Twitter (Michele/Mel)
Instagram (Michele/Mel)
Pinterest (Michele/Mel)

SPREAD THE WORD & POST OUR BUTTON … please!

The embed code for this button is right there in my sidebar. Unfortunately, my site is being a tool and won’t let me put it in this actual post. Please grab it from the sidebar. Thanks!

FINALLY … THE LINK-UP!

Our regular writing prompts are in hibernation so link up any post you want!

10 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged according to mags, blog hop, ketchup with us, link up, link up an old post, mel, two women wearing ketchup costumes, woman wearing a ketchup costume, writing prompt

A Treasured Family Memory. In 33 Monosyllabic Words.

Posted on January 14, 2014 | 30 comments

Our writing prompt for today is from Trifecta. In 33, one-syllable words, complete the story that begins with “The first time I saw …” After considering a few different ideas, I went with non-fiction.

The first time I saw …

… it, I threw it in the trash. I knew it would say no.

They all said no.

Hours passed. He looked at it.

“I don’t think it’s a no” was all he said.

Friday, February 12, 1999. The Day My Infertility Died.

What about YOU?

Can you finish the story in 33 one-syllable words? Here. I’ll start you off. The first time I saw …

30 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged 33 words, battling infertility, beating infertility, complete the story, fighting infertility, monosyllabic, one-syllable, positive pregnancy test, trifecta

The Photographic Proof that I am NOT a Vampire

Posted on January 10, 2014 | 7 comments

My writing prompt for today comes to me from MamaKat: “Find a photo of yourself taken 10 years ago and display it on your blog along with a current photo. How have you changed since the day that photo was taken?”

* * * * * * * * * *

Fortunately, I organize my pictures by year. They’re in chronological order in a box in the original Walgreen’s envelopes. And I made the minimal effort to scrawl the month and year on the outside with a ballpoint pen. (Martha Stewart I am not.) So when I read this prompt, I turned to my box (or rather boxes as there are now six of them) and searched for anything marked 2004.

Truly, I had a helluva time finding any of me. My kids turned 2 and 5 that year. And they were aDORable. So I was usually behind the camera for all of the pictures. But I did manage to find a few old snapshots and (thanks to iPhones and vanity) I have plenty of current pictures. And I decided to arrange the “thens” and the “nows” into two collages. For you.

Because I know how much you like that kind of thing.

. . . . . Then (2004) . . . . .

(Top Left: me, half-dressed as John Lennon, fixing Viv’s hair for Dean’s Halloween-themed birthday party; Top Right: me with Dean playing in a VERY rare white Christmas here in New Orleans; Bottom: Christmas Eve 2004)

This woman is busy. Her kids are still very young. She doesn’t have time to put on make-up and perfect her hair for pictures. Apparently, she doesn’t even always have time to look at the camera when her picture is being taken. Unless, of course, it’s Christmas Eve. She can make time for that one night of the year.

. . . . . Now (2014) . . . . .

(Clockwise from bottom left: Kiss hair promotion; With kids on rickshaw pedicab in NYC; With Mel in Chicago; With Viv at Cinderella; Accidentally channeling The Bearded Iris; Vying for the attention of the entire country of Greenland)

This woman is also busy, but in a different way. Her kids are older. And much more independent and self-sufficient. Which is as awesome as it is suckish. She misses her little people so much that sometimes it is crippling. But, at the same time, she absolutely loves watching her kids develop into funny, insightful, broad-minded human beings. And she takes full credit for this development, by the way. But, geez, she’s a bit of a peacock, isn’t she? (Oh, and she’s pissed at herself that she still hasn’t finished that book. But she’s working on it. She promises.)

* * * * * * * * * *

What do you think? Have I changed a lot? Should I be calling my dermatologist for an emergency Botox appointment? Tell the truth. I can take it.

Oh, and how have YOU changed in the last ten years?

7 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged how have you changed in 10 years, leslie marinelli, mamakatslosinit, pictures then and now, the bearded iris, writing prompt

How Drew Brees is going to earn me some serious cash money!

Posted on January 9, 2014 | 11 comments

Let’s get right to the point. I recently mentioned one of my big goals for 2014 is income. And just look what fell into my lap today! A GOLDEN opportunity. Thank you, Craigslist. And thank you, Drew Brees, because you and your likeness are going to score me $500 this month. Check it out.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Details

* * * * * * * * * *

HEIGHT

Drew = 6′ AND Me = 5′ 4″. Not a problem with the right footwear. I need to start Googling “platform cleats.”

WEIGHT

Drew = 209 lbs. AND Me = Up-yours-it’s-right-after-holiday-season. Let’s just say he’s got about 8o to 90 lbs. on me. So I’ll either wear padding or start eating. (The latter seems much more likely.)

ATTIRE

My son already has a #9 jersey but do I have to wear those stupid football pants? Never mind. You know what? I’m fully committed. But if I have to wear ass-huggers, I’m going with the black.

HAIR

We both have brown hair, which is good, but mine still has traces of red Kool-Aid in it. Plus our styles are nothing alike. But can’t I just wear a helmet? Yep. Problem solved.

BIRTHMARK

You guys don’t think I’d overlook this important detail, do you? It’s his calling card, for Pete’s sake. A little strategic make-up should do the trick.

**Take a look at this picture of Drew and me at Book of Mormon last fall.**

Look at the two of us, just hanging out with my friend. We’re like TWINS! Guess which one I am? Fine. I’ll give you a hint: pink stripes.

Oh, but I do still have one problem.

I don’t know jack about football.

(thinking …

thinking …

snacking …

thinking)

Think they’d let me give a speech on musical theater???

11 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged craigslist, drew brees, drew brees and me at book of mormon, lookalike, think I could pass for drew breed

My Top 12 Posts of 2014 – Not necessarily what I expected

Posted on January 3, 2014 | 4 comments

Today, we’re taking a look at the top 12 most popular posts of 2013. Partly because I find it interesting. But mostly because it’s a writing prompt by my friend, MamaKat. So here they are, in no particular order, for your enjoyment.

For your convenience, there are tissues … barf bags … and rotten tomatoes located in the boxes under your seats. You be the judge.

Ten Things That Are Now 50 Years Old

The Day I Saw The Conjuring (aka The Day I Nearly Peed My Pants in Chicago)

Congratulations to My Son on His Graduation Day