So Many Movies
How will the Oscars roll???

In these past two weeks I've gotten out to a LOT of movies. Trying to keep busy. Occupied.

The Savages - 4 stars (out of 5)
I think the characters were very well developed. Although it was quite dramatic, there were times of real humor. Philip Seymore Hoffman and Laura Linney (Oscar Nomination) play very well off each other as brother and sister.

Another great film written by a woman (3 out of 5 Oscars for Best Writer - Original Screenplay are women this year!) Perhaps Tamara Jenkins will win an Oscar? We'll see on Sunday at the 80th Annual Oscars!

Go see it. It's worth the trip.
Worth the ticket. Worth a rental.



Meet the Spartans - 0 stars None. Zip. Just bad.

My friend had been going on that he wanted to see this as his students had been referring to it and he thought I could use a good laugh. This was an unsuccessful attempt at the latter.

Even he, and ex-Marine, was disgusted by it. It's gross. Not funny. Ewe.

Not worth a red cent. Waste of a DVD - don't bother with a rental. Ewe.

P.S. I Love You - 3.5 stars

Enjoyable and entertaining.

Great costuming for Hilary Swank - and great shoes!

Worth a rental. Worth a ticket.

Fool's Gold - 2.5 stars

Entertaining but slow. Dragged. Wasn't nearly as good as it could have been. What IS the accent Donald Sutherland was going for anyway?


Worth a rental. Not worth a ticket.

Definitely, Maybe - 4 stars
Very cute. I can see why critics have compared it to The Princess Bride. It'll become a classic. Abigail Breslin does a great job.

Sadly it was NOT the film I should have seen right now- just too much to take in. All this time I thought I was April...but all along I've been Summer.

Worth the ticket. Worth renting on DVD.

In Bruges - 4 Stars

Excellent cinematography. Rich characters. It's not "funny" although there is some humor in it. Brendan Gleeson was fantastic. Colin Farrell finally has a chance to use his Irish accent.
Beware there's a good amount of blood too (I hadn't been prepared for that.)
Worth the ticket. Worth the rental. Watch on a big screen so you can see the architecture of Bruges.




Charlie Wilson's War - 4 Stars
Once agan, Philip Seymore Hoffman (Oscar nomination) did a great job!

Interesting historical story about a time you may or may not have remembered.

Worth the ticket. Worth the Rental.




Other Oscar Nominated Films worth seeing:

*Juno - 5 stars
* Ratatouille - 5 stars
* Michael Clayton - 4 stars
* Sweeney Todd The Demon Barbar of Fleet Street - 4 stars -- I must admit it was just too gorey for me though well done.
* The Diving Bell and The Butterfly - 4 stars
* Sicko - 5 stars


I still need to see:


* There Will Be Blood
* No Country For Old Men
* Elizabeth: The Golden Age
* Atonement
* Persepolis
* La Vie En Rose

Gettin' your dance on!

What a great night!

First my friend Jason and I ate our fill at Hagi in the Theatre District.
Then we went to see a preview of In The Heights.
It's the first New Broadway Musical that I've seen in a while that grabbed me from the moment it began.

This will win a best new show Tony -- mark my words! Get tickets for it NOW before everyone catches on as to how FABULOUS it is!!! The theatre is small - so I'd say all seats are good seats -- Really - go - now!

From here I hopped a subway to the lower east side to Key Bar to meet up with my friend Yuko and her pals. What a great small space! So cozy with it's fireplace!! Perfect on a night like this that was so blusteringly cold and windy!!


A friend of Yuko's was in from Tokyo and was spinning in this tiny bar. Apparently he's a big deal DJ in Tokyo -- which I can understand why! He was SO GREAT!! He mixed lounge with some ambient music -- AND --- there were 3 live musicians including a sax who jammed along with the music he spun.

FANTASTIC!

It was wonerful seeing Yuko and her husband Kelvin!


I also really enjoyed meeting so many of Yuko's pals in NYC!


What fun!!!


Oooh and before I forget -- the Key Bar makes the BEST Passion Fruit Martini's that I've ever had. WOW! Beware - they taste really good and pack a punch!!!

After hours of dancing it was time to start the journey home...well...now we're starving...and since the Yaffa Cafe IS open 24/7...Oh, OK -- breakfast it is!!!
One less thing to do when I get up in the morning!!! Yaffa Cafe has yummy french toast, tasty linguine and what looked like a decent burger & chicken fingers.

Ahhh -- what a great night. Thanks all! I needed a night out dancing like this!!!

What A FUN Valentine's Day!

After some meetings and work through the day, I popped down to 6th Avenue & Spring Street to volunteer with "God's Love We Deliver®." I'd signed up through OneBrick.org while I was in China so I wouldn't be sitting around alone at home on Valentine's Day. Good choice!

I really enjoyed my few hours there. I frosted 30+ sheet cakes and chopped a ton of celery. There were around 25-30 volunteers there chopping, packing, frosting, cleaning and prepping food to be cooked or delivered tomorrow -- 1600 meals -- to those in need (HIV/AIDS, MS etc -- any debilitating disease.) I may go through training and join the volunteer pool as a regular. It was really well done! Their volunteer coordinator didn't mind that I travel as much as I do either - yeah!!

From here I dashed back uptown to 32nd Street between 5th Avenue & Broadway to join 11 friends (Henri at left and Lisa at right) - both old and new - at TODAI, an all-you-can eat Sushi and Japanese Seafood buffet. (Yes, they had meats too!)
We all stuffed ourselves with the tasty choices and ended with banana & chocolate filled crepes! Yuuuuum!


At $27.95 per person, I thin kit was quite reasonable! (Those who got beers only paid $4.50/beer -- which is CHEAP in NYC!!)
Next - on to Henri's friend's Karaoke party downtown at Bar Bleu/ under Cafe Deville, the restaurant on the corner of 13th and 3rd Avenue. 4 of us joined Henri...all of the men dissapeared for one reason or another. It was a nice way to spend a little time getting to know Patrizia and Chiara, Patrizia having arrived in NYC only a week ago!



The fellow doing the Karaoke DJing, Adam, had quite a good selection (14,000+ songs)...everything from the Rat Pack to Annie Lenox to 70s Funk. We all sang songs -- I even sang one with the DJ at his request. (To bad the arrangement was completely nutty!)
We even squeezed in a spot of dancing!!!

Now it's home to wrap up some notes for tomorrow's morning meeting!

Thanks all for a wonderful Valentine's Day!!! Hmmm...so now what shall we do for President's Day?

Happy Saturday!!!

Today was a blast! Busy and more fun than I've had in AGES!!! I state here that I forgot my camera at home and have no photos to show...unless Wardell and Jo(anna) send me theirs! :-)

I started by meeting 13 friends for an early brunch in Chinatown at Jing Fong for Dim Sum! Yuuuum! Snails, chicken feet, clams...choy sum, bok choy and dumplings! Yum yum yum was had by most all.

From here about 10 of us popped up to Yoqua - a new frozen yogurt shop that was opening that day by friends of a friend...so we checked it out. If you like frozen yogurt in yogurt flavor, you'll love it. They top it with so many fresh fruits. I...I can't STAND yogurt flavored yogurt. EWE! I tried one of their smoothies..and got through about half of the small cup before I was feeling ill...so, no more yogurt for me. :-) Everyone else seemed to enjoy it though! I wish them the BEST BEST of luck with the small shop. The staff was very friendly and was eager to get responses from us all.

From here I was treated to a ride home in a car - not a taxi but a CAR - a rarity in NYC! Thanks to my friend Bill. Next? Naptime!!! (Jetlag still kicking in a little.)

Napped...dressed...and dashing to the subway!!!

Where to?

Well, Wardell and Lisa invited me to join them for a Swing Dance lesson with the Spin Doctors at the American Ballroom Dance Studio/Pierre Dulaine Dance Club!! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Nope -- the day isn't over yet...it's only 7:30pm!!! What to do, what to do... Dinner!

So 5 of us headed out to Pho 32 & Shabu for a tasty (and inexpensive!) dinner. YUUUM!

Full and laughing we walked out into Koreatown and began to wander looking for some more fun! Found it at Chorus Music Room -- Karaoke anyone? Sure!!! We sang and laughed here for FOUR HOURS!!! What FUN!!!!

Thanks all -- after how things have been since my return to NYC, I REALLY REALLY needed a day like this.

I have some of the best friends in NYC that any girl could ask for!

SUPERBOWL SUFFERING

a day of traveling...from China to NYC...
Land and dash from Newark to home...kickoff in 3 hours...

...pizzas ordered
...wings made and in the oven

19 friends pass through to join me watching the big game...18 of which are Giants fans...

...it's TOUGH being a PATRIOTS fan in living in NYC...
...espeically during those last 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Next year PATS --- NEXT YEAR!