My Mad World - Chapter 1

I've already reviewed the book Mad World by Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernstein (see review here), but I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Granted, I already keep my car radio off Sirius First Wave, but my playlist at work has definitely been altered and I've caught myself, more than once, turning the TV to the New Wave radio station instead of watching a real show! It's been a while since I've been this passionate about music and I've been reminiscing quite a lot about my favorites.

As I mentioned in my review, I didn't necessarily agree with some of their choices. So, I thought I'd break down the artists featured in the book from my own point of view (and add a few of the ones I thought SHOULD have been in the book). Guess I'm missing the A to Z Challenge more than I thought I was because I seem to feel the need to serial blog (although, I can guarantee, I won't be doing this every day...maybe once a week).

But anyway, I'm planning on breaking down the book, chapter by chapter, giving their choices and then my rebuttal choice (or my agreeing choice). Chapter 1 was Adam and the Ants, so let's start there!

THEIR CHOICE: KINGS OF THE WILD FRONTIER


I don't remember this song from the 80's. It was more a retro greatest hits discovery at some point in the 90's. The first video I remember seeing of Adam and the Ants was Ant Music. I wasn't adversed to the new wave look by that point, I was a diehard Duranie, so guys in makeup and frilly shirts were what I was attracted to at the time (or as attracted as a pre-teen can be to a 20 something). But I have to admit, Adam Ant scared me at first, especially with the song Ant Music. I've always been a Southern prude at heart and the whole Indian-New Romantic, Jack-Sparrow'ed, football makeup, tribal chanting guy was a bit too much, even for my burgeoning teenage inner weirdo! I really didn't take much notice of Adam Ant until after he got kicked out of the band and started his solo career with Goody Two Shoes and Strip (can you imagine how freaked out my inner prude was by Strip, but I thoroughly enjoyed tormenting my parents with it!). The first video of the Ants that I remember liking was Prince Charming...it had that whole self deprecation theme that was so prevalent in my life at the time and I started noticing how hot Adam actually was. It was a wild and crazy video with a Robin Hood type theme (and a very strange synchronized dance routine), but still romantic and that little bit nutter that I really dug back then.

MY CHOICE: PRINCE CHARMING (sorry...couldn't find a good link to the real video so I'm making due with a live version)


As a side note, I thought I'd throw in my all-time favorite song from the artist as well. Adam's music got more mature during my post-college years and his humoring shock value look changed to more of a romantic gentleman (but still a bit self deprecating).

MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE ANT SONG (even if it was a song about Heather Graham) - WONDERFUL:


But overall, Adam Ant definitely deserved to be in the book...he defined a look and a style that was copied by the likes of Michael Jackson (Michael actually did have his coat made after asking where Adam got his), a musical style that was spun off of and formed other bands (Bow Wow Wow), and he left a trail of broken hearts all the way through half the actresses in Hollywood. A few years ago I read his autobiography, and his lifetime of dealing with his mental issues hit a bit too close to home (although I'm not bi-polar). I don't read many autobiographies, but I thoroughly enjoyed his. I'm just glad he's been able to work on himself enough to be able to get back out into the world and continue to make new music. He may look a bit rougher and plumper (but don't we all), but he's still got that "certain" something that keeps him interesting!

HIS NEWEST HIT - COOL ZOMBIE


Next up...the big double D...the loves of my life...DURAN DURAN! I should warn you, that may be a pretty long post since I have a 30+ year history as a diehard Duranie!

Squeeze

I mentioned the band Squeeze in an answer to one of my Wednesday Hodgepodge questions, and I received a comment from Joyce about not knowing who they were. Well, like I need an excuse to post a video from my favorite generation of music, the 1980's, but I thought I'd help her out a bit! Most people know Squeeze from the song "Tempted". I never liked this song (and still can only barely tolerate it-which is why I don't feel the need to post it). Glenn Tillbrook didn't sing this song, Paul Carrack (who later became the singer for Mike + The Mechanics) did, which is probably why I didn't like it. Like I mentioned in the Hodgepodge question #6, I wasn't a Squeeze fan per-se in the 80's, but, looking back on it, I did love the song "Hourglass" which came out my senior year of high school:


From the early MTV days, I also remember liking "Another Nail In My Heart" and that's when I first thought Glenn Tilbrook was really cute, but didn't pay that much attention to him after that (at least not until my Disney World encounter with him). I also thought that Jools Holland was adorable and even remember seeing his picture in a Smash Hits mag from way back when. Some music television watchers might recognize his name...Jools Holland does a music show called Later with Jools Holland that showcases bands from every genre (including some very big names) and has been on for many years. But here's Nail:


Most early 80's music listeners will know Squeeze from "Black Coffee In Bed":


Here's a live version of "Pulling Mussels From A Shell" (a song that has grown on me over the years):


Granted, the years haven't been kind to Glenn, but I still think he's one of the most sexy men on the planet and, if I'm honest, the years haven't been kind to most of the 80's brood. Unfortunately, I still have tunnel vision and see them as their former selves...Robert Smith probably scares small children now (or so I'm told by my much younger co-workers), but I still think he's one of the hottest men in music, so there you go! You can take the girl out of the 80's, but the 80's will stay with her forever (and the cow-lick in my hair that wants to go the 80's way, proves its more than skin deep-but deep rooted to my very core! HA!).

The day that is today...

Today was that holiday that isn't polite to say in singleton conversation. I think I've mentioned (one or two times) in a very polite manner (yeah, right) how I feel about this day's celebratory practices.

This morning, bright and early ("bright" is never a moniker that will ever be associated with me, no matter the time of day, but I digress), I once again woke up with a headache that has now been present for four days...great, something else to look forward to today. I went about my routine tasks, getting ready for yet another "fun" day at work, but it wasn't long before my phone rang. The ringtone "Parachute" by Cheryl Cole only means one person...my beloved bestest friend in the whole wide world...Tony. My first thought, "Oh my gosh, something has happened! Someone is dead!" (because he is also quite aware of my morning moods). But that's not why he called. He called to wish me a happy today (I still can't bring myself to say the word) since he forgot to email me this morning. Granted, my headache didn't disappear (or even dwindle a bit), but my mood sure improved! Is is true that the kindness of one person can make someone's day!

Later on, after arriving to work, the calls on the overhead pager started coming in..."so and so, come to the front please" and one after the other, loved-up co-workers came prancing back with their V-Day bounty in tow...flowers, candies, more flowers, more candies, etc, etc. Some were obviously bought at the local quick shop and some cost more than my paycheck, but it wasn't long before this place started to smell like an old lady drowned in rose perfume. I did expect this, in our entire building there are only three singletons...me, of course, and a divorced woman close to sixty who still acts married to her ex-husband (although he is married to someone else), and another girl, who's attitude will pretty much guarantee she will never get anyone (well, not without paying for it, and even then she still might have trouble-can you tell I don't like her?).

I went about my daily duties, ignoring the banter of the masses, "Oh, your flowers are so pretty!" "You're man is so wonderful", blaa blaa blaa. I had to step out for a bit (it is payday, afterall, and we don't get to do direct deposit here) and returned to find that I too had received a delivery (and thank god I wasn't here and had to do the walk of shame to the front office). Granted, they weren't from a secret admirer (but I'm still waiting Mark Owen...you know you have a crush on me!) or even a man at all...but from my little sister, Am. Beggars can't be choosers and they were gorgeous!

Thanks sissy! And since you don't EVER respond to my texts - FYI...I still need your Disney memory cards!!! Oh, and please raid your closet for your fat clothes...Mother has taken it upon herself to dump with me her wardrobe and you know how much hers and my tastes differ! I'm in horror at the thought of wearing some of these clothes! I'd rather wear my oversized baggy clothes that spend one second in 95% of what she sent!! S.O.S.!!!

So, in honor of Tony, how about a music video (I haven't posted one in a while)...his ringtone, Cheryl Cole's Parachute


And for Am...the song that I always associate with our relationship, Darren Hayes - Cruel Cruel World. Since Darren hasn't released it as a single, this is a live version, but Darren is often better live than produced, so no worries there!


Am and T...happy you-know-what day back!

My favorite show of all time - a review

A few days ago I mentioned that Kate (from The Suddenly Kate Show and my online BFF), and I were discussing TV shows and she reminded me about a review I've been meaning to do for a long time...so here we go!

First, I should give you a bit of background about my viewing habits - I don't typically watch shows while they are on, except for a very few notable exceptions, but instead wait until they come out on DVD and then watch the entire season or series all in one marathon running. Not only does this help me to satiate my very large and extremely voracious appetite for British television, but it also solves my major dislike of cliffhangers (or at least the episode to episode ones for the shows that are still currently airing).

But, like I said, there are notable exceptions...shows that are so important, I can actually "tolerate" the cliffhangers because I can barely wait the week out to see them. Once Upon A Time is my only exception at the moment (and trust me, it's not from a lack of trying...they just don't make TV like they used to!). What little American television I do watch, I typically just let them build up in my cue for several episodes before watching...True Blood, Haven, Warehouse 13, South Park, and Drop Dead Diva (when each is in season) are my current American shows (and probably the largest the list has ever been). And then there are the shows that I wait for the DVD's to come out: Supernatural, House, and The Vampire Diaries. But, throughout the years, there have been others on my "exceptions" list: ER and Kids In The Hall, just for a start, and the show I'm about to review, my favorite show of all time...Wings! One I never missed from week to week, for pretty much it's entire run.

Yes, you read that correctly, of all the British shows and the very few American shows I'm about to watch, am currently watching, or have already watched, the little spin-off from Cheers (which was a show I couldn't stand, BTW) has my undying loyalty! The only show that even today if I'm flipping through channels and it's on, I'll watch it everytime (and yes, it does still air). It's completely timeless, the humor and relationships being as funny and fresh now as it was then (even if the clothes and hair are a bit dated).

For those of you that don't know (or can't remember), Wings was a half-hour show that ran from the start of the 90's to almost the end of them (there were eight seasons in total). It stared Tim Daly (currently on Private Practice and still as gorgeous as ever), Steven Weber (who has done about as much Broadway as television and that list is pretty long), and Crystal Bernard (who hasn't been able to find success outside the show (which is a real shame because I absolutely loved her!) - unless you count the Single Santa Seeking Mrs. Claus series on the Hallmark channel). But even the supporting cast was a pretty strong who's-who list: Thomas Haden Church (Sandman from Spiderman, just for a start), Tony Shaloub (Monk anyone?), and Amy Yasbeck (who most people either know as Maid Marian from Robin Hood: Men In Tights, or the wife of the late John Ritter-who also played her run-away husband on Wings).

In a nutshell, Wings was the story of two brothers, Joe (Daly) and Brian (Weber) Hackett, who ran an airline on the tiny island of Nantucket along with their childhood friend Helen (Bernard), their ditzy mechanic Lowell (Haden-Church), and their retired airline stewardness now counter person Fay (played by Rebecca Schull). Throw in the down on his luck cabbie, Antonio (Shaloub), the Hackett brothers' business rival, Roy Biggins (played by David Schramm), Helen's annoyingly seemingly perfect sister Casey (Yasbeck), and a various cast of supporting characters, and it was definitely addictive television!

There were guest stars galore, like Tyne Daly (Tim's sister and one half of Cagney and Lacey) as Mimzy, the super-rich sugar momma who almost captured Brian, I've already mentioned John Ritter, who played Casey's husband, Laura Inness (Dr. Kerry Weaver on ER) as Bunny, Lowell's forever cheating wife, Craig Berko - who played an actor that Joe and Brian hired to horribly woo Helen to teach her a lesson, Abraham Benrubi (another ER vet) who was Roy's gay son (one of the first times I remember seeing a gay recurring character on television), David Ogden Stiers (MASH, and Dr. Jumba from Lilo and Stitch) as a horribly hateful conductor that isn't too impressed with Helen's cello playing, Debbie Reynolds (no CV needed) as Helen and Casey's mother, and who could ever forget William Hickey as the eternally annoying Carlton Blanchard and his equally annoying nephew Lewis (of course which could be none other than Gilbert Gotfried-Iago himself!).

Like (sorry Miriam Margolyes) any of you are surprised, the romance aspect of the show takes precedence and Joe and Helen are my favorite TV couple ever (as well as the definite best on-screen proposal ever)! Joe Hackett is my model for the perfect guy, and I still call my "Mr. Perfect" Joe (and he's about as fictional as Joe as well...yet another thing they have in common - but I'm always on the lookout for my "Joe"). So, for my review clips, the best example of pretty much the entire series in a nutshell (at least up to series 6), and better than any review I could ever give anyway, is the episode called "The Love Life and Times of Joe and Helen".

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Series 7 and 8 deals with life as married Joe and Helen Hackett and, just to give you a clue, it's definitely not the end of the show just because Joe and Helen get married...they come back from their honeymoon to find that Brian and Casey accidentally burned down Helen's house while having sex and that's only the beginning! They try to make "couple friends" (with the wife being played by Tim Daly's real-life wife at the time, Amy Van Nostrand), buy a new house and become "beach people", deal with the return of Davis as well as Casey's missing husband, and lots of other highjinxs!

Wings is also one of the few shows that had a proper ending, and that I won't give away, but it definitely doesn't leave things unfinished and the finale ends where the series began...and that's all I'm gonna say about that!

Joe and Helen, Brian, Lowell, Antonio, Fay and even Roy are as much a part of me and my history as Disney are, and that's saying a lot! No show to this day consistently kept me entertained from start to finish every single viewing, made me laugh, made me cry, but most of all, made me forget about the crappy day-to-day...and isn't that the purpose of a good show in the first place?

If you've never seen it or maybe even haven't seen it in years, then give it a go! You can now buy the entire series boxed from Amazon HERE, or you can get them individually (and yes, geeky me bought them as they were being released...but up until that point I had every episode recorded on VHS, commercials edited out, of course).

Just as an added bonus, for anyone who is fans of Tim Daly, he and his son did a series of webisodes called The Daly Show, and they are definitely worth a look-see (especially the last two episodes with Steven Weber...a mini Wings reunion of sorts!).

And that's it! My Wing's review/tribute...my favorite show of all time!

Stitching and gaming

I've turned back into a stitching maniac!!


And to top it off, I finished a quickie project that has taken me most of the year so far! This is my fourth of these...I have a ton more in stash and I usually do one after every major project, and this one started out the same, but I was so excited to start my little Highland girl, I couldn't wait. And despite their appearance, these little buggers take forever!


On another front, I have been craving to finish Epic Mickey, but it's been so long since I've played, I'm gonna have to start the game all over again. OCD and gaming are a scary combination and I'm the poster child! That is why I don't game that much, because I have serious complications...lack of sleep, lack of food, and lack of general hygiene...I just play solid through until I HAVE to stop.

For those that don't know what Epic Mickey is, here is the opening sequence:


The upcoming release of Epic Mickey 2 is what has got me in a gaming tizz. Then again, I absolutely HAD to have Disney Universe the second it came out, and the bloody thing is still in the wrapping! But in my defense, I know that the PS3 and XBox versions of the game have downloadable skins and the Wii doesn't. I have a Wii (thanks Am!) because it was the only format for Epic Mickey (then again, I also have a Nintendo 64 still connected, so what does that say about me? I'm more of a cute game gamer than a graphics gamer...give me Mario any day). Epic Mickey 2, however, will be for all formats...which brings my obsession with game playing back in the forefront again because I WILL have to have it the second it comes out and it brings up the question whether I wanna get it for Wii or another format.

Here's the new trailer for EM2:


I've always wanted a PS2 so that I could play the Kingdom Hearts series (are you noticing a Disney pattern here?), but if I get a PS3, it will play Blu-Rays (but not the old PS2 games). Then again, I could get an XBox (which also has the Disneyland Adventure game) and just buy a separate Blu-Ray player. I've been putting off the Blu-Ray change-over simply because I have just finished replacing all my VHS Disney movies with DVD's...I sure as heck don't wanna start replacing again...by the time I finished for the second time, there will be another format and I'll have to start again...it's a never ending cycle aimed at robbing me blind and I keep getting suckered in. I have made a deal with myself though that I'm not buying any new game system until I finish Epic Mickey...so of course I have to finish it immediately because I can't wait to get a new system! Yep, I'm compulsive shopper...shock.

Here is the Disney Universe trailer (or one of them, there are several):


And here is the Disneyland Adventures trailer (I can't help but think it's a matter of time before we get a Disney World one):


I also always buy the game guide to go with the game, just to make sure that I play to the fullest and don't miss anything, but I got told by someone recently that game guides are cheating. Granted, this person runs through a game just to finish it, which I think is just wasteful game playing...what's the use of playing a game unless you can experience all the cool details? It's like going to an art museum just to use the bathroom! Or maybe I'm looking at it wrong.

So my question to you is this...if you are a gamer, what do you think of game guides? Cheating or invaluable directionsl tool?

Darren's got a new vid!!

This one creeped up on me! Usually I'm pretty good at keeping up with D! I loved this song on the album, but the video really brings it home! It's haunting, tortured, and a bit freaky as well (especially if you don't like clowns)!! But at the same time, it's completely different from Said It All by Take That, in that instead of just sad, it's beautifully painful (only Darren can make pain beautiful!).

I've talked about how important Duran and Take That is, but Darren is a different species altogether! I swear sometimes he has this cosmic link to my soul because every single song seemingly is about my life!! I've already discussed this before and his effects on me here, and I think it just gets stronger with age!

But without further ado, bask in the glory that is Darren Hayes!

"H" - A to Z Challenge - Walt Disney World

I'm gonna have to take this one slow...the head is acting up today. Stupid tumor!  So please be patient with me if there are any major typographical errors or run on sentences. I'll stay away from the pain meds as long as possible and hope the headache pills kick in...but I may have to eventually hit the hard stuff and then there is no telling WHAT I will be typing!

So, on to "H" - another letter than is almost as important as "D"..."why?", you ask?

The Haunted Mansion - My sister's favorite ride, my favorite ride, the first place we go to when we get to the Magic Kingdom, and home to some of the best Disney memories I have! It has sites dedicated to it's various incarnations (it's one of the few rides that each Disney park has their own variation on the theme instead of copies of the same thing over and over), it's a Marc Davis classic and, even though some of the effects are very cheesy, it doesn't matter! It's the Haunted Mansion!

During the day it's just as creepy!:

At night the 999 ghosts come out to play, waiting for their thousandth member:

During Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party:

I mentioned Marc Davis's influence (which I do allot because he had such a massive influence of me), but the Haunted Mansion is filled with Disney legends, none more so than the voice work. Madame Leota (the woman in the crystal ball), may sound familiar because she is voiced by Eleanor Audley (aka Maleficent and Lady Tremaine), the ghost host is Paul Frees (Ludwig Von Drake to those of us who worship the Duck and all his relatives), and one of the main singers is Thurl Ravenscroft, whose voice is just associated with Disney things (it's everywhere if you listen - Pirates, Country Bears, Tiki Birds, etc, etc, oh, and the was also the voice of Tony The Tiger - you remember, Frosted Flakes? They're GRRREEAATTT!).

I've mentioned this briefly before, but since I have a headache, and it tends to make my Asperger's come out more and I can't control my mouth, I've got a beef to get out. Parents, before you start filling your kids head with crap that they could repeat to someone else and make them look incredibly stupid...know what you're talking about! Case in point, a couple of years ago, Am and I dumbfoundedly listened to a mother tell her two children in the Haunted Mansion queue all about how the Ghost Host (aka Paul Frees) was Orson Wells and a bunch of other stuff that made her sound like she'd been dropping acid! She went on forever! Had she not been walking out of the ride and us in, she probably would have heard our rant! At least the people around us who heard her, also heard us, so they won't go repeating the stupidity! But now her kids will go off and tell someone else and either look stupid, or spread the stupidity even further! And who knows, maybe the mother got told it by someone else and accepted it as fact. Whatever the reason, if you don't know, don't repeat it (and for that matter, if you hear something that sounds fishy, it probably is)!!

The history to the mansion is utterly fascinating, and for those interested, I highly recommend Jason Surrell's book, The Haunted Mansion:  From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies. It's not just about the movie (which, depending on who you ask, couldn't scarcely be called a "movie", but I see it as not an interpretation of the Mansion, but a thing onto itself, so I actually kind of like it...if I thought of it as a dedication to the ride, I would be pissed!), but it's more about the ride and all it's various incarnations and it's history.

Finding decent video of it is damned near impossible, but I did find an OK one. Plus, it gives a good example of how other people's lack of consideration can ruin the ride for you (as evidenced by the loud talking and just general rudeness I saw throughout this whole thing). And just to get it out there..."NO FLASH PICTURES PLEASE"...is important! For those of us with light sensitivity, it hurts, and it's just friggin distracting (this is more prevalent on Pirates, but we'll discuss that when we get to "P"). You can get good pictures of the inside without flash, they just need to be tweaked when you get home (even with a point and shoot camera - which is all I use - preferably Sony in case you were wondering, but I'm a Sony freak, so it's not surprising).

Case in point - the Bride's attic:

And here is the video:


Moving on to Hidden Mickeys - What are they? Where do they come from? Are they done on purpose? Once you get Disney fever, do you see them everywhere? Answers? They are Mickey's head hidden in strategic locations pretty much everywhere brought to you by none other than Disney Magic to involve you in things and cause you to look deeply at areas you probably wouldn't notice before. They not only have their own websites, but they also have books written about them as well!

The Floor in the lobby at the Polynesian:

Wishes fireworks:

A chair cushion in the lobby of the Boardwalk Hotel:

The shrimp tanks on the Living With The Land ride

Dessert at La Hacienda de San Angel in the Mexican Pavilion in Epcot - with a Sorcerer's hat theme:

The dive tanks at The Seas With Nemo and Friends (mine, mine, mine) at Epcot:

And finally...do you see them everywhere? Yes:

The sky above Disney's Hollywood Studios:

Zachary's back:

Okra from a buffet meal at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi:

You also have Holidays Around The World - during Christmastime in the country pavilions in Epcot, they have their version of "Father Christmas" telling his or her story, and how he/she came to life in their country. I'm not a Christmas person, but this was pretty cool and I can say I've seen it once. I'm not going to go into a discussion about it because this has run on long enough and my head is killing me (Stadol, here I come!).

Hope you enjoyed "H"!

"F" - A to Z Challenge - Walt Disney World

"F" was incredibly hard, but not because it was hard to come up with ideas, but because the "F" category is one of the strongest for me!  I'm gonna try to limit the pictures this time, but it will be hard!

Festival Of The Lion King - What can I say about this live show in Animal Kingdom...it's beautiful, amazing, and it brings me to tears every.single.time.  There are really no words to describe it so, you know what that means...VIDEO!  I'm only putting a link up for the ending, so I don't ruin it for anyone who hasn't been and seen the entire show, but the finale is also a pretty good "mix" clip as well!



Then we have Fantasmic!, the water, fire, laser light, dancing, singing extravaganza that also brings me to tears! It is technically a social-phobe's biggest nightmare due to the fact that every single person in the park stands in a huge line (not a queue unfortunately), waits forever to sit in this huge amphitheater, and then once the show is over, you get cattle-hearded back out again! The show is a bit dated because there is a long Pocahontas segment in the middle, but the finale is once again one of those things that makes you forget the little problems!

Next up - the Food And Wine Festival - it happens ever October-November and it's the coolest ever (and no I don't just mean the pins!). There are stands from usually about 20 or so countries with samples of food and wine from each of those countries! Best thing is the Canada booth lets you get the cheddar soup, pretzel bread, and ice wine that you can get in Le Cellier without having the impossible to get Le Cellier reservation! I'm not an adventurous eater, but I have tried some amazing foods I wouldn't have otherwise tried (and some really nasty stuff as well)! But the coolest thing is you can buy a gift card that's on a wrist band and all you have to do is scan your "money bracelet" as I like to call it, and you're all set to experience another country! But I can't forget about the Beers Around The World stand, where you can get a "passport" and they stamp it everytime you drink a specific beer - the goal being to drink one of every beer and fill up your passport (I've never done it because I don't like beer other than Guinness, but Am loves trying different beers and has found some personal favorites!).

Then there is Flame Tree BBQ. Now, I'm from the south, and not just any part of the south, but about 45 minutes from Memphis...so I KNOW BBQ! There is no place in the WORLD that has BBQ like we do! So, when we travel, BBQ is not something we order because I know it's gonna be nasty (those HORRIBLE Coca-Cola ribs at Sci-Fi Cafe come to mind, I'm gagging just thinking about them). But Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom does a pretty good job of simulating good BBQ (at least for Florida standards)! They have amazing onion rings too!

And that's it for the "F"'s! I should also add Frontierland Trading Post, which is my favorite pin store in the Magic Kingdom, but what can you say about a pin store other than, PINS!!!

Bon Voyage "F"!

Wa Wa Wah....but a review instead

Well, I got too excited too quick...I forgot one major necessity in October planning...the release dates for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! I kind of need those so I know which parties we are going to and then everything kind of goes around the parties! That's what I get for skipping a year, my internal Disney planning guide is off!

So instead, and since now MNSSHP is on my mind...how about a review of the absolute best party Disney puts on - Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

MNSSHP is a private ticketed event (thank god...the park would be packed otherwise) that takes place in the Magic Kingdom on selected nights in Sept and Oct (and now even the first couple of days in November!). Basically, the park transforms into a "spooktacular" (I love that word!) place where a lot of characters are out for pictures (one of the few times all seven dwarfs are out together), some even wearing their Halloween costumes. There is trick-or-treating and a lot of guests dress up as well (but like hell we ever would - I stopped doing that at 10...long story for another blog), the absolute best parade and fireworks shows that Disney does, a Villains stage show (it's Halloween-loween everybody!), Stitch has his own dance party, special creepy lighting and music, the rides are all operating, the stores are all open (let the pin frenzy begin) and have special party only merchandise...in a word...awesome!!! There is even an Event Party CD you can buy that has Mickey's Boo To You Parade music, the Villains Dance Mix and Mingle, and, of course, Hallowishes, the fireworks show. I play that all the time!!

I have also been to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and it was wonderful, but, we're not "Christmas" people. I can say I've been and seen it, but there is no need for me to do it again other than for my Mother's sake because she loves Christmas (another reason I question my lineage). But without further ado:

Main Street USA becomes forboding:
2010

2005

The Haunted Mansion gets spookier:
2010

2009

The Hitchhiking Ghosts join in on the fun:
2010

Maleficent takes charge of Cinderella Castle:
2010

And your local "Ghost Host" blows everything out of the sky!:
2010

2007

2005

Those are just a few highlights throughout the years. This upcoming trip will make our 11th and 12th MNSSHP parties (or at least mine...I had one Oct trip up on Am although she's got a Flower and Garden festival up on me) and they will be no less magical and I'm as excited about them as I was the first one!! Seeing the Headless Horseman ride out to start the parade, listening to Madame Carlotta's ghost interacting with visitors outside of the Haunted Mansion (not to be confused with Madame Leota who is inside the mansion), running from store to store trying to get the framed pin set and Am (as per usual) saving the day and keeping me from going postal because she ALWAYS finds them, Am and I singing Halloween-loween everybody out loud, praying that Am doesn't corner another guest (again) and ask for a picture with them (again) because their costume is cool, and best of all...taco salads at Pecos Bills! (ok, one of these things are not like the other ones but explanation coming up!).

So, there you go...Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! If you're ever at Disney World in Sept-Oct, you definitely can't miss this event!

Here's a video of the Villains Dance Mix and Mingle...everyone should have this song stuck in their head! Besides, Maleficent rapping...come on! And I'm not a Cruella DeVille fan, but that chick can boogie!! You gotta love it!! I picked a clip from a couple of years ago simply because they changed the show last year and since I haven't seen it in person yet, I can't review on it.

Duran Duran Part 2 - New birth for them

You're probably gonna have to forgive my spelling/grammar in these last two posts...it's already past my bedtime and I'm typing like mad because I get that way when I get obsessed about something and I really need to get these blogs out. I almost feel like a traitor being a die-hard Duranie and yet, in all the time I've been blogging, I've barely mentioned them. The Behind The Music Remastered episode just reminded me that if I'm going to be true to myself in my blog, I can't really do that by leaving out Duran Duran because they make up such a large part of me and who I am and how I got the way I am!

Now, on with the show. After Liberty, came what is commonly referred to as "The Wedding Album" because of the wedding pictures of their parents on the cover, but the official title was Duran Duran (the same as their first album, which technically was also their third album since their first album was re-released after their second Rio and the song Is There Something I Should Know was added, but I digress!). Most of you young-un's probably know Duran Duran from this period with Ordinary World and Come Undone, neither of which I care much for (shock). My favorite song from that album was actually a song called None Of The Above. Since it was never officially released, the best I can do is just a song, but it's the lyrical message of the song that's important anyway, so it works. During this time of my life, I was just coming out of my shell and I had just met my now ex-husband. My life had done a complete 360 (and, as I would discover, not in a good way!):



Next up came the Thank You album, an album full of cover songs, and Duran got hell for this one! Sure, some of the covers are amazing (White Lines live is still one of my top five ever and it's hilarious to see a bunch of well over 30 females jumping up and down like little girls!), but come on, 911 Is A Joke? Seriously Simon?



I'm also including the video for A Perfect Day for one very important reason...notice who is drumming? Roger slowly starts making an appearance back in the band. Talk about screaming at the tele the first time I saw this video!



But the overall mood of Thank You felt funny to the true Duranie for a reason...John was about to leave and we could feel it. He had been doing some solo stuff (and John, I love you with all my heart, but son, you can't sing (even if I do own all your solos)) and even did a superground kind of thing with Steve Jones, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum (yea, picture if you will, Duran, the Sex Pistols, and Guns And Roses members in the same band), called Neurotic Outsiders (even had a semi-hit with Jerk). They had started their next album, but in the middle of recording it...John left for good and Duranie hearts everywhere broke. Even though I'm a Simonite...John leaving hurt almost as much as if it was Simon. Medazzaland had to be re-recorded because the tracks John worked on couldn't be used, but the final piece didn't turn out as bad as we were all expecting. There are a couple of hidden gems on that album as well even if publicly it also flopped. My personal favorite is Out Of My Mind. It was dark and creepy and closer to the Arcadia sound and it was the first really good video Duran had turned out in years! Pure theatrics! What a Duran video should be!



After this point, Greatest was re-released as a 10th Anniversary thing, but, for the first time, Duran Duran found themselves without a record contract and Duranies found themselves in the very real prospect of being without their band! Also during this point my life was 360ing again...I got divorced and got cervical cancer! My first panic attacks started because my ex was stalking me...happy days! But luckily Duran got picked up pretty quickly by Hollywood Records (which coincidentally is owned by Disney...how cool was that! Duran and Disney were now one!). Unluckily, however, the result of that pick up was, in my opinion, the worst album Duran ever did Pop Trash. Simon had always wrote the lyrics, but this album they gave way too much creative control to Warren and it changed the entire dynamic of the band...it wasn't Duran anymore. It was awful. I was heartbroken and I thought I'd lost them forever. Hollywood Records dropped them almost immediately.

But then something amazing happened...Warren got fired, John came back first, then Roger, then Andy and then, viola! Duran Duran were the original Fab Five again! I got a hysterectomy so no more of that problem and things were starting to settle down...and there is no way to sugar coat this...IT WAS FUCKING AMAZING!! I had seen Duran play live numerous times, but this was the first time I had seen all five on stage together (I was too young to go to concerts before) and I bawled like a baby and laughed and sang and screamed and cried some more! My life was complete! I could have died happy at that point! And low and behold, record companies were knocking down their down and we got a new album as well and entire thing was FUCKING AMAZING!! My favorite track being What Happens Tomorrow simply because it fits me.



Oh, and not the best pic...but I took this...I was at this show!

Once again Duran was hot again! They started a new album, but once again, Andy got itchy feet and off he went again, so the album had to be scrapped, partly because of Andy leaving and partly because the record company thought they needed a "modern" sound. In stepped Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Now, most die-hard Duranies hate the Red Carpet Massacre album, but I'm not one of them. There are a lot of good tracks on it and Duran are known for every album being different and constantly changing their sound...unfortunately, this was just too big of a jump for us now late 30, early 40 Duranies. I personally hear a lot of classic undertones in these tracks...the strongest being The Valley:



Now we are up to the present time. Duran met Mark Ronson who convinced them that Red Carpet Massacre made the true Duranies feel like we'd been abandoned and they needed to do a true "Duran" album...so we have All You Need Is Now. On the time scale, this album has been reported to be a followup to Rio and that's what it sounds like. Honestly, it's good, but not my favorite. I like the fact that Duran changes and grows and this album isn't growth but a celebration of the past (which might explain my lack of pedestal noticing I mentioned in the last blog). The only song that really speaks to me is Before The Rain (not to be confused with After The Rain from the Rio Album), but since there is not an official video or a good concert clip, there is a winning fan video:



OK, I have got to go to bed, but that's it, my history with Duran Duran. I hope I did them justice to any fellow Duranies and gave you a bit of insight into some of their non-popular tunes that, in my opinion, are much better than the singles that everyone knows!

Simon LeBon will always be my first love no matter what happens (or how many dreams I have about Mark Owen or Howard Donald!).

Duran Duran forever!

Duran Duran part 1 - My real birth into the world

I must be feeling bloggy tonight! But in the process of clearing my DVR (to make more room to save every episode of Once Upon A Time), one show that I've been meaning to put in my Duran Duran file is the Behind The Music Remastered. I have a huge file on my computer of Duran Duran that I've been adding to since my very first computer, so, as you can imagine, it's a pretty big file!

Now, I know I've said a million times that Take That are my favorite band and Darren Hayes is my favorite singer, but what I don't say very much is that Duran Duran is my heart. Simon LeBon was my first "real love" (or as real as idolized love can get) and Duran Duran were my childhood, my teenage years, my youth, and my adulthood. They are still so high on a pedestal for me and can never be knocked off (even though upon occasion I may not notice the pedestal for a while).

But watching the Remastered show and seeing the "public" view of Duran Duran's popularity, it reminds me of how my view of Duran Duran was so very different. When you think of Duran, depending on your age, you probably think of Hungry Like The Wolf (my least favorite song of theirs BTW) or The Reflex or Rio or A View To A Kill. Or, if you are a bit younger, you think of Ordinary World or Come Undone.

For me, my first view of Duran was early fall 1981 when MTV started. Back in those days, living in bum-fudge Arkansas, MTV was like nothing anyone had ever seen before, and for someone like me, who felt completely out of her element and didn't fit in at all, I now had access to music that appealed to me and I didn't feel so out of place anymore because I now had something of my own! It was amazing and beautiful and life-altering and I watched it as much as I was allowed!! Now, for those of us who are old enough to remember the video for Duran's Planet Earth, there are no words to describe what that was like for an 11 year-old girl in Arkansas in 1981! It was still borderline late 70's here, rock was still the prevalent genre or country or hippie folk (and Cartman and I share common views on hippies, and BTW, 70's rock and country are still the prevalent genres here, in 1988 they wanted our prom song to be Free Bird...seriously...I didn't go to prom that year), but music, in general, although I did listen to it, didn't even get close to affecting my soul (which is what good music, or at least music that is good for you, should do). Sure, even now I still have my Shaun Cassidy records and I even remember my very first cassette was Working Class Dog by Rick Springfield earlier in '81, but it was just something you listened to, and I hate to keep using the word, but not something that "affected" you, at least not until Duran changed me.

Duran, at the time, were part of what was called, "The New Romantic" movement, along with Spandau Ballet and several other bands. Looking back at it now, it was all very Darcy-esque, men in ruffled shirts and cravats and leather trousers and yes, there was makeup involved, but it just enhanced the whole effect! The point was, it was theatrical and beautiful and they were beautiful, but best of all, they were British! The Anglophilia had begun! Now, I bet you think I'm gonna post the video for Planet Earth, but like I stated earlier, this is about my view of Duran and although Planet Earth might have been my first glimpse and started the ball rolling, it's not my favorite earliest video of them, that award goes to Careless Memories and it's still my absolute favorite of theirs to hear live, but I'm gonna post the official video for it just to show what I saw in 1981.


Yeah, I know, now it's a bit corny (OK, so a lot corny, but I still love it and it still makes my heart flutter!

As their popularity grew and the record company got their claws in and realized Duran had sex appeal, they decided to "upgrade" their looks to appeal (there is that word again) to more of a mass audience (i.e. us money-spending Americans). Nowhere is this more evident than my next vid post...Lonely In Your Nightmare (which just happens to be my favorite song from the Rio album, not all the popular ones you might know...for the record, Last Chance On The Stairway is my second favorite). Half of this video is shot in the New Romantic look while the other half after the "make-overs" and if you thought I was in love with them before...now they were official pin-up boys and hotter than hell (well, at least for 1982!).



After the success of the Rio album, came their third, Seven and the Ragged Tiger, which was the height of their 80's popularity. Now, record-wise, SATRT is probably my least favorite because it's WAY overproduced, but, the videos at that point were top of the line. Duran Duran were THE video band. At this point in my life, I would use my lunch money to buy Smash Hits and Tiger Beat magazines like crazy. I had a Duran Duran scrapbook (which I still have to this day as well as all my other memorabilia) and I couldn't get enough of the world that was Duran. I used to write to a record store in NYC and send them checks and they would send me 12" versions of Duran singles because our local record store couldn't get them. It was 83-85, my Asperger's and OCD were coming into full swing at this point (but, of course, no one knew or understood either, I was just a bit "crazy"), so you can only imagine my state of mind at this point. But of all the videos to come out of S&TRT, only one was my favorite, and that was New Moon On Monday...it's the reason why I took French in high school (and college). There are more versions of this video than there are Kardasians! But my favorite is the movie version just because you get to see Simon act (although he totally sucks at it, which is funny since he was a drama student before the band). Considering the fact that it's over 15 minutes, the only way I could find it on YouTube was in two parts, so here you go:

Part 1:


Part 2:


After SATRT came Arena, the live album, which also had Wild Boys on it and I remember the first time I heard Wild Boys on the radio I cried because "it wasn't Duran Duran", at least not the Duran I knew and loved, but it eventually grew on me. Then came A View To A Kill and at that point, still no real fourth album, but Duran Duran were on top of the world. John and Andy decided to do a side project, one you may remember called The Power Station, with the now deceased Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer. Not to be outdone, Simon and Nick also decided to do the same and dragged Roger along, although I'm not sure Roger cared too much for it, but their project was called Arcadia. Now, in Simon LeBon looks history...his Arcadia days are my absolute favorite! This will always be "my" Simon. Sure, Arcadia didn't have one-tenth the success of The Power Station, but the music was much more Duranish (or at least the way I thought Duran should be).


And yes, that is Sting singing background.

I'm also posting another Arcadia video just because it's frickin amazing and I've always loved it!


After this phase, Duran Duran got back together, minus Roger and Andy and came out with the Notorious album. It was funkier (in part because it was produced by Nile Rodgers) and quite the departure for the Duran Duran fan of the day...most jumped ship at that point. Fun fact, the video for Notorious launched the career of Christy Turlington (and it was choreographed by a young Paula Abdul fyi). Notorious wasn't my favorite album either, but I didn't jump ship simply because my three favorites were left and damn they looked hot (even if John's drug use is starting to become apparent at this point)! Now, I didn't pick a produced video for this bunch because I didn't like them from this gen and the only song from this album that really "spoke" to me was Vertigo. Besides, the Working For The Skin Trade tour is one of my favorite Duran concerts to this day, so this clip is appropriate:



After Notorious came Big Thing. Wow, what a change Big Thing was! John was practically emaciated from the drug use at this point, Simon was going through a weird biker phase and his ugliest look ever, but the music was good even if the record was warmly received. I've learned over the years to appreciate Big Thing more and more, but the only video worth showing is Do You Believe In Shame. Back in the day, I hated this song, but I understand it now, so it's changed for me:



Next up came their first Greatest Hits album called appropriately Greatest. Nortorious and Big Thing didn't do well, but they weren't flops. Liberty, in a word, flopped. The funny thing about this is, Liberty is probably my most favorite Duran album and I think the "true" Duranies know that Liberty had some true pure Duran gems on it (even if it was just too under-produced, a side effect of SATRT being over-produced perhaps). It was also the album that officially replaced Andy with Warren Cuccurullo (who, even though he was a member of Duran longer than Andy, I NEVER accepted...he didn't belong) and Roger with Sterling Campbell, who only lasted through the Liberty album. Decade did turn out one new song (well, two if you count the B-side), but in all actuality, it wasn't a new song at all, but an amalgam of Duran songs melded into one called Burning The Ground. See if you can hear the individual songs in the mix (like the video clips aren't clues, but still)!

Sorry I have to give you the commercialized VEVO version, but it was the only one I could find:


Now, back to Liberty. There is one song in particular on Liberty called Serious. It my "my" song. It is the song, if you hear me playing it over and over and over again, step away from me, I'm not in a good place. It's my healing drug, my medicine, my salvation. I've never grown sick of it and I never will (and trust me, when I've been in a bad way, I have played it for days, over and over and over again, on constant repeat...drives my co-workers insane). Serious is, in my opinion, the best Duran Duran song ever. Period. End of story. It's also my absolute favorite video of all Duran time. It may be simple and cheesy, but it's Simon at his finest and it's him and John just having fun! I can also even ignore Warren successfully! It's also their biggest flop. Go figure. But here is the masterpiece that is my salvation:



Liberty was during my college years, not a good time for me personally (which is probably why Serious speaks to me so deeply). I'm gonna stop this post here and go to part 2 simply because at this point in Duran history, things changed for them, and me, forever.

October WDW schedule is almost out!

I've been a cave lately and completely missed the fact that the October Walt Disney World Park schedule is about to be published! You know what that means...it's time to officially plan days! That gives me the best way to pick restaurants which is definitely the most fun (and most frustrating) of the whole process!

For those of you unfamiliar with WDW, you're probably thinking what's this crazy OCD chick talking about? The plan is to get the most "bang" out of each day and the only way to do that is to know what the schedule is. For example...On Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party days, the Magic Kingdom closes at 7 to non-party guests. We are doing two parties, but there will be more parties happening, so I don't wanna schedule a day in the Magic Kingdom only to be kicked out at 7 since MNSSHP is a private ticketed event! The scheduling process is one of the most delicate dances of the whole trip process!

On top of all that, one of the many perks to staying on Disney property is Extra Magic Hours (and I've had the on-property/off-property debate, so we know where I stand on that issue!), and Extra Magic Hours also have to be factored into the schedule to help maximize the day. But just because it might be Extra Magic Hours in Animal Kingdom, that means that the park still closes at 8 pm if its an evening EMH, meaning there is plenty of time to go Downtown shopping or what not. Or, for example, a normal Animal Kingdom closing night is 5, but a night EMH elsewhere, means another park is open till 11 pm or midnight (the joys of a Park Hopper Pass!!). Unfortunately, we've never made an a.m. EMH, but I have done a park opening ceremony and what an amazing experience that is! It will bring tears to even the hardest of people when at the Magic Kingdom the train pulls up and all the characters arrive (even me!). I can't even imagine what it's like for the random family that gets picked to open the park (and a bit of trivia, it's the only time of the day that the Walt Disney World Railroad train is perfectly centered at the Main Street Station and is the perfect photo op for at least the first 30 minutes of the opening of the park!). The other park openings are not quite as magical, but they have their own appeal just the same.

Other things to consider is the fact that fireworks can be at different times, some nights there can be two firework shows, crowd calendars have to be consulted (because god forbid I want to be in Epcot on a crowded day...the line for Soarin' is already long enough!), several schedules have to be made in case dinner reservations can't work out, it's not as easy as people think it is. Plus, I have to monitor the DisBoards to see which major tour groups are going to be there the same time as us and try to track their movements as well, so that we can stay well away! This is still my reasoning for why most people that go and have a terrible time is because they don't plan. You wouldn't go to Europe without planning! I've said it before and I'll say it again...Disney World is NOT Six Flags!

I usually come up with about 6 to 10 options and then at the 120 day mark when I can make dinner reservations, which ever plan works out best is the one that gets to live! Then, there is a rare occasion when the schedule has to be changed again, and you talk about a nightmare! But, that's why I only go to Disney World once a year (OK, not the only reason, the main reason is down to money), but it takes a whole year to plan a trip!

If someone where to call me and say, "you've won a trip to Disney World but you have to leave tomorrow", believe it or not, I'd probably say no! My nerves couldn't take it! I would have no restaurant ressies (and the food IS part of the experience and you're not going to get them last minute unless you're incredibly lucky, which I'm not). Then there is the weight issue, I've got 30lbs to loose and all my Disney vacation clothes are two sizes smaller than I am right now! Plus, you have to be of a certain physical strength to even manage walking around that place and, even when I am, I still end up in extreme pain by the end of the trip with swollen feet, blisters and it takes me a good month to get over it! I know nothing about the current guest climate (one needs to know these things...don't want a repeat of '99 and waking up to cheerleading squads every morning!). And probably the most important reason of all, I need tons of spending money! I have "I want" syndrome and my house is the showplace of that syndrome and I need new "stuff"!

So, in the coming weeks, I'll give you guys an inside look at what goes into planning a Disney trip, not just from the view of an Asper-girl with the added bonus of OCD, but in the way that makes for the best trip ever because I've had quite a few!!! My Disney mantra is this, if you have a bad time at Disney, it's your fault, not theirs!!

As a parting gift, I've found a clip on YouTube (god bless YouTube) of the opening ceremony, so you guys can get a a taste of what I mean, although it can't do the same justice as being there in person!

TUSAL time

I figure that since any growth in my ORT jar was a figment of my imagination...then what a more fitting location for this months pic than in the corner of my Figment collection!



I made the mistake this week of bragging about a good day and those words have poked me, prodded me, kicked me, and generally made my life a living hell the rest of the week! That's what I get! I would say I won't make that mistake again...but more than likely I probably will!

So, in honor of such a "marvelous" week...and the fact that I'm still having "missing my daddy" issues (yeah, I know Am and T, let it go already!)...here's a vid of my favorite band singing my favorite song in my favorite incarnation to perk me up. Markie has gotten me through many a bad night as well as Howie (in an entirely different way than Mark...sometimes not...sometimes they work together...I better shut up now, this is beginning to sound a bit risque, maybe I should have stopped at two glasses of Malbec! I am, of course, referring to their singing...or at least that's my public line of defense - no comments from the peanut gallery T-boo). I'm just kidding! I'm a kidder! (Who's mind is apparently in the gutter...product of my edu-ma-cation! I may or may not regret this post tomorrow! But without further ado:

Take That - Shine - Take That At Abbey Road Live


And for the Americans who have never heard of Take That...browse through YouTube and check out their catalog...this is how a boy band is SUPPOSED to mature and it's just a shame that this country is deprived of a great band, but hey, it means I don't have to share them!

Hey, while I'm at it, and the "daddy" issues are still plaguing me...how about a little Said It All as well! Yeah...Take That Daddy-O!!

New reviews - Eternal Law, Monday Monday

So, it's been a while since I've done any tele reviews and there have been two shows on my radar lately that have really left a mark with me...the first being Eternal Law.  The initial draw to the show was Tobias Menzies and Samuel West, both of whom played the young Mr. Elliot in my personal favorite Austen, Persuasion.  I've had a crush on Tobias forever, especially since his very short stint on Spooks, but this role for him was perfect because he is super hot as a bad guy!  The possibility of a heavy religious connotation did give me pause, but I've always been fascinated with angel lore, so I thought I'd risk it for Tobias' sake and I'm glad I did!

Tobias Menzies

Basically the premise of the show is angels are sent down from heaven to give humans one final chance and the angels must do their best to defend them, as lawyers!  Yeah, come on, how could you not love that premise!  But wait, it gets better!  Not all the lawyer-angels are good...and this is where Tobias comes in!  He's a fallen angel, black wings and all!  Tobias' character, Richard, tries everything he can to interfere with Samuel's character, Zak, and to try to start the countdown to armageddon...which has been threatened if one more angel falls out of favor (usually by falling in love with humans).  Zak already has a past with a human (Hannah) and he thought he was starting fresh with a new body in a new town, but Richard has other ideas when he brings Hannah directly into Zak's path once again.  On top of dealing with being on "probation", having to control himself around Hannah, who he desperately loves, Zak is also having to mentor a new earthbound angel, Tom, who was a choirboy in heaven and is having a hard time adjusting to the ways of our wicked world!  On top of all that, there is Mrs. Sheringham, who was once an angel, but gave up her wings for true love with a human, only to have him die on her 6 months later from a brain tumor (apropos considering my circumstances) and now she's stuck in human form and babysitting angels!

The show was cancelled after it's first series, but it doesn't end with too bad of a cliffhanger and the ending still made me quite happy to say the least!  One of the best scenes was Samuel and Tobias beating the crap out of each other in a church!  Loved it!  Definitely highly recommend!

Then, there's the show I can't stop watching!  Monday Monday!  I got a major crush on Tom Ellis by watching Miranda (who also has a bit part in this show, BTW), and as per my usual crushes, I start IMDBing him to find out every single show he was in which is how I found this gem!  It really does have an all-star cast which adds to it's appeal.

Tom Ellis

The premise of this show is an in trouble supermarket chain has to move their corporate offices to Leeds, which is a good thing for Sally, who's trying to escape the fact that she just caught her fiance in bed with her sister.  But almost immediately she makes the mistake of going home with a guy she meets in a bar when she is way too drunk, only to make an arse of herself by throwing up all over him before it goes to far.  She's grateful she never has to run into him again, or so she thinks, because her embarrassing one night stand turns out to be Steven (Tom), who is the new main bosses PA and sits in the desk right beside her!  Their chemistry is still undeniable however, even though they decide to be friends and at first Steven borders on total prattiness, especially when Sally discovers that he's been secretly having an affair with his boss the whole time!  But as the show goes on, and Sally and Steven become friends, their relationship changes along the way, despite the troubles at the company, Steven's relationship with Alyson, and the reappearance of Sally's bastard fiance.

Steven being a total prat (but I promise he turns into a total sweetheart!)


This is another show that didn't make it past the first series, but it ends beautifully, so another no complainer!

I really don't understand why these shows get cancelled!  I absolutely loved them both and I highly recommend them both!

Update and Sissy B-day

I haven't posted in a while and I've had a couple of questions about how I am, so I thought I'd give an update, but there's really nothing to update on. I've had a headache everyday for over a week (well, all but last Friday, my one reprieve which more than got made up for on Saturday). I've done absolutely no stitching. I've been working alot and sleeping not so much. I didn't want to bore ya'll with that info which is why I haven't been posting.

I have been doing a bit of spring cleaning and managed to clean out a ton of old clothes (including the last two pieces of my high school wardrobe), but it's going slow.

But, on a positive note (bet you thought that wasn't possible with me, but trust me, a pessimist I am not, just a realist), today is my Sister's B-day! So everyone wish her a happy B-day and here are my favorite two little guys to help:

Video: Ferg-id dedication

It seems like forever since I posted a video, and I know I'm boring when it comes to videos...it's either Take That or Darren Hayes, but I can't help it! But lately, because of stupid Ferg-id (and for those that don't know...Ferg-id is the name of my menginioma), it's been really hard for me to listen to music because it's just too much sensory overload. So, in light of tomorrow's (or I guess since it's almost 3 am, I should say today's visit to the neurosurgeon), here's a video dedication to little Ferg-id with my most heart-felt love! The lyrics to both fit pretty darn good!!

Darren should ALWAYS be heard live. Period.


And since another song is on my mind and I'm apparently going far back in time...let's add another one...a very young (and probably very stoned) Mark Owen (God, even stoned, he's totally hot!). I would do a Take That song, but theirs tend to be a bit too lovey dovey and Mark's solo stuff is far more in tune with me anyway lyrically (although I swear Darren Hayes sneaks into my head when I'm not looking because that man writes my life!):

Lodge walk thru video and other Disney sites

I can't believe I never noticed these before! All Ears net is definitely the best Disney fan site!

Here is the video for Wilderness Lodge:


I have to tell you, I have tears running down my face right now! I could smell the smells when the doors opened, feel the fire from the fireplace, feel the resin/other people's hand slime from Humphrey's nose, smell the weird chlorine/moldy smell coming from the bridge inside as well as the geyser outside, got itchy in my pockets through the gift shop, got growls in my stomach from the romp through Artist Point, and just got a general feeling of "I want to go home" (when you arrive at a Disney resort, the first thing they say to you is "welcome home").

As a point of note, the music that you hear on both this video and the one I posted for the Polynesian is the actual BGM (Background Music) from these resorts! Most people don't even notice the BGM in Disney, but it's everywhere! It makes the atmosphere and it's changes are what mark your progression from one area to another more than the scenery, people just don't realize it! For those that do go, next time you are in the Magic Kingdom and are walking under the area that transitions from Adventureland to Frontierland or from Adventureland to Liberty Square or even from Liberty Square to Frontierland, see if you can tell the difference in the music, these are the areas where it is most noticeable to me! Wow, off topic again.

All Ears doesn't have a video for the Contemporary. I tried looking on YouTube for a suitable substitution, but alas, none were available. Apparently, people have never heard of image stabilization!

In case you were wondering (probably not), there are several sites I visit when planning a Disney vacation and even daily just for Disney information and I thought I would share these with you.

In the planning sense, I've already told you about All Ears.net, but there is also the Official Disney World site, of course, and The Dis, which I mainly use for their message boards (I don't typically post much, but I do read, and usually get pissed off because people get on my nerves, but that's another story).

For news and general Disney updates, I check, almost everyday, sometimes several times a day, The Official Disney Blog, WDW Magic, Stitch Kingdom, Mouse Steps, and Orlando Theme Park News.

Oh, and I guess I should add, there are two main podcasts I listen to, WDW Today and WDW Radio Podcast, both of which are downloadable on iTunes.

When I just get back from a trip though, I suffer from Post-Disney depression and pretty much stay away from all these sites, but eventually, I find my way back on them. Last year, I rarely got on any of them, just enough to keep updated with the new renovations in Fantasyland (the Magic Kingdom is going through it's largest expansion since it's opening) and any other massive changes, but the day to day stuff I haven't been keeping up with and I've stayed away from the Dis almost entirely! It was really hard not going to Disney World last year and I think, no matter my situation, from now on, I'm not going to miss a year again. It affects me in a way that recharges my "life batteries" enough that I can make it through whatever for at least a year and since I skipped a year, I've been running on dead batteries (which might be my problem) - yes, Disney is THAT powerful (see next blog).

Resorts past - Disney's Polynesian Resort

You thought I'd shut up about WDW didn't you? Just been too busy lately! Plus, this is gonna be a hard blog to do because I still haven't made it up to fixing the 2010 pics yet, so these pics are all raw and it's harder to dig through them! But alas, I'm gonna give it a go!

The second resort review is Disney's Polynesian Resort. We stayed there on my last trip in 2010. It's another one of the three monorail resorts besides The Contemporary and The Indian Burial Ground Resort (ok, Am, I know, The Grand Floridian). But The Poly and The Contemporary have something else in common, they were the only two resorts open when Disney World opened on...anyone...anyone...Bueller...October 1, 1971.

Although it is a deluxe resort and has been upgraded numerous times, it still has that 1971 feel to it, if that makes sense. The rooms decorations may be new, but the room itself feels old...I guess that is what I'm trying to say. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful! The main Ceremonial House is fabulous! Again, like most all the other resorts on property, you have to walk from the building that room is located in to the main house where the restaurants, gift shops, lobby, concierge, etc, are located, and depending on where your building is, than can be a walk and it is out in the elements (another reason why I love the Lodge so much).

Front Desk Main Ceremonial House (feel the 70's?) (again, Am, you don't want your butt in my pics, don't walk so damned fast!):

Lobby at the Main Ceremonial House:

Our favorite Tiki's behind a register:

But, it is a monorail resort, so you have instant access to the monorail, but as an added bonus, you are within walking distance to the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center) where the resort monorail changes over to the Epcot monorail, so instead of riding the resort monorail and switching once you arrive at the TTC like you have to at the Contemporary, you can just walk directly there and hop on an Epcot monorail or, if your room is closer to the TTC than the Ceremonial House, hop on a Magic Kingdom Monorail (the resort monorail loops through the Magic Kingdom if you are closer to the main House). We were about centered between the two, so some days we walked and some days we rode. Good thing Am has an excellent sense of direction! I'd never found my way back and forth through all that foliage!!

Our room:

Beach (and Am's feet - I'm sure she had a reason to take this picture like this, but it turned out good, so I'm posting it!) - oh and a bit of Disney trivia...when Walt first started buying up land for Disney, the land he was buying was all swamp. They dug up a lot of the swamps and made lakes out of them, but at the bottom of the muck, they found sand! White, beautiful sand which now lines the beaches of the water-lined resorts (although, after all this time, I'm sure they ship sand in, but it's a nice story):

Walking daytime and Am butt shot:

Walking at night (yes, it was that dark - Am's pic...she's not comfortable with taking night shots):

I'll eventually be doing a restaurant review of Kona, which is in the Ceremonial House, but we have eaten there several times, and it was what prompted us to stay at the Poly in the first place. But this trip, the meal was sub-par, which was unusual, and it was enough that we won't be eating there this time (even the sticky wings were bad and Kona's sticky wings are heavenly!).

Oh, I guess I should add, for those that don't know, you don't have to be staying in a resort to eat at their restaurants...at Disney, you can eat anywhere you want so long as you have a reservation, and dining reservations at Disney are a must! But more on that at another time.

Oh, I found the best video of a walking tour of the Polynesian at the All Ears site! i ran across this quite by accident! I use the All Ears site probably more than any other Disney site, BTW, particularly the menus. I look at them and decide where we are gonna eat. I am definitely gonna check and see if they have vids for both the Contemporary and the Lodge!



So, that's it! Another review down! I think next time I'll do Port Orleans French Quarter since I seem to be going in a pattern here, which will be my first moderate resort review.