The Twenty-Year Reunion...
I have been informed that my 20-year High School reunion will be taking place on September 16th, 2006 at the Beverly Center Hard Rock Cafe. Cocktails (not a hosted bar) will be served at 7:00pm, with dinner to follow at 8:00pm. Cocktail attire is required for this gathering. Tickets are $85.00 a piece, and the graduate receives a free class bio book.
How do I feel about this? When I graduated high school I didn't walk across the stage with my friends. I took the GED a few months earlier because of some things that happened when I was a senior causing me to fall behind, and having passed it, I had more than enough credits to walk the stage with my friends...I opted not to, and silently faded away into obscurity and life. I went to college, took culinary classes on the side, worked on my MSW...got married, had Deanna, got divorced, dropped out of grad school, worked as a sous chef, took a lover or two, spent a few lost years in between it all, and then I met Ken, and we got married and moved to Atlanta, then we had Jackson, and I have been the happiest I've ever been in my life since then. I have no regrets in my life, but I also remember that high school was super-clique-y, and I didn't go to my ten-year reunion because I didn't really want to see anyone; I couldn't care less at that point. Well, it's been 20 years now, and while I'm content and happy in my life, I still feel that there are only about four or so people that I really want to connect with from High School, and so buying two plane tickets, plus the reunion tickets, plus a hotel room, plus.....the end just doesn't justify the means. I'd rather fly to LA and have a small dinner party with these four people and their spouses...that to me makes more sense.
SO what do I do? Are these people that I would be friends with on a regular basis? Do we have anything in common? Do we have the same values and morals? I live a very Southern lifestyle; I respect those around me, I believe in politeness and manners, I don't worship the dollar bill or what it represents, instead I appreciate the value of it and am happy to be able to earn it. I'm not superficial, and to me not getting my nails done isn't the end of the world. I just keep them trimmed and clean, with a coat of clear polish over them. I shop at Old Navy instead of Macy's, I go to Garden Ridge instead of Linen's and Things, I actually LIKE Target! Grilling with friends is done in the backyard, and we eat at a table that's set with plastic cups and plates instead of having our cook-out catered. If I don't tweeze my eyesbrows for a few weeks, it's NOT a big deal! I haven't been home to California since I left, and I have no desire to because of the mentality of the natives...In Atlanta I'm upper-middle-class, in LA, I'd be considered dirt-poor because I don't live beyond my means, and I drive a car that I own out-right. We actually have money in our savings account, and don't have credit card bills. We actually use cash to buy things, and if we don't have the cash, we don't need the thing we're looking to buy until we have the cash for it!
Maybe I'm assuming that these people from High School have the California champagne tastes when they really don't. Maybe I'm being harsh and critical because a lot of these people were just assholes in High School. Maybe I'm just trying to talk myself out of going because I don't want to spend the money, when it's the weekend of mine and Ken's wedding anniversary, and we've been planning on going on a cruise to Bermuda instead. But I have to admit...I AM curious.
My only real gripe is this: did the planning committee really have to pick the Hard Rock??? The food there sucks, and parking at the Beverly Center is even worse, valet or not! The least they could have done was host the bar for the cocktail hour...unless people are still drinking like we're in high school?
We'll see what I decide.
So so Sopranos....
On Sundays at 9:00pm I am glued to HBO and "The Sopranos" along with more than half the population I'm sure. I'm a follower, even though I'm more of a leader, but still...
Okay, it's been an interesting season so far. Johnny Sac is in prison awaiting a trial on RICO charges, Tony gets shot by a deranged Junior, who doesn't realize he's shot him, Carmella is on the outs with her father over a spec house that's being built incorrectly, Meadow and Finn are STILL engaged, AJ is working at Blockbuster (hey, it's a job!), Chris has become a little too big for his britches, but he's maintaining, Syl is all stressed-out as usual, Paulie Walnuts found out that his mother was actually his aunt the nun, and now he's all whacked out and feeling betrayed by everyone, and the best storyline of all: Vito is outted at a gay club in New York by two guys on collections rounds, and now he's on the run because the family wants him dead for being a fag, all except Tony that is!
I remember when the show first started some six years ago. My mom was the barber of one of the now-gone writers, everyone was crazy about the theme song for the show, and Caldwell, New Jersey became the fashionable place to hang and vacation or buy a house, which I guess was good for New Jersey after the imfamous landfill war with NYC. It was total water cooler fodder, but I fell out of watching it because it became too predictable. I got back into it last season because I heard that Adrianna was going to get killed and I wanted to see how and why. Also, I started watching it again because my favorite show "Six Feet Under" was ending for good, and I needed something to focus my attention on again on Sunday nights.
The season had been probably one of the best yet. It's a shame that David Chase and Brad Grey have chosen to call it quits when this seaon is over. I hear the possibility of a movie being made is an option, but I think that waiting a year and a half for each season is also sort of shitty, and so it goes without saying, this will be the end of the Sopranos and their family.
There are six more episodes this season, and I plan to catch all of them, but can you see how much money is going to be made of the ENTIRE show's DVD boxed set? Hell, at nearly $400.00 for the first five seasons, this show will NEVER go away, and I sure refuse to spend that kind of money to keep a good show going, but I will spend $275.00 for all five season of "Six Feet Under".
Keep your eyes glued for six more weeks...it promises to be worth it! I may even wake Jack up to watch the last episode with us! (okay, maybe not...)
Tom Cruise impregnated...film at 11:00.
Tom Cruise, 43- Hollywood Scientology mega-star was impregnated by his Catholic fiance' Katie Holmes, 26. The pair have been together since last April. Cruise has two adopted children from his marriage to actress to Nicole Kidman. The pair were together ten years before splitting in 2001. Holmes, better known as Joey from "Dawson's Creek", was engaged to actor Chris Klein until February of 2005.
It is the first natural child for Cruise and Holmes, and they are expected to wed during the summer, after the birth of their sex-unknown child. "It could be a boy or it could be a girl" Cruise recently told reporters. There will also be no Catholic baptism for the Tom-Kat kitten, and a silent birth is to be expected as well. Silent births are known to create a more peaceful environment for the people involved in the delivery according to the Church of Scientology.
Cruise is due to deliver in May, and Holmes is expected to be by his side during the birthing process. Holmes supports her partner's decision for silent birthing, and recently converted from the Roman Catholic faith she was devoutely raised in to that of Scientology. She stated that it had nothing to do with her becoming engaged to Cruise, but that she had always has an interest in other religions, and Scientology seemed to be the logical choice, given that Cruise has been in the religion for more than 20 years. No pressure or brainwashing was involved in Holmes making the decision to convert.
Crusie was recently spotted in Beverly Hills shopping for maternity outfits at Fred Segal, while Holmes has been attending seminars on how to be a more involved, more prepared parent to the impending arrival. Cruise's two children will also be actively involved in caring for the infant, running shifts for the baby's care and feeding.
If I had known it was all going to be this easy, I would have knocked Ken up instead of carrying Jackson myself! Oh wait...it's physically impossible for a man to become pregnant, so why doesn't Katie Holmes tell Tom Cruise to shut the Hell up, scream during the delivery, and then make sure that kid is baptised ASAP??? She's afraid she'll lose big-time bucks...all of this is a HUGE farce, and when little Cruise is born, I see a Michael Jackson-like repeat here...so long Katie...thanks for the baby.
I am SO tired of hearing about this fricking couple and their kid. Have the damn baby already, will ya?
Spring Holidays...
To everyone we know and love, have a wonderful and happy Passover and Easter.
Spring has sprung, and I get to spend the next six days on a no-bread regime...I've even picked my Big Mac apart so that I didn't eat the bun, if you can believe that! Hey, we all have to do what we have to do, right?
This year's Easter promises to be terrific, as I will stash easter eggs around the house for Jack to find, including the money egg...a tradition from when I was growing up! And though its Passover, I'm not taking the bread out of Ken OR Jack's diet, it doesn't seem right, but it could be a little healthier actually! Less carbs...
Enjoy what ever holiday it is that you and yours will celebrate, and know that we love you.
Condolences....
I just want to thank our friend Jay in Braselton for the sympathy card. The loss of a national championship game is a hard thing, and while I wasn't an actual player on the team, I feel the loss as brutally as if I were.
Jay, you're a jack ass...but in a good way.
Also, to our neighbor Cal, the gator fan who didn't attend Florida...DON'T ever knock on the opposing team's door just after a loss...you're lucky I was in bed, or I might have murdered you with a plastic knife. No more lava cakes for you pal.
All of you can bite me, but thanks for thinking of me anyway. You're all good friends, and I appreciate the fact that you didn't call me. I probably wouldn't have answered the phone, as I'm not making any statements or comments today. My press agent will be giving a statement about this all later this afternoon.
General Bullshit....
Well, I had just started working on this post about the UCLA/Florida game, when the power went out to our block. I don't have the will or the energy to re-write it, so for those not in the know, UCLA lost. Enought said.
Jack has five new teeth, a new "I'm-the-boss" attitude, and he's becoming a little parrot. It's now time to be VERY aware of what comes out of our mouths because chances are it will come out of his mouth too. (Refer to the scene in Fatal Attraction where Anne Archer says shit and her daughter walks down the hall repeating it over and over again!)
Work is good. I'm bartending more than serving since we fired a bartender for giving away drinks, the stupid ass. (I can say this on my blog since Jack can't read just yet!) I don't mind bartending so much, but I hate closing the bar. It's a dirty job....Ken is doing well at his job.
I made a reservation for Ken's birthday (in June) for us to go to a bed and breakfast inn in Tennessee. Jack will be staying with Nana and Papa, who live only 25 minutes away! Yay for the mountains, and Yay for Nana and Papa living in them! It'll be our first get-a-way without Jack since he was born, and God do we need it!
I can't think of much else to write right now...the power outage really messed with my head. I'm starting to get disgusted with Georgia Power and NW&P...it's always some general bullshit with them. Maybe one day I'll convieniently NOT pay my bills...ooops, a small glitch in my checkbook occured! Do you think they'll buy into it? I'd doubt it. At least Jack was amused while we were in the dark.
