The Go-Ahead

What's Wrong With Baseball These Days?

2009-06-08T13:37:00.012-04:00

I'll make a list:

1) I am in 10th place in my league in the ESPN Baseball Challenge. While tenth sounds good when there are dozens of people in the league, in this case, I'm tenth out of twelve. And I am actually trying, whereas the guys currently in the eleven and twelve slots gave up. Or else they are sitting back to see if they can beat me without changing a single player all season. (Give it up, Geralyn Dawson. It won't work.)

I cannot choose a pitching staff to save my soul. What was with the Twins last night? And how did I get so lucky as to pick the Giants on the one night Tim Lincecum blows it big? Apparently, I have a knack for these picks. If the Tigers' pitching staff flails in both games of their doubleheader today, you'll know you should take me to Vegas with you and bet the opposite of everything I do.

2) The Texas Rangers took two out of three from the Red Sox this weekend. I had to sit in the rain to watch the first loss, and man, was it painful. (Geralyn is now laughing at me, as she is also a Rangers fan.)

3) The Colorado Rockies were so stupid as to fire one of my all-time fave managers, Clint Hurdle. I guess the guys who fired him forgot that, OH YEAH, they traded away Matt Holliday. And OH YEAH, Jeff Francis has been hurt all year. Maybe, just maybe, the Rockies will have trouble winning games in that situation. (Geralyn is not to blame for any of this. I don't think Hurdle should be blamed, either.)

Do the guys who fired Hurdle remember this?

That would be the World Series. And that would be Clint Hurdle on the right, leading the team. Yes, the Rockies lost to the Red Sox (I was screwed on that one...one of my fave teams was going to lose either way!) But the fact the Rockies made it at all was due in large part to...well, you know who. The Rockies were suckin' wind that year, but came back to win 20 of their last 21 games.

I'll feel better about baseball tomorrow. (Especially if the Tigers' pitching staff does well, or if someone hires Hurdle.) In the meantime, I think I'll console myself by reading a good book.

Maybe I'll make it one of Geralyn's. At least I know it'll be good!

The Happiest Place On Earth, Part V (The Conclusion!)

2009-06-05T10:43:00.008-04:00

Was so, so sad to leave the Disney Magic, as I blogged about earlier (just click on the labels for "Disney Cruise" at the bottom of this post if you'd like to read Parts I - IV and to see the accompanying photos of alligator heads. Or Stitch.) But when the ship docks, you're outta luck. If you refuse to disembark because you're having too much fun, you deal with the port authority, and that's not my idea of a good time.

I headed home--briefly!--because I had Red Sox tickets. (And really, isn't THIS in the running for the Happiest Place on Earth? I think so! Especially when Josh Beckett's pitching.)

After the game, however, I headed right back to Logan Airport and made nice with the folks from JetBlue, who took me back to Orlando, where author Elizabeth Boyle and I spoke to librarians at the annual Florida Library Association conference. Even though we had an early-morning time slot, our room was PACKED. (Not only because we are us, and naturally entertaining, but because we primed everyone with coffee and distributed massive goody bags. We never assume our witty banter is enough to rouse folks from their comfy beds at 8AM.)

We had a load of fun discussing low-cost strategies for making their libraries teen-friendly, ways to use their romance novel collections to draw in readers, and gave them info on attracting fantastic speakers. We also did a lot of Q & A about writing (and the life of writers) in general. If you're a librarian and would be interested in a copy of my handout on Five Ways to Encourage Teen Patronage, just e-mail me. I'm happy to send it along. (And by all means, if you organize library conferences and are interested in having us speak, ask! We love meeting librarians.)

After our talk, Elizabeth and I drove all over the Orlando area signing books. If you'd like an autographed book, check at any of the following stores (call first, just to be sure they're still in stock):

Winter Park, FL

Borders
600 North Orlando Ave

Orlando, FL

Books-A-Million
5498 Touchstone Dr

Barnes & Noble
Colonial Plaza Market Center
2418 E Colonial Drive

Barnes & Noble
Waterford Lakes Town Center
481 N Alafaya Trail

Barnes & Noble
Florida Mall
8358 S Orange Blossom Trail

Altamonte Springs, FL

Barnes & Noble
Altamonte Mall
451 Altamonte Drive

Borders
880 W State Road 436

Casselberry, FL

Books-A-Million
S Hwy 17/92

I'm now home from Florida for awhile. Tonight, I'm heading back to Fenway to catch the Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. Brad Penny's on the mound for the Sox, so it should be a great game.

Facebooked

2009-05-26T18:26:00.002-04:00

Yep, I've finally joined Facebook (thanks to those of you who've e-mailed me and said things like, "Why aren't you there? It's EASY!" or "Seriously? You're not on Facebook? WHY?")

So if you'd like to be my Facebook friend, do a search for Niki Burnham. I think there are five profiles that come up with that search, but you'll know which is me. I promise.

One nice thing about Facebook? I found this phenomenal review of Flirtin' With The Monster, with some really flattering comments about my essay, "Role Models." Made my day.

This Just In: A New Book!

2009-05-19T15:25:00.007-04:00

Excuse the commercial interruption, but big news. There's a new book out, with a contribution from Yours Truly, that I'm excited to recommend.

If you're a fan of Ellen Hopkins, whose amazing books include CRANK, BURNED, and GLASS, check out the all new FLIRTIN' WITH THE MONSTER, a collection of essays about Ellen's work. The very first essay, titled Role Models, was my contribution. Other authors include Terri Clark, Gail Giles, Micol Ostow, and even "Kristina", whose real life story is told in CRANK and GLASS.

Interested? I'll have all the details on my site in the next few days. In the meantime, you can check out an excerpt right here.

Let me know what you think!

The Happiest Place On Earth, Part IV

2009-05-19T08:40:00.010-04:00

Next stop: Castaway Cay!

Imagine you had Disney's deep pockets, two cruise ships, and a wild imagination. An island in the Bahamas comes up for sale. And hey, you have those Pirates of the Caribbean movies in production and you'll need a place to park that monster prop, The Flying Dutchman, afterward, unless you plan to tear it apart. What do you do? Hmmmmm...

How'd you like to wake up to that view on a Friday morning?!

Disney bought the former Gorda Cay in mid-90s, dredged enough sand to allow their cruise ships to dock, and has been maintaining the space for its cruise ship passengers ever since. After days racing around Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Key West, we were ready for serious lounging. We spent the morning doing exactly that--with plenty of sunscreen, of course--right here on the shore:

I read a big chunk of Elizabeth Boyle's latest Regency-era romance while sitting in one of the chairs. Bliss!

Disney rents snorkeling gear, floating tubes, and bicycles for anyone who's interested. We opted to rent bikes just before noon, and explored the abandoned runway before heading off down this gorgeous bike path. Hard to believe, but we had it all to ourselves:

Off to the left of the bike path is an unspoiled expanse of rocky beach and blue, blue water. I stopped to take this photo at a gap in the trees:

After lunch, we went fishing (Disney offers several excursions, and since I love to fish, I signed up for bottom fishing the minute it was available), then had a little more time on the beach before heading back to the ship. The end-of-day view is my current desktop wallpaper:

Next, in Part V: The Other Happiest Place On Earth

The Happiest Place On Earth, Part III

2009-05-13T19:19:00.012-04:00

Third stop on the Happiest Place Adventure: Cozumel/Playa del Carmen/Tulum.

So as the ship pulled into the dock at Cozumel, I was watching CNN, where the topic of the morning was the H1N1 virus. They were going on and on about how awful things were in Mexico City, and saying that perhaps Americans shouldn't go to Mexico. There seemed to be a general panic on CNN, but we weren't worried. We were already in Mexico, for one, and for two, Mexico City is a LONG way from Cozumel.

Our fellow cruisers weren't worried, either, because none of them had bothered to watch the news and the whole Swine Flu Insanity was just getting started. They'd been far too busy with cruise activities to bother with CNN. (We didn't tell them to run to their stateroom televisions, either.) Another reassuring sign: the U.S. Coast Guard parked alongside us.

The crew waved to all the kids disembarking the Disney ship, which thrilled the kids to death. We heard more than one kid ask something along the lines of, "Hey, Mom, are those REAL AMERICANS on that Coast Guard boat?"

I think most people on our cruise headed to the various bars, beaches, and resorts on Cozumel. We opted to take the ferry across to Playa del Carmen, then catch a bus headed for Tulum so we could tour the Mayan ruins. Of course, we soon learned that the ferry between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen is frequently referred to as the Vomit Ferry. While we were fine, we did see several folks go for the barf bags, and one poor kid was still giving up the better part of his breakfast after we docked in Playa del Carmen. (Don't linger near the bushes at the top of this hill, should you visit in the near future.)

Thankfully, he seemed fine before we boarded the bus for Tulum. Though it took nearly two hours to get to Tulum from Cozumel (ferry-walk-bus), it was well worth it. The sun was out, the sky was clear, and the ruins weren't crowded at all. I've been to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza before, and was told Tulum wasn't as good, so I was prepared to be underwhelmed.

This is NOT underwhelming:

Best of all, the ruins at Tulum are perched high above a beach! After we toured the ruins and got a crash course in Mayan culture, we took the stairs down to the beach and swam for an hour. I waded into the surf with my camera to take this shot:

I tried to wait out Speedo Man before taking a picture. Really, I did. I finally gave up and figured the beautiful scenery balanced out the not-so-beautiful Speedo Man.

Once we were back onboard the Disney Magic a couple hours later, we went to our room and were tickled to find that the room attendant had put my sunglasses to good use when he'd come to clean:

And though I couldn't get a picture of it, just after dinner we hit a highlight of our cruise: fireworks at sea. I nabbed this photo from Disney, because to leave fireworks out of the blog due to my cruddy nighttime picture-taking ability would be a crime:

Tip of the day: Pack Bonine if you're prone to seasickness. Chew one an hour or so before you get on a boat (or the Vomit Ferry.) It works.

Tomorrow, in Part IV: Eat Your Heart Out, Gilligan!

The Happiest Place On Earth, Part II

2009-05-12T14:24:00.017-04:00

Next stop: Grand Cayman.

Woke up early and hustled off the ship when we docked at Grand Cayman. First, because I'd never been there and I'm always excited to see a new place. Second, because I'd lined up a day with the wonderful folks at Fat Fish Adventures and couldn't wait to get going.

Peter, from Fat Fish, met a group of us at the Hard Rock Cafe in George Town, then drove us across the island (which is small and very, very flat) to where he'd moored his jetskis. Lemme tell ya, Peter owns some sweeeeet jetskis. We hopped on and followed a boat piloted by his friend Neil, who spends part of his year in Grand Cayman and part of the year running a dive operation out of Spain (yeah, I'm thinking Neil has it way too hard.)

As soon as we hit the open water, I thought, I'd better not do something stupid, or Neil will be fishing out my cell phone from the remnants of this SeaDoo, looking up my parents' number, and explaining to my mother why I'm fish food and how it's all my own fault. Then, of course, I went faster. The water was so blue and clear and smooth, how could I not?! Plus, Neil told me it'd be more fun if I hit the gas harder, so I gunned it.

Our first stop was Stingray City, a natural sandbar off the coast of Grand Cayman where stingrays have congregated for years, lured by food from tourists and locals alike. The stingrays--mostly female--are tame, as they've become accustomed to human interaction. When I cut power to the jetski, this beauty swam right up:

I think that particular stingray was about 7-8 feet down, as she was a good twenty or thirty yards away from the sandbar. The water was just that clear.

We hopped off our jetskis and swam the last few yards to the sandbar, since the water's shallow enough to stand there. The stingrays immediately congregated all around us, searching for squid handouts. They'd swim all around your ankles, up your back, along your elbows, you name it. You'd think it'd be frightening, but it's not. It's more like being attacked by giant portobello mushrooms (friendly mushrooms, of course!) Check out the ray Neil and I are holding (grainy photo being the result of a cheap-o, disposable underwater camera):

This one only liked me for my squid. I fed it a couple handfuls--which was something akin to feeding lint to a vacuum cleaner--then off it went, in search of another meal.

After Stingray City, we snorkeled off Rum Point for a little while (Neil came up with a huge conch shell), jetskiied some more, then headed back to shore, where Peter was waiting to take us back to the Disney Magic. I took a shower, then headed to the top deck in search of fresh fruit and shrimp. I'd just gotten done telling my husband how happy I was we'd decided to take a cruise and how it was so much more fun than I expected it to be, when this guy sat beside me:

Do you think Stitch is allowed a glass of wine now and then? (My guess is no.) We finished off the night hanging out on the verandah, watching the sunset as the ship left Grand Cayman. Gorgeous!

Tip of the day: If you are ever so lucky as to visit Grand Cayman, book an excursion with Fat Fish Adventures. Huge thanks to Peter and Neil for making my first visit to Grand Cayman so incredible!

Tomorrow, in Part III: The Vomit Ferry

The Happiest Place On Earth, Part I

2009-05-11T11:44:00.012-04:00

Disney claims it's Anaheim, but I figure Orlando is close enough, in Disney-speak.

I've spent the last three weeks on the road, with multiple stops in Orlando, Florida. While I'm typically not a Florida person (despite being born in Key West, I've lived most of my life in colder climates), I've truly enjoyed the last three weeks.

First adventure: A Disney Cruise!

I travel a ton, but have always balked at the idea of a cruise. I like to be flexible with my plans, seeing whatever interests me most on a given day. If you're vacationing at a hotel and don't like it, you can go somewhere else. You can eat in whichever restaurant catches your attention at whatever time of day you please. But if you're on a ship? You're stuck with their food, their schedule, their rooms. However, after watching a Travel Channel show about the Disney Cruise Line, I thought, "Hmmm...that looks pretty cool. And they go to Key West. And Grand Cayman. And I can take in the Mayan ruins in Tulum. Not bad!" And though I like Disney as much as the next person, I've never wanted to spend a vacation with Chip and Dale. But the Travel Channel show made it clear that you can see Disney characters...or not. There are lots of things to do on the ship that do NOT involve Mickey. (Spa, anyone? Late-night sports bar?)

So off I went to Orlando, ticket in hand to board the ship at Port Canaveral. And within two seconds of stepping aboard the Disney Magic, I knew I'd made the right decision. You tell me, is this not spectacular?

I love the elegant, Art Deco lines. And the interiors were just as gorgeous. Check out these shots, taken inside a suite:

(Note the officer demonstrating proper use of the life vest on tv. Reassuring, huh?! "Welcome to our ship. Here's how NOT to drown....")

All the polished wood was to die for. Far more swank than 99% of hotels. But the best part of a Disney cruise is OFF the ship. As we left Port Canaveral, a group of dolphins jumped alongside, escorting us out to the Atlantic. (I asked my husband how much Disney had to pay dolphin trainers to pull off that particular trick.)

From there, the ship went to Key West. I took the Trolley around the island, then toured Truman's Little White House. And yes, I did eat a Key Lime pie on a stick. For all of a minute, I wondered how many laps it'd take around Deck Four to burn it off. Then I decided it was so good, I didn't care. (Plus, it was so overwhelmingly sweet I doubt I'll ever eat it again!)

I had the chance to see where I was born, in a barracks building at the Navy health center. Very fancy, isn't it? I bet everyone on the cruise ship would trade their rooms in a cold minute to stay here. The barbed-wire fence gives it quite the prison ambience:

I also had the opportunity to see alligator heads for sale. If you've ever purchased an alligator head, please enlighten me. What does one DO with an alligator head? Put it on the mantel? Make a lamp out of it? Hide it inside your mailbox to scare the mailman? (No, I didn't buy one. The photo was enough for me.)

Finally, I wrapped up the day by engaging in some Mallory Square people-watching from an amazing vantage point (namely, my verandah!) Doesn't this look like the best place to hang out at sunset?

Tomorrow, in Part II: Nic vs. The Stingray.

Cursed

2009-04-15T15:21:00.005-04:00

No Red Sox fan should ever use the word "cursed", but whatever. I couldn't sleep last night, so at 2 AM I wandered downstairs to the tv and was surprised to see the Sox game in the 12th inning. Couldn't resist watching, plus Matt Holliday--who SHOULD still be on the Rockies--was at the plate for the A's, and I love watching the guy bat.

Sadly, the minute I tune in, it happens: a couple batters after Holliday and the Sox lose. I'm sure it's because I turned on my tv. I cursed them.

Other evidence I am cursed:

Saturday: I decide the family room carpet is disgusting. Book the cleaners to come on Monday.
Monday: Carpet gets spiffied up, looks brand new.
Tuesday: I decide to water the plants in the family room.
Immediately afterward: Dog decides wet dirt is the PERFECT place to bury her chew toy, spraying mud everywhere in the process. When I see her and tell her, "No!" she runs through it (and all over the carpet.)
Immediately after that: Discover vacuum cleaner is broken.

Now I'm waiting to see if bad things really do come in threes. (And I'm hoping that "plant dirt everywhere" and "broken vacuum" count as two separate incidents!)

Perfect Ten

2009-04-08T12:45:00.004-04:00

Ten strikeouts, one win. Thanks for making opening day rock, Josh! Made me soooo happy to see the Sox win the first one at home. Homers from Tek and Dustin Pedroia sealed it. Can't wait until I get to go to my first Red Sox game of 2009 when they play the Yankees at the end of this month.

In other happy sporting news, I took second place in my ESPN NCAA basketball pool (not bad, since I picked Memphis to win it all), and I will likely take third in my Geek Pool. Should find out about that one soon.

How about all of you? Were your brackets well-chosen? Are you amped for baseball? (Me, I honored the day by forking over $9.99 to get the MLB.com app for my iPhone. Next time I'm traveling, I can get the game day audio, live scores, and all the other info I usually miss!)

Yes, I'm a bit obsessive!

Wichita, KS: The Friendliest Place On Earth?

2009-04-05T10:01:00.004-04:00

Ever been to Wichita? What do you think?

I spent the last three days hanging out in wonderful Wichita at the Kansas Library Association/Midwest Plains Library Association joint conference with my good friend, author Elizabeth Boyle. We gave a workshop to the librarians on using their romance collections to build patronage at their libraries through various displays, programming, teen advisory groups, etc. A HUGE thanks to HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin, and the Romance Writers of America for providing all kinds of swag, including fabulous tote bags and copies of Breaking Up (Is Hard To Do) and Elizabeth's brand new release, Confessions of a Little Black Gown. We had a great turnout and a lot of fun.

What Elizabeth and I couldn't get over? How NICE everyone is in Wichita! The guy working the desk at Enterprise Rent-A-Car was cheerful and informative when we arrived, even though it was ten pm and he was probably due to get off work. We kept talking about how nice he was...then everyone else we encountered turned out to be just like him! From the helpful folks at Walgreen's (who helped me find face wash after I left mine at home), to the smiling booksellers at the Maize Road Borders (where Elizabeth and I stopped by to sign stock) to the friendly waitstaff at River City Brewery, every single person we met in Wichita was exceedingly kind. Elizabeth and I decided that it's probably the friendliest city on Earth.

We also need to give a huge shout out to everyone at the Bradley Fair Barnes & Noble, located at 1920 N. Rock Road. Elizabeth held a booksigning there on Thursday night, and the staff went above and beyond to make it a fun, relaxing event. If you want an autographed copy of any of her books, or if you'd like an autographed copy of either Royally Jacked or Scary Beautiful, stop by the store and grab one! They have a ton of signed stock. If you're not near Wichita, but would still like an autographed copy, give them a call at (316) 315-0421. They can make arrangements to ship you whatever you need. (See, told you they were nice!) Huge, huge thanks to Brad, Karina, and Bob for organizing the event and treating us like royalty. We wish all bookstore employees were as friendly as you.

NOTE: If you're a librarian, Elizabeth and I will be giving our presentation again next month at the Florida Library Association's annual conference in Orlando, Florida. Introduce yourself if you're there! And if you're organizing a library conference and are interested in having us speak, just drop either one of us a line. Librarians are some of our favorite people, so we'd love to come and meet you!

What NOT To Get At The Ballpark

2009-03-26T17:27:00.003-04:00

I try to keep my eating healthy. Really, I do. I eat a lot of veggies, fish, and fruit. Red meat is a rare thing. But occasionally, I grab a Fenway Frank at the ballpark. There's something about the atmosphere that seems to make it okay. (And no, please don't tell me what's in them. I don't want to know.)

But this is something I can't understand at all:

This is the Fifth Third Burger (named after the Fifth Third ballpark) served up at the minor league West Michigan Whitecaps games. Yee-gads. Nearly 5000 calories and who-knows-how much sodium and other ick. It's 1 2/3 lbs of beef (get it...five thirds), nacho cheese, lettuce, corn chips, salsa, tomatoes, and chili on a bun.

Any takers?

It's On!

2009-03-25T13:20:00.002-04:00

Must say...I LOVE March. While I'm no hockey or football hater, they're just not sports I follow that closely. On the other hand, I LOVE watching baseball. Caught a pre-season game last night on NESN and it gave me a huge spring-is-here mood lift. The Red Sox were playing the Yankees down in Florida, and--horrors--the Yankees won (they had a stellar eighth.) But who cares? It's BASEBALL! And I refuse to believe that this signals anything for the upcoming regular season. Can't wait to see the Sox up here at Fenway in less than a month (whoo-hoo!)

In better news, I'm tied for first in my NCAA pool on ESPN.com. I need Memphis to win it all (so everyone send them some good vibes, hey?) I'm also participating in what my husband kindly terms "The Geek Pool." A group of around 40 of us make our selections every year, but instead of making out brackets, we number each of the tourney teams from 1 - 64. You put 64 on the team you think will win it all, and a one on the team you feel is most likely to go out in the first round. I have two entries, with 64 on Memphis in one, and 64 on Louisville in the other. No idea how I'm doing in that pool yet, so wish me luck! It's a world of spreadsheet fun.

What about you? What sporting events have you feeling upbeat?

Oscar Time 2009

2009-02-24T09:19:00.014-05:00

Happy, happy, joy, joy. Three cheers for Oscar night!! (Wasn't it WONDERFUL? Love me some Hugh Jackman. But I digress...)

First cheer: I rocked my Oscar pool. Haven't gotten an update as to the winners, but I got 19 out of the 24 categories correct (last year I was an all-time low 13 for 24, and I was 18 for 24 in 2007.)

Second cheer: Anyone mind if I do a dance for Slumdog Millionaire? I LOVED that movie. If you haven't seen it yet, consider this a shove out the door to the multiplex. You'll want to see it in a theater, unless you are so fortunate as to have one of those home theater setups with the wicked surround sound, etc. This is a movie that transports you to India. You won't want to be distracted by neighbors, the phone, or your laundry while you watch on DVD at three in the afternoon.

Third cheer: The GOWNS! This was a prime Oscar year. Very few misses, so I'll get them out of the way right off the bat.

Apologies to the ever-lovely Jessica Biel, but this was Not Good. It looks like someone took took care with her hair and makeup. Then, a nasty stylist came in afterward and thought Jessica looked too pretty. In a jealous fit, the stylist wrapped a very fancy bedsheet from the Ritz-Carlton around Jessica, tucked it up with a few folds in the front, and carefully explained (cough-lied-cough) that the sheet-waterfall look was "the latest thing." She then shoved Jessica out the door, stifling a maniacal laugh as JB tripped over the hem getting into the car:

The dress Jessica wore to host the Sci-Tech Awards last week was much better. Though awfully reflective in photos, I bet it looked better in person. And she can walk without tripping on it:

My other Worst Dressed Female for 2009 must go to Whoopi Goldberg. I swear I could see her bra (and part of its contents) peeking out the top while she was presenting, but I can't find a photo of that particular moment. Still, even assuming the girls were tucked away where they belonged, you tell me. I think she can do much better than this:

Of course, I immediately consulted both the E! Fashion Police and my fave Fuggers to see if they agreed. (They did.) But they liked one dress (for the most part) that I just couldn't love. Check out Heidi Klum in red:

To me, the color works. The cutout in the back works. The bow works. The leg slit works. The top kind of works. However, all these things do not work together. It's too much. I say keep the color (Heidi can rock red), keep the back cutouts, keep the leg, but lose the origami top and the butt bow. What do you think?

And ditto Reese Witherspoon. Either black with the funky cut, or blue with the funky cut. Not all at once:

WHEW. So on to all the good stuff (and there was plenty of good stuff!) First, oh, how I loved Angelina Jolie. True, it was black. But it showed off her figure, and didn't look like the matronly swoops of fabric we've seen on her lately.

Other faves: Freida Pinto (fabulous color), Best Actress nominee Melissa Leo (great fit, pretty, and suited her coloring), and Marisa Tomei (funky but classy.) I also LOVED Anne Hathaway's gown, though from certain angles, it seemed loose in the bust, as if someone taller than her could look right down and see everything. However, I doubt too many people are that much taller than Anne Hathaway, especially when she's wearing killer heels.

(I would put these in a neat-o collage, but I suck at HTML and give up.)

There were LOADS of great gowns, so it's hard to pick my favorites. But these two topped my list. Presenting the Best Dressed Women, Natalie Portman and Penelope Cruz:

I generally don't go for pink, but Natalie Portman's simply rocked. Penelope Cruz's look was a mesh of sultry Sophia Loren and glamorous Grace Kelly.

I'm also going to name a Best Dressed Man this year. Mostly because while I was watching the Oscars, I made my husband come to the TV so I could explain that THIS is how a guy should look for the red carpet:

Bravo, Robert Downey, Jr! Even if my husband said something along the lines of, "Um, okay," before going back to whatever he was doing on his computer, I thought it was perfect. Downey's wife, Susan, looked amazing, too. (And their happy-to-be-together smiles get them extra bonus points.)

Finally, I must mention Heath Ledger's win. He was a phenomenal, multi-dimensional Joker, and I think he'd have won the Oscar regardless of the attention his unfortunate, way-too-early passing brought to his performance. Valerie (the Oscar-loving, Heath-obsessed character from Royally Jacked and its sequels) would have been doing the biggest happy dance of all.

So what do you think? Who was a hit? Who missed? (And though I won't post it here, did you get a look at Sharon Stone's R-rated see-through dress?! Google it if not. It would have been wonderful if it wasn't transparent. But as is, I howled with laughter.)

Things Afoot

2009-02-12T13:58:00.010-05:00

For years after seeing Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, my friends would utter the line, "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K..." whenever odd events popped up in groups. Well, today's not so much filled with odd events, per se, but it's definitely a day in which there are Things Afoot. Things Bill and Ted would deem, "Most Excellent!"

Okay, that was a hokey intro. But you know what I mean. It is a HAPPY day!

First: Survivor starts up again tonight! (Collective YAY!) I'm participating in Fantasy Survivor (you can sign up on the CBS site, right here, if you're interested.) However, I will warn you that I plan to win.

Second: I've raved about Alyson Noël's books since I read her first one, FAKING 19. This week, her newest, EVERMORE, is on the New York Times List. If you haven't read her stuff yet, you must must must grab this book. And, frankly, everything else Alyson has written. (Collective YAY for Alyson!)

Third: Yesterday I was perusing the aisles at my local Barnes & Noble and, lo and behold, there's also gorgeous display for my good friend Cynthia Leitich Smith's newest release, ETERNAL. ETERNAL takes place in the same wacky, paranormal version of Austin, TX, as Cynthia's last novel, TANTALIZE. I wasn't expecting to see ETERNAL for another week or thereabouts, so it was truly a happy find. (Collective YAY for Cynthia!)

Go. Read. Watch. Enjoy!

Who Wants To Know A Secret?

2009-02-10T11:34:00.007-05:00

Today, a reading recommendation! If you're a fan of books where every character harbors a secret, you MUST check out author Micol Ostow's latest series, The Bradford Novels. The first book, Golden Girl, is in stores now, and the other books will be out in the next few months.

This series--set at a fictional school called Bradford Prep--is doubly fun because there's a slew of online content. There's an entire site following the day-to-day events at Bradford Prep that's similar to a site a real high school would have (though there are added blogs by the main characters that give you further insights into events from the books.) Plus, there's a huge blog event (where I'm today's guest!)

Be sure to let me know what you think of Golden Girl. (And if you want more Micol while you're waiting for the next Bradford Novel, check out her other books, such as Crush du Jour and Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa.)

The "Bale"-Out

2009-02-06T14:16:00.005-05:00

Anyone catch the news of Christian Bale's on-set tirade against the lighting director who accidentally walked into a scene while it was being filmed? Yeowtch. Both at what he actually said (calling it a "rant" would be like calling a hurricane a "rainstorm") and at the length to which he said it.

(If you want to read more about it, go here for MSNBC.com's take. Of course, TMZ has the actual audio.)

The gist of it was that Bale couldn't focus/get into the head of his character with the lighting guy walking through. While I can certainly see that it'd be annoying ('cause you'd have to re-shoot the scene, for one), I wonder what would happen to ME if I pulled that while I was sitting in my office, mid-scene, and someone walked in?

I mean, I've got the dog barking at the UPS truck or my husband asking something vitally important like, "Hey, where's the peanut butter?" about every three minutes while I'm working. And I have to be in the head of my characters, too. It's annoying to get interrupted--as an author, it could mean losing that incredibly witty bit of dialogue I just imagined--but it's life. (And just for the record, the peanut butter is where it ALWAYS is, because I am just that kind of an organized neat freak. If the peanut butter's out of place, it's because my husband put it out of place. So asking me where it is doesn't solve his problem.)

Thing is, I'm a huge fan of Christian Bale's work. One of my all-time fave movies is 1987's Empire of the Sun , which he starred in when he was only thirteen. (Grab it from Netflix if you've never seen it. It also stars John Malkovich and Joe Pantoliano. I promise you'll love it.) And I thought Bale was amazing in 3:10 To Yuma. So I was glad to see that he made a public apology today. And I think he meant it.

What do you think? Excusable? Inexcusable? What would happen if you threw a fit like that at work? Have you ever thrown a fit like that at work? (I think my husband would tell me to slowly move away from the computer while he removed all sharp objects from the room. And he'd make sure he found the peanut butter before I did.)

Go Forth

2009-01-21T08:53:00.005-05:00

I spent yesterday glued to the television, even though I SWORE to myself that I'd stop after Aretha Franklin sang (because I know myself well enough to know I couldn't NOT watch Aretha.)

Apparently I wasn't alone; the inauguration is all my friends and neighbors have been able to talk about for the last 24 hours. No matter what our political persuasion, Obama's call to volunteerism resonated with each of us, particularly this line:

"The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good."

If every person in this crowd, and every person who watched the inauguration on television, did even one small thing to help a friend or neighbor, to improve their local schools, or to raise the standard of living in a poor community (perhaps through an organization such as Heifer International) what kind of world would we have?

Go Go Golden Globes

2009-01-12T13:55:00.014-05:00

Each year, the Golden Globes marks the beginning of my Rev-Up-The-Workout season. (For most folks, it's New Year's and the resolutions. For me, it's seeing strappy gowns and peep-toe shoes.)

As Kate Winslet gushed her thanks (twice!) last night, I picked up the dumbells and did sets of lunges, squats, overhead presses, you name it. During commercials, I hit the exercise bike at a high resistance and cranked as hard as I could until they cut back to the gowns and speeches. I watch the Golden Globes, the SAG awards, and the Oscars every year, both to see if I can pick the winners (oh, yes, I did call Slumdog Millionaire! And Colin Farrell for In Bruges, which is a GREAT flick) and to see the fashion.

So here are my loves and hates for this year. What do you think?

Anne Hathaway:

The good: the color choice (different for Hathaway), the shape of the dress, the makeup and hair. All perfect.

The bad: if she didn't stand up really, really straight, the dress made her look like she has a tummy she does NOT have. What was with that?!

Christina Applegate:

The good: The dress. It fits her well and is va-va-voom old Hollywood glam.

The bad: What happened to her hair? It flopped in her eyes all night. Every time the camera flashed to her table, she was shoving it out of her face. She has the cutest hair, so I hope next time her hairdresser leaves it loose.

Beyonce and Jay-Z:

The good: Her hair and makeup (always, always perfect.) Her big smile. Her arm candy (the equally smiley Jay-Z.)

The bad: While the dress was gorgeous, she seemed extremely uncomfortable in it. Like there were pins inside sticking her all over and she was trying to suck in her breath just to keep from getting needled. Am I the only one who noticed this?

Susan Sarandon:

The good: Everything. She looked comfortable and happy all night, brought her son as her date, and her outfit was both classy and sexy. She looked incredible when she took the stage as a presenter.

The bad: None that I could see.

Mary Louise Parker:

The good: YEOWZA! Well played, MLP. Loved the color, the hair, the makeup...every time she appeared on camera, she looked like she was having fun.

The bad: No statue to take home. However, she looks so good, she doesn't need one.

Maggie Gyllenhaal:

The good: Her shoes (you could see them when she walked.) Her makeup. The cut of her dress, and the fact I couldn't completely hate it, despite the cockamamie print.

The bad: That horrid print. If it'd been a solid blue, it would've ROCKED. Then again, her style's always a little offbeat, so, again, I couldn't completely hate it.

Renee Zellweger:

The good: She decided to be bold and try something different.

The bad: This was NOT the right choice. But she seemed happy and comfortable in it, so kudos to RZ.

AND...to end on a high note, my fave of the entire night, Elizabeth Banks, Best Dressed:

The good: She took a risk and went with a pale dress despite her pale complexion, and it WORKED. Great cut, great color, and to-die-for ruffle detail that isn't over the top. Best of all, she topped it with a fun, flirty hairstyle that exuded class. This is the way to go glam without opting for the safe black or red.

The bad: NONE!

Tonight, I plan on night two of Rev-Up-The-Workout while I watch E!'s Fashion Police do their best and worst dressed. I can't wait to see if they agree with me on my picks.

Off the DL

2009-01-04T11:51:00.010-05:00

Bet you didn't think there was a disabled list in the baseball off-season. Well, you are WRONG. Not only could I not play baseball for the last few weeks (not that I was planning to, what with the snow and ice), I couldn't TYPE. For a writer and computer addict, this is a big deal. No responding to e-mail. No blogging. No working on my current manuscript. No googling phrases like "Kylie Minogue fashion don't."

Or searching for videos like "Kathy Griffin New Year's Eve hecklers." (Caution: Some of you may find content in this video objectionable. I think Kathy's hysterical, but she is NOT kid-friendly.)

So how did I end up on the typing DL, you wonder? Long story short: My big Christmas gift this year was a new set of kitchen knives.

Long story long: I've been using the same hand-me-downs since I moved into my first apartment during college, so after this Thanksgiving (and another round of heavy-duty cooking with dull, unsightly knives), I decided it was high time I acquired a grown-up set. I spent forever online researching, then went into the kitchen store to try out a few. I settled on a nifty set from Wüsthof, since they felt good in my hand, and talked my husband into letting me open them before Christmas so I'd have them for Christmas entertaining.

The kicker? Those suckers are SHARP.

I opened the box and started washing them one by one, all jazzed to cut a tomato, a green pepper, whatever. Just as I was daydreaming about speed-chopping celery, I slipped. Steak knife + new edge + right index finger = trip to the ER and stitches. Then I had to have my fingers taped together so I wouldn't bend the right index finger. You don't realize how much you use your hands until you whack them with sharp objects.

On the bright side, I did get to watch a lot of TV. Loved the Boston Legal series finale, though I can't see Justice Scalia marrying anyone, let alone Denny and Alan, during his fishing vacation in Canada (leaving aside the fact that no one had a marriage license.) Maybe this will be addressed if, say, NBC, CBS, or even HBO pick up the series? One can only hope.

Also loved the Survivor finale. Very happy Bob Crowley won, though I thought Sugar played a great strategic game (I wish she'd gotten the $100,000 fan fave money.)

But now the stitches are out, so I'm off the typing DL. If anyone has tips on scar prevention (other than the usual advice to keep the wound covered and use sunscreen), let me know. I don't want to look like I was in a fight and lost!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2008-12-04T08:44:00.004-05:00

The Good: Tonight's episode of Survivor. I cannot WAIT. Last week's ouster of Randy was the most hysterical tribal council of all time. (Crystal is not my fave, but I was rolling when she intentionally made her "confessional" comments so loud that everyone at tribal council and on the jury could hear.)

I'm hoping that Sugar, Matty, Bob, or Kenny win it all. Susie wouldn't be so bad. Crystal would garner an eyeroll and heavy sighs. A Corinne victory would constitute a crime against humanity.

The Bad: Only one more episode left of my beloved Boston Legal. Last week's episode was laugh-aloud funny, so if you've ever seen this show and enjoyed it, do NOT miss the finale next week. Carl Sack and Shirley Schmidt are getting married! Denny and Alan are going to the Supreme Court! Jerry and Katie may actually go on a date! What more could you want? (Aside from another season, of course.)

If you want to catch up before the finale, check out online episodes right here.

The Ugly: Sadly, the "ugly" is my MacBook. I was online when the AOL froze. Couldn't force quit. Clicked over to iCal, which I also had open. No dice quitting iCal, either. So I shut down the MacBook and waited awhile. Went to turn it back on, and got a flashing gray file folder with a question mark on it. Not. A. Good. Sign. If you ever see this, know that it's quite possible your hard drive is dead:

I took my MacBook to the Apple store Genius Bar, where the guys tested it and concluded that yep, it was fried, and yes, it can happen to any computer with no warning whatsoever. They couldn't tell me how it happened (or, more importantly, how to prevent it from happening again.) However, since I wisely purchased AppleCare when I bought the MacBook, they're replacing the hard drive for free.

While having a hard drive crash is a major catastrophe for most writers, I am lucky enough to also have a desktop computer. Though I use it far less than the laptop, I had about 95% of my laptop info backed up to the desktop (and, being neurotic, I then have my desktop backed up to BOTH the Apple .mac server and an external hard drive every night.) Lesson of the week, kids: BACK UP YOUR WORK. Daily. Even when everything is working wonderfully. You never know when an ugly crash will happen.

Boca Insanity

2008-11-10T18:29:00.007-05:00

No, I'm not talking about Boca Raton or anyone living there. Nor am I saying that people who eat Boca products are insane. It's the folks at Boca who decided to discontinue my favorite breakfast wraps who are insane. Don't they know I need these things to get through the morning?

These lovely little wraps microwave in two minutes, are vegetarian, have a decent amount of fiber, and are DELICIOUS! What more could anyone want on a cold morning? (Well, coffee. But that's a given.) But now, not only has Boca discontinued their completely fabulous wraps, they have the gall to try to satisfy wrap addicts by posting a link to this recipe for a breakfast wrap on their breakfast products page.

Here's the thing: If I wanted to make my own breakfast wrap from scratch, I would. I bought the Boca wraps because I am LAZY. Not because I don't know how to make one. And I assume that's also the case for others who bought the wraps--they're either disinclined to cook in the morning or are simply too busy. So it's kind of insulting to come out with a yummy wrap, then yank it away and say, "You consumers could make these yourselves. Just be sure to use Boca meatless patties and chop 'em up first!"

Well, duh.

I am going to have to console myself in the mornings by watching TJ Holmes on CNN while I drink my coffee and eat cold Kashi. (Yes, I like Betty Nguyen, too. The woman rocks. But in the morning, sans Boca wrap, I'm going to need eye candy if there's any hope of being awake enough to write.)

In the meantime, if anyone knows of a store in metro Boston that still has Boca wraps on the freezer shelves, drop me a note. I'll add 'em to my stash.

The Big Day

2008-11-04T13:20:00.006-05:00

If you're an American over the age of 18, today's the big day. Please, please, get out and vote. If you haven't already, take a few minutes to read through the issues pages on the websites of both John McCain and Barack Obama. Think through your own opinions on who can best accomplish what our country needs: Intelligent foreign policy, first-class public education, a strong health care system with access for all, long-term support for our veterans, and a clean, forward-thinking energy plan. A president who'll make reasonable Supreme Court nominations is also vital.

(If you're curious, I've already cast an enthusiastic vote for this guy, because I think he's far better for our country on all counts. And if you don't want to know about how I voted, that's fine, too. A lot of people don't want to know how their fave authors voted. In that case, don't click!)

But...that being said, I do urge you to ignore the ads, ignore what the pundits say, even ignore what someone says you "should" do when you get in the booth. But do read up about the issues so you can make a thoroughly informed choice.

On a completely different note, guess who else is having a big day? Jaime and Erik of Survivor: China! I was soooo sure that Jaime was playing Erik during that season--even blogged about it--but I am happy to report that I was wrong. And apparently the two of them won an $80,000 wedding. Nifty, huh? Love those happy endings!

Cheerleaders in Baseball

2008-10-29T10:31:00.008-04:00

So I haven't blogged since the Red Sox lost to the Devil Rays--okay, okay, the RAYS, which I think is a silly name change--in the ALCS championship. Mostly because I had knee surgery last week (more on that later), which I think is a valid excuse. In the meantime, I've gotten a few e-mails asking me who I support in the World Series, or if I'm even watching.

I am watching. And I'm cheering for the Phillies. Not that I'm a Phillies fan or a Rays hater, it's simply that I have an aversion to this:

No, not the guy's Homer Simpson shirt, which is really not something to be worn in public (though it's very 1990 of him, so I'll be kind and call it retro.) It's the whole concept of cheerleaders in baseball. If you watch the Rays' games, you'll see their cheerleaders dancing on top of the dugout between innings or when the Rays get a home run.

Am I the only one who finds this disturbing? I would NOT want to pay for primo, behind-the-dugout seats only to have to watch the game by constantly shifting in my seat to see around someone's knee socks.

Just as bad: Check out the Marlins' cheerleaders here:

And worse, on the field here:

WHY? Who came up with this?? Is it a Florida phenomenon? If you're a Marlins or Rays fan, what do you think? Are you more likely to buy a ticket to the game if there are cheerleaders? I really want to know if I'm the only one who's anti-baseball cheerleader. (Not anti-cheerleader, just anti-cheerleaders-in-baseball. There IS a difference.)

As to that knee surgery: this was an arthoscopic surgery to fix a torn meniscus. As much as I'd love to blame it on the marathon (therefore making me look like I toughed out 26.2 miles through injury), it wasn't marathon-related. I've had knee problems since I tore my ACL playing softball while I was in law school. This is knee surgery #4 for me (three arthroscopic surgeries plus the ACL repair, which thankfully turned out better than Tom Brady's ACL surgery has so far.) And this time, I don't even know how I injured myself. However, I am probably paying for a very talented and kind orthopedic surgeon's children to go to college, so all is not lost!

Wake Up, People!

2008-10-17T12:01:00.004-04:00

To all of you who left Fenway early last night: Wake up, people! Don't you know your own team?

I loves them, I loves them, I loves them. I may be looking rather red- and puffy-eyed this morning due to a serious lack of sleep, but it is SO WORTH IT!