Please Don't Go

A magazine (that shall remain nameless, but note that it is not one of the titles published by the media company for whom I work) keeps sending me emails saying "Shari, we want you back!"

On its own, it's quite a flattering statement (especially with the emphatic exclamation point adding just that extra bit of well, emphasis about how much they want me back) and when I opened up the email, the line that immediately jumped out at me (because it was bolded) was "we want another chance".

What woman doesn't have at least one young man in her past whom she wished would have sent an email, text message, card, or letter by carrier pigeon with those words emotionally scrawled across the page (or screen)? And I think that's exactly the sentiment that our little periodical friends are trying to tap into. What better feeling than having the upper hand, even if just for a few moments, to fold your arms across your chest, scrunitize the suitor and make him sweat while you contemplate (for real or just for show) his worthiness.

The only flaw in their logic is the one teeny, tiny detail that they never had me in the first place. That's right, I've never even had a subscription to this particular publication. So how can they "want me back"? How can I give them another chance when I'd never even given them a first one?

And why would I want to be with somebody who clearly has me confused with someone else?

An Evening with the Masters

This past Saturday night, Special K and went to see the renowned Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach (thanks, LLW, for the tickets!!). The Pageant bills itself as a place "where art comes to life" and this couldn't be further from the truth.

The show is a series of "tableaux vivants" (or living pictures) each representing a distinct piece of art such as a well-known painting or sculpture. This summer, the theme was "The Muse", a tribute to those forces, places and individuals who inspire an artist to create his best, most moving work.

If you have never seen the Pageant, I highly recommend it -- it really is unlike anything you've ever experienced. Actual cast members recreate each and every work of art -- the paintings and sculptures in the show all feature real people, in makeup and costume, holding stock still for up to a couple of minutes at a time while the narrator weaves an interesting and engaging story about what you're currently seeing on stage.

It's so hard to explain, but you will be absolutely awed. At one point about 20 minutes into the show, they bring up the house lights and actually deconstruct how the tableaux are put together. Even when you see this, you still cannot fathom how realistic each piece looks when presented to the audience -- a real testament to the power of lighting.

Add The Pageant of the Masters to your "must-see" list the next time a summer trip brings you to Orange County. And don't forget to take in any (or all) of the three art festivals happening at the same time!

The Future of Comfort Food

A few months ago, I wrote a post describing how books are my mashed potatoes, my mac & cheese, my triple chocolate layered upside down cake (wha?)... in short, they are my comfort food. I have loved to read since I, well, learned to read. I belonged to my first book club before I even started elementary school. One constant in my life is that I can always lose myself in a bookstore and it's hard for me to visit one (or Target or Costco) and not leave with arms full of books and a big smile on my face. The launch of Amazon.com was a nearly orgasmic experience. ("You mean I can have books delivered directly to me with one-click??")

Well, comfort food has just been taken to the next level!

My wonderful husband surprised me with the new Amazon Kindle for my birthday and while I was initially skeptical about the whole electronic reader thing, I am happy to report that I am now completely sold. The device is gorgeous - so sleek, slim and lightweight. The reading experience is much better than I would have expected and I LOVE the built-in dictionary feature where you can hover over a word and immediately see its definition at the bottom of the "page".

I downloaded two full novels in about one minute and I devoured both of those books within about one week. The Kindle is perfect for a travel-heavy schedule because it's so easy to pack and it can literally be dozens of books in one. (Knowing my addiction to the printed word, you will understand how happy this makes me!)

The only slight downside is that the e-books are still rather spendy, with many coming in around the $10 mark. Hmmmm... a little hard to stomach when there isn't a physical item that will find its way to my already-full bookshelf for the rest of its foreseeable existence.

And now, when I read in bed at night before lights out, Special K giggles every time I "click" to turn a page... which is about every 30 seconds. Hey, he enabled my addiction in the first place. And I love him for it!

Stark Raving Mad!

I posted this on my Kaboodle blog as well (and on Facebook), so apologies if you've seen this already!

Per my earlier admission of my obsession with Mad Men (just scroll down the page if you haven't read that entry already), I have now entered AMC's Mad Men Casting Call contest for a chance to win a walk-on role on the show (and the $1000 gift card for Banana Republic wouldn't be so bad either!)

The semi-finalists are chosen by how many votes they get, so go ahead and click through and give me a bit of love -- the contest (and voting) ends on August 11.

And I promise I will stop talking SOOOOO much about the endlessly interesting folks at Sterling Cooper.

(Don't forget -- new season starts on August 16!)

Hide and Sikh

In early 2008, California was the latest state to pass legislation that prohibits the use of cell phones in cars -- you're now only allowed to chat if you can operate the phone in a hands-free manner. I generally don't like earpieces, so I'm fortunate because I can actually program my phone to work through the speakers inside my car. (Fair warning: if you call me when I'm driving, you'll be on speaker phone!)

Even though this law was widely publicized before it was enacted and even though it was admended early in 2009 to also ban text messaging while driving, it's still common to see people trying to sneak in a quick conversation, phones held to their ears, old-school style.

On Thursday evening, Special K and I were in a cab, headed for the San Jose airport when he pointed out two other drivers on the 101 freeway who were openly and shamelessy gabbing away on their cell phones, without using any sort of hands-free device.

Then our cab driver's cell phone rang. I was seated directly behind him and couldn't really see what was happening, but soon, Special K started to chuckle and asked me in a low voice, "Do you see what's going on up there?" I couldn't, but just assumed that our driver was probably also breaking the law.

When we arrived at the airport, Special K told me what he had actually seen. Our driver was Indian and was wearing the full beard and iconic turban of his Sikh religion. And very cleverly, when he answered his phone, he simply tucked the device under the edge of the snugly wound fabric next to his ear, leaving him completely free to have both hands on the wheel while he chatted animatedly with whoever was on the other line.

Brilliant. I predict a whole new line of cell phone accessories coming to market!

Mad About, Well.... Men

And who wouldn't be??

I openly admit it -- I'm obsessed with the AMC darling "Mad Men", the series that chronicles the personal and professional trials and tribulations of a group of advertising men (and women) on Madison Avenue during the 1950's and 60's.

And don't think for a moment that my dedication to this TV show is because of any little (and I mean tiny), completely harmless (silly, really), itsy-bitsy crush on leading man Don Draper. I mean, come on -- I've been in advertising and publishing myself now for a number of years, so my interest in the show and in Mr. Draper is strictly professional. It's really much more like a history lesson. Truly.

So, when Sarah forwarded a link to "Mad Men Yourself", I was all over it like a dirty martini. Yes, it's true, you can now create your very own Mad Men avatar and even insert him/her into scenes reminiscent of the show. If you're a Mad fan, this is a brilliant diversion -- I've already spent WAY too much time defining the 1962 version of me.

Look out Don Draper -- there's a new mad woman in town!

Keep it Down Up There!

Many of you know that in my NoCal apartment, I live on the ground floor. The major pro is that I have a huge patio and I don't have to cart my luggage up and down the stairs every time I travel (which, as you also know, is frequently). The major con is that within the last couple of months, a new family of grizzly bears has moved in directly above me. Seriously - the noise that comes from this unit is unreal. And it's not even like they're having rowdy parties or anything -- they're just simply noisy. Every seemingly normal, mundane action (like walking down the hall) is amplified about 1000 times to the point where my walls reverberate, my doors rattle in their frames and my books shimmy on their shelves. And it happens continuously. (Don't these people ever just sit down??)

It's gotten to the point now where I am just downright curious about what's going on up there because there is no way that people make this much noise just going about their normal day-to-day tasks.

Here are my best guests:

• They have opened a gym in order to make some extra cash and I'm the only one of my neighbours who isn't up there, heaving around weights and medicine balls.
• The San Francisco 49er's have relocated their existing Santa Clara practice facility.
• There are ongoing African dance (and drum circle!) lessons and events going on ... all with admittedly terrible rhythm.
• Hippo racing has finally caught on.
• They just bought an interest in a winery, the only catch being that they actually have to stomp the grapes themselves -- old school!
• Mickey Rourke is holding classes and demonstrations on wrestling moves in order to make some cash just in case this "comeback" thing doesn't quite pan out.
• The UFC, WWF, MMA and any other acronym that basically stands for "way too much testosterone (and steroids)" has set up new headquarters.

Honestly, I think I'm going to start leaving DVD's of VERY long mini-series and movies on their front door step just to see if I can get them to be still for a couple of hours.