The First Month of The Year

I realize that it's been quite some time since my last post. Not that anyone's really looking -- this is mostly about me making journal entries for melancholic reflection when I'm 85. Wait a minute, hold the phone, someone left a comment on my Drinking and Blogging entry. Who are you, O Wandering Home lady?!? NTMY!

Anyway. I accomplished everything I set out to do in that mid-December post -- John Branam's signatures are in, Sweeny Todd was delicious, the designers have been hired, and I got in all of my gym workouts! January became a bit of a hibernation after these very busy holidays, a period of reclusiveness that was further enabled by our purchase of a Hi-Def Tivo box and update to our cable package. So a few words on what I've been watching for the past 25 days.

• Netflix brought me season one (six episodes, the "Hamlet" season) of Slings & Arrows, the hilarious (in a scary-because-it's-true sort of way) send-up of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (er, New Burbrage, in this version where the names have been changed to protect the innocent.) Having worked in theater administration for more than a decade, including one of this country's premiere Shakespeare Festivals, I just devoured it, except there was that one time when I fell asleep, must have had too many martinis. Anyway. Cindy has seasons two and three so I'm just going to borrow those from her. Next up on Netflix is "Flight of the Concords" (although in a blonde moment I accidentally ordered "Waltz of the Toreadors," whatever that is. OK yes now I know that it's an old Jean Anouilh play whose 1962 movie of the same name starred Peter Sellars. But Doi, as we used to say in the 80s.)

Slings and Arrows. Oh Richard, you're no Mark Crawford!

• The Amazing Race. Man that was fun, I feel like I was there! Kynt and Vyxen totally grew on me, so did Ron and Christine, but all along we wanted the hippies to win. Like, dude, that was so awesome how calm you guys were the entire time. Did I mention that Rob and Brent actually tried out for the show last month, up in Tacoma? "Don't call us, we'll call you," they said. Oh well.
  

• American Idol. What can I say, I love the auditions.

• Meet the Press and This Week With George Stephanopolous. Wow, I totally love this race, and every time I get nervous about how much Hillary and Barak are fighting, I look at the Republican race and I just think, hmmm, wouldn't want to be them right now!
  

• KGW (Northwest Newschannel Eight!) went hi-def this week, all the better to cover those DANGEROUS frozen water fountains of this DEEP FREEZE 2008. But even more impressive is the focus that has been brought to Tracy Barry's wandering eyes!

Only this week did I realize that all of this boob tube time (plus a substantial number of iTunes downloads) comes at the expense of my usual December and January habit of catching up on my big-screen movies. OMG, the Oscar nominations came out this week and I haven't seen a single one of the best pictures. I also have to say that I'm not missing anything having the writers on strike. I know, that's not politic, and they deserve a fair contract. Just saying.