That didn't take long...

There are guys on the corner of Connecticut and K selling long-sleeved black "Thanks for the Memories Sean Taylor" tee shirts.

Fantasy Boyfriends

Seeing John Schneider aging surprisingly well on Nip/Tuck last night - in spite of the fact that he was playing a LA porn titan aptly named Ram - got me thinking about my fantasy boyfriends through the years. You know the ones... at least I hope you do... not the mere crushes, but the ones you'd lie awake at night imagining how you'd meet cute while he was filming some project in DC, and how he'd ask you out and tell you that you weren't like all the other fake Hollywood girls he usually dated (delusion much Lis?)....


Well, my fantasy boyfriends started when I was actually not much older than wee Leila with Christopher Robin, the best friend a denizen of the 100 Acre Woods could have.Seriously. I used to walk around my grandparents' house talking to him on a Fisher Price phone. I think it must have been the page-boy haircut and Mary Jane shoes.


Then there was the aforementioned John Schneider when I was 10/11 years old. I fell for him as Bo Duke, of course, but these days he looks more like this:

Even better! Let's just forget that there was a time when he was a country music performer when he looked like this:
And the best of all fantasy boyfriends...the love of my life from seventh grade right on into college (seriously - friends made me sit down on my dorm room bed before they'd break the news of his tragic overdose to me)... River Phoenix. Oh dear River, I still have moments of missing you. Actually, perhaps in tribute to your memory, I don't think I've had a fantasy boyfriend since.
However, if Joaquin came along......

TV-land

I didn't do any TV commentary last week with the holiday and all, but really, what more is there to say than OHMYGOD - SETH GREEN'S CAROTID ARTERY JUST BURST!!! ACK!!!!! But seriously, if they have to do a very special Grey's Anatomy event, that's the way to do it. The paramedics had me bawling my little eyes out.

Charlie Brown Christmas tonight - yea! Yep, I'm a dork, but at least I can now use the kid excuse.

We're getting a little better with this Santa thing

Which is probably inevitable when we start to see him in the malls by November 1st. When I was young, I recall the first (and best) Santa sighting of the season to be the one broadcast from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
I imagine Santa was looking at the line of families still behind us and thinking drats, guess I won't be making it to Murphy's by 9:00.
But it's really all about the candy cane in the end. 45 minutes in line in the bitter cold wind for a candy cane.

The one - and ONLY - thing I have in common...

... with White House press secretary Dana Perino. From the Washington Examiner:

Some Washingtonians are better in the kitchen than others. We asked White House press secretary Dana Perino what she likes to make for Thanksgiving. This is what she told us:“Here’s what I can make:Glass of red wine Directions:1. Buy bottle of red wine2. Un-cork the bottle3. Pour wine into glass”

But seriously... I wish everyone the happiest of holidays with their families, friends and loved ones.

One thing I am grateful for this year is that I now have someone to enjoy a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with. I would have watched by myself, as I do every year along with all the other Charlie Brown specials, but it was that much more enjoyable to share the timeless beauty of a toast and popcorn feast with Leila last night.

Another thing I am grateful for is that I am NOT traveling. I'm sure it was wise for the President to open the air space (a rare wise act), but sheesh...living a mile or less south-wind of National, we heard planes take off every 45 seconds last night!

What I am not grateful for is that I'm stuck in the office for today's entirety, but I'll get by, I've got some reporting to do on the death of Socrates for Cesar's Humanities class...

My daughter's shoes are as(/more) expensive than my own...

...but so darn cute. I had that wrenching moment of mommie guilt when I took her into Nordstrom to get her feet measured on Saturday and the associate said she was measuring an 8 and we should probably buy 8&1/2 and the last shoes I bought her were size 7&1/2 cheapies from Target, so to stave off paranoia about stunting her foot growth I overcompensated of course... I can't find an image of the exact Pumas we bought. They are these:


...but they are silver with the pink swoosh instead of white. So now, she and I can kick around in silver Pumas together. Funny that it took me an entire week of shopping in Spain to find mine and we breeze right into Nordstrom to find hers without effort. We didn't stop there though. Global warming be darned, we thought she needed a good solid pair of weatherproof boots for the winter months and bought her a pair of pink and tan Geox (patented breathable soles...just what every toddler needs) zip-ups with synthetic fur cuffs that are just too precious. Bye, bye $130 and change.


And this after I ventured into our new Zara Kids downtown Friday and plopped down $100 on new dresses for Thanksgiving. But forget the money. Let's just take a moment to express my excitement. We finally have a Zara Kids in DC! Part of me is disappointed that there will be other little girls running around town as cute/stylishly dressed as my own, but now I can look forward to possibly spending more money on myself when next in Spain and not have to be so focused on bringing home an entire season's worth of clothes for the girl!

"The long speech"

Please give Chandra Wilson an Emmy. Please give Chandra Wilson an Emmy. Please give Chandra Wilson an Emmy.... Oh how I aspire to be able to convincingly deliver "the long speech" one of these days. I don't even care that she was reduced to blithering and delivered that long speech to Derrick as a surrogate to - hey, it's President Palmer v.2 from 24, nice to see you here! - because who can't feel themselves in her shoes. I may not have had the mushroom haircut (ha!) and the oboe and the big glasses...OK, I did have the big glasses plus the plaid pleated kilts with red or green coordinating tights...but I certainly pined unnoticed for the heart-throbs - the actors more so than the athletes - but that's neither here nor there...If I start revisiting high school now I could probably go on here all day.

Cue the Awwwws...

Right... So last night's dine out at Fuddruckers to raise money for St. Anthony's was about as relaxing and culinarily (I quite possibly invented that word) satisfying as Chuck E. Cheese was Sunday, but just how cute are Leila and her friend Parker sharing a hug??

My New Favorite Grocery Store

...drum roll please...is Harris Teeter. Seriously. LOVE. The Harris Teeter shopping experience is old news to most people I'm sure, but when the closest one to me was at Pentagon Row I never bothered to go because I just hit Shopper's first. Now, however, there is one just one stoplight past Potomac Yard (and within a mile of any given point in Alexandria/Arlington it seems like given the grand opening mailers I keep receiving.)

I mean any store equipped with these:

... to keep the "shoppers in training" occupied gets a gold star in my book. But, of course, she usually flips it over at some point. Leading to a crying jag. Leading to me carrying her while pushing hers and my carts. But the sugar cookie at check out helps with that. And the balloons. And the outstanding customer service. I mean the best I've encountered outside of Nordstrom. An associate Sunday saw me pushing our two carts with my knee while carrying the girl and she came and collected my carts, put me in an empty line and proceeded to unload my carts for me. The woman who got Leila one pink and one red balloon "to match her outfit" at the start of our visit said farewell to her by name as we exited. Don't know if this is a company wide phenom, or just our particular store, but they manage to make it such a pleasant shopping experience.

And the product selection may just about rival Trader Joe's in allowing for quick and easy prep meals. I know most of my friends actually enjoy planning and preparing meals with more than three ingredients, but I haven't quite gotten there. They're perhaps not quite so unique in ethnic fare, but at least I don't have to finish a trip at TJ's only to have to go to another store for basics like toilet paper and diet coke. I'll still work in at least a monthly trip to TJ's, but I'm glad to have the alternative.

And the best part is that Cesar actually didn't complain about his meals the past two nights. Monday I sprinkled rib-eyes with this seasoning and he threw them on the grill and they actually received a prolonged mmmmm...

Last night I did these Aquastar shrimp skewers, brushed with a little olive oil...
... and sprinkled with this rub...
...which will soon be a favorite for all variety of fish/shellfish. Cesar thought it "tasted too Moroccan" which was just why I loved it, because Moroccan spices are something I can never hope to replicate on my own.

I'm officially hungry now.

I'm Not There

I'm a Dylan fan. A big one. I think that's been made clear here before. I've been intrigued by the premise of this movie since I first started hearing murmurs about it and I hope it makes it out of limited distribution by the Christmas holiday. Though I probably need to add Chronicles Vol. 1 to my long and growing reading list to get a little more insight into the man...the legend...Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan... before I try to take in the visual of various aspects of his persona being played by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere among others.


Just a few observations on the promo stills and posters coming out. Christian Bale is entirely too much hotness for Dylan...
Then again, in the high-rise jeans, maybe not so much... Oh, who am I kidding, the man is beauty incarnate no matter what he's wearing, who he's playing, how beefed up he is, or how torturedly emaciated...
And speaking of hot...When did we last see Heath Ledger look so good? A Knight's Tale? The Four Feathers? The Patriot? Yeah, probably The Patriot. Whatever weave or plugs he's rocking to make his (normally thinning) hair reach such Dylan-esque heights suits him. Actually, in this shot, he kind of looks like James Franco. Which is a good thing in my book.
And every one's seen the Cate Blanchett pics by now, but she actually looks to be the most convincing in terms of physically embodying the man... the legend...OK, back to work!

The Horror...

Chuck E. Cheese®
Birthplace: New Jersey
Species: Mouse
Occupation: Entertaining kids
Hobbies: Playing video games, skateboarding
Favorite Pizza: Extra Cheese
Favorite Saying: It's party time!

I can't say that I ever knew Chuck E. boy's birthplace was New Jersey, but somehow I don't find that surprising. No offense to my peeps in the Jersey suburbs! Yesterday afternoon we attended our second 3 year old birthday party of the weekend at a branch of this fine establishment in the city of Fairfax. I get the appeal of the place. I do. The kids had a blast. This family is so sweet and lovely and did the best they could with the offerings at hand and I know I'll probably be in the position of having to come up with something outside the home for Leila's third this spring, but OH. MY. GAWD. The place is gross. Period. Massi, please forgive me for ever thinking it a good/funny idea to take you there for your 21st birthday (at least we could wash the memory away with Green Leafe beer back then.) Maybe it's just because I'm a parent now and I have nightmares about MRSA and other cooties. Maybe it's because I found a fresh mouse dropping in my house yesterday and am bracing myself for our winter colonies. And the pizza is the pits. It was never good. I recall that now. I'm thankful Leila only ate one small slice because my stomach is less forgiving of me today for eating one slice myself than it ever was for eating grilled meat from the side of the road in Morocco. I'm also glad I had the foresight to hold off on Leila's bath until our return home last night b/c if I hadn't, she would have taken two yesterday.

TV Talk

I finally watched last week's Grey's last night - Emily and I enjoyed a mom's night out of wine and burgers and too loud entertainment by a band of 40-something Del Ray rockers last Thursday and I had two episodes of Ugly Betty to catch up with over the weekend, so last night was my first chance to spend a little time with the Seattle Grace gang. And I just have to say good show all around - well, I do have a few bones to pick, but I'd like to focus on the positive. The awesome: 1) Dr. Hahn - oh thank you Dr. Hahn for bringing the snark! And "Pretty and Prettier..." Ha! 2) Sloan - Love him. For more than his physical assets alone this season. "It's like half my job torturing interns." So good. He and Callie are so hittin' it soon. Cesar glanced at the computer screen for a second while he was on and said "see, that's how I want to grow my beard" and I would so tolerate a tickley beard if it were tamed into the hotness of Eric Danes' I may just tape a picture of him to the bathroom mirror to guide Cesar in his shaving...anyway, moving on. 3) Callie - She continues to become the most likable female on the show. And damn, girlfriend is looking good - her makeup was perfection. I'm so glad her beauty and strength is coming out with letting George go. The not so awesome: 1) OK Mere, we know that you died and came back and had your moment of clarity and let it get away from you...let's move on shall we. 2) G/Izzie and their perfect shaved leg sex - ewww...I think I share more chemistry with my own brother than those two. Tho' Izzie was pretty great in woodpecker dude's surgery - give her a deer or a woodpecker or any forest creature and she can run with it. 3) ALEX!!!!! I love you. I do. Especially for your bad boy ways. It was so upstanding of you to tell Lexi that you are sort of into someone else and it would only ever be sex which is never enough for girls like her, but don't then bring her home to Meredith's house when she's compromising enough to take sex alone!

And just a quick word on Nip/Tuck. Julia's gone from Marlin the dwarf as a lover to Portia de Rossi...Interesting. It was nice to see her free of angst for once. Christian's Playgirl spread reeling in the "gay mafia" was pretty darn amusing and hot as he is, Julian McMahon either needs to go up a shirt size or sculpt down his physique a bit. I'm glad he seems to be slowly getting over the whole small fish in the big pond of Hollywood thing.

Writer's Strike

Well, I guess I'll have more time to read as my shows start running out of episodes in the can. LA Times ran a grid of where things stand for those who admit to being as TV addicted as I...


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-striketvgrid-html,0,7606966.htmlstory?coll=la-home-center


At least Nip/Tuck appears to be in good shape through February. And Lost will have 8 out of 16 episodes ready to go when it FINALLY comes back.

I'm just wondering...

... why the cockroaches - of the big brown crunchy variety - only come out to play when I'm home alone? And even if Cesar is home, I'm always the one to come across them. Like on my wedding night - my wedding night! When I had to stand upon a dining room chair in my dress and scream for him to come back down and smash one. I suppose there's a reason why people stay in a hotel suite on their wedding night. Or three weeks ago, when I reached for the handle to open the dishwasher and felt a flutter across my fingers then looked down in disgust and horror at the one that fell to the floor as I whipped my hand away. I have not opened the dishwasher without looking under the handle first since. Then two days following that, I saw one remove itself from a glue trap then scurry to the other side of the fridge as I sprayed the heck out of it all while Cesar was upstairs throwing a temper tantrum b/c I'd supposedly lost a favorite sock in the wash (surprise, surprise...that sock turned up last week.) And then last night while Cesar was at school I was having this sixth sense that I was going to encounter some critter - I even whipped my head around at one point as I did dishes to scan the kitchen because I thought I'd heard a faint shuffle, but I didn't encounter anything. So I sat in front of Dan Abrams with some dinner and when I got up to take my plate back to the kitchen....right in my path, in front of the door sat Gregor Samsa himself (perhaps if I re-read Kafka I'd be a little more sympathetic to the plight of vermin.) I climbed up a few stairs to walk around him, and thank goodness he was fairly sluggish which allowed me time to grab the Swiffer from its corner and WHACK! I have such mad love for the Swiffer - probably more than for any other household cleaning implement. Sorry Dyson - your suction magic comes close and relieves me of cobweb stress, but you just can't double as a large bug squasher! Now I'm just bracing myself for signs of a mouse resurgence now that the temperatures are dropping.

Desperate Measures

So it is now November 5th. As in the Holidays are RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. As in Lisa needs to loose the 10-15 pounds (variable by day of the week, point in the month, etc...) that have somehow crept up on her since sometime last winter in the next 3 to 7 weeks or so! Soliciting any and all quick and easy fixes to this pesky little problem here!


I have numerous clothing items in my closet that are still fashionably relevant that just aren't clearing my hips. I haven't had my Rock and Republic jeans on my body since June and I want to reclaim them (Seven's are apparently somewhat more forgiving, but it would be nice to avoid having to hitch them up to avoid plumber's crack before I sit every time.)


15 pounds would be ideal - actually 16 would take me back to my wedding weight and that's kind of my bench mark for self-image satisfaction - 10 pounds I could live with. 24 pounds would take me back to my all time college low, but a diet of black coffee, cigarettes, candy, bagels (hey, it was the early-mid '90s when low fat/high carb was all the rage) and frozen yogurt is pretty much out of the question these days.


I get the whole portion control and exercise thing. I do. But with the realities of work and family, my daily exercise is pretty limited to a brisk walk of a mile or so to and from the metro - and the from will probably be cut in favor of the bus now that it's dark at 5:30. I've tried, oh how I've tried to wake up at 5:00 and get some pilates in, but see work and family excuse above coupled with too many TV shows that require me to stay up to 11 and understand that's a no-go.


I bring my breakfast/lunch to work 4 days a week and it includes yogurt, a couple pieces of fruit, a 100 calorie pack of pretzels, a box raisins and a granola bar and I pretty much snack on that throughout the day. If that doesn't meet the perameters of portion control, I'm not sure what does. Friday I gift myself a purchased salad, or maybe soup and a side salad. Yes, there's the occasional morning when I can't resist the lure of ginger scones from Teaism, but with budget constraints also in place, I passed on my chai latte this morning in favor of tea in the office, and if I can keep that up at least a few days a week the other temptations may be kept at bay. Dinner, on nights when Cesar doesn't have class, is generally a protein, a starch and a veggie/salad - shaken up by the occasional taco or chicken fajita night - it's pretty blah, but I'm sure prepared marinades and sauces up the sodium/carb. content.


So, there you have it, any success stories are welcome. But I probably won't get into Weight Watchers. Even though people swear by it. I just feel like I do better when I'm not following any one program (or heaven forbid the dread "D" word - DIET) And please don't tell me I have to give up my nightly glass(/es) of wine. Pretty please. Maybe actually posting my embarrassing daily scale reads here would help in the motivation department....

I'm not sure...

...what made me throw up in my mouth more today...Britney's Halloween costume, or the image of little Ashley Olsen making out with Lance Armstrong... the latter just seems all kinds of wrong. I'd almost be more OK with her making out w/ Uncle Jesse or Joey. Anyway...