So maybe it’s a little extreme to say that Monday was my ‘very best day ever.’ I mean my wedding day and the birth of my first and third children should probably be at the top of my ‘very-best-day-ever-ometer…’
Wait… What’s that? I’m single and childless? You are so right…
Monday WAS my very best day ever ever! Here’s the part of the interview where I tell Ellen about my worst show ever. Feel free to laugh at my pain.
OK guys, I’m gonna attempt to chronicle my entire trip so I’m warning you — this is gonna be an epic. Read some now, come back later for the finale. Really, don’t try to read it all in one sitting — your boss is already looking over your shoulder right now. OK well then the least you could do is open up an an Excel spreadsheet or a MS Word file for quick toggle access in case you get caught … Do I have to do everything around here? Sheesh :)
Here goes…
SUNDAY:
So when my flight got into LAX on Sunday, I headed down to baggage claim and who did I see but my soon-to-be fast friend Steve. He asked me if I wanted him to hold up the sign so I could take a photo, but I told him no worries ;)
There was a really long wait between when we got to the carousel and when the bags were finally loaded so Steve and I spent some time getting to know each other. If you know me you know I like to get to know people and hear their stories — either that or I’m just way too nosey ;) Found out Steve grew up in Manhattan but had been in LA since he was 18. I told him I was from DC and he said that the last time he was in DC was for the March on Washington where Dr. King gave the “I Have A Dream” speech. Steve heard Martin Luther King, Jr. give the speech live. We talked about that some. Then we talked about Barack Obama. Steve was awesome. I wish he’d been the driver for the whole trip.
I stayed with good buddy Dawan Owens who moved out to LA about 2-and-a-half years ago to pursue his comedy and acting career. He’s done great out there and just bought the most adorable little house. The Ellen Show of course offered to put me up in a hotel, but I said “No thank you to that bridge to nowhere…” Oh wait… I mean, I said no thanks to the posh room in a fancy LA hotel. I’d rather kick D out of his bed and make him sleep on the couch ;) This is the part where I should probably insert a photo of this adorable house — but I didn’t take one. Boo for me ;(
After we watered the lawn (damn city condo living, I miss lawns… and being able to wash my car in my driveway) we went to the Hooters in Santa Monica where we had a waitress who totally could have been an SNL character. Think Molly Shannon on crack rock. But I digress… I turned in pretty early Sunday nite. Big day ahead. Continue reading →
Hey y’all! Sitting here watching the Sunday nite late football game at 5:30 (the west coast is weird ;) and I thought I’d post the link to the online version of the Style Preview.
Here goes:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/12/AR2008091200784.html?sub=AR
And here’s the link to my portion of the feature:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/12/AR2008091200784_5.html
Yay!
Hey guys… I just realized that I never posted an entry telling you when I would be on Ellen. Duh. It’s gonna air on next Tuesday, September 16th. I fly out to LA on Sunday and I am super duper excited! If my shirt is a little wrinkled, charge it to my regular dry cleaner who needs two days to press a shirt. I guess I gotta do it myself… My dad is an army veteran and also a clothes horse. When I was younger I used to call him the ‘crease nazi’. Man, I sure could use him now…
Also, if you’re in the DC/B’more metro area, check out this Sunday’s big Fall Arts Preview in the Style section. I will be featured alongside some awesome local artists (dancers, musicians, painters) and patrons of the arts. Can’t wait to see it. We all took individual shots which they will meld into one composite group photo — a’ la America’s Next Top Model. Sounds cool, but I’m a little scared because the reporter I spoke with sent me an e-mail that said, “We have a very funny pic of you smack dab in the middle of the page. Hope you like….” YIKES!
God only knows what that photo’s gonna look like. I predict that my eyes are the ‘very funny’ part. They always are…
OK… so today is the Eagles regular season home opener.
Opponent: St. Louis Rams
Game time: 1pm EST on FOX
This will be the first week of the Happy Eagles/Sad Eagles Chronicles. After each regular season game, I will post an entry with one of the photos below, based on the final score. Don’t be jealous of my personally engraved Eagles dog tags…
I hope I never have to use the photo on the right.
Whoever your team is, I hope you’re enjoying the fact that football is back! And if you’re not a football fan and you’re married to or involved with one, I hope you’re enjoying your free time ;)
Happy Sunday,
E
I did a super-cool benefit show last nite in Baltimore for NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland. It was called The Choice Avengers (a superhero-themed event). It was held at the Creative Alliance and there was an awesome group of performers there, none of whom I’d met before. In light of the big choice we have to make this November, it seemed only right to me to do whatever I could to help raise awareness for this organization.
In case you missed Samantha Bee’s Daily Show Clip about choice, here goes:
Hilarious, right? Well I guess not if you’re “on” the right… I think she “hit this one out of the park” (if I never hear that phrase again, it’ll be too soon). But I digress…
So happy I got the opportunity to meet “smart pop musician” Mara Levi.
If you’ve never heard of her she is awesome with a capital “Q!” She does folk music and pop music and she did a bluegrass number that was amazing. She used a ‘loop station’ — I think that’s the name of it — to build up the background harmonies while she was on stage and did the number as a one-woman band. She also beat boxed and looped that as well. It was like Joni Mitchell meets Doug E. Fresh meets a Dixie Chick. I LOVED it. Check her out for sure!!! Continue reading →
You gotta love Fidel Castro.
And by ‘gotta love’ I mean absolutely, positively MUST adore. Forget his oppressive communist government, dude has his countrymen’s backs. Yeah its 5:21 a.m. and I can’t sleep. And as I was publishing the last post, I heard a story on MSNBC that Fidel Castro issued a statement in defense of the Cuban Olympic taekwondo fighter who kicked the ref in the face because of alleged bribery rumors.
I don’t know how long it’ll be up, but the video of the incident is here if you wanna see it. There are some stills up front but the video kicks in towards the end. Apparently Castro defends dude saying that the face mash-up was warranted. Dude’s not even the president anymore but expressed “total solidarity” for the fighter and his coach who I think got banned for life. Then he said the fighter “couldn’t contain himself.”
HELLS YEEAHH Cuba! Castro basically just said, “If you mess with us, be ready to get craned in the face. Point blank… Me and what army? Me and THIS army, sucka!!!” I mean, of course I think dude was wrong for what he did, but I don’t think Bill Clinton would have my back in a fight — right or wrong. I’m just sayin’. Cuba is so gangsta. I think I’m jealous. Alright, I’m going to sleep now.
5:42 a.m.
I like to think of myself as a fan of modern art. I haven’t formally studied or read a great deal of literature about it, but when I see a piece I really like there’s little to nothing that can stop me from buying it — and I mean nothing, including not having a place to put it or enough money to buy it. I’m reckless that way.
While I was at Howard I developed a fondness for collage and mixed media art. There is a permanent piece in the Howard University Gallery Lounge by renowned African American collage artist Romare Bearden that I fell in love with. And ever since then I’ve had a weakness for the medium. Clearly I’m in no position to fill my little 1 BR with original pieces of art from some of my favorite collagists, but I’ve discovered some amazing local DC artists who do amazing work that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and purchase pieces from.
As y’all know I spend most Sunday afternoons at Capitol Hill’s Eastern Market. Even when I’m inside-out-pocket broke, I’ll rustle up some loose change or a few singles from my ’emergency stash’ and at least come back with some fresh cut flowers or some fresh fruit or veggies… Here are a few pieces I’ve bought from local artists who have booth space at the Market:
This piece is by Jackson-Collins. Bottom line, he is amazing. An internationally acclaimed artist, you’ll often find him at the market working on a piece he’s not planning or willing to sell. If you get the chance to go and just talk to him you’ll be intrigued, I promise. An art and music purist, his love for both shines thru in all he does and says. Continue reading →
