Skinny Vanilla Latte

My Skinny Vanilla Latte on my desk at work.
Notice the lipstick stain. Revlon "Blushed."

Tried the skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks for the first time. Not bad. I'm not a daily latte drinker. For me it's a special treat when I'm out with friends, so I don't really have a problem ordering the full fat drinks. It's a splurge; not a regular thing.

But it was Wednesday morning and as I walked out the door on the way to the office, I decided to do something wild and crazy so I stopped by Starbucks and get a tall hazelnut latte to go. Hmmm. "Skinny Vanilla Latte" was actually on the menu. As you know "skinny" means the drink is made with skim milk rather than whole or two percent. In the advertising world the word "skinny" is quite effective and caters to consumers who want to be thin and slender. And who doesn't? It's obvious that in America, skinny is a good thing. So when Starbucks posts the word "skinny" on their menu, they're hoping you'll think you'll be skinny if you buy their latte.

The ploy might work if they didn't push the Cheesecake Factory pastries. So you walk out the door with a Skinny Vanilla Latte and a Lemon Poppyseed Muffin. Such is life.

Hello, Newman

Today is Newman's birthday! Well, actually, it's actor Wayne Knight's birthday. Born August 7, 1955, in New York City, Wayne Knight was perfectly cast as Jerry Seinfeld's annoying neighbor and nemesis. One of my favorite episodes was "The Boyfriend."  Newman and Kramer were describing how Keith Hernandez spit on them after a Mets game as Jerry interrogated them in a parody of the movie "JFK." Here's the scene:

NEWMAN: June 14, 1987.... Mets Phillies. We're enjoying a beautiful afternoon in the right field stands when a crucial Hernandez error to a five run Phillies ninth. Cost the Mets the game.

KRAMER: Our day was ruined. There was a lot of people, you know, they were waiting by the player's parking lot. Now we're coming down the ramp ... Newman was in front of me. Keith was coming toward us, as he passes Newman turns and says, " Nice game pretty boy.". Keith continued past us up the ramp.

NEWMAN: A second later, something happened that changed us in a deep and profound way front that day forward.

ELAINE: What was it?

KRAMER: He spit on us.... and I screamed out, "I'm hit!"

NEWMAN: Then I turned and the spit ricochet of him and it hit me.

ELAINE: Wow! What a story.

JERRY: Unfortunately the immutable laws of physics contradict the whole premise of your account. Allow me to reconstruct this if I may for Miss Benes as I've heard this story a number of times. Newman, Kramer, if you'll indulge me. According to your story Keith passes you and starts walking up the ramp then you say you were struck on the right temple. The spit then proceeds to ricochet off the temple striking Newman between the third and forth rib. The spit then cam off the rib turned and hit Newman in the right wrist causing him to drop his baseball cap. The spit then splashed off the wrist, pauses, in mid air mind you- makes a left turn and lands on Newman's left thigh. That is one magic luggie.

NEWMAN: Well that's the way it happened.

JERRY: What happened to your head when you got hit?

KRAMER: Well. uh, well my head went back and to the left.
JERRY: Again.

KRAMER: Back and to the left.

JERRY: Back and to the left. Back and to the left.

ELAINE: So, what are you saying?

JERRY: I am saying that the spit could not have come from behind ... that there had to have been a second spitter behind the bushes on the gravelly road. If the spitter was behind you as you claimed that would have caused your head to pitch forward.

ELAINE: So the spit could have only come from the front and to the right.

JERRY: But that is not what they would have you believe.


In "The Finale," Newman gives one of his most famous speeches:

"All right! But hear me and hear me well! The day will come, oh yes, mark my words, Seinfeld! Your day of reckoning is coming, when an evil wind will blow through your little playworld and wipe that smug smile off your face! And I'll be there in all my glory, watching, watching as it all comes crumbling down."

My Best Chick Comics

I'm a huge fan of comics. My faves include Peanuts, Dilbert, Doonesbury, Fusco Brothers, F-Minus, The Other Coast and Pooch Cafe. However, my chick comics are the ones that inspire me the most. We ladies gotta stick together!

My best chick comics:

Apartment 3-G: Three women who are best friends try to juggle career, men and friendships. Margo is a brunette talent agent with a head for business, Tommy is a redheaded nurse and the brains of the group, and LuAnn is the blonde school teacher, who happens to be an artist. 

Six Chix: Cool concept. The comic is written by six chick cartoonists -- Isabella on Mondays, Margaret on Tuesdays, Rena on Wednesdays, Anne on Thursdays, Benita on Fridays and Stephanie on Saturdays. WOMAN POWER!

Mary Worth: An elderly lady who lives in Santa Royale, California, Mary is a wise gentlewoman who helps people get their lives straightened out. It's not interference, it's "being helpful." Right? Right.

On a Claire Day: Claire is young woman breaking free from her parents and setting out on her own. Similar premise to the TV show "That Girl" but without the fashion, Broadway and Marlo Thomas bangs. And even though she is struggling to make ends meet, she has a cat and dog.

Meaning of Lila: Lila is a young woman who lives on her own, loves to shop, has a mediocre office job and hangs out with her best friend Boyd, who just happens to be gay. They live for the weekends when they can go to bars and pick up dates. Does Lila's life have meaning? I report. You decide.

Between Friends: Maeve is a sales director and divorcee; she's back in the dating game. Susan is married and has a step-daughter and struggles with her weight and addiction to coffee. Kim is a feminist freelance writer, married with a son. Question: Does feminism still exist in the 21st century? According to the Lifetime Channel it does. 

Click on the links and join the party!

Dear Tim Gunn...

Dear Tim,

I missed you terribly! I'm so happy to see you once again on the new season of Project Runway. How I wish I were one of the designers on the show. Unfortunately, I couldn't sew myself out of a paper bag so it's probably for the best.

Nevertheless, I'm concerned about Casanova and the horrible situation with his $1,070 Dolce & Gabbana pants. What was he thinking? Maybe he had in mind to make "pants out of pants" like Ivy. How was he to know that his plan would backfire? Oh, well. Live and learn.

And as for the look he showed on the runway. OMG! Michael Kors was right. She looked like a pole dancer in Dubai.

Okay, let's talk about Ivy. I concur with the judges that those pants were the absolute worst! But I can't place the blame completely on Ivy. Those pants belonged to Peach, who appears to be a fashion designer that buys her clothes at Wal-Mart.

As for some of the others, Jason is channeling Laurel & Hardy, Sarah looks like an 80s drag queen, and Valerie should re-think the bangs.

My favorites are Kristin, Gretchen, Mondo, A. J., Michael C. and Nicholas. BTW, how on earth did Nicholas end up with the most beautiful model of the bunch? That girl is STUNNING!

Tim, I must say that you are the best thing about Project Runway. I love the way you encourage the designers and tell them to "make it work." Your insightful comments keep them on the right track and they would be smart to heed your advice.

Here's to a great season! I'm looking forward to see what new challenges the designers will face.

Sincerely,
Luana

P.S.
So what do you think of Heidi's new hair style? 

Going Places

So I'm in the process of getting my passport! Yep! You never know when you might have to hop on a plane to London, Paris or Rome. The first step is to get a copy of my birth certificate. I filled out the form and it will be notarized and in the mail Monday. After that, I submit my passport application.

The only foreign country I've ever visited was Mexico. I've been to the border cities: Juarez in 1969 and Nogales in 1985. No big deal. Everyone spoke English. I've never seen so many tacky velvet paintings in my life.

My Aunt Betty was in Rome (actually she was stranded there on 9/11). My mother-in-law went to Austria. My friend Mark went to France (twice!) My co-worker Annie went to Ireland last year. Friends from church went to Israel. Other friends from church went on mission trips to Russia, Africa, Cuba, Haiti and Canada. Hubby was in Russia and Sicily. My dad was in Germany and Suriname. My grandfather was at Guadalcanal in WWII, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a pleasure trip.

So here I am. Ready for my own adventure. I'd love to go to Europe. Particularly London and Paris. I would also enjoy a Tour of Italy (and I'm not talking about the entree at Olive Garden). I've been studying French and Italian off and on for years so I'm prepared for whatever comes my way.

Ciao!

Kent Channels Gene Kelly

Jose and Kent

This week on "So You Think You Can Dance" featured some amazing performances. Kent and Jose did a Broadway routine reminiscent of the classic Gene Kelly/Donald O'Connor style. It blew my socks off!



Then Billy and Robert tackled a Bollywood routine. It was INSANE!!!

Billy and Robert

Unfortunately, Jose and Billy left the show this week leaving four dancers to compete for America's Favorite Dancer: Kent, Lauren, Robert and AdeChike.

Picture This!

I'm chasing down my dream. Finally signed up for a digital photography class this fall! I've been wanting to do this for years but it never seemed to fit my schedule...until now.

A little history: In high school I fantasized about being a photographer for National Geographic. My parents had subscribed to that magazine for years; in fact, my dad still has every single issue from 1970 to 1975.  I dreamed I would travel the world with my camera and live a glamorous, adventurous life. But God had other plans and I got married, had two kids, and got a Master's in psychology. Go figure.

Anyway, I continued to pursue photography as a hobby. I'm the family picuture-taker and capture precious family moments on film (until we went digital, that is). But I also photograph what I call "art" shots. I walk around and find something interesting to shoot. What can I say? It's who I am. It's what I do.

I took this photo of the side of building downtown where I work.
The open window at the top tells a story.
I love the contrasting textures of the wall.

Revolutionary Road

I  finally got around to watching "Revolutionary Road" this week. It's about a 1950s suburban couple (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) with two children who feel trapped by society's expectations and are living a lifestyle they despise. They want to escape to Paris to live the life they want; a life that breaks the boundaries of the "American Dream"; Kate will work and support Leo, who will have the freedom to find his true calling. Their hopes are dashed when Kate becomes pregnant and Leo gets a promotion and a lot more money.

I recorded this movie on DVR and have watched it three times this week. The performances are amazing, the cinematography is breathtaking and the music is haunting. I would have to say this is one of the best films I've ever seen. Not so much the story as the combination of all the elements that make a great movie.

Inception

Hubby and I went to see "Inception" Sunday night. If you blink, you'll miss the whole plot. Very complex but totally intriguing. It's like "The Matrix" meets "Sneakers." Leo rocked, as usual.

Inception in the movie means to put an idea in someone's mind subconsciously. Leo is an Inceptionist.

The special FX were amazing. Especially the scene where the city wrapped around itself and Leo and Ellen Page were walking on the walls and the upside down street that turned right side up. I also enjoyed the anti-gravity scene where everyone is wired to the dream machine and floating in the air and Joseph Gordon-Levitt has to try to wake them up with a "kick" which is the sense of falling that jolts them out of the dream. 

Interesting "facts" about the dream world: 10 hours of real world time gives one hour in the dream. Also there are totems that the dreamer carries to test whether or not he is dreaming or in reality.

As if that weren't enough drama, there's a mystery involving Leo and his deceased wife.

I give it four out of five stars for the fascinating plot and exceptional performances.

Leonardo DiCaprio

So why is it that all of a sudden I'm a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio? Yes, I've always liked his movies but as an actor he was nothing to write home about. Until now.

I think it has a lot to do with his maturity and the choices he's made in selecting films. He has the luxury of being selective. He seems to have good instincts in choosing excellent roles.

Filmmography:
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) -- Double whammy with Johnny Depp!
Romeo and Juliet (1996) -- Claire and Leo sitting in a tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Marvin's Room (1996) -- Tortured teen with a crazy mom.
Titanic (1997) -- BEST LOVE STORY EVER! I cried for weeks.
Gangs of New York (2002) -- Head to head with Daniel Day Lewis.
Catch Me If You Can (2002) -- Edge of my seat. Hanks in horn rims. Yeah!
The Aviator (2004) -- Star power: Cate, Kate, John C., Alec.
The Departed (2006) -- More star power: Matt, Jack, Mark, Martin (and Alec once again)
Blood Diamond (2006) -- Leo's poignant action movie. See Leo. See Leo run. Run, Leo, run!
Revolutionary Road (2008) -- Leo and Kate reunited as Ozzie and Harriet.
Shutter Island (2010) -- Leo the gumshoe.
Inception (2010) -- TBA!

Bagel Shop at Hingham, Massachusetts

So here we are in Hingham, Mass on the 4th of July getting ready for the Big Parade. We stop off at a bagel shop for breakfast. Hubby, Luke, Liz, Vanessa and Lily. FYI, I got a poppy seed bagel with cream cheese and iced hazelnut coffee.

Kent and Billy!

Kent and Neil "Damn Yankees"

This week on "So You Think You Can Dance," Kent and Billy were amazing!

Kent's Broadway routine with Neil was INSANE! They performed "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo" from "Damn Yankees." Breathtaking acrobatics, high energy, wonderfully entertaining, awesome costumes and nice prop work with baseball bats.

In his second dance, he performed a contemporary dance with AdeChike to the song "You Only Disappear" by Tom McRae. Those two together were beautiful. 

This was Kent's best week ever. He has a shot at winning now that Alex is gone. Poor Alex tore his Achilles tendon and is out of the competition. He was by far the best dancer the show has ever seen. Hopefully he will be back next season.

Lauren and Billy

Billy Bell ruled the school this week, too! His jazz dance with Lauren was incredible ("Boogie Shoes" by KC and the Sunshine Band). I loved Mandy Moore's choreography and the story of shoes that meet and start dancing together.

I also enjoyed Jose's Broadway routine "Mr. Cellophane." The judges hated it, but I thought it was terrific. Lovin' Jose the sweet B-Boy.

My favorites are Kent, Billy, Robert and Jose.

Boston in a Day and a Half

Luke and Vanessa on Ferry

So yesterday Luke took Vanessa and me to the market place at Faneuil Hall. I bought a Boston sweatshirt and hat and picked up some souvenirs for Jen, Parris and Jaden. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and we all ordered the Legendary Burger and the Vanilla Shake. After that we took a tour of Boston Harbor on a ferry and I got some amazing photos. Then we took the trolley through town and saw the historical sites.

Cityscape from Ferry

For you history buffs, Faneuil Hall is located near the waterfront and has been a market place and meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams and others who encouraged independence from Britain. It's also known as the "cradle of liberty."

Faneuil Hall Market; Crowd Watching Street Performer

The Market

The trolley stopped near a park where they were making a movie. Our tour guide said that most of the famous TV shows set in Boston were actually filmed in Hollywood: Cheers, Boston Legal, Allie McBeal, State of the Union.

Making a Movie

Despite the heat and humidity, we had a great time. We went back to Faneuil Hall before heading home and watched Magician Mike, a street performer. A funny guy. See more photos of Magician Mike at My Theatre Blog.

Magician Mike Street Performer

This morning, Hubby, Vanessa and Luke went on a helicopter ride over the city. So amazing!

I Love Boston!

Boston on the 4th!

That's right, gang. We are in Boston Mass on the 4th of July! People lighting fireworks everywhere! We're on the beach at Hull and the party has started. I'm spending the day with my FAMILY!!! My son Lucas (cool, funny geek), my daughter-in-law Liz (beautiful cat woman), my granddaughter Lily (age 5 cute little princess) and Vanessa (age 16 sweet and totally cool). Of course hubby is along for the ride.

There also a few animals in the family. Four cats (Jill, Tom, Ben and Baby) and a dog named Harley. Harley is a corgi mix and likes to chase rocks. In fact, HE rocks!!!

More later.

Going to Boston!

Hubby and I will be in Boston all week visiting Luke and family! We're flying out on Saturday. I went shopping with Alison and bought some vacation togs. Any excuse to shop, right? She suggested a picture book for Lily -- "Ladybug Girl." SO CUTE!!!

We'll get to see Vanessa, too -- our 16-year-old granddaughter who is flying out from California! Woo Hoo!

Best vacation EVER!!!

Stay tuned...

Butter Dish Dilemma

Hubby has butter fingers. Literally. He broke our charming porcelain white butter dish.

So I ordered a new one from amazon. I wanted something a little jazzier than plain white and I found a beautiful Fiesta scarlet butter dish. It arrived today. Along with three others exactly like it. Now I have four Fiesta scarlet butter dishes.

Moral dilemma: amazon did not charge me for the extra butter dishes. So do I send them back? If I do, do I have to pay for shipping? Do I keep them and give them to needy persons? Another factor to consider is that these are fairly expensive butter dishes...about $21.00 each. So, what do I do?

Attack of the Killer Mosquitos

Okay. So I go for a walk the other night wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It's summer in Wyoming and the weather is fabulous. I get to the end of the our block which leads to a semi-rural road in a quiet neighborhood. As always, when I'm walking I daydream. On that day I was was thinking about baking cupcakes, mentally going over my lines for an upcoming play, and wondering if I have the stamina to train a puppy.

All of a sudden I find myself in the middle of a mosquito ambush. I panic. I have two choices. Go home and spray myself with toxic pesticide OR forget the walk all together and watch Hell's Kitchen. I choose the latter.

The next day I'm ready for them. I refuse to wear long pants, despite hubby's insistence. It's summer! I'm not wearing long pants, okay! I have no choice but to use the bug spray. I'm careful to spray my legs and arms and keep it away from my face and neck. I go for my walk, rejoicing that I have outsmarted the mosquito hordes.

I enjoy my walk, singing "One" from "A Chorus Line" and basking in the beauty of neighborhood irises, the coo of doves and silent bunnies lurking beneath sidewalk shrubs. I'm almost home when I feel something on my leg. I look down and the little "buggers" have been sucking the blood just above my sock line. The bug spray must have worn off. YIKES! I smash the mosquito squadron, smearing my leg with blood. I'm in full retreat, running the rest of the way home.

The mosquitoes may have won the battle, but they haven't won the war. I have not yet begun to fight!

Killers

It's Father's Day and hubby and I decided we'd go bowling this afternoon. But alas. His knee is still bothering him and he can't bowl! No fun for him just watching ME bowl, so we went to the movies. Of course, nothing was playing that we wanted to see except "Robin Hood" (the Russell Crowe version). Unfortunately, there was no matinee for "Robin Hood" and we never pay full price at the cinema. So it was either "Karate Kid" or "Killers." I wanted to see "Karate Kid" but hubby didn't think it would be that great. Nothing compares with the Ralph Macchio version. Absolutely NOTHING!!!

So we went to see "Killers." I'd have to say it's one of the worst films I've seen in a long time. Yes, Ashton Kutcher was adorable. In fact, he was the only thing that made it possible to sit through (especially the scene where he meets Katherine Heigl for the first time...in the elevator... shirtless...in Nice, France... "Bon jour"...sigh!)

The best way I can describe the movie is "disconnected." Nothing made sense. The characters' motivations were inconsistent, to say the least. Mom was a cliche drunk, the neighborhood assassins were ludicrous, the car chases and explosions were pointless.

To give credit where credit is due, Tom Selleck was superb. His character had a little bit more depth than then others, and he was funny as the overprotective father/spy.

Take my advice:

If you're going to watch this movie, drink a lot of wine coolers first.

Sex and the City Revisited

Finally saw the movie. Definitely Style over Substance, but it was -- in Samantha's words -- "Fabulous"! I got a kick out of Big watching "Deadliest Catch" because hubby and I watch that show, too, as we snuggle together on the couch in lazy-evening mode.

Carrie didn't listen when I told her NOT to tell Big that she'd kissed Aidan. "Big" mistake. HOWEVER, the fact that she told him turned out for the best. Of course.

Fave scenes:

Carrie running into Aidan at the market

The ladies hurrying to pack up their stuff to leave the hotel

Carrie's "newspaper" dress

In fact, all the dresses!

Boston Performance

I've been practicing piano to prepare for a Boston gig. The audience is my family and the concert will be performed at our son's beach home in July. Happy Happy Joy Joy!

My repertoire includes:

Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata, first movement: Coming along nicely, just need to work on keeping the rhythm smooth. The ending also needs work.

Bach's A-minor Invention: Like all Bach pieces, this is very difficult. I've been working on it off and on for YEARS! I have the middle section memorized. Eventually I want to memorize the entire piece. But that won't happen before this performance.

Joplin's "Pineapple" Rag: I'm learning only the first two sections. All memorized! I used to know it but had to re-learn it. My favorite Joplin rag. The composer's notes say "slow march" which sounds so much better than blasting through at 90 miles an hour.

Linus and Lucy: Yep, the "Peanuts" theme song. I have an easy version which I've memorized. So much fun!

I can also play the opening bars to "One" from "A Chorus Line"!

Thank you. Thank you very much.
(Elvis impersonation)