Singing in the Snow

It's crappy outside here in Rochester. Well, better this morning than last night - but it's definitely white with a lot of snow outside. Roads are slick, idiots are driving like they forgot how to drive in snow..... either going 20mph faster than everyone else or 20mph slower than everyone else. It was enough snow to cancel rehearsal last night in La Crosse - which along with our normal no-Thursday rehearsal for the December concert (easier music for the Holidays).... we are performing next weekend with only 2 rehearsals!!! This should be fun and exciting!

So with my evening off last night, I did what every person that gets snowed in does.... stained some trim and watched Hairspray. It's the latest musical movie in the current musical movie craze. Overall, it was ok - but John Travolta was pretty funny, and Christopher Walken again showed himself as one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood!!

But after it was over, I was trying to recall how many musical movies there have been lately.... I think the resurgence started with Chicago (which I really didn't like) and obviously the amazing impact of Dreamgirls last year! There is definitely a new market from movie musicals that hasn't been seen since the 50s and 60s (think of original productions of Bye Bye Birdie, Oklahoma, etc.).

My favorites through the years? Well since I'm both a fan of music, movies, as well as having an appreciation for musicals (insert smart ass comment here Patrick....), here are my favorites:

Old School Movies

• West Side Story - Still one of my favorite movies with tremendous music by Bernstein. I can appreciate the great dancing in there ("MAMBO") as well as the tragic Romeo & Juliet-esque storyline.
• Guys and Dolls - Marlon Brando (when he was a chick magnet... not the "Scary" Brando of post-Godfather fame) and Frank Sinatra make this a quality flick.
• Music Man - "Trouble right here in River City.... with a capital T, rhymes with P which stands for pool...." some of the strangest lyrics but it also is the basis for one of the greatest Simpson Episodes (think Monorail)

The Acid Trip Era

• Have to start with Pink Floyd's: The Wall - Still not sure I fully understand this movie but then again, I haven't tried watching it high or on acid... maybe something to do this weekend?? Good music though
• Tommy by The Who. Who? Yes! Great music and the incredibly beautiful Ann Margaret who in this movie was a real knock out! (Later of Grumpy Old Men fame). This would be my suggestion of a movie needing a remake for anyone reading who has influence. Could still use half the original cast (Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Jack Nicholson, Elton John) if you wanted to.
  
• Jesus Christ Superstar - Some of the greatest music in there and the movie version has some great performers (and dancing).

The Middle Years of the 80s (not much to get excited about):

• Little Shop of Horrors - With Steve Martin and Rick Moranis.... pretty funny

Modern "Hollywood Editing" Era

• I did enjoy the movie version of The Phantom of the Opera - Andrew Lloyd Webber's version of course. I am still not comfortable with the altered version (which has become standard based on the version I saw in Vegas) but it has some great special effects that wouldn't have been possible in the 80s when it was written
• Dreamgirls - I did think this was very well done, plus Beyonce is HOT HOT HOT!
  

Feel like I'm missing one or two, but anyways... there's my list for your enjoyment!

Starting to Feel Like Christmas

I think I'm finally getting in the Holiday Spirit.... with all the snow and ice, with the decorations around town in full swing, and of course hearing Holiday music everywhere you go.

Now that the Holidays are on their way, if you're not in the Holiday spirit yet, hopefully the following links will help get you in the mood:

• Santa and his Reindeer interactive site... still a well done webpage with hours of fun!! Well at least I enjoy it for hours and hours!
• Holiday Lights Video #1
• Holiday Lights Video #2
• Holiday Lights Video #3
• Holiday Lights Video #4
• White Trash Christmas - still something humorous about this one
• Santa and Reindeer singing White Christmas
• and possibly the greatest one - DING FRIES ARE DONE!!!

Anyway - hope this helps get you all in the spirit!! 21 Shopping days left!!!

Reflections of the Weekend Past

In six parts

1. Special Birthday
My great-grandmother turns 99 YEARS OLD today!!! Happy Birthday Granny!!! That's an amazing accomplishment and equally amazing that I still have a great grandmother alive while I have just turned 30!

2. Iowa
Went to Cedar Rapids to hang with the girlfriend and parental units. We had a great weekend enjoying the lights of Iowa City (one had a couple hundred Santas, the other had lights synced to music... BOTH were well done), the snow/ice of Saturday (ok, that wasn't so enjoyable), and the company of family! The weather conditions did limit the crowds at the outlet mall in Williamsburg on Sunday which was fine by me!

3. Weather
The snow I can handle... the ice that coated pretty much most of Iowa and southern Minnesota was a pain in the butt. The roads were ok yesterday driving home, some blowing snow between Waterloo and Spring Valley on Hwy 63, but otherwise it was tolerable. What was NOT tolerable was falling on the ice on my driveway on the way to get the mail upon my return. I laid there on my back for about a minute, part to estimate the damage done to my aging body (I decided I could wiggle everything with only a little pain so nothing was broken other than my pride), but also part to develop a strategy to stand up and return to the safe zone of my garage. The strategy was to roll in circles till I could use the snow I just shoveled out of the way of my garage as traction for my shitty shoes. It worked, but I remain pretty sore as of this morning.

4. College Football
What a joke of a season that ends up with LSU (2 losses) and Ohio State (shitty conference) ending up in the National Title Game. I don't feel either team is playing the best right now (the only regularly followed sport that doesn't reward the teams who are playing well at the end of the season) and am kind of surprised that Illinois is in the BCS, while Missouri who was #1 as of Saturday afternoon, is NOT! Note that Missouri beat BOTH Illinois (week 1) and Kansas (last weekend) this season. Will anyone actually watch LSU vs OSU? Will anyone watching actually care who wins? Undefeated Hawaii gets no BCS bowl even though their conference was probably just as tough as the Big 10 this past year.

5. Holiday Shopping
I have been receiving 2x the emails of "specials" from my regular subscriptions - and about 4x the junk mail catalogs. Thankfully I have a large recycling tote that is on the way into my house so the stuff never even makes it through the door! But I have read (and heard from folks) that the Wii is yet again becoming hard to find for the Holidays..... glad I have mine!

6. Wii
Speaking of Wii - both Super Mario Brothers 3 (think of the flying Mario with the Raccoon tail) as well as Double Dribble (with the extreme close up slow motion of the dunks) are out for the Virtual Console. Yet another 2 reasons I don't have a desire to leave the house now! Still waiting on Contra (greatest game ever) and Blades of Steel (with fighting goodness) and then I'll be a little more content with the selections!!

Haiku of the Day
Snow and ice falling
Making travel a pain now
THANK YOU FOUR WHEEL DRIVE!!!

Entertainment of the Day - I watched License to Wed last week that was a movie I hadn't heard of till it was out on DVD. Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, the guy who plays Jim on The Office, and about half of the rest of the crew from The Office. Pretty funny movie actually. Check it out if you need a good laugh.

Weblink of the Day - To stimulate your brains this morning (when you all probably want to go back to sleep), try clicking on the color of the word (not the color spelled out in the word) on the options at the bottom of the screen. Gets faster and faster as you go - don't blink!!! Song is pretty annoying so you may want to turn down the volume!!