A Culinary Work-In-Progress

My family is finally realizing - I ROCK IN THE KITCHEN!

Tonight I made a kick-ass Turkey Pot Pie.

My brother-in-law has never had a pot pie before. Not chicken. Not beef. In fact, he's never had anything that combines meat and pastry.

I know, it's tragic!

But he ate my Turkey Pot Pie. Two Slices. And loved them both.

I feel it's a great accomplishment. He's a very picky eater. So this accomplishment feels almost as great to me as I felt when I built an awesome pirate ship complete with dual functioning cannons and a periscope for my nephew.

Almost. It could've been a bigger one, I suppose... Except my nephew's face when I showed him how the cannons worked was priceless.

So yes, that wins.

Uncle Nano - 1. Chef Spenc - a close second!

Somehow We've Made It Through

I feel like I can finally say, without fear of the words coming to bite me in the ass, that the worst is over. The big parties are nothing but rooms of tissue paper, dirty champagne glasses, and little christmas trinkets whose origins are still unclear.

It is now, dare I say, time for vaca!

Today was the big day - the first ever Annual K. Family Party held at my sister's home. And it was wonderful. Truly.

It started of course with our own gift exchange. And by "we" I mean myself, mom and dad (visiting from Utah), my sister and her husband, and my freaking amazing nephew. I actually slept last night so I was more than happy to actually crawl out this morning when Jack was sent to fetch his Nano for Presents Time.

All of the gifts I gave were well chosen and all were well-received. I think the winner for the season is my eldest sister, Ann. She gave Jack one of those old school Cozy Coupes, and it was all over after that was opened! We couldn't get his attention back to save his life!

I got quite a few great things, but I'm not supposed to say anything about them. My older sister is apparently getting something similar to what I got - so mum's the word! She isn't getting hers of course until my parents and I are back in Utah on Sunday. Christmas Number 2 will be much more low-key.

Around 1:00 pm, the rest of the K. Family clan rolled in. Papa, Grandmummy, DJ, Jo, and KT. That was the start of Gift Exchange the Sequel. Again, lots of great stuff - including a gorgeous houndstooth cashmere scarf from Lord & Taylor, and figure skates! I know - so gay, but I love it. I've never owned my own pair and I'm eph-ing excited!!!

The entirety of the K. Family (extended aunts/uncles, etc.) were scheduled to arrive for a formal dinner at three. My sister and I planned a wonderful menu...

She did her popular Citrus Turkey, which was particularly moist and well-done this evening. I did a new recipe that was the HIT of the meal - it was a glazed ham recipe that Guy Fieri had featured on a holiday special. And seriously, it was AMAZING. I also did Bread Wreath's - something that Sandra Lee had suggested, I adapted, and served with a smile. My sister did a Roasted Chestnut Risotto that was delicious. Jo brought her (sinful) scalloped potatoes au gratin. Grandmummy showed up with some steamed asparagus with a Lemon Hollandaise Vinaigrette that was out of this world...

Ya'll know home much I love food. Well long story short - this dinner was HEAVEN.

Post dinner involved much drinking, and a hilarious Yankee Swap. The swap was especially wonderful this year - courtesy of B. His family is in Ohio, so I invited him to spend the day with us. His first present ended up being a make-up case, which was pretty funny. But the second gift he picked was a family photo from the summer on the beach. EVERYONE from the party, minus my parents and B himself, were in it. And he picked it. HILARIOUS. Seriously, it's nights like this that I am SO grateful to have such an amazing friend in my life. Hey Lady! :)

So post party we've been vegging, explaining SATC to my father, and prepping for tomorrow. And by "prepping" I do mean "sitting around talking about prepping".

So that's it. It's done. The stress level can now peacefully resume it's zero status. It was a crazy couple of days, but well worth it!

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope your holidays were full of smiles and food and love. And gifts. After all, even baby Jesus got gifts - so it's okay for that to be a highlight... right?

Sending out all my Love and Best Wishes -
S

"Spencer?" .... "Here."

It is, right this second, 6:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve morning.

And I am awake.

What is it about the holidays that bring out the worst in an insomniac? And is it just me?? Is there anyone else out there so overwhelmed by the holiday bedazzlement that it goes beyond being tired to just being amicably present?

Happy Holidays.

Holiday in Red

Christmas is around the corner. The Rockefeller Tree is lit, the first snows have fallen, and shopping in New York has become an act next to suicide. And I love this season. There are lots of great parties and needless celebrations, all because of one baby boy (or a bunch of Jew's low on oil, depending on which religious belief you subscribe to).


And as much as I love all the shiny happy people everywhere, this season there is something less cheerful to look forward to...

That's right kids! Guard your throats and don't shave too close...

I'm a big fan of musicals in general. I'm a big fan of movie musicals in general.

And THIS? Well, let me tell you...

I'm a huge Sondheim fan. HUGE. "Into The Woods" and "Company" are my two of my favorite pieces in Musical Theater. He also wrote some of the most brilliant musical numbers, like "Not A Day Goes By" and "Move On"!

Mix in a collaboration with the man who made "Edward Scissorhands", "Big Fish", "Beetlejuice", and the original "Batman" movie...

Throw a world famous A-List actor on the top...

And you're either walking into the best movie or the year, or the biggest let down.

A lot of what I've read has been mixed. Although, after a press screening a few weeks ago, there were quite a few positive things being said. Tom O'Neil and Jeff Wells both thought very highly of the film, both putting it in their contenders for best picture.
Who knows - I suppose it could be a major bust. I'll let you know on Friday!

"But Spencer, the movie doesn't come out until the 21st!"

Well, my friend had a plus one to a press screening, so I'll be seeing it on Thursday. Woo hoo! I kinda freaked out when he asked me to go - I don't think you understand how stoked I am about this film!
Like any musical, it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

But it sure is mine!

So here's to looking forward to something a little darker than 80 foot trees and mega-watt windows this holiday season!

Man of the Moment - Zachary Quinto

I can already hear my dear dear friend J groaning from all the way back in Salt Lake City. But the truth is folks - as creepy as he seems, and as big as those eyebrows are - Zachary Quinto is one Sexy SonofaBitch!

He's got a long resume with a bunch of big TV shows on it like "So NoTORIous", "Charmed", "Six Feet Under", "24"... oh, and that other one... oh ya, "Heroes"! So I'm the first to admit that "Heroes" is often a little hard to stay interested in. But anytime his character Sylar is on it, it's got my full attention!

Especially when he is so focused on being evil that he forgets to put clothes on...

My new very good friend, Page Six, also just filled me in on the fact that Mr. Quinto apparently frequents one of the gay bars here in NYC. I don't know for sure, but from looking around online it seems to be the consensus that Zack is, in fact, a homosexual.

Now, I'm not one to listen too intently to rumors. But there are photos out there that lend to the theory. (For the record, I'm pretty sure this was a still from a TV show...)

He also apparently does a little bit of modeling, which I've deduced from these photos...

I would never really say the boy is High Fashion, but whatever. He's hot. And for this blog, that is all that matters...

So here's to you, Zack - See you at B-Bar!

Creepy...

This photo (source) showed up on a blog that I sometimes go to. Usually the blog is all about the hot guys (it's not as trashy as it sounds...) but I guess they decided to deviate just a bit for this...

I'm not going to say that Heath Ledger isn't hot. Except, Heath Ledger isn't hot. Manly, and easily perceived as "sexy". But hot? Not so much.

Especially in this photo. CREEPY!!!

On a similar note - magazine covers means we're getting closer to the release of "The Dark Knight" - which means more Christian Bale!

You know what else we could use more of?

:0)

Reciprocation of Rights

As a point of reference, everything that I am about to say revolves around this link:

http://britunes.blogspot.com/2007/11/ten-things-i-hate-about-you.html

BriTunes is a blog that my very best friend, B, keeps to put his (many) opinions out into the world. It's very funny, especially if you are lucky enough to know B.

So he posted a list of characters on TV that he hates (see link above). It's a post that I actually encouraged while we were watching "Ugly Betty". He hates Betty's dad (who bugs me as well) so when he said he'd been thinking about doing a TOP TEN type list of people, I thought it would be funny.

And it was. Is.

-HOWEVER-

I posted a comment on his blog about the post - that's what friends do. It went like this...

"1- "Furiate" is not a word. I believe what you are looking for is "Infuriate"…
2- "Caricature"… not "charictature"
3- Paige has DIABETES! Heartless…
4- "makes me want to take a shower and an STD test" - BILLIANT LOL
5- Being a "know it all" sort of goes hand in hand with providing omnipresent narration, don't you think?
6- And "just cuz" ranks right up there with "because I said so"… NEITHER are actual reasons!
7- "shutta up yo mouth" Wow, really? Really?
8- I don't think I hate Bindi Irwin. Although, after seeing that picture, I'm bordering on terrified.
9- I too can hear DC Doug saying there are too many ethnic people… lol
10- A man who narrows down people he hates to include 20% children has some pretty serious issues.
That's just how I feel. And that has to be enough.
DISCLAIMER: This comment was meant in no way to be mean-spirited. Caustic? Perhaps. But I accept the accusation with a knowing grin ;0)"

Within minutes of posting the comment, I was informed that I was a horrible friend.

"You suck. Stuff like that is just rude and sarcastic." (copied from the message I received informing me I had been deleted)

Am I crazy - Or wasn't the nature of that ENTIRE post rude and sarcastic? And for someone who argues his opinions with "just cuz", shouldn't I be allowed to state my own opinions without having to justify them?? It all just smells a bit too much like hypocrisy.

And just to preemptively rebut what I know is coming: the first point in my comment was to clarify whether the word was part of his "ghetto speak" or truly a typo; and the second point was in fact pointing out a spelling error. I guess correcting someone is rude. Though I don't see it that way.

So there it is. What was once censored is now back in existence.

I encourage everyone to respond. And I won't delete what you have to say.

I promise.

Man of the Moment - David Sutcliffe

Last week on "Private Practice", a woman who had recently lost her husband "in the line of duty" was scheduled to give birth at the Oceanside Clinic. The story line was pretty emotional and carried some really great moments and blah blah blah.

The great part of the story line was that it introduced us to Addison's new love interest. I don't know his name, but I know that his real name is David Sutcliffe. K and I were hanging out and watching dinner when it aired last week, and we both had to stop what we were doing when he walked on the screen.

I don't know that I would have remembered him all that clearly for the post from just that appearance. But then Saturday night I was in Connecticut and it was late and I was channel surfing - and there he was again! This time, getting it on with Antonio Sabato, Jr.

David has a really long resume, including regular roles on a few TV shows (I can already hear B - "He was on Gilmore Girls!"...) and a few big movies, like "Master and Commander".

When his hair is long, he kind of has that whole "young Russell Crowe" thing going on.

He's wearing it short now, with a little stubble. Which is by far the hotter of the looks...

So there he is folks - David Sutcliffe - this week's Man of the Moment!

Catch Up

And we're back!

For a while there I was able to get in a new post almost every day. Then I got slammed at work - SLAH-AMMED!

I finally had a moment to breathe this afternoon, so thought I'd take this time to catch ya'll up on what's been going on in my world.

Which, now that I'm thinking about it, is a whole lot of nothing.

Last weekend I was supposed to be hanging out with my dad, but I got stood up. His business trip to DC got cancelled last second, which pretty much flushed that weekend down the drain for me. Not that I stayed indoors feeling sorry for myself - I ended up going out to Stamford with B and his BF which was a lot of fun. Sunday I did stay indoors, but was too distracted by a Top Model marathon (don't judge - that show is addicting) to feel bad about the fact I had no Dad. And I mean "have no Dad" in an immediate, spacial sense.

Two Wednesday's ago I hunkered down and watched the 2007 CMA Awards with my buddy Brad. I used to be a huge country music fan. I still like it, but definitely much less since moving out of those Rocky Mountain highs. I walked away feeling two things:

1- Who are the stylists working in that industry? Cuz they should be shot...

2- I am in love with Carrie Underwood.

Let's see, what else has gone on...

I met Mary Testa, who is currently starring in Xanadu on Broadway. Which I haven't seen. But I did see her a number of years ago in 42nd Street and I really adore her. You know what I don't adore? How awful I look in this picture of us...

That same night I got in some good hanging out time with the gang. David and Kim in particular. This picture is much better, and I feel it redeems me a little from the previous one.

Family Matters

About a month ago, my sister learned that my nephew's eyes are really bad. REALLY BAD. I believe his eyes are at +5.5 and +6.5, left and right respectively. His right eye is a little crossed, so they're going to be doing a patch at some point in the future to correct that as well. She felt awful for him. I think he looks stinkin' ADORABLE.

He called to tell me all about them. He's very excited about seeing better, and is really into to wearing "the blue ones, just like Nano"!

My sister's street lost a tree last week. The tree will be appearing this winter at Rockefeller Plaza. She called me and was really excited. It is the biggest thing to happen in Huntington since the Arts and Crafts Fair a few months back. Which was lame.

B's getting a new apartment, K's still waiting to hear about her Visa status, and my sister's father-in-law had a birthday.

Tuesday night was the birthday dinner, so K and I trained out to Darien. The birthday boy isn't doing well, and isn't expected to live all that much longer. I was nervous going out there as it was the first time I'd be seeing him since the terminal diagnosis.

Anyway, dinner was awesome at the Melting Pot and everything was normal. Until the end when my sister's mother-in-law pulled me aside to ask me a question...

HER: I need ask you something personal...
ME: Absolutely. What's up?
HER: crying Will you sing for [my husband]?
ME: pause You mean, like, tonight?
HER: No. When he dies! At his funeral. Will you sing?
ME: forcing myself not to break down Of course! You don't even have to ask...

It's hard to know how to react to being asked to sing at a funeral for a man who is sitting across the table from you, laughing and conversing. The whole situation is completely heartbreaking. I kept it together until I reached the train platform to head back into NYC. Then I lost it and had to hide my face in my scarf the entire way home to muffle my sobs.

Something to look forward to I guess :0(

This weekend my eldest sister is coming out to visit, and I am very excited to see her. She'll be spending most of her time in CT with my sister, but we'll get some good time together regardless.

Hope everyone is doing well, and have an awesome weekend!

xoxo
Spenc

Man of the Moment - Chris Lowell

It's Friday! Which means that it's time to say goodbye to last weeks Man of the Moment, Tuc Watkins, and say hello to this weeks featured man-candy: Chris Lowell.

No, not the uber-gay designer - that's Christopher Lowell.

You may know Chris from "Veronica Mars" or "Life As We Know It". To be honest I had never seen him before he started his current gig on ABC's "Private Practice".

Last year, on the Grey's finale that introduced the spin-off, he showed up as the receptionist/eye-candy at the Oceanside Clinic that Addison visits, and then eventually begins to work at. His name is William Parker. But call him "Dell".

He's an aspiring mid-wife, which seems like a pretty odd choice for the hot California boy who surfs on his lunch breaks. But Chris makes it believable. The character is pretty and young, but also uncharacteristically sensitive and kind. Not to pigeon-hold attractive straight men as emotionally defunct pricks... but let's be honest here: we wouldn't say such things if they weren't just a little bit true!

This week he really stood out to me on the show. He came to the defense of a little girl who was being abused, and when he was questioned about his motives for intervening, he responded "Because I that's how I was. Back Then..."

*Tear*

Even the good looking ones have "a past". Le sigh - my heart goes out to you, Dell!

I mean... Chris!

Duck, Duck, Nascar

My nephew, Jack, is only two, but definitely old enough to speak for himself. He'll tell you what he does and does not like to eat. He'll let you know when he needs to use the bathroom and says "please" and "thank you".

He also picks out his own clothes, socks, and shoes. And this year, much to my brother-in-law's chagrin, he picked out his own costume - "Little Duckie"

My bro tried desperately to convince him that being Spiderman, a Nascar driver, or a hockey player were MUCH cooler costumes.

But "Little Duckie" is what his heart was set on. And seriously, I know I'm a little biased, but - How adorable is he?!

Oh, and don't worry about my bro - he still got his Nascar Driver! Jake's the best dog ever...

It's only Thursday? Really??

My body feels like it should be Friday. Scratch that - it needs to be the weekend.

Or better yet, the start of a long weekend. Or a week of vacation.

I need a break, ya'll.

This week has sort of kicked my ass. Monday I went to a show, which you can read about in "God is in the Hizzle, Yo!"

Tuesday night, one of Jo's clients was sponsering an art exhibition by Andy Summers, the guitarist from The Police. You remember them, right? The event was held down at the Milk Gallery in the Meatpacking District, which is a seriously awesome space. The crowd was quitessential New York chic. Models, rockers, editors, random people with obvious money. And me - who doesn't fit into any of the above categories. I just happen to know some of the right people :0) So the exhibit was a photo-journal of the band's tours/escapades from 1980-83. Which made me feel far too young to be in attendance, seeing as I wasn't born until the final year being exploited. Regardless, the night was amazing. Great people, great people-watching, and All-You-Can-Drink Mojito's.

Last night was, of course, Halloween. So normally I boycott the holiday. It's by far my LEAST favorite of the annual occasions that require celebration. I don't really have a reason for not liking it more than "I just don't like it", so try not to dwell on the reasons for it...

K (for Kiwi!) decided that it would be fun to attend a masquerade ball down in the East Village. So I gave in and agreed to go, and dragged B along for the ride. Since I'm not really into the holiday, I hadn't prepped any sort of costume. So I ended up just buying a cape and a mask and figured that would be appropriate for the event.

As it turns out, I could've gotten away with a whole lot less, like this fella that B's dancin' all up on.

The party was completely random. Like any East Village evening, the crowd was completely ecclectic in age, orientation, and ethnicity. We even met a Maori!

(Ok, so really he was chinese, but the costume was pretty cool...)

We got our Astral Portraits done, which hit kinda close to home, but not in a good way...

Shook up the dance floor...

And met some new people!

I think B made the most "new friends". I know that bird boy and the sailor sure took a liking to him ;0)

We left the party around 12:30 am. K and I headed up to HK to visit a good friend who was stuck bartending. B didn't join us and instead headed home. Surprising alone, which means that I think I lost a bet and now owe someone some $$ (haha)

While our friend was finishing up his shift, K and I, in all our drunken wonder, entertained ourselves by posing with a pole and some random decorations in the back area of the bar.

Good times were had by all!

And now this morning, those good times are being felt - by every muscle in my body. The bright side is that I have no plans tonight. Which is fantastic - I very well may go to sleep after work and not wake up until tomorrow! Afterall, the weekend is nearly upon us, and I can't very well be tired for that ;)

God's in the Hizzle, Yo!

Yesterday, shortly before the end of my workday, B called me and said that he didn't want to go home after work. So being the marvelous friend that I am, I said that I'd be open to doing something - so long as it didn't entail drinking or spending too much moolah. So he said "How about a show?" to which I replied "Did you not just hear me say that I don't want to spend a lot of money?"

Well turns out he did hear me. He had found two tickets online to see Altar Boyz for pretty cheap. So last night, instead of going home and doing laundry like the responsible adult I often mean to be, I spent the evening with Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham (he's Jewish).

The show is a Christian rock concert, mockumentary style. You are attending the final performance of the Altar Boyz concert tour, their last soul-saving effort to convert the righteous through pop harmonies and killer smiles!
The show works because it's mocking a religious contingency (aka the folks that actually attend such things) without really mocking the religion. And the combination of the guys is genius: Matthew (Chad Doreck) - the earnest Christian whose heart and smile is directed to the sinners in the audience; Mark (Ryan Ratliff) - the flamboyant diva of the group whose heart is directed at, well, Matthew; Luke (Andrew Call) - the slow minded bad boy who recently spent time "recovering" from "exhaustion"; Juan (Jay Garcia) - the latino who never knew his parents; and Abraham (Ryan Strand) - the Jew.

All five of the guys were really strong. There were a few moments where Chad Doreck (from Grease: You're the One That I Want) couldn't seem to muster the vocal and acting chops required... but that is really the only not-so-positive thing that I can say about it.

Mark's Jennifer-Hudson-channeling version of "Epiphany" was probably my favorite number in the show. Absolutely brilliant.

I kind of wish my parents lived closer so that I could take them. We aren't Catholic, but the show still hits close to the Mormon roots. Plus, my mom used to be Episcopalian so I'm sure she'd love it!