SPENC IN THE CITY

How YOU Doin'?

2010-02-23T11:14:00.005-05:00

Um, I'm doin' a little bit better than you I think, Matt LeBlanc...

Seriously. What the hell happened to you? You look like you're approaching the ripe old, I mean, OLE age of 60!

What's that? You're only 42?

Hm. I dig the silver fox look as much as the next guy (or girl) but you're no Anderson Cooper dude.

Might I suggest...

Up to you. Maybe you're trying to fit in to a new type cast? I know you haven't worked since the train wreck that was "Joey" but come on. This is really the way you want to go??

I'd get new reps. This is no bueno.

I Want That Job

2010-02-05T10:14:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that my job is not something I want to do forever. My big issue is that I just don't know what I'd rather be doing. There are lots of things that I feel strongly about -- entertainment, theater, food -- but finding a lucrative career in those fields? Well, it's easier dreamed than done.

But if I were going to get to dream up my perfect job, and then make it my reality... I would totally want this guy's job!

Dear Sir,

How did you get this job, and how can I do the same? I wouldn't even care if it paid peanuts! The memories of spritzing down the gorgeous Kellan Lutz would be payment enough.

I'm just sayin'.

Love,

SITC

(PS that guy is totally touching himself. One hand in his pocket? C'mon...)

Poor Puppy

2010-02-04T14:38:00.002-05:00

So el chisme in the office today is all about this story...

NEW YORK CITY MAN CHARGED WITH BEATING GIRLFRIEND'S DOG

The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 2, 2010; 6:49 PM

NEW YORK -- Officials say a New York City man beat his girlfriend's dog so brutally with a belt that the animal lost its left eye and suffered six broken ribs.

Manhattan prosecutors and animal welfare officers said Tuesday that Joseph Graves beat and kicked the 6-pound Yorkshire terrier while he was pet-sitting it Jan. 16.

Joseph Pentangelo with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Graves took the 4-year-old dog to a veterinarian two days later.

Graves, a Manhattan resident, was arraigned Monday on a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty. He was released on $2,000 bail.

Defense lawyer Henry Steinglass declined to immediately comment.

Um, I used to sit next to this guy at work. F'reals. If you had told me this upper-crust frat boy was capable of nearly killing a tiny dog I don't think I'd have believed you. Just goes to show you never really know what people are capable of.

Joe no longer works here. Good ridance, I say.

So sad. I hope the puppy gets better!

10 Things

2010-01-14T11:11:00.004-05:00

I'm bored, so I thought I'd post 10 random facts about myself that I wouldn't otherwise share with everyone. If you're as bored as I am, feel free to read and kill some of that slowly dragging day you're living.

1) I fall asleep on my left side, but wake up on my right side. I never fall asleep or wake up on my back nor my stomach.

2) I'm a sucker for guys with dark eyes and dimples. Add in some scruff and an accent -- I'm yours.

3) I work for a woman who delights in my homosexuality. I say this because anytime a new show opens on Broadway or she hears some bit of pop-trivia she is quick to reference it. It's like she's always trying to be what she thinks I think is "hip".

4) I do not believe in "hip". I am not in high school anymore. There's no longer a "popular group". People who think/act like this drive me insane.

5) I can speak Spanish. Well, sort of. I can have simple conversations in Spanish with my co-workers, and I can understand their phone conversations when they switch languages for "privacy".

6) I like to eavesdrop.

7) I'm not a starstruck person. In fact, I feel like I'm pretty oblivious to the concept of "celebrity". I've always thought it best to just leave people alone and not run up to them on the street or ask them for a photo. Yes, I have made exceptions to this rule, but only for people that have really affected my life. So, Rachel Ray -- sorry for following you to the bathroom at that movie premiere. If you had been pretty much any other tv personality I would've left you alone.

8) I like to put cucumbers in my water. I love the taste and it makes me feel like I'm at a spa.

9) I would love to have a dog. I would also love to not have any of the responsibility that comes with having a dog.

10) I would love to own and operate a seaside B&B, where my job duties entailed cooking for guests, organizing activity packages, and throwing amazing dinner/cocktail parties for all of my fabulous friends that would come and stay. And on my days off, I would read, surf, and dive for crabs/clams etc to cook for aforementioned parties.

Ok, there you have it. 10 things you might not have known about me.

Here's an idea -- why don't you leave 10 things about you in the comments? Consider it your good deed for the day, as reading those will help me kill more of these seemingly endless hours of work.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-22T11:01:00.005-05:00

Happy Holidays, everyone :-)

It has been quite the week. Well, month. There have been league parties galore, myriads of holiday feasts and fiestas, and now it's time to get down to the actual holidaying in Utah! I leave tonight for the "city of Salt and Regret" (thanks for that, Jeremiah!) and I couldn't be more excited. A lot of excitement is because I know for the next week I'm going to be getting so much more SLEEP!

The last few weeks have been awesome.

I shaved my head...

Took my nephews to see Santa...

And did a quick trip to Boston for one of the few Ugly Sweater parties that happened this year. It has been a blast, but exhausting! Luckily I've learned to sleep sitting up while in transit, a skill not-so-perfected by Scotty...

The holiday season so far has not disappointed, and I'm really excited for all of the fun that awaits me back in the SLC.

I hope everyone has had a great season thus far, and that your Christmas (if you celebrate it...) is a fantastic one!

Much love always,

Spenc :-)

Carrie Underwood on Survivor?

2009-12-21T11:35:00.002-05:00

I'll admit I stopped watching about halfway through this season of "Survivor: Samoa". I'll also admit that I watched that first half stoned.

But you'd think I would remember Carrie Underwood being on the show!

F'reals, I'm looking at that photo and can't for the life of me picture who this Natalie girl was. All I see is my favorite country star sandwich'd between the hottie and the douche (who I actually really wanted to win. His evilness was delicious.)

The Perfect Shade

2009-12-16T11:58:00.004-05:00

The new ad for MAC's Viva Glam line with new shades by Cyndi Lauper and the one and only Lady Gaga.

Um, amazeballs.

AMAZE. BALLS.

Completely Gratuitous Follow-Up

2009-11-24T16:40:00.003-05:00

YA, it might seem creepy but like I said -- can't help it.

Shortly after posting the picture below, this popped up in the blogosphere...

Oh, dear god. And good goddamn. I just... ugh.

Only 2.5 More Months

2009-11-24T12:28:00.004-05:00

The next coverboy for RollingStone Mag is none other than tween (and not-so-tween) hearthrob and current "it" boy, Taylor Lautner. *le sigh*

I know he's only 17 and it's probably grossly inappropriate to have such dirty lustful thoughts about a minor...

So I will keep said thoughts to myself. Well, for 2 1/2 more months that is.

Come February 11, 2010, all bets are off! Here's looking forward to your next bday, TayTay :-)

Mommie Dearest

2009-11-16T11:37:00.005-05:00

Are you watching "V"?

(You should if you're not already... F'reals, it's awesome!!!)

Anyway, the main character is Erica Evans. Better known as Juliet Burke, for any "Lost" fans out there. She's an FBI agent, and a single mom.
Her son is Ty, and he has a crush on an alien.

(Creepy, right?)

Well what's creepier, and I hope I'm not alone in this, is that the alien he loves? Kiiiiinda looks like his mom.

The cheekbones... The big doe-eyes...

Oedipus much?

Ew.

Worst Cover Ever?

2009-10-28T11:15:00.005-04:00

Seriously y'all... did you see this?

What in god's name were Adam's handlers thinking? It's like a really bad glammer shot. You know, the kind your mom and your sisters used to get at the mall. All it needs is another faded face shot staring off in the corner to complete the look.

Ugh. If I was uninterested in your music before, the explosive properties of this tacky hyper-homosexual cover just blew it out of the water.

And not in a "oh man that was awesome"="blew it out of the water" kind of way.

In a "Gay-9: you sunk your own battleship and by battleship I do mean career" kind of way.

Hey Adam, you see how great this is?

Yet another reason America ABSOLUTELY got it right on AI last season...

Just sayin'.

Friday's Pretty Boys

2009-10-09T15:17:00.003-04:00

And in honor of my dear friend Jeremiah's celebration of "Zactober"...

Ya, grab that junk...

Have a great weekend!

Friday Treats

2009-10-02T11:20:00.003-04:00

Ed Westwick graced the cover of Homme magazine. I don't really have a lot to say about it.

Except maybe "yum". 'Nuf said.

2009-09-28T14:12:00.005-04:00

Last night was the start of the fall season for many of my favorite Sunday night TV shows. Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives... everybody came back with a pretty good showing.

I have to say though -- I don't think I have EVER laughed so hard as I did at the premiere of "Family Guy". I kept having to rewind the tv because my laughing was drowning out every other line!

Just to sum it up for you... Stewie invents a remote control that transports him and Brian to varying alternate realities. Just a taste of a few of those universes...

Brian: Love it.
Stewie: Hate it.

Stewie: Love it.
Brian: Hate it.

Stewie: Uh, Brian? This feels wierd...
Brian: Push the button!

And my favorite moment: The Griffin family as seen through the eyes of Walt Disney?

GENIUS!

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend heading over to Hulu to watch it!

Part of a "Community"

2009-09-25T13:23:00.004-04:00

Are you watching "Community"? If not, you should be. F'reals ya'll, it's wicked funny!

For example (or "por ejemplo" as Senior Chen would say...)

Stunning

2009-09-14T13:58:00.002-04:00

She may not always sound great live, and her sweetness might verge on obnoxious, but f'reals ya'll this girl is stunning!!!

My Boys :-)

2009-09-09T16:24:00.003-04:00

My bro-in-law posted an awesome pic of my nephews to his Wall over the holiday weekend. I just couldn't help but share!!!

I wonder if my own uncle's were this obsessed with me... Is it weird to love nephews/nieces this much???

SIDE NOTE: You know what's strange? I just used the word "Wall" and didn't mean the things that make up your room, yet I'm sure there isn't a soul out there who didn't know what I meant. Hm.

Reminiscing SYTYCD

2009-09-04T12:16:00.002-04:00

The other night the producers of "So You Think You Can Dance" aired a recap episode that showed the Top 15 routines from all five seasons. I've been a huge fan since the end of season one, and getting to watch these routines again was awesome! Remember Allison and Ivan's contemporary? LOVED IT. Remember Benji and Heidi's salsa? AMAZEBALLS!

But watching all of these again really just reconfirmed that of all the routines in all of the seasons, I think my favorite rountine came from this last season when Kayla and Kupono danced a Mia Michaels routine to "Gravity" by Sara Barailles.

I still get teary everytime I see this...

Kayla and Kupono 07/08/09
Uploaded by kimnrowdy. - Check out other Film & TV videos.

Do you have a favorite SYTYCD moment??

It's a Boy!

2009-09-03T14:56:00.002-04:00

Awwww!

Idina and Taye had their baby!

Welcome to the world, Walker Nathaniel Diggs. I'm sure you will be disgustingly talented.

I Say "Good For You"!

2009-09-02T16:21:00.004-04:00

I hate talking about things that are talked-to-death... like Lindsey Lohan, Michael Jackson, or the Gosselin family.

But you'll have to forgive me just this once...

Kate Gosselin apparently did a photo spread for People magazine, and DAMN does she look fantastic!

That smile! That porcupine-free hair! That GLAM!

GOOD FOR YOU, KATE!!!

Show that douchebag ex of yours what he left behind :-D

Rich & Cheesy... What's Not To Love?

2009-09-01T14:29:00.001-04:00

Meet the Croque Madame -- my most recent indulgence :-)

Look like something you'd enjoy? Check out the recipe here!

You Like Popsicles, Little Boy?

2009-08-31T13:30:00.005-04:00

Love me some Taylor Lautner. I mean, come on...

He recently did an interview with Teen Vogue (on stands Sept. 8th) and when asked about how he became interested in acting, he had this to say:

"At first, I wasn't interested, but [my Karate coach] said I could stay at his house for a few weeks, meet with some agents, go on auditions. I liked it."

Really, Taylor? Did your karate coach also tell you he had a candybar in his glove compartment?

Is this your karate coach??!

I'm pretty sure if I had mentioned that I wanted to move in with MY karate teacher growing up, it would've earned me a one-way ticket to church camp.

It's just.... creepy.

Strange, but True

2009-08-31T10:36:00.003-04:00

There are definitely times I'll catch myself thinking "Damn, look at him..." or "holy shit, that guys hot" and it catch me completely offguard.

Like today, when I was doing a quick perusal of Perez while on hold with my corporate travel agency and saw this photo of Jake Shears...

It took me a while to jump on the Scissor Sisters bandwagon, and even longer to jump on the Jake bandwagon.

But after my strong reaction to this under-dressed, sweaty, a little bit creepy, and slightly cracked-out photo of Le Jake -- I can tell you with certainty that I really am a fan.

Because, let's be honest, only a true fan can have a slightly erotic response to something that any normal person would be slightly afraid of.

The New Do

2009-08-26T09:31:00.006-04:00

Here's a little something you probably didn't know about me: getting my haircut is a process! My hair grows like a weed, ya'll. And there's a lot of it so it gets pretty out of control.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. All ya'll out there that would be like "you're lucky to have hair" blah blah blah -- you're right. I am lucky. But that still doesn't change the fact that the mop on my head grows like mint. (Mint plants grow REALLY fast, if that last sentence confused you at all)

So about three weeks after getting my hair cut, it's back to an annoying length. I'll bitch about it for a few days before I start really considering cutting it. And that is the point when all the back and forth begins...

Should I grow it out?

Should I just shave it?

Should I stick to the norm?

Maybe I'll try something edgier than normal?

But will my boss think that "edgy" is inappropriate for my workplace???

And that goes on for about two weeks. See how this all becomes kind of stressful for moi?

Another thing you might not know about me is that I'm terrified of barbers. So getting a mens haircut at one of those places with posters of hairdo's from the 1980's is just plain and simply out of the question. You know what I'm talking about, right? Those posters make me think that the people inside doing the cutting want you to come out looking like this...

And that's so not okay.

I am a salon guy. I like to have one person that I trust and know I can always go to and I don't care that it costs more. It's just worth it.

Well, yesterday when I called my girl was out, and would be out the whole week. And I was beginning to look like a yeti - so I asked who else might be available and the wonderful receptionist mentioned this girl Brandi. I decided to give Brandi a chance.

And I'm really happy I did! I went in and told her I was fed up with my hair, and that I had some ideas about finding a cut that could work in both my conservative corporate world as well as my not-so-conservative social world. We talked for about 20 minutes about different options and whatnot.

And this is what we came up with:

From the front it looks like my hair pretty much always does except a little longer on top and shorter on the sides. I even let her use the clippers on me which I never do because they scare me!

The back is the big difference. You can kind of see in that photo... It's like a much more mild version of this...

It made me VERY nervous, but in the end I kind of love it!

So far today I've gotten lots of compliments, but my boss isn't in the office. We'll see what she has to say when she gets back tomorrow. She ALWAYS has an opinion...

Welcome to the Bandwagon

2009-08-25T12:41:00.004-04:00

I've made no secret of the fact that I J'ADORE Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus both.

Taylor is my most listened to artist on my iPod, and Miley definitely ranks in my top ten.

I absolutely went to see "Hannah Montana: The Movie", and my best friend and I continue to talk about it on a regular basis (ps - it just came out on video on the 18th if you want to give it a first time viewing...)

And I recently found out that Taylor is going to be in the upcoming movie "Valentine's Day" opposite Taylor Lautner (T-Squared!) and freaked a little bit.

YA, I would say I'm a pretty big fan of both.

I've always gotten a little flack from friends when it comes to my girls. Nobody (save a handful of friends who have always shared my love) seemed to get how I could heart them so hard!

Well I'm please to report that two of my longtime nay-saying friends have finally come over to the dark side. And by "dark side" I do mean "sunshine and rainbows and riculously catchy poptacular side".

Hey Jwise and Bri-Tunes -- Welcome to the Club!

Total DILF

2009-08-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

Look: I know he's a has-been and nobody really cares anymore, but I still say he's one of the hottest men to ever walk the earth. And he's a dad too! A HAWT dad, or a DILF some might say.

Ugh, adorable.

Mini Me?

2009-08-18T13:56:00.003-04:00

My sister sent the family some pictures of my nephew Finn this morning. SUCH cute photos -- f'reals ya'll, she makes stinkin' cute babies!!!

Anyway, every person I showed the pics to had some version of the same response: "Oh, he looks just like you!!!"

Um, really? I mean, I'm flattered! Don't get me wrong. But I look at him and see a whole lot of my brother-in-law -- Who I look NOTHING like.

What do you think? Is Finn a Mini Spenc?

Double The Pleasure

2009-08-11T16:28:00.002-04:00

I love when great things join forces to make better things.

Like when Baskin Robbins combined peanut butter and chocolate...

Or like when Brad and Angelina combined to make Shiloh...

Or like when director Garry Marshall decided to cast two of my faves opposite each other in the upcoming film "Valentine's Day"

It's T-Squared! Double the Taylor, Double the amount of times I'll probably go to the theater to see this movie!

Just Cuz It's Adorable

2009-07-27T12:25:00.003-04:00

I don't really have a lot to say today. It was a long weekend, and I could go on and on about the debauchery that ensued, but I don't want to.

What I DO want to do is share this adorable photo of my sister Mandy and my nephew Finn.

Ugh, I die.

Happy Monday!

Friday's Pretty Boys

2009-07-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Crying At Work Is NOT Okay

2009-07-23T16:14:00.002-04:00

I'm a pretty emotionally stable person. Usually when confronted with whatever emotion, however strong it is, I can keep my shit together. I am, in fact, the KING of "deep breath, move on"

So you can imagine my surprise when I was reduced to tears this morning while sitting at my desk. Thanks a lot, Tyce Diorio. Thanks a lot.

manda 8 @ Yahoo! Video

Just another shining example of why SYTYCD is THE BEST show on television.

Amen.

Better Than a Talking Parrot

2009-07-20T12:33:00.002-04:00

What a great weekend! I had the opportunity to be out in Long Island spending time with my girls -- lots of sun, lots of drinking, lots of wackiness ensued! For more on that, you can head on over to BriTunes for a full recap with photos.

I stumbled across this video this morning...

The Swimming Monkey - PetTube.com
Uploaded by PetTubedotcom. - Explore other animal videos.

Ah, I want one! Even though I was once nearly attacked by a monkey on the beaches of Costa Rica (that a-hole was trying to steal my flipflop!), this video makes me forget that terror and think it would be cool to have one as a bet. For real -- a swimming monkey would be cooler than a back-flipping shitzu. Just sayin'.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend, and is getting their week off to a good start!

Friday's Pretty Boys

2009-07-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

Who 'Dat: The Harry Potter Edition

2009-07-15T10:06:00.007-04:00

In killing time this morning, I ventured on over to BroadwayWorld.com, where they had a photo gallery from last week's premiere of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". The kids have all grown up, and there were lots of familiar (and not so familiar) faces...

Well hello, Daniel Radcliffe! Congrats on the new film.

And you, Emma Watson -- wow. You've really grown up, haven't you? You little Vixen.

Hi Rupert... Unlike your two co-stars, I see puberty hasn't been all that kind to you. Congrats on the movie anyway...

WHO 'DAT? Oh good lord, Ginny Weasley! (I guess your real name is Bonnie, but truth be told I had to google it...) I almost didn't recognize you. You look STUNNING.

WHO 'DAT?! Freddie Stroma, we are SO happy to have you as part of the HP Crew. You add a certain je ne c'est quoi (and by je ne c'est quoi I do mean LE SIGH!)

Oh, hey there Marcia Gay Harden. BTW -- love love LOVED you in "God of Carnage"! You + your B&T hubby + a bottle of rum = the most entertaining hour and a half of theater I've seen in a very long time. Thanks for that :)

What's up, Lance?! Haven't seen you in a few months -- how's life? Glad you cut your hair. And whatever it is you're doing with your tie? Loving it. Tell Joanna I said "hey"!

Um, Ashanti? I'm sorry, did you get lost on your way to the BET Awards? What the hell are you wearing. This isn't the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, sweetheart.

WHO 'DAT?! And hello down there, little people. Um, I don't know who you are, or why you're on the red carpet, but you look like the target demographic -- so way to represent!

And, wait a second. WHO 'DAT??

Really, Chevy Chase? REALLY?

WTF.

1- Why are you there? You haven't done anything of importance since I don't even know when because I've never really been a fan. And... 2- Walk away from the twinkies, dude. That's not OK.

Friday's Pretty Boys, Part II

2009-07-10T14:14:00.004-04:00

So, my dear friend just informed me that I have very specific taste, and that he did not enjoy a single picture in the post below this one, entitled "Friday's Pretty Boys".

Well, that's just not fair, now is it?

So, I give your Friday's Pretty Boys, Part Deux.

And, BriTunes, I truly hope you find these hotties more suitable to your palate.

;)

Friday's Pretty Boys

2009-07-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

My buddy Jeremiah used to do this, and I realized today that I miss it. So, in an attempt to reboot his interest, I am going to do a special edition of "Friday's Pretty Boys"!

A special thanks to Cuba. Ya, like the country. Todos los hombres son de Cuba!

And Then There Were 3

2009-07-08T11:42:00.004-04:00

I always enjoy ABC's The Bachelorette infinitesimally more than their original pre-spun formula of The Bachelor. 20 hot guys versus 20 obnoxious girls? Ya, not hard to figure out why that's true.

Anyway, this season we've been following Jillian's search for The One, and next week she's going to be making her decision. It is down to three guys: Ed, Reid, and Kiptyn.

First up, there's Ed.

Ed is a computer programmer or some such thing that lives in Chicago. Ed is also kinda dreamy, and Jillian thought so right from the get-go. But Ed fucked up pretty badly when he decided to prematurely leave the show because he was in danger of losing his job.

Then, when it was time for Jill to pick her final five, he showed up at her door saying he'd made a mistake and wanted another chance.

What?! If I were Jillian, I don't think I would've given him the chance. But it's obvious she kinda lurve's him. And, actually, I don't blame her. Did I mention that he's dreamy?

Then there's Reid, the unexpected match.

He's a self-described neurotic, and Jillian is out-and-out easy going. So they're definitely opposite. But here's my thing: being too loosey-goosey and too uptight are opposite, but they're also both crazy. And it seems that they are both openly crazy. And we all know that you find love when you let your freak flag fly! So perhaps their differences make them perfect?

And finally, there's Kiptyn. Mr Perfect.

He is to this season what Jason was the last time around (you all know Jason, the ass-hat who picked wrong and then admitted to it on the reunion re-cap thing) Anyway, Kiptyn has the great family and the great job and the greeeaaat abs. Physical chemistry is there. But I'm worried. Like I said before -- Jill is openly crazy. And Kip? Well, he isn't even a little bit crazy. He's probably the most grounded and well-adjusted of them all. Which would be perfect, so long as the girl he was pairing with was also down to earth. Which she isn't. At all.

So my guess?

Reid!

While I love me some Kiptyn (seriously ya'll, I'd do some dirty dirty things to that boy) I don't think she's going to go that direction.

Love is unconditional and a couple should balance each other. Neither should care that the other one is flawed, and the flaws should compliment. Jill will bring Reid out of his shell a bit more, and Reid may just pull her back -- which is what I truly think Jill is looking for!

The finale airs next Monday -- check back in next Tuesday to see if I was right!!!

Why the Downgrade?

2009-07-01T14:02:00.003-04:00

It recently came to my attention that the hit broadway musical "Avenue Q" will be closing. I've seen the show multiple times, and I'm really bummed it's going away! It's such a fun concept.

So my first thought was "I need to go see it one more time..." If you've been reading this blog for a long time, you may recall my first viewing, and my immediate border-line obsession with Howie Michael Smith. Again, YUM.

Imagine if you can my disappointment when I went to look at promo photos of the final cast -- and Howie's not there!!!

It seems they've decided to cast this putz in the role...

So I ask you, producers of the show and haters of the hotness that is HMS -- WHY THE DOWNGRADE?

Was HMS hard to work with? Did you sleep with the new guy? (Ew.)

Whatever the reason, I hope you realize that mine is one ticket no longer being purchased. Reeeally screwed the pooch on this one!

MAJOR. CASTING. FAIL.

**NOTE: I will most like still see the final cast, even if it doesn't include my future husband. What I didn't mention is that it WILL star Ann Harada, who originated the role of Christmas Eve, a role that earned her a Tony Award. So ya, I just may suck it up and go just to watch her reprise the role. But I'm not going to enjoy it! As much...

Leighton Meester Goes Bad in a Great Way

2009-06-30T09:56:00.001-04:00

I love Leighton Meester. LOVE.

She totally kills it in this video. Any actress out there who thinks they want to sing should take notes! THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!

Creeptastic

2009-06-23T15:22:00.002-04:00

I could die. This is going to be BRILLIANT.

Go here to check out more pics, including Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter!

Ambition

2009-06-23T15:19:00.001-04:00

A Friend, With Benefits

2009-06-19T13:21:00.008-04:00

So I have this friend. Best Friend. And as it turns out, there are benefits to our friendship.

Not those kind of benefits. Get your mind out of the gutter!

This friend of mine, Scotty, is an actor. A working actor. He is on a daytime show called "One Life To Live" where he plays a cop named Oliver who lives with a character named Christian who is played by an actor named David Fumero.

Did you follow that?

And there, you see, lies the benefit...

Had Scotty not become a regular character, I never would have become a regular viewer. If I had never become a regular viewer, I never would have discovered David. And if Scotty weren't such an awesome friend, I never would have been able to go hang out on set with him and watch David film in nothing but a towel. And when he sat down.... Lordy. lets just say I'm not sure there was anything under said towel. (Know what I'm sayin'?!)

And that, my friends, is what makes our a Friendship with Benefits.

Oh David. Sigh.

(Special thanks to this blog for doing all my photo finding -- it made this post MUCH easier to do!)

Today in "Um, Duh"

2009-06-09T13:28:00.004-04:00

Adam Lambert blew the doors of the closet today.

I find it really hard to believe that middle-America gave a collective gasp. I mean, really? You truly didn't realize that the mezzo-sprano goth choir boy was a Ho-Mo-Sex-U-Al? Really???

To my ever naive compatriots, I would like to on behalf of the not-so-dense population of America say "UM, DUH!"

Adam gave a pretty great interview (which you can read here) to Rolling Stone.

My favorite quote: (on getting so much attention from female fans) "Just because I'm not sticking it in there doesn't mean that I don't find it beautiful."

LOL -- and EW!

My second favorite quote: "I still have moments where I think, 'Oh, my skin is terrible, and I'm a little fat. I should really go to the gym more.' But for the most part, when I look in the mirror now, I finally see somebody who can do something cool."

Wow, Adam, that's the first time I've ever found you even slightly relatable.

Ok, one more quote: "I'm trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader."

And the gay community thanks you for that.

Keep wailing your face off! You are a ridiculously talented human being, and while I think America absolutely got it right this year by choosing Kris Allen (swoon), I hope you are able to do whatever it is that you want to do.

Just don't hate me if I don't come running to your concert. I truly don't think I could take an hour of your screaming. Not that it's not impressive. Just not my bag-o-chips.

And The Award Goes To...

2009-06-01T14:34:00.007-04:00

Last night was the MTV Movie Awards. I found the show entertaining, but also a bit confusing. Like, I can't for the life of me explain why the fans went ape-shit anytime the words "Twilight" or "Pattinson" were used... Don't get me wrong, I like the vampy series. But did everyone else sit through the same movie I did? Cuz it sucked. Hard.

Anyway, the awards were given out and they made me feel very old. Ashley Tisdale as breakout female? Really?! I've definitely aged out of the MTV target demographic, haven't I...

Don't answer that.

I've come up with 10 Awards from last nights event. These awards come from the red carpet action, and not from the awards or the movies themselves.

My first award is a positive one! Trust, there are only a couple of those in here.

#1) The Most Flawless Carpet Action Award

Kristen Bell

Leighton Meester

I couldn't decide between these practically perfect ladies, so it's a tie! I can't imagine anyone could disagree.

#2) The Holy Makeover Award

Taraji P. Hensen

I didn't even recognize her at first! Really, that's the old woman from Benji Button? DAYUM. Girl is workin' that dress out.

#3) The Not-So-Great but I Love You Anyway Award

Sandra Bullock

Oh, Sandy. No no no. This is not good. But I love you, and your two up coming films look brills-balls... so we're just going to let this slide. Nice try, though.

#4) The HaHa You Married a 'Mo Award

LeAnn Rimes

I know that sounds random and maybe a little mean, but you did. And that's the only thing I can ever think of anytime I see you! So there ya go.

#5) The I Want You To Think I Don't Give a F*** Award

Megan Fox

I feel like anytime I see this bitch she's working overtime on the "I'm a sexy badass" vibe. The tattoos and eternal glare = trying way too hard. We all know that you put nothing else above your sort-of fame. So give it up. And freakin' smile every now and then. Ugh.

On a side note: I thought about tying Megan with good ole Vanessa there.

I also thought about tying Vanessa with LeAnn.

Just sayin'...

#6) The I Really Don't Give a F*** Award

Kristen Stewart

She never smiles. She's notoriously rude to her fans. She shunned her co-star dash tween heart-throb a peck after winning Best Kiss. Ya, I think I would say K.Stewart truly does not give a f*** about any of it. And I kinda love her for it. What do you think of that, BriTunes? Huh?!

#7) The I Tried but Ended Up With Mom Hair Award

Shawn Johnson

No one screamed or cheered harder for you at the Olympics. And your presence ALMOST made me watch the shitshow that is Dancing With The Stars. I love you! But Shawn, babe, that hair is not okay. It's on the verge of mid-west soccer mom status, and that is B.A.D! Quit trying and just be you -- we liked you just the way you were!

#8) The Why the Hell Are You Here? Award

Terri Seymour

I had to google her to find out who she was. Simon's ex-girlfriend? Really?! Why are you getting red carpet treatment at the awards?!? Times must be rough since splitting with the handsome-in-a-mouthy-way brit.

#9) The You Never Stood A Chance Award

Rumor Willis

Lets pretend your face doesn't ruin any chance of you ever making a "prettiest" or "best dressed" list. Rumor, darling, that dress is atrocious. You are not doing yourself any favors by sporting a board game. Or a broken window. But don't feel too bad -- it's not like you had any chance anyway because, lets be honest, we can pretend all we want but that face is still there.

And the final award is another tie.

#10) The I Wish I Was Still Relevant Award

Paris Hilton

Honey, no one cares anymore. Your ship has sailed, and you should have gone with it.

And last but not least...

MTV

Wow, MTV. I feel like you've fallen so so far. High School Musical? Twilight? Really? You're trying so hard. Remember when your network used to be about music? It's sad, really. It's like the Disney Channel got a tattoo and POOF! you were born.

You hear that, Megan Fox? Tattoos do not make you cool!

Who's Having the Best Month Ever?

2009-05-27T11:17:00.005-04:00

It's May, and it's the beginning of summer. We've had our first tastes of summer sun, first strolls through Central (or whichever) Park, and our first viewings of the year's most blockbusteriest films (I may have made that word up, but I like it :)

So let's say you're an actor, living in Los Angeles, and it's audition season. Your agent calls you up. You got an audition for the "Star Trek" reboot! You also got an audition for the "Terminator" reboot! Holy Shit!

And then, what what what? You book them both???

Probably sounds like an actor's wet dream. Because it is. And this year it happened for Anton Yelchin!

On May 5th, we saw him on the big screen as "Chekov" in the Star Trek reboot. F'reals, he was pretty flawless. The accent, the excitement... Perfection.

And then on May 21st we saw him AGAIN as "Kyle Reese" in the Terminator reboot. Now I don't really know a lot about that series or his characters importance (other than the obvious father of the prophet thing). I didn't have a lot of high expectation for the movie and ended up kinda loving it! Not purely because of him, but he was definitely a huge part of it.

A lot of people are talking about how Chris Pine is going to break out of the summer extravaganza as the star to watch. I don't disagree that he is someone to watch, but if you ask me? Anton Yelchin is going to be right up there with him.

He is DEFINITELY having the Best. Month. EVER.

Jon & Kate

2009-05-26T10:58:00.002-04:00

So I don't pretend to be a huge fan of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8", but last night I watched the premiere of their new season and BOY was it AWKWARD.

I spent the majority of the episode ahh-ing how adorable those kids are, and the rest of it sqirming over J&K's interviews and limited interaction.

Things don't look all that great for the couple. Jon kept saying he was "there for the kids", but I'm sorry -- looks to me like homeboy has given up. And Kate seems to have become so bitter and resigned to her "disappointment" that she can't even look at her husband. SO AWKWARD!

Those poor kids. They're little, but they totally know something is up. Best moment of the night:

Ugh. Kinda heartbreaking.

I'm a realist and of the school of thought that when it's over, it's over. Pull the rip-cord and call it quits so that people can move on. But I secretly hope that these two can pull it together!

Everything is Better With...

2009-05-21T14:53:00.001-04:00

A Bag of Weed!!!

(LOL -- I DIE!)

And Making Their Debut

2009-05-20T14:37:00.002-04:00

Last night I got to head out with my besties to do a little graduation celebration!

No, I'm not graduating from anything. Either are my friends. Scotty's little sister Shanna and all of her adorable friends are though! So last night Scotty, Steve, and I jumped on the Staten Island Ferry to go see our girls.

It was a really fun night! It was a really small group of us. I think at the most we were 10. There was lots of beer pong (which normally I'm total crap at, but shockingly kinda rocked at last night) and our new favorite game: Drunk Jenga!

Drunk Jenga is just like normal Jenga, except they've written things on the pieces.

"Pick a friend and drink for ten seconds"

"Take a shot"

"Go 2 more times"

And the most important: "Add to the Cup"

Just like in King's Cup, there is one central cup that eventually the loser will chug. In Kings, it's the person who draws the final King. In Drunk Jenga, it's the bitch who knocks the tower over!

So fun - You can't wait to play with us! ;)

While we were celebrating our girls debut to "real life" (remember how easy college was? le sigh) another group of youngsters were making their debut on FOX.

"Glee" made it's premiere last night! Did you see it?

I raved about it a while back, and I've got to say -- I think I enjoyed it a lot more this second (and third and fourth) time around! They cleaned up some of the editing, re-paced a couple of sections. All in all great improvements that made me love it more than I already had. Which was not an easy thing to do :)

In case you didn't watch, he's a couple of snippets from the show. Watch them, and then I dare you to not go watch the pilot here.

Enjoy your day!

Kris Allen: "Heartless"

2009-05-19T15:08:00.001-04:00

Want more American Idol videos? Click here.

Let's Be Honest...

2009-05-19T10:35:00.004-04:00

Christian Bale is one of the (if not THE) hottest men. Like, ever.

No? Don't agree?

Do you still not agree? Come on...

Really? The things I would do.....

Wrecks me. Check out the interview and slide show at GQ.com!

Kinda 'Lost' As To What's Next

2009-05-14T10:23:00.006-04:00

If you're a LOST watcher, I can't imagine you didn't see last nights finale. But if you missed it for whatever reason, like maybe you were hit by a bus or on an airplane that got pulled onto a mystical island by some mega-magnetic anomally, you might not want to continue reading this!

They actually did the unthinkable.

Jack & Crew (well, mostly Juliet) blew up the freakin' island!

So now the plane never crashes on the island, because the force that would pull it there has been (we are to believe) destroyed. But how can there be a final season of LOST if there isn't an island???

Here's what I'm thinking...

First of all, there are some mega-bummers. Like the fact that Faraday will never be born because his prego mother just blew up.

Desmond will never have Penny, because Charles was also on the island. Sadness :(

When I got to think about it though, I decided that the possibilities could be really awesome. We have seen so many storylines evolve into wonderful relationships. I mean, tell me you didn't cry when Juliet got sucked down the well! So, let's assume now that the bomb worked and the plane never crashes. Do the people that found each other on the island still find each other if it never happens??

Enter the final season.

Kate is going to jail. Jack is going to bury his father. How in the hell are they going to cross paths and fall in love if Kate isn't free and Jack, well, isn't the incumbent hero? How will they know they're soulmates if they never get to team up to save their friends?

And who knows where Juliet will be. Will she have ever left her sister to try to impregnate the island's inhabitants if the island is a nuclear wasteland? And if she never goes there, how will she ever cross paths with Sawyer? Perhaps he will try his con on her... I mean, she's a hot successful doctor aka has money. Will she fall for his con, and him?

As sad as I am that Daniel won't be around, we could have Claire and Charlie back. I loved their relationship! But if they don't crash, will Charlie kick his heroine addiction, and will Claire give the would-be Aaron up for adoption before going back home to Australia?

And Libby could still be alive too! Would Hurley and Libby find each other in the alternate reality and be happy together?!

Ah! So many possibilities!

Of course, knowing LOST the way I do, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the final season throws us more serious curveballs. I actually kind of expect it. Come on, if they can nukr the island they can do freaking ANYTHING.

What do you think they'll do in the final season???

RiRi + GaGa = Me Dancing In My Seat

2009-05-12T12:24:00.004-04:00

What do you get when you cross

and

?????????????

You get a track destined for the top of every summer playlist!

Silly Boy - Rihanna ft Lady Gaga

Eat your heart out, Chris Brown :-)

(Thanks to PopWrap for finding this leaked track! I can't wait to get home to download it!)

The FaceBook Status

2009-04-29T16:31:00.004-04:00

Can we talk for a second?

Here's my issue: I cannot stand it when people use their status to inform the world of downer (and private) things happening in their lives.

I mean, if you've recently been broken-up with and need to lament, then hell -- knock yourself out! But things like being informed a loved one is dying, you've miscarried, or even if your DOG has miscarried are NOT. OKAY.

Seriuosly kids. A couple months ago a long lost friend from back home posted a status: "Had a stomach ache. Now I'm not pregnant anymore..." Yes, that is very sad. And if we were good friends I would want to know. But we're not. So how about keeping it off your status, eh? Leave it at "had a very bad day" and let those who actually want to know (dash, those that should know) ask about it!

What's bringing this on? Today someone posted a status about her dog having puppies two days ago, and how surprised she was when another (dead) one was birthed today! UGH!

I don't think she reads this blog, but Ashlee, if you're reading this: That's so not okay. I'm so sorry that happened and I can imagine it was pretty traumatizing. But honey, next time just call me if you want to talk about it. And if you feel wierd about talking about it because we haven't spoken in like 7 years then you SHOULD FEEL WIERD ABOUT PUTTING IT ON YOUR STATUS!

Come on people. Seriously.

There's a Kid Inside

2009-04-29T09:55:00.006-04:00

Every morning, one of the first things on my list is catching up on my friend Jarett's blog. Well this morning I got the best news via PopWrap -- guess what's coming out on DVD ya'll???

X-MEN THE ANIMATED SERIES!!!

The 8 year old inside of me did a backflip, I swear to god!

Growing up I would RUSH home from school to watch this series. It was my pre-pubescent porn! I swear to you -- sometimes I think that Colossus and Wolverine made me gay.

I've gone back and watched a few of those online, and it's true: the animation is not that great and the dialogue is laughable. But ask that Kid who lives inside of me if he cares...

Not even a little! I'm going to amazon to place my order. Right. Now.

You All Should Be So Lucky

2009-04-28T16:33:00.006-04:00

I had one of those weekends that left me in the best mood ever. Seriously ya'll, everyone should get to have weekends like that -- it was pretty damn near perfect!

First of all, my buddy Joe was in town. Joe lives in San Fran, and anytime he is around debauchery ensues! Friday night Joe, Scotty, Steve, Jarett and I all went out. First stop: pre-gaming in the East Village. Second stop: an awesome (and crazy hooked up!) dinner at a friend's restaurant. THIRD stop: an 80's themed dance party on the Upper East Side! And yes, we kept going... then it was on to Barrage and the Ritz, though I actually don't really remember being at the Ritz. Ya, that's how insane that night was.

My cousin Julia was also in town with her hubby and baby Joseph. Hadn't seen her since my sisters wedding in 2002! So good to see her and meet her new little guy. Joseph is 1 and super-adorable!

Speaking of adorable, my family all came into the city for a little CPZoo action and chilling in the park. Ya'll know how much I love my family. LOVE. THEM. And ya'll should be so lucky to have nephews as amazing and adorable as mine! Point in case...

I love how in this shot, Jack looks like he wants to kill himself but is smiling anyway. That's my boy!

One more, just for good measure ;)

I had Finn in the baby bjorn for most of that morning. So fun to walk around with the little guy! Funny story: Brian and I showed up wearing nearly the same outfit. No, it wasn't planned. Anyway, there was a moment when we were walking through the zoo. I had Finn in the bjorn, Brian was pushing the stroller and holding Jack's hand, and we somehow had managed to get away from the group. At that moment I noticed quite a few people looking... they must've thought we were just the cutest little gay family... lol

Then it was on to the park, where two other groups of boys that I'm good friends with were also hanging out! There was lots of gossiping and cruising of shirtless boys ALL OVER the park. Good times :)

Then it was on to football -- where we tied our game against team Philip Marie. I didn't even know you could tie in football. Wah wah. Fun game though because my friends Alex and Matt are both on that team and it's always fun to play your friends! Oh, and I got MVP again. Woot!

After football I met up with Brian again. Got ready down at his place and then was out for the night. First stop: a few quick cheap drinks at Pieces. Then we met up with the boys at View Bar, Barracuda, and I think we went to Gym as well but honestly am not sure. Oy.

Sunday we had the most insane brunch experience EVER. Our first thought was Il Bastardo, but by the time we (me, Brian, Beaux, Scotty, Steve, Jarett, and Joe) called for a reservation they were already booked out. So I suggested Nero, a great little italian wine bar in the Meatpacking District. I've eaten there quite a few times and the food is usually good. However, since my last visit, they started having a DJ for Sunday brunch. I kid you not, it was like walking into a nightclub! Thumping techno tracks were spinning, we were all starving, and there was a table of Euro-trash adjacent to us -- needless to see we were not all that thrilled. Weeeellllll, cut to two hours later after maybe 12 rounds of mimosas and champagne and we were having the TIME OF OUR LIVES! Seriously, who knew brunch at a rave was a rockin' good time? We were all up dancing with that ET and cheering the DJ on. You can kinda see here what it was like. I'm not sure what Scotty is doing. I think Joe and the waitor maybe had a flirty exchange and that was his reaction? I mean, the waitor looks REALLY happy...

Ya, insane. Then we went to beer blast at the Eagle which was really crowded but lots-o-fun. Dinner at 7A and then bar hopping around the East Village. I'm pretty sure the sun was up when we finally called it a night -- see, this is what happens when Joe is in town!

But wait, Spenc... if you didn't go to bed until the sun was up...

Yep, that's right. No work for me yesterday! Bad employee...

Of course last night was dodgeball. My team only had 3 people show up, and you have to have at least 4 to play so we had to forfeit. Boo. It was a good after party though. We went to Gym and then onto Splash. I think I was home around 2:00 a.m. Oops! That sure wasn't my intent, however worth it :)

So you see? It's been a damn good couple of days!

Back to the old grindstone today. Looking forward to babysitting my nephew Ajani tonight and being chill!

Happy Tuesday!

Under the Umbrella of God and Doctors

2009-04-21T10:07:00.004-04:00

I'm sure by now you have all seen that melodramatic ad from the National Organization for Marriage. They warn that "a storm is coming" and that storm is, you guessed it, gay people.

They're so upset that we're taking the issues too far, forcing it into their lives, making them choose between their careers and religious beliefs, and cramming our beliefs down their childrens' throats within the realms of (gasp!) public school systems!

If you haven't seen the ad, you should really google it. It's by far one of the most ridiculous things I have EVER seen. And then you should google the audition videos from the ad -- that's right, those horrified straight folk? Actors. And not very good ones...

Can I just say that I am SO HAPPY to be on the gay/straight alliance side of this fight?! Those people look like morons, and our side responds accordingly.

Thanks to the Genius that is "Funny or Die" a response (of sorts) has been issued. It's sheer brilliance leaves me proud to be a big ole 'mo. Take a minute, and check it out!!!

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

My Friend, Kristin Chenoweth

2009-04-20T11:34:00.002-04:00

So my best friend, Jarett, has the coolest job like ever. Last week he got to interview none other than the inimitable and fiercely adorable Kristin Chenoweth. And if you know me at all you know that I DIED when he told me.

Here's the video of his interview. They totally love each other. And if she loves him, then sort of by default she loves me. We're totally BFF's.

Ok, so I'm a little crazy. Leave me alone -- I love her!

Hey, I Know Her!

2009-04-16T13:36:00.003-04:00

Last night I got quite the surprise... I was over with the boys watching the American Idol results show, eating french onion soup and crudite, when BAM! There she is! Right there amongst hundreds of screaming fans, holding a sign reading "I (heart) Matt"... was the one and only -- Miss Lorissa! :)

Your poor taste in Idol contestants not withstanding... So good to see you in my TV!

bitchpleeze.com

2009-04-15T15:25:00.003-04:00

At the 2 minute mark, I DIE.

And then I die again around 2 minutes 50 seconds!

Please to enjoy: Miss Angie Tempura of bitchpleeze.com :-)

Easter Baby

2009-04-13T10:18:00.004-04:00

HAPPY EASTER!

We had a great family dinner yesterday, and I got lots of baby time in. F'reals ya'll -- I want one!

My sister and I subconsiously coordinated -- Jack, Finn, and I were all in argyle. (Somewhere in Wisconsin, Brian's head exploded.)

It's a seriously good thing I've got adorable nephews to keep me happy because I am one ah-coo away from pairing up with a lesbian to make one!

I mean, can you blame me? How adorable is this???

If you're not dying, you may be dead inside.

So looking at all the photos this morning made me remember how little and adorable Jack was. I mean, he still is. But he's so not a baby or a toddler even anymore. He's such a little man. He no longer looks like this...

But damn he was the cutest thing!

I die.

Now he's all in to superheroes and what not, but I gotta tell you -- playing superheroes is not nearly as much fun when there's an open bar and amazing hors d'oeuvres in the other room. Just sayin'. I mean, Nano likes to drink... and it's hard to drink when your three-cocktails-in Joker is getting his ass whooped by a three-year-old Batman who apparently now carries bombs that will not only freeze you but light you on fire in the same instant.

Technology has come a long way since I was an imaginary superhero.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter! Even for you jews who celebrated just another Sunday... I hope it was a nice one!

Family Gay

2009-04-10T14:53:00.003-04:00

So, I know that it calls out a bunch of stereotypes that I don't think many a homosexual would appreciate, but when taken with the proverbial grain of salt? This is pretty fucking hysterical.

Fall Flamery

2009-04-08T12:21:00.003-04:00

Not to be a total theater queen about it... but this fall is bringing so much promising musical madness!

In theaters, we're getting an update (not a straight remake) of the 1980's hit "Fame". I've seen the movie, and while I loved it I just couldn't get that into it. It is SO dated. But I just saw the trailer for the update, and got CHILLS ya'll.

And then, in the realm of primetime television, we're getting a new series called "Glee" (starring Lea Michelle who f'reals blows my mind). I might not be supposed to say this, but I've already seen the pilot episode. True, the pacing was, well, strange. But the episode culminates with the newly formed glee club rocking out to a little Journey (as you can hear in the promo spot below) and I am not kidding when I say that NONE OF THE PEOPLE I was watching with could stay sitting down. AMAZING! I absolutely cannot wait for this to start later this year!

So ya, all you musical fans out there -- it's going to be a good year!

Coincidence? Or Photo Shopped?

2009-04-06T10:43:00.004-04:00

I was looking through some old blogs, and came across this photo.

Which reminded me of this photo.

Wierd.

Is the Idol machine so hard up for photographers that they reduced to a cut and paste? For real, what's up with this?

For Your Listening Pleasure

2009-04-03T15:31:00.001-04:00

I was on my buddy's Soap Opera page today, and noticed that Rachel Yamagata was going to appearing as a musical guest. After watching the video, I just couldn't help but share!

Enjoy!

Might Be Going to Hell, But...

2009-04-01T12:07:00.006-04:00

..it is totally worth it!

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY EVERYONE!

I gotta admit: I'm a big fan of this feaux-holiday. Last year I got SERIOUSLY played thanks to my (brilliantly evil) cousin Jos. He concocted this whole lie about a week in advance about meeting Sarah Jessica Parker. Cut to April Fool's Day '08 -- he tells me he got tickets to the "Sex and the City" movie premiere and wants me to babysit. I could've killed him! (Ya'll know how much I love me some SJP -- Jeremiah: bite your tongue!)

Anyway, I fell face first into his lie and to this day we still laugh about it all the time.

So I took a note from my cousin, and this year began premeditating my own AF joke on Monday...

Recognize this boy?

Ok, so that's Marco. He is my friend from L.A. that I became "involved" with while I was on vacation two weeks ago. He is coming to visit this weekend -- yay! (Hi Marco :P)

So on Monday, I was bitching about work and how busy I've been (this part is not a lie) and I mentioned that my boss was going to be in Europe for the last part of the week. And mid-point one of our 4-hour long conversations, I decided to play a little joke...

Me: Oh, so get this! My boss looks at me today and goes "by the way, might need you to leave Thursday and meet me in Milan on Friday for our meeting..."
Marco: Oh my god! Did you tell her I'm coming out there?
Me: Of course! My response was "ABsolutely NOT!"

Cut to the next day....

Me: Dude, my boss is putting me through it. She won't let this travel thing go...
Marco: Well what are you going to do?
Me: Well I'm not going! They can't technically make me, and I've got plans!
Marco: Good cuz they would have to deal with me...

Side note, Marco if from Brooklyn and kinda scrappy ;)

Ok, so cut to this morning... The big day! tee hee hee

I send a text: "dude, I'm freaking out. I might have to leave tomorrow. epic bad timing - pls call me when you can"

RING RING

Me: Ugh, hey...
Marco: What is going on?
Me: Apparently the client sent an email to my boss saying that they were expecting I would be part of the team to be there. So she just sent me an email saying I needed to make arrangements and that she was sorry. She cc'd her boss, who then proceeds to chew me out for saying no in the first place. He was all "do you even care about staying employed?" Ugh, I'm freaking out dude. They're giving me no choice.....
Marco: This sucks. I'm like shaking... Well, ok. So... now what?
Me: I don't know dude. I guess.... I guess this is the point in the conversation that I have to say to you... APRIL FOOL'S!

I died. Like, lost my shit on the street corner as he proceeded to cuss me out and promise a beating when he gets here! LOL Loves it...

I know it was probably mean, especially the whole build up over the past few days, but I just couldn't resist! I may be going to hell (directly to hell, not passing go or collecting $200) but at least I'm doing it with a smile in on my face.

Hope everyone has a great day and doesn't fall too hard for any serious pranks!

Except, actually, I hope that you do -- because hind sight has a way of turning these jokes into awesomely funny memories.

Eventually.

And Into the Weekend We Go!

2009-03-27T16:40:00.004-04:00

It's going to be a great weekend. I can just FEEL it! Bri is having a party tonight, football tomorrow, and then heading out to Connecticut on Sunday to spend time with my amazing sister and this adorable little guy.

Well, ok, he's not so little... LOL

Not really in the mood to write a lot -- got s'much to do! But I'll leave you with a few things that have made me very happy...

Idina guested on "Private Practice" this week, and I love her. Seeing her on screen always makes me smile!

My new favorite show, "Castle", just freaking rocks. Nathan Fillion is brilliant! He pulls of sexy, goofy, smart... and then when you least expect it pulls these wicked tender moments with his on-screen daughter! Ugh, he wrecks me. And that makes me happy.

I've never watched "30 Rock" before last night, and I can't believe how much I've been missing out! Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin are genius. My favorite quote of the night...

"I only have this slight English inflection because I lost my virginity to the 'My Fair Lady' soundtrack!" -- Jane Krakowski's character... I DIE!

And last but not least...

6 more days... 6 more days... :-)

Things That Made Me Smile Today

2009-03-24T10:37:00.004-04:00

After a sleepless red-eye flight back to NYC on Sunday night/Monday morning, I had the displeasure of finally understanding extreme exhaustion. I landed at 6:00 a.m., it took me forever to get home, and that didn't leave me any time to sleep before I had to be at work! So yesterday, this was me.

Happily, last night, this was me.

Sad that I slept through dodgeball (I miss my Bitches!) but I feel A MILLION TIMES better today! And that makes me smile.

I also discovered today that my favorite up-and-coming powerhouse actress (she's my favorite because she's gorgeous, and can act/sing her face off!) has been tapped to play my favorite tragic diva of all time!

Yes, Anne Hatheway has been tapped by Harvey Weinstein to play Miss Judy Garland in "Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland" -- both on the Big Screen, and on the Great White Way! Not to be super-gay about it, but this makes me very very very happy!

Lastly, in ten days someone very special to me is going to be coming to visit!

This makes me VERY happy.

What made you happy today??

Things I Am Excited About Today

2009-03-13T11:28:00.005-04:00

#1- The New "If You Seek Amy" Video

It's almost wierd for me to be excited about anything Britney Spears related -- I'm not a huge fan. But f'reals, I am LOVING this video! Go watch it here!

#2 - A California Vacation

I leave tonight for L.A. ya'll! I am in desperate need of a little vacation. It's been a rough couple of months, and I can't imagine a better fix than spending time in sunny California! I've actually been sick the last couple of days. For reals, this is me right now...

I blame the schitzophrenic weather we've been having here in NYC. One day we're getting a foot of snow. Four days later it's 70 degrees. Now it's frigid again. Make up yo damn mind!

I'm hoping the perfect cure will be the 80 degree sunshine I'm about to spend a week in :)

#3 - Happy Birthday to Me!

On Monday next week, I'm turning the big 2-6! I've never really thought about 26 (27 seems like the far mor important age) But regardless, it's a birthday! And guess how I'm spending it?

YAY! Disneyland!

#4 - A Week of Rockstar Partying

I'm sure I'll be celebrating the entire week. Most birthday weeks are full of debauchery, and I'm sure this one will be NO exception.

Scotty + Lorissa + Joe + Faith + Jessica =

I'm gonna need a vacation from my vacation when I get home, ya'll ;-)

So anyway, enjoy your weekend, and your week next week, and think of me. On the beach. In the sunshine. Probably passed out. :-)

Little In Love

2009-03-12T14:08:00.003-04:00

It's inevitable I'm going to have an American Idol crush. Seems to happen EVERY season.

And this season's crush-worthy idol is....

HAHA! Just kidding :)

F'reals though...

Kris Allen -- Leave your wife. I'll be right here waiting!

Most. Boring. Day. Ever.

2009-03-10T16:01:00.004-04:00

My boss is traveling. Because she is gone, she asked me to listen in on a call that she was "hosting". She can't listen in herself because she's been in meetings and getting on a plane.

ANYWAY

I activated the dial-in number, and listened as clients and other bankers began to dial-in. I opened by saying "Ms. So-and-so is not available -- Mr. So-and-so will be leading the call in her absense." I then put the call on mute and started listening in.

CUT TO TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER!!! BORING!!!

I had no idea what anyone was talking about. It was like a completely different language.

So instead of paying attention (it's not like I had to take notes, thank god) I decided to do an art project. Yes, an art project.

This is what I got paid to do today :-)

The Boys, and also The Girls

2009-03-06T13:18:00.005-05:00

I just got a text from my sister Mandy. The contents of the text was this:

Ugh, I die. I am loving how much Jack is loving being a big brother. And I am also loving how Finn is chunking up! Jack was a chubby baby, and it looks like Finn is def following in those baby-foot steps.

In other photo news, Glamour magazing did a photo spread of iconic American women. The spread is absolutely gorgeous (you can see it here) These are my top five favorites...

#5 -- America Ferrera as Dolores Huerta

Wait, who? Ya, I had never heard of her either. Apparently she co-founded a foreign laborers union. (Her sign says "strike" in Spanish) So while I'm a terrible feminist for not knowing this American Icon, I'm all about how AMAZING America looks in this shot. Plus, the red truck set against those deep blues... Gorgeous.

#4 -- Camilla Belle as Mary Tyler Moore

Or as I like to call her... Shmary Shmyler Shmoore. I'm a bad feminist, but a pretty good gay. I remember being a kid and watching the Mary Tyler Moore Show with my folks and thinking it was hilarious -- even if I was way too young to get most of the jokes. I love MTM, and this picture is awesome. Um, do you see those shoes???

#3 -- Emma Roberts as Audrey Hepburn

Look at the turn-out and arch in those feet!! There's no denying Audrey is a mega-icon -- would Tiffanys be an iconic jeweler without Holly Golightly? Not to mention her star turns in My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday, and Wait Until Dark. And this Emma Roberts girl? I don't know a damn thing about her, but she's stunning.

#2 -- Emma Stone as Carrie Bradshaw

First of all, I love that Glamour chose to include a fictional character as an American icon. I love it because it's SO TRUE! Name one girl under the age of 30 whose sense of style/dating wasn't affected by Carrie B? Don't think too hard about it, because no such person exists.

#1 -- Alexis Bledel as Rosie the Riveter

I don't think there's anyone in America who doesn't know this iconic image. WWII's Rosie was the hot-flexin' mama that inspired women to jump into the work force while the men were at war. And Alexis (who I ADORE) recreated this flawlessly. The color, the expression... ugh, I die.

Seriously, take five and go look at the whole spread. Easiest five minutes to kill of the day :-)

My Culinary Inspiration, In Person!!!

2009-03-04T11:08:00.004-05:00

Who inspires you?

If you're an aspiring singer/songwriter, maybe your answer is John Lennon or Bono. Or someone less old/dead. (I'm obviously not a singer/songwriter...)

If you're an athlete, perhaps your answer is Joe Montana or Michael Phelps (yes, even post pot)

If you're me, and secretly harbor dreams of having my own restaurant and a program on the Food Network... well, that answer is easy! Because my inspiration is Rachel Ray.

Ya'll, guess who I got to meet last night???

RACHEL RAY!!!

So here's the sitch.

My buddy Steve hooked me and Bri up with tix to a screening of "Watchmen". We were sitting in the "guests of Warner Bros" section right in the center. So we're chilling, gossiping about people around us, and Bri goes "Oh my god, it's Rachel Ray." I totally didn't believe him.

You see, he knows that Rachel Ray is one of my FAVORITE people in the world. She saved my life, ya'll! So my assumption was that he was just trying to get a rise out of me. So I told him where to stick it.

But he persisted, so I turned around and -- sure enough -- there she was! She and her husband had just arrived and were sitting two rows behind us. They were dropping their coats, and it looked like were then headed to the lobby. Bathroom break? Popcorn? Who cares! I could fake interest in either of those to meet her!

I normally have a rule. I will not approach celebrities. They are just people, just like you and me, and I think they should be able to live their lives without being bombarded by fans. Bri knows this, so he convinced me to break my rule. "You have to! You have to!" And he was right -- I HAD to! So I did...

I jumped up and followed them out to the lobby. I approached her, and it went something like this...

Spencer: Hi, Rachel?

Rach: Hi...

Spencer: Hi. I am sooo sorry to bother you. My name is Spencer (extend hand) I'm quite possibly your biggest fan.

Rach: (hesitantly shaking my hand) Thank you. Nice to meet you.

Spencer: Again, I'm so sorry to bother you. I just HAD to say hello. You saved my life.

Rach: (smacking me on the arm) What?! What are you talking about??

Spencer: I'm from Salt Lake City, had tried to move to England but got deported -- it's a long story -- so I ended up living with my sister for a few months while finding a job here in New York. At the time, I weighed about 230 pounds....

Rach: (smacking my arm again) Get out!

Spencer: I know, right?! I lost it because of you... Those two months I watched the food network pretty much non-stop. Your show in particular. I had NEVER thought about cooking before but you made me want to try. Totally changed my life. The first 30 pounds I lost were just from cooking my own food and eating better...

Rach: That is so great! You look so great!(taking my arm) Come meet my husband... John! This is Spencer, whose life I saved...

John: (awkwardly shaking my hand) Um, nice to meet you...

Spencer: Nice to meet you as well! I won't keep you guys... you're seeing "Watchmen"? (obviously knowing that's exactly what they were doing... I'm a dork)

Rach: Ya

Spencer: Alright, well I'll let you get back in there. It was so nice to meet you. And.. well, just THANK YOU!

Rach: (giving me a big hug) You're welcome. Keep it up and stay in the states!

This moment will forever go down as one of the greatest moments in my life. RACHEL RAY HUGGED ME! She may have also insinuated that I needed to lose more weight still by saying "keep it up"... but who the hell cares... SHE HUGGED ME!

So thanks to Steve for getting me in the same room, and Bri for talking me into not missing out on one of the most awesome opportunities ever.

All I need to meet now are SJP, Michael Ciarello, George Clooney, and Paula Deen.

My, How People Change...

2009-03-03T16:29:00.005-05:00

Someone said to me recently that I've changed... and I absolutely believe them.

But not all changes are bad. Some changes are good! Take for example a little photo-series I've gathered up the courage to put together for you.

Behold: The Evolution of Spenc

Photo 1: Shopping for my sister's wedding dress. Winter 2001.

Photo 2: With a friend at the Sundance Film Festival. February 2006. (Horrifying!)

Photo 3: BAD! Dodgeball Spring Season Kick-off Party. February 21st, 2009.

So, as you can see, some of the changes I've made with my life and to myself are WAY for the better.

And the questionable ones? Well, I'm working on those.

:-)

All I Ever Wanted becomes my Obsession

2009-02-26T11:40:00.003-05:00

So last week my wonderful brilliant amazing charming lovely wonderful (wait I said that one already) friend Brian Christopher Bahr alerted me to the most amazing thing I had heard in a while....

"Hey Spenc, it's Bri... the new Kelly leaked!"

I instructed him to call me as soon as he found it online so that I could download. Which he did. Which I then downloaded. And I haven't stopped listening to it since!!!!

Seriously ya'll, I haven't liked an album this much since... since... well truthfully I'm not the kind of person that gets that worked up about music, so I don't know that I have ever liked an album like this before. It's love!

She's perfect. Like can't find a single fault, can't live without it perfect!

I first knew I had a big ole crush when this happened.

Natural Woman
Uploaded by ryle78

(Remember when AI had two hosts and Randy was fat? Strange to look back...)

Then I saw her live about a year ago (or longer? Bri, when was that concert?) and I knew it was pretty serious when this happened...

And now there's this video, from her AMAZING new album, which pretty much cements my love.

Yep, pretty much Ob.Sessed!

Bravo, Miss Clarkson. Bravo.

**Album releases on March 10th -- Run, don't walk, to get it! **

Just Can't Get Enough

2009-02-24T16:02:00.002-05:00

It's been a really rough day at work. I needed a little pick-me-up. So I decided to see who else has been having a rough day at fmylife.com...

This person made me feel infinitely better!

Today, I was DJ'ing a wedding. The groom wanted a song played for his grandma and grandpa. I announce over the microphone for his grandparents to come to the dance floor for a special song. Turns out his grandparents have been dead for over a year and the song was supposed to be in dedication. FML

LMAO! Oh my god, I would die... I just cannot get enough of this site!!!

Um, Meanwhile!

2009-02-20T16:55:00.002-05:00

"Meanwhile" is code for a hot guy. Like, when you're out with your friends and you notice someone hot across the room. In your casual conversation you interject the term "meanwhile..." and your friends follow your gaze to said hottie.

Well to all of you reading this, let me say "MEANWHILE" and please follow my gaze to the picture below...

WTF??? When did John Mayer get HOOOTTTTT!!?!?!?!

Hey, Little Brother!

2009-02-20T11:36:00.003-05:00

So one of my favorite shows on TV is "Brothers & Sisters". The (sometimes overly) dramatic prime time politically-charged soap is brilliant -- intertwining plotlines, desperately deep characters, crazy-talented actors (Sally Field, anyone?) -- this show in my own humble opinion can do no wrong!

So at the end of the first season we learned that there was a secret younger sibling whose name began with the letter R. We all thought this child was Rebecca. Then we found out it was not in fact Rebecca (thank god, because her flirtation with non-half-brother Justin was verging on incestual) but in fact a child from another affair -- Ryan.

Well two weeks ago we finally see the little brother...

And last week we got to know him a little bit.

And I couldn't be happier. He looks like a walker to me! Like, combine Justin and Kitty -- you get Ryan. He's a little bit whiny-emo but I'm hoping that will go away.

And if I were into hipstery tall skinny guys I'd think he was hot. I mean, I do think he's hot... but not hot in a walk-across-the-room-for-a-better-look way, but in a politely-acknowledge-from-a-distance way.

:-)

Really? REALLY??!

2009-02-18T16:58:00.003-05:00

Ok, so... I'm not immune to freaking out every once in a while. Yet even in extreme situations I really can keep my shit together.

This woman? Cannot. Keep. It. Together.

Absolutely unbelievable!

F**K MY LIFE!

2009-02-06T16:20:00.003-05:00

No, I'm not complaining... I happen to love my life a whole lot! And part of the reason is due to this website I recently discovered....

"F**K MY LIFE" is a blog where people can write in and describe moments of "My life sucks" -- which has been aptly abbreviated as "FML" for the purpose of this site.

A few examples!

Today, I hung out with a friend who has been too busy to hang out with me in a few months. I decided to make the day super special with fun plans and spent a lot of money doing so. When I got home, her facebook status said "Pointless day, gone to bed". FML

Today, I woke up to my car covered in shaving cream and tampons and the word CHEATER written on my windshield in lipstick. The guy a few doors down from me in my dorm has the same car as me. I'm a virgin. FML

Today, my boyfriend of 2 years sent me a text messages saying, "Don't worry I'm gonna break up with her soon. Love you." FML

And one of my favorites so far...

Today, I was eating ice cream and I noticed some on my jeans so I wiped it off with my finger and licked it. It was bird shit. FML

LMAO! I die!

On Repeat In My Mind

2009-01-27T11:48:00.002-05:00

You know you really like a song when you sing it over and over and over again in your head without even knowing all the words. This melody? Forget about it. Amazing.

I first heard this song at my buddy's place. We were drinking and listening to the Kidz Only station, naturally :)

Then the band was featured on One Life To Live singing this song at Rex's club. And I've been singing it ever since!

Wow, there's a lot of things in the last few sentences that I can't believe I'm admitting to. Ah well, take it or leave it, it's me. I hope you like the song as much as I do!

Coming Soon

2009-01-22T14:50:00.002-05:00

Guess who's coming to visit?!?

Is it A)

Or is it B)

The Answer: ALL OF THE ABOVE! I CAN'T WAIT!

New Year, and New Babies

2009-01-14T09:37:00.004-05:00

I got word yesterday that my cousin Kate (who is supremely fantastic) had a baby!

He doesn't have a name yet... I think she and her hubby (Jon) are having the great debate at the moment. From what I understand they're getting by on just calling him "baby".

Except for my Uncle, who is referring to him as "Number Two".

Speaking of new borns....

Remember this?

Well, my new nephew is officially less than four weeks away from arriving.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

My sister is scheduled to go in for delivery the morning of February 10th. I know most people are probably going "you can't schedule your water breaking...." but, actually, you can when the doctor will be doing it and taking the baby out via c-section. It's kinda nice knowing exactly when he'll be here. My folks have scheduled their flights out for the following friday. My sisters are in the process of scheduling their own trips out. The family that lives out here is able to co-ordinate now on who will watch my nephew Jack during all shifts. It's a great thing, really...

I guess there is always the possibility he arrives early. Mandy has BIG BABIES, ya'll. Our "number two" is already weighing in at 7 pounds with four weeks left to go. YIKES. In addition, I guess she carries a lot of extra amniotic fluid, which creates more pressure. IE it's more likely to have the baby sooner... so we'll see -- POUND POUND POUND (me knocking on wood...)

Anyway, can't wait for him to get here, whenever he gets here! I'll be sure to keep ya'll updated!

Never Too Early to Play Tag

2009-01-13T10:04:00.001-05:00

Good Morning!

Should prove to be a pretty great day. I freaking rock starred the shit out of my day yesterday (translation: I was very productive) which is giving me an awesome foot to start on today. Most of the things on my list have to do with my clients in the mid-west, and seeing as they only just opened for business, I thought I'd have a little "me" time this morning.

One of my favorite things to do on my down time is a quick read-through of any blog updates from my friends. So first stop this morning (actually, the second stop because the first stop was at my FAVORITE food blog, Amateur Gourmet) was at my friend Hiedi's blog.

Her post was called "Tag You're It", and ya'll she tagged me.

So here, in the spirit of missing my friends and waiting on those middle states to get up-and-running, I'm going to quickly run this survey. Enjoy!

Rules:

1) Post rules on your blog
2) Answer the six '8' items
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV shows

1. Pushing Daisies -- its cancellation is truly a crime against the artistic world
2. Brothers & Sisters -- Best show on TV. And I'm stickin' to it!
3. Sex & The City -- doesn't matter that I know every episode by heart, it just never gets old
4. Gossip Girl -- don't judge me...
5. Grey's Anatomy -- I almost gave up on this during Season 3, but am so glad I didn't! Love it!
7. True Blood -- a new favorite! And this is coming from someone who is terrified of vampires...
8. Ugly Betty -- two words: Mark & Amanda

8 Things I did yesterday

1. Woke up early
2. Went to work
3. Took a "Build & Burn" class (ouch)
4. Scored a dinner meeting with a hard-to-reach CFO
5. Grocery shopped
6. Played an INSANE round of open play dodgeball (more on that when I've got more time)
7. Met a bunch of awesome new people
8. Played a few rounds of flip-cup at Stonewall with the dballers before heading home for the night

8 Things I look forward to

1. BAD!
2. My new nephew! 4 weeks, ya'll!!!
3. My family coming to visit next month
4. NYGFL -- that's code for gay football
5. "9 to 5" on Broadway
6. The next weekend getaway with the boys!
7. An international trip with my sister (Peru or Australia, we're still deciding...)
8. Brian's debut on the Tyra blog

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. East -- tuna wednesdays!
2. Markt -- best mussels....
3. Good -- green chili mac, anyone???
4. 7A -- best california burger. If only they had ranch dressing...
5. Outback -- but only on "special" occasions
6. KashKaval -- fondue and mediterranean tapas, yum!
7. Film Center Cafe -- all-you-can-drink mimosas with a side of belgian waffle
8. Pastis -- when all you need is a little people watching and a Croque Madame

8 Things on my wish-list

1. Mo' Money!
2. Early retirement
3. A family of my own (not anytime soon, mind you...)
4. A new Le Creuset Dutch Oven
5. For my parents/sisters to move to the east coast
6. New catching gloves
7. For that last 10 pounds to go away!
8. To be able to keep my New Year Resolution (I'm failing horribly...)

8 People I tag

So here's the thing with this one...

I was tagged by Hiedi, who tagged most of the folks I would've tagged in return. And to double-tag is redundant, so I'm cordially declining to tag anyone :)

Ok, I've successfully killed all free-time for the day! Hope everyone is doing well and HAPPY TUESDAY!

Weekend Update

2009-01-12T14:43:00.003-05:00

No, not "Weekend Update" like what Seth Meyers adeptly delivers every saturday night (love him, but I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I miss Amy Poehler!)

This Weekend Update is just a recap on what I did this weekend. Fun, right??!!

Well maybe not for you but it CERTAINLY is for me :)

Friday night started off with birthday drinks for my friend Thom down at the popular Cowgirl Lounge in the West Village. Now, I say "popular" because I heard that it was a trendy joint for that 'hood. Not because I had ever tried to go or had to wait in line there. The decor was delightfully tacky, complete with cartoon wallpaper, antlers with christmas lights, and glow in the dark stars. Dan (a new friend) and I decided it was "Deliciously Kitsch", and we're sticking to it!

Post bday cocktails brought us to Stonewall. It seems that upstairs at Stonewall on a Friday is a party attend by New York's lesbian du jour. One of my favorite girls, Poppi Kramer, bartends and I don't know who the DJ is but she is FIERCE! Her musical selection keeps all the girls (and boys) dancing until all hours. For real, I swear to god I blinked and it was 3:00 a.m. and I was sooo sweaty! Good times!

A quick note... What is it with the Gays and the Lesbians having this unspoken rivalry? I've never really understood, but of course before moving to NYC and joining BAD! I didn't know any. The girls from the league are UNBELIEVABLE. And to all you boys out there who pretend to be "scared" or "unwelcome" when around our female counterparts -- to you I say get out there and actually meet some! Be pleasantly surprised! I swear, I have more fun with these girls....

Anyway, drunk-and-stumble to Ant's because Bri was house-sitting. Decided a drunken viewing of Aladdin was in order, but only made it through "Friend Like Me". Bri didn't even make it through the opening monologue -- I could tell because the bed started shaking from his snoring ;)

Saw "Bride Wars" on Saturday. Don't run out to see it. It will be On Demand eventually.

Best thing about BW?

Brian Greenberg. LOVE him. Note -- shirtless photos aren't from the movie (unfortunately) but special thanks to J for sending those along this morning to help Monday get off to a great start!

Babysat my cousin on Saturday night. Watched SNL. Started reading "Eclipse", the third installment of the TWILIGHT series. Which is so far so good! And I'm about half-way done.

Sunday I had dinner with J at a surprisingly delicious little Italian joint on 51st and 10th. Have no idea what it was called, but I had the Gnocci with pancetta and apple in a white cream sauce -- UNBELIEVABLE! I'm definitely going to be experimenting to recreate a chicken dish based on what I tasted. When I get it down, I'll make sure to put it up on Single Servings!

After dinner came the Golden Globes. Which I don't want to go all into. Other than to say this:

HOORAY FOR KATE WINSLET!!!!

She was long overdue for a win and for her to take home BOTH prizes last night? Un-freaking-believable. I saw both films and loved both of her performances (although, I was not crazy about The Reader as a whole). She has definitely secured her place among the greatest actresses of our time. To anyone who hasn't seen Revolutionary Road or The Reader I say go see both. I can't promise you'll love both (I sure didn't love the latter) but I guarantee that she will blow you away on all fronts!!

BAD!'s first open play is tonight. I'm so ready for the season to start back up again! So many friends to see that haven't been around for the last few months. My only regret is not keeping my flip-cup arm in shape while on this winter break. Hopefully I'll still be able to bring it tonight at the post-play at Stonewall!

The City(Boy) That Never Sleeps

2009-01-09T17:17:00.003-05:00

Well, it's my first week back in NYC after a quality visit to my roots in SLC. I had an absolute blast (honestly, has anyone ever had the much fun at TryAngles before???) but I gotta say -- I'm really happy to be home!

Yes, home. This city.... This cold, unforgiving, demanding bitch of a city. Well, the truth is, I love her. And I'm so happy to be back!

I missed my boys a whole whole lot. So Tuesday night we went out play catch-up. Nothing fancy, just a little HK action. Beaux, Steve, Sanchez, and I started out at Rudy's. Well, I started at Rudy's. The others had started before me ;)

Scotty met up with us later on, as did Eric Perman. Who, by the way, is quickly becoming one of my new favorites! We mozzied on over to Barrage. So, my rationale was that it was my first night back, I missed everyone, and Barrage is like half a block from my apartment. So I allowed myself to get a little drunk. And by allowing myself that, I ended up SMASHED.

Probably got home around 2:00. Woke up at 9:00 -- oopsy daisy! So I called and let the co-workers know I'd be late. Should've stayed in that night (wednesday) but instead opted for a little trivia at Crocodile Lounge (fun, but WAY overcrowded) and then Pyramid. It was pretty much the exact same crowd as the night before, minus Sanchez, and add Sergio and (Mike? Matt? Hrm... what was his name in the black beanie??) Awesome night. But another super late night. BUT I made it to work on time Thursday!

Yesterday I decided to see the Broadway Revival of Pal Joey (not "must see") and then went to Gym Bar to meet up with Beaux. Brian came with me, and we arrived to find a few random games of flipcup and some very drunk friends. It's was maybe 10:00pm, so needless to say they all had a good headstart on us. Bri, Beaux and I weren't feeling Gym, and we were kinda celebrating Bri's big news for the day (go read his blog, Bri-Tunes, for details!) so we met up with Scotty and Steve at Eastern Bloc. They were debuting their new Thursday night party "Contact" which was pretty fun.

The premise is they take a bunch of photos and then post them on homo-neurotic.com so that people can "make contact" if they saw someone that interested them they could reach out. Funny though, only Scotty and I got snapped. And as you can see, neither of us were all that happy about it....

Oh well.

Another late night.

Who needs sleep!??!

That's why God invented Starbucks, no?

Carrie Underwood Read My Diary...

2009-01-08T15:09:00.004-05:00

So it's kinda a joke among my friends that often when I drink I end up in the back corner of the bar making out with random strangers. Not is a slutty way. Just in a drunken "I need to know what that guy kisses like" way.

Which sounds pretty slutty...

I don't get mad when I get teased. I mean, it's funny cuz it's kinda true! That's how I met the Brazilian. And I'm not even going to bring up the Hoes and Hotties party... I'm STILL living that one down...

But we all do this, right? Right??!

No? Just me? Hrm... (blush)

Anyway, I was watching this video and found it strangly appropo for my life. I can TOTALLY see something like this happening to me.

And let's be honest -- the song is TOTALLY about me, right up to the "oops I got married" part.

So I guess it's a good thing gay marriage isn't allowed in New York. I'd be an expert on Annulments :)

Carrie Underwood - Last Name
Uploaded by _sozidatel_

Adios, 2008!

2008-12-29T12:34:00.002-05:00

A little video I stumbled upon (while searching for Taylor Swift videos, don't judge me!) that I think adequately sums up 2008 for all of us!

Enjoy!

Pop Waffle Does 2008!
Uploaded by popwaffledotcom

Would You Rather?

2008-12-29T11:07:00.003-05:00

Ok, I'm bored. So let's play a game!

WOULD YOU RATHER....

Have a man that would make coming home to fantastic candlelight dinner every night a reality...

(A la chef dash heart throb Rocco DiSpirito...)

Have a man with impeccable taste that could throw chic cocktail parties and keep your home in the latest fashions...

(A la Oprah's Go-To guy, Nate Berkus...)

Have a man who could spend the weekends (shirtless) keeping your yard meticulously manicured and could also build things, like, with wood and a saw and whatnot..

(A la DIY's Jason Cameron...)

Hm, decisions, decisions...

Do you think that there's anyone out there that embodies all three?

Happy Holidays from NYC!

2008-12-24T12:33:00.002-05:00

Hey ya'll! It's that time. Time for feasting and families. For photos and friggin' caroling.

I'm getting ready to take off to Connecticut to spend the Christmas holiday with my sister and her family, and quickly wanted to send a quick note of love and cheer from Gay New York! Which is a lot like straight New York, but with better accessories. Like Bloomingdale's and figure skating in Central Park.

Anyway, to all of you out in the blogosphere, may you have the happiest of holidays!

CUTE OVERLOAD ALERT!

2008-12-18T15:46:00.004-05:00

HOW TO HUG A BABY

1. Uh, find a baby.

2. Be sure the object you found is indeed a baby by employing classic sniffing techniques.

3. Flatten the baby before beginning the hugging process.

4. The "Paw Slide": Simply slide paws around baby, and prepare for possible close-up.

5. Finally, if a camera is present, you will need to execute the difficult and patented "hug, smile, and lean" to achieve maximum photo quality!

**NOTE: I do not know this baby, nor do I know this dog. This was passed on by my friend Jarett (experience his blogger genius here) and couldn't resist sharing it here! Could you just D-I-E?!?!!?

Forever A Changed Man

2008-12-18T14:28:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I posted about my decision to send out my laundry. As you know, I definitely had mixed feelings about it...

Does sending out make me lazy?

Does it make me spoiled?

No, it makes me less stressed for Time. Well, at least that was my justification.

As a quick follow-up... I got my laundry back last night at 5:30 pm (right on schedule!) and I swear to you... I am NEVER doing laundry again!

All of my wash was meticulously folded. It was like they stopped by American Eagle and had one of their stock boys board-fold it all before bringing it back to me! (All of you who have worked retail know exactly what I mean when I say "board-folded", right?)

To top it off, all of my socks were paired up, and they did that nifty little sock roll thing so that the pairs wouldn't fall apart! I HATE ROLLING MY SOCKS! So I was real happy they did it for me :)

I think it's safe to say that my life has been changed. Never again will I stew over having enough quarters (also known as "Jew Gold" in my apartment... my roomies are Jewish so I'm allowed to say that!), having detergent and softener, the dryer actually getting everything dry in one cycle (a novel concept), and most importantly making the time to do something that I absolutely despise!

I highly recommend you look into laundry service -- it's the best thing since getting stoned and going to The Outback!

Not Cancelling Plans? Priceless.

2008-12-17T09:34:00.008-05:00

I've officially become one of those people...

I've always done my own laundry. Well, nearly always. I'll admit that during my first week in college I had to call my mom so that she could explain to me how the process worked. Which one was first? Which one did soap go into? Did the little sheet go in the one with all the water? Wait, you have to separate white clothes and colored clothes? Does that mean I should separate my blues from my reds?

Ya, I was a mess. But Mom walked me through the process and since that day, I've always done my own laundry. In Utah, every place that I lived in had laundry either in the apartment itself or in the building. Even here in Manhattan I've lived in buildings with coin-operated laundry facilities in the basement.

But it seems that the act of doing laundry has found a new enemy: TIME.

Seriously, who are you people that have the time to actually DO laundry?

I mean, I guess I used to be one of those people. But it was always scheduled out. On Monday, I'd look at my wardrobe and think "Ok, I can wear those tomorrow and then do laundry tomorrow night..." And then when friends would say "hey, let's grab dinner" I'd come back with "oh, I can't -- it's laundry night!"

But in recent months, by the time I'm getting to Monday and am analyzing the remnants of my formerly vast wardrobe (another big issue) I've already committed to things every night of the week! Monday was dodgeball, Tuesday was dance. Wednesday I promised someone I'd join them at a social event, Thursday is a date. Friday.... and so it goes and goes and goes.

Over the past few months, I've played hookie on friends. It would get to the point where I was literally out of things to put on my body, so I would inevitably cancel something to make it happen.

And I hate doing that. Like, HATE doing that.

So. I've surrendered. I am now officially someone who has his laundry picked up in the morning, and will have it dropped back off to me, clean, when I get home from work.

Yes, it's more costly than just doing laundry. But I've decided that my time and my life is worth way more than the $15 it costs to have someone else take care of washing my underwear.

First Sight?

2008-12-10T10:04:00.002-05:00

I had a dream last night.

I was in Connecticut watching my nephew. We were outside playing with a ball, and some way or another it got away from us. It went across the street, so I told my nephew to stay put and ran to go get it. As I was crossing back, he started to come out into the street.

I yelled at him and ran to grab him. He wasn't in any dangers -- there were no vehicles in sight. But, as I do when someone I love is entering dangerous territory, I freaked out. I picked him up and held him as tight as I could... "Don't you EVER do that again! Why didn't you listen to me?"

Because I was holding him so tightly, it took me a minute to realize he was a lot smaller than I'm used to. It took me off guard, so I loosened my grip and looked at his face.

It was my nephew. No doubt about it.

Except, it wasn't Jack.

This boy was blonde, just like Jack. His eyes were blue, just like Jack. But he wasn't wearing glasses. And his face had a different shape to it than Jack.

I wonder.... maybe that was nephew #2, scheduled to arrive on Valentine's Day of next year?

Do you think it's possible to "dream" someone before they actually arrive here on earth? I guess we'll see. That little face is stuck in my memory now. So I guess only time will tell if he is that baby waiting to be born.

Feel Good Movie of the Year?

2008-12-09T15:41:00.003-05:00

Last night Paul and I went to see "Slumdog Millionaire"

Let me begin by saying run, don't walk, to go see this film. Amazing.

So at the end I was having some tears because it's such a great story, and I look over at Paul and he looked confused... So I asked how he liked it and his response was "It was kinda slow in the middle...."

I don't get it. That movie kinda put me through it. Like, there wasn't a single moment that I wasn't full on into what was happening on screen. Every line, every nuance. I was so in it that I really couldn't stop thinking about it last night. I kept playing it over and over in my head -- which made me start to wonder why I felt so good about the movie.

Not like "was it really that amazing?" because it was... but more like "was it really that much of a feel good storyline?"

Here's the deal. You gotta love a love story. Unless you're dead inside.

But all of other aspects of the movie were so intense. I don't want to give too much away, but there's a lot of story that takes place in the slums of Bombay and terrible things happen to these characters that are beyond heart-breaking.

So is it a feel good love story? Or a heart-breaking tale?

I can't decide.

Maybe I'll just have to go see it again! Very, very likely ;)

Comedic Genius, Part II

2008-12-04T09:07:00.001-05:00

What do you get when you cross Margaret Cho, Maya Rudolph, Jack Black, John C Reilly, Allison Janney, Stephanie J Block, Neil Patrick Harris, Kathy Najimy, and numerous other stars of stage and screen... and then cross them with a political agenda?

The Answer: Brilliance.

La Proposition 8 en comédie musicale !
Uploaded by GayClic

Comedic Genius

2008-11-19T16:12:00.000-05:00

I always forget that JT is actually really funny...

Justin Timberlake sui tacchi per Beyonce
Uploaded by Video_Gossip

A Few Thoughts on Mormons and Prop 8

2008-11-12T10:01:00.004-05:00

Last Tuesday was a huge day for our country. Our first African-American President has been elected. Change is in the air. But last Tuesday was not all about progress. In fact, for some of us, it was the exact opposite.

The passing of Prop 8 is a move in the wrong direction

A lot of attention and anger has been turned towards The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Otherwise known as Mormons.

I was born and raised in the Mormon Church. I grew up attending services every Sunday. I am also gay. While I no longer affiliate myself with religion in any way, there will always be a part of me that is tied to the Mormon Church. My parents are actively Mormon. My oldest sister is actively Mormon (I think...) So for me, there is no escaping a connection with the organization.

The Mormon church was by far the largest financial donor to the campaign to pass Proposition 8. For those of you that live under a rock and don't know what Prop 8 is, it's the piece of legislation that overturned California's Supreme Court ruling to allow marital rights to same-sex couples. Californians had made a step forward and with one swift vote it was all undone. Because of their involvement in the campaign, there have been protests at the Mormon temples in California and at church headquarters in Salt Lake City. Tonight, New York City is stepping out and protesting at the Mormon temple at Lincoln Center.
An acquaintance of mine is at the forefront of organizing the rally, and asked me to prepare some remarks about my own feelings regarding the church’s involvement. And while it doesn’t look like I’m actually going to get to speak at tonight’s rally (I’m kinda bummed and kinda relieved!) I’d like to leave my thoughts here. I know it’s not a platform like tonight would have been, but it all just needs to be said.

One of the first things you learn growing up as a Mormon are the Articles of Faith. These are the 13 tenants of the church as written at its conception by Joseph Smith.

The 11th Article says: “We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege; Let them worship how, where, or what they may.”

This is an echo of a right that had already been granted to the young church by the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Mormons exact the right to worship and live according to the dictates of their own hearts, and they “claim” to allow the same to all people. Yet if that were true in practice, instead of just in thought, wouldn’t that mean that we should have the right to do whatever our own consciences dictate? Regardless of what they choose to believe the eternal consequences are, is it still not my choice to choose?

Freedom of Religion inherently entails a Freedom from Religion. And the church’s actions exact a non-excusable hypocrisy.

The 12th Article of Faith says: “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law”

Again, something they hold as a tenant of their religion that they are seemingly unable to abide by. The article does NOT say “We believe in subjecting kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates to obey, honor, and sustain our own moral law”. But by their actions, is this not what they are doing?

The obvious and frequent retort from the church is they are just being part of the democratic process. It is their right to vote however they see fit. And they are not wrong here. It is the inherent right of every American to have their say.

But if they’re going to vote according to the dictates of their religion, shouldn’t they be consistent? The man who founded the religion, Joseph Smith, claimed to receive revelation directly from God himself. These revelations are contained in a book called the Doctrine and Covenants. Section 134 deals with the relationship between the church and government, and it is there that Joseph Smith, acting as the voice of God himself, dictated:

“…we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish bguilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.” (D&C 134:4)

“…we do not believe it right to interfere… nor to meddle with or influence them in the least to cause them to be dissatisfied with their situations in this life…” (D&C 134:12)

So stop meddling! Cast your vote – that is your right. But the millions upon millions of dollars that the church has invested in actively working towards this hurtful and unconstitutional legislation? Well, I’m sorry, but that doesn’t feel like the actions of an organization that claims to believe that the law shouldn’t interfere in "private devotion". It certainly is not the action of an organization that believes human law should “never suppress the freedom of the soul”!

I wish I could shake the church by its shoulders and yell “Stop! You’re hurting us!”

You don’t like the way that my love looks? Fine. Don’t come to my wedding. Don’t bring me cookies when my husband and I move in down the street. But don’t tell me that I don’t have the same choice as you do – to attempt to commit my life to someone. Don’t tell me that my relationship is worth less.

If I get married tomorrow, it won’t affect the Mormon population in any way shape or form. We all could go on living our own lives, according to our own hearts, and continue in our individual pursuits of the ever-elusive Happiness guaranteed to us by our country’s Constitution.

But when any organization works against equality we do not get the same result. We get a large population rejected and treated unfairly.

So why is this decision hard?

Equal Rights does not entail embracing our private lives. You don't have to go out and find a new gay best friend.

What it does entail is allowing us the rights and privileges granted to everyone else. Regardless of what your skin looks like. Regardless of your heritage.

Regardless of the one you choose to spend your life with.

Rights are Rights.

And you cannot tell me that who I am is Wrong.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-11-07T09:42:00.004-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, yesterday was my Best Friend's birthday!

The lovely and unbelievably amazing Marcine Lake is celebrating the anniversary of her existence tonight in SLC at the Woodshed, and it kills me that I can't be there to celebrate with her. For reals... if you know Marci then you know why I'm so bummed I can't be there. I LOVE YOU, MARCI!!!

I'm in the process of concocting a plan to convince her to move to New York... Any suggestions?

Last night my boys and I stumbled onto another birthday celebration.

For this guy.

Pretty hot in movies. I am definitely a fan of his work. But in real life?? He kinda looks like this...

Our conversation was short. "Hey, happy birthday" "thanks, man" "glad we ran into each other" "ya dude, good to see you..."

The better conversationalists were guests Alison Pill

and Connor Paolo.

Connor is pretty tiny. I mean, he looks small on Gossip Girl, but in real life he really IS that small. Nice kid though!

yada yada yada

It's Friday. Thank god! I'm so ready to have a nice weekend and to sleep in!!!!

Tonight I'm supposed to be seeing an all male production of "Company" which (for those of you who don't know me that well) is like my all-time favorite musical. I think an all male envisioning of it is ballsy, and I'm curious to see how/if they pull it off...

Tomorrow is my bestie J's bday party. There's a small gathering downtown to celebrate. It's also my friend Cheryl's bday party... so it's going to be a full night of "happy birthday to you! happy birthday to you! happy birthday, dear whoever-i'm-singing-to-at-the-moment... happy birthday to you!"

And Sunday I'm guessing will be filled with a whole lot of nothing. Maybe a movie day? Anyone down?

Where Were You When...

2008-11-05T10:11:00.006-05:00

Last night, after a short familial detour, I was able to meet up with my boys and watch the election coverage. As the numbers rose and our excitement soared, we couldn't help but be blown away by the History we were watching!

Which of course made us all think about the other truly "Historical" things that have happened in our relatively short lifetimes and where we were when they happened. I thought I'd share a few with you...

Space Shuttle Challenger: January 28, 1986

So I was almost 4 when this happened, but I have absolutely no memory of it. Where was I? Who knows... probably playing barbies with my friend Elizabeth...

The Death of Princess Diana: August 31, 1997

We all remember the tragic car accident that ended her life. How could you not?

My dad and I were in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for a racing event and antique car show. I was really into cars when I was younger, so this was something that my dad and I attempted to make into an annual event. It might have been the only thing that we really related to each other over. Anyway, we would go watch the races, innertube down the Mighty Yampa River, and spend hours searching for our mutually favorite vehicle -- The Cobra!

I believe it was early on Monday morning (could be wrong... might've been a Sunday). My dad was showering and I woke up and turned on the TV. Every channel was running the breaking news: Princess Diana Has Died.

I remember totally breaking down. Like, sobbing out of control. And I remember at the time thinking that it was so strange! She wasn't the princess of my country. Hell, we didn't even have royalty! But for whatever reason, the tragedy of it all really hit home for me.

And I will never forget that morning, watching the news coverage at the Rabbit Ears Motel in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

The Bombing of WTC: September 11, 2001

I feel bad for people that have birthdays or anniversaries on 9/11. I can't imagine how that day played out for those people. They probably woke up full of excitement and anticipation for parties and presents! And then....

I had just started my Freshman year. It was a Tuesday morning I believe, so I was up very early. Part of my scholarship was contingent upon teaching in the dance department. Every Tuesday I taught a Dance Aerobics Class at 5:45 a.m., and then an Intro to Ballroom Dance Class at 7:00 a.m.

I had just started leading warm-ups for the dance class when the head the Entertainment Bureau came in and interrupted. "An airplane flew into the Twin Towers!"

I remember thinking he'd lost his marbles. We all filed out into the lobby area of the dance center and huddled around the television. We gathered around just in time to watch the plane hit the second tower.

Horror is all that I really remember as I watched. We were instructed to go home. America was under attack.

I didn't live far, so I was able to drive home pretty quickly. I ran inside yelling "Somethings happening!" and woke my boyfriend up. We turned on the TV in our room and climbed back into bed. And that's where we stayed until the towers fell. And for many, many hours after that. He and I had a really big bed, so it wasn't long before our friends started crawling in with us with their boxes of tissues and broken hearts.

I'll never forget being in that bed with those people. Feeling like we all lost something huge, and being so glad that we all had each other. Ugh, I get teary just thinking about it! lol

The Presidential Election: November 4, 2008

And then there's last night.

After a short familial detour, I went over to watch election coverage with my boys. We played games and watched the coverage, our excitement and hopes getting higher and higher as the night progressed.

And then there was this moment.

And that's when I started to cry and scream and cheer!

I cried and screamed and cheered with all of the people in Chicago, all of the people in Times Square, all of the people out on the streets of NYC (from the window, of course...), and all of the people in our country who had just given a HUGE sigh of relief because we knwe what had just happened was absolutely unbelievable. America was going to be ok!

I immediately updated my FaceBook status. Because that's the natural first impulse, right? Almost every single person that I'm connected to on there had similar statuses: "Yes we can, and Yes we did!" "I'm so proud to be an American!"

It's really an amazing thing, and John McCain even mentioned it in his concession speech (which I thought was good except for the part where he tried to make himself a martyr...) He said something to the effect of him "respecting" Obama for awakening a generation that up until this point had been indifferent and nonchalant in their role in government because they had never felt like what they had to say mattered. Which is true!

Want proof?

JOIN FACEBOOK!

So, where were you back in 1986 when the shuttle didn't make it? Where were you when you got word that Di had passed?

Where were you last night when our generation made history?

Write it down, and always remember. Because one day, not too far away, our kids are going to be reading about this in their history classes. Our kids will want to know where we were and how we were feeling.

I, for one, can't wait :)

I'm Not Moving to Italy!

2008-11-05T09:17:00.006-05:00

Well kids, last night cinched it -- I'm not moving to Italy!

It was my fear that those middle states that the rest of us would like to pretend don't exist would have enough pull to elect GWB again (in the form of McCain, obviously) If that had happened, I would be booking airfare and finding away to make living abroad a real possibility. For the next eight years at least. You only think that I'm kidding...

But last night, we got it right!

This man is our next President of the United States!

I'm not very "politically savvy". I mean, I can hold my own in an issues debate, but I don't have the kind of passion or thorough knowledge that my dear friend Doug or my dad has. But I know watching President Obama that this is right. This is Hope. This is Change.

This is the future!

I couldn't be happier. I couldn't be more hopeful. I couldn't be more nervous for all of the challenges still to come to get our country out of the steaming pile of you-know-what we're currently sitting in. I couldn't have more faith that this is the right person of the job to do it.

Happy First Day of a New America, Everyone!