What Is Emma Thinking?

This is my friend Emma.  Emma has a blog.  Believe it or not, she posted this picture recently.

Emma makes me laugh.  I want to make you laugh.  For this picture, I invite you to offer a caption describing why Emma looks so sour.  The best caption will get a prize.

My entry -- "Emma wasn't pleased when she learned I'd secretly switched her coffee to decaf...".

Sampling Blue

When I wear boy's clothes, blue is my favorite color.  I wear it all the time.  When I wear girl's clothes though, I never wear blue.  The color doesn't occur to me.  I don't avoid blue; it just doesn't appeal to me as much as pinks and purples.

Browsing a thrift-store, I saw a blue top that spoke to me.  "Ally!  Over here!"  For $2, I figured I'd experiment.  I like how it looks on me.

Truth be told, I wanted to dress up today.  It's a Saturday after a hard week and I needed to relax.  Conceiving the outfit, laying it out, putting on makeup and dressing up were the right medicine.  Feminine activity makes me feel good.  I don't know if dressing up makes you feel good since it's more routine in your life, but it works like a charm for me.

What relaxes you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Wonderfalls"

I'm enjoying a TV show I'm sure you've never seen ("Wonderfalls").  While the producers made an entire season, FOX showed only four episodes in 2004 -- and broadcast those out-of-order.  The network cancelled the show without ever giving it a chance.  Fortunately Netflix now offers us the opportunity to watch it.  (I'm catching the show on DVD.)

I like it!  It's quirky, cute and funny.  It's about a 24-year old woman, Jaye, searching for the meaning of her life.  Despite having a college degree in philosophy, Jaye works in a gift-shop at Niagra Falls and lives in The High & Dry Trailer Park.  She's snarky and wary of life, fearful of making the wrong choices.  When you meet her parents and sister (played by Diana Scarwid, Katie Finneran and William Sadler), you realize why she is the way she is.

The success of a show like this depends largely on the appeal of its star.  Jaye is played by Caroline Dhavernas, an adorable actress from Montreal.  She's been in several TV shows and movies and currently has a small role in "Hannibal" (as Dr. Alana Bloom).

In "Wonderfalls," animal toys start talking to Jaye.  They move their mouths and say things.  Jaye is startled and has no idea what's going on.  Who's behind the messages?  She discovers the messages have prophetic meanings and learns from experience to trust the talking toys. 

This show is brilliantly-written.  Smart and funny.  The writing, in fact, is what led me to the show.  The series was created by Bryan Fuller, the man behind the current "Hannibal" TV show.  While that show is unnecessarily violent, its writing is top-drawer.  I wanted to check out what else Fuller has done and that's how "Wonderfalls" popped up on my radar.  I'm glad it did.

Salvaging The Day

This morning I had to go into court in Manhattan to argue an unpleasant case.  Afterward, I noticed how nice the weather was and decided to salvage the day by walking around the city.  As always, that activity was a delight.  The city was shining like a pretty pony.

I've heard the best Buffalo Wings in town are at a local bar (Mudville 9), so I gave them a whirl.  The report is true -- their wings are great, especially paired with an oatmeal stout from Elysian Brewing Co.

Here are some pictures from the fun part of my day.  Do you ever try to turn a bad day around?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animal Love

I love animals and am fortunate to have had several companions in my life.  Rover, Rover II, Gulfie, Cat Mama, Moozy and, of course, Juno.

I know the profound depth of affection humans can feel for their companions.  Perhaps you have felt that yourself.  If you have, feel free to tell us the name of your beloved pet in the comments.

I went to a famous pet cemetery today.  Instead of being morbid, the cemetery teems with love.  You can tell from the inscriptions on the tombstones how palpable people's affections are.  Let me share some of these with you and see if you too can sense their emotions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magical Journey Continues...

The magical pink boxing gloves are picking up steam -- they just floated from Oregon to California.  San Diego, in particular, where they adorn one of my favorite bloggers, Daphne.

I have huge respect for Daphne.  She treats fashion seriously.  On a daily basis, she creates chic outfits for her life and then displays them on her blog.  We see Daphne both posing like the rest of us and then wearing her creations in real-life situations.  Daphne integrates fashion into her life in an authentic manner.

Often drawing inspiration from fashion magazines, Daphne explores new trends and hot pieces.  I've learned from her what works and what doesn't.  Anyone interested in the changing world of fashion should tune into Daphne's blog to keep abreast of new trends and see how they play out.

Naturally, Daphne's take on the pink boxing gloves is uniquely her own.  That's the magical part of the gloves -- they inherently lend themselves to personal style.  Go see what Daphne has done with them and consider sticking around her blog for a while.  I'll meet you there!

History Through Thrifting

Thrifting has lots to recommend it.  The items are cheap; the selection is unpredictable; and the impact on our environment is positive.  Giving another use to something headed for consumerism's huge landfill is socially laudable.

To this list add another benefit -- brushes with history.  I had that today when I browsed my local thrift-store and found two treasures.  A Jerry Garcia necktie and the original cast recording of "A Chorus Line" on vinyl.

Jerry Garcia was the lead musician of the Grateful Dead, a Sixties band celebrating hallucinogenic drugs, tie-dyed clothes and endless music.  They toured for years and had a loyal fan-base (DeadHeads).  You still see their emblems on cars. 

It was mind-blowingly odd when this countercultural icon started designing neckties.  Ties?!  Only squares wear ties!  But Jerry was a true iconoclast.  His designs were funky and cool.  The ties adorning them look great.  I own several.

Jerry Garcia neckties are expensive ($40), so when I saw one for $3 in my thrift-store, I lunged at it.  Here's a picture.

Jerry started painting and designing ties in the late-1980's.  Sadly he died in 1995 from complications caused by his lifetime of drug-use.

My thrift-store now carries vinyl records in addition to clothes, so I browsed its wares.  I found an original cast recording of "A Chorus Line" from 1975.  Every generation has its musical ("My Fair Lady," "Grease"; "Chicago"; "Kinky Boots").  "A Chorus Line" was huge during the Seventies.

My favorite trivia about the show concerns original cast member Carole "Kelly" Bishop who won a Tony award for her performance.  Three decades later, Kelly Bishop played Emily Gilmore (Lorelei's mother) on "The Gilmore Girls."  Her character on the TV show is starchly conservative, so it's fun to imagine her dancing in a leotard as a nubbin.