Emmy 2009 Predictions

THIS TIME, I'M DOING A BARE-BONES, NO-PHOTO PREDICTION LIST. HERE'S WHOM I THINK AND, FOR THE MOST PART, SHOULD WIN. I'M NOT REVEALING ALL OF THE "I WISH" CATEGORIES, B/CI'M LAZY THIS YEAR.

COMEDY SERIES

"Entourage"
"Family Guy
"Flight of the Conchords"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"The Office"
"30 Rock"
"Weeds"

DRAMA SERIES

"Big Love"
"Breaking Bad"
"Damages"
"Dexter"
"House"
"Lost"
"Mad Men"

MINISERIES

"Generation Kill" (HBO)
"Little Dorrit" (PBS)

THIS DESERVES IT WAY MORE.

ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Steve Carell - "The Office" (NBC)
Jemaine Clement - "Flight Of The Conchords" (HBO)
Jim Parsons - "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Tony Shalhoub - "Monk" (USA)
Charlie Sheen - "Two And A Half Men" (CBS)

I WANT IT AND HE DESERVES IT.

ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Simon Baker - "The Mentalist" (CBS)
Gabriel Byrne - "In Treatment" (HBO)
Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
Michael C. Hall - "Dexter" (Showtime)
Jon Hamm - "Mad Men" (AMC)
Hugh Laurie - "House" (Fox)

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Christina Applegate - "Samantha Who?" (ABC)
Toni Collette - "United States Of Tara" (Showtime)
Tina Fey - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "The New Adventures Of Old Christine" (CBS)
Sarah Silverman - "The Sarah Silverman Program" (Comedy Central)
Mary-Louise Parker - "Weeds" (Showtime)

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes - "Damages" (FX Networks)
Sally Field - "Brothers & Sisters" (ABC)
Holly Hunter - "Saving Grace" (TNT)
Mariska Hargitay - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC)
Kyra Sedgwick - "The Closer" (TNT)
Elisabeth Moss - "Mad Men" (AMC)

Could go either way

MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE

"Coco Chanel" (Lifetime)
"Grey Gardens" (HBO)
"Into The Storm" (HBO)
"Prayers For Bobby" (Lifetime)
"Taking Chance" (HBO)

REALITY HOST

Tom Bergeron - "Dancing With The Stars" (ABC)
Phil Keoghan - "The Amazing Race" (CBS)
Heidi Klum - "Project Runway" (Bravo)
Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio - "Top Chef" (Bravo)
Jeff Probst - "Survivor" (CBS)
Ryan Seacrest - "American Idol" (Fox)

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Kevin Klien - "Cyrano de Bergerac" ("Great Performances") (PBS)
Brendan Gleeson - "Into The Storm"(HBO)
Sir Ian McKellen - "King Lear" ("Great Performances") (PBS)
Kevin Bacon - "Taking Chance" (HBO)
Kiefer Sutherland - "24: Redemption" (Fox)
Kenneth Branagh - "Wallander: One Step Behind" (PBS)

Ian got naked. He'll win.

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Drew Barrymore - "Grey Gardens" (HBO)
Jessica Lange - "Grey Gardens" (HBO)
Shirley MacLaine - "Coco Chanel" (Lifetime)
Sigourney Weaver - "Prayers For Bobby" (Lifetime)
Chandra Wilson - "Accidental Friendship" (Hallmark Channel)

Drew actually acted! She'll win.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Jon Cryer - "Two And A Half Men" (CBS)
Kevin Dillon - "Entourage" (HBO)
Neil Patrick Harris - "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS)
Jack McBrayer - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Tracy Morgan - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Rainn Wilson - "The Office" (NBC)

It's not undeserved, but McBrayer or ESPECIALLY Morgan would deserve it all the more.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Christian Clemenson - "Boston Legal" (ABC)
Michael Emerson - "Lost" (ABC)
William Hurt - "Damages" (FX Networks)
Aaron Paul - "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
William Shatner - "Boston Legal" (ABC)
John Slattery - "Mad Men" (AMC)

I'm feeling Slattery here, but Emerson is the most intense performance on screen.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Len Cariou - "Into The Storm" (HBO)
Tom Courtenay - "Little Dorrit" (PBS)
Ken Howard - "Grey Gardens" (HBO)
Bob Newhart - "The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice" (TNT)
Andy Serkis - "Little Dorrit" (PBS)

Sure hopes this happens. He's more than just Gollum, folks.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Kristin Chenoweth - "Pushing Daisies" (ABC)
Jane Krakowski - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Elizabeth Perkins - "Weeds" (Showtime)
Amy Poehler - "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Kristen Wiig - "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Vanessa Williams - "Ugly Betty" (ABC)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Rose Byrne - "Damages" (FX Networks)
Hope Davis - "In Treatment" (HBO)
Cherry Jones - "24" (Fox)
Sandra Oh - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Chandra Wilson - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)

Truly, besides Oh, she's the only actor of integrity on this freakin' show. She and Oh are the reasons I watch. She deserves this, for sure.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Shohreh Aghdashloo - "House Of Saddam" (HBO)
Marcia Gay Harden - "The Courageous Heart Of Irena Sendler" (Hallmark

Hall Of Fame Presentation) (CBS)
Janet McTeer - "Into The Storm" (HBO)
Jeanne Tripplehorn - "Grey Gardens" (HBO)
Cicely Tyson - "Relative Stranger" (Hallmark Channel)

I'm feeling the "Grey" sweep here. She did a nice job, too.

Our Honeymoon Cruise Part IV

I awoke bright and early on Thursday, excited to have our first port say in San Juan. First, I had to go to my spa appointment! I got a 50 minute massage and facial. It was a port "special" for $109. You can get treatments cheaper at home, but I do love hitting the spa while on the ship! It was very relaxing! The girl who treated me did start in on a pitch about products, but I told her I wasn't interested, and she was cool with that. When I returned to the room, I joined Tim on the balcony where we drank coffee and pointed out cloud shapes to each other.

We spent the morning and early afternoon lying low since we knew we would be hoofing it all around Old San Juan. We read on the balcony, and we grabbed lunch at the Lido deck. The taste of nations was "Mediterranean," which equaled Greek. I stuck with the Chinese station which never let me down. Mmm...rice noodles! We went back to the room and each had a cocktail while we pulled into San Juan. The Lido deck was crowded with people, and our balcony had a good view and was relaxing and quiet. There's El Morro!

This picture will give you a taste of how humid it was in San Juan. As such, I offer up this disclaimer: my hair does not do well in humidity. In the following pictures, my hair may frighten and confuse you; it's the humidity. You've been warned.

Anyhow, Tim and I planned on walking to El Morro and exploring some stores before asking a local where to eat. MANY people on the ship were all about Senor Frog's, a big bar and restaurant directly across the street from the ship. I did not understand this. When you have the opportunity to see a new place and experience its culture, why would you go to a ginormous bar? Tim correctly predicted that many people on the ship would get faced that night, between Senor Frog's and the midnight buffet.

First we grabbed a free map of Old San Juan from a tour person outside the ship. We saw that Parque de Las Palomas was on the way to El Morro, and our neighbor Joe, who was born in PR, recommended we check it out. When we got there, I bought a $1 bag of seed. There were HUNDREDS of pigeons there. As soon as I sprinkled some on the ground, a flock alit at my feet. When I poured a little into my hand, this brazen bird hopped in. You can see how Tim has captured my surprise. After a moment, another guy tried to jump in, but the original feeder didn't like that.

Check out the big flock behind me. They're biding their time until I have a free hand to dole out more. I was afraid to shake this guy off me lest he peck me. After a minute, Tim said, "This is gross." And, he was right! It was kind of cool, but it was definitely gross. So I dumped my bag and fled! I made a note to wash my hands ASAP.



Please, don't pigeonhole Tim. Ba-dum-cha!











Tim snapped this right outside of Parque de Las Palomas. Notice the bird that has just taken flight...I took this as a sign that las palomas (pigeons) were pleased with our offering of seed, and we could safely proceed to El Morro.





Next the the park was a bench that had these little baby boot sculptures there. There was no sign to explain why, but I inferred that they were some kind of memorial.






I forgot which calle this was, but I'm down the street right next to the Children's Museum. The streets in Old San Juan are invariably narrow and cobblestoned.









At last! El Morro! The entrance is about a football field away from the street. There were many families flying kites in the park. It was lovely.






The entrance to El Morro. You have to give the Spanish imperialists this---they got the whole forbidding part down pat. Also, they knew how to build forts!










I'm going to resist making a cheap pun about balls here.








I ponder how to overtake this fort and seize power.











Here's the view of the park where people fly kites.











A beautiful shot of the harbor from a lower section of El Morro. One needs to take several steep steps to enter and leave here. Unfortunately, this site is not wheelchair-friendly.






After we left El Morro, we spotted this impressive piece of graffiti. We made our way through the streets, but sadly, most of the cool little craft stores that we passed earlier closed early (5 pm.) Tim WAS able to buy some hand-rolled Puerto Rican cigars. At this point, we were hot, sweaty, and tired. Only one thing could revive us---cerveza! So, I asked the clerk in Walgreen's for a good local watering hole. He recommended Maria's, so we went to what we thought was Maria's. It wasn't--in fact, we never got the name.

It was a tiny bar with six stools. There were Marilyn Monroe pix all over the place. We ordered Coronas and sat outside to have a cigarette and people-watch. As we finished our beers, I noticed that two businessmen-a local and a Yank- were sitting next to us. I asked the local guy if he could recommend a good place to eat that served Puerto Rican fare. He took out his cell phone, dialled, handed it to me, and instructed me to ask his wife!?! When she answered, I explained the situation. "I'm an American here on a cruise. I met your husband in a bar, and he said I should ask you where to eat." She was quiet for a minute; mortified, I handed the phone back to him. He spoke with her in Spanish for a few minutes and handed me back the phone. She recommend that we go to Raices. It was good, relatively inexpensive, authentic Puerto Rican fare. We ate outside and noticed tourists and locals alike coming in. It got pretty crowded and people had to wait; we were glad we chose to eat outside. We split an appetizer of fried food--cassava, plantains, corn fritters, and cassava and cheese fritters. For entrees, Tim had the beefsteak nydia (butter, onions, peppers, tomatoes), and I had the boneless fried chicken chunks (they were awesome!) Both came with excellent rice and beans.

Afterward, we went to a nearby gift shop and purchased some Christmas ornaments.Each time I go to a new place, I get an ornament. That way, I can remember all the places I've been at the end of the year. Then we went to a market nearby; I got a beaded necklace for $3.

We walked toward the ship and ran into another couple from the Miracle. We each took pictures of each other. Senor Frog's was audibly rockin' out. We stopped at duty-free, but we figured there would be better deals in St. Thomas. There were.

We headed upstairs to say goodbye to the island when we sailed away. Thanks, San Juan! We had a great time! We headed into the Mexican buffet. It was packed. I was feeling claustrophobic with all the loudness and cramped quarters next to partying folk. I grabbed a plate of nachos and told Tim I'd meet him in the room. The nachos were bad---they were baked pita chips, not corn chips.



Before heading to bed, we saw a mighty allosaurus waiting to greet us! Thanks, Harry! You did it again.

Buenas noches!

Our Honeymoon Cruise Part III

Our second day at sea was a la-a-azy one. I woke up late with just enough time to get clean, dressed, and out the door for the Champagne Art Auction in the Mad Hatter's Ballroom. Tim had been up for a while.

It was interesting to go to the auction, but we weren't in the market to buy. However, they did offer a great deal to buy 3 paintings for $240, which seemed like a good investment. Our friends Brenda and Rose ended up winning 2 paintings during the cruise! If you're an art fan, you should definitely check it out.

After the auction, Tim went to read and relax, and I headed to "The 'Takeaway' Game Show" in the Phantom at 4. Sam, an adorable Brit, emceed the show. I volunteered in the hopes of winning a game show part of the segment and earning another ship-on-a-stick. As luck would have it, I was selected as one of six cruisers for "The Bear Story." If you like running around, you should volunteer for this, as well.

We made reservations at Nick and Nora's for 8:15, so we dressed and got ready early in order to make the 70 & 80's TV Theme Challenge with Josh (Big Sexy.) This was one of the most fun games of the cruise. Josh downloaded the theme songs from some of his favorite shows as well as the most popular shows from the two decades. Tim and I did pretty well as a team (26/30), AND we answered the bonus question {Q. Based on Josh's favorite shows, what was his absolute favorite as a kid? A: MacGuyver.} Still, it was not enough to win the coveted trophy. Off to Nick & Nora's we went.

We're boneheads since we didn't bring our camera with us to the restaurant. You can easily access photos of it on the Carnival site and in others' cruise review blogs. I highly recommend Nicole's blog at http://sunglassesandumbrelladrinks.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html. She has a very photo-intensive and thorough review of her Miracle cruise in May.

Nick & Nora's has a beautiful, NYC-themed decor. It is, however, quite dark inside, which I guess is romantic. When we arrived, there were MAYBE 40 diners there. I thought it was strange that they only had two available reservations when I called since there were so many empty tables. We were seated at a table for two next to the window. Almost immediately, our sommelier came over and we ordered glasses of pinot noir. Our server gave us each an amuse-bouche: Tim had mint-topped sashimi, and I had a delicious tomato soup shot. For appetizers, we both had the lobster bisque, which was VERY heavy on the sherry. I preferred the Bacchus version of bisque, but this was tasty. The escargots I ordered were quite good. Tim enjoyed his jumbo shrimp cocktail and crab cake. We both opted for the surf and turf (6 oz lobster tail and 4 oz filet mignon) and we requested that the beef be medium-rare. This was not to be. The beef was medium-well to well done. When I recounted this story to my father, he asked, "Why didn't you send it back?" Hmm...good question dad. Honestly, it was late (dining there takes two hours), and we were tired. When the waitress came to collect our dishes, she saw that neither of us really ate the steak. She asked if there was a problem, and we told her it was overdone. We didn't ask for it to be re-done, but she didn't suggest it, either. In hindsight, I should've ordered the larger lobster tail (and maybe two orders of escargots...yum!) Still, the service and presentation at the restaurant was fabulous. I was a little disappointed in the food, but I don't regret going there.

We headed down to Maguire's for a cocktail (me) and a Guinness and cigar (Tim.) Afterward, we returned to our room and discovered this majestic elephant waiting up for us! Thanks, Harry! We tucked in early because I had a spa appointment at nine, and we wanted lots of rest before our first port day in San Juan!!

Our Honeymoon Cruise Part II

Perhaps because we were so excited about our long-awaited vacation, Tim and I woke up very early on Tuesday morning. We ordered room service for breakfast every day to come between 6:30-7:30 am. I usually got the salmon plate and fruit, and Tim ordered a bagel. It was also very nice to be able to have our first cups of coffee and OJ in our rooms [and in our bathrobes ;-)]



We decided to go to the stretch class to limber up. We hoofed it through the gym, which is on the top of the boat. The weather was very rocky that morning; in fact the wind was blowing so hard that we weren't allowed to go on the deck outside the gym.

After stretching, Tim headed back to bed, and I took a book to the aft Lido deck which for all intents and purposes is reserved for adults. I really enjoyed sitting out in the air, drinking coffee and reading. I was biding my time until General Knowledge Trivia...I wanted another Ship on a Stick!





Sadly, luck was not on my side, so I went back to the cabin. I didn't feel like having a heavy (second) breakfast, so I ordered some veggies and blue cheese dip from room service. It hit the spot! I napped for a bit because, really, a morning of stretching, reading and eating is SO taxing!



I woke up in time to make it to Flashback Trivia, which I won!!! Two ships-on-sticks for me so far! I was racking up points for the blue team like nobody's business. Then I met up with Tim so we could head to lunch. You know, as I type this review, I really sound like an enormous eater. Well, when on a cruise, do as cruisers do and stuff your face! Every day on the Lido deck's Horatio's Restaurant, they have pizza and ice cream ( available 24 hours/day), a sandwich bar (which was invariably mobbed), a "Taste of the Nations" station featuring a different cuisine daily, and the Chinese station. Hands down, the Chinese station was consistently the best. They always offered a fried rice dish, a rice noodle dish, rolls, and a soup. As you can see from the picture, I took advantage of it! Tuesday's "Taste of the Nations" station was Caribbean, so I tried the calamari and conch fritters. Holy cow. If they're there when you're cruising, eat them. Your taste buds will thank you, even if your waistline won't.

I REALLY wanted to do the Amazing Miracle Race, but it started only an hour before the Captain's Cocktail Party (and before you ask, no the captain wasn't drinking...I don't think), and I knew I would have to get ready. So we explored the ship a bit and Tim went for another nap (it took him a bit to get his sea legs.) I checked out the Tea Time, which I suggest you do as well, if you are on the Miracle. It was great to sit in the Jeeves Lounge and sip some Earl Grey (not to mention snack on unbelievably good lemon cakes and teeny sandwiches.

Then it was time to get ready. After I dressed for the first formal night, Tim took a snap of me with my hard-won trophies. Not one, but TWO ships-on-sticks. These are highly coveted laurels in the Carnival circle, it seems.







The Captain's Cocktail Party was very nice. All early diners headed to the Phantom Lounge where copious complimentary cocktails were cordially consigned. (How's that for alliteration?) When the server came over with a tray of drinks, I asked if one was a whiskey sour. She replied that it was a daiquiri, which I took. She didn't mention that it was quite a strong daiquiri. Not three minutes later, she came by with a whiskey sour for me. Whoa, Nelly! Let's just say that the Captain's cocktail party left me feeling no pain. Toward the end of the party, the captain opened up the stage for couples to dance to "Saving All My Love For You," which was nice.


Then it was off to dinner! Since I was mindful about writing a review after the cruise, I asked if I could get a copy of the dinner menus for the entire cruise at some point. Ten minutes later, one of the assistant maitre'ds brought me a copy. Now that is service! Sadly, in his zeal for keeping a clean cabin, our room steward Harry must have thrown them away. Darn!





The best part of the dinner for me that night was not the shrimp, nor was it the steak, which were both good. No, my highlight was the stuffed mushrooms. Check those babies out! You see, my husband has a fear of mushrooms. One time, early in our relationship, I brought home portabellos, sure that he would appreciate their meaty taste and texture. I showed him the tops of them, to which he replied, "Those don't look so scary." Hopeful, I turned them over. Almost instantly, he batted them out of my hand and they slid across the floor. "Anything could be hiding in those gills!" he exclaimed with terror. As a mushroom lover, I get my kicks when dining out. This dish was wonderfully cheesy and rich. Yum!

After dinner, we headed back to the room and were greeted by...a rhino? A heffalump? You decide! Either way, it was pretty dang cute. Afterwards, we went downstairs and hit the slots. I also hit the blackjack table. Let's just say, I'm better at slots. After that, we headed to Maguire's for some ESPN and a cocktail. Sometime after that, we headed for bed. I cannot recall exactly when because I was a little bedeviled by the drinks that the Captain provided for us. Well, you know what they say about sailors...

Our Honeymoon Cruise Part I

My husband Tim and I were married on February 15. Since we are both teachers, we had to put our honeymoon on hold until the summer. On July 27, we drove to the NYC Piers to board the Carnival Miracle and embark on an 8-day Caribbean adventure! We arrived at the pier just before noon, and after a painless check-in, waited to be called for embarkation. At 12:45 pm, our zone was called to board. The only obstacle was the obligatory photo by the ship's persistent and omnipresent photogs.

By 1 pm, we were on the Lido deck. Since this was Tim's cruise, he wasn't quite prepared for all the food available to us. As a fifth-time cruiser, I told him about it, but until you've been on a cruise, you don't really get it. He loaded up his plate(s) with all sorts of goodies. I grabbed a sandwich and my first Drink of the Day! The Funship Special sounds pretty benign, but believe me, it packs a wallop!


We were told our rooms would be ready at 1:45, so we headed down to 5236. This was my first time outside of an inside stateroom, and what a difference a view makes! The brightness of the room made it seem bigger than it was. Our luggage came pretty quickly, and we unpacked. The combined effort of boarding, eating, and unpacking proved too much for my husband, and he needed his daily nap.


I woke Tim up in time for the muster drill, which took about 15 minutes. We ended up leaving later than scheduled, and we pulled out of the pier at 4:15 pm. We headed back up to the Lido deck to watch the boat pull away and to get Tim's long-awaited photo of him standing under the Verrazano Bridge. The wind REALLY kicked up as soon as we headed down the Hudson River, as you will see in the following pix!

So long, NJ! See you in eight days!

Although the day had been overcast, the clouds parted and sunbeams shone down as we approached the Statue of Liberty. I took this as a positive sign of smooth sailing ahead!

The Verrazano Bridge looms in the distance. The moment of truth is at hand!

AT LAST! After having driven over this bridge MANY times from NJ en route to S.I. and Brooklyn, Tim savors the novelty of traversing underneath the mighty steel queen that is the Verrazano Bridge! With all the excitement of embarkation, time began to slip away from us. Not long after pulling out of Raritan Bay, I noticed that we only had twenty minutes to get ready for dinner!

We headed back to the room to freshen up, and we met our room steward Harry. We introduced ourselves, and I asked him if he would empty the mini-fridge of the alcohol available for purchase and if he would refill the ice each day. Of course, I tipped him for his efforts. He was happy to help, and whenever I saw him, he greeted me by name and with a smile. While ALL cruise staff work their tails off, I am especially in awe of the room stewards, who clean each room TWICE a day, and take home only $1000-1500 per month. Remember to tip the staff! They deserve it!

We headed to the Bacchus Dining Room, which has a not-especially subtle grape theme to its decor. There were lit grapes EVERYWHERE. Still, I enjoyed the over-the-top decor on the Miracle; it was fun!

We met our servers, headwaiter Jorge and asst. headwaiter Maynor. Along with our bar waitress, Anja, we had a great group of servers for the cruise. I asked for lemon for my water from Manor on the first night; each night thereafter, a saucer full of lemon wedges was on our table. Jorge always had suggestions, and was very friendly.

Our first night in the dining room was one of the best we had all cruise. Tim and I each had the shrimp cocktail, which was good. I also ordered gazpacho (very fresh and flavorful) and the tilapia with man n' cheese and roasted carrots, which was tender and tasty. Tim opted for the ribs, which were fall-off-the-bone tender.

After reading so much about the Warm Melting Chocolate Cake, I had to try it, so Tim and I split an order. I really enjoyed it for the first half...the cake was moist and a little gooey, and the richness of the chocolate was complemented well by the vanilla ice cream. However, toward the bottom, it was very liquid-y. I felt like I was eating cake batter, and not in a good way. I think if mine had been a bit more well-done, I would have finished it. I don't have a sweet tooth in general, but I'm glad I tried it!

After dinner, we headed to the Phantom Lounge for the Big Screen Movie DVD Challenge. I won my first ship on a stick!! We explored the ship a bit more and then returned to the Phantom Lounge for the Welcome Aboard show. Josh AKA Big Sexy, as he is known in the Carnival community, emceed a show that featured some music and dancing by the entertainment crew as well as some stand-up by Anthony Acosta, who was very funny.





By the time the show was over it was 11 pm, and we were pretty tired. We headed back to the room to wait until it was time for the late-night eating on the Lido deck. We were thrilled to be greeted by our first towel animal, which appeared to be a seal! The late-night dining offered burgers, hot dogs, and pizza, none of which interested me. We returned to our room and found The Godfather was showing on the TV! I had a nightcap and watched the movie before bed. All in all, we had a pretty good first day on board!

Summer 2009 Movies I'm Excited AboutThe Preview

Ah, summer! As the scents of bug spray, sunscreen, and grilled meat waft through the air, Americans flee the great outdoors en masse for an air-conditioned break from outdoors and reality. We have a lot to be excited about this summer!


Star Trek
Release Date: 5/8/09
Director: J.J. Abrams

Admittedly, I am not a big fan of the original Star Trek series; I am not an un-fan, I just never got into it (except for Wrath of Khan; it's scary and emotional and awesome.)

With that said, this movie by Lost genius Abrams looks like a perfect entry for non-seasoned screeners to become nouveau-Trekkies. A hot and tough Cpt. Kirk? Syler as Spock? Harold as Sulu? Shaun of the Dead as Scotty? Beam me up; I'm there.



Public Enemies
Release Date: 7/1/09
Director: Michael Mann

JOHNNY DEPP & CHRISTIAN BALE!!!
(Incidentally, they're both my two and only gimmes from my lovely husband.)

If the two leads don't grab you, then maybe this will: This movie is about John Dillinger, perhaps the best-loved and most-evasive bank robber of the twentieth century, and the man who hunts him. This crime caper is directed by the modern master of crime capers...Michael Mann (Manhunter, Heat.)


BrunoClick title for link to trailer.)
Release Date: 7/10/09
Director: Larry Charles

Sacha Baron Cohen is back as Bruno, a gay fashionisto who believes he is welcome everywhere he is not---runway shows, middle-America Kmarts, hunting parties, and swingers' parties. Poor lonely Bruno...how will he persevere? With double-layers of D&G bikinis, of course!



Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Release Date: 7/17/09
Director: David Yates

I'm not sure why this appeals to me. It seems a quaint little picture.

The Recession's Just Getting StartedLet's Eat!

Recently, we had a holiday potluck at work. While usually, I make a roast in the Crockpot (I'm classy like that), I decided to be economical. I made salads.

One, in particular, was a runaway hit. Its primary ingredients probably already exist in your pantry.

I call it "Recession Cabbage Slaw." I modified the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Recession Cabbage Slaw

½ cup slivered almonds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/3 cup salad oil (I used a mixture of sesame seed oil and olive oil)
3 tbsp vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 3-0z pkg ramen noodles
1 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp black pepper
6 cups shredded cabbage
½ cup sliced green onion

1. Spread almonds and seeds on a baking sheet. Bake in 300 degree oven for 10 minutes, stirring once. Cool.
2. For dressing, in a jar with screw-top lid, combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, seasoning from Ramen noodles, sugar and pepper. Close and shake well.
3. In a large bowl, layer or mix cabbage, almonds, toasted nuts, seeds, and green onions. Break up ramen noodles and stir into salad.
4. Add dressing and stir to coat. Cover and chill for 30 minutes-4 hours.

You can add chicken or pork if you want.