The Four L's

Out with the four L's for a lipstick call. Stopped by the Frenchy Zinc for some vino, then stumbled down the perfectly manicured, palm tree-lined, sparkly lit, Disneyland-like Kierland street to Ocean Club to help newly single Louise find a man. The place was humming with the beautiful people of Scottsdale (including lots of desperate, lonely ones, too). Never one to enjoy the pick-up scene, I focused on my girlfriend duties and spotted a potential guy - Hollywood producer-type, brown bomber jacket, jeans, full head of hair (grey). She chatted him up a bit then realized he was too full of himself and turned to sit on Laurel's pick's lap - nice, Midwestern, kind of pasty and balding and, oh yeah, married (at least he admitted it). We gave up and moved on to the the next theme park ride for a little umbrella in the drink at Tommy Bahamaville before designated drivering it home.

August: Osage County

The play won a Tony and a Pulitzer prize and to think, I almost didn't go. At over three hours long, it seemed too much for a week night. But Shana and I (along with her student ID - half price, third row center tickets!) loved every minute. So much going on - the family drama: the alcoholic dad, the pill-popping mom, the creepy uncle, the cousin that's really your half-brother, the sister that has to always take charge when things fall apart, the sister that leaves town when things fall apart and the other sister, the one in love with the cousin that's now your half-brother...it goes on and on and we all know somebody in there.   The characters and the writing and the set and the dialogue was intense, but so hysterically funny.

Stand up - Applause, applause, applause, applause.

Lucky Mom

I thought she would be sick of me by now, but all I heard this afternoon was, "Mmooomm, when are you coming home?" We've had weeks worth of holiday parties and chores and shopping and a couple of road trips and lots and lots of togetherness, capped off yesterday with Movie Madness and a mother/daughter Sapporo/Costco/reading in bed extravaganza. But the kid still needs me. She likes me. She wants to hang out with me and the feeling's mutual. Shana has done everything by the book. She went through all the stages right on time, except for one. The annoying one. She skipped that one and I figure at age eighteen, we're in the clear. Maybe I've forgotten how hard it was when she was smaller. Or when she cried. Or when she misbehaved. There were some Time-Outs way back when, but even those went pretty well. Maybe it's because she's an only child, nobody else to get in trouble with, nobody else to gang up on me with. Maybe that's it. She won't have anybody to complain to when I'm old. When I'm annoying. Or maybe she'll still call me and ask me to come over. I hope so.

Yoga - Less is More

Throw away the PhD, the Masters, the high school diploma and go back to Kindergarten. We learned in yoga tonight that it's when your mind is empty that you can focus on the body. Let it go. Less is more. Lower the bar. Get rid of the clutter, the facts, the worries.

Good to know...

Office Blues

Stuck on the phones at work today. Scottsdale's sick. They all came in.

Lipstick Call Sans Lipstick

What a difference a week makes. Some of us girls showed up for a lipstick call last week at the snazzy Z Tejas. It was booming with the holiday, there's no recession around here, crowd. We were rarin' to go, too, ready for the new year, making plans, lipsticked up and even had on a totally unchoreographed selection of oh so cool animal prints.

But today, following Movie Madness and oh my God I haven't seen you since last year, we flopped over to another drinking hole, not so snazzy, totally dead Blue Burrito. Perfect for a Monday afternoon. Perfect to catch up. Perfect to congratulate ourselves for surviving yet another holiday intact.

No lipstick necessary.

Movie Madness - Up in the Air

Some people just don't get it. I was trying to explain Movie Madness to somebody at a New Year's Eve party and he just gave me the look. The I have to work look. The I have a life look. The I have a million other things I need to do look. The I have the kids and the house and the car and the job and the errands and the class and the spouse and I could never possibly run off to the movies in the middle of the day because I'm so very perfect and responsible look. I've seen it before, believe me. So when Mr. Party Guy said that he had to work and I asked him why he wasn't working then. Right now. On New Year's Eve? Who gave him permission to take time off of work? Why couldn't he stay late at work one day? Come in early one day? Maybe show up on a Saturday morning? Now there's something his boss would probably say yes to. There's something his clients would appreciate. Be a little flexible, man. Yeah, yeah, my life is easy. I work right by the theater, have a flexible job, empty nest and a self-sufficient husband. But I figure it's an investment. It's like therapy. I never walk out of a movie without appreciating my life more. I always am amazed by the art of the movie. The direction, the acting, the scenery, the music, the writing. It's like going to a museum. How did they get that shot? Where did they come up with that word? That look? It's always worth every minute, every penny and somehow everything else eventually gets done. And sneaking out of life in the middle of the day - so naughty, so ditch dayish. So Frenchie, how 'bout it?

Today we got the year off to a flying start. George Clooney - Up in the Air. Good turn-out, mavens, petite ya yas and even two humans of the male persuasion - way to go Neal and Jordan. The movie was good, maybe not the five stars I've seen around, but makes you think. What do you want to put in your backpack? What's important enough to carry around with you all the time? Family, friends, a make the world a better place by healing the sick job and Movie Madness, of course!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Winter Wonderland

Shana and I hung on tight as Shawn flew us up to Pinetop in his rocket car for a Wonderful White Winter Wonderland Weekend in the Woods. Nana and Papa, recently retired, have been snuggled up there for months and we joined them for a nice relaxing couple of days reading and playing in the snow (plus a few wayward snowballs, very funny, honey, ice in the face and fake skating on the are you sure it's frozen? frozen pond).

Up Up and Away

To get the new year off to a flying start, sister Amy and I headed up up and away for a sunset ride through the desert in a hot air balloon. It was incredible. The afternoon was just perfect, sun shiny, fluffy white clouds, a little wind. As we rose up I got sort of a Dorothy heading out of Oz feeling. Once we got up, the silence was amazing. It was so peaceful  as we floated away from the city and the interstate and the hustle and bustle and into the desert. Except for the occasional dog barking at us and the sound of the fire bursting into the balloon carrying us, the noise was gone. The sky and the mountains were beautiful - blue, purple, orange, pink and then when we landed softly at sunset in the middle of nowhere, the horizon turned a deep red. Unbelievable. "Hello 2010," said Mother Nature. The group gathered  for a Champagne and treats from Vincent's party before calling it a night. As Amy and I pulled into my neighborhood, the moon was just rising, low, massive, yellow and another reminder to make this year a beautiful one, to get out there, outside, put my feet in the grass and my head in the clouds as often as I can. Thanks, Amy. Happy New Year, baby.

Happy New Year!!!