Unfortunately, tonight's episode

of one of my favorite shows, So You Think You Can Dance, really lowered the bar by featuring the ever-so-classless Pussycat Dolls.

As I watched them, slightly revolted, but not so revolted as to stop watching, I realized that I was reminded of another group of girls from the not-too-distant past...

Fascinating resemblance, no?

More happy stories from the diet front...

Tonight, Nathan made a fabulous spicy, breaded baked chicken. The crazy part of the recipe is that you actually use yogurt instead of egg to bread the chicken, and no one would believe it's diet food, it tastes so good.

Well, Nathan's chicken inspired me to look online for dessert recipes that would be just as creative, and just as guiltless. Plus, we were watching an episode of Take Home Chef on the food network which featured a chocolate mousse for dessert. I found a very interesting dark chocolate mousse recipe that called for tofu, I repeat TOFU, instead of heavy cream. Feeling brave, I ran to the store to pick up some tofu, since we had everything else on hand. An hour later, may I just say, wow. Rich, decadent, and no guilt! Who would have thought of using tofu (even if it doesn't have a flavor) in a chocolate mousse recipe? Genius, pure genius.

Try it and see for yourself.

Good News/Bad News

Good News: Everyone I talked to this weekend (by everyone, I mean agents) asked for me to go ahead and send my proposal packages to them. Proposal packages include a query letter, synopsis, and first two/three chapters or so.

Bad News: I don't have said proposal packages....yet.

Good News: Repeat: I did make connections with very receptive and friendly potential agents.

Bad News: They all said I need to finish my book before sending them anything.

Good News: The editor that I had a consultation session with wanted me to pitch my book to her.

Bad News: I didn't know how to pitch, and could only babble and beg her to look at my first page.

Good News: She read my first page very attentively and then said, "The good news is that this is great."

Bad News: She went on to say, "The bad news is that I can't use it. The imprint of my publishing house is looking to acquire young adult fiction that is multi-cultural."

Good News: She said some other highly positive things that I will remember when I get rejection letters in the near future.

More Good News: I ran into a friend who used to work at Dobie, and she is also working on young adult fiction. We plan to hook up soon to share work.

Even More Good News: I learned so much and feel motivated to work toward my goal of finishing this summer, ideally END OF JULY. That way I can send my proposals to agents I met in a timely manner.

You may notice that in the end, I have more Good News than Bad News.
That is the good news.

OK. I am officially freaked out.

This weekend I am taking a big step forward for myself as an author. At the recommendation of a friend, I signed up for a Writer's League of Texas Agents and Editors Conference here in Austin. I have an appointment to meet with an editor on Saturday afternoon and get some feedback on my novel. There are also breakout sessions on everything from finding an agent to crafting fiction to marketing yourself.

I am weirdly optimistic, but more than anything freaked out. I know that I'll come away learning some valuable things, but I think the reason I'm nervous is because I found out about this conference at the very last second and decided to go at the very last second and revised my first chapter at the very last second and then went and made copies at the very last second.

I always was under the impression that I had to be done with my book completely before pursuing publishing, but that's really not the case. In fact, on avaerage, it takes so long to get a book accepted for publication, that it would be smart of me to go ahead and begin the process. It also motivates me to work toward finishing it.

Wish me luck!

In the '80s we made mix tapes.

Now we burn CDs from our playlists using itunes.

In honor of summer, (and my boredom,) I have created two new fun and exciting playlists. On the first one, I tried to pick songs that you would want to sing at the top of your lungs driving down the road while you blast the AC, or with the window down if you don't live in Texas. The second playlist is more like what you would play while you sit on your patio/porch in the evening. I would love to burn CDs for everyone, so if you are in need of a new mix CD, let me know or drop me a comment and I will send them to you. Seriously, this is my idea of fun.

Here is the lineup, just to whet your appetite.

Side A: Songs to play on a Summer Day
1. I Can't Get Next to You - Al Green
2. Come Together - The Beatles
3. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
4. The Woman in You - Ben Harper
5. Down to the River to Pray - Alison Krauss
6. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
7. We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel
8. Eternal Flame (live) - Susana Hoffs
9. Sweetness Follows - REM
10. Tiny Dancer - Elton John
11. Spring Provides - Matt Pond PA
12. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benetar
13. Just What I Needed - The Cars
14. Wake Up - The Arcade Fire
15. Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

Side B: Songs to play on a Summer Night
1. By Your Side - Sade
2. Every Breath You Take - The Police
3. Universal Traveler - Air
4. How Sweet It Is - Joan Osborne
5. The Moon Softly Weeps a Lullaby - The Autumns
6. A Case of You (live) - Diana Krall
7. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
8. Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
9. Cannonball - Damien Rice
10. Way Over Yonder - Carole King
11. Unchained Melody - Cyndi Lauper
12. Songs We Used to Sing - Edie Brickell
13. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me - Elton John
14. What a Difference a Day Made - Dinah Washington

Updates...

1. I agreed to help out Amy Chapman w/ watering all her gorgeous plants while she and Derek are in Europe until August. I've enjoyed the work so far, and am happy to help them out.

2. I am on Day 11 of a 30 Day workout plan. I have been working out every single day (with the exception of one day a week), and I am drinking a ridiculous amount of water (easy) and TRYING to cut back on drinks with empty calories like soda, wine/mojitos, and coffee with sugar and cream (not so easy). I've been doing all different kinds of workout routines like yoga with weights, hiphop, ballet strength training, kickboxing, tai chi, you name it. I have reached the wonderful place where your muscles aren't in pain anymore, but are humming with energy. At the end of the 30 days, I may go another 30, we'll see. I will definitely be more motivated if I see some results. In the meantime, getting older sucks.

3. I have been avoiding working on my book for no good reason. I wrote today, and ideally, I'll work on it a little every day so that I really will be close to finished when summer is over.

4. If you haven't watched So You Think You Can Dance, you need to. I mean it.

It's that time of year again...

Time for the return of quality television.
Time for anticipating prime time more than ever.
Time for exciting, creative, performance art on both Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Time for...

5 reasons to work out/eat right/attempt to lose weight

1. It's already swimsuit season.
2. My fat jeans from several years ago have become my current skinny jeans.
3. All the hip-hop workout routines on the Fit Network.
4. I can't afford a new wardrobe. And besides, I really like the one in my closet.
5. Our new panini maker that will be used for good, not evil.

I wish everyone had summer off...

Really, it's a fabulous idea. They do that in Europe, you know. Maybe not the entire summer, but at the very least a couple weeks off for a holiday to the seashore. I wish it was built into our culture. Wouldn't that make the unbearably hot summer months bearable? I know that when the weather gets hot, somehow pychologically I get excited, just anticipating summer vacation.

But even if we can't all have summer off, at least we have more ways to stay cool this summer, including the quiet apt. pool on Saturday and Sunday mornings while all the annoying college kids sleep off their bad choices from the night before, AND now Jess and Jason's snow cone stand. Currently, my favorite flavor being blackberry and cream, which you should try immediately.

2 days to go...

until summer. That's right. Be jealous, be very jealous.

I can fully indulge in my vacation knowing that I worked every day with ADD 11-year-olds, and have earned it. I sort-of have this philosophy that teachers (at least the good ones) work overtime for 10 months, and then it all evens out when they get those 2 months off.

This summer, I ambitiously plan to work on my book and hopefully finish a first draft by the end of summer so I can revise and pursue publishing during the next school year. I'm at 75 pages, so I'm actually about half done... most juvenile fiction is around 150 pages in length, so that's what I'm roughly aiming for. But to be honest, I don't plan the story ahead of time, so I have no idea when the last page will pop up. Although, I have a feeling I'll know when I get there.

I used to hate the taste of licorice.

I remember every Easter I would relinquish all the black jelly beans to my dad because I just couldn't stand the taste. Well, not too long ago, I tried licorice again for the first time in years, and it's so spicy and good. It's interesting that over the years our tastes can change and develop. So if there's a flavor out there that you don't care for, try it again. You never know.

We saw Mission Impossible 3 last night,

and in honor of how great Philip Seymour Hoffman was, I wanted to create a personality quiz for some of the interesting roles he's played over the years. The good news is that you can take this quiz. The bad news is that every quiz-creating website I found wouldn't work for this type of quiz, so it's not electronic. But I will not be defeated! You can either use your memory, or you might have to take it the old-fashioned way and write your results on paper. I know.... but here it is!

Which Philip Seymour Hoffman character are you?

1. Describe yourself in one word:
A: helpful
B: discerning
C: observant
D: strong
E: authoritative
F: offbeat

2. At a party, you would be:
A: alone at the food table
B: running the music
C: telling a great story
D: sealing a deal
E: circulating/shmoozing
F: cracking jokes

3. Which place do you like the best?
A: San Fernando Valley
B: San Diego
C: New York
D: any city in the world
E: Vermont
F: Oklahoma

4. The only down-side to your job is:
A: boring and distasteful routine
B: no one appreciates your genius
C: the troubling psychosis
D: no down-time
E: you're broke
F: paying for gas money

5. Your favorite film genre is:
A: ensemble drama
B: coming-of-age comedy
C: documentary
D: action
E: dark humor
F: adventure


You mostly answered:

A: You are Phil Parma, male nurse in the film Magnolia. You take care of others, and are somewhat shy. Take a chance and say what YOU really want. Try it the next time you call in an order for delivery.

B: You are the self-proclaimed "uncool" yet ultra-cool radio personality, rock critic Lester Bangs in Almost Famous. You are smart, funny, slightly neurotic, and couldn't live without music. You have helpful advice to share with a young friend.

C: You are the quiet, insightful author, Truman Capote. You are tender and compassionate of those who are troubled, yet sometimes get too involved emotionally.

D: You are Owen Davian, international weapons dealer in Mission Impossible 3. You crave action and violence, and even though you don't have a conscience, you are officially bad-ass.

E: You are Joseph Turner White, director of "The Old Mill" in State and Main. You're creative and confident, but be careful--don't let the people with the money for your project push you around.

F: You are Dustin Davis, maniacal, but lovable storm-chaser in the film Twister. While some may not get you, you are the life of a party, and definitely one-of-a-kind.

My Top Ten '80s Boy Crushes....

In no particular order...

1. Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly. Really, is there anything cuter than Michael J. Fox hanging onto the back of a truck riding his skateboard in Back to the Future? If that didn't win you over, there's always his famous lipsync rendition of "Johnny Be Good" later on in the movie.


2. Richard Dean Anderson as Macgyver. Yes, he had a mullet. But he could also make a bomb out of a stick of gum and a ballpoint pen.


3. Harrison Ford as Han Solo. There are two kinds of girls, the Luke Skywalker Girls, and the Han Solo Girls. I know what side I'm on.


4. Kirk Cameron in Growing Pains. The curly mop-top. The devilish grin. Who would have thought all that promise would turn out as the lead of the Left Behind movie adaptation?


5. Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theo Huxtable. You sure were cute while getting into those friendly little misadventures.


6. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. I've heard there's some sort-of new Young Indiana Jones. Honestly, why did they even try?


7. Ralph Macchio as "Daniel-son" in the Karate Kid. Even today, people everywhere reinact that odd-looking signature kick in the final scene. And what a final scene it was.


8. Matthew Broderick in Ferris Beuller's Day Out. And even before there was Ferris Beuller, there were WarGames.


9. Harrison Ford as himself.




and finally...

10. Johnny Depp. The number one reason to run home after school and watch 21 Jump Street. I can still hear the theme music.

Worst job ever

We got to talking the other day about what would REALLY be the worst possible job. Here are the results of our discussion:

Me: anybody working for the IRS
Nathan: the guy who collects the used grease from fast-food places
Lora: still thinking...
Stacy: a deodorant tester
Jenny: the port-a-potty guy

Chapter 13, Page 72

But just how much is that?
17,694 words
799 paragraphs
2,042 lines

A new record. For me and Violet, at least.

Tonight I started thinking about female superheroes,

and while I am not a comic expert by any means, I couldn't think of a single red-headed female superhero.

Don't worry, an extensive google search alleviated my concern for the lack of flaming-haired superpowered vixens.
Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Firestar. This one Nathan knew right off the top of his head! Formerly Angelica Jones, she is a mutant superhero originally created for the animated series Spiderman and his Amazing Friends.


2. Ginger Powerpuff. No, not a superhero per se, but a redhead who fights evil nonetheless.


3. Goblin Queen. A.K.A. Madelyne Pryor-Summers, an evil clone of Jean Grey.


4. Vindicator. A.K.A. Heather Hudson, the leader of the Canadian team Alpha Flight.


5. Nathan says Rogue has reddish-colored hair in certain lights.


6. Josie, of Josie and the Pussycats.


7. Barbara “Babs” Gordon. Oracle, formerly Batgirl.


8. Princess Python. A.K.A. Zelda DuBois.


9. Phoenix, formerly Jean Grey.


10. Hellcat. I can’t tell if she’s good or bad, sounds bad, right?

Interestingly enough, Hellcat was formerly Patsy Walker, of the teen romantic-comedy comics “Patsy and her Pals."

One of the things I love about Nathan

is that no matter what, he never judges me.

Not even when I say that what I really want for dinner is a chili cheese dog from Dog Almighty.

Would I sound absolutely insane

if I said that I am right now watching the remake of the Parent Trap with Linsay Lohan and it's actually winning me over with its cuteness?

Well, I am, and it is.

I can't believe that this spunky little red-head has joined the ranks of the trashy, post-adolescent Hollywood actresses who make B-List movies and even worse radio smut. How is it that this adorable, promising little starlet grew up to be friends with the likes of Paris Hilton?

Lindsay, if you're listening, I believe you can redeem yourself. It's not too late for you.

Family night is always

a highlight of my week.
You'd think we all would see each other all the time, (which is sometimes true, but most often not the case), so it's great to have a set-aside time just to see each other, eat a yummy meal, and watch Desperate Housewives, when it's new, that is.

Last night was not a let down in the slightest.
The show was new.
The meal was smoky maccaroni and cheese with apples (by request), and then, during coffee, we all got to talking about our weekends....

I was proud to announce that during my free time on Saturday, I diligently learned two dance routines from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The second disc in the deluxe edition (Thank you again to my fabulous little sister, the first Amy Russell) has a feature where you can learn the Agustus Gloop dance AND the Violet Beauregarde dance which are performed by the Oompa Loompas. Oh yes. I learned not one, but both dance routines. Why, you ask? Because I thought it would make me feel good. And it did.

What I didn't really expect (but should have seen coming) was that everyone would want me to perform the dance routines, right there on the spot. Well, I have no shame, and I really must say that I put heart into the choreography.

At least it made everyone laugh.
Even if it does confirm that I'm a total dork.

Yesterday we celebrated my birthday, which is technically today.

It turns out that birthdays are perfect for convincing your friends to all go out and see a movie that you might otherwise have to see alone. Case in point, The Family Stone, with my imaginary best friend, Sarah Jessica Parker.
Yes, there were one or two groan-y moments, but overall, funny and cute.

Then we all came back and lit a fire and had chocolate soup with mascarpone brioche sandwiches that Nathan made by request.

This morning, I have repeated last night's activities, including the chocolate soup, sandwich, and fire, only now I am watching movies and cuddling with the dog, who will probably hate me in two day's time when we make her fly on an airplane.