Go Forth

I spent yesterday glued to the television, even though I SWORE to myself that I'd stop after Aretha Franklin sang (because I know myself well enough to know I couldn't NOT watch Aretha.)

Apparently I wasn't alone; the inauguration is all my friends and neighbors have been able to talk about for the last 24 hours. No matter what our political persuasion, Obama's call to volunteerism resonated with each of us, particularly this line:

"The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good."

If every person in this crowd, and every person who watched the inauguration on television, did even one small thing to help a friend or neighbor, to improve their local schools, or to raise the standard of living in a poor community (perhaps through an organization such as Heifer International) what kind of world would we have?

Go Go Golden Globes

Each year, the Golden Globes marks the beginning of my Rev-Up-The-Workout season. (For most folks, it's New Year's and the resolutions. For me, it's seeing strappy gowns and peep-toe shoes.)

As Kate Winslet gushed her thanks (twice!) last night, I picked up the dumbells and did sets of lunges, squats, overhead presses, you name it. During commercials, I hit the exercise bike at a high resistance and cranked as hard as I could until they cut back to the gowns and speeches. I watch the Golden Globes, the SAG awards, and the Oscars every year, both to see if I can pick the winners (oh, yes, I did call Slumdog Millionaire! And Colin Farrell for In Bruges, which is a GREAT flick) and to see the fashion.

So here are my loves and hates for this year. What do you think?


Anne Hathaway:

The good: the color choice (different for Hathaway), the shape of the dress, the makeup and hair. All perfect.

The bad: if she didn't stand up really, really straight, the dress made her look like she has a tummy she does NOT have. What was with that?!



Christina Applegate:

The good: The dress. It fits her well and is va-va-voom old Hollywood glam.

The bad: What happened to her hair? It flopped in her eyes all night. Every time the camera flashed to her table, she was shoving it out of her face. She has the cutest hair, so I hope next time her hairdresser leaves it loose.


Beyonce and Jay-Z:

The good: Her hair and makeup (always, always perfect.) Her big smile. Her arm candy (the equally smiley Jay-Z.)

The bad: While the dress was gorgeous, she seemed extremely uncomfortable in it. Like there were pins inside sticking her all over and she was trying to suck in her breath just to keep from getting needled. Am I the only one who noticed this?


Susan Sarandon:

The good: Everything. She looked comfortable and happy all night, brought her son as her date, and her outfit was both classy and sexy. She looked incredible when she took the stage as a presenter.

The bad: None that I could see.



Mary Louise Parker:

The good: YEOWZA! Well played, MLP. Loved the color, the hair, the makeup...every time she appeared on camera, she looked like she was having fun.

The bad: No statue to take home. However, she looks so good, she doesn't need one.



Maggie Gyllenhaal:

The good: Her shoes (you could see them when she walked.) Her makeup. The cut of her dress, and the fact I couldn't completely hate it, despite the cockamamie print.

The bad: That horrid print. If it'd been a solid blue, it would've ROCKED. Then again, her style's always a little offbeat, so, again, I couldn't completely hate it.



Renee Zellweger:

The good: She decided to be bold and try something different.

The bad: This was NOT the right choice. But she seemed happy and comfortable in it, so kudos to RZ.



AND...to end on a high note, my fave of the entire night, Elizabeth Banks, Best Dressed:



The good: She took a risk and went with a pale dress despite her pale complexion, and it WORKED. Great cut, great color, and to-die-for ruffle detail that isn't over the top. Best of all, she topped it with a fun, flirty hairstyle that exuded class. This is the way to go glam without opting for the safe black or red.

The bad: NONE!

Tonight, I plan on night two of Rev-Up-The-Workout while I watch E!'s Fashion Police do their best and worst dressed. I can't wait to see if they agree with me on my picks.

Off the DL

Bet you didn't think there was a disabled list in the baseball off-season. Well, you are WRONG. Not only could I not play baseball for the last few weeks (not that I was planning to, what with the snow and ice), I couldn't TYPE. For a writer and computer addict, this is a big deal. No responding to e-mail. No blogging. No working on my current manuscript. No googling phrases like "Kylie Minogue fashion don't."



Or searching for videos like "Kathy Griffin New Year's Eve hecklers." (Caution: Some of you may find content in this video objectionable. I think Kathy's hysterical, but she is NOT kid-friendly.)



So how did I end up on the typing DL, you wonder? Long story short: My big Christmas gift this year was a new set of kitchen knives.

Long story long: I've been using the same hand-me-downs since I moved into my first apartment during college, so after this Thanksgiving (and another round of heavy-duty cooking with dull, unsightly knives), I decided it was high time I acquired a grown-up set. I spent forever online researching, then went into the kitchen store to try out a few. I settled on a nifty set from Wüsthof, since they felt good in my hand, and talked my husband into letting me open them before Christmas so I'd have them for Christmas entertaining.

The kicker? Those suckers are SHARP.

I opened the box and started washing them one by one, all jazzed to cut a tomato, a green pepper, whatever. Just as I was daydreaming about speed-chopping celery, I slipped. Steak knife + new edge + right index finger = trip to the ER and stitches. Then I had to have my fingers taped together so I wouldn't bend the right index finger. You don't realize how much you use your hands until you whack them with sharp objects.

On the bright side, I did get to watch a lot of TV. Loved the Boston Legal series finale, though I can't see Justice Scalia marrying anyone, let alone Denny and Alan, during his fishing vacation in Canada (leaving aside the fact that no one had a marriage license.) Maybe this will be addressed if, say, NBC, CBS, or even HBO pick up the series? One can only hope.

Also loved the Survivor finale. Very happy Bob Crowley won, though I thought Sugar played a great strategic game (I wish she'd gotten the $100,000 fan fave money.)

But now the stitches are out, so I'm off the typing DL. If anyone has tips on scar prevention (other than the usual advice to keep the wound covered and use sunscreen), let me know. I don't want to look like I was in a fight and lost!