Uncle P is off to my favorite U.S. city for a brief business trip and then four days of vacation, hanging out with friends (one of whom is a High School friend who will also be vacationing there from California at the same time); visiting museums; playing at the Navy Pier; eating in amazing restaurants; taking the Architectural Tour and assorted other distractions. I hope 4 days will be enough to do all I want to do.
I'll be back on Wednesday night, but since Thursday is my birthday, I probably won't be writing much before Friday. I feel like a jerk for missing Caliban's Revenge's 5th Anniversary post the other day, but I promise to make it up to you, soon.
You have read this article Chicago /
Music Video /
Steve Grand /
The Day Job /
Travel /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-kind-of-town.html. Thanks!
Only my sister and people who know both of us will fully grasp the hilarity of the picture to your right. Trust me, she will not find this picture offensive in the least. In fact, she'll email or Facebook me her approval, because Heaven forfend she should ever actually comment on her brother's blog no matter how much he hints, nags or goads. She's as stubborn as our Hungarian grandmother. Then again, I'm as stubborn as our German mother.
So, double good news for the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday. Sis and the BIL are heading North and Uncle P has a 3-day work week followed by a 5-day weekend! Mom and the BIL are no doubt preparing for what they call our 'secret language,' though truth be told, for as much as the brat and I have in common, we have just as much not. Of course, our differences are secondary to both of us. We argue, like all siblings (we had a mini-argument on the phone today) but make no mistake -- we would defend one another with our lives.
We have always laughed together far more than we've been cross with one another, and I'd say that ratio continues to grow toward the laughing as we get older. And truth be told, there are plenty of things that she and I share with no one else in the world: Phrases; quotes; sounds; jokes and bits of nonsense that never fail to make us laugh, often to the consternation of those around us, who sadly have no idea why we're crying or bent over in laughter-induced abdominal pain. And make no mistake, many of those folks have known both of us for many years and still have no idea why we find something as hilarious as we do.
And honestly, we like it that way.
Whether it's down in Florida (yes, I know) or here in PA, I'll never say 'no' to spending time with my little sister. She's pretty great. I hope you and your siblings (if you have them) are as close as my sister and I are. The next three days will be torture...
More, anon. Prospero
You have read this article Cakes /
Holidays /
My Sister /
Nonsense /
Silly /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/05/time-with-my-favorite-person-in-world.html. Thanks!
From the Happy Mutants over at BoingBoing comes this review of a film which premiered at Sundance this weekend. Escape from Tomorrow tells the story of a man who, on the last day of his family vacation in Orlando, learns he has lost his job. As the film progresses, the man slowly loses his grip on reality, eventually creating a surreal and nightmarish descent into madness. Of course, the extraordinary thing is that the film was apparently shot without the knowledge or cooperation of the Disney corporation, which has been known to sue daycare centers for copyright infringements and asking Santa to leave their parks. Film critic Drew McWeeny says "It is impossible this film exists... And yet, not only does it exist; but it's fascinating."
Long-time readers know that Uncle P's sister is a self-described "Disney Dork." In fact, last weekend she and the BIL went on their second Disney cruise. And while I personally prefer Universal Studios, I must admit that I have been to Disneyworld at least five times. Which makes Escape from Tomorrow all that much more fascinating to me.
Personal friends know that I adore off-the-wall, experimental and outright bizarre film experiences. Movies like Richard Elfman's Forbidden Zone; David Lynch's Eraserhead; Quentin Dupieux's Rubber; Terry Gilliam's Brazil; David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch andGuy Maddin's The Saddest Music in the the World are very much why I love film so much. They make me feel like I'm not alone in my personally skewed vision of life.
Here's a clip from Escape from Tomorrow, featuring daddy-bear star Roy Abramsohn dealing with his obsession with two French teenagers at a Disney resort pool:
I don't know how director Randy Moore pulled off this film, though I am amazed and excited that he did. McWeeny supposes the movie will never find a distributor and will eventually fall into obscurity, thanks to Disney's phalanx of lawyers. Still, I think that I must see Escape from Tomorrow, if only to satisfy my curiosity and add it to my list of outsider films I've loved or hated.
Trust me, I don't get it anymore than you.
More, anon.
Prospero
You have read this article Clips /
Disney /
Florida /
Independent Film /
Movies /
My BIL /
My Sister /
Nightmares /
Nonsense /
Psychological Horror /
Sundance /
Theme Parks /
Trailers /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/01/guerilla-filmmaking-and-other-movie.html. Thanks!
I wish my office chair was as cool as the one in the picture on the right.
I return to the Day-Job tomorrow, after a 10 day "stay-cation,' during which I had all sorts of things planned to do around the house. Needless to say, very few of those plans actually came to fruition. I could blame the heat or my broken toe or any number of other things. Or I could be honest and say I just didn't care enough to get them done. I watched some truly dreadful movies on cable (The Thing (2011); Scream 4; The Help) and even worse talk shows ("The Talk"). I deep-cleaned my kitchen. I cooked some amazing meals (tonight's spinach, feta, bacon and fresh garden tomato omelet among the best). I went to dinner and a movie with my four dearest friends. I attempted a night out with three other gay friends on Friday, but that soon fell apart (for a number of reasons). I cleaned out and lubricated the track to the sliding mirror doors of my medicine cabinet. I turned a year older. I blogged.
I did nothing of any real significance. And I've decided that that's okay. Vacation is really just about not being at work. In that sense, it couldn't have been more of a success. I didn't think about work at all, even when co-workers sent me a 'Happy Birthday' messages on Facebook.
Sometimes it's good to just shut-down and relax. And I did plenty of relaxing this past week. I slept in. I watched TV. I didn't think too hard or too much (well, except for Friday morning's horrendous events in Colorado). I didn't even shower on a couple of days. So, I'm marking this particular stay-cation as a success. Though, truth be told, I don't want to go back to work tomorrow.
I really need to win the Publisher's Clearing House $5,000 a Week Forever sweepstakes. Hook me up, will you?
More, anon. Prospero
You have read this article Nonsense /
Publisher's Clearing House /
Ramblings /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/07/last-day-of-vacation.html. Thanks!
But we know this... And sorry for that very disturbing image on New Year's Day, but I have a quandary for which I am asking your help, dear readers and I thought it just might catch your attention.
I have one day left of my holiday vacation and I haven't seen a single movie on my list. So I am determined at some point in the day tomorrow, to see a movie. My "to see" list is always long. My "have seen" list is regrettably short; even more so, this year. I've been able to whittle a few off the list, simply because they are not playing near me, yet. And then I narrowed it down to those playing at my favorite multiplex in nearby NJ. And still, I am having a hard time choosing. And that's where you come in. I need you're help choosing. I've been able to narrow it down to five choices:
The Adventures of Tintin:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
War Horse:
Young Adult:
The Darkest Hour:
Quite a list, isn't it? I'm happy to admit that my tastes are nothing if not eclectic. So, PLEASE take the easy poll, below. If I do go to the movies, I will see whatever movie wins.
You have read this article Holidays /
Movies /
Polls /
Trailers /
Uncle P /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-need-help.html. Thanks!
That's Daniel Craig's rather magnificent ass on the poster for director Jon Favreau's latest movie Cowboys & Aliens. Based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Cowboys & Aliens is one of the summer's most anticipated movies.
In 1873 Arizona, Jake Lonergan (Craig) awakes in the desert, shoeless and memory-less, with a strange metal cuff on his left wrist and a bloody wound in his right side. After a quick and violent encounter with a trio of ne'er-do-wells, Jake makes his way to the dying mining town of Absolution, where he's patched up by the local preacher (Clancy Brown) in time for him to save the local innkeeper, Doc (Sam Rockwell) from a dustup with the drunken son (Paul Dano) of the only man in town with any money. When the sheriff (Keith Carradine) arrives, he recognizes Jake from a wanted poster and promptly arrests him, but not before a mysterious young woman (Olivia Wilde) approaches Jake asking about the "bracelet" he's wearing. Learning his son is on the way to prison, rancher Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and his hands ride into town demanding his release. But the brewing showdown is not to be; Jake's cuff starts to beep and light up and the town is suddenly attacked by flying machines that seem to rope people (including Doc's wife and Dolarhyde's son) around their chests and carry them off into the night. Jake also discovers the cuff is a weapon and brings one of the fliers down, releasing a wounded monster into the night. Deciding they need his weapon, Dolrahyde forces Jake to join them in tracking the beast in hopes of recovering the kidnapped townsfolk and the party sets off.
Not being familiar with Rosenberg's original, I had no idea what to expect, though I am a fan of Favreau's. His Iron Man films and the Jumanji follow-up, Zathura were terrific fun, and I hoped that C&A would be, as well. And I am pleased to note that I was not disappointed. Though I was a bit surprised at how much of a Western the movie is, filled with very specific archetypal characters forced by circumstance to work together against forces beyond their comprehension. Happily, Favreau doesn't keep us wondering and gives us a full-on view the aliens early on. The amphibious/insectoid beasties with googly eyes and surprise limbs are creepy and dangerous-looking - not something you want to run into in dark (or even well-lit) alley.
The performances are terrific, across the board and Craig's American accent is dead-on. As a former bad man given the chance for redemption, Jake is almost an anti-hero, driven by revenge more than anything. And before you ask, yes, we get a good look at Craig's well-defined torso, though it's a bit dirty and banged up. Ford's Dolarhyde is also not the most likable of fellows; a man made bitter by his experiences in the Civil War and a disappointing son. Wilde is fine as the tough gal with a big secret and Rockwell is excellent, as always as a former doctor who only wants to run his saloon with his wife in peace. The rest of the supporting cast are on the money and you'll certainly recognize many of them.
Cowboys & Aliens' plot may be a bit preposterous but this a summer Sci-Fi action flick, not The Cherry Orchard. And as a summer Sci-Fi action flick, Cowboys & Aliens succeeds quite nicely. A thoroughly entertaining movie loaded with action, suspense and humor, Cowboys & Aliens was actually better than I had anticipated and I and my companions all left the theater happy. What more can one ask from a summer popcorn movie? *** (Three Out of Four Stars).
Wow! An amazing long weekend in Chicago with two wonderful friends and two terrifically fun movies in one week! The week after my birthday has proven to be even better that the week of. I may have to go back to the real world on Monday, but I had one hell of a vacation! I hope your week was as good as mine!
More, anon. Prospero
You have read this article Cowboys and Aliens /
Daniel Craig /
Harrison Ford /
Hot /
Movies /
Reviews /
sci-Fi /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-aliens.html. Thanks!
I'm back, Bitches! Miss me? And while I didn't take the photo of the giant Marilyn on Michigan Avenue you see to your right, I did take a few of my own (among many others) and will share soon.
Chicago was amazing. After the day job event was over, I moved across town to a hotel in the city's "Gold Coast," a beautiful neighborhood of brownstones and manicured gardens very near Lake Michigan. The Ambassador East is currently undergoing a major renovation, so the entrance and elevators were made inconvenient at times, but my room was lovely and austere, with Danish furnishings and a strangely laid out bathroom (the toilet was set diagonally in the corner). After settling in and having a quick bite at PJ Clark's (yes, just like in NYC), I set out for a Saturday night on the town with two friends I'd only ever known online.
"Are you crazy?" I can hear you asking. Surely you know the answer to that question by now. But when one of them is Chicago personality Stephen Rader and the other is sort of a step-sibling of a dear college friend, I knew I was pretty safe. My biggest concern was not how I would get on on with either of them, but rather how they would get on with one another. Silly me. They had me in common, for one, and a million other people for another. Turns out that Stephen and Patrick moved in the same circles for years, without ever actually meeting until last Saturday. And they got along famously. And I with them. And we had ourselves a grand time in a old-fashioned night of bar-hopping in Boystown.
We started at the quiet and dark Cocktail on the corner of Roscoe and Halsted. After an hour or so of hilarious conversation, we moved next door to the trendier Sidetrack, which was filled with beautiful boys and plenty of poseurs. More drinks and laughs led us to move on, and while I couldn't name the other three places we ended up visiting; I can tell you that the seedier they got, the more fun we had, ending up at a bar that was having a Trailer Trash Drag Night where all the staff dressed in the trashiest, John Watersesque garb they could find. By the time Patrick poured me into a cab at 2:30 AM, Uncle P had had one of the most fun evenings I can remember in a very long time.
Sunday, I surprisingly awoke with no hangover and set out for brunch, again at PJ Clark's (it was close and relatively inexpensive). After a hearty meal of eggs, bacon and potatoes, I got into my head that I could walk to Millennium Park and set out to do just that. Walking along Michigan Avenue's "Magnificent Mile" I passed stores by Chanel; Gucci; Pucci; Cartier; Omega; Hermes; Armani... I might as well have been on New York's Fifth Avenue, but with a Chicago attitude. Finally reaching the park, I took my picture at the Cloud Gate (referred to by locals as "The Bean," saw a free afternoon concert (by a very fun jazzy blues trio whose name I cannot remember for the life of me) at the Frank Geary-designed amphitheater and watched children frolic in the hilarious Crown Fountain. Exhausted, I took a cab back to my hotel and crashed for the rest of the day.
Yesterday I visited the Navy Pier and the amazing Chicago Field Museum of Natural History before meeting Patrick again for another trip to Sidetrack for their Monday Broadway Karoake Video Night, which was more akin to attending a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show than karaoke anywhere else, especially during the extended Mommie Dearest remix video. At a very tired Patrick's suggestion, I then headed out on my own to Big Chicks, where I met delightful young man named Tim who spent the night flirting with me and proclaiming "F***ing Philly!" once he learned where I was from. Once again poured into a cab (this time by Tim, who said "You can't walk from frm here -- It's too dangerous!"), I returned to the Ambassador East for my last night in the Windy City.
I won't go into the details of flying home on US Airlines, except to say that any of you who have flown on USAir know just how awful they are. Dear D met me at the airport to take me home and while I will be glad to sleep again in my own bed, I am already missing what is quickly surpassing New York as my second favorite US city (San Francisco is hard to beat...). I know I'll visit Chicago again (I already have offers from two folks -- I'll leave it to your imaginations as to which two -- for a place to stay). And there are still plenty of things I want to do and see there. And I certainly understand why so many folks I know have moved there. I just don't think I could handle winter there. Brrr!
Pictures, anon (and all that jazz). Prospero
You have read this article Amusement Parks /
Chicago /
Museums /
Nonsense /
Travel /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/07/saturday-night-debauchery-on-tuesday.html. Thanks!
I am off tomorrow morning to Chicago; partly for day-job business and partly for fun. I'll be home Tuesday night, but won't have much (if any) internet access while I'm away. In case you're wondering why - I despise laptops and can't justify the price of a tablet right now, though I imagine a tablet will be my next major electronics purchase in the next year or so.
Anyway, I already have plans to get together with the fabulous Stephen Rader and a few other friends while there. If Chicago is still standing after Rader and I get together, it's only because Stephen Rutledge wasn't able to join us.
I've been to the Second City twice - once for a few hours and once for two nights, neither of which was enough time to really explore and have fun. This time I'll have a few extra days to see the sights and carry on (and hopefully catch the Chicago Cash Cab). I want to visit Navy Pier, the Bean, the (formerly) Sears Tower, and maybe catch a show and visit a museum or two. We'll see what time allows. I just hope the heat has moved East by the time I get there... Not that I wish it on my friends and family here, but you know what I mean. No city is fun when it's too hot to walk a block without becoming soaked in sweat.
I'll be back on Tuesday night, no doubt with a tale or two to tell (and hopefully three or four I can't possibly share). I'll let you know if it's anything like this:
Not that that's the kind of club Uncle P will be visiting while there (wink,wink, nudge, nudge).
More, anon. Prospero
You have read this article Chicago /
The Day Job /
Travel /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/07/a-quickie-before-i-off.html. Thanks!
For my last few trips to visit my sister in Florida, we've at least once ended up at Downtown Disney, a shopping and entertainment area that houses Cirque du Soleil's permanent show La Nouba; the largest Disney Store in the world; DisneyQuest (essentially a giant Disney-themed arcade); The House of Blues; T-Rex; a Wolfgang Puck restaurant; an AMC multiplex and what was formerly known as Pleasure Island. We would shop, eat and enjoy an afternoon together in the only free Disney attraction in Florida. But we've been there at least a dozen times and I thought we might try something different.
My sister may well be a self-described "Disney Dork," but I much prefer Universal Studios when it comes to theme parks. Still, it had been a very long time since we'd been there - the Islands of Adventure park had only recently opened - and we weren't sure what to expect. First, we were shocked to find it was $15.00 just to park (Downtown Disney doesn't charge at all). And because we had our elderly mother with us, we required handicapped parking, After we paid, my sister followed the signs that indicated such parking was to the left. But we soon rounded a corner where a very rude Universal employee told us we had gone the wrong way, despite what the signs said, and that we had to leave the park and re-enter to go in the correct direction. Only his directions led back onto the highway and 30+ minutes out of our way. When we finally made it back to the park and got inside, we headed immediately to Guest Relations, where two very pleasant and apologetic parking facility managers eventually refunded our parking fee.
All of that nonsense aside, we found Universal CityWalk to be rather a huge disappointment. Filled with outrageously expensive restaurants and shops ($15.00 for a side of mashed potatoes at Emeril's; $335.00 for a Hawaiian shirt at the surf shop); ear-piercingly loud music over the PA system and hardly half the fun of DTD; CityWalk seemed like the biggest waste of a trip to Orlando as we had ever taken. And that's not to mention the $112.00 they wanted for a one-day pass to the parks, themselves. And while I did manage to find some gifts for my dear Harry Potter-loving K at the Universal Studios Store, we left after less than hour and headed to a local outlet mall where I spent more at the Disney outlet than I had at Universal.
While my love/hate relationship to House of Mouse remains firmly in place, my disappointment with Universal Studios is what will remain with me about that particular trip. Do I hate Universal Studios Orlando? No. But when it comes to bang for your buck, I must admit that the Mouse does it better.
Here's a virtual tour of DisneyQuest (an additional fee at DTD, but so much fun):
Okay, enough bitching. I really did have a wonderful time in Florida, despite Universal's lame CityWalk and my end-of-the-trip illness. And more about that trip, next time.
More, anon.
Prospero
You have read this article Bad /
CityWalk /
Disney /
Florida /
Ramblings /
Universal Studios /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/04/a-universal-experience.html. Thanks!
Well, what was intended to be a nine day vacation in Florida turned into ten when I contracted some godawful stomach ailment that had Uncle P puking in full-blown "Exorcist" mode for 5 hours on the night before I was to come home, leaving me in no shape to travel the next day. After changing my flight (a task made as painless - though hardly inexpensive - as possible by the good folks at Southwest), I spent most the rest of Wednesday sleeping in my sister's recliner, catching bits and pieces of various movies as I occasionally awoke to make another run for the bathroom. I couldn't imagine there was anything left inside me, but there was.
Honestly, i don't remember being that sick since I was a child. My Brother-in-Law had the same thing last Friday, but we attributed to a vertigo attack. When my symptoms mirrored his, exactly, we knew it was something else. By this morning, I was better, though still tired and still not very hungry. The flight home was fine and I'm hoping the worst is behind me.
And now that I've totally over-shared and grossed you out, tomorrow I'll have happier tales of my trip to the land of oranges and alligators, including the story of the silliest Zombie Cake ever made (pictures to follow over at The Zombie Zone); an ill-fated trip to Universal Studios City Walk and outlet-shopping bargains galore!
Well, I am off to sleep in my own bed for the first time in days... Good night!
More, anon,
Prospero
You have read this article Home /
Illness /
Travel /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/04/be-it-ever-so-humble.html. Thanks!
I'm off to visit my sister in the land that doesn't believe in Broadband, so I won't be posting anything until I get back (and get this ridiculous computer issue resolved).
In the meantime, I urge you to see "Insidious" and let me know what you thought of it. And if you're really bored, you can always donate to the James Tolin Memorial Fund, supporting AIDS, Arts Education and Suicide Prevention charities by doing so.
I hope the next nine days will be as wonderful for you as I plan on them being to me.
More, anon. Prospero
You have read this article Florida /
My Sister /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/04/gone-fishin.html. Thanks!
I haven't had a go-away-to-somewhere-warm vacation in almost two years. Repair issues with my house last year kept me from my usually annual trek to visit my sister in Florida. She lives in Largo, just outside Tampa. Not to be confused with Key Largo, Largo is a pleasant suburban community about 15 minutes from Clearwater, 25 minutes from Tampa and 90 minutes or so west of Orlando. It's warm; there are palm trees and ibises; it's rarely in the path of a hurricane and home to one of the people I love the most in the whole world.
I usually go down the first week of May, right before the JTMF show starts rehearsing. But sister and her hubby are going on a Disney cruise that week, so I had adjust my schedule. Sis, as I may have mentioned, is a self-described "Disney Dork." She and the BIL (Brother-In-Law) have some super Disney deal where they get special discounts and admission and God only knows what else. While I became rather disenchanted with "The Happiest Place on Earth" after an unpleasant experience there in the mid-90's, Sis still adores the place. Personally, I prefer Universal Studios.
Of course, what really matters is that I'm going to be spending 9 glorious days in the Florida sunshine with my sister, the one person who "gets" me more than anyone else in the world. Yes, we were crazy siblings who fought like mad when we were kids. Yes, we have many differences. Still, when we're together her poor, sweet husband and our mother often exchange meaningful glances of "Here they go, again" distress, completely bewildered by things that only Sis and I understand (and often find hilarious).
Anyway, my trip is about two weeks or so away and as it grows closer, I am getting more and more excited. Of course, it could just be Sis's promise to make me a zombie cake*... I'm also hoping to visit my favorite work of art, Salvador Dali's "The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus" at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, while there. Last time I visited, it had been removed for a Dali film retrospective. I have no idea why this piece speaks to me so. It just does. I can look at it for hours on end and still find things about it that amaze me...
The plane tickets are purchased, the luggage has been dusted off and K has already promised to look after Skye while I'm away. And you have no idea how badly I need this vacation...
*I promise to post pictures...
More, anon. Prospero
You have read this article Florida /
My Sister /
Ramblings /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/03/all-i-ever-wanted.html. Thanks!
I still have two days left of my vacation, but this has been a most amusing and amazing week.
The picture to your left is Uncle P's newest tattoo. This one is on my right calf and a little more (actually, a lot more) vertical than it seems in this picture. I suppose that can happen when one takes a photo of one's own calf... I got it because it represents not just an ancient culture, but is also probably one of the most unusual Yin-Yang symbols I have ever seen. Uncle P is big on ancient cultures (see my Egyptian ink). I've already decided that my next one will be Aztec or Inca. And I know it looks red and irritated (and there's even a little blood), but the picture was taken just a few hours after it was done, yesterday afternoon. It looks a lot better, today.
The new ink was my birthday present to myself; a tradition that started last last year and will probably continue for a few more.
So this vacation started with Friday night drinks with a dear friend I haven't seen in several years (she moved to MA for a job a few years ago). Then Saturday night was Inception with two other dear friends, followed by a trip to Coney Island on my actual birthday, Sunday. Below is a shot of some of the insane rides at the new Luna Park. The rides at Coney are rather expensive, so we only rode a few, but we still managed to have a fantastic time. We ate lunch at Nathan's, saw the Sideshow by the Seashore and just had ourselves a grand time. If you're a Facebook Friend, you can see more Coney Island pics, there. If you aren't, let me know and I'll add you. Monday and Tuesday could hardly compare, though I did manage to reorganize my bathroom cabinet (a bigger job than you can imagine) and steam-clean the whole bathroom. Woo-hoo! So exciting!
My next big adventure was meeting my little angel, Matty in Seaside Heights (yes, I know) for dinner and fireworks on the beach. I grew up going to Seaside as a kid, and must admit that it is smaller and dingier than I remember... Still, Matty and I had a grand time strolling the boards and looking for hot guys (there weren't many).
Which brings me to Thursday and my new ink; once again at Living Arts Tattoo in New Hope, PA. For those not familiar, New Hope is sort of Pennsylvania's Provincetown. Clean, comfortable and staffed by the nicest (and best) tattoo artists in the region, Living Arts is the only place I will ever get inked. My first tatt was from a rival shop in the same town, and while I was satisfied with their work, their demeanor and general customer service was poor, at best. The guys at Living Arts are just terrific, and I highly recommend them, should you be so inclined to use their services.
Then tonight was an informal gathering of folks I recently reconnected with at my HS reunion last fall. We drank, we ate and we all complained that we are closer to the half-century mark than any of us would like to admit. Still, we look fabulous and a great time was had by all.
I still have two days left before I have to return to my day job. Who knows what adventures await (though I'm thinking 'not many')?
I know I've promised a giant post on The Zombie Zone, and that is coming, tomorrow. And I'll be back to my usual nonsense come Sunday.
More, anon. Prospero
PS - Todaywould have been my father's 72nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad, wherever you may be...
You have read this article Coney Island /
Ink /
New Jersey /
New York /
Nonsense /
Seaside Heights /
Tattoos /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-vacation.html. Thanks!
Uncle P is on vacation from his day job starting this afternoon, and while I'm taking what some people call a "Stay-cation," I won't be posting very much at all next week.
I'll be doing a super-sized Zombie Zone post tomorrow and I'll pop in to talk about some of the day trips I'll be taking (Coney Island for my Birthday, Atlantic City one day, etc.). At some point, I'll post my review of Inception, as well as a picture of the new ink I'll be getting, but don't hold your breath for more than a few.
It's supposed to be another scorchingly hot week here in the East, so most of my time will be spent in the air-conditioning, trying to finish the first draft of my latest screenplay.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
More, anon.
Prospero
You have read this article Blogging /
Vacation /
Writing
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2010/07/gone-fishin.html. Thanks!
Just a quick post tonight to wish each and everyone of you the best this Holiday Season. For me, all holidays are secular. I suppose I celebrate the season more as an ancient pagan might; feasting and sharing and glad for the passing of another year above ground. (Too dark? Sorry). And yes, we should celebrate those things every day, but its nice to have a special time set aside for doing extra.
We share our bounty with family, friends and those less fortunate. We eat differently; we get secretive and excited; we wrap gifts in paper to heighten the suspense and take special delight when a gift hits the recipient's mark (or when a giver hits yours). We hug and kiss and carry on; we drink more alcohol and eat more sugar and regret it two weeks after its all over. We spend too much; we stress too much; we run around too much and we put so much pressure on ourselves to have a "perfect" holiday. The best holidays I can remember were always about who I was with, rather what was going on around us or what presents were exchanged.
If you are reading this post, then you are hopefully taking a break from Holiday Madness in search of some insight (or at least a chuckle). Or maybe you're hoping for one of my occasional links to some half-naked hottie or a YouTube clip:
I'll be back on the Zombie Zone this Saturday (and you should check it to see my favorite Christmas gift so far, from the same kindred spirit who made my "Princess Unicorn" doll last year) and then again with my review (finally) of Avatar Sunday night or early Monday morning.
Eat well, give wisely and spend time with those you love this weekend. Uncle Prospero * certainly plans to do so, and strongly suggests you follow his advice. We wouldn't want this happening, would we?:
*Bonus points to the first person who identifies that image.
You have read this article Christmas /
Gifts /
Holiday Wishes /
Holidays /
Hot /
Ramblings /
Vacation /
YouTube /
Zombie Zone
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2009/12/gone-giftin.html. Thanks!
I won't bore you with the details of my trip, other than to say it was wonderful. The weather was gorgeous (sunny, upper 80's every day), most of the food was yummy (except for one particularly nasty, though FoodNetwork recommended, restaurant in Indian Rocks Beach where, among other issues, Uncle Prospero found a hair in his fries... Ewww!) and the company was terrific. My sister, brother-in-law and I managed to sneak off one morning to have a photo portrait done for my mother for Mother's Day (she loved it); we spent a day in Downtown Disney where I took advantage of the going-out-of-business sale at the Virgin Megastore and a day at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, which is just lovely (and small enough to cover without exhausting oneself). I have a nice tan and feel quite rejuvenated.
Tonight was the first real rehearsal for "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" and I am happy to report that we are already ahead of schedule (though trying to get a great big str8 boy to do a chorus line kick while delivering a joke proved something of a challenge). The cast is smart, funny and intuitive, which makes my job that much easier. This is going to be an exceptionally fun show and I can't wait until they get their scripts out of their hands.
And how was your week?
More, anon.
Prospero
You have read this article Ramblings /
The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2009/05/i-back-bitches.html. Thanks!
I'll be spending the next nine days in sunnier climes, folks! We'll chat when I get back!
As always, more, anon.
Prospero.
You have read this article Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2009/05/gone-fishin.html. Thanks!
Every May, I spend the first week of the month visiting my sister in Florida. She lives in a rather pleasant suburb of Tampa, just north of Clearwater. The weather is usually perfect, and she and I get to be very silly together. My mother comes, too and she and my brother-in-law (God bless him), just sigh at our behavior, knowing they will never be able to understand the 'secret language' my sister and I share. Now, we aren't twins. In fact, we're six years apart (I'm older). We just grew up (as many of you did) in a dysfunctional family, and we coped by relying on each other for comfort and escape. One of us can say a single word and instantly have the other writhing on the floor in hysterical gales of laughter, leaving bystanders completely mystified as to what on Earth could be so funny.
It's always been this way. To do this day, there is no one I'd rather go to movies with, because I know she appreciates film in the same way I do. We both love the same kinds of movies and saw many of our favorites (Raiders of the Lost Ark; Poltergeist; Big Trouble in Little China - shut up - Gremlins; Pee-Wee's Big Adventure; Beetlejuice; Batmanand countless others) together. We can both quote obscure Warner Brothers cartoons and even more obscure episodes of The Little Rascals. We both thought Pee Wee Herman and Emo Phillips were hilarious and we both love carnivals, fairs and theme parks (though she's a bit of a wuss when it comes to roller coasters and other thrill rides).
Oh, our childhoods were far from perfect. We often fought like cats and dogs. Like a good big brother should, I often tortured the hell out of her. And like a good little sister should, she often tortured me back and got away with it because she was 'the baby.'
She's a self-professed 'Disney Dork,' while I'd rather spend my time at Universal Studios. She's a self-proclaimed "Liberal Christian," while I consider myself a Secular Humanist. She's straight and I'm.... well, not. She hates kids and I love them (our poor mother will never have grandchildren and has long ago resigned herself to settling for 'grand-pets'). We both love animals (cats in particular) and neither of us suffer fools lightly. She's the only person I know who is actually more opionated than I am (can you imagine?) and she is never afraid to admit it. She's a complete "Type A" and I am a complete "Type B." Somehow, we meet in the middle. It's truly a sight to behold. But don't you dare try to get between us - we will eff you up, biatch!
We email and Facebook each other constantly and our mutual friends are equally astonished, disoriented and puzzled by the things we share with one another. We are night and day; yin and yang; Abbott and Costello. We still ocasionally (and sometimes vehemently) disagree, but we know that we are (and always will be) there for each other, no mater what.
So, I leave next Saturday to spend nine days with her, our mother and my brother-in-law. It is a vacation I need, desperately. And a chance to spend time with the one person who understands me more than anyone else in the entire world. And as of right now, I am officially counting the days...
More, anon.
Prospero
You have read this article Family /
Ramblings /
Vacation
with the title Vacation. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2009/04/the-countdown-begins.html. Thanks!
