Crying at the Movies

Over the past week or so, I've seen 3 movies: Slumdog Millionaire, The Tales of Despereaux, and Milk.  I have to confess that I cried (reasonably hard) at all 3 of them.  I am, and have always been, a crier.  It doesn't take much to get the water works going, but let me present my arguments for tears in all 3 movies, very briefly, and without giving away any plot for those readers who have not yet seen the movies...

- Slumdog Millionaire - There is a lovestory arc here that will tear out your heart and shred it to pieces.
- The Tales of Despereaux - "I'm not a mouse - I am a gentleman." Just a little guy, trying to make it in an oh-so-jaded world, along with his less-than-perfect companion the rat.  And the tears fell...
- Milk - Don't even get me started.  Many of those who I hold nearest and dearest are gay, and this one just hit WAY too close to home with Prop 8 and everything in recent memory.  Honestly, it broke my heart.  I left the theater feeling like someone had ripped out my heart and spirited it away somewhere awful.  Great way to start the holidays, huh?

Anyway - the tears were further compounded by the fact that I saw Slumdog and Milk solo.  That's really okay for me - going to the movies alone is really one of my guiltiest pleasures.  I think, however, I need to stop seeing such lofty movies by myself, and I need to stick to schtick like Bolt.  You'd think that I learned my lesson seeing The Duchess solo at the Coolidge, but I suppose I am a masochist.

Happy Christmas Eve!  My godfather makes pasta sauce with lobster and shrimp and pasta from scratch for the occasion, so I think you should all be pretty jealous.

xoxo -
KK

The Slanket

Dear readers, it is the glorious resurrection of our old friend OMFG Musings. 

It is I, Ktown, here to discuss my #1 heart's desire this holiday season: The Slanket.

The Slanket (see http://www.theslanket.com) is a mythical fleece creation - a blanket - with SLEEVES!  I am in love with said product.  Shmi, on the other hand, does not believe I need a Slanket.  She says it is merely a blanket.  So what do you say - is The Slanket more than just a blanket?

Spoiled cat prepares me for future spoiled child(ren)

My tiny designer kitten, one Milly the Puff, is my favorite little creature in the world.  I have tried desperately to get her to wear a pretty little collar, but she is having nothing to do with it.  Instead of spoiling her with kitten-wear, I instead spoil her with kitten toys.  There are jingly balls, furry mice with catnip, little fish with feathers, ribbon dancers, and a myriad of others (some even made with organic cotton and catnip!  Yuppie cat toys!).  Milly has an entire box full of toys.  And what do you think she is playing with right now?  A box from some Trish McEvoy makeup that she pulled out of the trash.  Yup.  This is my cat.

 

(And apparently OMFG Musings is my blog)

 

xoxo,

KK

 

The Return of Netflix (and a few thoughts on my beloved, but flawed, Boston)

After holding onto the same 3 DVD's since the March/April timeframe, I decided it was high time for me to jump back onto the Netflix bandwagon.  Last night I watched both Gone Baby Gone and August Rush (talk about random contrasting movies). 

 

Gone Baby Gone is an interesting movie for me.  It takes place in Dorchester, incidentally the largest neighborhood of Boston proper.  For those of you who are not familiar with Boston, you should know that Dorchester is not so far from my yuppie enclave in the South End.  There are parts of it that are becoming quite gentrified, and there is a giant shopping plaza with a Target and countless other big-box stores.  In the parking lot of that shopping center, you see BMW's and Audi's mixing with old, beat-up vehicles.  It is a crossroads of sorts, perhaps one of the few places that worlds of the yuppified, glorious Boston mix with the rough and tumble parts of the city. 

 

The thing that is so fascinating about Gone Baby Gone is that the Boston shown in that world is a far cry from the Boston where I live.  I exist in a world of gourmet grocery stores, high-end shopping, and $6 coffee.  If you drive just a few miles away, you will find yourself in the heart of Dorchester, in a world where entire generations of families live in three-decker homes and children pop the hydrants to play in the street.  I can just imagine how I and my neighbors would react if the little Bonpoint and Burberry clad children in our neighborhood decided that would be a good way to spend a summer's day.

 

I guess I am so interested in the contrast in neighborhoods in Boston both because they are so sharp and unbelievable (it's not unusual to find a child in Dorchester or Roxbury who has never seen the green expanse of the Boston Common) and because the city is so small.  In any urban area, there are different neighborhoods with different socio-economic makeups.  However, you'd be hard-pressed to find another city where the geographic distance between those worlds is so tiny, and yet the distance in reality couldn't be more vast. 

 

Outside of the bubble of the city's tourist center (think Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End, and the Waterfront), you'll probably never find a visitor who really knows that the real Boston, the nitty-gritty, hard-scrabble working class, outsider-hating city that fought busing for years and is still, quietly, accused of being the most racist city in the US, expands far beyond the confines of the cobblestone streets and the bliss of the Public Gardens.

 

Just a thought. 

 

The kitten is now a cat.

Yes, my friends.  The beautiful little Millicent (Milly, Puffle, Millypuff, Puffpuffpuff, etc.) turns 1 year old today.  It's a sad day in kittendom.  The next bag of cat food I purchase will be actual CAT food, and no longer kitten food.  Everyone shed a little tear for me today.

 

In other news, I didn't actually watch P-Run last night because I was busy carousing with my colleagues at my work summer offsite.  There was lots of drinking involved.  I'll watch tonight and comment tomorrow.

 

This blog is quickly devolving into the world of KK.

 

xoxo,

me!

 

P-Run starts tonight!

Get excited, everyone! P-Run premieres tonight on Bravo at 9 pm (that's 8 pm for those of you who, ahem, live in central time). In a recent interview on People.com, Tim Gunn promised us a season full of drama. On Fafarazzi, L and I have already selected our teams. I have chosen Jerry, Emily, and Wesley. L has chosen Kelli, Leanne, and Wesley. Obvi Wesley is our darling right now - I mean, how could he not be? He had an internship stint at Marc Jacobs!

Speaking of Fafarazzi, I'd like to take the opportunity to give props to my celeb wonder team that won our first annual OMFG Celeb Fantasy Fafa League. So thanks to Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, Jessica Simpson, John Mayer, Nicole Richie, Miley Cyrus, David Beckham, Madonna, Reese Witherspoon, and Katherine Heigl (and their publicists) for being such media darlings.

Thoughts on P-Run to follow tomorrow...btw, I miss my partners in blogging.

xoxo,
KK

Teen Queen Power Struggles & the blog's resurrection

Well, our sincerest apologies for the dormancy of OMFG Musings.  It's not our faults, really.  Things have just been very hectic in the worlds of J, K, and L.  L has been busy with b-school pre-work and wrapping up her fancy ad job.  J has left for the wilds of the west to fight the good fight with the Obama campaign.  And I, K, have been jet-setting around Europe and have just recently come home to the States.

 

So now back to business.  I got the August issue of Vanity Fair in the mail yesterday featuring Hollywood's New Wave on the cover.  There are four girls featured, looking youthful and summery and pretty: Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Emma Roberts, and Amanda Seyfried.  So here's my question: who decided that Blake Lively was the reigning Gossip Girl queen bee?  Is it because she's blond?  I am, and always have been, firmly in Camp Blair/Leighton Meester.  I have been a Leighton fan since she guest-starred on Entourage as Ari's pop star client.  The whole GG cast gets a spread in the article later in the magazine.  For this one, it's clear that Blake has won the GG star war.  The media loves seeing Blake/Serena and Penn/Dan swanning around and imitating GG in real life.  Frankly, I'm sick of it.  I want more Leighton in my life!!

 

I think you can safely assume there will be more blogging soon, especially with the new season of P-Run (Project Runway, for all of you OMFG abbreviation novices out there) coming next week. 

 

Charlie Trotter's: The Full Details

As previously posted, L and I had the pleasure of dining at Charlie Trotter's kitchen table last Friday night. It was an epic meal that started around 8:40 and ended somewhere around 1:30. I will detail the menu here, with some assorted food photos included. We totally went for broke on this meal and did both the tasting menu AND the wine pairing. It was astounding. Without further ado, I present to you Friday, June 6, 2008: An Evening at the Kitchen Table! Please note, this is my menu and I don't eat red meat. L will have to post the other courses from the red meat menu, which included some black buck and Japanese beef short rib. Here goes nothing!

• Razor Clams with Lemon & Chervil, Uni with Apple & Yuzu, Soft Shell Crab with Heirloom Tomatoes (Champagne Varnier-Fanniere "Cuvee Saint Denis - Blanc de Blancs" Brut NV)
• Chilled Snow Lake Trout with Indian Celery & Watercress (Rias Baixas "O Rosal" Santiago Ruiz 2006)
• French White Asparagus with Fava Beans & Sorrel (Knoll "Kreutles" Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2005)
• Globe Artichoke Soup & Spun Honey with Mint - photo below! (Condrieu "Les Chaillees de L'Enfer" Domaine Georges Vernay 2005)

• Grilled Cockscomb with Mizuna - photo below! (Chassagne-Montrachet "Premier Cru - La Maltroie" Philippe Colin 2005)
  

• Roasted Quail with Grilled Ramps & Ginger (Pommard "Premier Cru - Les Rugiens" Annick Parent 2001)
• Maine Day Boat Lobster with Elephant Garlic - photo below! (Eyrie "Reserve" Pinot Noir, Willamette 2002)
  

• Squab Breast with Hazelnut & Pearl Onion Marmalade - I didn't actually have this course, instead I had something with fish, but it was mistyped on my take-home menu (Valpolicella Classico Superiore "TB" Bussola 2003)
• Grilled Portuguese Cobia with Porcini Mushrooms (Barbera d'Alba "Conca Tre Pile" Poderi Aldo Conterno 2004)
• Japanese Kampachi with Roasted Eggplant (Priorat "Clos de L'Obac" Costers del Siurana 2003)
• Warm Ossau Iraty with Dried Cherry & Brioche - photo below! Check out the jumbo wine glass for this course, which is lined up against our other glasses for comparison. The biggest one can hold 2 bottles of wine. (Elderton "Command" Shiraz, Barossa 2003)
  

• Fenugreek Sherbet with Shaved Celery
• Dessert (Andrew Rich "Ice Wine" Gewurztraminer, Washington-Oregon 2006 / Chambers "Rosewood" Muscadelle, Rutherglen NV) - photo below!
  
• Stewed Rhubarb with White Chocolate Yogurt & Coriander Shortbread (bottom left)
• Okinawan Sweet Potato Sorbet & Vanilla Bean Marshmallow (bottom center)
• Milk Chocolate Semifredo with Star Anise & Red Wine (bottom right)
• Venezuelan Chocolate & Grilled Nopales with Agavero Jelly & Kaffir Lime (top left)
• Plate of nibblies (Top right - I can remember a little cookie with topping, a coated Macadamia nut, and a little mochi. There were 2 other snacks, maybe L can remember.)
  

This was actually the most expensive and extensive meal that I've ever eaten in my entire life. It was totally amazing, definitely one of those things that you file away as a once in a lifetime experience. I was basically full until the following day at like 2 or 3 pm. I stopped eating my full plate around the 7th or 8th course. I would take a nibble of food and a sip of wine and then I'd sit back and groan. It was a crazy experience. I have never been more full in my life.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the food porn!

xoxo,
KK

Trotter's

OMFG. L and I just had dinner with friends at the kitchen table at
Charlie Trotter's. It was a 4.5 hour meal with 13 courses. Life
changing. More details to follow.

Little Lo

Umm...best thing I've seen in a while.

 

NYT on Little Lo and Blair Waldorf

Michelle Obama Style

Are we going to chat about Michelle Obama's dress from last night's rally in St. Paul?

 

Two observations:

1.  The use of the purple dress (get it?  Red + Blue = Purple)

2.  The belt + hair made her look a bit Jackie O-like

 

-L

Millypuff watches TV

As promised, the lovely photos of one Millypuff watching TV. Milly likes football and sexy Charles Brandon from The Tudors.

Car Trauma

Two things happened today that made me very unhappy to have a driving commute:

1.) I paid a little over $58 to fill my car today.  Keep in mind I drive a Mini Cooper.  To be fair, the Min-Coo does take premium gas, and it was a whopping $4.61 in Connecticut.

2.) I had to call 911 for the first time in my life!  As I was merging from the Wilbur Cross Highway from 84 onto 91 this morning, I saw a car FLIP OVER OFF THE EXIT RAMP.  Like, for reals.  I was totally panic stricken...I had no idea what I was supposed to do.  Needless to say I had my first (and hopefully only!) conversation with a 911 dispatcher.

It's days like these that make me pine for my good old Chicago walking commute and i-Go car lifestyle.

xoxo,
KK

Legally Blonde

I am watching the rerun of Legally Blonde - The Search for Elle Woods.  Love that its hosted by Haylie Duff (aka the Johnny Drama of the Duff family).

I concur with K, this could be good summer watching.

How the OMFG ladies spend their evenings

The OMFG ladies generally catch up on the phone once a week or so. It's usually a gleeful phone conversation post-TV show or a hungover weekend morning call. This evening we had a post-Greek call. I had mistakenly told L via our work email party with J that the season finale of Greek was tonight. Lo and behold, it's actually next week, spring break style! Woo hoo! SO excited. After we discussed the merits of the boys on Greek (L plays for team Evan, I play for team Cappie), we ventured into our usual catch-up session.

I'd just like to reveal that L was spending the evening watching TV, doing finance homework (annuities, anyone?), wearing her dress from work, and Marc Jacobs heels. Also drinking a Diet Coke. I mean, OMFG!! Who does homework in MJ heels?? L does. Love it.

In true K spirit, I drifted to a story about Milly. Milly was playing with some box from my bathroom trash can on the rug in my living area. I commented that I wanted to take it away from her and put it back in the trash can, but I was too busy talking on the phone and laying on the couch like a lazy person. Now I'm watching Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods on MTV. I might be into this.

xoxo,
KK

On the C's

As was alluded to in my charming bio by L, I am a rabid Boston sports fan.  For most of my life, the Boston Celtics have been irrelevant.  Additionally, after they tore down the old Garden, my dad refused to take me to games at the new Garden/Fleet Center/TD Banknorth Garden.  We are currently, however, in the midst of a magical year, and the C's are heading to the FINALS!  EEEEEEEEEEK!  I think the rest of the world hates Boston sports fans.  This is foreign territory for us.  All 4 of our major sports teams made it to the playoffs in their last season.  Unreal!

 

Anyway, I just wanted to make a quick comment about the C's, particularly Kendrick Perkins, their ginormous center from Texas.  I work in the "scenic" Boston suburb of Waltham, where the C's also happen to have their practice facilities.  One afternoon, I was pulling into my bank to make a deposit.  The bank is on Main Street and has sort of a lousy parking lot that is often very full.  I dutifully parked the Min-Coo in the very back of the lot and proceeded to almost get run over by a giant Escalade with Texas plates.  Even though there were plenty of spaces at the back of the lot, said car wheels into the HANDICAPPED SPOT!  What?!  And who gets out of the car?  Yup, you guessed it.  Kendrick Perkins.  And guess what else?  He was STILL WEARING HIS C's PRACTICE GEAR!!!!!!!  I mean, really?  You're a professional athlete and you can't walk an extra 50 feet from the back of the parking lot?  Talk about lousy community relations.  Now every time I see Perk on TV during games, all I can think is, "hey, there's the guy who parks in handicapped spots." Never mind that he has been a HUGE X-factor for the C's throughout the playoffs and is playing out of his mind...he's always going to be handicapped parking space guy.  Too bad. 

 

SATC - A Rebuttal

I think K was too hard on the movie, and therefore I must rebut.

 

I enjoyed the movie.

 

In terms of the flatness of the characters, I felt the contrary.  Finally the characters (meaning just Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha) were dimensionalized.  Miranda actually displayed an issue that is quite common amongst working women today.  How do you do it all?  How do you have success in the workplace, success in marriage and success as a parent?  I thought this was the most realistic plot line and showed that she was more than a bitter workaholic.  Charlotte was the comic relief of the story, a role that she didn't really take on during the TV series.  I will admit that her fear of losing her perfect life was indeed the weakest story line.  But, she proved to be the most loyal character in the story to Carrie.  She had that moment where she told Big "NO!" with an agressive pointy finger in the middle of the street with the shattered bouquet (you know the scene).  I was actually moved and teared up a bit.  I asked my best friend who was sitting next to me if she'd do the same for me in that situation.  Look at Samantha, she basically realized that her schtick was independence and went through a courageous (albiet a bit too easy) decision to leave her man and life in Los Angeles and go back to New York to be her real self. 

 

Carrie was still annoying, but at least she wore enough great belts to distract you of that fact throughout the movie. 

 

And Lily did say two words (not in order):  "Sex" and "Again."

 

Moreover, I thought that this was just a great reunion for fans of the show.  I saw the movie at 10 am on Friday in a theater on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  The energy of the audience was contagious.  Everyone was just so excited to have one last mega episode of the TV series. 

 

I think it's more of a change from you, K, than a movie flop (now mind you, I'm not nominating this flick for an Oscar).  And that is inevitable.  I think most women reach a point where the fashion focused life of Manhattan loses its luster.

 

- L

SATC Musings (No Plot Spoilers)

Last night, one of my most darling friends from high school convinced me to see a 12:01 am showing of Sex & the City in the (GASP!!!) suburbs.  Even though I have this alleged real person job and schedule, I agreed pretty enthusiastically and bunked into Mini Cooper for the drive to Framingham.  Like every reasonable girl, I do absolutely adore SATC.  I have been looking forward to this movie since it came out.

 

And - guess what - like most things that warrant such HUGE anticipation, it fell short.  I didn't quite hate it, but I didn't love it either.  For a show that was always smart, witty, bittersweet, and self-indulgent, this movie did nothing to pay the TV version justice.  The most fatal flaws of all of the characters came out roaring in full, utterly unflattering force.  Carrie is self-centered and incapable, Miranda is ever the bitter career woman, Charlotte is the perpetual wide-eyed optimist, and Samantha is still the resident tarty whore.  The men of the show (Mr. Big, Steve, Harry, Anthony, and Stanford) are nothing more than talking heads without any substance or development.  One of the best features of the so-called "permanent" men on the show was that they DID have substance and they were more than just pretty faces/bodies.  In the film, they just felt like another necessary accessory in the life-cycle of the New York woman.  Charlotte's adorable adopted Asian baby, Lily, now 3 years old, appears with the ladies throughout the movie...and she doesn't say a word (well, to be fair, she says maybe 2-3 words).  Again, she just feels like another little accessory to go along with the rest of the ride.  Speaking of accessories, the product placement in this movie was absolutely over the top.  If I had to see one more ugly Louis Vuitton handbag, I was going to vomit into my little ostrich patent Jil Sander clutch (HA!  No sarcastic product placement of my own intended)! 

 

What is most interesting to me is comparing the K who loved the TV show to the K who went to see the movie last night.  The arc of SATC followed me through high school and college, struggling to figure out who or what I wanted to be.  Four fabulous single best friends living a designer urban lifestyle seemed like a pretty decent aspirational goal for a 17 year-old girl in Palm Beach County and for a 20 year-old college student in Chicago.  It seemed unattainable and respectable, and the best features of the characters seemed like a pretty good target for the future.  Now that I myself am an urban single girl with a career and misadventures in love, the SATC ladies no longer seem like someone I want to be.  The escape from reality used to be redeeming and fun, but for a movie that highlights the worst characteristics of the women for over 2 hours, it's downright painful.  Like L, I have discovered that I do sort of despise Carrie, and that she is not my dream.  SATC used to be a welcome weekly escape from the reality of everyday life.  The movie just feels like a giant ode to consumerism and narcissism, which is fun on a small scale, and much less tolerable for 2.5 hours.   

 

At the end of the day, the real thing to consider is this: did the movie fall apart or did I just grow up? 

 

xoxo,

KK

 

L: A Life

What to say about my dear friend L?

Well, as you already know, L and K and I met in college.

L is our partner in dining crime. Actually, she's kind of the ringleader.

She is a Chicago native and loves things that I don't get in ways that I don't understand, like the Bears.

Like K, she works in "business," which is also something that I don't quite understand.

Like K, she also "owns her own place." Again, something I don't understand.

L moonlights as a big shot corporate bmoc at a major advertising firm that's located in downtown Chicago. She makes decisions. She makes assistants cry. Stuff happens when she's around. She also writes about the high and the low and the pricey and the cheap of the various food offerings of our great city.

L and K share tv obsessions with things like American Idol, Greek, the Hills - and she teaches me about what the "kids" like, and shows me that it's okay for me to like those things, too. We share a truly deep and truly abiding love for Gossip Girl and Chace Crawfords biceps - or pecs? Or both? Whatevz, we'll take any part of that.

She's equally comfortable discussing and art and culture and all those other fancy things. One day she might be reading the latest Gossip Girl tome and US Weekly, the next you'll find her with the latest biography of one or another great historical figure or the latest novel from Jhumpa Lahiri or Jonathan Safran Foer.

Also, she has a TiVo. Which is good for me.

Not long from now L will leave the City with Broad Shoulders for New Englandery climes to attend school at a certain university in Cambridge whose name will not be spoken but rhymes with Schmarvard. There she will learn how to "network" and make lots of money. She will also reunite with K, joining two parts of our trinity together.

And her hometown will miss her.

- J

One Thought

I was just flipping through channels while on vacay and it occurred to
me as I paused on the View: Elisabeth Hasselbeck is the poor man's
Kelly Ripa. Agreed?

A few random thoughts

I hope all of our readers (assuming more than J, L, and I frequent this little blog) had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.  Like the proper yuppie New Englander that I am, I spent the weekend preening out on the (somewhat cold & windy, though beautifully sunny) Vineyard.  The requisite Vineyard Vines totes, Nantucket reds shorts/pants, boating shoes, and novelty embroidered patterns (think little whales on a brightly colored cotton) were in heavy supply.  When it's cold outside, there's not much to do on the Vineyard besides shop, eat, and drink.  I did plenty of all of the above.  I got great deals on Lily Pulitzer (70% off!!!) and other assorted goodies from Nantucket-favorite Murray's.  It got to the point that I focused entirely on the money I was saving instead of the money I was spending.  

 

For all of our consumer friends out there, I wanted to note that most stores are marking down their spring/summer merchandise at least 40%.  My favorite salespeople at Marc Jacobs and Barneys have told me that the big markdowns are here.  MJ went on Friday and Barneys handbags go today and shoes go tomorrow.  

 

Designer sales are a very interesting subject, I think.  I know I am guilty of some serious buyer's binging when I see the magical percentage points flying off luxury goods.  My newest policy is "one in, one out," which is becoming much more challenging.  Basically, if I buy something new, I have to dispose of a similar item.  For example, if I buy a new handbag tonight, I have to ditch one of the bags in my closet right now.  It's a dangerous game, only enabled even more by the wonders of Ebay.  I have recently become such an Ebay seller that the Ebay police called me to confirm that the designer goods I was listing were all mine and all authentic.  It was sort of embarrassing to admit to the Ebay police that the only thing I am guilty of is a serious shopping addiction and nothing more.  More details to follow.    

 

xoxo, 

KK.   

 

P.S. J, you owe L a biography!

 

Celeb Shoutout

One of my BFF's from home is a working actor in Hollywood.  Be on the lookout for Kevin Garnett's new Verizon commercial, on air starting today, and starring the aforementioned BFF as the Verizon technician.  From today's Boston Globe:

 

"The new TV spot is set in a venerable Boston mansion that is decorated in a comically lavish style. Garnett towers over a slender Verizon technician (this is my BFF) who shows him how he can record videos in his family room, then watch them on other TV sets located throughout the house, including in a five-story stairwell, in a formal dining room (complete with a silver platter piled with a two-foot-high stack of gourmet hamburgers), in a massive library, and even on top of a grand piano." "The new TV spot is set in a venerable Boston mansion that is decorated in a comically lavish style. Garnett towers over a slender Verizon technician who shows him how he can record videos in his family room, then watch them on other TV sets located throughout the house, including in a five-story stairwell, in a formal dining room (complete with a silver platter piled with a two-foot-high stack of gourmet hamburgers), in a massive library, and even on top of a grand piano."

 

xoxo,

KK

My bio, some small explanations

Okay, so I have to say that I laughed really, really, really hard when I read L's bio of me.  It was really spot on.  I'd like to offer a few comments on some things that she put out there.  Again, I'm not going to deny anything, but rather illuminate you all with even more fun facts.

 

I do love Boston.  Both of the parentals grew up in Boston and I was raised to believe there was no better city in the world - yes, not just the US - the world.  And I really believe that.  Every self-respecting Bostonian believes that they live in the center of the universe.

 

And on the Tivo situation - it is true, I do have 3 Tivos.  I have one normal Tivo and an HD Tivo with 2 tuners.  When I graduated from college, I received the first Tivo as a present and it came along with a lifetime subscription (thanks, family!).  When I made the move to get HDTV, I felt that I needed to upgrade to HD Tivo as well.  HD Tivo has 2 tuners.  So, bam - 3 Tivos.  The bedroom Tivo is where I house all of my weird, guilty pleasures - namely, Jon & Kate Plus 8 and professional bull riding (more on that later). 

 

And most importantly: Milly.  I will judge you (read: HATE YOU) if you are not into my tiny designer kitten.  She is the best.  I do offer running commentary on her during phone conversations, and you really have to be okay with that to be my friend.  Milly also likes TV - I will post some rad photos of her watching football and The Tudors when I get back to my real life. 

 

xoxo,

KK

 

Meet K

I have the daunting task of writing concisely about K. 

 

The first thing to know about K is Boston.  She bleeds Boston.  It defines her soul.  As she is Boston, she has a few great loves:

1.  The Red Sox (the girl knows her stuff, test her!)

2.  The Patriots

3.  Bill Simmons

4.  Cobble streets

5.  The Jimmy Fund

6.  Awkward Boston accents (though she does not possess one herself)

 

K is pretty unexpected.  There's all sorts of trivia about her that you would not be able to predict from first glance.

1.  Despite her Asian looking exterior, she is actually a WASP.

2.  She was president of her sorority (we do not hold that against her, in fact J and I are kind of envious!).

3.  She is damn good at video games.

4.  She wrote her thesis in college on the poetry of Pable Neruda.

 

Another thing to note, K is kind of tireless.  She's always up doing something.  Aside from the fact that she works...a lot...for her big time insurance job, she does all this do-gooder stuff like mentors young girls and interviews college applicants.  And she has a trainer.  And picks up fresh flowers for her condo every week.  And she drives a Mini Cooper.  She's like my only legit adult friend. 

 

Despite all that, she has time for a whole lot of pop culture.  You want to know why?  I'll tell you the secret.  K has 3 Tivos!  OMFG - She's going to kill me for outing her

 

Final thought:  Milly, the kitten.  If you don't like Milly, K doesn't like you.  Milly lives in K's condo and basically preens all day and reflects on how pretty she is.  K eats it up.  When you call K on the phone, you have to be comfortable that during the conversation, K will interject commentary on exactly what Milly is doing:

 

L:  Hi!  What's up?

K:  OMG, did you watch the Hills?  It was totes disappointing.  (baby talk voice) Milly, why do you play with the ribbon?

L: Umm...

K:  Milly, you're so pretty. You can play with the ribbon (still in baby talk voice).

L:  Yeah, the Hills was disappointing.

K:  Okay, we'll I'm off to save impoverished children and purify the water supply of a far away developing country.  Bye!

 

And that, my friends, is a glimpse at K.

 

- L

Meet J

I am a big fan of biographies and introductions.  It's often funny to write your own bio, but it's even funnier when someone else can write it.  As I mentioned before, OMFG is penned by three of us - two girls and one boy.  I have the pleasure of introducing J, our token male.   

 

J and I met in college, but I can't really pinpoint when exactly in college our paths crossed for the first time.  We were both east coast transplants, stranded in a big, bad city in the middle of the country.  More specifically, we were two Floridians in the frozen tundra of the upper Midwest.  Like all of our fellow alumni, J studied a particularly useless subject at our very self-important liberal arts college within a major research university.  He spent years toiling away in the undergraduate manifestation of our "Great Books" curriculum.  Naturally, he graduated (much like L and myself) with no obvious marketable or job-specific skills.  After a few years at a heavy-hitting fine arts institution in our fine city, J returned to the quads of our youth to become a part of the team that determines who will next follow in our footsteps at our darling school (translation: he worked at a museum and then left to work in college admissions at our Alma Mater).  When he's down on his job, J considers moving back east with me to serve as my house-frau and/or companion for my tiny puffle ball purebred feline.   

 

On the side, J likes blogging (obvi!!), reading about Great Americans (think biographies of former Presidents), and obsessing about the upcoming election (well, this is a perennial favorite for all of us).  He also serves as our performing/creative arts and hipster mole, coming into more contact with these things than either me or L.  

 

To the blog, J brings his semi-male perspective, his endearing closet geekiness (yeah, he gets this tag because of Battlestar Galactica), and a great knowledge of random history and politics.  We are lucky to call him our little J!  

 

xoxo,

KK

 

Idol Shocker!

DAVID COOK?!  REALLY?!!

 

I had pretty much the exact same reactions as L's question entry regarding last night's performance show for the Idol finale.  I have always thought that David Cook is the much stronger singer, but I thought David Archuleta had all of the middle American moms locked up for votes.  I may have been misjudging the ladies in our heartland, however - based on tonight's winner, it looks like they were looking for man candy and not baby boy. 

 

I am really excited for David Cook's singing career.  I hope he will be like the male version of Kelly Clarkson - an American Idol champion power voice with lots of CD's.  Love it.

 

And another thing - what's up with the terrible songs from the songwriting competition?  Is there a prerequisite that it has to be the sappiest, hokiest song in the world?  Between last night's selections and tonight's "winner," I was sorely disappointed. 

 

K.

 

Dancing with the Stars

Let's talk Dancing with the Stars.  So I didn't actually watch this season, but I believe KK and I called that Yamaguchi would win when the stars were announced long ago.  I mean, really, who is going to be able to beat an Olympic figure skater?  She's practically been training for this her whole life.

 

Also, everytime I saw her dance partner, I would do a double take.  He looks like a mix between JC Chasez and Wilhemina's admin on Ugly Betty. 

 

L

Greek God

KK got me hooked on the ABC Family show, Greek.  I love love love the show.  Like LOVE the show.  Perhaps it's that I never had a Greek experience in college and even if I had, it would have been nothing like that on the show.  I want to live my life around ritual and only speak when the ZBZ stuffed cat is handed to me when I sit in a circle with the rest of my sisters!

 

Best part of Monday's episode was when one of the Kappa Taos (I think that's right) yelled "Donna Martin Graduates!" during an anti-Greek protest.  Any show that references 90210 skyrockets to the top of my Tivo Season Pass list, no questions asked.

 

There was a professor in Monday's episode that looked just like Ferris Bueller's best friend.  I might have to do some IMDB research.  Also, I have a crush on Evan.  Is that wrong?

 

L

Questions on Idol Finale Part 1

- Boxing theme?  Really?

- Dylan McCay (aka Luke Perry) came to the finale?  I though the kid on his lap looked like his faux little sister that he discovered after they blew his father up in that car explosion (on 90210, obvi).  I actually rewinded Tivo to confirm it in fact wasn't her.

- Why does Archuleta always look like he's going to faint when he gets feedback?  Is it because he doesn't eat before the show?

- Did any think it was weird to use Andrew Lloyd Weber as part of this boxing theme?  Also, can is ALW truly objective as a mentor?  He obviously has the hots for Archuleta.

- Anyone notice that Randy Jackson said this was the battle of 2007?  Think he's got the case of the Paulas?

- Paula must practice her feedback ahead of time (consider "You may not know what you're looking for [Cook], but we do and it's you" or "The sun is shining down on you [Archuleta]" or "A song in your heart, a guitar in your hand").  Am I wrong?

- Paula had to stand for Cook after his last song, right?  The show isn't complete for me unless she stands and applauds for a competitor or wiggles to a song.

- Archuleta's second song solidified the fact that he is a 17 year old Jon Secada ready for a Rosie cruise.  Agreed?

- Doesn't anyone realize that "Imagine" is about communism?  This is American Idol.  That's all I'm saying.

- Do you ever just want to push Archuleta down?

- As sad as I am to admit it, the night went to Archuleta.  That's okay, Cook can be the new Daughtry.

OTH, my guiltiest TV pleasure

Since my buddy J has revealed his love for Battlestar Galactica, I guess I'll jump in next to talk briefly about MY guiltiest pleasure, the CW Network's One Tree Hill.  My college roommate watched OTH as her guilty pleasure during dinner breaks stolen in front of our (broadcast only, it should be noted) TV.  This season of OTH has taken us to a flash-forward of 5 years as our favorite characters return to Tree Hill, older and, arguably, wiser.  When this season premiered several months ago, I was really dreading the "adult" version of this show - I mean, we all remember how downhill 90210 went post-school years.  However, I've been pleasantly surprised, and last night's season finale left me speechless and wanting more in a way that GG just didn't. 

 

Melodrama runs aplenty in Tree Hill, and that's what makes the show so addictive and watchable.  The show has maintained its focus around a core group of friends (naturally, very attractive) and such life events as: teen marriage and pregnancy, absentee parents, family death, addiction, cheating, school violence, and much more.  Beyond all of those struggles, the friends maintain their close ties and despite serious fighting, they always return to one another (and to Tree Hill).  There is something embarrassingly uplifting and soapy about this show, and I can't look away.  Last night's season finale left me sitting on the edge of my seat, wondering if deadbeat dad who shot his brother, went to jail, and wants to reconcile with his sons, Dan Scott, is dead, and just who exactly Lucas Scott has invited to elope to Vegas - one of his two ex-high school girlfriends or the fiancée who left him at the altar. 

 

Say what you will about this show, but it is a perennial favorite.  I am lucky enough to have a core group of high school friends that, major dramas aside, remind me a lot of the OTH gang.  We have endured our time apart, our fights, our family dramas, and our personal struggles.  Many of us call the same city home (I happen to live on the opposite coast from this little klatch).  In talking to one such friend last night, we contemplated what we might be like as real adults, and whether or not things will stay the same.  I think there is something lovely and comforting about knowing that some of the same people will carry you through your life, no matter how old you are.  

 

While we're on the subject of guilty pleasures

Mine: Aimee Mann. I know it goes back to high school, I think to the first time I watched Magnolia, or maybe the pale green of Bachelor No. 2 enticed me from its place on the CD rack at Borders.

Yes, her music is kind of depressing, yes, the songs all sound the same. But I'm a lifetime devotee, I think. You see, Ms. Mann was my gay-high-school-angsty music, and for her role in that process, I will be eternally grateful.

She has a new album out June 3.

J

Once more unto the breach

Hi friends!

 

I'm eager to watch the episode after having read so much about it.  But it sounds like, after leading us ever closer and closer to a precipice, Josh Schwartz decided in the last couple of weeks to take a few steps back.  I guess that's TV.

 

I know that I'm the only one on this blog who will say this, but I am utterly and completely captivated by Battlestar Galactica.  I think I have always been a semi-closeted sci-fi geek (just ask my sister; or, actually, please don't).  But BSG is something more than your average sci fi mythologizing claptrap.

 

I can't remember who first told me, "oh, bee-tee-dubs, you'd really like BSG," but thank you to whomever that was.  The show is about a genuinely existential struggle between a group of human refugees and their human-looking-robot-offspring, and kicks off with the nuclear genocide of the human race.  40,000 people or so are left.  Sounds terribly geeky, and it kind of is, but who doesn't love a post-apocalyptic space opera?

 

But from the first season, the show was more complicated.  Characters had depth, the "bad guys" believed that they were engaged in a divine mission, and then they started to have depth, just as we realized that the good guys might not be so good after all, what with their adultery, election-rigging, stealing, and whatnot. 

 

Last season began with an insurgency very similar to the one we can read about in our morning NYTimes, and this season seems to be all about theology.  And it's amazing. 

 

In other news, check out this article in the Sunday Magazine of the Times about one-man bands, featuring my future husband Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy.

 

That's all for now.  I should go do some work.

 

Hearts and stars,

J

My Love/Hate Dilemma - The Sex and the City Movie

Am I going to see "Sex and the City - The Movie" on opening day (in New York City)? Yes.

 

Am I ashamed of that fact? Yes.  Terribly so.

 

Since the show went off the air, I realized that I strongly dislike Carrie.  She's too self-centered.  It's all about her.  All the time. 

 

But I still watch the show whenever it airs as a rerun on TBS.  It's not like I haven't seen every episode 8 times...I know that she's broken up via the post-it, that she cheats on Aidan and that Big won't commit until the very end (if those were spoilers, god help you).  There are no surprises.  Why do I watch?  And why will I continue the addiction when it comes out on the big screen?

I can't resist more GG chatter!

So, it should be noted that I'm a really prolific consumer - clothes,
shoes, bags, books, kitchen gadgets. You name it, I like it. Part of
this unbridled consumerism is an unhealthy infatuation with anything
brand new...i.e. OMFGmusings. Please forgive my obsession for the next
several days as we await the next shiny object that will redirect my
affections. Also, as previously mentioned, I'm stuck in Connecticut
on business for the week, so there's not much to do besides watch TV
and offer charming commentary :o).

Moving right along, a few more GG thoughts in response to my pal
LuckieShmee:

1. I have always been a proponent of Queen B. She's the best when
she's on top of her game. In the mini-season, I am going to predict
another pass for Nate. And we all know I have been firmly on Team Nate
since that deflowering scene in the Cotillion episode where he showed
off a very nice looking bicep.

2. I would like to see a Rufus/Lily affair. Obvi.

3. Yes, the bowties did have a weird floral pattern. Not black tie,
not white tie...weird floral tie. Someone shoot the costumer for this
episode, it was NOT his/her highest moment.

xoxo,
KK

More Thoughts on Chuck Bass

Chuck has really made it to the top of my list among the cast of GG. He's all knowing and omnipresent, I don't mean to make him god-like, but you have to agree, he's pretty great. I liked how he sauntered out of the corner when Mr. Archibald acknowledged that he's going to skip out to the Dominican.

Unlike you, KK, my favorite couple is Blair and Chuck. They're really the king and queen of the Upper East Side prom. Serena is so self-involved. She walks past Blair and Chuck making out on the dancefloor like it's nothing. Tha's because woe is Serena.

Do we think that the Serena/Dan breakup will allow for the Rufus/Lily love to further blossom despite the fact that Lily is now Mrs. Bass?

Also, lamest wedding reception ever.

xoxo, L

GG Rebuttal

I am so happy you addressed Serena's dress.  It's like a cheap lampshade from the 1920's!  Also, did you see the groomsmen's bowties?  Did they have a floral pattern or was it just my TV?

GG Finale: A mini running commentary

So, as you all know, OMFGmusings came to life just today and we are SO excited about it.  Intros forthcoming, but just know that there are three of us posting to this little site and it's really exciting for us.  I decided to kick off my posting career with a running diary of the 2nd half of the GG season finale.  Coming to you *LIVE* from the Crowne Plaza somewhere in exotic central Connecticut (thanks, business travel...grr!!!), here we go!  For those of you who haven't watched the GG finale yet, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. 

 

8:29 - Rufus and Lily are having another weird heart-to-heart while Lily preens in her wedding gown.  Is it wrong that they are my favorite "couple" on the show?  I was literally exploding with excitement at the end of last week's episode when they shared a very sexy post-concert kiss...and I was even more thrilled when they woke up at the beginning of this episode in bed together. 

 

8:31 - Apparently Dan didn't officially sleep with Georgina, but the suggestion is that everything but the deed was done.  I would interpret this to mean that all parties involved turned down the sexual 3rd base line and got tagged out just before sliding into home.

 

UM, WHAT?!  Weirdest scene ever.  Lily and Rufus profess love and yet Lily still goes to marry d-bag Bart Bass.  Rufus looks hot-dad sad as Lily walks away.  As usual, I'm guessing there's more to this story yet to come.

 

(A little off topic, but why are Serena and Blair wearing such unattractive dresses?  What's up with the hideous florals and the weird giant flowers at the neckline?)

 

8:38 - Chuck is trying to be Nate's bestie again, revealing that Captain Archibald is still using drugs and is running away from the wedding...and reveals that he was in love with Blair.  Duh, like we didn't see that coming from a mile away.  Also, what the hell is Vanessa wearing?

 

8:39 - Captain Archibald is making a run for the islands with a fake passport.  I really love white collar crime.  It reminds me of the good old days back in Palm Beach.  Thanks, Enron!

 

8:40 - Can I mention for a second how much I hate Vanessa?  And what is the heinous orange dress (it's literally the color of Tang) and hibiscus-in-the-hair that she's wearing?  Hello, this is an Upper East Side society wedding, not a trailer park!  She looks like a street walker.

 

8:41 - Chuck and Nate are besties again.   

 

8:43 - FINALLY!  Dan and Serena are fighting.  Dan says he's the most understanding person in the world, but that's a dirty lie.  He's a judgy, self-important hipster from Brooklyn who thinks he's better than everyone else.  I think they may finally be breaking up and all I can say is it's about time.  (It's official, they're broken up.  Praise be.)

 

8:45 - Chuck is on his best man soap box and he's ditched the note cards to speak from the heart to Blair Waldorf.  It's almost touching.

 

8:47 - Chuck and Blair are making kissyface on the dance floor.  This should be fun.  Dan and Serena are now doing some weird forced dancing thing orchestrated by the token gay wedding planner. 

 

8:48 - My heart is sort of melting as Chuck and Blair sneak off together.  Dan and Serena are the last ones on the dance floor and it's totally cliché, much like the entirety of their relationship.

 

8:51 - Jenny is opening some letter from Parsons...and it looks like she is interning this summer at Eleanor Waldorf designs.  Vomit!  Rufus is talking to her on the phone via tour bus.  Blair and Chuck are going to Tuscany together.  I like all of these summer plans that are unfolding.  A very reliable TV source has told me that there is supposed to be a 5 week mini-season in the Hamptons this summer.  Apparently Nate and Vanessa are kaput (YES!) and Dan isn't ready to talk about Serena.  Nate and Serena have a "chance" encounter on the street and Serena confirms that she's locking herself in the Hamptons house!!!!!! 

 

8:55 - Blair is flirting with a hottie at the helipad (he has Roger Federer hair), waiting for Chuck to join them.  Meanwhile, at the Palace, Bart and Chuck are having a skeezy male "heart to heart" - and Bart is laying it on pretty thick that going to Europe with Blair will totally change Chuck.  I'm not quite sure why Bart is suddenly pretending to be so paternal and interested.  Enter Lily and a hot blonde (who basically looks like Serena?) helping with apartment renovations, and it sure looks like Chuck is staying to do her instead of jetting off to Europe with Blair.

 

8:58 - Yup, Chuck is going to stay to seduce the hot blonde - again, not too surprising.  And Blair is jetting off to Europe with the mysterious older man with flippy hair. 

 

So, all in all, I wasn't thrilled with this episode as a season finale.  It was basically laying all of the groundwork for the mini season - just pushing plot along without any real drama.  I am, however, really excited for the summer season.  Summer shows are a personal favorite of mine, dating back to some lazy summers during college spent basking in the early days of The OC and The North Shore.  As I slave away in Corporate America, things like mindless TV remind me of days when life was a bit less complicated.

 

On semi-related notes, Leighton Meester is reprising her role as the child singing star on Entourage.  Now that she's hot and of-age, my guess is that she's going to sleep with Vinny Chase.  Also, I recently received the first book of the new Gossip Girl series in the mail, The Carlyles.  Nothing is ever really as good as the original, but I figure I can give it a whirl.

 

Anyway - you know you love me!  (And here's to summer!!)

 

xoxo,

KK

 

Fit Flops

So I saw these Fit Flops on the market for a little ago, fit flops that tone your legs. I never felt the urge to buy them because the premise was weird. Why would I wear a special shoe to replace working out? Why wouldn't I just work out?

Well then on Friday, Oprah said that Fit Flops were one of her favorite things. And then I found myself at Macy's purchasing a pair for not only me, but also for my sister. Because if Oprah loves it, it has to be great, right? What's better than a shoe that makes you work out as you do your everyday errands?

How am I such a sucker for good product endorsements? I bought two pairs of $50 flip flops! And they say we're in a recession!

That's my social commentary for the day. I'm out.

L

OMFG!

We're here!