Conspiracy Theory

I have 3 weeks until my sister's wedding. Monday I had to put on my bridesmaid dress for the seamstress to get it taken up. It's a strapless number, in black. Cute, if you're tiny. I've been tiny before but at the moment, I'm a little further from tiny than I'd like for this dress - got some bulges and bumps showing through and the flabby arms are in full view.

So, with only 3 weeks to go, I decide I'll just buckle down, lay off the junk food, eat well and drop a few pounds - then begin pigging out again at the wedding. But I think my family and friends are conspiring against me. Last night, Grandma brought Pumpkin Pie to Mom's for dinner. PUMPKIN PIE!! It's like she sat around and thought, "what is the one food that is really fattening but Tina won't be able to resist? Hmmm, I've got it - Pumpkin Pie!" I had one bite. Then, I get in to work today and Jo has brought in donut holes. DONUT HOLES!!! Is she trying to knock me off the wagon? I had one. Later in the afternoon as I came back from a meeting, I find an open bag of Oreos out for sharing. OREOS!!!!!!! Enough to prove the world is conspiring against me! I didn't have any oreos, basically because there weren't any left, but I did sniff the bag.

Sad

This morning was a rough day for me, tears welled up with every American Flag I looked at. I think I'm hormonal.

Hey, is that Greg Kinnear

I've found that it's very easy to press Jenny's buttons. Just point at some random guy and say, "hey, isn't that Greg Kinnear?" Heh, heh.

That said, I do, 100% and totally, concede that Judd Nelson easily could have been mistaken for Greg Kinnear. It was a very valid statement. They DO look alike in a not-so-dark room. However, I do not want to lose sight of the fact that it was Judd Nelson after all (ie, I was right). What this all really says is that I am a competitive person who likes to be right and apparently likes to point out when I am right. Character flaw. Ugh. I'll work on that. But it's so fun being right,

Being away from the news has made today a slightly better day, yet I know once I get home, I will be jumping between CNN and MSNBC and won't be able to peel myself away. I don't know what I expect to hear, but I can't stop listening.

As for now, I'll take my mind off things and talk more about Toronto. On Thursday night, we hung around the theater where Serendipity was premiering... we didn't see John Cusack or Jeremy Piven, but Eagle Eye Chuck spotted the actor that plays "Ted" on one of my favorite shows, Queer as Folk. Ted's the cute sensitive one who has trouble getting dates.


He almost qualifies as a Bizzarro Chuck (ie, looks like Chuck).

We had heard Harvey Keitel was going to be arriving at the next movie, word was he went in the back.

On Friday morning, we saw Serendipity ourselves, it was quite a wonderful romantic (HIGHLY UNREALISTIC) movie, but I imagine they will delay it's release because it had lots of scenes of NY, the Twin Towers, and a couple cross country flights. Yep, it will be interesting to see how much they change it.

After Serendipity, we headed to see the very unique and hilarious movie American Astronaut. Who sits right behind us, but Gale Harold, the star of QAF who plays "Brian". Brian is the really hot promiscuis guy who has some form of sex with practically every guy he comes in contact with. Gale was with a woman though, so I think he's just a REALLY good actor.



I wanted to say something like, "Hi Gale, I really enjoy your work", but I didn't want to be a stalkerish dork. Thank God for Matt, he came in and sat directly behind me, which allowed me to turn around and talk... and sneak in peeks at Gale without looking like a stalkerish dork. I am kicking myself for not saying a little something, I'm sure he wouldn't have minded the praise. ** kick, kick, kick **

At the hotel lobby, while waiting for Matt, I spotted David Paymer... but I am apparently the only person on the planet who knows who he is. Everyone else gave me a blank stare. He was in City Slickers, I swear!



That night we had another proximity encounter. I saw a guy and a blond trotting across the room and joked that it looked like Judd Nelson. Jenny thought he looked like Greg Kinnear. It was dark but not that dark. As I make my way back out of the ladies room, this guy and his blonde are still blocking my way and as the guy turns to get out of my way and says, "Oh, sorry", I realize it IS Judd Nelson. I ran to tell Jenny and she proceeded to circled the restaurant to get a good peek. Then we watched as he sat with two blondes and tried to figure out which one he had something going with. I think he was trying to kick it with both of them. You go boy.

We almost didn't go to Toronto this weekend for round two of the Toronto International Film Festival. Our thoughts... Is it safe? Is it inappropriate? Is it frivoulous? But we decided Canada is a safe place to be and we needed to try to take our minds off the horrific events of the past week, if only for a little while. Jenny and Aaron are two of the most fun people I have ever had the pleasure of being around and I am so glad we did go. It was a small bit of emotional relief that I really needed.

Today, back at home and watching the news again, I am heartbroken and emotionally drained. I cannot fathom the pain of those wondering the fate of their loved ones. I am also pained by the thought of lost pets and rescue animals. The port authority policeman who was rescued told of his partner, a yellow lab, that did not get rescued along with him. I cried as he told reporters about telling his dog, "I'll be back for you."

The Americans

A rather timely speech by Canadian Gordon Sinclair spoken in 1973 and ringing all too true this week.

Emotional Hell

Yesterday was so devastating. My heart is broken for everyone who had to go through the airplane hijackings, the crashes, the building collapses, and now, the rescue effort. My heart is broken for everyone who will never feel the same way again and who will never forget this. I thank God all my loved ones are safe... for now.

Proximity Heaven

Well, Jenny put the pressure on me to blog about the celebs we saw at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend. Seeing as though I am somewhat obsessed with trying to have proximity encounters* with celebrities, I suppose it's only fitting.

*A "proximity encounter" is my terminology for seeing, walking by, or being near a celebrity. As I've mentioned before, I'm not really interested in getting their autograph, taking their picture, or really even talking to them... I just really want to see them... up close. Of course if the opportunity arises to have normal dialogue, I'm all up for that. (Just to clarify, here's an example of what would be a good opportunity for normal dialogue: --- I'm line for ice cream. I order two scoops of Death by Chocolate. As I take a lick, I hear a voice behind me, "wow, does that taste as good as it looks?. I was going to get the Rocky Road, but now I'm not sure." I turn around, it's John Cusack, I am not phased. I say, "words cannot describe how decadent and delicious it is, you have to try it." I offer my cone, John licks my ice cream. John says, "mmmmm, it IS good. So do you taste as good as YOU look?"... --- Ok, I got a little unrealistic, but you get the idea.) Normal, non-forced interaction is a bonus.

First, on Friday night, we saw Ed Burns, talking to the audience at the premier of his movie "Sidewalks of New York" (which I thoroughly enjoyed). He was too far away to count as a proximity encounter, but we did see him.

Then, at the next movie, "Thirteen Conversations about One Thing" (which was good but way too long), we saw Matthew McConaughy. He was wearing a skirt, a tshirt, and flip flops. I think he's a bit of a freak. He supposedly saved the woman who had an epileptic seizure, though I don't remember seeing him over by her. I think she faked it. I am practicing my "choking on a piece of popcorn" routine for next week so I can get Jeremy Piven to give me the Heimlich Maneuver.

Alan Arkin also sat near us at T.C.A.O.T., he seemed very pissed that someone was interrupting the movie. His lips didn't move, but his expression said, "damn those epileptics".

On Saturday afternoon, while shopping, we had a true proximity encounter with Julia Stiles. She walked by us, crossing the street the opposite way from us. I tried to give hints to Jenny, Aaron and Chuck without yelling out, "THERE'S JULIA STILES", but I kind of choked. Luckily, she glanced to the side and they got to see her after she passed.

Saturday night, after going to the Short Films feature (which were all pretty excellent except the one about golfing and worm collecting), we headed over to see "Prozac Nation". In a last minute strategic move, Jenny and I decided to move to the front in an effort to get a good look at some celebs, despite the fact that we'd be very close to the screen. It paid off, we were a mere 10 feet from Christina Ricci, Jason Biggs, and Michelle Williams (not pictured, but she was in the movie "Dick" also) as they stood in the spotlight while the director talked. Christina is too skinny. Jason is cute. There's more to tell about the apple pie, but that'll come later.

Sunday morning, we went and saw "Novacaine" with Steve Martin. Steve didn't show up but the movie was very good. On to eating and shopping. Chuck and Aaron saw Steve Martin and Michelle Williams. This called for desperate measures... time to head to the Four Season's lobby... where we struck gold. Chuck spotted Kristin Scott Thomas (but called her "the chick from Four Weddings and a Funeral"), then we saw Kevin Kline, eagle-eyes Aaron spotted Jennifer Love Hewitt (and swears she was checking him out... then branded her Faux J Lo). Leelee Sobieski showed up next, she was very pretty and flashed us all a wide smile (maybe she was smiling at Aaron). We also saw a very cute, familiar looking face and later figured out it was Hayden Christensen who will be playing Anakin Skywalker in the next Star Wars movie.

So that was it. The Four Seasons lobby was the place to be. We will be going there next weekend for tea and crumpets.

achoo

itching and sneezing and kleenex, oh my!

Allergy season is in full swing. My eyes itch. My face itches. My nose itches. My throat itches. My ears itch. How the heck do you scratch the inside of your ears? Or better yet, how do you scratch the inside of your nose without looking like your trying to "pick a winner"?

The Weasel

My brother Eddie called me last night but I was in the shower... I was going to call him back right after Road Rules, but he called me back first to say, "Why didn't you call me right back? I had Pauly Shore waiting to say hello to you." At first I was upset, kicking myself in the a**, but then I realized, I have no desire to talk to Pauly Shore on the phone... what would I say, "how's the weasel?"

It was still a significant moment though because it shows that my brother is very thoughtful and went out of his way to try to do something he thought I would really enjoy. I mean how many people would have the testicular fortitude to ask anyone, much less a semi-celebrity, to say hi to their little sister on the phone? My brother's quite the unique person. Every one of his friends I talked to in LA gushed about him... I mean literally GUSHED about how great he is. You don't hear guys gushing about other guys too often.

So anyway, I told him he should have said something so that I knew to call RIGHT back, so we came up with a code... if he calls me and doesn't get me, he'll say, "call me right back, I have a QUICK question", then I'll know he's got some celeb willing to say hi to me on the phone. Next thing I know, he'll be handing my business card to Patrick Swayze and asking him to drop me a quick email.