RELAXIN'.

Had a great Christmas Day with the family, complete with my annual Christmas Day Run up at Sawyer Camp Trail and a delicious dinner in San Francisco at my Aunt's house with all the wee cousins. There is something so great about having kids around at Christmastime, and it is even better when you are old enough to drink champagne when said children start getting a little wired and out of control. And, when you can leave and go home to your house where it is quiet and you can watch Liza Minnelli on the television.

I love champagne. And I love me some Liza.

After a morning filled with coffee and a yummy breakfast with the Mom and the Sister, I will run, go to the movies, and head up to SF to my friend's annual Boxing Day Crawdad Races. Yes, you read that correctly.

Crawdad Races.

As you can see, it is a high class affair.

Dresses, ties, slacks, sweater vests, and racing Daddios.

I can be seen talking to my friend, Santa Graham. I believe this shot is from 2006?

It truly is spectacular and one year my 'dad (Prince Valiant) was the winner!! I will report back with the results from the '09 races. I'm sure there will be some intense face-offs, like in years past.

MERRY MERRY.

Happy holidays, everyone.

I have thoroughly been enjoying my time at home (hence the light blogging) and am looking forward to it continuing for the next week!

Merry Whatever-It-Is-You-Celebrate!!!

I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS.

And saw this place:

They are really taking Christmas seriously.

STILL SLEEPING.

I have been doing a REALLY good job at sleeping since I've been home. I mean, I would give myself an A+ and put myself on the Honor Roll right at the top. And then I would be president of the Honor Roll Nap Club.

Or whatever.

Anyways, I did go for a run yesterday and it was GORGEOUS outside and then had dinner with one of my buds I went middle school through high school with. He is now back teaching at our high school and we both find it extremely tripppppy.

I realized I never really gave an official review of Up In The Air:

I really, really liked it. It is extremely subtle, simple, and not what I thought it was going to be. But, I love it when movies are like that - when you have an idea of the general vibe from the trailer but then it steers you in another (good) direction that you didn't quite expect.

This movie is cast unbelievably well, so kudos to you miss-casting-director-whose-name-I-can't-find-on-the-google-machine-right-now. You did great!

Jason Bateman:

I have always loved you and will always love you. In my mind, you literally can do no wrong. You are one of my top loves and I still cry out with pain every time I realize that Arrested Development is no longer on the air because that means I can never be on it and portray your love interest.

*Insert sound of pain here*

I digress.

J'Batey is a deliciously funny fellow in this movie, he cracks my sh*t up, he is slightly schloozy (new word meaning a combo of both sleazy and schmoozey even though I just made up schmoozey, too) and he makes what could have been a throw-away role a definite keeper.

MISS ANNA KENDRICK

(yes, you get all caps here)

You rule.

You are two years younger than me, yet you have already been nominated for a Tony (when you were 12 for High Society), then you were in the hilarious movie Camp which only like 5 people saw and I was one of them and I loved it, and now you turn up and do this. I could really hate you for it, but that is impossible because you are so freaking good.

Anna shoves it right back in George's face, which is not an easy task to do, but she isn't all shovey about it; it doesn't appear to take the effort of said shove. The girl is ON. There are moments where she could have been extremely annoying and instead she is riotous in an honest, subdued, extremely earnest and endearing way. I lurved her. We are really going to be friends someday.

I can feel it.

So: go see it. It is mellow, but thoughtful, moving, and funny.

Woooot.

P.S. Oh, and Georgie? You were great, too. Very honest, sweet, sad, and yes - even though you're getting up there you are still a fox. And, you wear pants really, really well.

HOME SWEET HOME.

I am back in California and have been doing a lot of eating, sleeping, eating and sleeping. My first night home I took a looooong bath, went to bed at 8:00pm and woke up at 9:30am.

Tired? Guess I was.

Yesterday consisted of lounging around, going to the gym, getting a facial, and going to the movies and dinner with my Mom. Saw Up In The Air and LOVED it.

Today was full of lunch with my aunt in San Francisco and now I am going to take a nap. I feel like I'm coming down with a cold, so I need to rest up for the rest of my vacation. Lounging around takes a lot out of you...

COUNTDOWN: ONE DAY.

Today is my last day in the city before I head back to California, and it is going to be a busy one. Visiting a friend in the hospital, packing, errands, last minute band practice and our final Rooftops show of 2009!

If you're free, head over to Banjo Jim's at 8:30pm and come check us out. We might even be playing a tune suited to the season...

Hope to see you there!

THIS ONE IS FOR MY MOM.

Diddy Wants To Be Obama's Son

Rap mogul and businessman Sean 'Diddy' Combs wants to be adopted by U.S. President Barack Obama.

The hitmaker feels partly responsible for getting Obama elected because he thinks hip-hop played a big role in his political success - and he'd love to be part of America's first family.

He tells Playboy magazine, "I think we are probably responsible for (Barack) Obama being in office, yes. If nobody else is gonna say it, then I'm gonna say it. The confidence, the swagger we instilled in our communities made that possible.

"I met him (Obama) twice... If God said I could pick one person to be my father, I'd want to be Sean Combs Obama. That's how dope he is. I hope he reads this interview and adopts me.

"I wouldn't even need to be in the will. I got my own money."

Sanchez: I know you're jealous of that phone.

ONLY IN NEW YORK.

Last night I met up with a friend from San Francisco who has recently relocated to Brooklyn. I was pretty exhausted, as it has been a little nutty lately with work, a friend in the hospital, auditions, band practice, and getting ready to go back to CA, but we had a great time catching up. It was crazy to think about when I first moved here, all the things that were swarming around in my head upon arrival, and how completely excited I was. A little over a year later, I still am so happy to be here...And now we can add this to list of why:

We left the bar and were walking back to the train when all of the sudden I saw a tall, skinny, very familiar looking gentleman standing outside a bar smoking a cigarette.

It was Justin Townes Earle.

Insert squeal here.

And, of course, me being me, I walked right up to him and told him that I absolutely loved his music. In his charming little drawl, he thanked me and then said that he was playing a show inside in 10 minutes for free if I would like to go.

WOULD I LIKE TO GO SEE A GENIUS PLAY FOR FREE?

You know the answer. I proceeded to march right inside and called Sanchez who introduced me to JTE in the first place. Then, I was treated to an amazing show of Justin and his guitar for about 40 minutes and he blew my mind. There were only about 40 people in the entire place and it was, well, incredible.

Didn’t make it to bed until about 1:00am and my eyes are beyond bleary today, but it was so, so, so worth it.

I have seen famous people, I have talked to famous people, I’m famous (in my own mind and I’m really big in Japan) and I don’t get weird. But this time, I must admit that I got a little weird. My brain kept going, “Oh my. Oh my. Oooooooh myyyyyyyyyyy waaaaahahahaaa.” The only other time this has happened to me was when I saw the brilliant author, Anne Lamott, walking across the street in San Francisco and I almost ran her over because I was driving, she was walking, and I couldn’t stop staring at her.

Oh, and he’s my neighbor and I invited him to my band’s show on Monday.

I am a grade-A loser.

IT ISN'T SNOWING.

KEEP THIS.

I've been searching for a good travel mug for awhile and, since it has been getting chilly lately and I have been craving warm beverages, I started doing some research. I recently read up on the Keep Cup.

It is the first barista standard reusable coffee cup, meaning it matches exactly to coffee cup sizes and conveniently fits under the machines they use. They are made of recyclable polypropylene #5 and are microwaveable, dishwasher safe.

And, they come in different sizes and fun colors.

And, they're from Australia!

Crikey, I likey!

ONE WEEK.

I really can't wait. I miss my Mom.

CHECK OUT MY PRETZELS.

WHOARETHA!

We all know my girl Aretha really knows how to rock some serious outfits, especially when it comes to the head gear:

And, last night, she did not disappoint at the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Blending Eskimos with Sea Lions, she fashioned this whopper of a statement:

Hot damn I love this woman.

STOP! POLICE!

'Steven Seagal: Lawman' full of possibilities
Tim Goodman

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

You can be excused for thinking that "Steven Seagal: Lawman" is another in the action movie star's canon of B-movies. You know, the kind of film where breaking bones with martial arts and aiming to kill (and succeeding) are part of the script.

But for most people, finding out that Seagal has been a real-life deputy for nearly 20 years in the Jefferson Parish sheriff's office in Louisiana might come as a mind-rattling shock. The beefy tough guy is not just a martial arts expert who has helped train officers while being a member of their force, he's also an expert marksman who has worked with the parish's SWAT team.

Tonight at 10, you can see him in uniform as A&E presents a "Cops"-style reality series called "Steven Seagal: Lawman." What makes this series so compelling is the fact that so few people knew Seagal was doing this - and that the actor never used it for publicity even when his career could have used a boost.

So, why now? Here's what Seagal said in the A&E press notes: "I've been working as an officer in Jefferson Parish for two decades under most people's radar. I've decided to work with A&E on this series now because I believe it's important to show the nation all the positive work being accomplished here in Louisiana - to see the passion and commitment that comes from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in this post-Katrina environment."

Seagal has also noted that after Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana police forces have lost officers and the series might be a way to interest recruits. He certainly makes a compelling case for doing good while also tapping into what has made him an action movie star - he looks like a bad-ass in his uniform. Seagal looks as if he means business - and in a succession of crimes-in-progress scenarios he certainly does. And though he doesn't appear to be the most fleet of foot - nobody in the five-officer team he's a part of looks especially quick, in fact - you definitely don't want to let him catch you.

As the television season enters a holiday lull, there's no telling how well a show like "Steven Seagal: Lawman" will do, but the bet here is pretty well, if for nothing else the curiosity factor.
How Seagal kept his second career "under the radar" is pretty impressive.

And it brings to mind all kinds of what-if possibilities that might have TV industry types salivating. Think about how cool these would be:

"Simon Cowell: Auto Executive." Sure, the testy and judgmental "American Idol" host doesn't need the money, but think about how he could help reshape a moribund industry. "It's a crossover? Well you've crossed over the line on taste, I'm afraid. It would be ugly as a truck, but it's hideous as a family car. Is your idea to ridicule the American public? Drive it away from me before I vomit, and come back with something we can sell. And if I see a plastic dash masquerading as walnut, you'll be fired."

"Gordon Ramsay: Governor." Any state would work, but California might be the best place for him (once he gains citizenship, naturally). Where Arnold Schwarzenegger is all puffed-up bluster and promised a nonpolitical style of leadership, Ramsay would simply yell at the top of his lungs every day and drop f-bombs all over the place. Every night he'd be the lead item on the news, berating lawmakers and lobbyists and telling journalists (and voters) to bleep and bleep-bleep-bleep and if they didn't like that they could bleep themselves or bleep-bleep, bleep-bleep until someone cared.

"Oprah: Queen." Why not? It's a ceremonial title and if no one told her that, she could probably do a lot of good while making people hug and cry. And read.

"George Clooney: Bartender." Certainly not as action-packed as "Steven Seagal: Lawman," but come on - he'd be the world's best bartender. Everybody would want to talk to him. He's got that warm, understanding smile. And everyone would want to be his friend. Plus, the stories from the barstool would make the show careen through comedy and tragedy.

Who knows? Maybe there are other celebrities out there keeping their hobbies and second careers "under the radar." In the meantime, if you're in Louisiana and somebody familiar pulls you over, do not make any quick moves. And don't ask him for his autograph, either.

IT'S DECEMBER.

Song of the first December day: