They're up!

Exciting news!! At last, my photographs page is up and running, along with my brand new flickr account.  They are both still works in progress, and I'll be updating here when I add more photos, but things are off to a good start.

Next on the list of long-overdue projects = my creative writings page.

In the meantime, Happy Halloween!  Twix, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, 100 Grands: come to me.

A note to follow So

On Thursday, I tuned into Oprah's talk show specifically to watch her full-episode special on The Sound of Music.  SCORE!  This gathering of Christopher Plummer, the always-elegant Julie Andrews, and all seven of the Von Trapp children (well, they are not children anymore) marked the first time the entire Von Trapp actor-family has reunited and interviewed together since the filming of the movie 45 years ago.  45 years--can you believe that?!  And it's still one of the most classic, well-loved, and happily-sung movie-musicals of all time.  Considering I am only 22, I still can't really know what 1965 was, which makes it even more amazing for me.  It occurred to me how amazing it is that I have so much love and connection to something that, in reality, is so beyond me.

One segment of the show gave people of all ages an opportunity to share what the movie means to them.  Listening to a deaf woman whose first hearing experience after receiving a cochlear implant was Julie Andrew's famous opening lines "the hills are aliiiiiiiiive with the sound of muuuuuusiiiiic", a nun whose inspiration came from Julie Andrew's interpretation of Maria Von Trapp, and a war veteran who watched the movie 120-something times when overseas to experience "wonderful, splendid peace"gave me a knot in my stomach of shared love and meaning for the movie.  Rosie O'Donnell even made an appearance to share how the movie truly changed her life--she explained how how watching The Sound of Music helped her get over the loss of her mother--how she would imagine that the "singing, wonderful angel" would show up at her doorstep, fall in love with her father, and heal the sadness in her life.  She thanked Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer for helping to save her life.  I mean, how incredible is that?!

My affinity for The Sound of Music comes from my childhood experiences of the event of watching the film.  It was something I shared with my three sisters-- which is why my sister called me to be sure that I knew to watch the hour-long tribute.  When growing up, we curled up (usually with a honkin' bowl of ice cream) to watch our VHS taped recording of The Sound of Music from a TV broadcast in the early 90's together every Chanukah time, no doubt singing (and sometimes dancing) along, mimicking Julie Andrew's clumsy running with her guitar case in hand during "Confidence" and the famous hand-on-the-head at the closing note of "Do Re Mi".  The few times I have tried to watch the film without them, it just hasn't seemed right.  I can't help but think that my sisters' and my love for the music and singing came from the movie.  We surprisingly didn't even have the soundtrack at home-- we had just seen the movie so many times that we knew everything by heart.  And when it came time for high school voice class, we, like so many others, were already well-studied in the solfege (do re mi fa so la ti do!).

As a heartfelt fan, I can't help but think about how so many people grow to have a true attachment to movies.  As I listened to the Von Trapp children singers (the real ones--great-grandchildren of the Maria Von Trapp) sing "Edelweiss" on Oprah over a slow-motion montage of clips from the movie, and chills ran up and down my arms, my stomach turned in nostalgic knots, and what's that? ... A tear or two welling up?, it hit home. Ha, wow.  It's quite something, isn't it?  How a film made so long ago about a time I did not live through can still hold so much meaning to a person and to a family?  We all have our "favorites" for different reasons, which is I am learning is such a special thing.  People can connect to the same "thing"-- a song, a movie, a book-- but for their own personal reasons.  I think that is what helps make the world go 'round.  It's what makes us each our own person, but gives us an outreach into something shared, beyond the people we know or have met.  If you know me at all (or have been reading this here blog), you may notice a pattern of my favorite movies.  90% movie-musicals.  Proclaimed (and classified as) in high school and proudly continued, I am a music geek.  I know there are lots more of you out there, which gives me no shame.  And which is why I dedicate today's entry to one of my favorites.

"Oh YES, that's it-- god bless Kurt!"

The reunited cast on Oprah, Thursday 10/28/10.
(Oprah.com)

This > That

I am loudly and proudly stealing this cute entry idea from fellow blogger (and alum to my alma mater) Katelin. 
It's always good to take a look at your priorities ... these are trumping in my life right now: 

hanging with Mom > hanging on Facebook

Inception > any other 2010 movie

pumpkin beer > other beer

River Road > Village Coffee

phone conversations > text conversations

flip phone > iPhone

Wegmans > any other grocery store
chocolate > vanilla
board games > drinking games

singing off-key > not singing at all
euchre > poker

pizza with ranch > pizza without ranch

NSYNC > Backstreet Boys
nutella > jelly
new blog design > old blog design

What's on your list today?

Extreme Template Makeover

Welcome to my new and improved blog page!  In honor of the changing season, I've added a new color scheme and two new tabbed pages to spice it up.  Mmm, spice.  Doesn't that word always make you think of autumn? When I hear the word "spice", I think of sweet spicy things like pumpkin-flavored coffee, apple cider, and apple crisp.  Something that's sassy, sharp, and stands up for itself, but has a soft side because it's so delicious.  Mmm.  That's kind of how Fall feels, now that I think about it.  Because of the changing colors, it makes a loud and proud entrance and everybody knows it's fall.  Temperatures are perfect for a cozy sweater and scarf outdoors in daytime, but once the sun sets and sets the already on-fire canopy scenery ablaze--that's my favorite part--it become surprisingly and sometimes bitterly cold.  And the season is ironically beautiful.  The trees are the most beautiful when they are dying.  And it's the big, fat warning that a blistery, slippery, shivery winter is on the way.  And, considering the lack of moderation or pattern of weather in my hometown, it's probably coming in about three weeks.

Damn, autumn makes me into a sloppy poet.

Since the date of Fall equinox rarely coincides with what actually feels like Fall-- it's either still 85 degrees or we already have a foot of snow-- I have my own marker of the beginning of the season: the leather, cognac brown, knee-high boots have left the back of my closet and have taken their first amble around town.  I declare it officially Fall!  Happy boots-wearing, leaf-pile-jumping, and apple-cider-drinking!

We were young, 21, all those years ago

*NOTE: I totally wrote this back in November, and for some reason it has remained a draft. Better late than never-- sorry, Guster!


I guess it's fan-based week for me. It's only appropriate to follow up Newsies with another entertainment loves of my life, in my hopes to introduce them to those who have not yet been fortunate enough to stumble upon them. Their names are Brian Rosenworcel, Adam Gardner, and Ryan Miller. They are Guster.

It's funny how the whole music fan thing works, isn't it? You find a band who you like for one reason or another--delightful harmonies, creative and relatable lyrics, hot bass player, your friends like them-- and then at some point, they become your "favorite" band. You know every single lyric, own every single version of every song they've ever recorded, seen them in concert as many times as you possibly can, and be sure to include at least one track on every mix you make. And you never get sick of them. For me, this band is Guster.

I can't really explain it. There's just something about them. I never even understood all of their lyrics--things went over my head when I was younger, and even now some of their stuff I just listen to and think, "what the hell?" Despite their off-the-wallness, their music always brings me a sense of comfort. Maybe it's because I've followed them since I was about 13, and seen them 5 (going on 6 in October!) times.  


I've been attached to their music for what feels like my whole life. So when I listen in my car, when I'm chilling at home, or in concert, it makes me feel whole and comfortable.  Like I'm right where I am supposed to be.  Certain songs remind me of moments and people in my life and everything just settles in my mind.  I stop worrying about the little things and just remember that everything is going to be okay.  And to me, that's exactly what music is supposed to do.  So, thanks, G-Dog.


Never heard of them? Let me introduce you.  This is from their newly released album.  Enjoy it in all its quirky glory.

Carryin' the Bieber

Here I sit, reporting from a table for one at Panera. What can I say ...a broccoli & cheddar breadbowl and free public wifi are acceptable company when a big ol' gust of wind knocks out the power at your place when you're hungry, alone, and mid-entry. It's an occasion that calls for blogging!

This past weekend, I discovered what may be the best thing on Youtube since the Numa Numa guy: Audio/Video mash-ups of today's best (and worst) pop music with dance numbers from one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. I've known every single line and the note to every single instrumental number and every single lyric since I was about 10. I used to watch it constantly with my sisters, and when we weren't watching it, we were listening to the soundtrack and frolicking around the family room while pretending to be part of Jack Kelly's crew. That's right, I'm talking about the 1992 Disney musical classic Newsies.

When I began perusing the Newsies mash-up merchandise, there were a lot of promising ones to choose from: "Seize The Day" and "King of New York" dancing to Backstreet Boys, Kesha, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga. However, thanks to some expert searching and some hints from fellow Newsies fans, I found the two winners:

And in second place, I am sorry to say, is the newsies flawlessly backing up Justin Bieber. Though the Biebmeister reminds me of a scrawy, scruffy, pig-nosed mouse who is constantly drowning in cargo and has the personality of a piece of mulch, I must admit that his songs are a liiiiitle bit catchy. I have been known to be caught humming a chorus or two. Especially after finding this video, which I've since been watching about 2-3 times an hour ...

Needless to say, I'm on a bit of Newsies kick since finding these vids. Not only did I watch the movie again and remember that it is the sole reason why I've always had an obsession with Christian Bale (despite his questionable behavior), but I also found out that a stage version is at last! in the woiks. Praise the musical heavens above! Gather up the cutest, most talented 20-something men, dress them in newsboy slacks and unbuttoned blouses and put them on stage to sing and dance for us. Yes please :).

As I conclude here with my soup and my meal, I pose this question: how do I eat this soup-soaked breadbowl without looking like a caveman?

"Oh, you mean JACK Kelly. Yeah, he was heah. But he put an egg in his shoe and ... beat it."

Suns and sails

Let's be honest: there's nothing like a lake and a sailboat at dusk. I wish I had something more original to share, but alas, my inspiration is temporarily lost. It's somewhere out there, I know. But I'm keeping the promise I made to myself to update more often. So, for today, what I have to share today are a few beautiful photos of Momma Nature's own dose of inspiration.

I took these two weeks ago on Keuka Lake in upstate New York after a fantastic afternoon whizzing on a somewhat-choppy lake, flying in and out of wakes on a tube, and sipping beers on a deck chair with some fantastic company. So long, sweet summertime.

Letter from Tim

(for new readers: Tim is a friend and blog-buddy who writes to us from Tilburg, Netherlands. Read his intro here. We welcome your thoughts!)

Dear Alison,

Now, I lit a cigarette for inspiration I think I can start off. It has been a while since we talked and some things happened last week that I want to share.

I bet you heard about the 'mosque' (apparently just an Islamic center) near Ground Zero and all those people protesting against it now. There was also a Dutch conservative/extreme right-wing politician, Geert Wilders, speeching there. I just wanted to apologise for that. I don't know about you, but I can't stand people who talk in the name of freedom with the goal of taking someone else's freedom (of religion in this particular case) away. I'll only quote him once: "Christians also wouldn't be allowed to build churches in Mekka, so that's why there should be no mosque here." But wait, what?! So if people don't have rights in Saudi Arabia, than they shouldn't be able to have those rights in the country that's been built upon freedom. Anyone who wants to hear the full speech, it's right here.

Now then, it's time for fun stuff I did at work. For the first time in my life I played golf, and it's fun! I got invited by a businessclub from the region I report on, so why say no, right? After some lessons there was a little contest over 4 holes of the golf course with 5 teams, 4 persons per team. The good news: we won and all got a bottle of champagne (yay)! Bad news: the day after every part of my body hurt -networking can be SO exhausting- But hey, already got over it :)

Yesterday (monday) there was this fair in one of the villages I report on: Reusel. And it's their tradition to have an early 'breakfast' which practically means eating ham and egg sandwiches and drinking beer from 10.00 am until the wee small hours of the morning. I joined them in the morning and it was actually fun, although I had to get used to drinking beer in the morning and having to work the rest of the day until 7.00 pm. There's a video right under here, and although it's in Dutch it'll give you a nice impression of what was going on.

I actually got a call from one of the people whom I gave my businesscard to. At 3.20 am!

It actually just started to rain here, so I'm afraid autumn is really coming up right now :( I hope everything is well back in the States. Take care!

Tim

A New Beginning

It's been two months since my last post ... eesh. It's amazing how really gets in the way of writing about life! I am happy to report, though, that in my long hiatus I've been up to lots of exciting things--from a roadtrip to taking ballroom dance classes to studying for what better be the last of standardized tests for forever. As for writing ...though I wish I could have gotten on this earlier, I have an extra special excuse today to light the fire under my butt and spend more time doing some sold bloggin'. At sundown today begins the Jewish New Year, and I am making a resolution to be back and better than ever and help my still-baby blog grow. And helping me ring in the year 5771 is an introduction from Tim, my blogger-buddy from across the pond in Holland (read how Tim and I met and came up with this idea in one of my August entries here). Here he is!:

Hey everyone!

As you may know, or not, Alison and I are going to write to each other on both of our blogs.

We thought it would be good to start off with a little intro, so here we go!

I'm Tim, 24, and I live in Holland. Currently I'm working as a journalist for a regional newspaper in Eindhoven. I follow all the interesting stuff that happens in two municipalities with a total population of 30,000 people, and obviously, I write about it. Aside from that I try to keep up with all the big changes that are happening right now in both journalism and communication (think social media, Apple and other fun stuff).

About my hometown: it's called Tilburg and it's very near Eindhoven, the city I was born and raised. Tilburg is full of students and loads of fun to go out, but home is where the heart is I guess and that's why I'll probably move to Eindhoven soonish - when I find an apartment that is. Oh and talking about Eindhoven, it has the best football club in the country, PSV, and it's wherePhilips (from the lamps and tv's) started its business. Basically that's why it's a city now.

Me and Alison actually met in Perugia, Italy. I lived there for nine months (08-09), and take my word for it: it's paradise. Nine months of mayhem is probably a way to describe it. But -too bad- it couldn't last forever and so now we're living the serious life. Right, Alison? ;)

I hope you'll enjoy our writings that are to come!

Ciao!

Tim

@dezeeuw

My website

***

This officially begins our project and blogging relationship, alongside a new year for me. I'm throwing bread into the canal, eating apples dipped in honey, and kissin' lots of cheeks, and cheering to (re-)beginnings. We need more cowbell! Or maybe some more shofar?

Holy suffocating denim, Batman!

On a completely unrelated note to the entry below but still completely blogworthy...

I have experienced yet another loss of virginity to a staple cultural item. Tonight, for the first time, I watched Footloose in its entirety. And all I can say is ... pants. Pants, pants, pants. Hot damn, K-Bacon, hot damn.

Okay, so of course, the big scene of the movie is Ren's spastic, random dance in the warehouse that he delivers in frustration and anger. My question is, is it supposed to be funny? Because I could not stop laughing. The jumping off platforms and gymnastic fancies on bars and sliding down railings and frantic kicking and the bumpin' of the knees was so epic that it produced many a-chuckle. It made me think of that awesome dance scene in Billy Elliot when that poor, adorable kid is so frustrated with his father and brother that he tap/stomps around his neighborhood, banging on walls while sitting on toilets and stuff. Hehe, so cute. Again, not sure if I'm supposed to laugh or if I'm supposed to be all tense and sense the frustration and the physical need to dance it out.

Either way, it was definitely a fun time. I overheard a fellow first-timer say when the movie was over, "I finally get Kevin Bacon! I never got Kevin Bacon! He's hot!" Hahaha. I don't know if I will now jump on the Kevin Bacon train, which is a little before my time anyway, but I certainly have a newfound appreciation for his sweet moves (and I can't help but wait for him to break into a jig on the sand the next time I watch Tremors, the only other memorable Kevin Bacon film in my movie memory repertory). And I can only wait patiently for the remake to come out, starring the one and only Zac Efron as Ren MacCormack. Yes, I admit it, *swoon*. It's legit, he's my ageish. I hope they put him in those same pants ... I mean what?

And, the most memorable Footloose quote:

"When kids dance they become sexually irresponsible."

- Rev. Shaw Moore