CSI Miami - Endless Caruso One Liners

Ever since this show came out, I have made fun of what we call "Caruso-isms" and the over-acting at the start of every show. I just died laughing as I watched this compilation of Caruso-isms. Enjoy - and don't forget your sunglasses!

You're ON NOTICE!

Put your friends and coworkers ON NOTICE!

http://www.shipbrook.com/onnotice/

Resolutions, Revisited

With only one month remaining in 2006, I took a moment to look back and see what my resolutions were at the start of the year. There were three. Two I managed, one I did not. I did re-enter the music scene and am back with the symphony, and I did receive word that an article I've written will be published in a mainstream magazine in early 2007. I did not, however, make any headway on the novel, despite many starts and rewrites, so I think what I need to do to make that happen is start with the basics.
One of the best writing schools in the country based in New York City offers online courses, so I've signed up for their fiction writing course to give my novel a kickstart. Gotham Writers Workshop comes highly recommended, and they offer courses in many facets of writing, from novels to screenplays. Interested writers should visit www.writingclasses.com for a complete list. If you think you want to write, but you don't want to fork out $400 for the class, Univeral offers a novel writing class for $50 worth 1.0 CEU's that is quite good. When I first began writing I took it and made great headway. The website is www.universalclass.com which offers all kinds of crazy courses in everything from tarot reading to knitting - but don't be fooled, Suzanne's class is outstanding and a true bargain.

My Office

Last year, I added a small office onto the house. I work from home for a music research company in L.A. as an analyst as well as the radio station. I've been doing the show from home for years, and this has given me a great, comfortable place to make it all happen. The southern wall is the brick that forms the exterior of the original house, and there are windows into the kitchen. I added a mudroom as well. I love the hardwood floor, the warm browns of the room, the wine refrigerator, my three dollar estate sale chair, and the odd angles of the ceiling. Recessed lighting makes it even better, and it's a great place to create - and to play my flute as well.

My Sister's Coming, My Sister's Coming!

My beautiful sister Krista is flying home from San Jose for a visit next week and I can't wait. She's coming to see Devon perform in this year's Nutcracker - she is his Godmother - and to spend some time with Dad. It's always fun when she comes home. We stay up late with my brother laughing and reminiscing over plenty of wine and good eats. Here are a couple of pictures from the trip I took with the kids out to see her this summer.

All I Want for Christmas is....

The new Sony Reader. Introduced at the 2006 CES in Las Vegas, it's a revolutionary e-book reader for bibliophiles like myself.
Part of the allure of the Sony Reader is its portability. It's lightweight (9 ounces) and fairly compact (6.9 by 4.9 by 5.8 inches), so traveling with the device, whether you're going on a long trip or just commuting to the office, will be a breeze. Plus, the Reader holds up to 80 average-size books at a time, and if you're an avid reader, there's optional Memory Stick storage media or SD card slot (yes, SD) for more. You're not just limited to books either. The Reader can access blogs and RSS newsfeeds when docked to a PC, and you can also view JPEGs, personal documents, and PDFs. As a bonus, you can also listen to MP3s on the device. Sony says the Reader's battery will last 7,500 page turns on a single charge.
The only drawback is the pricetag. $349 seems a little steep. At half the price, I wouldn't even have to think about it.

Leonid Meteor Shower

The annual Leonid meteor shower could produce a strong outburst this weekend for residents of eastern North America and Western Europe.
A brief surge of activity is expected begin around 11:45 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 18. In Europe, that corresponds to early Sunday morning, Nov. 19 at 4:45 GMT. The outburst could last up to two hours.
At the peak, people in these favorable locations could see up to 150 shooting stars per hour, or more than two per minute. Don't miss it!

Mysteries and Jazz

Fans of Michael Connelly will no doubt enjoy his latest installment in the Harry Bosch detective series, Echo Park, published in October. My former boss, the late, great Michael Kelly, introduced me to Connelly's works about a year before his death, and I have enjoyed every one. In addition to a wonderful read, Connelly often introduces readers to art, history, or jazz through the eyes and ears of his protagonist. In Echo Park, Bosch is obsessed with what he calls "miracle in a box" - John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, recorded live at Carnegie Hall in 1957. The recording sat in a box in the archives for years, forgotten....until a Library of Congress worker accidently found it several years ago in pristine condition. It was finally released nearly 40 years after it's initial recording. Since reading the book several weeks ago, I have caught Bosch's obsession and have been listening to the CD every chance I get. It's available on itunes, but if you love jazz, order the CD - it has 17 minutes more audio than the CD download.

Thought for the Day

Here's your thought for the day. And by the way, Happy Birthday to Ed.
Cheers!

Deck the Halls

Holy cow, Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away. Today I recorded the ad for the 11th annual John Altenburgh Christmas Jazz & Blues Show at the Grand and realized just how close the holidays are. Several days ago, I took the photos for this year's Christmas card, which I always do this time of year, but it didn't really hit me until today that in just a few weeks I'll be putting up the tree. Wow! We had a little trouble getting the dogs to cooperate - as you can see - but finally ended up with a few good shots.

Cancer

They say cancer is the great equalizer, and after one day in the treatment room with my father, I can see why. The room was filled today with people from all walks of life. In one chair, a former neighbor.....in another, a former mayor. A 20 something young man in a Harley t-shirt. A young mother struggling with breast cancer. All filled with hope and despair as the poison drips into their veins - the "cure" at times as terrifying as the disease.
The oncologist tried a new drug on my father today - Rituximab - which caused a severe reaction. His sats plummeted and they had to stop treatment immediately. So scary. So....it appears we will have to revert to the "old" chemo, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about all of that. It's worked for him in the past, but he has never been this sick. It's in the bone marrow now, and all over his body. I can only watch and pray, and keep things as normal here for the boys as I can.
Yesterday marked the general election and of course I try to pass along a healthy respect for the voting system and our government in general to my children. Rowan takes it a little more seriously than I expected, though. Last night he asked if he could stay up late to "watch the election returns" - and at Midnight I caught him surfing www.cbsnews.com to find out whether the Dems took control of the House.
Alex P. Keaton has nothing on Rowan.

Catching Up

I've been awful about posting. Life has gotten away from me, it seems. It's my resolution of the week to post at least once every two days from this point forward.
I often laugh at people who hire cleaning people. In fact, I have used the word "pathetic" to describe people I know who pay good money to others to do what they could do themselves for free.
I am pathetic.
After a recent fruit fly sighting in my house, I have resigned myself to the fact that after working an 80 hour work week, volunteering on three boards, and raising two fabulous children, I simply can not keep my tiny house clean anymore, so I have hired someone to come in and do it for me.
Pathetic. But I can't wait.
On another note, my father's doctor is certainly taking his sweet time starting treatment. Dad had a bone marrow biopsy on Thursday and is getting results Tuesday, with treatment starting immediately after. Evidently, the biopsy will help the doctors come up with the right poison chemo cocktail to give him. Meanwhile, my father is getting weaker and sicker by the day....but I am doing my best to remain optimistic, especially for the boys. They have to think that life is normal.
All prayers appreciated.

Cousins

Rowan and Devon hold Aidyn, their new cousin. I think they like her more than she likes them.....but I could be wrong! 

Thriller

Mom, Devon and Rowan are in costume here, preparing to go to the annual Wausau Dance Theatre production of Thriller.
I produce their soundtrack every year and it's become an annual event we all look forward to. The kids look great in their costumes! My purple and black hair was a hit, too.

Make a Difference Day

This week has been difficult to say the least, finding out with certainty that my father's cancer is back with a vengeance. Definitely the kind of week that makes one want to stay in bed forever.
A small, random act of kindness by a stranger lightened my mood, however, in the Starbucks drive through. Waiting for Devon's Nutcracker rehearsal to end, I decided to indulge in a latte on Thursday. ("Lattes," said Dana, "cure everything.") When I reached the window, the girl in the drive through informed me with a smile that the stranger in the car before me had decided to buy my latte....just because.
That small gesture put a smile on my face for the next two days. Literally.

Snowflak

An actual magnified image of a snowflake. Amazing!

My Sister's House is Famous

Check out this link to the San Jose Mercury News for a story about historic landmarks in San Jose. The house in question for the first two sites listed is my sister's property, and she is doing the restoration. One of Rock & Roll's most famous sites! How cool is that?
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/15790119.htm

Solitude

The darkness in my heart has no end
even in the sunshine, it beckons to me

Though happiness can tease - a new life, new hope
I fall back into the comfort of night.

That place I belong forever escapes me
though part of me searches to fit

Hear the soft tinkle of laughter, I'll paint you a smile
but in the end I remain destined for solitude, alone.

Smart State Rankings for 2006

Vermont comes in first, while Arizona falls dead last. (Wisconsin, by the way, ranks number 8.) The yearly intelligence rankings for states is here - see the list at: http://www.wftv.com/education/10097048/detail.html

Wine Woot!

A website I've always loved is www.woot.com which provides a new special deal every day beginning at Midnight. Some things are so great they sell out by 1AM - others are dogs and take all day.....but regardless, I find myself checking for the Woot of the day every day when I'm up late working.
Out of Beta is the new Wine Woot website, which you'll find at http://wine.woot.com
featuring one wine deal per week. This week's deal is Armida Winery's 2005 Poizin, which I had the good fortune to taste right AT Armida during the area's Passport Weekend. (Don't be fooled by the screw top - I'm told the screw top is the cork of the future, since it isn't prone to drying, cracking, or otherwise fouling up the taste of the wine, and of course you can re-seal the wine if you can't drink a bottle in one sitting.) At any rate, with their famous five dollar shipping, you can't beat the weekly wine woot - make sure you give it a whirl.