Magic Castle

Susan and I sent another lovely Saturday night at the Magic Castle, thank you very much Susan's dad.

I went dress shopping for the event. I love dress shopping. Man, being in a sorority really changes a person. I suppose I should consider it a blessing in disguise that we only go twice a year to the Magic Castle, otherwise I might go dress shopping a lot more often.

Anyways, back to the Magic Castle. No celebrity sitings this time around, but there was some great entertainment. The host in the Palace, David Deeble, was hilarious. We also saw a mentalist in the Hat and Hare Lounge. Susan seemed unimpressed by his ability to guess the card she had in her hand, but I ate it up. If I try and think about it logically, I'll just be disappointed and/or confused.

So, I have been noticing that the performers in the Palace are getting younger, or rather we have seen a lot of young performers in that room. Remember that Mickey Mouse magician, he was like 18 years old! So yeah, I feel highly underaccomplished in my life. Also, I'm thinking how can I seduce one of these magicians (not the 18 year old, that would be weird) because I'd like to marry a member of the Magic Castle so I can go there all the time. And then I could go dress shopping all the time! Ah! I like this dream.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies is one of my favorite shows. I could watch it over again and not grow bored of it. Bryan Fuller has this way of creating shows that I love. However, Pushing Daisies is different than Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls, it is more fairytale and dreamy.

Ned is a pie maker who owns The Pie Hole. His own mother loved to make pies, after she died when Ned was 10 years old Ned was sent to a boarding school by his father. Ned would sneak into the kitchen at night to bake himself a pie to remind him of his mother, and so his love for pie making begins. However, pie making is only his day job, he works with a private investigator, Emerson Cod, solving murders.

Ned has a secret.

The reason his pies taste so good and the reason he is good at solving murders is because he can bring life to dead things. Bad fruit becomes ripe and murder victims come back to life when he touches them. Two conditions exist.
- The first is that first touch means life, second touch means dead again, forever.
- The second is that if Ned keeps someone alive for more than 60 seconds, someone else dies in his/her place.

Ned has only kept three living things alive longing than 60 seconds.
1) his dog, Digby. When Ned is 10, Digby is hit by a semi, and when Ned goes to see him he touches him and discovers he has brought his dog back to life.
2) his mother. After she died suddenly in their kitchen, Ned brings his mother back with his newly discovered ability. In her place, his neighbor dies. Later that day, Ned discovers the first condition when his mom kisses him good night only to be made dead again when she touches him.
3) Chuck, aka Charlotte Charles, Ned's childhood friend and sweetheart. After her father died the same day Ned's mother died (Chuck doesn't know Ned killed her father), they are torn apart when Ned is sent to boarding school. They are reunited as adults at a mortuary after Chuck is killed on a cruise. Ned can't bring himself to make her dead again because he selfishly wishes for her to be with him. So begins a story of two people who love each other but are unable to physically touch.

The series follows Ned, Emerson Cod, and Chuck as they investigate murders of bizarre proportions. Season 1 examples include death by crash test dummy and death by scratch 'n sniff. Additional characters include Olive Snook, played by Kristen Chenoweth, the waitress at The Pie Hole who is hopelessly in love with Ned. Lily and Vivian Charles, Chuck's hermit aunts who take her in when her father dies, in earlier days they were a popular synchronized swimming duo known as the Darling Mermaid Darlings.

The show is narrated by Jim Dale. Between his audiobook recordings of the Harry Potter series and this show I have basically fallen in love with this man's voice.

I also find Ned very dreamy. And I would like to have Chuck's closet.

One of my favorite quotes from the show, from episode Girth:
Olive: "How do you know I'm still single?"
Mamma Jacobs: "Well, you wouldn't need all that bait if your belly was full, dear."

Unfortunately, Pushing Daises only survived two half-length seasons on ABC. Since TGIF ended, well more like since Boy Meets World ended because ABC tried to make TGIF last after that but I can't remember any show from that line-up worth recalling. Anyways, since Boy Meets World ended I have not been a fan of ABC series. Pushing Daisies could have been the start of a wonderful round two for me and ABC, but then ABC went and destroyed the show I love. ABC, you and I may be through for good this time.
The only saving grace is that the episodes were sold to the WB and are available online for viewing here so I can recommend it to all of the people I love. I've already sucked AJ and Steph S. into the show...Have you watched it?

b-a-n-a-n-a-s

Today is a warm day here in Fontucky, a day perfect for banana ice cream and a Summer 2010 mix. Thank you friends :)

I have kept a distance from the kitchen for quite some time now. I am not entirely sure why, but I speculate that the absence of friends who love cooking is partially to blame. In college it was always "let's make dinner!" and now it's like "where should we go for dinner?" My sister loves to bake, so there are always sweets in the house. It actually feels like college all over again, in that regard. However, even in college I was never big on baking.

So, what can get me back into the kitchen? A recipe so simple that I am challenged to take it up and succeed. Failure is not a good starting point for me in the kitchen, so I needed something so easy I couldn't fail. Big thanks to i ate everything for providing the recipe.

Step 1: cut a banana into slices
Step 2: place banana slices on plate, and place plate in freezer for an hour
Step 3: place frozen banana slices in food processor

Step 4: process that stuff up
Step 5: add any additional ingredients for bonus flavor

I added some marshmallow creme (leftover from my sweet potato fries) and peanut butter.
Step 6: eat


The marshmallow creme didn't mix up very smoothly, but other than that little snag things went very well for me today. As I said to Steph, it is blade licking delicious. Just be careful not to hurt yourself if you do lick the blades. I can't imagine there being anything worse than a cut tongue.

On a related note, on Sunday I thought about making gnocchi. It will be done soon, my friends. Diana comes into town around my birthday, so maybe there is a nice, homemade Italian dinner in our future

Conan the legally prohibited from being funny on television tour

Angel and I embark on the greatest Vegas trip to date.


Break from food. Just when I started to delve into the actual content this blog promises...I know you'll forgive me. And, I already have plans to try this, so stay tuned.

Remember that time I gripped about not seeing Conan when he hosted the Tonight Show because my tickets became void when the show was cancelled?

Yesterday, all was made right.


As luck would have it, Angel and I were able to see him last night at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas at no cost to us. True story, I am truly basking in the Vegas hook-ups.

dinner at Dal Toro Ristorante: $0
floor seats to see Conan live: $0

Yes, life is good for the unemployed college graduate every so often. Spontaneity has become a way of life.

So how was the show? In a word: awesome.

The opening act, Reggie Watts, was hilarious. He has a kind of Flight of the Conchords vibe to him with his musical comedy.

The band was energetic and lively, they are so musically talented. I kind of wish they played another song before Conan came out because they are so good.

Conan was better than expected. The individual who acquired the free tickets for us is not a Conan fan and actually had no intentions of going to the show. We convinced him to stay and he left with new respect for Conan. The musical offerings of Conan were very enjoyable and the banter between him and Andy Richter is always comedic. The costume changes allowed him to break out of the primetime TV mold, and the videos scattered throughout poked fun at his termination, unemployment, and the unnamed network execs responsible without being too over the top.

And finally, Deon Cole, the mid-show performer, was hilarious. I was laughing so hard.

The part I most enjoyed? The Walker Texas clips. My favorite segment from Late Night, I was so sad this segment did not make it to the Tonight Show, but am most appreciative of it being on the tour. That Walker, so funny.

So here are some pictures:
La Bamba being licked by Conan


Mike Tyson makes a cameo


I stared at him long enough, I am certain the guy on the right is Lonny Ross.


I feel like someone should pinch me just to make sure I am not dreaming.

Upland Lemon Festival

I thought I'd mix things up a bit and talk about something other than TV and movies. I can hear you gasping in surprise. I was just thinking that there is a world that exists outside Hollywood productions, and you deserve to see it. That's right, I left my house, all for you. You can thank me in the form of comments praising my post and acknowledging my bravery.

The truth is actually that the Hooly and Cindy Show is now officially in production. "The what now?" The Hooly and Cindy Show is the internet project Hooly and I are working on in an effort to kill boredom while exploring the jewel that is the I.E. The first episode had no forethought or preparation, I just knew if we didn't do something soon we'd never do something because our habit of procrastination and laziness would control our inaction. Therefore, enjoy but don't be too critical. Just critical enough that we feel motivated to do another show that is better.



Check out our official blog here.

Glee: Madonna

Currently listening to Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna.
Since I saw the pilot episode last May I have been in love with this show, and the music and performances just keep getting better.
I do have one question, is Finn's total discomfort with dancing and performing a character flaw or an actor flaw. I've given Cory the benefit of the doubt because he is cute and maybe dating Taylor Swift, but what do you think?
Also, Will and Emma, can they be together or will Terry come back?

Date Night

I have been awaiting this day for quite sometime. Date Night is finally here! Steve Carell and Tina Fey are finally together and all is well in the world.
I recognize that since I love both Steve Carell and Tina Fey, it's really hard for me to not give a biased positive review of this movie, but I'll try.
On screen chemistry between Steve and Tina (yeah, we're on a first name basis) is great. The characters they play, Phil and Claire Foster, are a New Jersey suburban couple with two children and respectable jobs. The have a comfortable relationship, but you kind of get the impression that they are "great roommates" and no longer an in-love couple. After two of their close friends decide to split because they realize they make great roommates but not a great couple, the Fosters start to wonder if they aren't just like their friends.
In an attempt to mix things up and reignite the flame, they decide to be less predictable on their regular date night and head into the city. When Phil decides to take another couples reservation at a fabulous seafood restaurant, the couple soon discovers that the people they are posing as have been up to some blackmailing and their night turns into a giant game of crazy.
Needless to say, the evening definitely takes them out of the boring pattern of life they were living into something else. The else includes several visits to the shirtless apartment of Hollbrooke (Mark Wahlberg), a sweet vehicle chase that ends with Phil in the New York Harbor, and into a strip club where Claire poses as a stripper/high-class prostitute--complete with a hilarious pole dance scene.
I loved the movie. Grant it the plot line was a bit ridiculous at times, they play a charming couple struggling to light the fire again and that makes them relateable and lovable.
Conclusion Fey and Carell are lovable just because they are, and this movie is great because everything they touch is gold. I'm so glad I saw this movie and I am so glad it didn't disappoint. The reviews have been pretty good, too (EW gave it a B).

AND, the preview segment included a preview for Sex and the City 2! Wow, this totally has me interested in seeing the movie. The details have all been kind of vague up to this point, but OMG, Aiden is back and there might just be some more love triangle problems between Big, Carrie, and Aiden. SCANDALOUS.