Weekend in New England

And Sanjaya is still on American Idol. Sigh! I feel like Henry II when he declared about Thomas a Becket "Will no one rid me of this man?" Not that I want four men to kill Sanjaya while he's doing his hair, but please, for the love of Idol, vote this dude off!

Now back to our regularly scheduled program. Isn't he cute, the dude on the left? That's Logan Marshall-Green, who played Ryan's no-good brother Trey on the O.C. He was also the inspiration for the bad boy character in my new YA, which has no title yet. I haven't written a bad boy character yet, and I'm really excited about it. Dylan, on the surface, seems like the quintessential bad boy, but of course, he has the proverbial heart of gold. And sexy to boot.

I'm off to New England this weekend, hence the reference to the old Barry Manilow song. It's the NEC conference which I'm looking forward to for 2 reasons, I'll get to see my friends, and I won't have to be at work. Pysched for that. I'm not pitching this year, because my new YA is only 70 pages, plus I've already pitched my last two books to the agents who are attending.

Right now, I'm struggling with the issue of historical accuracy. I have a character in my new YA who is from the 11th century, where they didn't speak English the way we do now, plus he's Scottish, means he wouldn't even have spoken English at all but Gaelic or some form of Scots. So I'm having to decide whether or not to do the old trick of having him learn English from watching Oprah and the daytime soaps. Plus, can he read? He's a nobleman, so I'm going to say that yes he has learned the rudiments of reading and writing his name, not just making a big old X on parchment.

Plus were they wearing the plaid in the 11th century? In Braveheart, they did but that's two centuries after my character lived. So I'm going to have to go with Jessica assuming that this character should be wearing it, and disappointed when she learns that it came later. Which could lead to a fun scene where she takes him shopping for a kilt, and he wonders why she wants him to wear woman's clothing. Or her having to explain the whole notion of tartans and clans.

So many things to decide. I've written the first three chapters which I need to edit and condense, and I'm doing the research as I write, instead of beforehand, just because I have a tendency to get bogged down by those things, and I love to research so much that I would spend all my time doing it and not writing. Which as we know is bad if your goal is to one day see your name on a book.

So, there will be no posts here until Sunday.

Slainte!

EKM

Costume Mania

Say hello to my new fake boyfriend Maksim, from Dancing with the Stars. Maks is a Latin Ballroom dancer, meaning he specializes in dances like the Mambo, Cha-Cha, and Jive. Yes, swing dancing is considered a Latin dance, go figure. Sort of like Scorpio is a water sign in Astrology but it lives in the desert, where there is no water.

Maks is partnered with Laila Ali this season, and I have to say Lucky her. Yes, he's cocky and thinks to much of himself but the man can dance, and he's straight! A rare combination, believe me. Anyway, Maks is my boyfriend until the end of Dancing with the Stars when he and Laila win, or until they get booted off for being too good.

What does this have to do with costumes? Well, have you seen the outfits the professional women dancers where? I don't think Edyta has covered her midriff in three seasons. Everything is either backless or frontless. Granted if I had abs like there's I would probably walk around like that too!

No, I love to wear costumes. Part of the reason that I became an actress was so that I could wear costumes. Like the lovely kimono I wore my junior year when I was in the chorus of the Mikado. Of course, wearing a corset sucks, but you really get the feel for the pain and suffering that women went through in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Anyway, I have a costume party to go to this weekend at NEC, where we are supposed to come as a literary character, either from our fiction or someone else's. Normally I would be all over this, but since I'm working two jobs, plus taking ballroom dancing and having a social life, I haven't been able to put as much into it as I might otherwise.

So, I'm kind of cheating. Initially I thought I would go as this character Modesty Blaise because I could just wear a black turtleneck and capri pants the way she does in the books and in the comic. Or I could go as the same character I did for Halloween, Femme Fatale, International Woman of Mystery. Or Anne Boleyn since I do have the costume, but it's incredibly heavy and too hot for time of year, particularly if I'm going to be in a room with lots of people.

But I finally decided on Lady Macbeth. So if you're at NEC, I'll be the one running around with bloody daggers, saying things like 'Out, out damn spot.' Since my YA has something to do with the Scottish Play, I thought it was appropriate.

Thanks for reading!

EKM

Just Can't Catch a Break!

Hey all,

The weather has been absolutely beautiful this past weekend, and of course I have the worst cramps known to man (sorry is that TMI?). I felt so lousy that I skipped the reception at the NYPL for the Teen Awards, which I was bummed to miss because Diana Peterfreund's book 'Secret Society Girl' was chosen as a notable book for 2006.

I tried to go to the Guggenheim on Friday to see the 'El Greco to Picasso' exhibit but the line for tickets was around the block, so I bought one on-line yesterday and went today. Of course, it was just as crowded but at least I didn't have to wait in line. I could just go up to the membership desk and get my ticket.

The exhibit was interesting but weirdly layed out. Instead of chronologically, it was laid out according to subject, Monks, Women, Children, Portraits etc. I would have preferred to have seen the evolution of Spanish painting but it was interesting to see a Picasso painting next to an El Greco. It was also crowded, but the one good thing about the Guggenheim is there is a bathroom on every level. If you've never been to the museum, it's shaped like a Hostess cupcake. You either take the elevator to the top and wind your way down or you start at the bottom and work your way to the top.

After the museum, I headed over to my favorite Vegetarian restaurant, where the waiter forgot to give me my change. And stupid me, I was too preoccupied to notice. So I'm now out $7.00. And then to top it all off, Tyler Florence went off and got married! The bastard! I kid. Not that I had any chance of meeting this dude, but that's another guy off the market. Sheesh.

And the book I'm reading, while really well written and has a good story, also has a product placement on every page. There were some pages where I counted four or five. It got annyoying after awhile. This is why chick-lit gets a bad name. And it also dates the book. I'm still reading it because I want to see how the author ties it up at the end, but there have been moments when I've wanted to chuck it across the room, particularly when she mentioned Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie.

Thanks for reading!

EKM

Thank God It's Friday!

Thank god it's Friday, is all I have to say. This has been like one of the longest weeks of my life it seems. I can't wait for it to be over!

The weather has finally turned nice. Yesterday, it was almost 70 degrees, and today it's supposed to be 50, with a chance of showers, which is better than 20 with snow. So perhaps Spring has finally arrived after all and about time. Perhaps spring fever explains why Sanjaya Malakar is still be allowed to torture us all on American Idol. I can understand that there are people out there who don't like the show, and find it cheesy, but is there any reason to ruin it for those of us who do like it?

I mean sights like 'Vote for the Worst' and Howard Stern encouraging people to vote for Sanjaya. It's not fair to him, and not fair to us to have to listen to him butcher another song week after week. And now he's going on the Idol tour because he made the top 10. That's just cruel. Supposedly tweens adore him because he's so not threatening. There was a 13 year old girl in the audience they kept cutting to who was crying like the Beatles had arrived. He's like the perfect tween crush. He reminds me of this teen idol Tony DeFranco of the DeFranco family.

They had a few hit songs in the '70's. They were like the Italian Canadian version of the Osmonds or the Jackson 5. I personally didn't have a crush on him, being more of a David Cassidy/Donny Osmond fan, but I could see why girls liked him. He was totally non-threatening. His voice hadn't even changed yet. But at least Tony DeFranco could sing which is more than I can say for Sanjaya.

So please American put us all out of our misery and vote Sanjaya off next week.

Thanks for reading!

EKM

Wednesday Meme - The Book List

I'm sick (again) and I have absolutely no engergy. I've also just lost a good friend due to a complete failure on my part, so I'm not quite a real blogging mood. So I found this meme on Kelly Para's site and it seemed like fun.

Instructions: In the list of books below:
Bold the ones you’ve read
Italicize the ones you want to read
Mark in RED the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole
Put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf
Mark an asterisk (*) beside the ones you’ve never heard of
Mark with # if you've seen the movie

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) #
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) #
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) #
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) #
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) #
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) #
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) #
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) #
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) #
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) #
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerors's Stone (Rowling) #
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald) *
18. The Stand (Stephen King) #
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban #(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) #
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) #
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) #
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) #
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) #
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) #
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) #
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) (Ayn Rand scares me)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) #
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) # (several versions)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) #
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) #
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) #
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) #
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)*
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) #
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) #
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) #
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) #
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy) #
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) #
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. *One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) # (well I've seen the musical several times, does that count)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) (actually read it in french)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) #
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) #
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. *The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. *Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) #
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) #
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) #
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer) #
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) #
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) #
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) #
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford) #
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

I've read at least a 1/4 of these books, and I consider myself well-read. Clearly I've also seen alot of the movie versions!

Thanks for reading,

EKM

Cinderella's Castle

Here is something interesting. You know Cinderella's Castle at Disney World. Well, guess what? Now some very lucky guests can. Unused space in Walt Disney World's Cinderella Castle has been turned in to the "Suite of a Million Dreams." Here's how it works: at some random place at one of the Disney properties at some random time, a winner will be selected to spend that night in the suite. Though it's said to be random, I'm sure there are some very wealthy fathers out there who would do anything for their daughter to crash in the castle, and Disney would probably welcome these suggestions. The estimated value of the one night stay is only $587.



And what's the deal with the toilet? I'm all for authenticity but would you really want to sit on that? It looks like stone. I imagine it as being really cold, and the wood panelling in the bathroom is a little weird.

From the press release: "The architecture of the castle, the Cinderella story and the suite are all interwoven," said Stephen Silvestri, the Walt Disney Imagineering show producer/director who led a team of designers and craftsmen in the dream makeover. "We want our guests to feel as though they are inside our castle but also immersed within the fantasy realm of the Cinderella story."
In the foyer of the suite, guests will discover a design of the fairytale pumpkin coach in the marble floor inlay. A memorable artifact from the story, the famous glass slipper, adorns a cove. And through the doorway, the bedchamber and salon are appointed with furnishings in the style of the era of "the Louies," as Silvestri refers to the French rulers of the period inspiring the castle and Cinderella story. Nooks showcase clocks, porcelain and accessories befitting the period. Doors are richly detailed; the walls are covered with wood panels and wall coverings. In the bathroom, hand-decorated copper basins sit atop the vanity, recalling a time when fresh water was carried to the bedchamber.

Despite all the careful attention to centuries-old details, the amenities of the Cinderella Castle Suite are definitely 21st century. There's a lavish garden tub plus a shower. There are also wheelchair accessible bathroom and bedroom facilities and elevator access to the suite. As for an ornately framed, 17th-century-style portrait of Cinderella above a regal fireplace in the bedchamber: it magically changes into a modern, 21st-century flat-screen television.

"We want to balance the practical realities within the fantasy place to make the experience truly a dream-come-true for our guests," Silvestri said.


Thanks for reading!

EKM

What Color Green Are You?

You Are Emerald Green

Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you. Inside, you are very emotional and moody - though you don't let it show. People usually have a strong reaction to you... profound love or deep hate. But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There's something naturally harmonious about you.

What Color Green Are You?

Partying like it's 1969!

Hey, I can't believe it's Sunday already, and I have to go to work tomorrow! Where did the weekend go?

I worked Friday night at my night job until the ungodly hour of 3:30 a.m. Yes, you heard me, 3:30. By the time I got home, it was 4, and by the time I was ready to sleep it was almost 5 a.m. which meant that I didn't get up until almost 1:30 in the afternoon. I couldn't believe that I slept that long but clearly I was tired. But that meant that I spent the rest of the day scrambling to run errands before my nighttime activities.

Library books had to be returned (and a new library card gotten. I lost mine by leaving it in the self-service check out machines at one of the main branches), laundry picked up, food eaten, and an appropriate outfit purchased. Because you see, I was going out dancing Saturday night. And not to just any old club like Marquee or Butter where celebrities hang out, but to Subway Soul.

Subway Soul is a groovy dance party that plays music only from the 60's. And not just any music, they play Motown and Northern Soul. The venue is in the East Vilage on E. 11th Street. The dance party is only on the 3rd Saturday of every month. We had the best time. My friend and I got there at 11 p.m. and they almost didn't let us in because we didn't have I.D. Both of us couldn't believe that the bouncer wasn't going to let us in. I mean we look good for our age, but we clearly look like we're over 21!

I wore a new dress that I bought at Macy's which looked vaguely like Pucci. We danced for like two hours before we finally called it quits, and only because the dance floor was getting really crowded. The drinks were cheap, and there were tons of cute guys there, and dancing. Truly awesome.

So today, I'm wiped. I watched the first two episodes of the BBC Robin Hood which is way cool, and then Giada's Weekend Adventures where she visits Charleston. Now I'm at work, writing Hybrid Ads until the wee hours of the morning.

Thanks for reading,

EKM

Thank God It's Friday

Just a little man candy to distract from the fact that it's totally disgusting outside today. Last night it rained, and today we have slushy rainy snow that's just messy and disgusting. I am so ready for winter to be over.

I want to wear cute dresses, and my open-toed pumps again. Not snow boots and huge sweaters. I ate two slices of pizza for dinner tonight, telling myself, I need the insulation against the cold!

Well, I've written 40 pages of my new YA, and already I now that I'm going to have to alot of editing. I try not to edit myself too much during the first draft. I find it's better for me if I let the book find it's shape.

I'm taking notes on the places where I'm going to need to do some research. I have to say that I'm really enjoying creating this little world.

My heroine gets a summer acting intership at a theater festival in CT, so not only do I figure out what plays they are going to be doing for the summer, but also the class schedule. I spent a summer 10 years ago, studying at the Royal National Theater studio, and we were in class from 8:30 in the morning until 5 or 6 at night. This is my heroine's first immersion in what it's like to be involved with a professional theater company, as opposed to doing plays in high school, so she's feeling a little overwhelmed and out of her depth.

I love making discoveries along the way while I write, even though I do now do an outline before I start so that I have a general idea of where the story is going to go. But so far, I've already been thrown a curve by a character who wasn't supposed to be that prominent who has now asserted himself, and demanded a bigger role. He's a bad boy, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes.

thanks for reading,

EKM

She's Here!

Yes, the new Buffy comic arrives today! Guess who'll be hitting midtown comics to grab an issue at lunch time? That would be me folks. I've been waiting for this first issue ever since it was announced way back in October that Joss Whedon was working with Dark Horse Comics to create what would have been the 8th Season of Buffy if the show had continued.

I've missed Buffy. Other shows have come along that have become Must-see TV for me like Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty, but Buffy will always have a special place in my heart. I didn't become a Buffy fan until way into the first season, but was I saw that first episode, I couldn't wait for the next week.

I'm firmly in the Spike camp on who I would have preferred to see Buffy with. Maybe because she changed his life. Their story was the classic bad boy falls in love with good girl, and wants to change to win her. In Spike's case that was getting his soul back.

Now, not only do I have the Buffy comic to look forward to each month, but also the Buffy Sing-Alongs, this generation's answer to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Buffy Sings is the web-site, if you want to see if it's coming to your town. 'Once More With Feeling' was the musical episode of Buffy, and Buffy Sings in the audience participation event that is sweeping the nation. Even Joss Whedon is amazed, and frankly a little creeped out by it.

I went a month ago to the IFC here in Greenwich Village to see it, and I had the best time. If you love Buffy, it's something that you should experience.

As for me, excuse while I sneak off to get my copy of Buffy 8.

Thanks for reading,

EKM

To Sequel or Not To Sequel

Entertainment Weekly, my bible for all things entertainment oriented, had an interesting article on line last week about sequels in books, and whether or not they were really necessary. Let's think about this shall we? There's a whole cottage industry of writers who written sequel after sequel to Jane Austen's novels, not to mention featuring Jane her self as a Regency sleuth. But the most famous sequel of all was Alexandra Ripleys' Scarlett.

The Margaret Mitchell estate personally picked Alexandra Ripley to write the sequel to Gone With The Wind, and I can only think that Margaret Mitchell must have been rolling in her grave when she heard that, especially if she could have read the book. Frankly, I couldn't finish it because I think it was absolutely atrocious, and for some reason I have two copies of it, neither of which I bought I might add. As far as I was concerned there was no reason for this book to exist except to make money for all concerned. The great thing about Gone With The Wind, is imaging what happened next, whether or not Scarlett was going to end up with Rhett and how. No book was ever going to come close to whatever scenario we cooked up in our heads, and that was part of the problem. Sure the book made money but I dont' think anyone will be reading Scarlett a hundred years from how the way they're still reading GWTW.

As for the sequels and continuations to other works of literature I have to ask why? Okay, it's one thing to write a book about the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked), which totally reimagined what we thought about Elphaba or Rebecca, but it's another to keep writing sequels and prequels to books like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Maybe it's just me, but who cares? Does anyone want to read what happend to Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye grows up? Or Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter?

I suppose there is a comfort for some readers to revisit their favorite characters, but that's why you re-read the book. To relive that experience when you fell in love with those characters in the first place.

I feel the same way about certain series like Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. For me the series ended when Claire and Jamie reunited. That's all I cared about. Their adventures in the Caribbean or doing the American Revolution? Don't care! Their daughter Brianna and her beau going back in time? Don't care either. As long as Claire and Jamie were together and happy, so was I. Of course, other people feel differently which is why she's now on what? Book 6?

Now, I just read that Andrew Lloyd Webber wants to produce and write a sequel to his musical Phantom of the Opera. Did her learn nothing from Annie II or the sequel to Bye Bye Birdie? Hey Grease II was a hoot, but you don't see anyone wanting to put that up on stage. Back away from the piano, Lord Lloyd Webber. Do us all a favor, buy some more paintings or better yet, try composing something completely original!

Thanks for reading!

EKM

Reworking and Rethinking

Today, I watched this really awful Hilary Duff film called Raise Your Voice about a girl who goes to a summer music program in Los Angeles. It's sort of a fish out of water story, since Hilary's character came from the backwater of Flagstaff, AZ (this is the movie's contention, not mine). As I said, the movie was pretty horrible, but it did get me thinking about the YA that I'm in the process of outlining.

Right now, my heroine Jessie, has been accepted as an intern at the Ardsley Theater Festival. She's having to deal with other interns who have more experience than she does, an agents etc. Right now, she lives in the same town as the festival, in fact, it's on the campus of Gillette College which is where her mother works, and where she's planning on going to college.

My plan was that both she and her mother end up getting involved with actors at the festival, but that might be a bit much, and totally unnecessary. I thought that might be a neat twist, having to deal with her mother dating again, but I can always save that for another book. Somehow it doesn't quite fit.

But I've been thinking that maybe I need to take away, and have it that she's away from home at this festival, and doesn't have that support system readily available. Something also happens to her at this festival, that she's trying to hide from the other actors.

So, I guess I'm going to have to do what they did in the Princess Diaries movie, and get rid of the Mom, apart from a few phone calls during the program. This wasn't any easy decision, but it makes the most sense, plus it gets rid of an extra character!

Thanks for reading,

EKM

Trying something sort of new

I decided to try something new, well newish for me. It's been a long time since I've written a straight up romance, so to get my feet wet again, I've decided to try and write a novella, specifically for the Bravo New Author contest.

I had an idea in my head which perfectly suited the theme of reunited lovers, and it was something that couldn't really be sustained over the course of a novel, but was perfectly suited to a shorter word count.

Since the average length of a novella is between 100-140 pages, I'm aiming towards the longer length for this. I can always cut it later. I figure 140 = 10 chapters of 14 pages each, which is easy for me to break down in terms of what happens in each chapter to escalate the action.

I actually started writing yesterday and was surprised to find 8 pages on my computer by the end of the day. Of course, they are incredibly rough. I need to go back in the second draft and layer on more emotion and description. Right now, it's just the bare bones.

My hero is Australian just because I'm in an Australian frame of mind right now, and I find Australian men incredibly sexy. Plus they're total Alpha Males and in my story both characters are Alpha, which is my favorite thing to write. I've written Beta females before and a Beta Male, but there's nothing like two Alpha's going at it.

Thanks for reading,

EKM

New Real Estate Porn

Yes, it is the 2007 Edition of Real Estate Porn! I know how much you've all missed me blogging about the apartments that I can't possibly afford. This one however has historical significance because it's the Dakota, the landmark apartment building that was once the home to John Lennon and Rosemary's baby. Now, it's speculated that TomKat maybe buying Leonard Bernstein's old apartment for a whopping $25 Million dollars. Yes, you read right $25 Million dollars, which could possibly buy you a whole town in Georgia (see Kim Basinger) or two townhouses in Greenwich Village.

Of course, this is just a rumor, but if it's true, it makes sense. The Dakota is heavily guarded since John Lennon was killed. And TomKat would be neighbors with not only Yoko, but Lauren Bacall and Roberta Flack. The Dakota is so famous that a whole book was written about it, by Stephen Birmingham. The legend has it that the building was named the Dakota because when it was built it was so far north that it seemed like living in the Dakotas. This was back in the day when most people didn't live further north than 57th Street.

At the time the Dakota was built, there was just Central Park. The building was full service with an elevator that was so big you could drive your carriage into it and be delivered to your door! Of course those days are over, and the huge apartments that once existed in the building have been carved down.

I read an article in The New York Times about a guy who raised his family in basically a loft apartment in the attic of the building, what had once been a maid's room. He still owns the apartment and uses it as like a studio. I saw the pictures, this place was tiny, but it's in The Dakota.

So, tell the truth, if you won Mega Millions, would you spend $25MM to live in the same building as Yoko?

Thanks for reading,

EKM

This and That

Nothing much going on here, just revising and doing some character work on my next YA novel. Can I just say that I am totally in love with my DVR? I can't believe that it took me so long to get one! The ease of which I can just go to the guide and set things to tape, just by clicking select. But the best thing, is that not only can I tape something on another channel, while I'm watching something else, but I can also tape two shows that are on at the same time? How cool is that?

The only thing that would make my life better is if I had BBC America. I thought I had it, but then it went away, so now my goal is to get upgraded so that I can watch the new Robin Hood which looks totally cool. I've always loved the story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian. One of the first computer games that I ever played was a Robin Hood game.

Oh, and in celebrity excess du jour, Kanye West just spent $4,000 to get Indian food sent from Wales! Like there are no good Indian restaurants in either New York or Chicago! I'm sure that in a way, Mr. West is contributing to the economy of Wales by spending this money, but sometimes I think celebrities just do stuff like this, just because they can.

Hey, Disney, in their quest for world domination, has just started a new travel company (or maybe it's old I don't know) called Adventures by Disney. If I hadn't had to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I would never have know of it, but it looks pretty cool, and it's a way from them to get more dollars from people who are bored going to the theme parks.

Oh, and on General Hospital, I'd like to know how a six-month pregnant woman never had to pee while being held hostage for over 12 hours. I mean if Julia Roberts, who is only like five months pregnant, had to pee twice during Oprah's Oscar special, I can't believe Elizabeth Webber didn't have to go once. Did Mr. Craig scare the pee out of her?

Speaking of Oprah's Oscar special, I'm still in love with George Clooney! He cooked a burger for Julia on his little outdoor grill! And god, doesn't he look gorgeous? I know he kind of has commitment issues, but I still adore him.

And Mary Louise Parker and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are dating, which is kind of cute since they both have three names. I've never been a huge fan of MLP, but I felt for her when Billy Crudup left her for Clare Danes when she was 8 months pregnant. But the karma wheel goes around, because not only did she win multiple awards for her work on Angels in America but she also ended up with Denny from Grey's Anatomy! Meanwhile Clare Danes dumped Billy when he wouldn't commit, which just goes to show, that you can't trust a cheater.

I also definitely co-won the Oscar pool at my night job for a grand total of $35 which will just about pay for my lunches this week.

Thanks for reading!

EKM

Thoughts on Oscar

So, it appears that I won (or co-won) the Oscar pool this year at my night job. Which is pretty funny since I totally didn't get Best Supporting Actor. I was so sure that Eddie Murphy was going to pull off a miracle and make it three African-American actors winning on Oscar night instead of two (not that two is such a bad thing, but it's not three). Instead Adam Arkin won, which I'm not sad about because he's a good actor.

But hey, does anyone really watch the Oscars to see who won? Seriously after all the awards shows that lead up to the Oscars, is anyone really in doubt about who is going to win the major awards. Apart from the Alan Arkin upset, all the winners had won every single award that was given out from the film critics awards, through the BAFTA's. Helen Mirren is going to have to get a new house for all the awards that she won.

No, I watch the Oscars to see what people are wearing, and even though most of the women who attend look great, there's always someone who is not quite right. I'm thinking of Cameron Diaz in a dress that looked like Valentino made it out of the tablecloth on his dining room table, or Nicole Kidman in a dress that made her look like an overripe tomato.

Loved JLo's dress, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Reese Witherspoon certainly looked like she's gotten over Ryan Phillipe, and didn't Naomi Watts look cute in her little yellow maternity dress? But what was up with the publicist from Escada annoucing her pregnancy for her?

Thought Ellen Degeneres was just okay, and the whole show went on for so long, I really didn't care by the time The Departed One. Loved the whole Jack Black/John C. Reilly/Will Ferrell melody, particularly their riff on how hot Helen Mirren is. I swear she couldn't buy publicity like that. She and Diane Keaton make turning sixty look like it might not be such a bad thing.

If only they had let Sascha Baron Cohen come out as Borat to present!

Thanks for reading!

EKM