Big Night Tonight

Tonight is Academy Award Night.  After all the years of watching it, I never am never bored with the parade of gowns and the glint of jewels.  For the average woman, after Prom, how often  do you get to wear a ball gown?  The Awards used to be "the" change to walk the red carpet and pull out the glam one more time.  Today, there is a award show every month.  There's very little build up anymore.  But, I am a loyal fan.  I will be on the couch, in my jammies, with my iced tea scoping out the hits and misses.  OK, George Clooney and Brad Pitt, I'll check out a couple tuxes too. Just on the side here, don't you think Brad looked better when he was with Jennifer?  Remember the shaggy Scooby Doo beard?

There are few actresses today that can display the glamour of Old Hollywood.  Catherine Zeta Jones is one of them.  That woman is ravishingly beautiful. 

The other part of it is that we don't know every iota of trivial information about her.  Good.  I don't want to.   That's why I can't add Angelina Joli to that list.  In the "Brad Years", she has become more dignified and dresses  better.  It's not that I am a Team Jennifer person, which I was, because look at Elizabeth Taylor, that husband stealing hussy, and  'm still a fan of hers.   No, with Angie (that's what George calls her so I will too.) it was that bit about kissing her brother like a drunken sailor and that other thing of wearing a vial of blood around her neck when she was married to Billy Bob or maybe it was the other husband.  I didn't need to know that and the kiss, well, some things you can't unsee.  I know "OLD" Hollywood is gone.  This is NEW Hollywood.  But just for tonight, I want to see oodles of glitz and miles of glamour.  

A lot is said about Ann Hathaway having old Hollywood glamour.   I don't see it.  I could be wrong.  I think she is usually dressed appropriately.  No fake flower hands grabbing her boobs.  No side cleavage. I'll have my eye on her tonight.  Having said that, I don't get the hosts this year.  Ann and James Franco.  Really?   We'll see.  Billy Crystal is a hard act to follow and to me, the only person who has come close is Hugh Jackman.

I've seen most of the movies.  I've got my ballot marked.  My biggest problem is that Amazing Race is on at the same time.  I don't have a DVR so I will be flipping for a while.  My team needs my support too.

Love and My Transister Radio

I woke up this morning with a migraine.  Actually, this was the first time that I had a dream in which, I had a migraine. Weird. So I downed my prescription meds and went back to sleep.  After the headache is gone, my brain still feels kind of bruised, so I usually lay on the couch with the curtains closed and listen to Pandora radio Motown,  on my computer, eyes closed, ....very low.

Today that brought to mind lying in bed when I was 12 -13 years old with the transistor radio I had gotten for Christmas.  That radio came in a brown leather case and never left my side through my high school years.  I have been a music lover since Elvis kissed  his hound dog on Ed Sullivan.

Of course, back then, there was only AM Radio.  Being from Michigan we could pick up some Canadian radio.  CKLW, out of Windsor,  became "the" station to tune in.  WTRX (trix to us) or WTAC (pronounced wee tac) then.  I'm sure everyone has their own memories of how important the sound track to our lives was.  Like your boyfriend's British Sterling or Dad's Old Spice can conjure an instant image, so can hearing  "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen or "A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procul Harum".

My best friend lived across the street from me so all summer long, we were at one or the other's house for dinner and to spend the night.  That radio was always on.  How we wanted to call in dedications to one or another loves of our lives.  Of course, those boys didn't know that.  It was love from afar.  Those calls were long distance and that was nothing to take lightly.  You had to have permission to call long distance.  Only once did we ever do that.  I still remember the song.  It was "Are you Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis from all the Montrose girls to all the Montrose boys.  There!  That should show them!  They'll wish they had asked us out now.  I think we were about 14.

At 14 I started High School and dating.  The sleepovers with her became less and less.  She was 2 years older than me and was not allowed to go to dances and movies due to her family's faith.  We stayed close friends but I grew away from the idea of those radio requests.  The music then became background for dates, dances, parties, and young love and breakups.  It filled summertime cars that were cruising, and rushing to work to  serve ice cream and hot dogs to classmates that lined up at the service window, on Saturday nights.  Those transistor radios were still on,  in the background.

My sister will still call me when she hears on her radio, "We'll Sing In the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett.  It was the breakup song from my first love as a High School Freshman.  We laugh every time.  Actually, maybe she's laughing at me about it.It was a breakup song about my Freshman boyfriend.  After dating all football season, ( wore the varsity jacket and sprayed Ambush on it. ) he broke up with me to date my best friend. ( No not the neighbor) She and I remained friends and they later married.  Weren't  we mature?  I did the typical thing of sending her to talk to him for me.  That was the last time I made that mistake. We remained friends through graduation. ( She's the one with the T-Bird from another post.)  It just occurred to me that if I was 14, my sister was 11. Why does she remember this? hmmm? I think there is a sadistic joy there somewhere.  Kidding....

I love those little trips down memory lane when I'm listening to the radio or my ipod.  They can trigger anything.  "Sweet Child of Mine"  by Guns & Roses reminds me of the tanner when I was going for a Vegas trip.  It can be anything.  You never know when you'll  get to go on a little time travel journey.