"oh, Fozzy didn't tell you about the icy patch."

If you've never seen 'A Muppet Family Christmas', I am sad for your child self. It's one of those priceless old shows that has gotten lost over time, but has only gotten better and better. Jim Hensen even makes an appearance at the end.

the joy that is reality television

The husband and I thought 'Law & Order' was on tv last night, but we were wrong- it was the premiere of 'Momma's Boy' instead. The premise is pretty plain: three attractive, mother-smothered young men get to choose from a pack of 30 women- but the whole time, their mothers live with all the women and constantly have their hands in the process. The first 40 minutes played out like 'The Bachelor', except with three young men instead of one, and noticeably younger and overly emotional women. And then, AND THEN, this gem of a mom surfaced:



This is, at the same time, ridiculous and brilliant. Just in case we get bored of watching one man form relationships with multiple women, we can turn to the other two and THEIR multiple relationships. And if THAT'S not enough, there's always Mrs. B and her outspoken, obnoxious wackness. It's like watching a train wreck! I want to look away, and I probably should, but I just can't tear my eyes off the scene!

p.s. This combines two of my favorite things. I have no shame in loving this kind of tv.

"What Would Jesus Buy?"

This documentary is a little bit frantic and schizo, but it brings up a whole lot of important and interesting questions. And, of course, Reverend Billy's hair makes it all worth it. Go put it on your queue.

A New Experience

A week or two ago, I wanted to see Rachel Getting Married and whined my husband into going with me on one of our shared "the stars have aligned" days off. This movie wasn't widely released, but he tracked down a theater fairly close to us that advertised "bargain rates" in the afternoon, so we went for the 2:00 show.

First thing: their movie posters are not paper movie posters- they are snazzy screens that change over every few seconds. And just inside the doors, past the ticket desk, is a beautiful glowing bar. It felt like walking into a swanky hotel or something.

And then we discovered that "bargain rates" = $9/ticket. WHAT? In what universe is that a bargain? And then the guy asked if we wanted to upgrade to VIP seating for an additional $3 each. My husband says, in all seriousness, "so why would I want to upgrade to VIP seating?" The guy gives him a look like, "are you mocking me? Because this is my job, and my boss is somewhere behind me so I have to offer you this nonsense." And my husband says, "no seriously, why is VIP seating so great?" So the kid mumbles something about bigger seats, and a server serving right up until the movie starts, and we say no thanks and move on.

A mere 20 feet away, we come across a broad, curved wall with these magical words: "COMPLIMENTARY POPCORN". Really. The pop and popcorn were FREE. And there, my friends, was the bargain. If you were planning on buying popcorn anyway, you'd totally break even. And then, inside the theater, we walked past the VIP section (very clearly marked), sat one row behind it, and gazed longingly at those cushy recliners with their wee beverage tables. It's like walking through business class on an international flight on the way to your half-the-size seat in coach. And you just know those suckers in business class FULLY recline for a restful trip, while you will most likely have the head of the guy in front of you right under your nose for 6 1/2 hours when he reclines his seat before takeoff.

All I'm saying is, the next time you come to Denver, we will go. And we most definitely will sit in the VIP section and sip cocktails (probably not so free) and stuff ourselves with complimentary popcorn.

Can it be true?!

Just scroll down a little to the video.

p.s. we are in East Texas and the food is unhealthy and delicious, and the air is sweet and thunderstormy.

a mere observation

After watching several months' worth of political media coverage, it's incredible to me just how many people seem to invest their money, time, hearts, and souls in a political figure. Any political figure. In a time where "religion" is deemed archaic and outdated, there is little left to place all one's hope in besides a politician, and sometimes that politician becomes a religion. This is heartbreaking to me- I can't imagine focusing all my hopes and dreams on a fallible human being who claims he or she meet all your expectations, but cannot be depended on to actually do so. Jesus is my only hope. Life is so bleak otherwise, and no politician, government, nonprofit organization, rock star, or celebrity is going to save us.

In a similar vein: have you ever been to a concert that feels something akin to a worship service? When a group of people who all love a band or an artist come together to just enjoy the experience, that mass of individuals can so easily become one entity. Concerts like that are mostly emotional, but sometimes spiritual, while worship should ideally be always spiritual, regardless of one's personal emotion. Often, it seems, the emotional and the spiritual blend and separate, and spring up in unexpected places. Does that make sense?

commonly referred to as: a reality check

I'm home in Chicagoland this weekend, and even though it has been a few short days I'm longing to live here again. It just feels like home, and I want to get to know the fabulous city better, and so many dear people live here.

And then I spent an hour in construction traffic, and gave myself a good smack on the forehead.