My Top 4 Displays of Klutziness – Part 1

If you have been following me for any length of time, you have probably seen me mention somewhere that I am a gigantic klutz. It is not an uncommon occurance to see me trip, stumble, run into things, or fall. I am pretty much always covered in bruises with no idea as to how they got there because I hardly even notice it anymore when I run into things. Not too long ago I had another tumble and it got me to thinking about some of my more memorable falls. For whatever reason, I thought it would be fun to share some of them with you. I was going to do a Top 5, but then I realized that I have already written about the fall that would probably take my Number 1 spot (I am talking, of course, about my encounter with the lava rocks of Hawaii). Rather than tell that rather long story again, I decided to shorten it to a Top 4 and just link you back to my previous story of shame in case you missed it. On to my Top 4!

#4 – This spot goes to the recent fall that inspired the post. Just last month I had another opportunity to see the amazing musical Wicked. I was so excited for the chance to see it for the third time and did not hesitate to buy tickets for me and the hubs. Even more fun, several of our friends and my mother-in-law bought tickets for the same night as us. We made plans to go out to dinner before the show with my mother-in-law and a friend who was driving into town to go see it with her. We were going to see the musical on a Friday, which meant that I had to go straight from work to meet all of them at the restaurant.

Before I left work I took the time to change clothes and freshen up. I am a firm believer in dressing up for the theater, not to mention that we were going to be eating dinner at a fairly nice restaurant. Allow me to present  you with an image of what I looked like so that you can have the best mental image possible.

By the time I arrive at the restaurant the other three are already there and seated. When you walk into this restaurant there is a bar area with some tables along the wall. You walk through this area to get to the main dining area in the back. My party is seated in the frontmost table in the main dining area in the center of the room. In other words, everyone can see our table.

I confidently strut into the place, feeling very good about the way I look ( should have known something would go wrong – damn hubris *fist shake*). I walk up to the table and first go to hug the friend that has driven into town since I haven’t seen him in a while. When I step out from the hug one of my fabulous stiletto heels catches on the carpet. Every time I fall I experience a moment – an infinitesimal moment – where I realize what is about to happen and know that I am powerless to stop it.

Like a felled tree, I crashed backwards to the ground, landing flat on my @$$. I stayed there for a few seconds and did the only thing I could do – laugh.

After I hastily assure the wait staff – who had all rushed over – that I am perfectly okay, I look around. Sure enough, every single eye at every single table is staring at me. Back at my own table the poor friend that I had just hugged is staring with eyes wide and mouth gaping, horrified at what has just happened, whereas my mother-in-law peeks over her menu to see what the noise was and, when she realizes it was just me falling, she shrugs and goes back to her perusal, and my husband is shaking his head and sniggering. Clearly they have seen me fall too often. With as much grace and dignity as I could muster, I stood to my feet and slipped into my chair. I was done with the hugs.

#3 – Two and a half years ago my best friend married her soul mate and asked me to stand beside her as her matron of honor. As you know, part of this duty involves throwing the bride a shower and a bachelorette party. My friend didn’t want anything crazy for her bachelorette party – all she wanted was for us and one of our other really close friends to go out dancing. The night of the outing the three of us piled into a car and headed out to the beaches where most of the dance clubs are located. Like a good girl, I knew I had to drive home afterwards, so I refrained from drinking. I didn’t need alcohol to have fun with these girls anyway. The three of us had a great time hanging out and dancing for several hours before deciding to head back to the car. Once again, here is picture to aid in your mental image, although you can’t see the amazing gladiator platform wadges I am wearing.

The three of us begin to make our way to where we parked the car, still having a grand time talking and laughing. The path we need to take leads us on a sidewalk right in front of a popular club that has a line of people waiting outside to get in. Right as we pass this line of people I hit one of those sections of sidewalk where one block of concrete is slightly raised above the one adjacent to it. Naturally, my shoe hit this quarter of an inch stumbling block and – SPLAT – down I go. I fell so hard and fast that I barely had time to catch myself with my hands before my chest and face reached the pavement. The position that I landed in kind of made it look like I had decided to do some push-ups – you know, the girl kind.

I quickly pop up to my feet just as I hear the laughter starting from the group of people queued out beside me. I was pleased to see that I somehow avoided ripping a hole in my leggings and was just taking my first step when someone from the line yelled out, “Way to go drunky!”

I knew there was no point in explaining that I was not, in fact, drunk and they probably wouldn’t believe me anyway, so, without even turning to look, I lifted my hand to wave and kept walking.

Be sure to tune in next week for numbers 1 & 2 in my list of Top 4 Displays of Klutziness.

Do you have any embarrassing or funny stories about times you have fallen? Or are you one of those people who actually knows how to walk? Let me know in the comments.

 

A New Television Musical Smash

I would normally be starting a new series this week, but since I didn’t do the post I intended last week, I am pushing everything back a week.

Several months ago when I heard that NBC was getting ready to come out with a musical television show as an answer to Glee I was outraged and swore that I would never watch it. I started to hear bits and pieces of news about this show they were dubbing Smash and, darn it, it sounded interesting. And Debra Messing, whom I love, was going to play a role in it. I stubbornly clung to a bizarre sense of loyalty and told myself that none of that mattered, I was NOT going to watch it. Then I went to see a movie and the little preview thing that plays before the movie starts gave a first look at the show. Crap. It looked amazing. Once again I was going to have to eat my words as I changed my tune.

Once I made the decision that I would not be betraying Glee by watching this show that looked like it was going to be very different anyway, I felt a weight lifted. Suddenly I was beyond excited for the premiere of Smash. So excited in fact, that I, along with two of my pals from Glee Chat, decided to begin a podcast about the show before it had even aired. It has now been on for three weeks (the forth episode airs tonight at 10PM EST) and I am completely hooked.

Smash takes a behind the scenes look at what goes into creating and producing a Broadway musical as songwriting team, Julia (Debra Messing) and Tom, come up with the idea of writing a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. From the songwriting and storyboarding trials to the search for funding to casting and directing, we are taken on this journey with all the players involved as they work through these things on top of their own personal lives and situations. The show also stars Katharine McPhee (from American Idol) and Broadway star Megan Hilty as two young actresses, Karen and Ivy, who compete against each other for a chance to finally be a star.

I can not give enough praise to this show. The cast and characters that they play are all incredible. What’s nice is that, even though they all represent a different stereotype (naive smalltown girl, sleazy director, actress willing to do whatever it takes, etc) they are still complex, layered characters who manage to avoid falling into the caricature trap. It is clear that there are many underlying motivations within each person that we are not yet aware of. I can’t wait to see what is revealed about each and every one of them.

It should come as no surprise that I adore Debra Messing’s character, Julia, and the relationship she has with her writing partner Tom, who is very much gay. Their characters are completely different from those of Will & Grace, but I still get a nice feeling of nostalgia every time I see them together. But the character that grabbed the spot of my favorite from her very first scene, much to my surprise, was musical producer, Eileen (played by Anjelica Huston). Compared to the rest of the cast, Eileen does not have as much screen time, but what time she does have is always memorable and exciting. Whether she is tossing a Manhattan in her soon to be ex-husband’s face or simply walking down the street, she has a presence about her that takes over the scene and completely draws you in. I love her. So much.

My favorite part about this show, however, is the music. There are only 3-4 songs each episode and usually one of those is an original song with the rest being covers. What I love about Smash is that, so far at least, the music is integrated into the show in a way that makes sense within the narrative. It’s not like in Glee where someone just randomly breaks into song while walking down a hallway, instead, all of the songs are done in what are real life situations – auditions, demo recordings, karaoke bars, etc. There will still be some fantasy sequences, especially during the original numbers written for the Broadway show, but those sequences are usually to show what the number would actually look like on the stage and just add to the excitement and thrill of the song.

I can’t wait to see where this show goes over the course of the season. I love the characters, I love the stories, I love the music, I love the choreography, I love the sets, I love the costumes…I pretty much love everything. It is so much fun to see the world of Broadway brought to life on my TV screen and I hope that it continues for some time to come.

Have you watched Smash? What do you think of it? What do you like? Not like? Let me know in the comments.

Be sure to check out new episodes every Monday at 10PM EST on NBC and check out the podcast I host, Hypable’s Smash Chat, where we rehash each episode and the latest Smash news.

GUEST POST: Marcy Kennedy – Icarus and My Fear of the Sun

I am so excited for today’s guest blogger, Marcy Kennedy. Marcy’s blog, Life at Warp 10, is one  of my absolute favorite blogs. She is a fellow nerd and is a master at taking familiar stories that we nerds love and applying them to real life in some profound way. That is exactly what she has done with today’s guest post, this time through the story of Icarus. Without further ado, I will hand it over.

Icarus and My Fear of the Sun

I have an unusual fear, one I don’t normally talk about. I’m terrified of ending up like Icarus.

Icarus’ story is one most of us have heard. Icarus and his father, Daedalus, were imprisoned in a tower by King Minos so that Daedalus couldn’t share information with the public about the Labyrinth he’d built for Minos. Because Minos guarded both land and sea routes, chances of escape seemed slim.

But Daedalus was a talented inventor. To escape, he created wings from feathers and wax for himself and Icarus. He told Icarus not to fly too high, or the sun would melt the wax holding his wings together, and not to fly too low, because the spray from the sea would saturate the feathers and drag him down.

Partway home, Icarus, drunk on the joy of flying and freedom, forgot his father’s warning and soared too high. The scorching sun melted the wax, he lost all his feathers, and he plunged into the sea below. In the end, he drowned.

Like most people, I’m afraid of failure, of getting my feathers wet because I couldn’t figure out how to fly high enough, and simply sinking away into the sea. Forgotten.

But I’m more afraid of success.

It’s why I don’t know how to take a compliment. The first time my flute teacher told me my low notes sounded full and rich, I can remember not wanting to play any more low notes in front of her. What if that success was a fluke and I couldn’t replicate it? It sounds silly, but it’s true.

Every time I succeed, or receive a compliment, like Icarus I want to fly higher, do better next time. I want the joy in that moment to last forever. But I also I don’t want to disappoint anyone who had great hopes for me. I want to live up to all their good opinions and show them their faith in me was justified. Each success takes me higher and means I have farther to drop should I fall.

And with each success comes the fear that I’ve finally gone too high and reached a level I’m not able to maintain. I’ll scorch my feathers in the sun and free fall, disappointing everyone who glued a feather onto my wings.

I think, though, that I might have finally figured out the secret to staying in the air, even if I start to fall. Icarus and his father were alone on their flight, so his father couldn’t warn him in time and, when Icarus fell, his father wasn’t able to save him. One set of wings wasn’t enough to hold up two people.

But two or three sets of wings might have been able to support the additional weight. If we surround ourselves by a loyal group of friends rather than going it alone or only flying with one, we’ll have people who can catch us before it’s too late. We’ll also have extra sets of eyes to warn us if we start to fly too high and take on more than we’re capable of handling. Together, we’ll all be able to reach our goals.

Are you more afraid of success or of failure? Who do you look to when you’re afraid you’re about to fall?

Marcy Kennedy is a fantasy author who also works as a freelance writer for magazines, newspapers, and non-profits and a freelance editor for both businesses and individuals. Her current work-in-progress is a co-written historical fantasy about Amazons. When she’s not wrestling unruly commas, she spends her time with her equally nerdy husband, her Great Dane, and more cats than she’s willing to admit to in public. You can visit her at her blog, Life At Warp 10.

VLOG: Camping Adventure

My latest attempt at a vlog is up! I filmed this one during my camping trip. Hope you enjoy!

Roughing it in Luxury

Last week was Valentine’s Day, but sadly I didn’t get to go out on a nice romantic date with my husband because he was working out of town. Instead, he and I made plans for the weekend. A nice, romantic getaway, just the two of us…in the woods. That’s right, we went camping.

Prior to this I had only been camping once before when I was a little girl (I think I was eleven) with my dad. That was a very long time ago and, to be honest, I don’t remember all that much about it other than I had fun. So when my husband suggested we go camping this past weekend, something we have been contemplating for a while, I enthusiastically agreed. When I got home from work Friday evening we loaded up the car to near overflowing and headed out for the campgrounds of Ginnie Springs.

It was well past dark when we got there, which meant that we got to set everything up with nothing but the headlights of the car, a lantern, and two flashlights to help us see what we were doing. Thankfully, my husband is a smart man and made us do a trial run of setting the tent up earlier in the week, so we at least knew how to do it. In much less time than I would have suspected, we had everything set up and hamburgers grilling over the fire. Once our bellies were full, we crawled into our sleeping bags (which were situated on top on some lovely camping cots) and fell into an exhausted sleep.

Saturday was our day of exploration and fun. After a HUGE breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, and grits, we hiked all around the woods (a dangerous endeavor for the clumsy, which is why my husband fashioned me a sturdy walking stick with his axe and machete), then went to look at the springs where we discovered we could rent kayaks. We were all over that. We got to spend two of the most peaceful hours paddling along the river taking in the beauty surrounding us. It was absolutely gorgeous. I could barely lift my arms the next day, but that was a small price to pay.

For dinner that evening we skewered chicken on palmetto sticks and grilled it over the fire. It felt very primitive, so naturally I loved it. I had pretty much spent the entire day pretending I was a number of different characters from my favorite fantasy books – Katniss, Hermione, Kahlan, Pippin (yeah, I would have been the mischievous hobbit always causing trouble). I thought that I was some grand adventurer on a noble quest of bravery, surviving on the land. Until my husband went to go take a shower. And I was alone. In the dark. In the woods.

Before I get into my story I should explain that I wasn’t actually alone in the woods. The campsites at Ginnie Springs are all right off the road, so you are surrounded by other campsites and campers, and the sites are more on the outskirts of the woods, not deep within. There were several other groups of campers near us and the property fence line was not very far behind our camp. I was perfectly and completely safe.

Now back to my noble quest of bravery.

There I was, sitting cozily by the fire texting (they had cell phones in The Lord of the Rings, right?) two of my friends, one of whom I was discussing the latest episode Glee with, when I heard a rustling noise behind me. I picked up the flashlight and slowly moved its beam across the treeline.

Nothing.

I sat back down and continued my conversations when I heard it again. This time I was more meticulous in my examination, but I still didn’t see anything. Wait…I think…yes, a pair of eyes reflecting in the light. I trained the light on those reflected eyes and waited for the creature to move so I could see what it was. Finally, it emerged and I saw that it was a fox. The creature stared at me before running into the trees again.

I sat back down and told my two friends of the close call. One laughed at me and the other started quoting taglines from horror movies (I know! Insensitive boys, right?!). By that point my adrenaline was pumping and I started to see things in the shadows being put off by the fire. I was very tense and kept scanning the area. Then several things happened at once: I heard another rustling sound, but this time in front of me, and I saw something bounding for me out of the corner of my eye.

I screamed.

Flashlight in hand, I hopped to my feet and shone the light to my left and the approaching shadow.

Nothing.

I had quite literally screamed at a shadow. The fire had created a patch of light and when I shifted in my chair it created a shadow that I turned into an unknown creature coming to attack me. Yeah, I felt dumb. But I really had heard a rustling noise. My good friend Fox had circled around and was trying to gain access to our camp from the front. He stared at me for several seconds before finally giving up and scampering off for good.

I, of course, filled my friends in on what had happened and they continued in their cruel laughter and taunting. I spent the remainder of the time it took for my husband to return on my feet, revolving in a slow circle, shining the flashlight into every corner of the woods it would reach. I think it is now safe to say that I wouldn’t last five minutes in the Hunger Games.

In spite of my close call with death by shadow, I had a ton of fun on our camping trip. We are already making plans to go camping again in the near future. Maybe next time I will bring my bow so that it’s more likely the odds will be ever in my favor.

Have you ever been camping? What are your favorite things to do on a camping trip? Least favorite? Any funny stories? Let me know in the comments.

Sh*t Gleeks Say

I had planned on writing a completely different post for today, but after being gone all weekend camping (I will share pictures and stories on Wednesday) I don’t really have the time to write up my original idea and do it justice. Soooo, instead I am sharing the newly posted “Sh*t Gleeks Say” Video that I and some of my fellow Glee Chat hosts made. If you are any kind of Glee fan, you have probably said a few of these. And you may or may not get to see some bow action from yours truly.

What do you guys think? Have you or any Gleeks you know been caught saying a few of these things? What is some other sh*t Gleeks say? Let me know in the comments.

MASH-UP: Villains, Money, Ding-a-ling bling, and Much More

I have lots of fun treats for you today! First things first, though – a mash-up of some fabulous blog links.

My Top 5 Favorite Villainesses of All Time by Karen Rought: This is a fun list of some of the best female baddies in fiction. Did the women you love to hate make Karen’s list?

Worst Valentine’s Day Gift Ever by Lisa Hall-Wilson: This is an incredibly sweet story about how sometimes the best gifts are the ones that may seem like the worst. It truly is the heart of the giving that means the most.

You’re Worth Every Penny by Emma Burcart: This is a wonderful post about something that makes all of us break out in hives of anxiety: our finances.

Urban Word Wednesday: Ding-a-ling bling by Natalie Hartford: Natalie’s Urban Word Wednesday series is something that I look forward to every week. I once told her that I always shared them with my gay best friend…except for the one on Vajazzling because I thought it would scare him. I told her he would be more interested in one on the ding-a-ling bing her hubby mentioned and here it is!!

I am also excited to tell you that the very talented Karen Rought (who is listed in my mash-up) asked me to write a guest post for her today. She asked me to make a list of 5 women in fiction who kick some serious ass to go along with the piece she wrote on female villains. Who do you think I put on my list? Head on over to her blog to find out!

And my final treat for you today is the news that I have joined a group vlog called Around the World (ATW) Chat. There are five of us who are a part of the group and we each post on a different day of the week – my day is Thursday. Be sure to go check it out on YouTube!

My One and Only

My Valentine this year. So perfect!

I know that Valentine’s Day is now over, but seeing as how I post on Wednesdays, not Tuesdays, you are going to have to put up with one more post about the day. I hope you don’t mind!

When I think back on what this day has meant to me over the course of my life I am amazed that one little day can bring about such a wide range of emotions. When I was little it meant a fun day where I got to share candy and cards with my friends in school and use pretty paper to decorate a box. The day was innocent, a cause for a party. Then I moved on to middle school where my friends started to “go out” (a truly ridiculous term considering the vast majority of them never actually went anywhere). Suddenly Valentine’s Day was not so fun. I was never the girl the boys had crushes on. That role went to my best friend.

In high school it just got worse. For four years I got to sit on the sidelines and watch as crush after crush after crush chose some girl other than me. No boy ever told someone about the crush he had on me, no boy ever asked me out, no boy ever tried to kiss me – they barely even flirted with me. Nope. I was always “the friend”. And it sucked. I started to hate and dread the awful Valentine’s Day. Sure I acted like it was still fun and celebrated my friends, but let’s be honest, all I could think about was that no boys liked me and I didn’t understand why. What was it about me that turned every single boy around me off? Was I just that unattractive? February 14th was a depressing reminder of my aloneness and fear that I would always be alone.

Then I graduated from high school and that summer everything changed. There was this guy at church that I had had a crush on for the past year and, wonder of wonders, he noticed me (well…I kind of accosted him in a cafe, but that’s another story). For the first time a guy was asking me for my phone number so that he could – gasp – ask me on a date. And even more exciting, it was a guy I really liked! Whoa.

When the next Valentine’s Day rolled around I was finally someone’s Valentine. And I have been ever since. You see, I kind of ended up marrying that guy. I am still not completely sure what it was he saw that so many others had so easily overlooked, but I don’t really care. None of those other idiots matter now. It may have taken me longer than I wanted, but I found my Valentine and never let him go.

What about you? When did you find your first Valentine? Any Valentine stories you have to share – romantic, funny, downright awful? I would love to hear from you in the comments.

 

Robin Hood: Journey to the Screen

Over the past several weeks I have been taking a look at one of my favorite legends – Robin Hood – and today I will be bringing this series to a close. So far we have looked at the possibility that he was a real man, how his legend has changed over time, and the place he has found in contemporary literature. Today we are going to travel with him to the screen.

Journey to the Screen

The story and legend of Robin Hood is full of action, love, heroism, morality, and, in some instances, tragedy. It is no wonder then that he is a frequent figure of the silver screen. For many people, all they know of this legendary outlaw comes from what they have learned from these films. For others, like me, one of the many films served as merely an introduction to what would turn into a wonderful love affair. Whatever category you may fall into, I doubt there is anyone who hasn’t seen at least one incarnation of the legend brought to film.

My introduction to Robin Hood came at an early age through the Disney animated classic. I absolutely loved this movie as a child. Who am I kidding – I still love this movie. It is full of fun songs (sing-a-long in the comments?), tons of laughs, some rather tense moments, and some iconic moments from the legend. When I was a little girl I would put a blanket over my head and pretend I was Maid Marian, usually acting out her scenes along with the movie. While not the most authentic telling of the story, this movie was a perfect introduction and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Two of the most well known Robin Hood films are the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn and the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner. I love both of these movies. Neither one of them is a perfect representation of the legend, but they are both great films that tell a moving and entertaining story that captures the heart of what Robin Hood is about. One of my favorite Robin Hood films is actually a parody of these two more serious films. I am of course talking about the 1993 Mel Brooks film Robin Hood: Men in Tights starring Cary Elwes. This movie never fails to make me laugh no matter what age I am when viewing it.

My absolute, hands down favorite film version of Robin Hood, however, is not a big screen movie, but a television series. I am referring to the BBC series that ran from 2006-2009 and starred Jonas Armstrong as Robin. I had always loved the story of Robin Hood, but it was not until I experienced this series that that love turned to a passion that rivaled my passion for the Arthurian legend. The show pulled from the more modern take on the legend that places Robin as the Earl of Huntingdon who is outlawed when he takes a stand against the corruption that has overtaken England upon his return from the crusades.

Accompanied by his ever faithful sidekick Much, Robin takes to the forest of Sherwood where he eventually joins with Little John, Will Scarlett, and Allan a Dale among others. One of my favorite things about this show are the relationships between the characters, good and bad. From the friendships between Robin and his men, to the interactions between Robin and the Sheriff or Robin and Guy of Gisborne, to the incredible chemistry between Robin and Marian, this show is firmly based in its characters and their stories. The show is full of lighthearted humor as well as very powerful dramatic moments (The season 2 finale and season 3 series finale left me sobbing for hours after they had finished. I am not exaggerating.) This is one of those series that I want to watch over and over, and thanks to a certain Christmas gift I can.

There are many, many more Robin Hood films than the ones that I have mentioned, including the more recent version starring Russell Crowe, but these are the ones that had the biggest impact on me and my love for the legend. I look forward to whatever incarnations come out in the future and hope that some of them wow me as much as these have. The story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men is one that will always hold sway over my heart and call to me when I need an escape.

What are your favorite Robin Hood films? Do any of the ones I listed make your list? Are there any you love that I failed to mention? Let me know in the comments.

MASH-UP: Celebrating the Beauty of Women

This week August McLaughlin started the Beauty of a Woman Blogfest. If you visit her blog today you can enter for a chance to win all kinds of prizes including a Kindle, all while celebrating the beauty of women. As part of this blogfest, several other bloggers did posts all about the true beauty of women and there were some spectacular posts. I am sure that I did not catch all of them, but I will link to the ones I did see. If you know of some that I missed, include them in the comments and I will add the links here. This is such an important message and I really hope that you will take the time to read some of the posts.

Defining Beauty of a Woman Debra Kristi

Beauty of a Woman Blogfest – Making Peace with My Thunder Thighs Kristen Lamb

I am Beautiful…Just the Way I Am Myndi Shafer

Dear Thighs…We Need to Talk Ginger Calem

The Lie of Helen of Troy Marcy Kennedy

Beauty of a Woman Blogfest Coleen Patrick

What is Beauty? Emma Burcart