No Snow for Shae

Well, it was supposed to snow last night, a one inch blanket to cover the entire Las Vegas valley. But when I woke (at six a.m. to see the snow because it was supposed to start snowing at 4 a.m.) there was nothing. Squat. Nada. Bupkiss. (Pause for long dramatic sigh.) So once again my dreams for snow are dashed.

I've never had a white Christmas. Or anything other that a pretty sunny Christmas, usually with highs near the 60's. It's sad. I hope, I pray, I wish, but it never happens. So when they predicted this storm I let myself get a little excited. Only to be disappointed.



Yes, Virginia, it does actually snow in Las Vegas. Sometimes a lot, although most of the time it's gone in a matter of hours. But it does happen, once every few years.


I love the show. I know, that's because I have never had to live in it. My mom says if I lived somewhere it snowed and didn't melt away quickly that I'd hate it because is isn't so pretty when It's been around a while. And I hat the thought of digging my car out of the snow. But I love snow anyway. It reminds me of wonderful things, like my dad waking me in the middle of the night because it was snowing and he wanted me to see it. Like going to Mt. Charleston, loaded with hot chocolate, so my brother and I could play in the snow and making snow ice cream, which I thought was the most delicious ice cream I had ever eaten. My mom, making my brother and I walk to the McDonald's during a snowstorm so that we could get hot chocolate and watch the snow (my mom LOVES to watch the snow, she hates being in the snow.) Making tiny little snowmen (because there wasn't enough snow to make a big one and it melts too fast anyway.) I love those memories because they remind me of love and family. Snow makes me happy.



There have even been some big snowstorms (at least by my standards). January 4-5, 1974 it snowed 9 inches. My dad used to tell me that the snow was as big as my head (I don't remember as I was a toddler at the time but it sounds like an enormous amount of snow. I do remember the storm of 1979, as it was the only snow day in CCSD history. No school and we got to play in the snow. I was in second grade and it was a momentous day. It was like a blizzard and the city practically shut down. (No wonder, we just aren't equipped to handle snow.) It snowed more than seven inches over three days and I thought it was a miracle.

There has been snow a few times in the past years but nothing like what I want. I would love a ton of snow. It wold make everyone have to stop and breathe a moment, which is something we sorely need during this tough economy and hectic holiday frenzy. To stop and look at the miracle of nature, rare and fleeting.


I wish we had snow. I wish for a white Christmas, just once in my life. The pictures are from Sundance, Utah, the only place I get to see snow regularly. Isn't it lovely?





Still, I suppose it could be worse. Here is what Christmas is like in Hermosa Beach where my Uncle Stuart lives. (That's Roberta with the surfing Santa.)




UPDATE: Okay, it's technically snowing. But is isn't sticking. So it doesn't count.

Favorite Christmas Films

Since I told you how much I love Christmas movies, here is my list of favorites (in no particular order, since that would be like picking a favorite child.)

A House Without a Christmas Tree (yay Maura for remembering this one too!) - 1972, Jason Robards as a grumpy widower who learns the value of Christmas from his daughter.
Borrowed Hearts - 1997, Eric McCormack and Roma Downey as a single mom and wealthy guy who pretend to be married so he can sell his company. It has Hector Elizondo. I love Hector.
Christmas Comes to Willow Creek - 1987, The Dukes of Hazard (okay, just the actors from) save a small town's Christmas
The Santa Clause 2 - 2002 Tim Allen in the 'romantic' one of the trilogy. Directed by Michael Lembeck. Anyone besides me remember when he was on "One Day at a Time"?
Miracle on 34th Street - 1947, the classic with Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle and Natalie Wood. Love it.
Home Alone - 1990, Worth it just to see the house Macauly Culkin lives in. Beautiful. I want to live there. And it has John Candy too.
A Christmas Story-1983, I saw this in the theater when I was a kid. I still shudder when the kid sticks his tongue to the flagpole.
Comfort & Joy - 2003, Nancy McKeon as a career woman who hits her head and wakes up the mother of two. Scary stuff. But the guy who plays her husband is adorable.
Love, Actually - 2003, I love this film anytime of the year. I showed it to my mom for the first time this year and she cried. Great movie. Love the character of "Colin Frizzle". And of course, Colin Firth is in it, so it's an automatic win.
A Boyfriend for Christmas - 2004, The title says it all. Wish someone would get me a boyfriend for Christmas. (hint, hint)
Elf - 2003, Will Farrell at his best. Bob Newhart...need I say more?

Okay, those are my favorites. But don't forget the Christmas specials too, like the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated ones like "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (my favorite, with the Burgermeister Meisterburgerer) and "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and of course, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Oh, and the Christmas TV episodes, like the one on "Family Ties" where Alex P. Keaton gets the Scrooge lesson and buys his family presents at the 7-11. (You can catch the episode on Fancast.)

What are your favorites? I hope they bring back wonderful holiday memories like this list did for me!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It's now December and one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Happiness and food (and sometimes, for me anyway, happiness=food). It's time for Peace on Earth, goodwill to men and Christmas movies galore.

It hasn't really felt like Christmas this year and I think it's because I'm not working at ATM&S. December was always the busiest month, with decorating the office, choosing a family to donate food and presents (then buying, wrapping and delivering said items), planning and executing the annual Christmas party (which involved buying seventy gifts and then figuring out a unique way of handing them out, like last year when we put the present names inside the shells of walnuts that I painstakingly cracked open then Jamie glued them closed again) not to mention that after the warm glow of Christmas had barely faded, it was time to get the year end accounting done (which was a pain in the butt that fell mostly to Jamie, although I tried to help her as much as I could). But with all that planning and giving it really seemed like the holidays, which seems to be lacking this year.

Decorating for the holidays isn't really feasible this year, it would be too hard for The Graminator to get around. So we have a beautiful wreath on the door (thanks to Val and one of her students who was selling them for a fundraiser) and a poinsettia with some candles around it inside along with a couple of holiday-theme throw pillows I made years ago for my mom. you have to look closely to see any touches of Christmas in our house. No tree or lights, it's kind of dull. And I haven't shopped for presents yet, heck, I'm still not sure what to even buy yet.

But I have been watching my Christmas movies. Lifetime, Hallmark Channel and ABC family are all running tons of holiday movies. And I love them, love them, LOVE THEM. What a wonderful world it must be where peace and love and joy reign and all problems are solved by Christmas, or at the latest, New Years Eve. I watch them over and over and over again. I swear I have seen some of them a dozen times or more. The moral of most of them is pretty much the same, that what's truly important is family and that love conquers all. I know them by heart and I even miss some that they don't run anymore (whatever happened to the one with Tom Wopat and John Schneider - yup, the Dukes of Hazard boys, where they played feuding trucker brothers who bring Christmas to a snowed-in town? And I think they retired the one with Connie Stevens and Randy Travis too, I haven't seen that one this year.) I even have an idea for a Christmas movie that I think I'll be writing.

And while some holiday spirit is eluding me, I have had the baking bug. For a friend's Christmas party last weekend I made sugar cookies and fudge. Both turned out way better than I had expected. I love frosted sugar cookies but hadn't found the perfect recipe (although any cookie topped with my home made buttercream is still pretty good.) But I found a fabulous sugar cookie that I made (and have since made a second batch since my mom wanted more). I even hand painted some of them, see?




They are so good, I'm having trouble limiting myself. Here is the recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown and Food Network (with a tiny tweak by me, Alton's used no vanilla and I like a little vanilla in my sugar cookie).

SUGAR COOKIES

3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. heavy cream (Alton's recipe called for 1 Tbsp. milk, but I figured with a half a pound of butter already we would go whole hog and use cream, but I only used 2 teaspoons because I added vanilla)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer (Alton says stand mixer but I only had my hand mixer but this dough gets really stiff so if you have a stand mixer, use it) and beat until light in color. Add egg, vanilla and cream and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add four and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl (with a hand mixer you may have to finish mixing by hand as the dough gets too stiff to beat.) Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. (Alton says two hours but in my fridge that made it too hard to roll so I recommend an hour.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out dough on a floured board (Alton recommends using powdered sugar instead of flour but it made the cookies stick to the pan after baking which made me break a few. I used flour on the second batch and they came off beautifully) to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Cool on wire rack. Serve as is or decorate as desired.

Honestly, these are so good and they just scream Christmas to me. You can eat them plain, or sprinkle them with colored sugar before baking or frost them. There is even a pre-made royal icing that you can put on the cookies that dries hard and you can paint them like I did. (I just dipped a paintbrush in a little food coloring. No artistic talent required, as you can clearly see.)

So that's how I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit this year, cookies and Christmas movies. Hope you are getting into the holiday mood too!

I've Been Naughty

I sure hope Santa doesn't cross me off the nice list because I've been neglecting my blog. I have been so bad to you, Loyal Readers and I'm sorry. I wish I had a good excuse, like a breakthrough in my cure for cancer or an urgent call to help broker peace in the Middle East. But no, just a combination of busy and lazy (it's a bad combination). I have decided that the reason people make so man New Years Resolutions is because it's hard to get anything accomplished during December.

Early edits on Vegas Schmegas have indicated that we not only need to re-shoot some scenes for technical reasons but also some additional scenes need to be written and shot. This weekend we will re-shoot at the motel location and shoot some narration that will help tie the project together. We may have to re-shoot the infamous 'dominatrix' scene as well due to a style change by our director. In the end it will make the finished product look incredible but I'm a little daunted at the idea of re-shooting that scene, primarily because I have indulged a bit too much in the holiday treats (I haven't actually gained any weight but I'm sure it's there, hiding, just waiting for me to put those fishnets back on!)

Last week and this week have been busy due to some major appliance issues. The washer stopped spinning, leaving the clothes clean but sopping wet which is especially bad when you have a dryer with no heat (don't ask, it has something to do with my mother's moral indignation against paying for electricity to heat when we live in the desert, so we line dry our clothes.) This was compounded by the need for a new refrigerator, the old one having been held together with hope and duct tape. One of the joys of living in an old house (oops, sorry, now we are referring to it as "mid-century" so it sounds almost chic) is that things are old and should be replaced but they still 'sort-of' work and so we just adapt to the quirks of each thing. (Oh, I could tell you stories about how to get our 45 year-old toilets to function somewhat properly but I don't want to frighten you.) My mother's siblings gave her gift cards for a new fridge for her birthday in September but we hadn't gone yet (again, a combination of busy and lazy). The more pressing need for a new washer sent us to Lowe's to buy some new appliances.

We bought a lovely new high efficiency front-loading washer (which my mother still doubts can be getting our clothes clean using that little water) and a new fridge (so pretty, clean and white and with nary a duct tape anywhere). They were delivered on Monday (bless you delivery men who were here and gone BEFORE the scheduled delivery time and were so courteous and helpful) which meant eating all the ice cream and superfluous food over the weekend and cleaning it out and moving all the accumulated junk around the old washer. Then I had to learn how to use our new washer (which has a program display that I think also controls NASA satellites) and put in new shelving to accommodate the new 'front load' configuration and then do DOZENS of loads of laundry that had piled up during the week without a washer. Plus I got to arrange the new fridge the way I wanted it (my mom gave me the privilege since I do most of the cooking. I love it. The condiment drawers are so large that all our old stuff fit and we still have tons of room left over. I'm trying to resist the urge to BUY MORE CONDIMENTS!!!!)

My mother is working six days a week since one co-worker left for a job at Encore (congrats Brigeda!) and her manager is quitting to move back to California due to foreclosure, leaving her the sole employee at that store. Someone from the Henderson store is there to help her until they can get people hired but it still means working every day except Sunday (thanks goodness the store is closed one day a week!)

Still, even if I have been busy and lazy, it's no reason to shirk my blogging duties. I promise to be better and get back to blogging daily. But I'll be honest, snuggling in bed on a cold winter morning is more appealing than getting up early to exercise and blog. But I'll be good Santa, honest I will. (Because he knows when I am sleeping and he knows when I'm blogging!)

I DID IT!!!!!!!

I did it, I completed NaNoWriMo!!!! I wrote a 50,000 word novel. (52,228 words to be exact.) And CONGRATULATIONS to my writing buddies Dyann, Maura and Noreen who also won NaNoWriMo!!! You guys ROCK!

How is the novel? It's AWFUL. Terrible. Atrocious. Horrible. It's called "A Time to Dream", that's how pathetic it is. What do you expect of a novel written in less than 30 days? But being good wasn't the point, for me, the point was to get done. 1,667 words a day. It seemed really intimidating until I realized that some of my daily posts here are longer than that, and I do those in less than an hour usually. So while the Graminator is napping, I CAN get into a daily writing habit.

This novel is so bad that I'm going to burn it. It's a time to die for "A Time to Dream". Now I don't believe in book burning (that's wrong) but since this one is mine I'm going to burn it in effigy, as a sacrifice to the 'writing gods' to give me the chance to write better ones. How can it be that bad? Well, I think my fellow writers will understand when I say that I used all the right words, I just put them in the wrong order. But again, this challenge wasn't for a good novel, it was for a finished novel. I'm sure Dyann and Maura and Noreen wrote great novels, but with the challenges of the Vegas Schmegas shoot I was really behind, so I wrote total crap. Pure and utter drivel. It was all for word count. No one should ever be forced to read such manure. So today, I release the words back into the universe so that I may use them again and this time put them in the right order.

NaNoWriMo gave me hope that I can write a better novel this time. I actually have three projects planned for December (I'll tell you more as I complete them) and I look forward now to some GOOD writing. Join me as I wave goodbye to my first (and hopefully worst) novel.

Post-Turkey Blues

It's something I experience every year, the post-turkey blues. I have to say that it's better this year than in years past, maybe because as I get older I know what's going to happen and I understand it now.

I am a perfectionist. I want everything to be just right. It makes me good at what I do but it also leads to great disappointment when things aren't perfect, which is most of the time since perfection isn't possible. Thanksgiving is a magnification of that. Thanksgiving is about celebrating gratitude with food. Talk about a holiday made for me! And you get to celebrate it with the people you love, making it even better. So I work really hard on this holiday, although my family tries to do their best to restrain me. If I could, I would make a dozen dishes. But since there are only seven of us, I have to keep it to a minimum. I have also learned to let others contribute to the meal, taking some of the pressure of of me.

Here was yesterday's menu:

Roast turkey - Injected with an herb butter, moist and crispy skinned.
Stuffing - Traditional bread stuffing from The Graminator's recipe. I spent four days drying out the bread and made the poultry seasoning from scratch dee to Roberta's sage allergy (see last year's post "Sage-free is Okay".)
Mashed Potatoes - Truly delicious garlic and Parmesan mashed potatoes made by Will and Val.
Gravy - Made from turkey stock I made on Monday with roasted turkey legs, carrots, celery, onions and fresh thyme. Really rich and delicious. And while it takes a while to make it, it makes turkey gravy a snap and no deglazing a pan on Thanksgiving.
Sweet Potatoes - Bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, made by Mom, from my adapted recipe.
Cranberry Sauce - Home made cranberry, pomegranate and Meyer lemon relish. Not bad but I'll go back to my regular recipe next year.
Brussels Sprouts - Shredded Brussels Sprout with Lemon from the December issue of Everyday Food. Made by mom (but I shredded the sprouts.)
Herb Rolls - Even though I'm intimidated by yeast dough, I made these rolls (from the November Issue of Sunset magazine) which requires little yeast knowledge but lots of kneading (15 minutes) by hand. Full of fresh dill, chives, parsley and rosemary. Yummy. I'll try my hand my yeast dough again.
Spinach Salad - Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light, this fresh spinach was dressed with a sweet and spicy dressing made from red pepper jelly and had blue cheese and glazed peans (which I made myself.)
Pumpkin Pie - A traditional favorite in my house, made with fresh pumpkins I cook down myself (no canned pumpkin here!)
Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie - From the November issue of Bon Apetit. Lots of work to make and it wasn't as good as my normal pie. I wouldn't make it again. Also made Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee dough for the crust. Not good with this pie but I think it needed a higher heat. I will use the other round of dough for a different pie and see if it works better. Of course, both pies were served with fresh Chantilly cream made from Trader Joe's heavy cream.

This menu was proceeded by appetizers of shrimp cocktail, stuffed celery, deviled eggs, cranberry-cream cheese with crackers and Chex mix.

Okay, can you see why I get the blues? I spend weeks preparing the menu, days shopping and prepping and cooking an it gets eaten in under an hour. As I said, this year is better. I was prepared for the blues. And this year they were mostly forgotten due to exhaustion. (I normally take weeks to prepare but due to Vegas Schmegas production I was on a tighter schedule). And I understood this year that the only person who needed to appreciate my hard work was me. So while I would have liked a greater show of appreciation (is a standing ovation really to much to ask?) I settled for a full tummy and a glass of Moet.

My mom's kitchen is small. Really small. Like airplane galley small. And at one point I did snap when someone asked if they could help while I was trying to carve the turkey with two dogs underfoot and my mother hovering over me with a sponge to clear any turkey juice that might drip onto the counter and I had no elbow room to carve (sorry for snapping Roberta). But Roberta is cool, she just grabbed the red wine and headed out. And honestly, I would have loved some help if the kitchen wasn't so danged tiny. I don't know how my Grandma Charlotte ever cooked those huge meals for ten in there. Let me tell you "efficiency kitchen" really means "no room". Anyone know a producer at one of those remodeling shows to fix up my mom's kitchen? But if I can cook Thanksgiving in an 11' X 4' kitchen on a forty-five year old stove, I can cook most anywhere.

So the post-turkey blues are over. Which is good. It means I can move on to the pre-Christmas panic followed by the post-Christmas meltdown and the New Year's Day depression. Aren't the holidays great?

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for so many things this holiday, and one of them is you, Loyal Readers. You keep me writing and I thank you. I hope your holiday is filled with wonderful family, fabulous friends and great food and that you are surrounded by love. Happy Thanksgiving!

Always a Bridesmaid

So, Saturday Val and I went shopping for my 'maid of honor' dress. What's nice about being the only attendant is that I don't have to wear the same dress as five other girls so we kind of chose a style that both Val liked and I looked good in. We had selected two styles before we went (to David's Bridal, where Val bought her gown) and knew that we wanted pink.

One style I really liked and when I read the online reviews there were lots 'plus sized" women who really liked the dress. It got great reviews as looking good on just about everyone. The other style was a bit more formal and styled to mimic Val's dress. Both were nice but the more formal dress was hot, heavy and reminded me more of a prom dress. Plus it didn't fit right over my butt. I would have had to order it two sizes larger then have the whole top cut down three sizes (yes, the joys of a pear shaped body. I wish I could take a cup size from my ass and have it transferred to my boobs.)

The one I liked originally looked good on my body as it flowed gracefully over the trouble spots but made my bust look bigger. I'll have to have it altered a bit to shorten the straps but the only negative that I read online was that the straps sometimes come loose so having them re-sewn should solve that potential problem. The consultant also suggested that I have bra cups sewn in so I don't have to buy a special bra to wear with it. And believe it or not, I think I can actually have it shortened and wear it again later! (You always hear that but most bridesmaid dresses are so hideous that anything other than shooting them and putting them out of their misery is unthinkable.)

So, the winner is...

Better than Advertised

Hello Loyal Readers! Thanks for bearing with me during this crazy month of November. Last week was spent recovering from the Vegas Schmegas shoot plus trying to catch up on NaNoWriMo. I also had my friend over to lunch for her birthday (made a fabulous mirin glazed salmon and am going to throw all other salmon recipes away), had to take the animals to the vet, went bridesmaids dress shopping (got a dress, yay, more on that in another post), had a production meeting (we're currently only $200 over budget. Also had sad news, the loss of a former Smidgiteer. Rest in Peace, Donald.

Now here's the reason for the title. Every week on my way to the production office I pass a restaurant on Durango called Gina's Bistro. For months I have looked at it and wondered about it. It's part of a weird looking strip mall and I could never tell if it was even open or what it was like inside. Still, my love of food made me look at it every time I passed. But it's a little far from home for a new restaurant that I'd never heard anything about so I never suggested to the family that we try it.

This week, in the Neon section of the local paper (for those not in Vegas, the neon is the weekly 'arts' pull out, with show information, movie reviews, restaurant guide, etc.) there was a review of Gina's Bistro. The review was smashing, with quotes like "Gina's Bistro may not look too much like Italy, but it sure tastes -- and smells -- like an authentic trattoria in the old country." It also carried a picture which showed an attractive interior which allayed my fears that it wasn't great inside (remember, the exterior is pretty, er, uninspiring strip mall-esque.) So I read the review to the family and they seemed interested, especially since our beloved Montesano's has closed all it's locations on our side of town (Gosh I miss those garlic knots.) I checked the website to see if they were open for lunch on Sunday but couldn't find their hours (Note to Gina: This is crucial information, put it on the website!) so I called and they were indeed open for lunch. So yesterday we made the trek.



When I read a review I'm usually skeptical. After all, the reviewer and I may be looking for different things. When I write professional restaurant reviews, I'm trying to cover the basics so that I can give readers a sense of what the restaurant is all about. But when I'm eating out for pleasure, it's a whole different story. Like I would never put this in a professional review, but for you I'll tell you that you should use the restroom before you visit Gina's. It's not that the bathroom was disgusting, it's actually fairly nice (I've been in way worse, let me tell you) but it's outside the restaurant and you have to get the key and it's a little creepy. Gina's is beautiful inside and the bathroom is nicely decorated too but the 'get the key' thing feels like a bad gas station instead of a lovely restaurant. The bistro also isn't set up to be handicap friendly, although they quickly moved a table so that we could push The Graminator's wheelchair to the table. These are very minor quibbles at best.

The thing I want the most when I go out to eat is great food. Ideally it would be great food in a nice atmosphere with good service and on that, Gina's Bistro is a winner. The only people working the front of the house are the delightfully Italian accented Gina and our equally accented waitress (whose name escapes me now but who felt like an Italian aunt giving us lunch.) Although the restaurant was empty when we arrived it was soon at half capacity (which because Gina's is so small inside makes it feel cozy and familial) but service never suffered. Even though we just ordered water, our glasses were never empty. The bread basket came as soon as we ordered (although the delicious bread deserved better than the "European style butter whipped margarine" that came with it. What the hell is "European style butter whipped margarine" anyway? Next time we'll just use the olive oil that's on the table.)

The menu, like the restaurant, is small. But don't let the laminated blue paper fool you. It's packed with gems. As Val put it, "I've never been to a place before where I wanted to try just about everything on the menu." The Graminator ordered the Pollo Parmigiana which Heidi Knapp Rinella described in her review as "Chicken parmigiana ($12.95) may seem about as garden-variety as its gets, but this lily was gilded with a layer of sliced eggplant, cut thinly so that both the flavor and texture were wonderfully delicate. The customary layer of mozzarella and a good dose of marinara -- pulpy and thick, made of chunked tomatoes instead of crushed or pureed, and cooked slowly to enable the seasonings to penetrate through to the soul -- completed the dish." but she failed to mention that it is enormous, enough to feed two people, and sided with spaghetti marinara. It was delicious and Grams will be having it for lunch for the next few days. Mom ordered the Conchiglie Campagnola (Shells pasta, diced chicken, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes and roasted garlic) while Val got the Pollo Boscaiola (Chicken breast with mushrooms and cream sauce) and Will had the Involtino Di Pollo Florentina (Rolled chicken breast stuffed with spinach and fontina cheese) all of which were delicious. Will and Val's came with roasted potatoes which they raved over and broccoli which was crisp-tender and dressed simply (but deliciously) with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Okay, I saved the best for last. I got the Pappardelle Tre Bocconi which the menu lists as "Home made wide fettuccine with prosciutto, bacon, mushrooms, mini veal meat balls in a tomato sauce" but menu descriptions sometimes don't do justice to the meal they are describing. Tre Bocconi translates as "three bites" according to our waitress. The pappardelle were soft ribbons of pasta swathed in a sauce that Gina should be ashamed to call "a tomato sauce". Sure, it had tomatoes in it but it was far more velvety and rich that some plain old marinara. It was rich and earthy and I suspect had at it's base a rich veal stock and red wine in addition to tomatoes. Thick slices of chopped bacon added a smoky note while the prosciutto gave a salty counterpoint. Slices of mushroom added to the depth of the sauce then absorbed the sauce back in, becoming a meaty, chewy flavor in themselves and lots of green peas added color to the dish. The little veal meatballs were moist and the whole dish worked together. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the best pasta dish I have ever eaten. Ever. EVER. If I saw this on the menu of a more upscale restaurant, I would expect to pay around $32.00. And it would be worth every penny. But at Gina's it was $12.50. So delicious that I'm telling you, I want it again, now. I will be dreaming of this pasta. I almost want the recipe but I know I could never make it as well as they do, so I'll just settle for going to Gina's. A lot.

I have never read a "rave" restaurant review that I agreed with completely. But this was the first time that I found that the restaurant EXCEEDED the review. Maybe she wanted to give Gina's some business but keep it from getting too crowded? I can't blame her there. It's a really small restaurant and I don't want to not be able to get in (although they do have take out so if I ever can't get a table I'll get it to go!) One young man, who was eating alone, said it was his second time there in a week. Now this was a guy who would have looked more at home at the local Micky D's but he said the lasagna was so good he just had to come back. I know just how he feels. The lasagna is definitely on my list to try but I'm really hoping someone else orders it so I can try it yet still have my Tre Bocconi. Yup, I am that greedy.

If you want some authentic and delicious Italian food, go to Gina's Bistro. Gina will greet you and even sit at your table if there is room for her to, and give you a hug on the way out. Watch the Italian channel on the TV. Listen to Bocelli playing in the background. And call me, because I want to go too!

Awkward Much?

Okay, I'm at my least favorite part of writing my book...the sex scenes.

Look, I'm not a prude, (far from it, as evidenced by the pictures in my previous post) but it's still really weird for me to write the sex scenes. I feel like I'm intruding on a very personal moment. It makes me feel almost like a voyeur. I know, they are my characters but when they get intimate I feel like I should give them some privacy.

I know I'm not alone in this, Maura wrote about this same thing on her blog and Dyann and I have discussed it as well. One of the big factors for me is that my mom and friends are going to read this (hopefully) and that feels almost like I'm telling them about my sex life. Now I can talk to my family about sex, but it's more of a general thing, I don't get specific in the details. These scenes, however, need to be graphic for the genre I'm writing. I'm blushing just thinking about it and I know everyone is going to think I'm a perv! It's something I have to get over if I want to be a successful romance writer but what will the Graminator think when she reads it?

I wrote a scene for a movie (still a WIP) that involved a serial killer and his victim. It was a graphic scene and when I got done writing it, I was really upset. I'm not a killer so how could I write about one so realistically and graphically? What does that say about me? My mom won't watch shows like "Criminal Minds" with me because she thinks it gives crazy people even more crazy ideas to work with. Is that true? Are writers responsible for the evil in the world? Does Steven King worry about this? Does life imitate art or is it the other way around? Am I the chicken or the egg? Aughhhhh!

So today my challenge is to write a highly erotic scene. I mean all out, balls to the wall (metaphorically speaking.) I can always tone it down later but for today, I'm going to break down my 'inhibitions' and just go for it. Just don't judge, okay Loyal Readers?

I am wayyyyyy behind on NaNoWriMo, having done no writing at all from Thursday to Monday. I'm hoping to catch up, but towards the end it may not be good writing. Oh well, I guess that's what rewrites are for.

Thanks for the encouragement Maura, I'm energized to get some writing done but Shelby is on hold until after NaNo. But I do feel excited to write and I have some irons in the fire. Shelby will be back in the forefront in just a few weeks!

It's (Almost) a Wrap and a Possible Career Change

After three weeks of intensive shooting, it's a wrap on principal photography on "Vegas Schmegas". Well, almost.

The motel location we were shooting at stands in the shadow of the Wynn Hotel. Literally in the shadow. Like so in the shadow that we lost shooting light at 3:30 and will have to go back and re-shoot some scenes so that all of the footage matches. And we still have a long list of things to do before we can finish editing on the project, including shooting some B-roll footage, recording some voice over, doing ADR, etc. But we are calling that "Second Unit" so that we could celebrate a wrap yesterday.

Thank you to all of the actors and crew who worked so hard to make this happen, we couldn't have done it without you. Most worked without pay and just did it for the love of being on set and working. That's what independent film making is all about. Let's pray that this project gets picked up so we can then reward everyone for their hard work.


So, after a really LONG shooting day on Friday (ten hour days on set are pretty normal, twelve hour days aren't uncommon but this one was fourteen hours long!) I may be considering a career change. How do you think I'd do as a dominatrix?
Yup, that's me in costume. The consensus on set was that the Graminator was right, I did look "nice". Although if the catcalls and whistles I got from the people driving down East Sahara were any indication, I could potentially make some money at it. It was warm all day on Friday, almost hot at points (about eighty degrees) but by the time we shot the dominatrix scene it was really cold and windy.


This is the most wonderful actress and person, Elly Brown, and me, huddled underneath Nathan's shirts in between takes. We were sooooo cold. I love Elly, she was a trouper, she was in every scene that day and was AWESOME. I want to write more stuff for her because she is so good. Usually, really beautiful women aren't all that great at comedy (they don't have to be, they are beautiful, duh) but Elly has great timing and killer comedic instincts. She's also so nice and really willing to do what it takes. And right now she's on a cruise with her husband basking in the sun on some tropical beach. I'd be jealous but she worked so hard, she deserves it!

This is Nathan Ferrier and Jimmy Germano as "Franke" and "Louie". They were great. Nathan is new to our band of merry players too, and he was awesome as well. Did I mention he's totally gorgeous but a nice guy to boot? (He's the one who gave up his own comfort to loan Elly and I his shirts on set when we were cold. He stood there in a t-shirt so we could get warm. Plus, he let us use him as a wind block.) He did a fabulous job this weekend and he's a great actor, he knew his lines and he was ready to work. Yesterday, we shot his scenes as "Stan the cab driver" and he made my lines sound even better than when I wrote them! It's hard when you are filming to see "the big picture" but the Stan scenes were really encapsulated so it was easy for me to see how great they are going to turn out, and damn is it good! It wasn't an easy part either, but Nathan pulled it off like it was no big deal. Plus he and Jimmy work really well together and I want to write them some more stuff.

It's amazing how creativity breeds the need to make more creative stuff but I thank everyone on set for giving me a 'creative energy boost'. I am fired up and ready to write. We all agreed that it was wonderful to be on set again. It is a blessing and a gift to the writer to hear their lines and see the scenes they wrote brought to life. So thank you to everyone who made this happen for the incredible gift you gave to me and to Kelly and to all of us who have been working for so long to get this project off the ground!

Mucho thanks and love to: Kelly, Mark, John B, Charisma, Denise, Jimmy, Marissa, Jon, Eddie, Zach, Elly, Nathan, Nicole, Shannon, Gary, Craig, Kelly's dad, the staff and patrons at My Cousin Vinny's, Irwin Kishner, the staff at the Somerset Motel, all the friends who showed up to play hookers and soccer moms and my family who covered for me watching the Graminator so that I could prep and be on set. No shoebox, you all are the best!

And thanks to you, Loyal Readers. Your support during this journey means more than I can ever tell you.

Making Headlines

Check out this week's column by Carol Cling in the Vegas Voice, a blog by Las Vegas Review Journal columnists.

SHOOTING STARS: TV pilot spoofs ‘Vegas Schmegas’
Posted by Carol Cling
Monday, Nov. 10, 2008 at 05:00 AM
Anyone who calls Las Vegas home knows all the clichés of life in Neon Nirvana, from the always-on lounge lizard to the showgirl-by-night, brain-surgeon-by-day.
And that’s exactly the kind of humor behind the locally produced TV pilot “Vegas Schmegas,” currently shooting weekends through November.
The pilot, from Las Vegas-based Vision Dynamics Entertainment, spoofs comical, commonly held stereotypes about Las Vegas.
You know the drill: “People live in hotels, showgirls wear their headdresses everywhere,” explains producer-director Kelly Schwarze, who hit on the idea of a Vegas sketch-comedy project while watching the British comedy troupe “Little Britain.” (Canada’s Kids in the Hall also provided inspiration, he says.)
“There are so many colorful people” in Las Vegas, Schwarze notes. So he and collaborator Shae Wilhite, a Las Vegas-based writer and comedian, came up with the “Vegas Schmegas” concept and created a variety of comedy sketches.
One focuses on a mom who takes the kids to school and shops in full showgirl regalia, another on a mobile wedding chapel that ambushes couples forces them to tie the knot. And then there’s the crabby cabby who’s always deflating visitors’ dreams.
Locals Elly Brown (a real-life showgirl who also appears in local theater productions) and Nathan Ferrier are among the performers featured in “Vegas Schmegas,” Schwarze reports.
A half-hour pilot, to be presented to various cable television producers, will feature “the best of the best” sketches being shot this month.

Stay tuned, Loyal Readers!

Midway, Thirdway, a Whip and a Bowl of Red

Hello Loyal Readers and thanks for hanging in there with me during this time of sporadic posting.

Principal photography has reached the midway point after yesterday's shoot. The weather on Saturday was beautiful, so of course we shot on Sunday when the wind, rain and clouds presented a challenge. Once scene involved about seven of us dressed in "hooker" attire in the freezing wind. Then later we shot when it was so dark and windy and cold that we were freezing (I only brought a light sweater to set and I wished I had gloves and a scarf or something!) Then when we came back outside the sun was out, the wind had stopped...lovely, right? Wrong, because now our scenes wouldn't match the earlier ones so we had to re-shoot everything. Ahh, gotta love a challenge.

It is also the 'thirdway' point of NaNoWriMo. I should be at 15,000 words but I'm a bit behind at about 10,000 words. I also can't get in to upload my word counts because the server is so busy. I'll try again today. I think I'll be able to really catch up after shooting ends next Sunday. Any writers up for a write-a-thon? (Hmm, Dyann?)

I haven't even gotten to play with my new iPod much, although I did start the set up process. Now I just wish there was an easy way to transfer everything on my Zen to my iPod...

The whip in the title of this column is actually a riding crop and it's part of the dominatrix costume I'll be wearing on Friday as part of the Vegas Schmegas shoot. Boy, is it ever uncomfortable. The fence-net pantyhose make me feel like I'm stuffing myself into those bags that hold lemons or onions. But it was a great excuse to buy a pair of boots that I can't afford (why do I feel like I'm on 'Sex and the City' when I say that?) The funniest part was when I tried my costume on for my family, The Graminator thought I looked 'really nice'. Not exactly the look I was going for, or else my grams thinks I should dress more slutty.

The bowl of red was the chili I made for the shoot yesterday. I made it much less spicy than I normally would since I was feeding a crowd (although it still had heat and I brought jalapenos for those who needed it hotter) but it got rave reviews. I mean raves. Kelly even called me at home last night to tell me again how good he thought it was. And to back up the compliments, when I went to go to clean up the crock pot it was empty. I mean empty. They ate six quarts of chili! And two pans of brownies. It went well on a cold day.

Okay, I gotta get back to work. Thanks for hanging in there, I'll try to make tomorrows post a bit more exciting.

Updates to What is Going on in my World

Obama is the new President-elect (was there ever much doubt?) He has some tough decisions to make to get this county back on track when he takes office. Now he needs to put his money where his mouth is. I hope that he can deliver on his promises because I think this country is really counting on him.

Principal photography began on Vegas Schmegas on Saturday and I think it's looking great so far. The poker scene looked even better than I expected and the cast and crew really came through. Kudos to everyone. Especially Mark for some tricky lighting cues and Kelly for being a great director. Saturday I played a dealer so I got to be more of an actor than crew and it was fun. Everyone is doing such a great job that I feel a little superfluous, but I guess that's how a lot of writers feel on set. (We usually have a really small crew so I do more but we have actual help on this set. Still, I helped move tables and track and dolly and stuff so I'm not completely useless.) Next shoot is on Sunday, and we have two different sketches to film. It will be a good ramping up for the 14th when we have a twelve hour shooting day.

I am behind on my NaNoWriMo project, but I knew I would be since I was out of commission (writing-wise) over the weekend. I also started a new novel, not the WIP I thought I'd use, but I figured I would use the 50,000 word parameters to write my "Harlequin" novel. I have loved Harlequin since I was about eleven years old and I graduated from Little House on the Prairie Books and Nancy Drew novels to the paperback romances that my Grandmother read. The ones she bought were always set in England or Canada and the heroines were always nurses and they spelled things differently like "humour". I was excited when I finally discovered ones set in America. I think that's what this one will be for, the Harlequin American line. It's an idea that kicked around my head so I'm letting it out for NaNoWriMo. I'm going to have to put in a few 'cram' sessions to make the word count by deadline but I can always re-write next month.

And Thanksgiving is coming so I'm trying out a few things in advance to see if I can improve upon the traditional dinner I usually make. I'm not allowed to mess with it much, we MUST have turkey and The Graminator's stuffing and my home made pumpkin pie (with fresh, not canned, pumpkin). I have been reading about 'dry brining' your turkey and I tried it out on a turkey breast last night so I could see how it was before trying it on a whole turkey. I usually inject my turkey with an herb steeped butter mixture but I thought I'd try this instead. My mom told me not to mess with it, that my turkey was already great, but I had to check it out for myself so I bought a turkey breast and dry brined it. The result? The vote was unanimous and I am NOT dry brining the turkey this year, we are sticking with injecting. While the turkey was fine and stayed moist, it didn't have as much flavor as the injected turkey does. Injecting, to me, makes the turkey moist and flavorful and is easier and less time consuming. So while it was a noble experiment, dry brining falls into the "not worth it" category for me. I also made Sunset magazines sourdough artichoke Parmesan stuffing and it was delicious. I won't make it for Thanksgiving (as this could get me killed by my Uncle) but I'd definitely make it for us again. And there is enough left over to make "Bobbies" this week. (Those unfamiliar with the "Bobbie" at Capriotti's sandwich shop, it's turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce on a sub roll and it's delicious!)

I ordered my first iPod. (yes, I have fallen into Apple's clutches, now that I love my Mac I'm trading my Zen for an iPod) it's the iPod Touch and it's supposed to arrive by tomorrow. I've been following it's progress and it's gone from Kunshan, China to Shanghai, China to Anchorage, Alaska to Indianapolis, Indiana so far. My iPod will have seen more of the world than I have. I know it's a luxury, not a necessity, but I decided to put my comedy money towards something I wanted instead of something I needed. I can't wait to play with it!

Okay, that's my world. Hope all is good in yours, Loyal Readers!

Happy Halloween

On this fine Nevada Day (for those who didn't grow up in Nevada, Nevada was admitted to the union on October 31, 1864) I hope you all have a happy Halloween.

To celebrate Halloween, we are handing out candy and I'm making home made doughnuts and hot apple cider and we are having a Wii tournament.

This year the theme of Nevada Day this year is "Hollywood in Nevada" so I guess it's fitting that we start shooting "Vegas Schmegas" tomorrow.

No matter what your plans, be they spooky or scary or fun, I hope they are safe and wonderful!

I Must Be Crazy

Okay, I know I'm insane, but with encouragement from my fellow writers, Maura and Dyann, I signed up for NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month.) The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. That's 1,667 words a day. In November. When shooting of Vegas Schmegas will take up no less than six full days just for photography, Thanksgiving will take up at least two days and my nervous breakdown will take at least a week. What was I thinking?

Actually, what I was thinking is that something needs to kick my writing in the butt and maybe this is it. I have been so focused on taking care of The Graminator and day to day life concerns that my writing has suffered and if I want my sabbatical to be a success then I need to actually put the car in drive and go for it. I love my family but I gotta do something.

The only problem with NaNoWriMo is that I already feel behind and I haven't even started yet. We start shooting on November 1st and that's the day NaNoWriMo starts. I guess I'll take a notebook on set with me and try to write between shots. I'm not only producing this weekend but also 1st A.D. and acting (but I'm playing a dealer and I only have one line). Let's just say it's going to be a hectic weekend.

Any and all support is welcome. And donations of Prozac and Valium are greatly appreciated.

Sparse Posting

Not too much time to post this week. "Vegas Schmegas" starts principal photography this Saturday. I'm furiously hunting down props and costumes. Thank goodness for Amazon, I was able to get most of the poker set stuff on line. And thank you Savers for having so much stuff for costumes. Now if I could just find a cheesy 1980's "keytar"...any ideas?

What Would I Tell Myself?

I saw a movie yesterday morning, okay, it was a cartoon, called "Meet the Robinson's". (I was making cupcakes and it was on after the other movie I had been watching so I really heard it more than I watched it. I don't usually watch cartoons.) In the movie, the little boy gets to meet his future self and tries to learn a few things. It made me wonder what I would have done if I knew what my future really held, and what I would ask or tell myself.

Let's say I could talk to the thirteen year old me. First off, I'm not sure I would have listened to myself (as at thirteen you think you know everything already anyway). And I firmly believe that it's my life experiences that have brought me to where I am in my life so I wouldn't want to change anything major because I like myself and while I'm not in the perfect place right now it's leading me to where I need to go. So what advice would I give? Here is what I would say to me.

"Don't be so afraid. 99% of the things you worry about will never even come close to happening. Your fear will keep you from experiencing some of the joy in life. The greatest experiences you will ever have will come when you do the scariest things. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath and jump. Yes, there will sometimes be pain, I can't promise you that you'll never get hurt, but I can promise that even in the very darkest moments of your life, everything will work out. Hold on to hope.

Know that your family is the greatest asset in your life, even if you can't appreciate that for a long time. Even when it seems like you'd be better off without them, know that they will always be there for you. They love you, even if they can't show it the way you want them too. They are doing the best they can, just like you are doing the best you can. Have patience, love and forgiveness and you'll save a lot of time later on. Don't waste a minute with them because they can't stay with you always and you will miss them more than you can imagine when they are gone. And your pesky, smelly little brother is going to be one of your best friends one day so be nice.

Really live your life. Don't worry about what you 'should' do and do what you love. It will lead you to the most interesting places and let you meet the most interesting people.

Be grateful for what you have because you really do have more than you need and life isn't about money. Your first car will NOT be a tan Mercedes convertible with brown leather interior, nor will your second or third and probably never, but you won't have to ride the bus either.

Open your heart to all of the possibilities. You will have your heart bruised, many times, usually by people you thought really cared about you, but your heart is strong and it will never really break and love is a journey. Realize that others are fallible too. Forgive but don't forget. People willing to hurt you once will do it again and it's better to be alone than with someone who doesn't care about your well being.

Laugh, every day. Laughter is your gift and your salvation and you will need a sense of humor to get through life.

Finally, believe in yourself. Your fifth grade teacher was right, there is nothing you can't do. You just have to do it, not wish it or dream it, but work at it and make it happen. Don't be afraid, it's going to be a roller coaster ride for sure but oh, what a a ride it will be."

Saturday Morning Politics

I'll admit it, I learned a lot of political science watching Saturday morning cartoons. I was addicted to Schoolhouse Rock and the ones on government were my favorites. I can still recite the preamble to the Constitution. Those cartoons may explain why I majored in Political Science in college. One was my very favorite. Yes, even as a child I was a bit of a feminist and so my favorite was one called "Sufferin' for Suffrage". It still amazes me today.

This year we have an historic election. We will either have the first African-American President (because his father was African and his mother American) or the first female Vice President (because she has two X chromosomes.) But what has always amazed me is that African-American men have have the right to vote in this country longer than women of any race. Fifty years before women got the right to vote.

My paternal grandmother was in that first generation of women who got to vote (she turned 18 in 1921). She told me her father told her she had to be a Republican and told her how she needed to vote. But anyone who knew my Grandma Charlotte would tell you that nobody told her what to do. So she said "Yes, Father" and then voted the way she wanted to once she got inside the polling booth. I come from a long line of independent women (Charlotte's mother sold cakes in a section of the general store in Madera, California at the turn of the century. Hmm, maybe that's where my baking skills come from.) Thanks to the suffragettes who came before her, I too will get my turn in the polling booth. So to honor our historic past, present and future, here is my favorite Schoolhouse Rock. (Next week we'll learn to not drown our food!)

Virtual Reality Goes Too Far

Okay, I saw this story on the Internet and thought it was pretty funny. Apparently people are taking their virtual reality games a bit too seriously.

TOKYO – A 43-year-old Japanese piano teacher's sudden divorce from her online husband in a virtual game world made her so angry that she logged on and killed his digital persona, police said Thursday.

The woman, who has been jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data, used his identification and password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry out the virtual murder in mid-May, a police official in northern Sapporo City said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

"I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry," the official quoted her as telling investigators and admitting the allegations. The woman had not plotted any revenge in the real world, the official said. She has not yet been formally charged, but if convicted could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine up to $5,000.

As in "Second Life" in the U.S., players in "Maple Story" raise and manipulate digital images called "avatars" that represent themselves, while engaging in relationships, social activities and fighting against monsters and other obstacles. The woman used login information she got from the 33-year-old office worker when their characters were happily married, and killed the character. The man complained to police when he discovered that his beloved online avatar was dead. The woman was arrested Wednesday and was taken across the country, traveling 620 miles from her home in southern Miyazaki to be detained in Sappporo, where the man lives, the official said. The police official said he did not know if she was married in the real world.

In recent years, virtual lives have had consequences in the real world. In August, a woman was charged in Delaware with plotting the real-life abduction of a boyfriend she met through "Second Life." In Tokyo, police arrested a 16-year-old boy on charges of swindling virtual currency worth $360,000 in an interactive role playing game by manipulating another player's portfolio using a stolen ID and password.

Honestly, can you imagine taking a fake divorce that hard? I mean, when my Ken doll left my Barbie she didn't call G.I. Joe to do a hit on him. Also, why would you give anyone access to your login information? He probably deserved to get virtually killed for being really stupid.

Hmm, maybe instead of "Second Life", they should call it "Get a Life"?