So That Happened

Maybe...Just One More Try

So I wrote this post on how great the George Michael concert was; and how much fun Carol, Heather (who has already written a stellar post on the event), the Blogless Brit and I had; and how we played Count All the Women Who Look Like Middle-Aged British Ladies On Holiday before the show started; and how we bought really cute yet overpriced concert t-shirts and formed our own WHAM! Army; and how amazing our seats were; and what was up with that guy in the flight suit (whom we cleverly dubbed Flight Suit) with the Nine Inch Nails patch and "FAITH" written in green glitter tape on his back; and why was it that at the George Michael concert in LOS ANGELES the only celebrity sighting was freaking Dr. Phil (who, according to our dear George, announced that he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there, to which the entire venue booed Dr. Phil's mustachioed ass, which was awesome) (oh, wait - we think we saw Loretta Devine, which would make sense since she is on Eli Stone and all, so there's two); and how I couldn't have loved George more when he forgot the words to the second verse of "Freedom! '90," and how when he sang "Kissing a Fool" and "Careless Whisper" I could have well died right there on the spot from sheer bliss, but then the unthinkable happened.

TypePad ate my post.

I know. I KNOW. BOO.

Well, that was the gist of the first post. This one? Oh, this one will be all about the photos I took. Specifically, the photos I took of a GM Fan Club member during intermission (yes, there was a 20-minute intermission, to which the Blogless Brit said, "He's 45. You need an intermission at that age.") Disclaimer: I took these with my cell phone so they're not the best-looking shots, but you'll get it. Behold!

Okay, this was from the beginning of the concert. Look at that neat stage/monitor combo thing that looks like an unfurled carpet! Look at Giant George Michael! If you look closely, you will see two teeny tiny black lines near the center of the photo that look like an exclamation point. That was Real George Michael. Trust me on this.

Now for the goods, but first, an explanation. We happened to be seated around a bunch of GM Fan Club members who planned a big Happy Birthday singalong right before the end of intermission. They started talking to each other once the break began and naturally we couldn't help but eavesdrop on overhear their conversations. One woman had to be seen to be believed: imagine a Susan Powter-esque lady but with dark hair with a fresh-out-of-the-salon tan and in low-riding jeans AND a matching halter top, under which she wore her flesh-toned strapless bra which you couldn't help but notice because she had barely tied the back of her halter top to begin with. Seriously. Oh, and she and her equally tanned husband were wearing Hawaiian leis because the fan club members were supposed to wear them, but they were pretty much the only people in the entire place with them on. Ha.

Hawaiian Tan Lady was talking to some other people when she quickly turned away from them and bent over at the waist, which I think is the international sign for "Check out my tattoo!"

Me: "What is she showing them?"

Carol and Heather: "Her GEORGE MICHAEL TATTOO."

Me: "I NEED A PICTURE OF THIS."

OH, YES. That is a GEORGE MICHAEL TATTOO on her LOWER BACK. She has a GEORGE MICHAEL TRAMP STAMP. Check out the thong tan and the glimpse of her strapless bra!

I KNOW, RIGHT?

This may be one of my most favorite cell phone photos ever. There's the Hawaiian Tan Couple in the foreground and, if you look at the center of the photo, you'll see Carol and Heather giving their respective thumbs up. HILARIOUS.

Carol expressing her feelings over the memo passed out by the fan club members, which included instructions on what to do near the end of intermission as well as...

...the lyrics to HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY. You know, in case you didn't ALREADY KNOW THEM.

Ahem.

So, yeah. The concert was fantastic, and the people-watching beyond entertaining. Let me conclude this post with some photos I took during the "Freedom! '90" encore in which the video (directed by David Fincher - did you know that?) was broadcast on the monitors. Joy!

Giant Christy Turlington!

Giant Linda Evangelista! Oh, how I will always love the supermodels of the '90s!

More Family Fun with Photo Booth

Oh, look how I am not dead but rather just being kept very busy!  I know I swore I'd get my blogging legs back again but I haven't kept up my end of the bargain.  D'oh!  Must work on this.

I got to spend some time last week with my nieces (AKA My Most Favorite People in the World), where we did a lot of this:

Hooray for Photo Booth, for it is the only way I can take a picture with both girls once I manage to corral them in my arms for five seconds.  The little one was a bit upset because the older one tried to take something from her, but those tears went away right quick once I broke out the computer.  

We also played with masks:

Here's the older niece in her awesome polar bear mask.  (I tried to put the third mask on the little one but she wasn't having any of it.)  I love how she kept her backpack on even though we weren't going anywhere just yet.  And because I couldn't let the kid have all the fun...

...here I am looking deranged yet sad in her panda bear mask.  Seriously - how crazy do I look?  I'm talking stalk-you-in-the-dead-of-night-and-stare-at-you-through-windows crazy.  Even more seriously, isn't this mask awesome, too?  I'm thinking this should be my next Facebook profile photo.  (Aside: I just realized that we would make the most non-threatening bank robbers in these masks.)

Finally, here are the little ones checking out their Fisher-Price digital camera for kids.  I'll admit it's a pretty neat camera.  It made me so very happy to see both girls wanting to play with it!

Dear Cancer,

SUCK IT.

This week you took the mother of my dear friend, a woman who dealt with your pancreatic ilk for TWO YEARS.  A woman who will not witness the birth of her first grandchild (a girl due in October).  A woman who was kind, smart, funny, open, and had just about the most amazing relationship with her daughter I have ever seen.  

You are also the most unwelcome tenant of my friend, Frank, a man who has, with his partner, adopted the most beautiful baby boy in all the world.  This is a family that has been a long time in the making, and Frank (along with everyone else) will make damn sure you don't get in their way.

I'm done.  For now.  But just know that you are ON NOTICE.

Countdown!

Holy crap!  I leave for Hawaii in less than a month!  Now all I have to do is make sure I don't blow all the hard work I've spent on getting back into shape for the trip.  (I'll write all about it when I can - it took WEEKS, I swear.)

Go Shawty, It's Your Birthday

It's Prince's birthday!  My favorite Purple One is turning fifty today!  I know, right?  I can't believe it myself.  He has more talent/brilliance/innate sexiness than people half his age.  In fact, this year Prince, Madonna AND Michael Jackson turn fifty freaking years old!  I can't wrap my head around that one at all.

Your homework for today: listen to "Purple Rain" and "Raspberry Beret," and, if you like, dance around the house to "Kiss."  Lady with sunglasses and veil optional.

I'm Not Dead

Hey everyone! Look who is not dead! I would be posting daily as I have since the beginning of this blog, but right now I've been bogged down by lots of other things and I sadly let my writing here lapse. But no more! I still have to finish that travelogue even though it's been almost six months since Budapest and Prague, and I want to finish it because it will be the way I can remember the trip if I want to reflect on where we were, say, on New Year's Day, plus I need to finish it as I have my Hawaii trip coming up in a month (YAY!) and I want to write about that, too. I've taken lots of food pictures, got to enjoy a Dodger game from a suite (fancy!), and most recently, visited my nieces last week. Look at how big they are! 

 

Niece #1 is SO SMART. She is learning how to add and can write her name now, which is about the cutest thing I've ever seen. People say she looks like me, but she's really the Asian version of my brother-in-law.  For those who are curious, she will be four (!) in July. 

 

Isn't Niece #2 adorable? I cannot believe how much she has changed; she's no longer a baby (even though I still call her that) but rather a full-grown toddler, and a really funny one at that. This little one (who is the Caucasian version of my sister, I swear) will be two in August.

This picture cracks me up.  Niece #2 looks so fresh-faced and cute with her giant cup of apple juice, and I look so tired with the bags under my eyes.  Okay, it's the angle, I know, BUT STILL.  

More later from me tomorrow! Thanks for tuning in!