Because Nothing Says Happy Halloween Like Smokin' Smarties

When I was a kid parents worried about some crazy sliding a razor blade into our popcorn balls. Now they have to worry about kids "smokin' Smarties." I don't know, y'all, I'm no parent, but this looks kinda awesome to me.

I feel peer pressure to start doing it.

"You can let it roll out, or you can blow it out." Word.

Happy Halloween my little Pumpkins!

P.S. My Halloween costume this year is even more amazing than it was last year, and I didn't even think that was possible. God I can't wait for tomorrow!

Reminiscing

Please enjoy this random photo of Jen and Pat, taken before Detroit stole them away from me.

When Jen and Patrick got engaged, I surprised Jen in Chicago so I could be there to celebrate. Because what's getting engaged if you have no one to clink glasses with and show off your ring to, right?

We ended up at a restaurant that night called Avec. It was probably Jen's idea because she knows cool stuff like that.

This weekend I was reading this article in Men's Health about Sam Kass, the White House chef who also tends the First Family's vegetable garden.

It turns out Kass was a cook at Avec. So that's pretty much like eating what the Obamas eat, right? Honestly, I don't remember much about the food at Avec, or even what I had, but I remember enjoying it and all of us passing our plates around.

The article also happens to be written by New York Times columnist, Mark Bittman, who I fell in love with a few years ago after reading his terrific cookbook, How To Cook Everything. (Note: I said 'read' the cookbook.)

Anyway, I probably wouldn't have remembered we went to Avec except we took this video I named 'Hot Avec Action,' because that's what Patrick says after violating the side of Jen's face. Eww.

Kinda fun all the great memories this little story on the White House kitchen brought back to me. To good food and friends... and speaking of good food, my dude plans to comfort-food the winter blues away. Dear Diary, Jackpot!

Already?!

Take the Stairs, Munchkins!

The music can always be in your head.

TGIF!

Goodbye To All That

There is a good (and amusing) reason why this cake is not very enthusiastic. Or designed well. It's pretty much the best cake I've ever had. My dude is too good to me.

A weekend of birthday gifts and cakes and cupcakes and getting to see many of my favorite people and it's all over for another year. Thank god!

There Is Something Goin' On - TGIF!

This very special edition of TGIF Video goes to me, y'all. My bday is tomorrow and I'll be 100, so I deserve this!

When I was little I thought singers who did duets were married. So in my 9-year-old mind (you can do the math), Kenny and Dolly were totally a couple and they were madly in love. Imagine my shock and sadness when I later learned that not only were they not married, they weren't even a couple, were never a couple and they were just singing some random song.

What?! Dreams shattered that day folks.

Still, I love Kenny and Dolly, and I love this song. Earlier this year I found this Feist and Constantine's stripped down slow-jam version, and damn, it's almost better.

But this is my birthday, and I'll celebrate with Dolly and Kenny if want. Highlights:

• Oh Kenny, look how normal your face was back then. ( He's got something goin'on all right... and it's scary!)

• "We start and end as one, in love forever, we can ride it together." (Look how Dolly pretends to ride something. Ow!)

• "Too deep in love and we got no way out!" (Spoken like a true stalker. Love. It.)

• Dolly's little flub toward the end... she is human. (She's still a sweet little angel from heaven as far as I'm concerned, though.)

As Dolly and Kenny practically yell into their mics, this could be "the year for the real thang." Let's sail away, y'all.

TGIF!

Breakin' It Down at Paul Brown

Friday night was the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative's big gala at Paul Brown Stadium. We skipped the gala and went straight to the after party, and damn, ya'll, we got served.

Everything was cool at first. We were all chillin' and dancin' - and doing it well, I might add - when all of a sudden the band (which was awesome) suddenly started the Soul Train Line.

Oh. Snap.

I was out of my league. But you know who wasn't... my girl Mindi. (Of course.)

Just about the time everyone was back on the floor doing their dance, the band starts up on Single Ladies. Pa-Pow, the whole joint went crazy. And somehow half of them knew the exact moment when Beyonce gyrates to the floor (you know what move I'm talking about), and they all did it in time. Daaaamn.

What have I done with my life, is what I wondered at that exact moment. That could have been me. I should have studied Beyonce's video more. I should know these moves. Stupid!

It was after that that the floor cleared for the dude getting low in this photo, because he and another girl knew all the steps and they brought it like Beyonce was watching. (So this photo obviously isn't of him during Single Ladies, but it's all I had that turned out.)

So yeah, that happened.

Ooh la la!

Look for me at the club this weekend y'all, I'll be doing the the Tracy Morgan dance from Conan.

30 Rock premieres this Thursday.

TGIF!

I'm With The Band

The Western at Southgate House with the Shiv on guitar. The rest of his bandmates were there too, but I got this nice shot through a hole in a sidedoor, so to hell with the rest of 'em. I'm thinking album cover shot, no?



The Mighty at Northside Tavern. Rob on bass. Don't let the casualness of the photo fool you, Rob will make it rain. And Josh will totally smash his guitar on stage. (Ok I just made that up. But it'd be kinda awesome.)

I'm practically a groupie, y'all.

Welcome To the World, Isla

Remember the baby shower I threw a few months ago, well... here she is. Isn't she five pounds of the sweetest thing you've ever seen in your entire life? I was a natural holding her, so it's only a matter of time before Michele realizes I should be her go-to babysitter.

I mean at look at me. I'm a total pro. I put her binkie in her mouth for her when it fell out and was all, "I think she's hungry" when she started squirming. It's like I can read babies' minds.

Welcome to the world little, Isla. It's going to be so much fun.

Blackmail: It Ain't What It Used To Be

Man, my boy David Letterman has found himself in a trifflin' mess, huh?

Seems like back in the day when someone dropped the extortion bomb people were all, "Damn!" and forked over the money. Now they're like, "Get me the district attorney on the phone."

Not even blackmail is pure anymore.

All this reminded me of my alma maters second most-famous broadcaster, Boom Goes the Dynamite. It's an amusing trainwreck, kind of like Letterman's announcement last night.

Tgif!