Happy Friday everyone. I’ve been watching Food Network lately and today I impart wisdom I’ve learned from Robert Irvine -Writer Impossible. Thank you Chef Robert!!
And check out hubby. Mystic Ink at Mystic Pizza!
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Nostalgic Memories of Muppets and Samurai
Anyone know the name of Gonzo’s chicken ladyfriend?
This past weekend I practically overdosed on nostalgia. Two television programs from my formative years made an appearance.
The first had me wondering – why are there so many songs about rainbows?
Guesses anyone?
Yes, for those of us a certain age, that would be the opening lyric to The Rainbow Connection sung by the loveable Muppets.
Friday night, I decided to watch the 2011 movie – The Muppets. In case you haven’t seen it, it’s about about three fans who help the Muppets try and save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon (played fiendishly by Chris Cooper). As expected, it was a pleasant combination of drama, humor and songs. I loved it and immediately watched it again with my hubby.
Back in the day, I watched The Muppet Show every week and it was really nice to remember how different life was back in the late seventies and early eighties. And while I have never completely watched the original Muppet movie, I still got all teary when Kermit sang The Rainbow Connection.
The other program that ate up most of my Sunday was the mini-series Shogun. Anyone remember it? I sure do. And I’ve watched it in re-runs before, however, Encore actually showed scenes that I know were never aired in the States back in September 1980.
For example, I know that there was no nudity or serious curse words (like the F-word!!). And there are scenes from the book that were filmed but never shown – like the entire love story between Kiku and Omi. So in some ways it was like discovering the series all over again.
But the best moment for me was when younger son flopped onto the couch next to me, watched Richard Chamberlain for a moment then asked, “Is that Chuck Norris?”
Seriously, sometimes you can’t make this stuff up!
60 Inches of Glory!
Well, it finally happened. A moment that I wished for and dreaded at the same time – our big screen television died. I admit for the last few years, I’ve had a serious case of TV envy. Everyone around us was upgrading to sleek, thin paneled models while we still had a big behemoth projection box. But there was no way we were going to buy another TV as long as the old one worked.
Then, a few weeks ago, the TV started acting up. I knew the symptoms. We’d had this brand before and it showed signs of imminent demise, the non-operable kind. I could barely contain my glee, but remained silent since I know Hubby would not be receptive to any TV replacement overtures.
When we bought our 50″ TV a mere eight years ago, it was not quite cutting edge HD, but it was better than what we’d had before – a 36 incher. A few years ago, we switched to ATT Uverse and started using the lone HDMI port and our picture got even better.
Earlier, I mentioned dread – that would be the cost of replacing the television. Well, we had to bite the bullet. The old TV died on a Sunday and there was no way I was missing all my favorite programs.
After cruising around our town comparing features, prices, and the amount of HDMI ports, we purchased a new 60 inch HDTV at Costco. For good measure, I bought a blue ray player and Hubby added a sound bar.
Woohoo! We plugged that baby in and connected all the new toys and HOLY CRAP, we spent the entire day glued to the television. The picture quality was so incredible and different from what’d been watching that I thought my brain would overload.
The real mind freak moment came when we played a blue ray copy of Thor. We meant to watch just a few minutes for comparison purposes, but that didn’t happen. Two hours later and with copious amounts of drool (that would be mine – hello, shirtless Chris Hemsworth), we collectively realized that we’d re-watched the entire film.
And I awoke from my HD induced stupor and thought – crap! I haven’t written a thing today. Agggh!
After a week of – wow, look at that picture – I’m finally back on track. I completed the first draft of my new book. And surprise, it’s not Mystic Storm. Once I have the blessing of my excellent beta-readers, I’ll share more details.
In the meantime, in case you missed it – here’s the cover to The Undead Space Initiative coming soon in July! I’m very excited to share this book with everyone.
And if you haven’t stopped by the Scribes today, I’d love it if you’d visit and join in the discussion - Sex and Zero G.
Who else loves their TV set? If not, what is your dream/favorite gadget?
American Restoration, Pawn Stars and a Web Hunt!
Happy Friday everyone! Be sure to visit me over at the Scribes – My Fortress of Solitude.
I don’t normally watch a ton of television when I’m actively writing. And here’s why, over Memorial Day weekend, I made the mistake of checking out one of my favorite channels - History. I stumbled across the show American Restoration. After about five minutes, I was completely hooked. The show is about Rick Dale and his business – Rick’s Restoration in Las Vegas. I fell in love with the mix of history, nostalgia and the quirky cast of employees.
It didn’t take long for youngest son to be sucked in as well. Before we knew it, we were entrenched in an American Restoration marathon. For hours. When it was over, we were a bit bereft and bummed to have to wait until the following weekend to watch more.
Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Right after the American Restoration marathon ended, Pawn Stars began. Now, I know this show has been on for a few years, but I had ignored it. It wasn’t a “history” program, per se, so I lumped it in with the likes of Ancient Aliens, Ice Road Truckers, and Swamp People - not for me.
Wrong. I couldn’t resist the old school toys, antique weapons, the haggling (which I’m terrible at), Americana, and the deluded people. Soon, I was talking to the screen - “You want how much? Why are you even going to a pawn shop if you think it’s worth so much – try e-bay!”
And the History Channel was kind enough to run a marathon for two days! Like a black hole, the show latched on, not only to me, but my hubby and younger son. The only one able to resist – Older Son – his dislike of history battled Pawn Star’s gravitational pull.
At one point, I even told hubby – “The show is research. See, Devlin Ward, my satyr in Mystic Ink, he owns a pawn shop. And all this knowledge will come in handy when I write his book.”
I know. I know. I should hang my head in shame. Pathetic excuse.
Needless to say, I didn’t write very much.
I had resolved to mend my ways. Until younger son informed me – “Hey Mom! Did you see the commercial? Cajun Pawn Stars!”
NOOOOOOO! Curse you History Channel!
So in the spirit of Pawn Stars and American Restoration, consider a hunt of your own.
Today is the start of the Night Owl’s Summer Fun Web Hunt! So what’s a web hunt? Participating authors (like yours truly) have a clue hidden within the pages of their blog. The web hunt runs from June 1 – July 15th.
I’m giving away a $15 Amazon gift card! If you’d like to join the hunt, click on the picture below and follow the rules. Good hunting!
So, what television shows tickle your fancy? And if not television, what are your favorite distractions?
