Year: 2005

So I’m sitting here enjoying the wacky evening gowns worn by the contestants in the Miss Universe pageant, and now they’ve started the swimsuit parade (in which they’re scored among other things, on physical fitness). Okay, I’m done. If I had forgotten how borderline offensive beauty pageants were, I just remembered. And let me just say, of the six women who have paraded by in their swimsuits so far, I could see all of their ribs. I’m officially appalled. (Of course, I’m also a little tickled at how similar this all seems to the film SMILE starring Bruce Dern and Barbara Feldon. ) Oh, and I’m please to say as I typed this, Miss USA pranced by, and I couldn’t see her ribs! She actually had a tiny roll of flesh that showed up under her bathing suit top when she twisted! You go, girl!

Yesterday, a friend asked me if I was going to see the new STAR WARS movie. I replied in the negative. She seemed surprised. She asked why not? I said THE PHANTOM MENACE convinced me that I didn’t need to go any further with this particular franchise. By all reports, the second film (whose name I can’t even remember) was abysmally worse. Why bother going back for more just because it’s the finale? My friend said she might go see it. I asked her if she’d seen the last two and she informed me that she hadn’t. I asked her why in God’s name would she want to go see this one if she hadn’t even bothered to see the last two. She replied, “It’s STAR WARS.”

Which seems to be the prevelant motivation for a lot of people to see STAR WARS, thereby making it the highest grossing opening day film in history (about $50 million.) Reviews have been generally positive, although all the ones I’ve read also talk about how it’s not really a great film, just much better than the last two… big accomplishment there. I suspect that reviewers, much like many viewers, are going to see this final installment, and enjoying it, because of their intricate memories/involvement with the entire series. So many of us grew up with the first three STAR WARS films, and they are so etched into our public consciousness that we have to keep heading back for more despite the infinitely inferior quality.

Hey, I should talk. In truth, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is the only one of the STAR WARS films that I really enjoyed.

Yep, I celebrate the 43rd anniversary of my birth today. I was talking with friends recently about internally, we all have a certain age that we reach, then remain there for the rest of our lives. My internal age is 30. I feel 30. So yesterday it hit me: I’m 13 years older than I think I am! Ironically, Scot, who’s going to be 37 in August, has an internal age of 25, so he’s going to be 12 years older than he thinks he is. So really, both internally and externally, we are a pretty good match agewise.

Here are a couple of pictures from a birthday celebration I had at The Red Fez recently. We had a lot of fun. On the left it’s me with the lovely Esme and Beth. On the right, it’s me and Scottie!

Anyway, Happy Birthday to me.