Where's The List?

In recent days I have come to the conclusion that I must revise my list. It's harder than I realized, narrowing the list of famous men-that-I-would-want-to-kiss-though-I-will-never-ever-meet-them-and-likely-would-stutter-like-a-fool-if-I-did to only five. I didn't think I was the type to get all googly eyed over a guy who likely isn't as cool in real life as he is on the screen - small or large - but apparently I am. My new crush is Michael Shanks (really, you say, I would never have guessed that, Jane) and as I am finding out, he really IS as cool in real life as he appears on TV so I need to add him to the list. But who to bump?

• I can't remove Richard Dean Anderson. He was the first one on my list. Before I even knew what lists were, he was on it. And he is awfully good looking for a guy who's older than my father:
• Hadley Fraser has a large deficiency of good pictures available on the web for me to steal. This is one of the best: but have you heard him sing? The man is crazy good:
  
• Then comes the one that could be considered an anomaly. Despite his inability to choose movies that I can actually watch, I really like Jason Carter. His single season with Babylon 5 made such an impression on me that he might be the one guy I could meet in person because there is so much stuff I could ask him. He might lose the mustache though, it's a little heavy:
• Those three are givens. Thou shalt not remove them from the list. Then with the recent addition of Michael Shanks we're up to four already. Again, how can you not LOVE the nerdy, sensitive, built look?:
• So who's fifth? One spot with so many possibilities. Cillian Murphy is Irish and awfully versatile. Very cute: Matthew Perry is amazingly funny and adorable:

This is me, torn for the fifth spot on my list.

If Only I Was

This Monday is SO much cooler and pleasant than last Monday that I wish today was Labor Day. I almost called in sick this morning because it's so nice outside and I only have a little hacking cough left from the cold and my bedroom is clean and I could have stayed in bed for anther three hours I think. But. That would have been a lie and so here I am at the office piddling around not doing anything but dreaming about what I would have done if I had stayed home. Conscience: friend or foe? Discuss.
So I'm reading this book, "GRANIA: She-King of the Irish Sea" about Grainne Ni Mhaille, Grania, or Grace, O'Malley of Ireland. It is a good book, very compelling in that I don't want to stop reading to sleep or work. Grania was the daughter of an Irish clan chieftain. Having been indulged by her father, she grew up on his ship, learning to lead the men and being accepted as one of them. When her father died he named her as successor, making her the first female chieftain and sea captain. She lived roughly the same years as Elizabeth I and they were adversaries as Grania was a pirate as well as sea captain. The meetings between the two women were detailed and part of English and Irish history alike. If this sounds in any way familiar it's because my latest obsession, The Pirate Queen, was based on the Irish legend. (The Pirate Queen, starring Stephanie J. Block, Hadley Fraser and Marcus Chait, that opened and closed on Broadway before I got to see it. But I'm not bitter, no sir.) I like the musical for many reasons, not the least of which is that my heritage is Irish on my dad's side and all the fabulous talent that was in the show. Also, I like entertainment taken from real life.
So. I'm reading the book that the musical was quasi-based on and I am really impressed at the talent and vision of other people. How anyone could read this book and decide, 'hey - this would make a really great musical!' - I'm sure I don't know. It's a rough, dirty and brutal kind of story. Granted, it was a rough, dirty and brutal time in the world's history too, but to read the book and see in it a glorious, romantic, musical play takes a brilliance that I just do not have. I felt the same way when I read "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". Surely you know how much I love that musical. But the book is not at all pretty, romantic or inclined to musical accompaniment. Yet someone read the book and thought it would make a great Broadway show. And it did! How does one make that sort of jump? I do not begrudge the screenwriters or stage playwrights ANY money that they get from the shows and the royalties that come afterwards from soundtracks or swag or whatever. These peeps are talented.

This is me, in awe.

My Five

Many people have a list. I'm sure you've heard of these lists. Friends did a whole episode on Ross's list. This list is a list of five living celebrities that their significant other would 'allow' them to sleep with should the situation present itself - because in all likelihood one would NEVER meet these famous persons. Now understand, we live in The Jungle and the possibility is MUCH higher than in other cities, except maybe The Big Apple, that one would chance to meet a star. (Remember I work next door to the place where Edward James Olmos ate breakfast one day in March.) So.
A list of five men Tarzan would allow me to kiss should the situation present itself. (I am a bit of a chicken, so I temper my list with the caveat that I'd probably just kiss them.) My list is not so much the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt type as the more substance, less glitz kind of hot mens. In no particular order they are:

• Richard Dean Anderson (heellllooo, McGyver)
• Jason Carter (more Babylon 5 and less vampire, though that could be kinky too)
• Hadley Fraser (have you heard the boy?)
• Scott Bakula
• Matthew Perry

I think I have a thing for British accents. Do you have a list? Do you feel like making one now? Share, share, share. I wonder what Tarzan's looks like?

This is me, and my list.

Regular

From here:
Onesome: Writing-- on the web: Do you consider yourself a writer, in that you provide a narrative of some sort? ...or a responder, wherein you primarily work the meme circuit?

• Writer. It's not particularly exciting, unless I'm talking about SJB or HF, but it's my life and I like it.

Twosome: your-- place: did you do your own design? ...or did you pick out something from the established templates?

• It's from the pre-ordained set of blogger templates. One day I'll have the time to make up and try out my own, but for now...it'll do.

Threesome: Blog-- this! What's your favorite type of thing to run across that you just can't wait to get to the computer to post? Photos count, but for the photobloggers (like Laurie and me), what is it that you just know you won't be able to hold on to for even a day?

• Oooh, tough one. I find myself whining a lot here...so I make an effort to post the good stuff too. Pictures I love to post because of my family and friends all over the globe who might like to see. I like to post an interesting meme.

This is me writing regular, like I'm part of a group. Woot!

Three Thursdays For You

Just found out that these things are memes (rhymes with 'themes', or 'dreams') Now that I know I am compelled to look for many on the web and post them here. Apologies to all of you out there who don't care. This site posts every Thursday and since few peeps comment (thank you Rocketgirl and M!!! Love you!) maybe I can drum up some numbers this way! :-) To get caught up I present three Thursdays worth of answers.
07/26/07:
Onesome: 'Lettuce'-- talk of salads and dressings: Is plain green your thing? ...or do you like 'stuff' mixed in or scattered over the top? ...and how about the dressing: what's leading your list this year?

• All about it being mixed in. Like the greens, but not as a solitary. And I love most veggies - carrots must be shopped small or they bug me - so yeah, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, peppers, carrots, onions, cheese, croutons, bring it on! Dressings: Caesar w/Parmesan is good; can't beat an oil and vinegar mix. It's all good.

Twosome: and-- how about those Mets, -eh? Actually, baseball's doing okay this week, with basketball, football and cycling having the problems. Is there any sports news you'd care to comment on?

• Sure, the Met's beat the Dodgers last Thursday but they also made three costly errors. (That's all I know because I was at the game.) Love the college football - Fight On USC Trojans! Season starts in 37 days. Pete Carrol says we have the best team yet and we have more depth than ever before. Woot!

Threesome: tomato-- and lettuce: the perfect toppings for that hamburger someone will cook up for you at a Labor Day picnic in another month or so? ...or perhaps you have another set of condiments you like on your meat or tofu?

• Mustard is a must. Ketchup, relish/pickles, cheese are very good. Tomato only if sliced thin and shredded lettuce is best. Onion if chopped and only a little. NO mayonnaise! EVER.

07/19/07:

Onesome: I love-- to hear about new music; do you have any new favorites for us this week?

• Only the most fabulous soundtrack EVER! The Pirate Queen soundtrack is what is playing in my car (and my head) for the last two weeks. Love it! Love the Block and the Hadley Fraser is spendiferous.

Twosome: this-- is way past the half way point of Summer; how are vacation and other plans working out for you? Here's hoping you're doing well!

• Uh-huh. There's no vacation in the world of architecture. We get July 4th and Labor Day. That's all. So thank goodness for air conditioning in the office.

Threesome: Book-- query: Whatcha' readin' this week? No, not "The Harry"! Arrgh! ...okay, if that's a big thing, sure.

• I'm re-reading one of my favorites: Kushiel's Dart by Jaqueline Carey. I like some spice in my novels but only if it fits the storyline. The plot must be feasible. It helps if the characters are realistic too.

07/12/07

Onesome: The-- Food Channel: Yummy Goodness or Food Pr0N? Who do you like to watch (or love to hate)?

• I like the Food Network. Iron Chef is funny and informative. Wish I had time to watch some other stuff.

Twosome: Food-- in the Summer? Cooking in the kitchen? Any tips to beat the heat for those in the gang literally baking in the heat?

• Salads are great and there are tons of good ones with fruit and interesting combinations. My favorite place to check out is here. With some crusty bread and cheese it's a great meal.

Threesome: Channel-- some coolness our way: what is your favorite Summertime beverage (yes, mixed drinks work too...).

• Crystal Light - Raspberry Ice with 7-up over lots of ice. I now understand when a wine aficionado says something has "depth". This drink has depth. And it's niiiiiiice.

This is me, meme-ing. I hope I don't have to wait for someone to Meme me first. That would be embarrassing.

Thinking

I am so ready for the weekend. I know, I know; when am I NOT ready for the weekend?
But what if I tell you that my in-laws are coming.
To stay at our house.
Our 786 square foot house.
For three days.
With Tarzan, my sister and me.
Would you appreciate what kind of a week it was that I am still so ready for the weekend? :-) Actually, though the week was kind of grueling, my in-laws are not bad. (I've certainly met some that I would NOT like being even remotely related to.) No, Tarzan's Mama and Papa are good peeps. They're a little more random than me. A little louder and little less...restrained than I. Not that I am a great paragon of discretion you understand, just relatively speaking. But it's okay.
(And I don't say that because my MIL sometimes reads this blog - *ahem* like many people, she does not comment *ahem ahem*!!C'mon, validate me.)
No, it's okay because every time we get together another thread of Tarzan is revealed and I understand him a little bit more. What makes him tick, and tock, why certain things cause him to blow - on the few occasions he does. (It's almost - I said ALMOST honey - irritating how unflappable Tarzan is. What's a girl got to do to get a reaction out of a man?...Um, get your mind out of the gutter people, please. THAT I can do. Sheesh.) Where his quirks and mannerisms come from. (What is with the seizures when you eat something that tastes good?) And of course the stories from his childhood are fun to hear - really Tarzan, EVERY key on the piano?
That's one of the things I have found most intriguing in my life - learning why other people do things, say things, think things. Understanding the human psyche. I'm pretty sure I should have been a psychologist. Too bad it took me until I was 30 to figure it out. Ehn. In my next life - when I'm Hadley Fraser. :-D I'll be the fantastically cute, amazingly talented, British-accented psychologist.

This is me out for the weekend.

Willpower and much linkage

OMG - I changed my mind. In my next life I want to be Hadley Fraser.
So I waited (be proud of me - it was hard) until we picked A up from The Desert last night to listen to The Pirate Queen soundtrack. It was thrilling, simply thrilling. I really, really, REALLY hope that the producers can get enough support and backers to do a national tour because I NEED to see this show. I know, I know; it won't be Stephanie or Hadley, but it would be good even if *I* sang it. (Well, probably not, but you know what I mean.) The music is lovely - Irish in lilt and I like that. Perhaps because my background is Irish, I don't know. The characters are strong and the voices...don't even pretend like you don't know how good they are by now.
Stephanie J. Block rocks. I'm not sure why there's a rumor that she sounds/looks like Celine Dion. (I think she looks more like Barbara Streisand but that's something else.) Celine kinda screeches - I think her voice sounds thin sometimes. Stephanie has power, she can hit the notes and mean it. She's also a really nice person and she's involved in her characters. She really becomes the person she's portraying and I love her for that. I am seriously thinking of becoming a Blockhead (check out the first definition), that's how much I like her. Plus her favorite charity is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Always a place in my heart for those people.
Interestingly enough, perhaps because I wasn't a Broadway LOVER (liker, for sure but not a Tony-watching, interview-following lover) until Wicked (which is an "estrogen-fest" according to Tarzan) , there wasn't a male performer I liked enough to get behind (i.e. obsess about). And then I found [heard, drooled over, watched ALL the comcast episodes, preview videos, special appearances, lurked his website and determined the need to worship for all time] Hadley Fraser. Wow. He can sing, amazingly well. He has a Brtish accent. Wow. So cute, really funny, humble, so cute and yet self depreciating and did I mention he's SO CUTE? His voice is strong enough to hold against Stephanie (I just can't quite call her Steph yet.) and hers is strong enough to go up against his. Makes for some great duets. (He's perfect, she's perfect and they're perfect together!) Plus, the character he plays is a totally sweet, gorgeous, noble guy. How could every girl in every audience NOT fall in love with him? Awesome. (On second thought, maybe I just WANT Hadley Fraser...!)
Then. Today. I discovered there is a Bonus Track CD, which has three (3!) songs not included on the CD that I have. So, do I buy a whole new CD? Do I pay for the downloads of the individual songs? If I do the download then I can burn an entirely new copy of the CD, figure out where the additional songs go chronologically and have even that much more of the show to pretend I am seeing. The benefit of the new CD is that the lyrics come too. Ehn. What a choice.

So yeah...say it with me now, national tour, baby, national tour.

This is me wishing.

Update: What she said.

Commercial

This should have been Fleighund's 30th birthday post, but something has come up that is MUCH more urgent. People, you NEED to see The Pirate Queen! Firstly, from all I can glean from the castcom pages, and the interviews and synopsises..es..es...whatever, it's a REALLY good show. Historical, but not dry, dramatic, fun, romantic - everything musical theater should be. Naturally, the music is fabulous - who doesn't love Irish dancing? (heellooo, it's produced by the same people who did Riverdance people, Riv-er-dance. And the composers, Boublil and Schoenberg, ALSO wrote Les Miserables which was my favorite stage production until Wicked - sorry Javert) Thirdly (that was actually two reasons there) it stars Stephanie J. Block who if you haven't been following my blog (shame, shame on you) is fabulous!! She's amazingly talented, with a beautiful voice and she's a really nice person in real life too. She's getting a caricature at Sardi's on Thursday. Next, I love theater AND movies but the homes of each are divided by this entire country and since I can't live in two places I had to choose a coast. It was a tough decision, but see, I have this aversion to snow, so I live in The Jungle. This means I have to wait for national tours if I want to see fantastic live productions like The Pirate Queen. There will be a national tour only if enough people see it on the Snowy Coast and/or buy the soundtrack which is being released July 3rd! JULY 3RD! Buy the soundtrack peoples! That's three weeks from today! Buy Buy Buy! I am totally there.
In fact I almost WAS there! Which brings me to the real point and MOST IMPORTANT REASON why you should go and see The Pirate Queen. Tarzan - the sweetest man EVER - was going to surprise me with a plane ticket to fly to New York to see the show (OMG!! how marvelous is he?! I know!) and he read that it's closing in 6 days because it's not getting good reviews - which I don't see as possible based on all the reasons listed above. Stephanie a-LONE should give it rave reviews and she's not the only spectacular performer in the cast. I mean Hadley Fraser? So hot. And the boy can SING. Marcus Chait - also awesome. Unbelievable. So go! Go! GO! Go see The Pirate Queen so that I can too!!

This is me exhorting you to see The Pirate Queen!