Freezing...worth it?

Finally on the bus after being in 40 degree weather standing for an hour and twenty minutes. I think that we ate going to get in another line

Here in Los Angeles

So, we are here in LA and I am trying to type this post on my IPhone so it won't be long at all. It's 1 AM and I should be sleeping since we are due at the Hollywood Bowl at 5:30AM but I am too excited. It has finally hit me! No matter the expense and not being able riser Harpo Studio - we are going actually get to be in the Kodak theatre the night after the Oscars and see the Oscar stage!! I so hope that Opreh interviews Natalie Portman but I don't know how likely that will be since Natalie is very pregnant and is probsbly exhausted. I can't wait to see Black Swan when I get home.

Tomorrow is really our last day here and we have to make it count. We are going to have lunch at Bubba Gump's after the taping and then gobto the monastery where the nuns make the awesome pumpkin bread. Today will be our day to sight-see and take pictures. In sure that we will be exhausted.

We got in on Saturday night late and after getting the rental car and making it to the hotel, we were beat. We ate downstairs in the Crowne Plaza restaurant and called it a night.

My mom ended up keeping until about 9:30am and o was bored out of my mind since I'd been awake since 5am (8am) Detroit time. I had to wake her up and then we went to McDonald's for breakfast and found St. Mary Magdalen for a noon mass. From there, we were able to drive around a bit and we saw Fox Studio, and drove down Wilahire blvd. We went to Whole Foods and Target (staples in any city) and then made our way to La Puenta, CA to see family. After our visit, we went back to the Crowne Plaza - Beverly Hills and ordered room service while watching the Oscar's.

I have to find a nice restaurant fir dinner on our last bight. I looked up Spago I really wanted to go to Wolfgang Pyck's restaurant but the menu Ed a little too adventurous for me. Well, o better try and catch some z's for the next couple of hours. Rise and shine at 4:30 to see Oprah

We leave tomorrow to go see Oprah and the 2011 After Oscar Taping

So, tomorrow is the big day and I survived all homework assignments, tests and quizzes.  Mom and I even managed to watch on more movie last night: "The Kids are All Right".  This one is nominated for best picture and Annette Bening is nominated for best actress.  So, we seen three movies, so far.  That's pretty good.

I was reading the blog on Oprah.com and must say that my hopes are dashed a little.  A lot of people complained about the expense of the trip and the long wait in lines without food to see 40 minutes of taping.  I had posted earlier that I was more hoping to experience a taping in Chicago at Harpo Studios where there is no bad seat and where Oprah won't look like a dot on the stage.  I'm worried now about my mother and the long walking/standing/waiting in line.  Lord, please let this experience be worth it.... especially since I am leaving the most important people in my life.  I remarked earlier about how strange I get when it is time to leave my husband and kids.  I can't help the images of motherless children and Morris going through my belonging after I'm gone.  I know... "stop it".  When I make it back, I am going to have to see someone about this insane fear.

Anyhow, I am thankful for the opportunity and more thankful of the time it will allow me to spend with my mother.  This is definitely a "once in a lifetime" moment and we are going to live it up.  I hope that out hotel is nice and that the weather is decent.  I won't be able to blog while in LA because I am not taking a laptop.  Maybe there is some way that I can update via my phone.  I will have to check that out.

Now the movie: I thought that it was awful!! If I had been watching it alone, I wouldn't have gotten through it.  That is saying a lot because I am the kind of person that has to get to the end of the book and watch the movie to see what happens.   I can't recall a movie that I've been so un-invested in before this movie.  I tried to find something positive about this movie and it is a hard stretch.  It wasn't even that I couldn't relate to the lesbian marriage.  I've watched movies or tv programs before about lesbian relationships and I have been able to relate in some way.  I've been able to draw parallels between their relationship and my own marriage or heterosexual experiences.  Not this movie.  I couldn't even muster any feeling when witnessing the despair of being betrayed.  That's universal, isn't it.  I've seen lesbian relationships on film before where I didn't like the characters (Monster) and I couldn't even get that in this money.  I wanted to feel something even if it was disgust.  I just had indifferent boredom.

Furthermore, I don't know how this movie is a comedy.  I didn't laugh or giggle one time.  I am at a loss as to how this is garnering any Oscar attention.  Even when the teenage daughter went to college, I felt little.  Surely any emotion that involves kids usually get me.  For some reason, I felt like the characters weren't involved.  I couldn't wait for the movie to end.  I'm disappointed that we watched this one at all.  This movie can't win best picture, but I won't be surprised if Annette wins for best actress.

Well, tomorrow is the big day.  Mom and I got our eye brows arched yesterday and we are getting our hair done tomorrow.  Gotta be cute for Oprah!  See ya.

Just 3 more days until we leave for Oprah and the 2011 Oscars

I still haven't gotten as giddy and excited as I thought that I would be by now.  Actually, I've been feeling quite melancholy these past few days.  I always get a little anxious when I leave the kids. In my last post, I talked about the prayer for safe travel.  I don't want to turn into one of those people that is afraid to fly.  I chastise my husband all the time for his fear.  I can't even talk about this not being a positive experience.  So, I must talk about the movie that we saw tonight.  It's part of the reason that I am feeling more out of sorts:  We watched "The Town".  This is movie #2 for me and my mom.  We might actually make it to LA having seen three or four of the Oscar nominated movies.  We'll forgo sleep and catch some z's on the five hour plane ride to LA.
Back to the movie: The movie was enjoyable and also unbelievable.  One couldn't help but want to root for Ben Affleck's character despite him being a murderer and thief.  I found myself reverting back to my teenage self having a soft spot for the bad boy who inevitably had a hard luck story about an absent or abusive mother.  I found myself wanting to do some investigation into the Irish in Boston.  It was a classic cop versus bad guy movie and I can appreciate and admire Affleck's directing.  Nevertheless, we have to watch at least one more movie because this one has me all twisted about love lost.  And that is not what I want to feel right before I get on this plane and leave my husband and babies.  Even though I have an exam on Thursday (that I haven't studied for), I'm going to have to find the time to watch one more movie.  Maybe we will do the "feel good" movie about the lesbians: "The kids are all right".  That one can't leave me feeling glum.  Until next time....

7 More days to Oprah and the Oscars

I am starting to really get excited about going to the Oprah After Oscar Show Taping.  We are leaving on Saturday and this is sure to be a very busy week with the packing, hair, eye, and doctor appointments and of course, getting the kids all squared away.  They have projects and homework assignments to complete and I have to make sure that Chelsea's hair is braided.  All uniforms need to be cleaned and things need to be in a general order so that everything doesn't fall apart while I am away.  Chelsea even has a field trip while I am gone.  It's all a bit too much.

I went to church today and prayed that God keeps me safe as I travel and that I get back here to my kids.  I wonder if it is normal for parents to fear leaving their kids?? I'm always fine once I get there, but I have a fear that I am not very willing to acknowledge that the plane will crash or that I will get into a horrible accident.  It's just like me to torture myself.  It's ridiculous.  I know that I will have a wonderful time and that God will bless me to get me back here to my babies.

So, tonight I took a break from homework and ran over to my mom's house.  Actually, I plowed through about 8 inches of snow to go over there at midnight and watch the first of our Oscar-nominated movies.  It may be the last judging how little time I have available this week.  Anyhow, I ordered "The Social Network" on DirectTV.  It was so nice to spend some time with my mother and I know that she enjoyed the movie.  I want to make this Oscar experience as exciting for her as I possibly can.

I was a little worried about watching the movie with mom.  I wanted her to have at least seen one movie prior to watching the Oscar's.  But you have to think that the concept of "social networking" might be just a little foreign to an 82 year old woman who doesn't own a computer.  Still, she said that she enjoyed the movie and also had heard of "facebook" even if the concept wasn't quite clear. 

The movie was pretty good.  I couldn't help feeling a little sad for Mark Z. who was the brilliant mind behind facebook since his character was such a lonely asshole.  You have to admire, however, tortured souls that just happen to be genius. I was captivated by all the geek speak as I have a degree in computer science.  Hearing about programming however did not tug at any of my heart strings and the lack of excitement further cemented the notion that I am doing the right thing by bailing on the IT industry.  Still, I can't help but envy people who have brains that work like Mark Z.  The Lord knows that I was surely not one of them, but my journey of reinvention without programming is surely another story.

Back to the movie: I don't think that the movie should necessarily get an Oscar nod as it didn't make the little hairs on my neck stand or tug at any heart strings.  I must say however that it was wonderfully written being about technology.  I knew what they were talking about when the acronyms flew around, but the fact that my mother got it and enjoyed it, says a lot.  The movie, in my opinion, was less about the technology, but more about brilliance and success at the price of one's soul.  I loved watching the growth of the young characters as they danced through corporate chaos, social hierarchy and the finding of oneself.   The true test of a good movie in my opinion is one that I am replaying in my mind long after I have left the theatre.  This one does it for me and it allowed me to do something that I hadn't done in a long time: chill in bed with my 82 year best girl and watch a pretty good movie!  7 days to Los Angeles, Oprah and the Oscars.  I can't wait!

Nervous & Excited.... all at the same time

I'm getting a little excited: this time next week, I will be going to LA to see Oprah and attend the 2011 Oprah After Oscar taping.  What a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!!

Having acknowledged that, I must admit that I am having a little heartburn about leaving my family.  My five year old daughter cries anytime the trip is mentioned and my 7 year old son says that he is going to miss me.  It's my daughter that is killing me: Both the kids said that they hope that my plane doesn't crash.  Oh my!!! I've never been afraid to fly until I had kids and was flying without them.  I will the plane to stay in the air so that I can get back home to my kids.  I'm having all kind of anxiety now.  I don't even feel guilty about leaving them; I'm scared to leave them.  Feeling pretty weird right now.

Travel Arrangments made

I have made our travel arrangements! We are flying into Los Angeles on Saturday, February 26 and we will stay until Tuesday, March 1. We are flying on Delta airlines. It was more than a notion to secure a cheaper flight. It we wanted to fly in on Sunday, on a direct flight, our tickets would have been 150% more!!! We decided to be in Los Angeles an additional day and see the sights.
I booked our room at the Crowne Plaza - Beverly Hills hotel. It seems like a nice enough hotel within a reasonable distance from the Hollywood Bowl and the airport.
Our information from the Oprah show states that we are to be at the Hollywood Bowl no earlier than 5:30AM on Monday morning. From there, we will be bussed to the Kodak Theatre and we must be there by 7:00AM.  We can expect taping to begin at 10:00AM and we will be finished by noon. 

I have no idea what to expect and I am not familiar with any of the Oscar nominated movies.  I'm not sure if I should try to see them or just forget about it and enjoy this entire experience.  I still want to pinch myself.  I just know that it this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!!!

Oprah, Here I come.....

Hi everybody, I know that it has been a while and I am going to be more dedicated to my blogs.  Yes, I have another blog and it is about my pursuit of a second bachelor's degree in Nursing.  Well, I am back.  I just read some of my past entries and decided that I missed blogging and how it captures my life experiences and feeling, so here is my new post:
I AM GOING TO A TAPING OF THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW!!!!!!
That was me screaming it from the mountain tops.  I am so excited!  As you know, this is Oprah's last season and for those of us who have attending her show on our bucket list, time is running out.  My mother was lucky enough to snag tickets for Oprah's post-Oscar taping on Monday, February 28, 2011 in Los Angeles.  She is taking me as her guest.  Even as I write it, I can't believe it.  So, my 82-year old mother and I are going to see Oprah.  Part of me wishes that I had an opportunity to attend a show in Chicago, but when you are crossing things off of your bucket list, you certainly can't be choosy :)
This year, I haven't followed the Oscar nominations at all and I've hardly been to any movies so I have to get busy trying to find these movies still in the theatre so I can have an idea of who I would like to see snag the honors.  I did a quick run though of the nominated actors and I either did not recognize the names or was not a fan.  The only name that stood out for me was Matt Damon.  So, now I wonder how interested I will be in the actors who may grace Oprah's taping. 
Well, our tickets are confirmed and now we are going to have to secure hotel and air fare which Oprah's communication did not have any recommendations for.  This planning is going to be interesting - and exciting!  Until next time.....