I watched the American version of Coupling this evening. It was pretty much a word for word remake. But if that is so, why do I remember laughing at the original and not once with the remake? One would think that if it is the same script at least one joke would work. It didn’t. I give it 3 episodes before it dies.

I want to eat! Notice I did not say I was hungry. My brain is insatiably calling out for food. I hate when I feel this way. The reason may be because I don’t sit down for meals. All I do is graze. Handful of macadamia nuts. Plum. Cup of tea. Apple. Slice of cheese. Another slice of cheese. Slice of salami. Glass of water. Handful of almonds. Wouldn’t it be nice to eat whatever you wanted and never gain an ounce? I would eat nothing but York Peppermint Patties, Buffalo chicken wings, Yuengling beer, coffee with cream, gingersnap cookies (from Barb Polo), glühwein, pumpkin pie (like my Nanny made with shredded coconut), Yellow Peeps, Swee Touch Nee tea, Nutella on a warm, buttered-brötchen, Dönner Kebabs (fresh from a Berlin Imbiß), Greek Salads, Sushi with Sapporo\Kirin-Ichiban beer (with Frank), Starbucks Frappucinos, 7-11 Coca Cola Slurpies, Halupkies (like my mom makes), Lemon Poppyseed ANYTHING, midori cake, Rittersport chocolate (especially filled with yoghurt), Chink’s Cheesesteak wit’, Berliner Weiße mit Schuß, Botan Rice candy from Chinatown, DeLorenzo’s sausage and mushroom pizza (Hi John!), Krispy Kreme donuts, Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, Coconut Gelato, Creme Brulee, Flanigan’s Barbeque Ribs, Italian nougat candy, roasted nuts from a New York Street Vendor on a cold day, Doctor Brown’s Cel-Ray, Chocolate Egg cream, Stewart’s Black Cow, sweet potato french fries, chocolate bubble tea, Medium Burger with sautéed mushrooms and onions, and funnel cake from a fair.

My meetings went well. I really wish ATA would rotate their inflight entertainment program. I keep listening to the same songs and watching the same George Lopez show, over and over. Flying into Chicago, I sat by the window. The city looked so beautiful and peaceful. Clouds were floating in the sky and the city was twinkling with blue and orange lights. Playing on the ATA inflight radio was Dominique, by the Singing Nun, Sister Luc-Gabrielle. It was rather relaxing listening to a warbling nun as the plane descended into Midway. Dominic….anic, anic Il parcourt l’Europe a pied, Scandinavie au Provence Dans la sainte pauvrete.

My bags are packed. The crossword puzzles are printed. I am ready for Chicago. AGAIN.

I have to go back to Chicago tomorrow. There is a meeting Tuesday morning I cannot skip. I just want to spend a week at home! Is that too much to ask?
I got some stuff accomplished today. Last week’s expense report is finished and I made two giant bowls of jello. Have I mentioned how absolutely addicted I am to watching La Femme Nikita episodes? I’ve already finished the 3rd disk! Hopefully WB will put out the other seasons soon….must…get…my…fix!

Here is my tribute to Johnny Cash…..

Johnny Cash singing I Walk the Line in German

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Chicago is definitely one of my favorite cities. Lisa and I had a blast. Yesterday we went to Navy Pier and walked the Magnificent Mile. We ate at Carson’s— sooooooo good. Today we visited my cousin Sharon and got the tour of Naperville.
I was shocked to hear of the death of John Ritter. I think all of us expected Johnny Cash’s death. After June died, I had been watching the obits for Johnny. Who would have ever thought that Charles Bronson, Johnny Cash and John Ritter would form the celebrity death triangle? Crazy.

My bags are packed. The crossword puzzles are printed. I am ready for Chicago.

I had such a nice evening last night. Lisa and I went to Philly. We had dinner and then went to see a movie at the Ritz. It was First Friday and so the 2nd Street galleries were packed with artsy fartsy people. As we were walking through the crowd, Lisa lost her footing on the uneven sidewalk and came down a little too hard on her foot, snapping her shoe strap. This provided a good enough reason to escape the crowd. We walked up Market Street, found a Walgreens and bought 1.99 flip flops.
There were a few films playing at the Ritz but the only one that interested us was Le Divorce. I had a feeling it was going to be a train wreck, but sometimes debacles are the most fun to watch. We bought the tickets. It was a long movie with too many characters. I got a kick out of the portrayal of the French and there were certainly a few pleasant moments (like when Goldie Hawn Jr. removes her falsies and the scarf montage) … but on a whole, it was unentertaining. Only catch it if you are a Francophile or an expatriate-wannabe.
Tomorrow I leave for a week in Chicago. I have 3 days of meetings and then Lisa is joining me for 2 days of mini-vacation. I’m excited to show her the city. Any suggestions of places to visit other than the well-known haunts?

An eHarmony match called me this evening. He droned on and on about glass manufacturing plants. Then he mentioned how he hates to read and that he doesn’t subscribe to a single newspaper. He also said he hates foreign movies because he doesn’t like reading the subtitles. If that wasn’t enough, he said he doesn’t travel and when he was younger his parents and sister went to Germany but he didn’t because, “What the hell is there in Germany?” He had a very thick New Jersey accent and he reminded me of a colleague…who is an absolute freaking psychopath. The sad part is I really liked his picture. He looked like a cross between a Kurt Russell-inspired Elvis impersonator and the lead singer from A-Ha, Morten Harket. (What is it about greasy pompadours!?!) Gosh, I loved A-Ha’s Take on Me video. Especially the end where Morten throws himself against the walls of a hallway, over and over, trying to get the crazy scribbles out of his body. The look on his face when he picks himself off the ground is beatific! (Experience it!)

BTW The look on my face once I got off the phone with Mr. eHarmony “Soul Mate” Match was also beatific. I got the A-Ha video here. There are a ton of great videos: Buggles, Devo, Green Day, Weezer and ZZ Top!