Monday, September 29, 2008

I Was Not Aware of This Law!

Wow. I just saw this in today's police blotter:
* ____, 35, of 116 Crystal St., Stamford, was charged Sunday with evading responsibility.

What does that mean? Evading responsibility for... following the law?

I hope so. Because if it's avoiding responsibility in general, I'm in big trouble. I could be charged with this on a daily basis. You know, purposefully trying to sleep a little longer so the husband has to walk and feed the dog, or not paying my phone bill for another day, or watching TV when I know full well there are towels in the dryer that need to be folded.

Here's my real guess: evading responsibility for a child, or bill of some sort, or maybe a motor vehicle accident. I think they should specify that, though.
Click here to read more.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Avon Getting Rid of Their Uncomfy Seats!

Augh!!! I am screaming with excitement! The Avon is getting new seats!!!!!!! YES!!!!! Every time I go to that theater, I am so uncomfortable. I go, though, because of their great films- the Avon, if you don't know, is the theatre on Bedford that shows the smaller films. They also do cool events like documentary nights and film festivals at Oscar time. This is fabulous news. I hope the new seats are like La-Z boys.

Info from the website:

The large theatre is being reconfigured to accommodate plush new rocker seats that are larger and will offer more legroom. New carpeting will be installed in the large theatre and upper and lower lobbies later this year. We are also doing some painting throughout the theatre to keep the Avon looking its best as we approach our 70th anniversary next year. The Avon will be celebrating its 70th anniversary on the night of the Academy Awards at our Red Carpet gala on February 22, 2009.

Many of our patrons have inquired if we will be offering a "Name a Seat" fundraising opportunity. Yes we will! Details regarding naming opportunities for the seats will be coming soon. Giving a gift of a seat at the Avon will be a terrific holiday gift or a special way to honor or remember a loved one.
Click here to read more.

Friday, September 26, 2008

It's A Rainy Day. Drive Carefully. Cue the Music.

I'd tell you about this art gallery opening on Magee Ave, but last time there was a big rain, there was such flooding under 95 that my husband could not get home from his gym, which is near Magee Ave. Just a thought on this very rainy day. Then again, he is extremely directionally challenged; maybe the rest of you know some secret way home.

Other rain thoughts:
--There's already an accident on 95 South at exit 4.
--Generally, I adore rain, because no one can say to me, "Why are you inside on such a beautiful day?" I like to be indoors and read and write, because although I am outgoing, I also need large amounts of down time to recharge. Now I blog and websurf and watch TiVo, but I used to read.
--Anybody remember the song from Sesame Street: "It's a rainy day, it's a rainy day, it's raining outside and I can't go out and play. Why do we need the rain, anyway?" Oh cool, I just found it on youtube. And now, I should go to work.



Art gallery info:Moss Halls Gallery opens at 6 p.m. tonight in the Moss Hall Antique Center, 85 Magee Ave. It will feature works by Lisa Cuscuna, Ann Gibb and photos by Francis Wolff.

The exhibit is dedicated to the work of the Sexual Assault Crisis and Education Center.

For information, call 348-9346 or visit www.sacecct.org.
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Thursday, September 25, 2008

When Will Stamford Be on Kitchen Nightmares?

Last February there was drama galore in Stamford when the reality TV show Kitchen Nightmares came to Sabatiello's on Bedford. I had never heard of the show, but you can bet I got myself signed up to be on it ASAP. Basically, Gordon takes a resto that is floundering and tries to turn it around by showing the place what's wrong, helping them fix it, and then relaunching it with better decor, menu, and attitude. I and a few other Stamford Talk readers got to be diners at the resto post-makeover. We discussed it on Chowhound if you want details.

The show is finally back on the air, and I'm dying to find out if I was interesting/photogenic enough to make the cut. (Doubt it.) There are two new episodes on tonight (Thursday), but neither is Sabatiello's, and I can't seem to find out what next week's episodes will be.

Last week's episode was the only show I've found stimulating enough to make it through an hour. There was a stubborn owner, a recalcitrant chef, and an insanely dirty walk-in fridge.

I'm curious what Sabatiello's problem was, besides mediocre food, which, if you think about it, is a pretty common problem.

When I find out the date the Stamford episode will air, I'll let you know!
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Lost UNC Ring with a Bridgeport Connection

I corresponded with a friend from high school who wanted me to put some info on Stamford Talk. Short version: She found a UNC ring, pictured here, in her backyard in Charlottesville, Va. She tracked down the name of the owner- George Richard Fiztgerald- but he was killed in Vietnam in 1966. She found his bio on the UNC website. She'd like to return the ring to his family, whose last known address was in Bridgeport. She hopes this blog can help get the word out.

In my friend's words: I have cold called people all over the US. While I was living in Charlottesville I was digging in my garden and found a college ring. I tried then to find info about the person to return it but it was a cold trail. Years later when I moved and found the ring again, I tired again to contact the alumni association to find information on the ring's owner. This time I did get some info. There was only one man who graduated in the year on the ring with the initials in the ring. He is on their website.

He was born in Bridgeport to Mr and Mrs James Fitzgerald and had two brothers and two sisters. He was killed in action in 1966 in Vietnam. I have tried the internet, the school he taught at before being deployed, marine websites, cold calling and have not been able to find his family. I know the notification of death was sent to Bridgeport, but they could only confirm the info I had already found at the archives because of privacy acts. I left the ring at my parents' house in Va. the last time I moved, but it is something I think about often. I feel like it is a part of his family and their history. I would really hope that someone in his family might like to have the ring.

Please pass this link on if you think you might know anyone with a connection!
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Nothin' Much. Just Sayin'. Mellow Stamford.

I had a nice evening on Bedford St. tonight. Dinner with the husband- fast, competent service at Capriccio as usual. Then, I met up with a fellow Virginian at Tigin, where I ran into a couple other friends who were just arriving for Trivia. At 8:30, I caught half the documentaries at the Avon, and I ran into another couple friends. I walked through Tigin with the movie friends so we could say hi to the Trivia friends, and I saw a coworker. It's nice to run into people you know.

I arrived pretty late for the documentaries, and I didn't want to pay. As I opened the door to the Avon, I imagined being brave enough to try to crawl past the lady at the desk. She saw me right away, so I had to be straight up. "Hi, can I go to the documentaries, and maybe not pay, since I'm so late?"
"Sure," she said. I was pretty late, so don't try this just because you are cheap.

Sometimes I like to imagine myself doing things I'll probably never do. It keeps my life interesting. For example, when leaving Tigin and heading to my car, I imagined myself hurdling the wooden barrier between the parked cars. That would have been cool, but I didn't really have the energy. Still, it was a nice thought. It's important to consider all possibilities, just in case. Sometimes it feels good to jump over things.

So yes. There is no point to this post. Just to say that there weren't a ton of people out tonight, but there were some, and everybody was chill.
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Football, Pumpkin Spice, Blogging

Well, it's fall. I know it because I got my first pumpkin spice latte (PSL) this weekend.

If it weren't for the PSL and and NFL, I don't know if I'd survive the darkening season. The weather is beautiful right now, but you know in two months we're going to be freezing our butts off. Thank God for football, which carries us all the way through to the end of January.

The one bad thing about blogging is that it has gotten in the way of my fantasy football career. The year before I started Stamford Talk, I dominated my yahoo league, thanks to my clever snapping up of rookie RB Joseph Addai.

Last season, just after I started the blog in August, I joined a league with friends. Disaster! I enjoyed the personalized trash talking, but blogging took priority over researching players and watching games. I spent a lot of time researching Stamford, learning about blogging, and planning and writing posts. I wasn't able to give my team the time it needed. I finished really low on the totem pole. It was demoralizing.

Although my blogging process is now more streamlined, I still think I spend too much time on the computer to justify spending even more time doing fantasy football. Know what the real problem is, though? Work. Work really gets in the way of my blogging. It's a damn shame. If I did not have to work, I could blog like a pro and play fantasy football and still have time to go to the gym and watch all my reality TV shows. (I just added a new one to TiVo, The Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo. It's so trashy and great.)

PS- If you like football, you must read the book Blindside: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. He also wrote Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, about the Oakland A's. Anyway, Blindside goes into why the left tackle is the 2nd highest paid player other than the QBs. Not the running back or wide receiver who scores the points... it's the guy who protects the QB's blindside. The book opens with Lawrence Taylor breaking through the book and breaking Joe Theisman's leg, then follows the story of Michael Oher, a high school kid with great potential. The book goes back and forth between Michael's story and the history of the left tackle. I feel like reading that book again.

What other football books should I read? I haven't read Friday Night Lights yet, should I read that? I love that TV show.
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Sunday, September 21, 2008

Rotten Produce at My Grocery Store- Rrr!

Tonight I wanted pita with hummus, cucumber, balsamic and lettuce. I went to my local Grade A on Newfield since it's so much faster than Super Stop and Shop. Even though Mrs. Green's up on High Ridge has far superior produce, I didn't feel like driving that far. I figured Grade A would be good enough.

Wrong, wrong, WRONG.

1. All 100 cucumbers in the cuc section were rotten. Soft, mottled, rotten.
2. Almost all of the grapes in bags were old and smushy. I thought the plastic containers looked like they had fresher ones, but when I got home, the bottom half of the container was full of the crappy loose grapes that fall off the stem because they're starting to rot.
3. The tomatoes on the vine were OK, but I swear they put the labels over some rotten spots.

Do NOT sell me rotten produce. That makes me angry. If I get up the energy to actually plan to eat healthy food, then get motivated enough to go buy the food, don't thwart that super-human effort. F you. That's right. A big Stamford Talk "F you" to today's produce section of my Grade A.

See? See all those loose grapes? RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Not that many institutions get the official "F you" from Stamford Talk. I think only Trump has ever gotten it from me, for endangering my life and the lives of those around me.

Well, the good news is, the pita was satisfactory despite the lack of crunchy cuc, I made a big batch of Tuscan white bean soup for my lunches this week, and I also made turkey meat loaf so I can make sure I'm getting enough protein.

That's right, get the hell out of my way when I decide to eat healthy. Unfortunately, I also ate 1/2 a box of Cheezits today. What can I say. I love Cheezits.
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Saturday, September 20, 2008

Documentaries at the Avon Tuesday

DOCUMENTARY NIGHT: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 - 7:30 PM
Featuring an evening of Short Subject films from Vassar Film Students

I am very excited about this. I love documentaries. I love learning stuff.
There are 3 shortish films. One about civil war reenactors, one about a girl with cystic fibrosis, and one about a ukulele cabaret in NYC.

Students and Avon Carte Blanche Members – FREE / $6 / Seniors - $7 / Nonmembers - $10
Hosted by James Steerman, Professor of Drama & Film

DOCUMENTARY SELECTIONS

NOT A PERIOD CORRECT GUN (2007)
Director: Hillary Lavin, VC ‘07

Belying the stereotype that civil war reenactment is a pastime for old men, two young history buffs devote their hearts and souls to the meticulous reenactment of the four year blood bath that took place more than a century ago. (Running Time: 11:00)

A BREATH OF LIFE (2007)
Director: Anna Moot-Levin VC ’07
When Erika Schwarz was born with the fatal genetic illness, cystic fibrosis, doctors predicted that she would not make it to her sixth birthday, but today, at age 18, Erica has joined the growing number of adults living with CF. A Breath Of Life records Erika’s personal experience with illness as she balances her time among treatments, applying to college and shopping with friends. (Running Time: 16:35)

NEW UKE CITY (2008)
Director: Clyde Folley VC ’08
An exploration of New York City’s thriving ukulele community is centered on the monthly Ukulele Cabaret, “a six-hour ukulele behemoth” where ukulele players of all backgrounds come and let loose their inner rock stars. This ain’t yo mama’s ukulele music.
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Missing Stamford Show Dog FOUND!

Oh no! This dog's owners need our help. Scratch that! They just found him last night. That's good news. For some reason, the article about him being found is not on my Advocate RSS feed yet, although it's on the feed for the Greenwich Time, to which I do not subscribe. Whatev.

Bailey, a bearded collie, escaped on Wednesday from his house off Newfield Ave, just south of the Merritt in Stamford. Bailey had just retired after winning best of breed at the 2007 Westminster Kennel Club show in NYC.

His breed are herders and tend to chase cars, so his owners are very worried. Bailey was spotted in Greenwich on Thursday, so please keep your eyes peeled for this gorgeous dog if you are out and about in the area. Call 977-4437 (Stamford Animal Control) if you think you see Bailey.

You can read a more detailed article at the Advocate.

Click here to read more.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I'm DESPERATE FOR MOVIE ACTION!!!

I'm so depressed that no movies are filming in CT. I'm almost tempted to go into NYC on a day off work and watch movies being filmed there. I miss stalking movie sets. Every day I check my On Location Vacations feed, and every day, there are no CT locations.

The daily lists look like this:
9.17.08 Filming Locations
--Private Practice is filming at 919 S Grand Ave in Los Angeles.
--Law and Order SVU is filming near Broadway and Reade (1 block N of Chambers St near City Hall).
-Lipstick Jungle is filming near West End Ave between 89 and 90th in NYC.

--Life on Mars is filming around Astoria Park, Queens. (Thanks Kat!) Signs were also spotted near 41st St (in Long Island City), between 34th and 35th Aves. (Thanks Noel!)
--Law and Order is filming at Tiemann Place and Riverside Drive in NYC.
--Fringe is filming at the Elmhurst Hospital in Queens.

Last spring, there were Stamford locations! Why, why is that weird possible actors strike (or contract problem, whatever it is, spare me the details, just tell me where I can see movie stars in Stamford) stopping Stamford movies? Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhy?

You can read all about my glamorous past of stalking Stamford sets here. Due to my extreme dedication, and totally blind luck, I got to see DeNiro work, and Jim from The Office strolled right by me. Now, after work, instead of trying to see these people, I just go to the gym. Bo-ring!

Honestly, I really don't have the time to stalk movie sets unless I neglect my husband and/or workout routine, but I like the possibility of at least going to a set. I also liked to see the little yellow signs posted around town that pointed to movie sets. It made me feel part of something really fun.

This pic to the right was the movie Farlanders, with the guy from the Office, and the picture at the top of the post pointed to the movie set of Everybody's Fine, with DeNiro and Barrymore, down in Shippan. I'm proud to say I stalked both of those sets.
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Woes of High End Resto Patrons in Stamford

I had to chuckle at this line in an Advocate article about how diners at high end restos are coping with our troubled economy:
Since the start of the economy's downturn, customer visits haven't tapered off at Polpo, a high-end Italian eatery in Greenwich, but patrons are pinching pennies on expensive items, such as wine... Customers who would typically buy a bottle of wine for about $150 a year ago are now opting for the $75 bottles, he said. Hee hee! I'm giggling. "Pinching pennies!"

Some of the less outrageous examples gave me pause: Area restaurants also are adjusting their menus to cater to worried customers. Ferrante has started offering a reduced price lunch menu and brunch. "Reduced price menu..." yeah. OK. I'm not being mean here; I think it's funny. If I were a regular at Ferrante, I'd appreciate this. I've been once. It was a nice Italian resto, but nothing about it jumped out at me, except for the high noise level and terrifyingly large diamond rings on a bunch of women at the bar. (Parents from a Darien elementary school- no, I'm not joking, I actually asked.)

Bennett's Steak and Fish also has vague plans to adjust their menu: Bennett's wants to make its menu a little more "user-friendly," which owner Bennett Salvatore said will mean adjusting "to the economy and (providing) our diners with as many options as we can." I'd be curious what he comes up with. Pasta? Smaller meat portions?

I'm eating out less these days, mostly because I'm tired of eating mediocre food at high prices. Plus, it just makes sense to save cash if you're not totally excited about what you are spending it on.

Here's what I recommend if you want some Italian food: store-bought pasta with Paul Newman's Sockarooni Spaghetti sauce. It's so good. Or, cut up an organic tomato from Mrs. Green's (swear to Goodness organic veggies taste better) and put some feta on it. I know feta is Greek, but it's easier to deal with than mozzarella and gives you more bang for the calories. That's what I'm eating incessantly this week.

Or, for cheap Italian out, go eat at Capriccio on Bedford. I eat there so much that I'm tired of it, but it's always tasty.

I'm getting ready for the season premier of Biggest Loser tonight! I highly suggest you all check it out if you have any slight interest in exercise, food, or other people trying to lose weight. I'm totally into all of those things, so I am totally addicted to the show.
Click here to read more.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Sunday Sept. 14 Events

The weather ain't lookin' too great (sorry, I have a Dale Earnhardt, Jr. show on as I'm websurfing), but we'll see if some of Sunday's events can escape the predicted scattered thunderstorms.

Also, Patriots vs. Jets at 4:15 should be an interesting match up.

Hmm, that reminds me, I need to add Dale Earnhardt Jr. to my list of celebrity crushes.
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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Weekend: Arts, Music, Comedy- Ukraine Fest?

This weekend is Arts, Crafts & Blues on Bedford. I hear, from a super on-trend friend, that Levon Helm (of the Levon Helm Band) is good stuff. The free concert is Saturday at 6:30, and craft booths are open Sat 12-9 and Sun 12-6. Bedford St. will be closed to traffic; it's always fun to walk in a road that's usually closed.
Plus, Stamford Museum and Nature Center is going to have some animals there for kids to look at. Probably not the otters, but maybe the cute donkey and a llama, and probably goats. Goats tend to be popular for petting zoos. I don't know why, because when I was 8 one butted me right in the stomach. He ran away/got lost the week after that, which I didn't feel so bad about, because I knew that goat was a punk.

See Advocate article for many more details on the Arts Fest. Also this weekend, Asha, the same organization I was yakking about that sponsored a cricket match in August, is having a comedy charity fundraiser.

Asha raises money for schools in India, and the comics sound great: The show... will feature two of the funniest Indian-American comedians in the country, Paul Varghese and Mark Saldana. Their jokes go beyond Turbans and Curries; they talk about being Indian in society with tons of references to pop-culture... they have appeared on NBC's hit TV show "Last Comic Standing", Comedy Central, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. The LA Times calls Mark, "the funniest Indian if not Asian comic in the country... The comedy show will be at Rippowam Middle this Saturday at 7. Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door.

Hey, wait- did I miss Ukraine Fest? Did it not happen in Stamford this year? Ukraine Fest 2007 was very, very cool. Here are some of the many dancers I saw. There was also crazy music and food and lots of language floating around that I couldn't understand.

One more event I just found: drumming in Scalzi Park Saturday. From the Advocate: Residents are invited to the FELLAS annual Barbecue and Fish Fry Saturday at Scalzi Park in Stamford. The event from noon to 6 p.m. will feature performances by Infinite Roots African Drum & Dance Troupe and other performing artists. The FELLAS, a community group, along with the Yerwood Center, CTE Inc. and Right Here, Right Now will host a citywide basketball tournament. Bring a dish and your own beverages.
Click here to read more.

Stamford's 2nd Murder of 2008

Aw man. I'm pretty bummed about Stamford's 2nd murder of the year. This guy was young, father of two, in college. Although he'd been arrested 5 times since 2003 (article did not say what for), his family said he avoided the drug dealers in the area and focused on his studies. His name was Jonathan Green.

Jonathan's body was found Wednesday morning in a backyard of a house on Garden St., near the Stamford train station. I've included a map below. Residents in the area heard gun shots at 2am, but no one found the victim until morning. The Advocate talks about how there is a lot of drug dealing in the area. No wonder I'm freaking nervous to park my car in the Stamford train station and come home late at night. Damn.

I was hoping we wouldn't have any more murders this year. The Jan. 3 murder of Marco Paoletta has yet to be solved, although police did release a surveillance image this summer of his suspected killer. I hope the police have better luck with this case.


View Larger Map
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Sunday, September 7, 2008

Mitchell's Fish Market: Enh

Valet parking attracted us to the Capital Grill/Mitchell's Fish Market (MFM) area at the Stamford mall last night. All that rain, 4 people, and only one umbrella = we needed someone else to park our car. We skipped Capital Grille after our friend reported entrees were close to 50 bucks. We were with a party of 12, including a baby, and we got a spot at Mitchell's near the kitchen. It was actually fun to watch the chef shouting orders to keep food flowing to the almost-full resto. The staff was friendly and service pretty good.

However, let me tell you, I'm not OK paying 25 bucks for flavorless scallops. Rrrr. The 5 people who got crab cakes said they were good, but my food was beyond mediocre. I've been to MFM two other times.
--First time, OK salmon, really good pink lemonade martini.
--Second time, disgusting fried combo platter. Horrible.
--This time, a salad w/ not enough dressing, way too salty lobster bisque, and disappointing scallops. Sigh. My husband's filet mignon was insanely over cooked.

Sigh, sigh, sigh. Lots of money for bad food. Sigh, sigh. But we had a great time with our friends, and the baby was super happy, then fell asleep. Good baby.

Now that Ocean 211 is closed, where to go for seafood in Stamford? Saltwater Grille, I suppose.

It was our friend's 30th Bday, so Beamer's got proposed. I thought I might make it there for the first time ever- I'm dying to blog about it- but we decided that a strip club was not an appropriate place for a baby, and that by the time we got 10 people in cars and over to the club, it would be late, and some of us are going to a wedding tonight. Plus, I'll repeat, we only had one umbrella. My umbrella.
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Saturday, September 6, 2008

Hope Trump Parc Is Following the Weather

I hope some of the people in charge of Trump construction are aware of the coming tropical storm today. During the last strong storm, a huge piece of wood flew off the 25th, 30th, whatever, floor and skewered a vehicle. Plenty of smaller stuff also blew off the building that day, including something that hit my friend's truck. The Trump Parc construction contractor, in statements in the newspaper, acted like that storm was a big surprise. No it wasn't, and in any case, your guys should have tied down that stuff and cleaned up the floors, because that's what the mayor had ordered you to do after the other three debris-falling incidents.

I would have liked it if Trump had released a statement yesterday (maybe they did, but it wasn't in the paper) stating what they've done to prepare for the coming storms... because I don't trust them. I certainly wish I did, because it's a real pain to have to circle around Trump when I want to go to Target. I take the extra 5 min and go up Wash Blvd, then down Summer, because my life is just too good right now to risk being maimed by falling wood.

I'm half-tempted to ride down there later today when it's windy to see what's lying in the road around Trump, but I don't think my husband would approve of that. One really strong burst of wind and a tiny piece of metal might fly across the road and poke out my eye.
Click here to read more.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Where to Get My Friday Bagel?

Absurdly, I woke up at 4:15 today. Once my mind wakes up, it's tough to fall back asleep; plus, I love mornings, so even though I usually don't go to bed until 11:30, part of me still wants to be up at 5:30. I just tried to fall back asleep at 5:15 to squeeze in a 45 minute snooze, but I'm hungry, so I can't sleep. Focusing on my bagel dilemma will take my mind off how tired I am.

Liz Sue Bagels in Bull's Head, or Upper Crust in Old Greenwich?

Liz Sue's bagels are so good, but the line always goes pretty slowly. It's definitely worth the wait, but whether it's worth being late for work is another issue. I also like Liz Sue because the people are really friendly and make you feel like they appreciate your business. The biz has been around for over 25 years and they're often in the Faifield Weekly's "Best of" poll.

Upper Crust, on the other hand, has incredible veggie cream cheese. I got veggie CC at Liz Sue once and it wasn't as good. It didn't have as many veggies in it as Upper Crust. Upper Crust is also insanely fast.

OK, I've decided. Go to Liz Sue, because it's on my way to the gym. I might as well work out and make something positive out of sleeping badly. I'm too hungry to work out first. Bagel, here I come.

Maybe I'll try one of their other flavors of cream cheese.

Related posts:

--November 8, 2007-- My NYSC: Through Good Times and in Bad
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Monday, September 1, 2008

Biggest Loser Letdown: Stamford Edition

I got excited at this headline in the Stamford Times: "Residents square off in local 'Biggest Loser' competition." I love the show Biggest Loser, where contestants compete to see who can lose weight the fastest. Watching other people work out is much easier than doing it myself, and it makes me want to exercise more, too.

I thought the Times headline meant that people from Stamford would be competing in this season's Biggest Loser, but it turns out that a local gym (actually, a "personal training facility") is running a competition for its members. Ho hum. Unless they are filming it and putting in on local cable access, the news about that gym's competition is useless to me. Yeah, I know that's bitchy to say, but don't throw around the words "Biggest Loser" unless I can live vicariously through it while sitting on my couch.

I suppose someone who wants to lose weight, and has 1200 bucks to spend on a 3 month program, would find the article quite useful. The program consists of 3-4 weekly workouts, nutrition discussions, weekly weigh-ins, and other activities, so the money might be worth it if you've got it.

This season's real, voyeuristic Biggest Loser starts Sept 16 at 8pm, and this time it's families competing against other families. The drama is intense, man. I feel euphoric thinking about how much I'm going to enjoy watching this season. I am always so proud of how well the people do. Last season was the show's first female winner, Ali, in the photo above.

Oh, and look how handsome Roger ended up after he lost 164 pounds. I'm telling you, the show is amazing. It's better than Gossip Girl.








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"Stamford Talk" in the Advocate! Cool!

Oh goody gum drops! I got mentioned in the Stamford Advocate today. The article is about movies made recently in Stamford. I spent a good chunk of last spring stalking local movie sets, so I got interviewed. I was happy to see I didn't say anything too stupid.

I was feeling lethargic this week- husband was in Vegas, I went to Maine (internet-less for 3 days!), just feeling kind of blah and tired- so I'm glad to have that little "name in the paper boost." I feel a little more sparkly now. See graphic above.

And now, back to work. At least we'll have politics to gossip about, big time, to keep this week interesting.
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