New Year Goals

Ok, so I'm taking a page out of some friends books and PUBLICLY declaring my 2009 New Year Goals (I like "goals" much better than resolutions) This way I'm on the hook for all of them and have to let you know if I haven't accomplished them by the end of the year. So here they are in all their glory for all to see....they aren't too exciting but if I can check them all off, I'll be content.

Ellen's 2009 Goals

1) Run a 10K road race - that's right, last year it was a 5K, this year it is a 10K!

2) Do at least 1 community service activity a month - kind of cheating because I already pretty much do this.

3) Take 1 international trip to somewhere I have never been before - I'm thinking Italy or Spain?

4) Take Tennis lessons - been something I wanted to do forever...and I have a cute tennis skirt.

5) Golf more - want to play at least 3 times this year

6) Spend a day at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty - should be easy right?

Special Buddies

Spotted by my sister and captured with her camera phone. If you ever were a fan of the show "Rob and Big" you know how hilarious this cereal box is.

Rob: "Look at these folks. They look so happy to be friends. We could do that, I'm happy to be YOUR friend. I'm calling Kashi right now."

Music Monday

So last night on PBS they aired a special called "Sweet Soul Music: Stax Live in Europe 1967" (See article in NY Times here.) The concert features some of Stax Records GREATEST artists and songs - Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Booker T and the MGs, etc. - and I sat watching it on my couch, singing along to every song.

Every since I can remember, my dad had been a HUGE fan of a CD called "Stax/Volt Revue: Live in London" which is an audio recording of this very tour. I remember when CDs first came out, Dad was thrilled to find this album on "compact disc" and a while ago I was thrilled to find the entire album on iTunes. (You should download it NOW.)

So for today's Music Monday, I was trying to pick my favorite song from one of the previously mentioned artists. VERY DIFFICULT. But I think if I had to pick which song I could listen to repeat over and over and over and over? It would be That's How Strong My Love Is by Otis Redding. Its just a gorgeous song and Otis Redding's voice is so beautiful. Do yourself a favor and just go ahead and download his entire CD. Well worth it.

Beyonce?

Hmmm. First watch what this SHOULD look like - Here.

Then check out the below. I would guess that this guy is single.

Music Monday

Ok, so today I went and saw the movie "Notorious" which is the story of the rapper, The Notorious B.I.G. That's right. And you know what? It was good. And here is where I knew I've gotten old....the music TOTALLY brought me back to high school. Ouch.

So for this Music Monday, let me set the stage for you....Its the summer of 1997, I'm in high school and I have no real responsibilities other than getting good grades and getting into a good college. I am wearing a steady uniform of black reef flip flops, khaki shorts from J. Crew, a pink or blue polo shirt and my hair in a pony tail. I babysit during the day and hang out with my friends at night and it was HEAVEN. I have a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with one of those CD players that was installed separately and is in the back so whenever you want to change CDs you have to get out and walk around to the trunk. It has a little remote because reaching those 8 inches to the radio face is totally uncool. "Life After Death" had come out that Spring and it was the STEADY soundtrack of the summer and EVERYONE was listening to it, even this preppy little white girl who actually blew out the right front speaker on the car (sorry Mom and Dad) whilst trying to turn up my none existent bass. One also had to be careful to turn the volume down and switch to a radio station BEFORE you turned the car off, in case your parents wanted to drive your car somewhere and turned it on and got an earful off bad words. I mean, we have to protect our parents from that kind of smut, right? They are not old enough for that.

That's right. Gansta rap had hit the suburbs and you had never seen so many white kids rapping about "Mo money, Mo problems". Inevitably, someones parents would go out of town and that kid would have a party, rolling back the carpet and moving the furniture so it didn't get messed up....and creating a dance space where my friends and I would break it down to this album and various others and talk about which boys liked which girls blah blah blah until circa 11:30pm(because I had to allow 30 minutes to get all the way from "inside the beltline" to North Raleigh to make my midnight curfew)

Sidebar: This curfew was TOTALLY unfair since all my friends had 1am curfews and I was always the one who had to leave all the fun early. As a matter of fact, I don't think my curfew was extended to 1am until college. Hmpf. I'm still sulking.

So for today's selection you probably think I'm gonna pick the song "Notorious" don't you? Well if you don't have that song, you should download it because, duh its a classic, BUT today's song is: Flava in Ya Ear (remix) by Craig Mack, featuring The Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J and Busta Ryhmes. I think Mary J Blige is in there too but who knows. Also, please note LL Cool J wearing a UNC shirt in this video by Hype Williams. I freakin' love this song and if I owned a car? I would defintiely crank it up.

Mom, do not download this song. Its inappropriate for your ears.

Danny Green is my homeboy.

Here is why Katie and I are on a mission to find Danny Green jerseys.

Tire Bowl

Almost close to being caught up! After Christmas the Mann Family, plus 1 part of the Smith family, headed to Charlotte to watch UNC play in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against West Virginia. We had a great meal at The Capital Grille on Friday night (thanks Mom and Dad!) and had a blast at the game, even though UNC lost 31-30.

My personal favorite part of the weekend, other than the game watching, was trying "Sweet Tea Vodka" for the first time - DELISH! - and tailgating at what can only be described as the best. creation. ever. Long story short, some guys from Raleigh pooled together to buy an old bread truck and spent the next year converting it to a Carolina Panthers Fan Van. Its complete with a full service bar, incredible stereo system with external speakers, a couch and various pieces of Panther memorabilia. Its incredible and WAY too much fun!

The other interesting part of that weekend were the shirts Elizabeth, Katie and I bought. We each grabbed mediums...but when we went to put them on pre-game and held them up? Mine was SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than theirs. Mine was clearly a CHILDS MEDIUM. And you know what? I rocked it anyway. That's right, cause I'm a trooper. We also found some UNC-themed eye black which I proudly rocked after the game and am definitely saving to resurrect next season.

Katherine and I are game ready.

Tailgating at the Fan Van

Me, Helen and Ashley staying warm


Alston keeps it classy.

Click on photo below to see whole album from the Tire Bowl Weekend!

Tire Bowl

Music Monday - This just in!

I just received the below from my friend Scott.....

Fun trivia fact:

Before Michael Jackson's Thriller album cleaned house at the 1984 Grammy's
(7 awards), it was Toto's Toto IV that held the record for most Grammy wins in a single year (6)...

Also, if you're bored today check out their video for "Rosanna" and see if you can identify one of the dancers who later became one of the most famous actors of the 80's.

Ok people, let's see if you can figure out who is in the video....

Music Monday

So I'm having a really hard time picking a song to feature today. Last week, my loyal readers (Carrie and Katie) recommended a song AND I heard that song at the bar this weekend so I guess its a sign from above.

Africa by Toto Can't you just imagine us on Saturday night? "Gonnnaaaa take alot to take me awwwwaayyyyy from yyyyoooouuuuu!" Please click on the link and check out this video. The hair alone makes it worth it. These song lyrics have always confused me, and I thought the video might clear it up...but I was wrong. In the video, they are in a library...in Africa. And get attacked by a spear. And then a fire breaks out. All while the band plays on a ginormous book...called Africa. Huh? Also as the band sings, the looks on their faces are priceless. They are PASSIONATE. I mean, it is going to take A LOT to drag them away from you, I tell ya.

Then that caused me to think about some of my favorite songs from the 80s. A little over a year ago I had the absolutely luck and pleasure to see The Police at Madison Square Garden. They were AWESOME. Sting sounds great and has a better body than any man my age. I mean, I would marry him. But I digress.....So at that concert they played my absolute favorite Police song which I will share with you now.

The Police "So Lonely" Turn it up and rock out.

Times are tight.

The hands free cell phone.

There goes my inheritance

This is the OTHER thing that happened at our house over Christmas.

DISCLAIMER: I would like to point out that there is limited dance space in my bedroom and so dance routines couldn't be done full out.

I had you at "dance space" didn't I? You're dying to click on the link below aren't you. I know. Shhhhhh. I know.

So then my Mom wanders in, possibly wondering to herself such things as "What's all the racket?", "Why can't they play their music at a reasonable volume?" and "Why do my daughters know entire Britney Spears dance routines and should I be worried about how pathetic and sad that is?"

But the thing about Britney is? She is contagious. And I don't mean literally, although I think we all know she is contagious in that way too. I mean, you can't listen to her and not break out jazz fingers. Even my mom.

Please note the lie I tell when I say that I'm just trying to take a picture. I'm sorry but AS IF I'M GOING TO MISS VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THIS. I like how she stops to tie her shoe as if to say to Katie, "Now its on like donkey kong. This is a Dance Battle."

I'm serious. I think my Mom could be the next Britney is she started doing crack, went on a crazy hollywood diet and got down to 108 lbs, got blonde extensions, started chain smoking Reds and made poor life decisions. I think its agreed that we should leave the booty shakin' to Britney.

Don't you wish you had spent Christmas at OUR house? Holly, Egg Nog, Baby Jesus and Britney Dance Offs. Ahhh, home for the holidays.

Additional Disclaimer: It might be hard for you to imagine, but my sister is not classically trained. My mother, however, used to dance in the North Carolina Ballet back in the day so I think that clearly gives her the upper hand.

Happy Holidays!

Christmas at our house is pretty simple...PJs, naps, food, fires in the fireplace and presents! I didn't really take many pics over the holidays because (a) I got hit with a bad cold and (b) per my early post, I had a bunk ankle so I mostly laid on the couch and let my family get things for me. It was great. Here are some pics!

Tree with Christmas loot!

Rives helping Dad open a present. Slowly.

Very slowly.

Here is a video of HOW SLOWLY.

Please note my voice in this video when I say "Thank you" - my cold made me sound like a 60 year old chain smoker from New Jersey. So hot.

Merry Christmas Rives!

Katie opens her presents much faster, but then again, she has had years of experience.

Got a chance to meet up with a few friends over the holidays too!

Cason, Anne and I

Chris, Anne, Jeff and Me

Chad, Chris and Jeff

Hard to believe we have been friends so long!

Alston and some of his friends came by as well!

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Internet, you know what two things don't mix? Walking down a set of stairs and Blackberrying. Trust me. On the Friday night before I flew home for Christmas, I was walking down the stairs in my apartment building and I was stupidly sending an email via my blackberry at the same time. As I was walking, I thought to myself, "Ellen, this is very dangerous and stupid. You are in no rush! Stop and send this email so that you can be safe and not hurt yourself."

So I stop on the second to last step and send my email (shout out to Honey who was the recipient of said email heard round the world). Then, I guess my brain thought I had made it all the way down the steps, because I stepped out like I was walking and proceeded to fall down the last two stairs, rolling my foot and hearing a lovely *crunch, pop* noise. I laid at the bottom of the steps, writhing in pain, my mind racing - "Ok, I'm gonna have to call Carrie...she is going to have to get me to a cab and to the emergency room where they are going to have to cut this snowboot off my foot, where my bone will surely be sticking through the skin because I TOTALLY JUST BROKE MY FREAKIN' FOOT!! OW OW OWOW OWOW OOWOWWOWO!!!!"

I crawled up the steps back to my apartment where I immediately put ice on my foot and propped it up. Then I called my Athletic Trainer for advice and moral support. Yes, I have my own certified athletic trainer on speed dial...and luckily she is my sister. So I call Katie and explain to her what just happened, and after she finished rolling around on her floor, clutching her belly with laughter, she gets on the phone and assures me that my foot is not broken and gives me medical advice (put a sock on it for compression, prop it up higher than your heart, take some advil, put a bag of ice on it for 20 min, rest it for 40 min, repeat.)

And then I lost it. I started BAWLING into the phone about how I live all by myself, and I can't get up and get a sock and there is no one to take care of me and it was so scary when I fell, and it hurts reeeaaallllyyyy bbbbaaaaddddd and ice is cooolllldddd and could I go into shock cause I am shaking like I'm going into shock and would it be possible for a blood clot to travel from my foot to my heart killing me and no one would know and my cat would get hungry and eat my remains before anyone found me and i want to come home to north carolina riiiggghhhttt nnnooowwww!!!

At which point my sister literally yelled into the phone "Get it together woman"! And so I did. I called Carrie who came the next morning to help me get a cab and get my bags to the airport, I flew home where Dr. Katie hooked me up with medical attention and a very attractive boot to wear around over the Christmas break.

Enjoy these lovely pics of my un-pedicured *gasp!* foot and an instructional video from Katie on how to wrap an ankle.

You know its bad when Katie, who has seen dislocated shoulders, broken fingers, and all sorts of gross stuff, looks at my foot and goes - "Oh Ellen. That is bad." Sweet.

Puffy and painful.

Also starting to turn interesting colors. By the end of the week the whole top foot of my foot was blue including my toes.

Dr. Katie explains wrapping my foot. So professional. Dad's college education money finally pays off.

Whitney + Ellen = BFF

So last night I watched the new MTV show “The City” – for those of you who don’t have the excessive amount of free time that I do, let me explain. “The City” is a reality show spin off of the OTHER reality show spin off “The Hills”, which was a spin off of the best reality show of all time, “Laguna Beach”. The main character, Whitney Port, has recently moved to NYC and all sorts of wacky, zany hi jinx ensue. Here are a few thoughts on my new favorite show:

1) I am thoroughly enjoying watching this program as it confirms to me what I have known all along – that I am extremely hip and trendy. We are only 3 episodes deep and it appears as if the cast of “The City” checked out my blog and opted to go to all the places I normally go to eat and hang out. You doubt me? Episode One – They dine at Nero, one of our favourite places in the meatpacking district. See blog post here. Bang. Episode Three – They dine at Stanton Social and then head to a bar you may have heard of called Brass Monkey. And you have heard of this bar because you read about it here. And Stanton Social? Please. That’s been on our go-to restaurant list for years. The moral of the story is that Whitney Port and I are destined to be friends and its only a matter of time before they cast me on “The City” and I become famous and leave all the little people behind in the dirt. And if you are reading this right now and wondering if you are a “little person”….yes. Don’t try to contact me when I’m famous and dating Brody Jenner.

2) I want to clear something up for those of you watching “The City” and think that the apartments that Erin, Whitney and Olivia live in are normal NYC apartments. They are not. In fact, there is a high possibility that they are sets located in Los Angeles because no one I know has apartments that humongous. (Other than my brother, but we all know he sold his soul to the gods a long time ago.)


3) There is a war brewing on “The City” between the Downtown “Hipsters” and the Uptown “Socials” (aka socialites). Whitney is going to have to choose which crew she wants to hang with…But not really. Because in real life NYC isn’t a scene from “West Side Story” with the Jets and the Sharks dance-battling it out for Whitney’s social soul. It’s ok to co-mingle with hipsters and preppies alike…as a matter of fact, many of the preppiest people I know try very hard to be cool hipsters. Why do you think Urban Outfitters makes a killing off selling $60 dollar t-shirts that are created to appear as if they are vintage and bought at a yard sale?

I shall be watching and reporting on other locations around NYC that the producers of "The City" steal from my blog and as soon as Whitney and I become roomies I will let you know. In the meantime, I recommend you set your DVR for record and enjoy this fine program.

Music Monday

Happy New Year Internet! I am aware that I'm still behind in my posts...still have to share with you Christmas, my sprained ankle, the video of my mom and sister dancing to Britney Spears, the UNC bowl game and New Years Eve...lots going on here as you can tell!

So for the first Music Monday of 2009 I'm featuring Colin Hay from "Men at Work" fame. Of course I knew a couple old "Men at Work" songs from the 80's (We come from a land down un-duh!) but a friend of mine shared this song with me a while ago and I fell in love with it. Its from the 80s but Colin Hay has done it acoustically - Colin Hay "Overkill" I think I especially like it because the lyrics talk about not being able to sleep because you are worried about implications and situations. Hello? That has me all over it. I should send Colin Hay some "Tylenol Simply Sleep". A product of which, if you read this blog regularly, you know I'm quite fond of. So fond of, in fact, that Santa gave me some in my stocking this year. I wish I was kidding.

So THAT song lead me to investigate other Colin Hay songs and so, with no further ado, I give you "Beautiful World" by Colin Hay

More great lyrics and a gorgeous melody.

"I leave the party early, but at least with no regrets
I watch the sun as it comes up,
I watch it as it sets,
Yeah this is as good as it gets.
My, my, my, it's a beautiful world,
I like swimming in the sea.
I like to go out beyond the white breakers,
Where a man can still be free,
I like swimming in the sea."

On a sidenote, I'm LOVING all the songs you guys are emailing me! I've downloaded all of them and listening to them as I bop around town. I would say that if I feature your suggested song on Music Monday you get a gift certificate or something...but I won't say that. We are in an economic downturn after all. Instead I'll just credit you with the suggestion so you feel cool and important.