27 years ago this week marks the beginning of my journey into this world. Friday will be the 27th anniversary of my parents becoming a couple which, had that never happened neither would I have.
My father met my mother when he picked her up one day while he was working as a taxi driver.
Oh did I never mention that my mother was a model with linebacker shoulders and my father was a ‘80s sex symbol? Okay, fine it didn’t happen exactly like that (thank God because who really wants to picture their parents in some of those scene George Michael was acting out?) but I’ve always loved that there was a music video that could be (very very very) loosely based on the way they met because I’ve always thought of those early days as highly cinematic.
After months of traveling together, my father mustered up the courage to ask out my mother (who was a nurse not model by the way) and she said yes. I don’t know exactly what they were planning on doing but when the day actually came around my mother got a call from my Uncle Brian informing her that my father would not be making their date. He was not standing her up; he was quite sick in fact and had been hospitalized. I suppose my mother didn’t think that was a valid reason to reschedule so she went to the hospital and that is where my parents had their first date. When he regained his health they did have a proper first date, followed by more dates, a 15 month engagement, and a beautiful May wedding, all of which could have been ripped right from the big screen but those are stories for another day.
So while my father didn’t have killer abs, skin tight jeans, a leather jacket, or a George Michael perm My mother did lol he did get the girl (and me !) which is more than we can say for the hero in Father Figure.
Question: What Do you get when you take Monty Python's Life of Brian, add the collaborators of Spamalot (see my review here) and throw in four members of the original comedy troupe?
Answer:
For the record, I had no idea about this one night only thing and never saw that trailer, but if I had, I assure you I would have piddled (I just saw it for the first time in fact-after seeing the actual film- and almost did.) I had, God I can't even tell you when, heard whispers that, on the heels of Spamalot's success, there would most likely be a musical version of "Brian" (my personal favorite Python film) and that the working title of the project was NOT THE MESSIAH. This didn't really surprise me as Monty Python never seems to miss an opportunity to make a few (million) dollars but I never heard anything else about it and when Spamalot left Broadway due to the ailing economy, all lingering thoughts I had about the (in my own mind) hyped followup left my mind. Because of this, you can imagine the surpirse I expierienced when I came across a DVD of it. Actually Lauren found it while we were riffling through a blowout sale at Blockbuster and promptly shoved the DVD so close to my face I couldn't actually see what exactly it was that was causing her mouth to be agape while she made very strange noises.
As has become apparent lately* I am a big fan of Monty Python so the idea of actually getting to see NOT THE MESSIAH sort of made my year day. Python is an amazing excuse to laugh until you cry and, having just lost DJ and with the accident not yet resolved, having something new from them was exactly what I needed, so while nobody piddled we did jump up and down like lottery winners while squeeking like Jonas Brothers fans we did pop it in the DVD player as soon as Ms. Baby was napping. The credit began to roll and we found out that Eric Idle starred in it and that there were guest apperances** by Michael Palin, Terry Jones (who by the way has a daughter GiGi's age, yes really,) and Terry Gilliam (who some people strangely think of as a director and not the "lumps of it" guy) I was pretty sure I had found the greatest find in all the world.
It wasn't.
Not that it wasn't good, it's just that it is an opera and I really can't take opera. The plot is good and, when not sung in that register, the songs are great. If they make it a musical I will be there opening night and for who knows how many other performances (see the comments here) but until then I'll probably stick with THE LIFE OF BRIAN. The best part of it was seeing the Pythons back on stage together (although it makes me long for a true reunion show that will most likely never happen) and they even ended with the Lumberjack sketch! Also, I feel my life has become somehow more enriched by seeing this.
So do I recommend the film to Python fans, in spite of my personal reservations, yes. I may be an uncultured "tart" because of the opera thing and that shouldn't stop anyone else from enjoying this event of a lifetime.
*Full details of how I became a fan of Python as a college Freshman can be found here. My recent resurgence, however, can be directly linked to David Cook, or rather a lack of him. Next month will mark one year since the last concert I attended and his second album still has no release date. I understand these things take time but I need something to distract me from all the nothing that is going on. It is just impossible to obsess over something that isn't there and not healthy to worry about his career as if it was my unborn child. So I did what I usually do, I went for a distraction that I knew wasn't going to make me forget DC.
**For the record John Cleese did not appear due to a previous commitment that was either his ALIMONY TOUR or his hip replacement, depending on the source you read and Graham Chapman has refused to be a part of anything to do with Python ever since his death.
One year ago today, though I was blissfully unaware, one of the greatest people to ever enter my life was entering this world. Today little GiGi, the amazing girl that I have had the pleasure of nannying for the last nine months, turns one year old.
When I met G she was mere week old but already she had signs of greatness; though she couldn't move much she was very alert and beautiful.The job officially started in November and it wasn't long before the little lovely had permanently implanted herself in my heart. Every smile made me smile and every giggle reminded me how lucky i was to be doing this for a living.
Since those early days GiGi has learned a lot, as anyone who knows me is well aware because I tend to gush about her.It quickly became habit for my mother to ask me on the phone, "So what new things has GiGi done today?”It sounds odd but watching her do the simplest things is amazing.She can now recognize her body parts on command (nose, head, belly, mouth) can clap, communicate through sign language and an assortment of words, she can crawl like a maniac (and walk but she likes to pretend she can't) dances, and best of all gives hugs and kisses all day long.
I suppose that, since we spend such a lot of time with her you could argue that Lauren (who works along side me everyday) and I are her second most influential teachers after her wonderful parents.But while that may be true, what she has taught me is far greater.
Babies have the greatest grip on life.When something bad happens (they trip or need a diaper) they cry and when something amuses them they laugh.GiGi never holds a grudge or decides if it is an appropriate time to laugh, something is funny she is going to laugh and doesn't care who knows it.She lives for the moment because it's the only way she knows but it is how we all should.Because of her, I have relearned how to laugh with wild abandonment and I think I’m better because of it.Also, due to my constant need for her to smile, I have danced while walking down the street or sung to her (off key) while stranger walk by and it has helped me greatly with my issues with seeming likable.I realize I might look crazy but you know what, there is no way to make everyone like you but I like me and that just might be good enough.
So thank you G (and her parents whom treat Lauren and I like family) I love you all and hope that i can help you as much as you've helped me.
*The Original title for this post was "The Life of Graham" which I thought was very cleaver. However, while looking up Chapman's Book GRAHAM CRACKERS I discovered that my cleaver title had already been used for a book, that I had no conscience memory of ever seeing. Now I don't actually believe that Chapman's estate nor the author, Bob McCabe, would actually sue me over this Eric Idle would but, having found this out, I felt it was the right thing to rename the post. This title is a reference to Chapman's famous character of "the colonel" who constantly interupted the program if it got to silly and who was infact a reference to Chapman's police officer father.
Perhaps it was seeing Michael Palin last week, but it had come to my attention that my life has been lacking some serious Monty Python lately. It makes sense since, ever since last Fall I have been to busy to keep up with new television, that I would cut out watching episodes of a TV show and 3 movies that I've seen several million times. However, it was a situation that needed to be rectified and so it was.
While on my mini vacation (which I am to tired to blog about) I said every line word for word watched MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN reminding me just why I love Graham Chapman so much.
Here are some clips from the film (Chapman is Biggus and Brian)
NUDITY WARNING FOR THIS ONE
And here is, for some reason I can't pin down, one of my favoirite scenes Graham had ever performed in.
Funny stuff right?
Sadly, Graham Chapman is no longer with us. Here are clips from his memorial that proved Pythons are funny until the end (and beyond.)
"The best of times is now, not some forgotten yesterday and tomorrow is too far away...So hold this moment fast and live and love as hard as you know how, because the best of times is now" ~ZaZa in "The Best of Times" from LaCage Aux Fol
In spite of the less the idea circumstances surrounding it, I am excited about spending some time at the beach.
So in honor of my month earlier than I'd have liked return to the ocean, here are some shots from the last trip that I was planning to share with you before my world was flipped upside down.
Whoever They are say that when life gives you lemons that you should make lemonade. Well, lately, life feels like the world shifted while I was sleeping and I now reside in an orchard where oversized lemons keep falling from the trees and tumbling onto my head. First came that horrible car accident that took a pretty rough toll on me mentally.
When we came home from the vacation, we did so
to a very sick dog and exactly one week after returning,
As you can imagine it’s been a bit hard. The empty hall ways that DJ isn’t sleeping in, the nights where I wake up sweating from the screeching of tires and crushing of metal that was left in a junk yard over 100 miles away aren’t easy to shake but I’m getting there. I’ve heard myself laugh and actually believed I meant it, I can see dogs and not sob in public, and there was even a day this week where it didn’t seem daunting to get out of bed. Last night I stayed up until almost dawn by choice, watching my favorite shows and laughing instead of tossing and turning because I can’t sleep. I thought things were finally getting back to normal, silly me.
This morning actually my lazy ass slept until afternoonI woke up to find out that we have to go back to Seaside because my father must appear in person on Tuesday, to fight a ticket in reference to the accident. For the record the ticket came in the mail yesterday. My father was going to plead guilty and pay the fine, not because anyone thinks he’s guilty but because, we don’t have a lawyer yet and the due to price of travel and stay in Seaside during the summer, it would just be easier. However, the very rude woman who told my father she doesn’t care about his problems and that we couldn’t postpone the date and if he tried she’s have him arrested, also informed him that he must be present in court just to plead guilty because, “there were victims” (for the record Speedy Gonzales the other driver has a bruise, as did I.)
Anyway so long story short, I’m going on an unexpected vacation. This in itself is a bit of a stress because, as I mentioned in Packing I’m a bit crazy when it comes to knowing in (way in advance) advance whatwill be bringing and now I had thirty something hours. Also, when I went to Seaside in the end of July, my period was three weeks late making it perfectly aligned with the weeklong trip; now I bet you can’t guess what is three days early? Whatever I’m not sweating it. As Monty Python says “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” and so I am. I unexpectedly get to see my Shore friends about a month earlier than the fall visit we’d planned. Plus, I get to visit the ocean which you know I love and I’m really putting faith in the mysterious healing powers of the seas both in the emotional sense and literally, salt water heals wounds and I have this huge gash on my ankle I suffered when I fell over my own two feet last Monday. I also get to go off of my diet and eat all that so good but so bad for you food that I only allow myself to pig out on a boardwalk, who knows maybe I’ll even drink some lemonade.
