Thursday, January 31, 2008

OK, I'm a miserable failure!

Since the new year began and I made those stupid resolutions, I've failed miserably.

First of all, I've done absolutely nothing about making a plan to lose weight. Nada.

And keeping up with my blog. Ha!

I keep thinking my life is just not that interesting that anyone would want to read about it.

But I've got to keep this up so I can keep my job, so I will do better. I will. I WILL!

I had lunch with two of my favorite theater people -- Lisa Cesnik and Troy Heard. I knew that they had corresponded via e-mails and MySpace and Facebook. But they had never met in person. Who better to get them together?

Yes, the person who knows half of Columbus and Harris County and parts of Alabama. Mike Haskey complains that if he goes anywhere with me, he's got to stop every 10 feet so I can greet someone. That's not true. It just depends on where we are.

Lisa and Troy both started theaters last year. Lisa's is the Rose of Athens Theater in Athens, Ga., where she lives, and Troy started the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co. here in Columbus. I got to listen to Lisa and Troy talk about shows they'd like to produce. Most of them I'd never heard of, but would like to see someday in Columbus.

It was a great time.

When I got back in the office, I finally got an e-mail I'd been waiting for. My good friend Bric Barker had disappeared. No matter where in the world he was, he'd keep in touch with me. But for the last year, silence. I'd send an e-mail. No reply. I finally sent another one and he wrote back.

Bric, for newcomers to Columbus, was the founder of the late, great The Human Experience Theatre.

He's teaching in the first year writing program at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. Bric says he loves teaching "all the nice little children who haven't bothered to learn how to write in 12 years of school."

His daughter, Persephone, will be 19 on Feb. 13. The last time I saw her, she was about 4. Bric says she's living in South Carolina with his sister, Kelly. That's Bric and Miss P. taken just before her high school prom.

"Life is good," he said.

And he's joking around, just like always. "I was bummed out a few weeks ago, the Barry Manilow concert was canceled due to weather. That shot my whole month! HeHeHe."

At least I'm hoping he was joking about the Manilow concert. I don't know if I could stand if he's a Fanilow!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Hannah Montana

If you've got a little girl, chances are she is a Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana fan. And if you are like most of us and can't afford scalpers' tickets for her live shows, here's a chance for your kids to see a concert.

OK, it's recorded, but it is a Hannah Montana concert.

The "concert event" will be at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Feb. 1 and Feb. 3-7 and 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Feb. 2 in the Ritz 10 at Hollywood Connection, 1683 Whittlesey Road.

Tickets are $15, so you can take the kids more than once.

Call 706-321-8286

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Happy New Year!

I'm back from my last vacation week of 2007.

As usual, there were so many e-mails that it took half a day to go through them.

Did you make any New Year's resolutions?

Of course, the No. 1 on my list was to lose weight. And then in no order, it was to save money, go ot more shows and concerts and watch more movies in a theater. To appease my niece, Jessica, who has gone vegan and is our environmental advocate, I pledge to go "greener" this year.

This morning, as I watched "Good Morning America," I was thrilled to find a diet that was tailor-made for me: the flat belly diet. Since I'm closer to being 60 now than I'd like to admit, it sounded really good.

There was a woman from Prevention magazine who talked about the new book, "The Flat Belly Diet." You can also go to www.flatbellydiet.com

You just add "good fats" from nuts, avocado and dark chocolate to your diet and eliminate "bad fats."

When I heard dark chocolate, I knew this was it!

But you know what?

The secret to losing weight isn't a new diet book.

It's eating more veggies and fruits, less butter and more olive oil, more lean meat and less yummy steaks. More whole grains.

And exercise.

I know this. You know this.

I just love all the bad foods -- fatty meats and butter, bacon and eggs.

And I hate to exercise.

I guess I'm stuck with this body.

As for the other resolutions?

We'll see at the end of the year.

Let me know how your resolutions turn out in December.