Comforts

Everyone has their own rituals for comfort. Things they go to when having a bad day, or if its just one of those lovely rainy/snowy days that we are fortunate to have once a while. You know the ones, you can hole up in your home, watch movies, eat, work on projects. Here are some things I go to when I'm in search of comfort. A perfect day of comfort for me would include Macaroni and Cheese, watching Anne of Green Gables, sipping a warm cup of tea during the day, maybe having a delicious glass of wine at night. I'd slip into my most comfortable clothes, hoodies, yoga pants, my Minnetonka Moccasins, I'd knit, enjoy some I Love Lucy episodes, listen to John Lennon's solo albums. 

I Love Lucy

Yesterday would have been Lucille Ball 's 99th birthday. I am lucky enough to have a mother who is obsessed, and I mean obsessed with I Love Lucy. She used to tape the re-runs off TV on our VCR and we ended up with nine or ten VHS tapes full of episodes. If we were bored and there was nothing good on TV, or during lunch time we'd pop in a tape and watch some Lucy. Thank god when the DVD sets started coming out cause those poor VHS tapes were getting worn out! Not only was Lucille Ball incredibley funny, she was also a television pioneer. She and Desi Arnaz were the first to use the 3 camera technique, filming scenes from different angles, which is now used in every TV show ever. She also came up with the concept of syndication (again, thank god) and she was the first woman to own her own film studio, Desilu which made such shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, My Three Sons, The Untouchables, Make Room for Daddy, That Girl, and many many more. Lucille Ball was dubbed The Queen of Comedy, and rightfully so, 50 years after I Love Lucy, it is still played on TV and she still known by everyone everywhere. Some of my favorite episodes are Lucy Tells the Truth, Breaking the Lease, and Housewarming. The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour was also great with guest stars like Talulha Bankhead, Betty Grable and Harry James, and Danny Thomas. Happy Birthday Lucy, we're still watching!

Hell's Kitchen

I'm not really into Reality TV shows but Hell's Kitchen is one I've really gotten into. The show starts with a group of cooks divided into teams and they have to do dinner service at Gordon Ramsay 's Hell's Kitchen. Things get really intense. Chef Ramsay demands excellence and all the while he's yelling, cussing, throwing food, and throwing cooks out of the kitchen. Ramsay is an amazing Chef and even though he loves to scream and yell, cooking with him is an honor...which is why these poor people subject themselves to this stuff. Teams that win get amazing prizes, spa days, helicopter rides, knife and pots and pans sets, while the losers get to clean and prep kitchens, pick up litter off the side of the road, and other wonderful things like that. The last cook standing gets to be head chef at an amazing restaraunt. Last year's winner, Dave Levey , got to head the Araxi Restaurant during the 2010 Winter Olympics. This season's winner will head the Savoy Grill in London. Watch a 2 hour show tonight on Fox 8EST/7Central.

You're Gonna Make It After All

Someone left me a comment (!!) wanting me to write about retro television shows..which happens to be one of my areas of expertise. I just tried to write one blog about my top favorites, but i realized it would end up being two pages long so I'm going to take them one at a time. I had to start with my favorite show of all time, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Who could guess why this show would be the favorite of a little girl when she's 10, but that's my reality. This show, I believe, has shaped my entire life. Were there other shows quite like this? I watch it now, in my late twenties and think, this show was like Sex and the City of the '70's. Maybe not sex, but lots of dates, maybe not labels, but great '70's fashion! Mary Richards left a man who wouldn't give her what she wanted, she moved to Minneapolis, became the executive producer of the worst news show in town, and lived her life true to herself. She also met Rhoda Morgenstern, who for me was the true hero of the show. I think Rhoda was the first person I really idolized, her sarcastic, self-deprecating humor, her bright pink apartment, her New York accent, and who can tie a scarf better than Rhoda? When I was about 13 I found an etc. sign at a thrift store, just like Rhoda had hanging in her apartment, I spray painted it gold and hung it in my bedroom just to pay homage to her. Mary and Rhoda were best friends, they were both smart, stylin' independent ladies who weren't going to settle for anything less than what they wanted. I'm getting a craving to pop in a DVD right now and watch a little Mary and Rhoda myself.

Tina, Tina, Tina

If you don't have a crush on Tina Fey, there is something wrong with you. As Saturday Night Live's first female head writer, one of the best anchors of the show's "Weekend Update," winner of a ridiculous amount of Emmy's, Golden Globes, SAG awards, and now star and creator of her own show, 30 Rock, there is almost too much to love about Tina.  So, now she's made her way to movies. First writing and having a rather small role in "Mean Girls," then starring in "Baby Mama" with also rocking funny chick, Amy Poehler, now she's co-starring with Steve Carell in "Date Night" which opens today. I love Tina, she's kind of a hero for me. She is beautiful without being intimidating, funny in a real, non-vulgar way, really talented, and the kind of woman you'd love to have as your best friend. I watch 30 Rock re-runs on my netflix instant queue almost everynight and laugh at the same jokes over and over. Her portrayal of Sarah Palin, just put icing on the cake. Watch her host Saturday Night Live this weekend!!!