I’m Afraid I’ve Not Been In

Sorry about that. Things have been kind of crazy busy around here lately and sadly, the blogging had to take a hiatus. I’ve missed a lot of marvelous goings on, but hopefully things will be up and running properly again shortly. I have, however, tried to stay on top of my Twitter whilst away, so you should be following me, because I am told it is such a delight.

Things I am so sad to have missed commenting on:

1. The Muppets on Saturday Night Live with Jason Segel.
   

   NBC.com

2. Kermit visiting the Weekend Update desk for a special segment of “REALLY?! with Seth and Kermit”(he’s not a puppet, he’s a real live talking frog). Also, I signed a petition about that whole pizza is a vegetable thing, and it’s still making me sick to think about.
   

   NBC.com

   

   NBC.com

3. Most of the Figure Skating Grand Prix season and the final (although, to be fair the failure there has a lot to do with the failure of AT&T U-Verse to carry Universal Sports).

   

   Charlie White and Meryl Davis, Free Dance for the Gold/ UniversalSports.com Reuters

So really, two things. Also the Savoy Cocktail Project, which will be back up and running shortly. I had a dinner party and tried out some Cocchi Americano… I was very pleased.

I have also started watching How I Met Your Mother, which—for the vast numbers of people surely wondering—is now available to stream on Netflix. Note it.

Videos for Friday: The Sound of Music, The Muppet Show & More

Yesterday afternoon in the midst of a pile of job applications, this lyric popped into my head: “When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything.”

Someday I will probably have to go to Salzburg and go on a cheesy The Sound of Music tour. It’s real.

The video quality is a little sad, but it brings so much joy just the same. So. Much. Joy. I could dance.

I literally went on iTunes and purchased “Do-Re-Mi.” I went on to indulge in “The Lonely Goatherd.” And yes, I can envision the entire puppet show in my head whilst I listen. Whatever.

Speaking of puppets… why yes, in fact, there is a video of Julie Andrews performing “The Lonely Goatherd” on The Muppet Show.

You are welcome.

And some more magical moments with Diana Ross, Joan Baez, Ethel Merman, and Liza Minnelli.

Which bring us to some Friends love.

Again: You are welcome.

Muppet Balloon Animals & Madness

Not only did Round 3 of the Muppet Madness Tournament start today—setting Super Grover against Alastair Cookie, Mahna Mahna vs. Mr. Snuffleupagus, Statler & Waldorf vs. Scooter and Rizzo vs. the Penguins—but I came upon Muppets made of balloons on Lost at E Minor by Black Cat Balloon Company.

Pretty crazy/awesome.

Muppet Madness: Round 2

Round 2 of the Great Muppet Tourney has been up and going since Sunday.

Good old friends like Reporter Kermit, Sweetums and Floyd Pepper failed to make the cut.

We move forth to the epic battle of Waldorf & Statler vs. The Swedish Chef. Both parties decimated their Round 1 opponents (Roosevelt Franklin and Prairie Dawn—who is that?).

Round 2 is in play until midnight on March 25.

Muppet mayhem!

March Madness? No, Muppet Madness

If you haven’t seen this yet… Check. It. Out.

It’s the 2011 Muppet Madness Tournament.

Vote for your favorites. Once every 12 hours.

You can also follow them on Twitter for up-to-the-moment updates and general madness.

The whole thing is pretty rad.

Yeah, I said rad. Deal with it.

For the Weekend: Sketches & Muppets

The weekend is nearly upon us. What are you going to do?

If you live in Chicago or happen to be visiting the Windy City this weekend,  this is your lucky day because I have two suggestions for you. One for daylight enthusiasts and the other for those who prefer nighttime outings since it so much more acceptable to be drinking after dark, and luckily, almost any evening event can be manipulated to include a cocktail. Especially the one I have in mind.

1. You have until Sunday January 23 to catch “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” at the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park. Sure, you have had since September to do so, but some of us are procrastinators, and that is OK. If you ever loved a Muppet—even just for a moment—you should probably make it a priority, because it is super fun and oh-s0-educational. Tons of drawings, story boards, videos (interviews, commercials, Sesame Street, Muppets and earlier work), puppets and Muppets, props from the Dark Crystal and more. For younger participants there is a puppet theater and an area to create your own characters using huge felt pieces on a wall. Speaking of walls, several are covered in bright monster fur, felt and other pleasingly tactile Muppet-y materials. The podium where visitors queue up to enter? Completely covered in shag. If you want to take in everything, the exhibit can be a bit text heavy, but less compulsive museum visitors will be well-satisfied by the wealth of visual stimuli (you know, I studied exhibit design in graduate school, please hire me). Word to the wise: buy your tickets beforehand online, because the timed-entry tickets sell out very early in the day. We had to buy tickets and then go back the next day. Another hot tip? Find cheap metered parking along the lake front just to the north of the museum. Much more reasonable than the underground lot. Afterward, I suggest you magically find parking on 57th street and get pizza dinner at Edwardo’s—but that’s just me.
2. Starting this evening and through Sunday and again next Thursday through Sunday, it’s Chicago Sketchfest, yay! I have never gotten my act together to go, and in fact have probably generally been back in Boston or New York by now. I guess this is my lucky year. Now my move back to Chicago suddenly all makes sense. Wow; clarity.

Go forth.