Well, here it is.

I'm in the midst of packing and my flight leaves early tomorrow. I'm really fucking doing this.

I'm gonna live, baby!

Monday, when I return, I'll be sure to give you a number of bullet points on what happened on my trip. Smell ya later!

Okay...

Bringing you up to speed, here's what's up:

- Had to work on Memorial Day. Mostly taking care of empty bottles and our bottle room was getting filled with bags and bins of broken glass.

- It's mere days until my trip and I haven't (yet) booked the flight. Also, I'm still waiting on my memory card for my video camera. That should (I hope) arrive tomorrow.

What I could really use now is a cleansing ritual to calm the butterflies camping out in my gut.

Mea culpa.

A couple of weeks ago, I credited the late Danny Gans for voicing a number of animated characters, particularly the Creep on "Galaxy High". Perusing the IMDB, I've found that it was Danny Mann, who is still with us (and has a role in the forthcoming Up). I'm usually very conscientious about this sort of thing.

I'm sure that Mr. Gans was an exceptional talent. Sorry for the blunder.

Have you ever felt incredibly giddy and shit-your-pants-nervous at the same time?

I was planning a trip to L.A. (yes, Los Angeles) for a get-together of film music fans (mainly visitors of Film Score Monthly's message board) and a composer signing set to take place May 30-31 and today, I get the 'OK' that I can have those days off.

There's so much to get straight, like plane tickets, hotel arrangements, the chance at seeing some of the sights (two days in a strange place doesn't seem like that much time when you look at it) and if my work schedule won't affect my departure and return.

There's more waiting involved (like what next week's schedule will be), but it's almost as if God was telling me, 'You deserve a break'.

Also, yesterday, I applied for a dishwasher job at a restaurant. Not exactly a match for a two-time college grad, but it keeps me away from the public and that's fine with me. I bought a new notepad and, so far, I love it. I think this one will be harder to lose.

Things are not better.

I saw Star Trek. Fine film, especially considering my non-Trekkie status, and definitely the highlight of the week.

I pretty much coughed my way through yesterday's shift. It is unsettling how many people at that place can't tell the difference between a cough and a sneeze. I didn't sneeze once! I'm still coughing. Thanks to WebMD, I've narrowed it down to a sore throat (which goes away on its own after a while) or acute bronchitis (which lasts a couple of weeks).

As if that wasn't enough bitching, the fear that I'll be doing that job for years to come strikes me from time to time. Also, gone are the days of spending crazy sums of money; I'm trying to live paycheck to paycheck now, trying to budget my expenses. It ain't easy.

And then there's the waiting; waiting to hear back from screenwriting contests and waiting for packages in the mail. I think I've got a steering wheel in my pants, because all of this is driving me nuts.

I caught a cold. I was unable to sell some of my CDs for cash. On top of that, I couldn't find my notepad.

In other words, it's been a red letter set of days.

Going to see Star Trek today. Maybe things will get better from there.

I lost my notepad at work last night.

It was the second one I had, not counting the bigger, clunkier one I carried around in the past.

I'm not so much worried about someone finding it and reading it; it's not like I had an enemies list in there and 95% of what I wrote pertained to current and future writing projects (and a good portion of that, I've managed to remember). It's the principle of the thing.

At the moment, I'm entertaining one of two possibilities: a) someone just threw it away, unaware and uncaring that it belonged to someone or b) someone turned it in to a fellow employee. I'm very much hoping for the latter. I'll find out today at work. Wish me luck.

Also, the links section has just about doubled. Maybe you'll find something new to love.

Dom DeLuise (1933-2009)

Captain Chaos. Marlon Borunki. Jeremy the crow. Dom Bell. Itchy Itchiford. Pizza the Hutt. Tiger. The Oddfather. And, of course, Buddy Bizarre:



Kind of like losing an uncle that always knew how to make us laugh. He will certainly be missed.

See? I really did love this show once.

I guess you all know that "The Fairly Oddparents" is concluding its "Wishology" thing tonight. But, given news that the show's first season is finally coming to DVD, I'd like to take this opportunity to look back at a time when the show didn't suck nearly as hard.

It's less a retrospective than me talking about my ten favorite episodes:

Back to the Norm - Norm Macdonald's sarcastic delivery enlivened "Genie Meanie Minie Moe" and this episode, which saw Crocker trying (yet again) to expose Timmy's secret. I fail to understand why the character was reprised (in "Fairy Idol") if they were unable to procure the man for whom the character was clearly created...but then, I didn't think that Ace Ventura Jr. was all that terrible, so what do I know?

The Big Scoop - "A Wish Too Far" as seen through the eyes of school paper reporters Chester and A.J. A reference to "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"? In a Butch Hartman (co-written with Steve Marmel) script? Actually, this was pre-"Channel Chasers", so it's not so unbelievable. One could quibble about how Chester and A.J.'s voices changing since "...Wish..." (not me) or the loss of the wonderful delivery of "I inherited the internet!" (it was perfect), but there's much to enjoy, such as Mr. Birkenbake and Timmy's file.

Boy Toy - Something made clear by the comments and commercials for "Wishology" is that Timmy and Trixie will get together. That's not so bad. After all, there just aren't enough couples in modern animation where the girl who can't (or won't) sack up emotionally treats the guy she supposedly loves like the floor around a blind man's urinal. That said, this episode shows Vicky's Timmy-loving sister, Tootie, at her best: boy-crazy, but sensible. The non-sequiturs spouted by the Crimson Chin doll are a riot.

Deja Vu - Utterly ridiculous but funny outing where Timmy wants to re-do the events of his life, thanks to Cosmo as a magic watch. Unfortunately, Vicky gets her hands on it. Does in 11 minutes what "Channel Chasers" failed at with seven times the length. Neat cameo by Mark Chang.

Engine Blocked - Mr. Turner would rather spend time with his newly-restored Stryker Z than with his son, so Timmy wishes to be the car...then he gets stolen. Chock full of overdone running gags, but thankfully, they're pretty funny ("You talk, in a nasally voice...?", "No time to decipher your hip young lingo.").

Go Young, West Man - Catman longs for the childhood he lost out on while he was a star, so Timmy wishes that Catman could be a kid. Catman's history on television is hilarious and "School is for kids who can't act!" is still one of my favorite lines on the show.

Movie Magic - Timmy hopes to impress Trixie by entering the Dimmadance Film Festival. Too bad his reach exceeds his grasp. The scenes with Sylvester Carbone and Arnold Schwartzengerman are definitely the best.

The Same Game - Timmy's wish for everyone to be the same leads to magical buildup, where none of the fairies can locate, or grant wishes to, their kids. Cosmo and Wanda's search for Timmy and especially "There's no time to waste!" make for terrific gags.

The Switch Glitch - Tired of Vicky's humiliation, Timmy wishes he could babysit her for a change. Five-year-old Vicky is adorable and the tape recorder gag is quite sharp, especially at the end.

TransParents - There was actually a time when Crocker's 'Fairies!' schtick wasn't labored or irritating? ZOMG! In his first episode, he requests from Timmy a parent-teacher conference. No problem; just have Cosmo and Wanda pretend to be Timmy's parents.

Crooning with the angels.

Danny Gans has passed away.

You might well be asking, "Who's Danny Gans?". He was a "musical impressionist" in Las Vegas. I only learned that from the above link, because I've mainly heard him on "Rugrats", "Danny Phantom" and, to me, his finest work in animation:



He will be missed.

Summer movie preview.

It's kind of an open secret that, at my job, I attract stupid people like a ten-dollar whore attracts crabs (in both cases, more an occupational hazard than a controllable instance, but it still sucks), so I cherish those times when I don't have to be at work.

Surprisingly, I have very little to say about my vacation: celebrated my birthday, went out to breakfast, saw some movies (17 Again and Crank: High Voltage), went back to driving school, rented Outland (good movie, BTW), got a new license and ate an entire banana cream pie.

Getting back to the subject of movies, what better way to avoid the sweltering heat than in an air-conditioned movie theater?

May

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Apparently, people have been bootlegging this movie for a month. I'd rather pay to see it. With due respect to Dr. Cox, Hugh Jackman rocks.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - Matthew McConaughey is Ebenezer Scrooge and Michael Douglas is Jacob Marley...or something. If anyone can lift this from the level of a Lifetime original movie, it's the director of Mean Girls, don't you think?

Star Trek - I'm no Trekkie, but the trailer looks awesome. That is all.

Next Day Air - I really like Donald Faison, Mike Epps and Mos Def. Also, pretty good trailer.

Angels and Demons - Haven't seen The Da Vinci Code and this doesn't look any more interesting. However, this film is rated PG-13, whereas DVC was rated R. Not counting the Police Academy movies, can anyone name a franchise that started out as R and got more and more kid-friendly as it went along? (I'm intentionally omitting the latest installments of Die Hard and Terminator, which were obviously edited down from R. 'Taint the same thing.)

The Brothers Bloom - Back when this was set to open last Christmas, I planned to trek to Los Angeles to see this film when it opened (It would've likely opened in my neck of the woods sometime in January and if it officially opened in one year and opens wide the next, it's stuck in the limbo of neither year, vis-a-vis whether it was one of the best I've seen for that year. Hey, my taste, my rules.), but it got pushed back, for some reason. In any event, looks good.

Terminator: Salvation - I couldn't be more apathetic toward this movie, but Danny Elfman's scoring it. It's this thinking that got my butt in a theater playing Flubber Thanksgiving weekend in '97. This one (even with it's inexplicable PG-13 rating) has to be better, right?

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - Liked the trailer, lots of funny people in it and Alan Silvestri's doing the music. Next question.

Dance Flick - CGIed baby aside, this trailer was a hoot. Sure the Wayanses ushered in the Scary Movie franchise (the best of which - 3 - didn't involve them at all), but they also did I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. They'll bring the funny.

Up - This looks very charming. Here's probably where I'd say 'Just FedEx Pete Docter the Oscar', but one must consider the Coraline factor.

Drag Me to Hell - I'm sorry, but this isn't doing a thing for me. The trailer, I felt, was lacking. Not sure exactly what, but it just was.

June

Land of the Lost - Much like another adaptation of a classic TV series (Bewitched), the trailer makes it clear that it's a Will Ferrell vehicle first and a faithful rendering...twelfth.

The Hangover - ...or Dude, Where's Our Groom?. Not-bad trailer.

My Life in Ruins - Composer David Newman reunites with the director of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (you tell me why) for this story of My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos looking for love in Greece. Huh. Go figure.

The Taking of Pelham 123 - As I've said before, and will continue to say as long as I can draw breath, there was already a good Pelham revamp in Inside Man: everyman New York cop vs. calculating, English-accented badass. Really, I can't be the only one.

Imagine That - Something about Eddie Murphy's daughter's dreams enabling him to succeed in business. Sounds better than that other Murphy movie coming out this year, A Thousand Words...but not by much.

Year One - One of the funnier trailers I've seen all year. Just try and stop me from seeing it.

Whatever Works - Woody Allen + Larry David = Jesus, why did no one think of this before?! They are playing brothers, right?

The Proposal - The chick from Speed 2 and Two if by Sea hooks up with Van Wilder. I really don't think I'm spoiling anything.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - If I can see it for free, as with the first one, maybe I'll check it out. Best for people who loved the first movie and those sad freaks who jizz at the mere mention of Megan Fox. Who knows? They might fall into the same grouping.

My Sister's Keeper - The story of a girl who doesn't want to have her innards harvested to save someone's else life. It's a drama. I had you going, didn't I?

July

Public Enemies - Johnny Depp as John Dillinger. Throw in an Elliot Goldenthal score and color me intrigued.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - It's always nice to have a John Powell score for an animated feature, but while I liked the teaser, I'm gonna need something a bit more substantial to hold on to.

Bruno - Follow-up to Borat, which I was lukewarm on. I really don't know.

I Love You, Beth Cooper - Wow. I'm sure the book is a laugh riot and if that's the case, someone has a lot to answer for in terms of the film. The toaster oven (?) getting knocked into the wall, the CGIed killer raccoon, the rather...fey screaming of the protagonist. So much about this feels off*. (Yet another putrid-looking comedy from Fox, following Bride Wars and Miss March.) It's nice to see Alan Ruck, but seriously, this looks like Say Anything...for Dummies.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Sixth film of the series. I'm not a Pothead (that's what fans of this are called, right?), so I'll be missing out.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane - Long-delayed horror movie. Keep those fingers crossed. (Interesting note: Amber Heard, who plays Mandy, shares my birthday. Hey, it's interesting to me.)

G-Force - Iffy-looking CGI gerbils save the day. Will Arnett gotta eat, though what is up with "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?" playing under scenes of the female gerbil? Did no one think that through while cutting the trailer?!

Orphan - Seriously, did Vera Farmiga learn nothing from Joshua? Still, creepy poster that could make a fantastic soundtrack cover.

The Ugly Truth - This hate-on for Katherine Heigl needs to stop. It doesn't matter what she says. Any straight guy would step over their dying mother to nail her. That said, some early reviews of this rom-com have me intrigued.

Funny People - Adam Sandler stars in a Judd Apatow movie. Not 'Adam Sandler stars in a movie that happens to be directed by Judd Apatow'. Big difference. Funny, if longish, trailer. The Bruce Willis gag was a good one.

They Came from Upstairs - Fox lays yet another egg. Ashley Tisdale, to say nothing of her adult co-stars, deserves better. [Update: it now has the more-on-the-nose title of Aliens in the Attic. Oy.]

August

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Adaptation of the 80s cartoon guaranteed to be less idiotic than the Transformers franchise. Directed by...Stephen Sommers? Okay, maybe not. If nothing else, Silvestri's score should be fantastic.

Julie and Julia - Meryl Streep (as Julia Child; they couldn't get Dan Aykroyd?) and Amy Adams. Hurrah! In a film by Nora Ephron. Ehhh... (Seriously, though, I do like Mixed Nuts.)

Shorts - Another kiddie movie from Robert Rodriguez. Has some weird ideas and my muse, Kat Dennings. Could be worthwhile.

A Perfect Getaway - At this point, anything with Milla Jovovich that doesn't have her battling zombies or stolen-from-Ghost in the Machine visual effects is fine by me.

Final Destination: Death Trip 3D - 3 was a naked cashgrab if ever there was one, but it clearly worked. David Ellis (FD2, Cellular, Snakes on a Plane) directs. Still, I'm gonna need to see a trailer.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Eric Bana is the time traveler, Rachel McAdams his wife. From the director of Flightplan. Adjust expectations accordingly.

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard - Jeremy Piven as a used car salesman. Sounds about right. From the co-creator of "Chappelle's Show".

Inglourious Basterds - Tarantino has - directorially, at least - yet to put a foot wrong, though the best moment in the trailer for me was undoubtedly Negative Hitler ("Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein!").

The Post Grad Survival Guide - The Gilmore Girl who was in Sin City struggles to find a foothold in the work force after graduating college. Just saw the trailer. Looks far superior to the alleged comedies Fox has been releasing this year; maybe they hired an outside firm to cut the trailer. [Apparently, it's now called Post Grad. I like ...Survival Guide better.]

H2 - Okay trailer, but maybe I should see the first movie before making a choice.

The Boat that Rocked - Amusing trailer, though I hear that this will run longer than two hours. Such a running time could easily be justified with Richard Curtis's last directing effort, Love Actually; after all, that film told several stories. One story at this length could be asking too much. Still, I like a lot of the people in it (Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Nick Frost, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kenneth Branagh).

* - And, Jesus H. Christ, what is with the protagonist's object of desire going out with a psycho meathead? There is nothing in the films I've seen that satisfactorily explains why an otherwise intelligent woman would associate herself with such a dangerous character; she just does. (e.g. Wedding Crashers, Never Back Down, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, ad nauseum...)