Home. Home sweet home. Home is where the heart is. Home is where you lay your head. Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in. Nice one, Rob Frost. I think I like that one—like a proverbial insurance policy. Home is an interesting concept. There is no concrete position of home. You can’t find home on a GPS, now matter how that little Tom Tom tries. Home is an abstract reality that one creates to satisfy the need for belonging, the need for refuge. It is often a place of biological reference and often a dwelling for all the loves of your life, be they human, animal or mineral. When I get a call from my parents’ house, my caller id rightfully says home. Now it would be ridiculous to say the house was calling me. Houses don’t make phone calls, unless it was one of the houses of the future where all the appliances talk to you. Maybe those houses make…house calls…So it is not the house calling. It is my home. Actually, when home calls it also plays O.A.R.’s...

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Earlier today I wasn’t feeling inspired to write a blog, maybe after reading my horoscope- “Today is a 7, you have had a tough week”, my creative juices were lacking. I didn’t know what to write about or what direction I wanted to go in. So it got me thinking, what does inspire me? Reflecting over the last week I realized that I may be one of the luckiest people ever, because I can think of a number of things that have inspired me in just one short week. Last Friday I made the trip home to Brevard County Florida to attend my Grammy’s 80th surprise birthday party. Talk about inspiring. The experience of sharing the moment with her was overwhelming. The pure join, shock and appreciate was contagious. She is more than just a grandmother to me, she is a best friend and someone I truly look up to. I turn to her for guidance and for the extra push to get me through the day, week or month. She is an abundant supply of inspiration. This week we had our monthly board meeting. For the last year I have only been...

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One of These Things is Not Like the Others… When I was growing up, one of my favorite shows was Sesame Street—wasn’t it everyone’s really? I think Sesame Street has been on since the dawn of time teaching children numbers, letters and the simplest yet most important lessons in life, like sharing and equality. One of my favorite song snippets from that show was “One of These Things is Not Like the Others,” where you had to choose which of the three or four things in a series didn’t belong. The lyrics went: One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong. Can you tell which thing is not like the others Before I finish my song? They would show four Weimaraners in a row, but one of them peculiarly had spots. Oh that sneaky Dalmatian! He doesn’t belong! It was always great fun, but certainly taught a lesson in identifying those things that stick out of...

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So Katie and I have decided to audition for American Idol this year, because as luck would have it auditions will be held right down the block from us in Jacksonville, FL. We really feel that this could be our shot to take our act nationally. Katie has already reached a national level of fame with her amazing appearance in the HBO movie Recount, but the extent of me on any kind of screen has been in the UNF Freshman orientation video. So this just seems like the most logical idea for instant fame. We are back and forth on what song we want to sing- because we figure a K- girl audition would be better than individual. How could they not love us? Maybe we’ll sing a Sara Evans song- so when she comes to play the Florida Theatre in September we can tell her all about it. Perhaps “Born to Fly”, that could represent us well. Or maybe a past performer’s song that has inspired us, like Trisha...

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1.Your old favorites resurrected on the big screen. Many of these movies feature actors and actresses who are sadly no longer with us. But thanks to technology—and I’m not talking cryogenics—we are able to bring them back to life, well sort of. Gene Kelly, Laurence Olivier, James Dean, that guy from the Bee Gees. See them all relive the glory days in some of their most famed roles. 2.Be one to see some of the survivors of the recent Universal Studios fires. Yes, some classic films did perish in the fires that damaged sets and video vaults earlier in the month, and for a few nerve wracking days, the fate of a few of our Summer Classic Movies was unknown. Luckily, those films came out unscathed, so that really only means one thing. They survived so you could come see them. If they had burned then you would have never been able to tell them how much they are appreciated. So get yourselves out. Don’t be rude. 3.So it’s Sunday and it’s raining for the 8 gillionth time that week and you’re sick of sitting...

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It’s a big day. A big day in the wonderful world of Disney. That’s right, it is the premier of the newest Disney Channel movie- Camp Rock! Can it top High School Musical and High School Musical 2? Will it be able to compare and draw in millions of bagillion fans and build a crazy empire? Well one thing that may put them in the running- having the Jonas Brothers to star in it. Any movie that has a pop star group that goes to summer camp is a winner in my book! Camp movies are always fun- like the classic “Camp Nowhere”, great movie! I am an avid Disney Channel fan, I grew up on it! It’s also where so many young entertainers start, to then move on the big things with big fan bases. Heck! Justin Timberlake started out there! There are the classic shows like Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens and now Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven- all very entertaining and if on while flipping through the channels- I will watch. ...

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Have you ever taken the bus in Jacksonville, maybe to get to the movies or pick up a few groceries? What about a cab, other than those good calls coming home from your favorite beachy hangout? And please, someone tell me if you’ve taken that sky cab thing any other time than when the Super Bowl came to town. Public transportation in Jacksonville leaves much to be desired. Maybe it’s just too hard for the public transportation gods to wrap their arms around our big city with our many boroughs. So we all mostly keep to our own private modes of transit, no matter how high gas gets. One of my first memories of public transportation that clearly stands out in my mind was the Walt Disney World monorail. The ride was like the walk down the hallway on Christmas morning, a journey of such anticipation. I couldn’t wait to finally catch a glimpse of Cinderella’s castle—the epitome of a wonderland. Aw, what a happy memory of conveyance. It isn’t always about the destination though, as we all know from that popular...

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In honor of the Sex in the City release, and yes Katie did end up seeing it a few days after opening night, I’m pulling a Carrie Bradshaw… My roommate and I just had a really interesting conversation at 8:30 in the morning which ended in her saying, “That should be your blog!” The subject - dating. This week I ran into or had lunch or drinks- with people I haven’t seen in a while. Every single one of them asked- “So are you dating anyone?” The answer was and usually is- “Nope!” And then without fail, the follow up question- “Well why not?” Why not? Well timing, personal choice, nobody’s asking…how really are you supposed to answer that question? I then get, “Well you have a good job.”, “You have a lot going for you.”, “You are still young.”, which yes, actually I agree with all of that. I was explaining to a girlfriend of mine who has been married with...

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I think everyone and their mother is going to see the Sex and the City movie tonight but me. It’s honestly my own fault for procrastinating, but maybe that was my subconscious telling me that I really didn’t want to stand in that line for an hour or more waiting to get a good seat that ends up being three rows from the front anyway. Or maybe that right there is just my rationale trying to make me not feel bad about procrastinating. Either way, I’m not going. So I’m going to think of other things besides Sex and the City that would be good tonight. What about Soup and the Kitchen. That’s what I could have for dinner…and where I could have it for that matter. Although I had miso soup for lunch, so let’s try again. Okay, Sharp Nails and the Old Kids Bedroom, meaning I could hang up some nifty wall art that I bought the other day on my freshly painted green wall in the room that some kid...

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When the new library downtown opened and I went for the first time, I thought it was one of the most unique places in Jacksonville. I was very impressed, so impressed it prompted me to get a library card and start checking out books! Every detail from the gift store, Shelby’s, the grand staircase and especially the outdoor courtyard gave me reason to come back. So when I found out this year’s Film Festival Gala would be taking place at the Downtown Library- I was thrilled! What a wonderful venue for a beautiful star lit party. Saturday was the night of the Jacksonville International Film Festival’s Annual Grey Goose Gala. Before we could party the night away it was first movie time! In the chilly Florida Theatre with our chocolate covered Peterbrooke popcorn we watched “The Year of Getting to Know Us”, starring Jimmy Fallon, Lucy Liu, Sharon Stone and Tom Arnold. I though the movie was good, not great and bittersweet. It was odd to see Mr. Fallon is such a serious role- but I do recommend to check it out for some city pride! Did I mention the movie was completely filmed in Jacksonville-cool, don’t ya think? ...

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