The Right Alice and the Academy Awards

This weekend was particularly exciting for me for several reasons. First of all, I was celebrating my new job offer (I go back to work Monday March 15th! Yay!) and secondly, two of my best friends from home (Amber and Jenny) were coming to Madison to hang with me and catch up since we haven't seen each other for months!

Jenny and Amber arrived Friday night, eager to spend the weekend in a different city and take a quick break from the day-to-day. Andy and I took them to a newly opened West side restaurant called the Vintage Brewing Company. The restaurant is owned by a young couple who also own a bar/restaurant near campus on University Avenue closely named the Vintage.

Vintage Brewing boasts a large selection of tap beers, specialty cocktails, huge burgers and yummy oversized waffle fries. But it isn't just a burger joint. The Vintage menu has a range of dishes from Baked Mac & Cheese to Salmon to BBQ Ribs. And of course, a Friday night Wisconsin staple, an all-you-can-eat Fish Fry.

After stuffing ourselves to the max and enjoying a few drinks, we were ready to turn in for the night.

Saturday brought loads of sunshine, so while Andy attended his poker tournament the girls and I strolled down State Street, shopped, went to see the Statue of Liberty at the Union and had lunch at Qdoba. All the while, we were anticipating the main event, a 4:15 showing of Alice in Wonderland at the Star Cinema IMAX in Fitchburg.

The movie was sold out (of course), but luckily we bought our tickets well in advance and got to the theater with plenty of time to spare. We stood in line discussing what other movies we think Tim Burton should re-do, (Sleeping Beauty was our top choice) and before we knew it we were seated, eating our candy and sporting our 3D glasses.

Tim Burton has done it again. In the spirit of Edward Scissorhands, the Nightmare Before Christmas and Big Fish, Tim Burton has brought audiences to a new world full of mystery and surprise.

The story of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland has been re-told many times throughout history. The animated version paved the way for the made-for-TV depiction that for many of us resulted in nightmares! Now, Tim Burton has brought Alice and the other Wonderland characters to life in a way that has never been done before.

The movie begins with the young Alice, played by Australian newcomer Mia Wasikowska, having nightmares of falling down a hole and meeting strange creatures. She asks her father, "Have I gone mad?" He answers, "Yes. I'm afraid you're bonkers. But let me tell you a secret. All the best people are."

Thirteen years go by, the same dream hasn't stopped, and Alice finds herself on the day of her engagement party, being proposed to by a man she has no intention of spending the rest of her life with. As he bends to one knee with the entire party watching, Alice is distracted by a white rabbit hopping through the labyrinth in the garden.

Alice follows the rabbit all the way to the rabbit hole where of course, as history has written, she inevitably falls. But this Wonderland is drastically different from the Wonderlands we've seen in the past. Tim Burton has put his dark signature on the world.

Immediately we meet beloved characters like the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat and the hookah-smoking caterpillar (forgive me if I botch the name: Absum?). The caterpillar asks Alice, "Who are you?"

She answers that she is Alice, and the caterpillar is convinced she is the "wrong" Alice. She spends the rest of the film proving to him that she is indeed the right Alice. They explain to her that it is her destiny to face the Red Queen and slay the Jabberwocky. But before she can do that, she has a few more important characters to meet.

As Alice travels deeper into Wonderland, she comes upon a strange group of characters enjoying a tea party. A mouse, a harrowed rabbit, and of course the allusive Mad Hatter are the three party guests. Johnny Depp's version of the Mad Hatter is not just funny and quirky. He is heartbroken, dark, endearing and totally, utterly, mad. He explains to Alice that she needs to retrieve the vorpal sword from the Red Queen and return it to the White Queen.

Anne Hathaway proves to be the perfect choice for the meticulous White Queen. She is lovely, grand and unable to harm any creatures. Her sister, however, the Red Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter, is as evil as ever. She is jaded by the fact that her parents always treated her sister better since she is beautiful and perfect, and void of an oversized noggin. "Off with their head" is her favorite phrase not unlike the original story, but in this version, she and her army of playing cards are given a modern update and her evilness is as evil as ever.

But at the same time, Alice's muchness is as much as ever. She heads out to find the sword and bravely battle for Wonderland. The thing I enjoyed the most about this movie was the character of Alice and her strength. She is headstrong in an age where women didn't have a say. She refuses to wear her corset. She doesn't want to be normal or believe in the believeable. In fact, she believes in 6 unbelievable things before breakfast. She isn't looking for a prince and chooses business over a man. Alice is overlooked in terms of Disney "princesses" and is a rolemodel for all young women watching. This is a fairy tale I would proudly show to my daughter.  

And if Alice herself isn't inspiring, her dresses are. Alice is constantly changing in size, so throughout the movie her wardrobe is constantly changing along with her. And she doesn't just wear blue dresses. She wears an unbelievable red frock during her time in the Red Queen's castle, and flowing white robes while staying with the White Queen. You'll just have to see the movie to get a glimpse of her whimsical style.

And see this movie you should. See it in 3D if you can. The 3D gives Wonderland a complete other dimension which is what is missing from the old version. If there was ever a movie to do in 3D, this is it. The quirky characters and costumes will keep you entertained to the very end and you will fall in love with the fantastical storyline. This was the perfect project for Burton, and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Jenny and Amber left Sunday morning, but they said they enjoyed the weekend. The movie, in particular.

Of course, this wouldn't be an entertainment blog if I didn't at least mention the 82nd Annual Academy awards. I don't have many comments, other than the fact that I am THRILLED about Sandra Bullock winning Best Actress for The Blind Side. She is my absolute favorite actress of all time and it was about time for her talent to be recognized by the Academy.

Also, I was thrilled for Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker. I was able to see seven of the ten films nominated for Best Picture. The Hurt Locker, in my opinion, deserved every award it received-especially Best Picture. The Hurt Locker was gripping, suspenseful and terribly real. I feel it was a beautiful, true depiction of the war in Afghanistan and the emotions of those fighting for our country. Bravo.

Hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin kept the evening moving with their jokes, (the Paranormal Activity spoof was the best) but I didn't think they were featured quite enough. The John Hughes tribute brought all of us back to the eighties and reminded us of the teen angst we struggled through. I was surprised...I didn't realize John Hughes had died! And finally, the tribute to the Horror genre and its classic movies was haunting and made me realize that horror isn't honored enough. It was fitting that Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart announced the montage, and believe it or not, KStew looked stunning (she can be hit or miss on the red carpet). Finally, I have to end by saying I loved that the movie montage began and ended with images from the best horror/thriller of all time: Jaws. I think we're gonna need a bigger boat.

Congratulations to all the winners. Your work is truly an art form and the world was bettered by the movies you created in 2009. The show may be over but it is just the start of a new year of more amazing films.

Gettin' Off on the Pain

The Crystal Grand Music Theater in Wisconsin Dells seats approximately 2000 people. To some major recording artists, performing at a venue that size would be considered small beans. But for Gary Allan, it seems the smaller the audience, the better the show.

Gary Allan, the dark horse of the country music industry, sold out the small Crystal Grand Music Theater on Saturday night and myself, Andy, my sister Cheri and her husband Corey were all there to rock out with him.

The four of us had seats in the upper balcony, but it didn't really matter because every seat in the house was a good seat. However, as Gary took the stage and opened the show with his new hit "Get Off on the Pain", my sister and I jumped to our feet (as most concert goers usually do at the opening of a show) obviously expecting the rest of the audience to follow suit. We were jumping up and down and screaming, and after a moment we looked around and saw the rest of the balcony just...sitting. Then we looked at each other with a puzzled expression. "Why the hell isn't everyone standing up?"

So we sat down. Aggravated.

Despite our distaste at having to dance in our chairs, Gary rocked the house as usual. He intermingled dark hits like "I Just Got Back From Hell" with hard rock anthems "A Feeling Like That" and "Living Hard" mixed with ballads such as "The One", "Best I Ever Had" and his newest heart-wrencher, "Today." I was most thrilled when he sang my favorite Gary Allan song of all time, "Songs About Rain." During that song, Andy and I got up and danced. Sorry to those behind us who couldn't see. Maybe you should get out of your seats and shake it like all the people on the floor below!

Having seen Gary several times, as the end of the show approached we knew what to expect. Gary ends every show with the tavern tune, "Drinking Dark Whiskey, Telling White Lies". For this particular show, he was joined on stage by a sheepdog. I'm not sure whose sheepdog it was, maybe it was Gary's, maybe it was a band member's, but the dog trotted out on stage and collapsed at Gary's feet, just chilling while Gary's no-nonsense raw voice belted out the last song of the night.

As we attempted to get out of the parking lot, it became evident what every country fan really wants. As we sat in the line of cars, we were approached by dozens of people with one question, "Does anybody have any beer?"

I would say it was a good time had by all.

Look for Gary's new album, Get Off on the Pain, which drops in stores and on iTunes March 9. Also, check out Gary as he performs at the House of Blues live this Saturday, March 6 on GAC. His raw, rockin' style won't let you down.

Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw: Sure-fire crowd pleasers

Two years ago I traveled to Nashville to visit my good friend and soon-to-be-famous recording artist Sarah Lou Richards. As she drove me around to show me the city sights, she popped in the CD of a band, that up to that point, I had never heard of. She was introducing me to Lady Antebellum, and it was love at first...listen.

Since then, Lady Antebellum has become a country powerhouse with hits like "Love Don't Live Here", "I Run to You", "Lookin' For A Good Time" and "Need You Now".

And last night they graced the stage of the Alliant Energy Center here in Madison, along with a legend in his own right, Tim McGraw.

Andy, my fiance, and I arrived too late to catch the opening act, the Lost Trailers, and barely had time to get a drink before Lady Antebellum opened with "Stars Tonight" from their newly-released second album Need You Now.

The trio, made up of bandmembers Hillary, Charles and Dave, looked like seasoned stars as they belted out hit after hit after hit. The set list included all the favorites, "Love Don't Live Here", "Looking For a Good Time", their new single "American Honey", "Need You Now" and of course, "I Run To You", which they closed their set with. They even had some extra time to throw in a great rendition of "Rockin' in the USA" and get those in the crowd who weren't already on their feet, to stand up.

They've already released two albums, won a Grammy, and are touring with one of the biggest names in the business. Clearly, Lady Antebellum is going to be entertaining audiences for years to come.

Speaking of one of the biggest names in the business, Lady Antebellum was followed by none other than Mr. Tim McGraw himself.

Forgive me, I'm going to digress for just one second. I've been following Tim McGraw for 20 years now, since the start of his career, when he was playing county fairs and starting out the day at Country Fest and Jam. Tim was always rockin' on stage. His shows were always high energy, back when he was singing tunes like "Renegade", "Indian Outlaw" and "Refried Dreams."

Fast forward 20 years. Tim has grown both personally and professionally, since releasing ten albums and marrying Faith Hill and having three children. I've heard people say he's gone "soft". That his music just isn't quite what it used to be. That he isn't the "rockstar" he once was. Well, the last time I saw Tim was in 2005 when he was promoting the album Live Like You Were Dying. The show was just so-so. For a moment, I was believing what I was hearing.

Until now. That show was nothing compared to this one. On the Southern Voice tour, Tim is back on his game. Last night was the best I've seen Tim perform so far.

The entire Colisuem rumbled as Tim's opening sequence showed him riding in on a Harley. The images were being projected onto a silk screen that hung from the rafters. Suddenly, the stage behind the silk screen was bathed in white and blue light. Suddenly, there stood the silouette of Tim himself,  and the rumbling became the melody for "Real Good Man."

The crowd, myself included, went nuts. I haven't seen an opening like that since I saw Tim at the Xcel Center in Minneapolis when he was on tour with Kenny Chesney. He was promoting his remake of "Tiny Dancer" at that time, and the Almost Famous tour bus rolled up on the screen. The door opened, and so did a door on the stage, and his band stepped out. Then, the arena went black and Tim, from some secret location, started singing "Tiny Dancer." The crowd was sweeping the stadium trying to figure out where Tim was singing from. Then finally, one single spotlight shone down into the center of the arena, where Tim sat alone on a single stool. And the crowd went wild. That was coolest opening to a show I've seen, but this opening was right up there.

To open the show he cranked out one supercharged hit after another following "Real Good Man" with "Down on the Farm" and "Where the Green Grass Grows".

He didn't really slow things down at all until midway through the show when his band left him alone onstage with just his acoustic guitar. He played us the first song he'd ever learned on a guitar, followed by an amazing acoustic version of "Everywhere".

Next, he had two of his bandmembers join him for the overwhelmingly sad military ballad, "If You're Reading This." There wasn't a dry eye in the staduim as he sang that song and personally saluted America's armed forces for boldly fighting for our nation.

Then, it was time to turn it up again as he got the crowd back on their feet with "Something Like That", "I Like It I Love It" and his recent mega-hit, "Southern Voice."

When Tim came back for his encore, we expected to hear, maybe two more songs. He played for another half-hour at least.

He sent me into hysterics as he played "Things Change" from Set This Circus Down, my personal favorite out of all of his albums. Then, he reminded us all of how fragile life can be with "Live Like You Were Dying" and finished the night with the perfect last song, "The Cowboy In Me", also from Set This Circus Down.

Believe me, once he came out for the encore, part of me was waiting for "Renegade". I can't help myself. He didn't sing it, which was sad but to be expected. The only disappointment was that Tim didn't sing "Don't Take the Girl." I was waiting for the moment when he'd stop singing and the crowd would take over. Apparently he has too many songs to sing now and couldn't fit it into the set list. It's OK Tim, since you're so good looking, I'll let it slide just this one time.

Oh Dear, John

Last night Sarah and I went to see the new movie creation from Nicholas Sparks, Dear John. As women and seasoned Sparks readers, we came armed with tissues. Sparks is known for his big love stories, white houses with porches and shutters, willow trees and water.

Dear John is no different. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, the film is a beautiful depiction of love wrought with difficulty. The main characters, John and Savannah, played by Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, are brought together on the beach and it's love at first sight.

However, John is in the Special Forces of the Army, and his two weeks of leave expire. He's off to serve a 1-year tour of duty. The two new lovers decide to exchange letters so they can stay close to one another throughout their absence.

When September 11th hits, John is torn between staying in Charleston with Savannah and extending his tour. Meanwhile, Savannah goes through an unexpected journey of her own that literally left us shocked.

Now, going into this film, and knowing Nicholas Sparks, we were obviously expecting the death of a main character. I'm not giving anything away, but the film actually takes a lot of unexpected twists and turns. John's relationship with his father is a large part of the film, and autism in both children and adults is explored as John's father suffers from it along with one of the children in the film.

Even though the movie ran a little long and had one of those endings that made us go, "Really? What?", I still say go see it. It's Valentine's week and it is a great romance. The chemistry between Seyfried and Tatum is undeniable, and of course Tatum is be-au-ti-ful. And I haven't read the book, but there is some fantastic writing in the film. The movie is really a testament to all of those military families going through this struggle every day with their men so far away from home.

However, I do recommend leaving the men at home. This one's for the girls.

Women's Weekend in Birchwood

Friday morning I got up early. Getting up early has recently become a rareity for me, and there are few things that will get me out of bed at 7 a.m. However, a weekend devoted to just the ladies in Birchwood, Wisconsin is one of those things.

Please forgive me if I get the facts wrong, as I'm no expert on this, since this was the first year I was given the honor and privilege of joining the amazing group of women at the Big Bear Lodge, but I believe the tradition of the women's weekend began over 20 years ago, when Deb Dresel and a few of her closest friends and family decided they needed a weekend away from the kids and husbands. Wild times ensued back in those days and have continued to ensue, and over the years the group has grown from roughly a handful to as many as 15. Now the kids are coming along for the weekend, and some of them have kids themselves.

This year 11 ladies attended, two newbies including myself and Debbie Woodford. When I arrived at roughly 12:30 p.m. (it takes about 4 and 1/2 hours to get to "Yarnell" from Madison) four women had begun the weekend: Deb, her daughter Sarah (my best friend and maid-of-honor in my September wedding) her sister Beth and Debbie Woodford.

Now I've known Sarah since the third grade, which means we've been friends for about 20 years. The Dresel family is bascially like a second family to me. So when I entered the cabin I received all the hugs and warm welcomes that I was expecting. And when I say warm, I'm referring not only to the hugs, I'm talking also about the raging fire in the fireplace. "Ah yes," I thought. "It's finally time to relax."

When I get together with this group of people, we don't really need much other than each other to be entertained. We talked as Deb knitted a scarf she would later give away to one of the ladies, and we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. We listened to music and I listened to them sing. We had hit up the wine by 3 p.m.

Deb's sister Tami arrived next with her sister-in-law Jane. Many years ago I got to know Tami and her husband Larry pretty well when I traveled with the Dresel family to the Dominican Republic, so this was a happy reunion. Unfortunately Tami's daughter Crystal couldn't make it up this year because her son bumped his head and ended up in the emergency room.

Next to arrive were the twins: Lori & Lynn. I didn't catch exactly how these two know everyone, but they were very obviously long-time friends of the Dresel family. With them came a barrage of jokes and lots of snacks. When a group of women get together that have known each other this long, they don't hold anything back. They aren't afraid to be brutally honest and crack jokes about one another, because they know that no matter what, they've been through it all and they love each other.

Finally, just before dinner the final piece of the group arrived: Ann Crogg and her daughter Charlene. Normally, Ann's other daughter Darla attends, but she couldn't make it this year either unfortunately.

Once they got settled and after getting dressed, or should I say, after I dressed Sarah and Beth, we headed off to dinner, Sarah and Beth clad in my clothes and jewelry :)

Let me back up a second here. When a group of 11 women go out in the tiny town of Birchwood, they attract a certain amount of...attention. This is not a quiet group. Nor is this a group of homely looking individuals. These are confident, loud, boistrous beautiful women out for a good time. They'll stop at nothing to outdo the stories of the year before, and the snowmobilers and locals flat out CAN NOT believe it. It's like nothing they've ever seen. When they go places, they run into people who have known them from previous years. They have groupies. They're legends of the northwoods.

I cannot remember for the life of me the name of the supper club we went to, but I could just tell walking in that there was either a baked potato or hash browns in my future. We had a drink and sat down to eat.

Mark, our excellent waiter, served us up our food flawlessly and humored us as the ladies regalled stories of previous years. Stories of skiing, drunkenness and folly roared from one end of the table to the other as all the women enjoyed each other and looked forward to the trouble they were about to get into.

From there we hit up the Bluegill Bar and Liquor Store. Yeah, yeah! In the land known most famously for its bluegills, it only seems right that there was a bar so appropriately named. Drinks and shots immediately were served up, and the ladies got ready to play some pool and dance! Beth and Charlene and I commanded the jukebox, playing today's pop hits to the displeasure of the locals.

One particular blond-haired beauty from Birchwood got up and jazzed us for playing "our type of music" but danced with us and instantly became friends with Jane, who out of everyone in the group, seemed the most social with the locals. Somebody has got to break out from the group and make friends!

From there we headed to the Sportmen's Lodge, which was a tiny hole-in-the-wall trailer turned bar that was full of just that: sportsmen. In fact, at one point during the evening, a man walked through the door to show off the trophy fish he just caught out on the frozen lake. Only in Wisconsin ladies and gentlemen...

As the ladies got more and more relaxed, and more and more drunk, more dancing took place, including a pool stick limbo and one Beth Dresel falling to the floor. But, she bounced right back up, even in her 3-inch heels.

Meanwhile, Sarah was chatting up one of the locals, who we'll call Jim-Bob. Jim-Bob was a squirrel farmer with a degree in engineering and medicine, who studied at Eau Claire, Madison and the Caribbean. Um....I'm sorry, what? Suck it up buddy and tell us where you're really from and what you do.

Of course he wasn't the first gentleman to hit on one of us. One particular drunk snowmobiler told me I was hot and asked Sarah if he'd like to go back to his "remodel job" with him. She couldn't really understand what he was saying though, and soon, in his drunken stupor, he got up from his bar stool and got on his snowmobile. Again, only in Wisconsin. Hopefully me made it back to his remodel job safely. Yikes.

Eventually it was basically bar close and time to turn in.

Probably the best part of the weekend was waking up. I slept cozily on the bottom bunk of a set of bunk beds built by the Dresel men instead of purchased from some furniture store. As I awoke to the smell of coffee and succulent cinnamon french toast, the voices of the ladies and the laughter in the other room reminded me how special this weekend was, and how lucky these women are to have each other and all the memories they've shared throughout their lives.

Finally I rolled out of bed, immediately met by Sarah who held my camera in her hand and just couldn't resist getting an early-morning shot. Thanks Sarah.

Saturday was a day of sitting and visiting, playing board games, doing nothing, going into "town", taking walks and knitting. Most everyone stayed in, with the exception of a few that wandered out. The TV barely got turned on, and Beth's music rang happily through the air.

And when dinner time came, the Dresel's put on a feast meant for a royal court. Everything at the Big Bear Lodge is a team effort. If one group cooks, the other cleans. They split up the meals and the cleaning. They do the work and still let each other relax.

We had a mexican-themed dinner of mexican tostada salad and fajitas. Mexican music filled the air and you had to earn your spot at the table by doing your best mexican dance in front of the group. Again, no one is shy in this group.

The thing that's great about this group is that they all have their faith and spiritual strength in common. Deb perfomed a toast before dinner and Lori said a prayer. None of them forget to thank God for all they're blessed with in their lives. When Sarah asked each member of the group to share what the best part of 2009 was for them, it was then that you realized all that this group had accomplished and all they were capable of. Around that table sat 11 women, with stories of buying houses, having grandbabies, passing classes, getting engaged and getting through the tough times.

After dinner, the family separated into two groups and got into many serious conversations. They aren't afraid to talk about the bad things in life or ask the hard questions. They offer guidance, love and advice to each other and they celebrate with one another. And that's what it's really all about.

And the next morning as everyone cleaned up and packed up, you could see the sadness in the ladies' eyes as they knew another year was over and they said goodbye to one another.

Next year when the ladies get together, they'll have more to cry about, more to celebrate and more stories to reminisce about. We sure are lucky, ladies, to know each other.

So what do you say, women of the Big Bear Lodge? Am I allowed to come back next year or am I voted off the island?

P.S. Check out the Examiner.com article I also wrote about Birchwood. And, if you want to hear more about Tourism in Wisconsin, subscribe to my page! Here's the link: http://www.examiner.com/x-36699-Madison-Tourism-Examiner~y2010m2d8-Birchwood-Wisconsins-best-kept-secret

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

Pop reigned at last night's 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

The fascinating and eccentric Lady Gaga opened the show with "Poker Face", written by Gaga & Red One and nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. As the crowd went goo-goo for Gaga, out popped a piano and none other than Sir Elton John. The duo broke into Gaga's "Speechless" and finished the montage with Sir Elton's "Your Song".

Gaga won statues for Best Dance Recording for "Poker Face" and Electronic Dance Album for her breakout album "The Fame". 

Beyonce looked fabulous as always performing "If I Were A Boy" with an interlude of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know". Although I thought her performance was okay, I thought she did better on the VMA's performing "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." However, I don't know if you caught the part of the performance where she nearly tripped but caught herself so gracefully you barely noticed the slip-up. I give her props because I couldn't shake it like she does in those heels!

In my opinion, the next performance by Pink was one of the shining moments of the evening. She came out in a flowing white robe. She literally sparkled as she took off the robe to reveal her body clad in basically nothing but ribbons strategically placed, if you know what I mean. And when that wasn't shocking enough, she did an entire trapeze act while still singing and never missing a beat. Pink is one of the most original artists out there, and she proved her place in the entertainment world last night.

Best New Artist went to the Zac Brown Band who broke out this year with the hits "Chicken Fried", "Whatever it Is" and "Toes." Yay for a country band beating out artists like Kari Hilson, the Silversun Pickups and the Ting Tings. Country isn't going anywhere folks, it's only going to get bigger.

Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smoky Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Usher performed the powerful Michael Jackson tribute riddled with environmental and socially responsible messages and a 3D video. The tribute was followed by a touching speech by Michael's children Prince and Paris Jackson. 

Then Bon Jovi took the stage to perform for the first time ever on the Grammy stage. Ok Grammy people, I'm sorry, where have you been? Have you been living under a rock for the past 21 years while Bon Jovi toured the world selling millions of albums and selling out thousands of stadiums? All I can say is, it's about damn time they got some recognition. They rocked out "We Weren't Born to Follow", "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, and finally the song chosen by the audience after an internet poll, probably the biggest Bon Jovi anthem of all time, "Livin' On A Prayer." And man did Jon look good. As usual.

Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West won the Grammy for Best Rap Song Collaboration. Didn't it seem like Kanye West was everwhere in this category? He collaborates as much as Ja Rule. And thank you Grammys for nominating "I'm On A Boat." You do have a sense of humor. 

Wyclef Jean introduced the tribute to the country of Haiti. All of the downloads on iTunes from the evening last night went to Haitian relief. Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige performed "Bridge Over Troubled Water" while haunting images of the devastating earthquake played in the background. If you can still download on iTunes, do it now and donate what you can to help out those in need.

To close the show, Drake, Eminem and Lil' Wayne respresented hip-hop in a big way. Accompanied by Blink 182's Travis Barker on the drums, the three of them broke it down and put on one of the most amazing performances of the night. Eminem always brings it live, and his rhyme was right on. But where was Akon? He had a big year in 2009 and easily should have earned the right to grace the stage with these three.

Other memorable performers included the Black Eyes Peas, Lady Antebellum, Maxwell, Jamie Foxx and T-Pain with an improptu performance by guitarist Slash, the Zac Brown Band and Taylor Swift with Stevie Nicks.

Last but not least, the Album of the Year award was presented to, surprise, Taylor Swift for her triumph album "Fearless". I have to hand it to Taylor for writing such an award-winning album at such a young age. She had the biggest night of her life last night. But where was Kanye? I think he would've had a much harder time getting up on stage this time around. I'd say with this award, Taylor Swift shut him up for good.  

For a complete list of winners at the 52nd Grammy Awards, click here.

What a Weekend

Where do I begin?! This weekend was full of arts & entertainment in all kinds of different forms.

Sometimes you don't even have to leave your house to be entertained. I hosted the KW crew and some other friends at my place on Friday and the usual craziness ensued. By 11 p.m. the drinks were flowing and we were all feeling pretty good. Luckily there were some designated drivers in the mix, and with their assistance we headed out to enjoy the Middleton nightlife. We ended up at Scatz, a sportsbar/nightclub that was hosting DJ RIP playing all the hottest pop & hip-hop. Dacing at Scatz is fun because the dance floor always has the right amount of people, there's never too few people but it's never too crowded.

Scatz features a different event every night and it caters to an extremely diverse clientele of all ages, (21 & up of course). Mondays: Monday Night Football, Tuesdays: Service Industry night offering 1/2 price off everything from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m., Wednesdays: Chili Wednesdays and $5.00 Ketel One mixers, Thursdays: Live Music, Fridays: Dance Party, Saturdays: Saturday Night Live Music, Sundays: Football Sundays.

I mentioned earlier that going to movies is one of my Top 5 favorite activities. Well, dancing is #2. So I hit the dance floor and promised the girls I'd be up on the platform in no time. Well, Lori beat me to it, and shortly after Lori and Sara and I were observing a sight I hope no one else will ever have to experience.

OK ladies, this is a lesson in what NOT to do. If you're on a platform, don't wear a skirt that barely covers your waist let alone anything else. And don't pretend to be a size 0 if you're a 10. Please wear clothing that fits and at least cover up your most private parts because ladies, no one wants to see that, especially not the girls and believe it or not, not even the guys.

To my right on the dance floor stood a group of five good looking guys watching this girl shake it, with sort of nauseous looks on their faces. If you're trying to impress the gentleman, this is the wrong approach. So that was just the beginning of the evening.

Lori then dared me to dance with this very tall lanky man who appeared to be on the dance floor completely alone. He was trying his best to bust a move, but I think he was trying a bit too hard. Of course, I went over and humored him, and introduced myself to him. I asked him what brought him to Scatz and who he was there with, and his response was, "What does it look like baby!? I'm here to dance!" I laughed outloud and ever-so-cooly and respectfully danced to the other side of the dance floor.

Shortly after I was literally being dragged off the dance floor by our designated driver and arrived home safely. I made mac & pizza for the crew still left at my house and drifted off the sleep trying my hardest not to let the image of the girl in the way-too-tiny dress drift into my nightmares.

Saturday arrived and I got together with Dana to catch the new flick When In Rome at Point Cinema. I'm telling you, go see this one. As far as romantic comedies go, this is the best I've seen in a while. Not only was it absolutely hilarious, it was actually unpredicable, believe it or not!

When in Rome stars Kristen Bell, who you may remember from Veronica Mars and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Bell plays Beth, a motivated yet somewhat workaholic curator of the Guggenheim Museum who is looking for love, but has a hard time being open to it. She wants to find a man she loves more than her job, which seems like a daunting challenge.

So, when her sister gets engaged she is forced to fly to Rome, Italy to be the maid-of-honor. At the wedding she meets the charming and dashingly attractive Nick, played by the gorgeous Josh Duhamel. Josh's most recent gig was the Transformers movies, and it's nice seeing him out of the army greens and in a more fun and comedic role. Nick and Beth hit it off, but when she sees him kissing a mysterious woman outside of the Fontana de Amore, she decides when it comes to love, she's out of luck. But, in Italy, if you toss a coin into the Fontana de Amore and wish for love it will come to you. Beth decides to take a few coins, hoping love will come her way.

And boy, does it ever. Once she gets back to New York, she can't escape it. Beth starts getting stalked by a group of hilarious misfits played by Jon Heder, Danny DeVito, Will Arnett, and Dax Shepard. She finds herself caught up in one alkward situation after another and can't seem to escape the men under the spell of the fountain swooning over her. The best scene in the movie is the Dining in the Dark scene, so look out for that.

So, aside from the fact that the spell caused by the Fontana de Amore is a little hokey, the characters are a joy ride and the chemistry between Kristin Bell and Josh Duhamel sparkles. See it. Even the boys will enjoy this one!

Then Saturday night I switched gears from the cinema to the theater. I joined Leia, Kelly, Katie and Liz for dinner at Zanders followed by The Broadway Tour of Rent at the Overture Center for the Arts. Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp reprised their roles as Roger and Mark, and even though they've performed the show thousands of times before, they still bring the same excitement and intensity to their roles. I've seen Rent once before at the Overture, but watching these two original cast members meant watching Rent on a whole other level. Other memorable performances included Nicolette Hart who played Maureen and of course Justin Johnston as the role of Angel.

Rent was the musical of our generation, and the amazing part about being at the performance last night was watching the younger generations enjoying it as much as our generation did back in the early nineties. It's a comfort to know that Rent has the staying to power to continue to delight decades worth of future audiences.

There's no day but today, and for that, we thank you Jonathan Larson.

Leap Year less than leap-worthy

For me, few things are better than a night at the movies. Most people enjoy going to the movies every once in a while, but it wouldn't be necessarily their first choice of things to do. I do enjoy lots of different activities, but a couple of hours in a dark theater with a huge bag of heavily-buttered popcorn pretty much hits the Top 5 on my list of happy places. There's something about the smell of the concessions, mixed with the previews and movie montages that make me feel like part of something special for a short couple of hours.

I've been fascinated with movies basically since birth. And to me, there's nothing like a movie on opening night. I'm the type of person that has no problem going to a movie in the middle of the afternoon by myself, but going to a movie on opening night is like attending a major event. The place is packed, everyone's excited to be one of the first ones to be seeing whatever next big thing is being released; there's an energy in the room that makes fighting the crowds and (if it's a Midnight showing) staying up all night, totally worth it.

So, last night the Sara(h)s and I went to a movie at Point Cinema. We decided to check out Leap Year, starring Amy Adams and the adorable Matthew Goode. Amy Adams seems to be everywhere lately; between her role as Julie Powell in Julie & Julia and playing Amelia Earhart in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. In Leap Year she portrays Anna Brady, a tightly-wound control freak who stages apartments for a living. She thinks she's about to get a proposal from her boyfriend, Jeremy, played by Adam Scott, but when he presents her with a jewelry box at dinner what does she find? None other than a pair of shiny diamond earrings. Obviously not what she was hoping for.

So, her Cardiologist boyfriend is off to Dublin, Ireland on business and she decides to follow him to Dublin to propose on Leap Day, February 29th. Apparently, it's one of many old Irish traditions that it's acceptable for a woman to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day. So, off to Dublin she goes.

And of course, one thing after another gets in her way and she's forced to hire Declan, played by Matthew Goode, to drive her to Dublin. And of course, one thing after another gets in their way and they start to fall for each other.

Now, I won't give away the ending, but I will say the movie reminded me a lot of Forces of Nature, which starred Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. Only this time the lead character is a female and she's trying to get to her proposal instead of her wedding. In other words, it's pretty predictable and it's been done before. And, the chemistry between Amy Adams and Matthew Goode isn't convincing enough-it was difficult to feel any sort of attachment to their characters.

But, Amy Adams is charming as always and provides several good comedic moments. Matthew Goode is, like I said, adorable and makes Jeremy, the soon-to-be-fiance, look like a troll in comparison. And who doesn't love a man with an accent? So, if you're looking for a chick flick, I'd say see this, but hit it up once it's on video.

Make sure to catch my next few posts where I'll review Middleton nightlife and The Broadway tour of Rent starring Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp reprising their roles as the original Roger & Mark!

Hello Blogosphere!

Hello Blogosphere! Being that this is my first blog post ever, I'll introduce myself. I'm a 27-year-old travel and tourism writer residing in Madison, Wisconsin. When I'm not writing this blog, I'm a Madison Tourism Examiner for Examiner.com. When I'm not writing, I'm out traveling, downhill skiing and checking out attractions to write about! I'm into traveling, live music, concerts, theater, movies, books, celebs, TV; anything and everything entertainment-based.

Madison is a city surrounded by water. Lake. City. Lake. It's a diverse city with lots to offer in terms of arts & entertainment. Nighlife is hot & plentiful whether you're checking out a movie, a bar on University Ave., a live band at the Orpheum, or a broadway performance at the Overture. Maybe shopping is more your thing? Check out East Towne, West Towne Mall and the famously stylish State Street downtown. That's where you'll find me this weekend-downtown Friday night checking out the bar scene and at the Overture Saturday night checking out Rent (for the second time). I'll be sure to write reviews for both. :)

In the meantime, check out my article below that I wrote for my first Examiner.com post. It's about one of the premier travel agencies in the area, Burkhalter Travel.

"Burkhalter Travel thrives in tourism industry"

Businesses across Madison continue to look for ways to stand out among their competitors in the local market. One particular business, Burkhalter Travel, has found many ways to get an edge above the rest in the Madison tourism industry.


For over 51 years, Burkhalter Travel has been servicing the Madison community with a plethora of travel and tourism services. Burkhalter is a full-service travel agency offering expertise in cruises, tours, group, wedding, business and leisure travel.

To continue to thrive in the current economy, Burkhalter has positioned themselves as experts in a unique niche: wedding travel. Recently, the agency participated in two bridal shows in Madison and Wisconsin Dells where they made connections with hundreds of brides, family members and other vendors. The expert Vacation Travel Consultants at Burkhalter can plan the perfect destination wedding or honeymoon and take the stress of planning away from the bride and groom-to-be. Many of the staff members at Burkhalter specialize in specific destinations, so they can offer advice on everything from where to stay on your wedding night to the most newlywed friendly all-inclusive honeymoon destinations.

Concentrating on wedding travel isn’t the only thing Burkhalter has done to stay successful. The agency advertises more than any other travel agency in the area. However, advertising is not the key to gaining and keeping clients. Scott Mast of Burkhalter Travel says great service is what really counts. “We try to stay very pro-active,” says Mast. “Despite the economy, there is still business out there, and our great staff and great service is what has kept us successful over the years.”

To offer the best service to their clients, Burkhalter offers three convenient locations in Madison as well as offices in Oregon, Fitchburg, Baraboo, Stoughton and Brookfield. Recently, Burkhalter has expanded into Iowa, proving that despite the odds, Burkhalter Travel will continue to be successful in south central Wisconsin and beyond. Go to the Burkhalter Travel Web site, stop in at any of their nine convenient locations, or e-mail vacation@burkhaltertravel.com to book your trip today.