"Let's Hug It Out, Bitch"

OK, so let me first explain that I'm one of those people who always started diaries on January 1st, and I have reams of diaries with no entries beyond February 10th. So it should probably come as no surprise that I excitedly set up a blog about a month ago, made two entries, and then abandoned it. But it's been a busy month. I handed in the almost-to-last part of my Finding Lost manuscript on June 30th, and it was edited. In July I had to read a Dickens book, as I've mentioned, and finish the final chapter in the book, which was creating a map and a travel guide to the filming locations for the show in Oahu, Hawaii. These last two chapters sort of hung over my head as the two things I needed to do, and the moment they were FINALLY done, everything ended up right back in my lap at the proofreading stage, and I had two days to go over it. I had to choose the photos, place them in the book, and write captions, and as of August 2nd, the beast finally went to the printer, and I've finally been able to breathe again.

Of course, around that same date, we moved my daughter from a crib to a toddler bed, and a whole other can of worms has been opened. Needless to say, my evenings are still pretty busy.

But I am pleased to report that once Lost was off my plate, my husband and I finally began watching Entourage, one of those shows I've been dying to watch for ages. We bombed through all of season one in about two nights (it's only 8 episodes long), then watched season two over the following week, and this past weekend finished off season two and watched all of season three so far. It's brilliant. Crazy brilliant. I can't recommend this show enough.

But confession time: I'd actually seen the pilot months ago, and thought it was an awful show. I couldn't figure out why anyone would want to watch a show about a dullard of an actor who has an evil agent and three hangers-on who are a bunch of sexist pigs. I've always thought Elvis's "Memphis Mafia" was a disgusting display of a bunch of people using someone for their money, and a pathetic guy who gave them the money because he wanted his "friends" close by. But the pilot of Entourage is typical of most HBO shows. I remember watching Six Feet Under's pilot and thinking, "Eh." It took me about 3 months to get around to watching episode 2. The Sopranos similarly left me a little cold, though I still went right into the second episode. Deadwood didn't do it for me, either. In all of these shows, HBO packs so much backstory into the pilot that the show becomes a massive history lesson, and it's only on the second and third episodes that it eases up a bit, and you start to get to know the characters. Then Sal just has to has to sneer, or David just has to give that look to Nate, or Ari looks like he's going to strangle his cellphone, and I'm laughing.

So watch Entourage if you're not already. It's a fabulous show, and very funny. And make sure you watch it with someone else, because like most comedies, it's funnier to watch it with friends. Any reference to Johnny Drama's resumé, or Ari's comments to Lloyd (and Lloyd's comebacks) are worth the entire show.

P.S. I tried six times to post a photo with this blog, but I'm apparently technologically illiterate, so it won't be happ'nin. Here's hoping I can figure out what I'm doing wrong...