Forever A Cheerleader for You, Conan

I'll admit it: I donned the bloomers again a few times on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." I just wanted to hold those pom-poms again. It was fun running around in the skirt. But I didn't get the chance to do my cheer. So here it is:

Stop your pissin' and moanin'
And pump it up for Conan
Pump it up for Coney
You know he ain't no phony
Pump it up
Pump It Up
PUMP IT UP!

Imagining Vanessa

I rarely have celebrity sightings. I'm too busy watching out for potholes and the like. The Detective has a more keen eye; he's seen Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti and Gabriel Byrne in the nabe. (Okay, maybe I've seen Gabriel, too...) But on a couple of occasions, I have walked behind a woman who is similar in stature to Vanessa Redgrave, one of my favorite actresses. One time, she was even walking with someone similar to Jolie Richardson. I don't really think it was them, even though we do live relatively close to BAM, where V has done at least one show in the past. But I like to pretend it was/is. Like, what if every morning, I walked in the footsteps of Vanessa Redgrave? Would it bring me luck? "Just a little bit of good fortune," as Amanda Wingfield says? You know what? It's not such a bad delusion. Gotta keep the imagination sharp. For the, er, stage!

August 22, 2007

A grasshopper spotted on the concrete jungle of New York City.

And what did you think of the Summer this time
With your blueberry beer and your cranberry wine
Fighting off mosquitoes, fighting off bees
Fighting off obligations, to do as you please

At least there is Rufus toward the Summer's end
He even said you could be his MySpace friend
He isn't straight, but he sings so sweet
You will sway to the music, dance to his beat

You will close your eyes and remember the days
When camping meant campfires and picking bouquets
You didn't swelter, you didn't stand in line
For a pool that requires wristbands and far too much time

You got your Harry in two satisfying ways
You worked on your theater, you put up your plays
It may have been work, it might not have been heaven
But that was the way during Summer o-seven