Sunday, March 07, 2010

Day Seven: National Holiday





I'm getting this one written right under the wire! I've got less than 15 minutes. I guess this is what is known as X-treme Blogging.

Tonight was the Oscars, and oh, how I love the Oscars. That's probably a bit strange right there, since I mean, really. They're slow and predictable and the winners thank what seem like the same people over and over.

But I'm reverent about it. I don't want people around who don't take it seriously. So in recent years, we've pared the guest list down to a few people who are willing to come early, stay late and see all the movies in advance.

A few things have become classic in the last couple of years. BBQ, fancy cocktails, and getting sloshed with sauce on your face. David and I make solid chocolate Oscars with a mold we bought on the internet a while back, and I enjoy covering them with edible gold. They make nice parting gifts. We have ballots, and give a prize to whoever gets the most categories correct. And we play a game where everyone draws the names of the nominated actors out of a bowl, and if "your" actor wins, you have to make their speech before they do (the joys of Tivo, and thanks, Joan, for that fab idea!)

This year, a couple things were new. I made a quiz called the "Kind-of-Hard Oscar Quiz," and indeed it was hard--too hard, except for smug little me, and I wasn't eligible for the prize. The cutest new thing was a theme cocktail, the Blue Avatar, which you can see pictured above. A yummy combo of citrus vodka, white cranberry juice, blue curacao and fresh lime, shaken over ice. Also, for the first time, we (well, I had a lot of help--I felt like I hardly did anything but shop and chop a few things) we cooked everything we ate, though we stayed with the BBQ theme.

So, what else was strange? Here are a few things:

1. At least two presenters seemed to be wearing dresses made of Bubble Wrap.

2. Hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin might as well have stayed in their Snuggies all evening--we hardly saw them.

3. Best Director Kathryn Bigelow is the FIRST EVER woman to win Best Director. (Three others have been nominated--Jane Campion, Lina Wertmuller, and Sofia Coppola.)

4. The big race seemed to come down to two contenders--Avatar and The Hurt Locker, and those were the ONLY two that I didn't see.

Oh well. Strange or not, I love it all. I'm already making plans for next year. G'night!

8 comments:

LunaMoonbeam said...

What a fun party!!!! We're not big into the awards show...but we watched the first bit, and I did enjoy Steve and Alec's opening!!

The Wades said...

Sounds like so much fun! What a great idea. My friends my be a little too rednecky to pull one off myself.

Picture of the blue cocktail is so pretty. Who's the photographer in your house? Is Jarrah a lefty?

And last, you didn't see Avatar?!

That is strange. ;)

Samantha said...

@Michelle: Wait, rednecks don't enjoy the Oscars? :)

David's the photographer. Good, isn't he?

And yes, Jarrah's a lefty. Always has been, very definitively. Always cracks me up when my dad says "Good for professional sports." Just seems hysterical coming from the nerdy Jewish doctor. ;)

No, I just can't get that excited about 3-D, blue people, long movies or people hurting each other. Which makes it hard to be married to David, because he LOVES those things. ;)

Jen said...

One of the things I miss most about San Diego is your Oscars parties! Oh, I WIIIIISH I could have been there. (Even though I didn't have time to see more than one movie last year!)

I'm glad it was fun.

Anonymous said...

Did you see Disney's Pocahantas? If so, Avatar is that set in space with blue natives and a parapalegic John Smith. :)

Samantha said...

Aw, Miss J, that is so sweet! We miss you (so much!) too!

C, I have heard tell of this Pocahontas connection. Also, "Dances With Blue People," right?

Anonymous said...

Which is not to say I didn't like it. I did. I just read that comparison afterward, and it was a "duh" moment.

DrSpouse said...

I loved seeing the Oscars live last year. For me, another good reason to move back to the West Coast.

(yes, I am catching up on blogs while I'm supposed to be doing something else, why do you ask?)