Happy Snow Day!

Love, Sarah, Bryant, and Ida

(Last Week's) SNL Sketch of the Week

Host: John Malkovitch
Musical Guest: TI

SOTW: (always an honor to have the weekend update guest take the award)

My New York B-Day

For my birthday, Bryant surprised me with a slew of activities. My birthday eve began with dinner at PJ's Clark's... yummy crabcake and onion strings!... and a trip to the Metropolitan Opera House to see the new production of Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust. The performance has gained international praise due to the staging and visual effects (they hired the Cirque du Soleil guy to do some pretty amazing things).

We spent the night at New York's famous Hudson Hotel. My room service breakfast was the "Hudson Eggs": scrambled eggs, mushrooms, Gruyere cheese and truffle oil with a side of home fries. And, of course, a DDP. For my actual birthday I had a massage at "New You Again"'s brand new location: 81st and Broadway. This is the best one hour $48 massage in the world! Dinner was at "Public" in Nolita. Amazing atmosphere, great food. It seems that the city of New York blew of some serious birthday balloons for me! Bryant and I toured 81st street to see this year's thanksgiving parade stars!!!

Please enjoy this local news coverage of the parade balloons!

I also must add that Horton- from "Horton Hears a Who"- premieres tomorrow at the parade. It is his his very first parade ever! AND, since he was blown up officially for the first time today, my birthday, November and 26... we share the same birthday. So, happy birthday Horton, I hope your first 29 years are as blessed as mine have been!

And what birthday would be complete without cupcakes?! Thank you SO MUCH Sarah and David!

SNL Sketch of the Week

Host: Tim McGraw
Musical Guest: Ludacris and T-Pain

SOTW:

SNL's newest stars

The SNL cast has been "slim and trim" for a couple of seasons now, but with Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler both saying their good-byes... SNL had to make a few new hires. I wanted us all to be well acquainted before this week's show...

Michaela Watkins (right):

Michaela was a main company member of The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Before moving to Los Angeles, Michaela pursued a life in regional theater.She received her BFA from Boston University School For the Arts. Her father is a math professor at Syracuse University, and her mother teaches Latin in the Boston area.

Abby Elliott (left):

(rumored to be 21 years old)

The daughter of actor Chris Elliott (SNL vet) and grand-daughter of comedy great Bob Elliott (of Bob & Ray) fame, Abby joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in November 2008.

Casey Wilson: (Wilson joined the cast towards the end of the season last year... after the writers strike)

Casey Wilson is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Stella Adler Studio of Acting. She co-wrote and co-performed (along with her best gal pal June Raphael) the two woman sketch comedy extravaganza Rode Hard and Put Away Wet at the UCBT in NYC and LA. Rode Hard ran for eleven months and was an official selection of HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and was listed as a Critic's Pick in TimeOut NY. June and Casey are winners of the ECNY award for "Best Comedic Duo." The duo have most recently written the screenplay, Bride Wars starring and exec. produced by Kate Hudson for New Regency. As an actress, Casey recently filmed the pilot Revenge for FOX as well the sketch comedy pilot The Right Now! Show by Comedy Death Ray creators Scott Aukerman and B.J. Porter. She can be seen in the upcoming The Great Buck Howard with John Malcovich and can be seen in Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration and Bob Odenkirk's The Brothers Solomon. She is a proud member of the UCBTLA Harold Team, "Hey, Uncle Gary." Casey Rose originally hails from Alexandria, Virginia and is a featured player on Saturday Night Live.

SNL Sketch of the Week

Host: Paul Rudd
Musical Guest: Beyonce
Cameo: Justin Timberlake

SOTW:


I also must add that Beyonce was awesome! I have to include her second musical performance of "Single Ladies"... this is usually where I would put a joke--- praising myself as an amazing dancer and that I could probably take Beyonce in a dance-off... but seriously, I've got nothin'.
Click this link to see Beyonce tear it up: Beyonce on SNL, single ladies

Lastly, I stand by Justin Timberlake as an SNL natural. And since he graced us with his presence last night, I owe him his own "alternative SOTW":

Tonic

During the busy holiday season in NYC, Del Frisco's is hoppin'. With the lunch shifts being longer and dinner shifts starting earlier, our break in between is not very long. When we, the servers, find ourselves on a double shift with only a short break, we make our way to Tonic. Tonic is a bar and grill on 7th Ave in between 48th and 49th. During this time of year, the servers of Del Frisco's take over the Tonic bar from 4-5pm every week day! It looks like the season is upon us!

NY Post

I would like to thank the New York Post for it's always unparalleled reporting on the latest breaking news!

Take that Dyson

Jamaes Dyson has nothing on the NYC MTA!

Spectacular!

Yesterday marked the opening of The Christmas Spectacular! And that means the NYC holiday season is upon us. I do enjoy the view from Del Frisco's at Christmas time.

Sarah for VP!

I am so so so happy this election is over. I reached my limit on political discussions. One perk... I got to take a break from the "Sara Lee Bakery" jokes at work... all of my tables just called me Sarah Palin. I started saying "My name is Sarah Lee, I will be taking care of you this evening"... just to avoid the Palin jab. That intro also backfired as the response turned into, "Sarah Lee? Well at least you are not Sarah Palin!"--- chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.

Well, who's laughing now? I have got the best "Sarah" gear ever! Here are a few of my favorites... some of which you might see me wearing very soon!

Happy Birthday...

...Angela!

Marshall gets Hitched

Our friend Marshall White got married this weekend on Lake Toxaway in North Carolina. He married the wonderful Amy Hooper. The ceremony was surrounded by mountains and bright colored fall trees, and the reception was the party of the year!

"Like a dream come true. A fairy tale. Magical. " - Brenda White

Bob and Brenda post ceremony... enjoying their apple cider! The reception was held at Amy's family's lakehouse on Lake Toxaway. The lake, the mountains, and the trees were just breathtaking. The Happy Couple: More Happy Couples:

The BrownsThe HigginbottomsThe PaulsThe BainsThe Averitts

Tyler with my date of the evening:Bob White with some serious hotties:Thank you XSHOT 2.0 (aka the camera wand):

Friends all around: Would a wedding be complete without Kathy P gathering rose petals after the send off?: These videos really speak for themselves. They were captured after Mr. and Mrs. Marshall White said their fairwells! I must again give most of the credit to the camera wand (XSHOT 2.0)... and the amazing white boy dance skills you will see below.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Marshall White!!!

SNL Sketch of the Week

Host: Ben Affleck
Musical Guest: David Cook

SOTW:

Happy Halloween!

XShot

Mama Jan and Amy recently sent me one of the coolest new camera contraptions ever. The XShot 2.0, hand held camera extender ("You deserve to be in the picture too"):This is extra good news for those of us who suffer from "double-chin in pictures you took yourself syndrome."

While you risk looking like an absolute dork, it really does capture the pictures and videos that were once impossible... can we say aerial views! So please be ready for a whole new window into the lee family adventures!

Amy just informed me that my girl cousin Leigh also has this amazing devise. Please visit http://leighleighland.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-new-toy.html to see how it has changed her life as a fellow picture taker extraordinaire!

SKA '98

This past weekend marked the Highland Park High School Class of 1998 10 year reunion. The events were plentiful, and there was an amazing turnout. We estimate that half of the class came to at least one of the activities!

Here was the schedule for the weekend!
Friday Night: HP Scot Football Game at Highlander Stadium
Friday Night After Hours: Everyone to the Stoneleigh P
Saturday morning: The new and improved HPHS was open for tours/walk-thrus.
Saturday evening: The main event at Green Elephant with Uncle Julio's catering

HP 98'ers traveled from all over: Spain, LA, San Diego, NYC (woo-woo), DC, NOLA, etc. It was really great to catch up with everyone! Now, only 10 more years until our 20th!

Friday Night: Setting Up:

The Main Event:

Oh yes, we had bagpipe playing... thanks to the one and only Bob Rost (formerly known as Bobby)!