Super Bowl Update

So what's going on right now that makes Owen thankful? A quick run down:

1) The love and support of family & friends. Natch. Without their love, support and encouragement there would have been no artistic successes this year. Of that there is absolutely no doubt. Plus life in general would've been a total lonely ass bummer without them. I sing the Golden Girls theme song at the top of my lungs to each and every person who stood by me this past year. Truly, thank you.

2) Jennifer Grey wins Dancing With The Stars. I am in love with Jennifer Grey. She of course starred in three essential 80's movies: Ferris Bueller, Dirty Dancing and my personal fav - Red Dawn!! How could she not hold a special place in my heart? I don't usually watch Dancing With the Stars, I've only seen a handful of episodes across its (staggering to believe) eleven seasons. This fall I tuned in fairly regularly, just for Ms. Grey. ! It's weird to think of her as being a 50 year old mom, having a new nose, and having the rest of her body being so close to breaking down on her throughout the season. She was, as the judges deemed her ,"The Chosen One" this season. Grey needed to hang around despite the injuries in order to beat Tea Party favorite Bristol Palin. Jennifer was the Buffy to Bristol's Angelus. If we, as a society, went into the Holiday Season with Gretchen winning Project Runway and Bristol winning DWTS, we might as well have packed up all the tinsel and garland and given up hope for a Merry Christmas until 2011. Instead, we can celebrate that, for the second time on our lifetimes, Baby was not put in a corner. A star who can actually dance has possession of that mirrorball trophy.

3) The Knicks being a .500 team. Only a few more games in the win column and I can start watching them again. I can only watch the Knicks when they are winning because I get very... intense about it. Like, Rafa levels of intense. I KNOW. It's really THAT bad. Because they have sucked so bad since before I even graduated college, I have not been able to watch the Knicks in roughly 10 years. I have high(er) hopes for them in 2011.

4) Tom Brady's hair. It's long and it's crazy. It sticks out under his helmet in a weird way. And yet I kinda want to grow mine to look like his. I've decided I'm not going to cut my hair until The Timing of a day reopens in the end of March. That gives me 4 more months to see how long it can get. I haven't cut it since late August, and frankly I still have a long way to go for Brady-length locks. But his hair will continue to show me the way. (I'm also thankful the Pats are 9-2 so far this season. Go Pats!)

5) Winter Wipeout. ABC announced that Wipeout would be coming back in January for 8 episodes. Hoo.Ray. I need some people falling off bizarro wintery obstacles to cleanse my mental palette once a week. I'm really looking forward to this.

6) Muppet Christmas Songs. Now that Thanksgiving is here, I can listen to Christmas music as often as I want and feel like it's actually season appropriate. I particularly enjoy the Muppet Christmas songs: The John Denver album, Muppet Christmas Carol, A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Special. There's so much goodness there. If you're in a particularly sad mood "When Love Is Gone" will push you over the edge to a full on fetal position bawlfest. Sometimes you need those during the holiday season. At least I do.

7) The longevity of The Social Network in theaters. I really wanted to see The Social Network, but for whatever reason I didn't go see it when it came out, like, several months ago. But it's still playing in New York! So I'm going to see it tomorrow morning.* Seems like one I should check out before Awards Season really kicks in. Also on the viewing schedule for this weekend? The King's Speech! Woohoo!

* - I did see it. I liked it. Dug the screenplay and most of the performances. But to me, it was also highly misogynistic, to the point where it took me out of the story. The only women who are around extremely nerdy men are either total whores or pyschos? Bah. Still a good movie, but it won't be my fave of the year.

8) My play coming back next year! The Timing of a Day did very well this fall. We won the Overall Excellence in Ensemble Award from FringeNYC, were named one of "The 20 Best of Fest" by NYCFringeGuide.com and the show was cited as Outstanding New Play for the 2010 Summer Festival Season by Talkin' Broadway. Really, things couldn't have gone much better! Now I'm happy to announce that The Timing of a Day, will be coming back for a three-week run in the spring of 2011. We'll be at Center Stage, NY (48 W. 21st St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10010). We'll run from Mar. 30-April 17. I'm very excited for it. It makes getting through these cold, dark winter months that much easier knowing the play is coming back. Same cast and design team. Cannot wait to play with everyone again.

9) Cee Lo's F--k You. DUDE. "Bed Intruder Song" was definitely the song of the summer for me, but the song of this fall for me was definitely "F--k You." This song is joyously appropriate at all times of the day. It comes in handy when you're crammed into a rush hour subway car, when you're coming into work in the morning, or even just when you're out grocery shopping. It makes everything better. The Glee version, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and some cleaned up lyrics is also an exuberant little rendition worth a listen.

10) Rafael Nadal. Obviously, we have saved the best for last. So I'm a little obsessed with him. So what?? The dude's the best. And don't I deserve the best? I do. Rafa came back from an injury-plagued 2009 to reclaim his #1 ranking in 2010, winning three majors along the way, including the US Open giving him the career Grand Slam. His attitude and his determination are so inspiring. His skill is awesome. Vamos Rafa!

There are many other things I'm thankful for, but we'll leave it here for now. I have now eaten my way through all my thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast and lunch today and will have to look elsewhere for dinner options. Right now I have to go and try to burn off some of the thousands and thousands of calories I've consumed in the last two days. I guess that means I should presently be most thankful for my gym membership.