friday five and beastly boys.

This morning, I'm eating peanut butter M&M's for breakfast and watching Today. I have a thing for the Today show. I like the pacing. I like the stories. I think their movie critic (Gene - he has a big mustache and puffy hair) is adorable. I don't watch it very often now, but I remain a fan. Matt, Meredith, and Al make me happy. They're all smart, funny, and articulate and in a far better mood than I will ever be at 8 AM. Here are five other thoughts jumbling around in my mind on this gorgeous morning:

1. I read a great book this week called Beastly, a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. After I finished it, I felt like I'd walked out of a really smart, funny, chick flick. The book is designed to be fun, a page turner, a modern fairy-tale. And yet! There actually is a really sweet message tangled in the book (not preachy, just timely and appropriate). Not only does Beastly have a good message, but the story surprised me. When I started reading it, I thought there was no way the author could redeem such a loser of a character. Kyle is a jerk, not just an arrogant don't-care-who-you-are jerk but a really mean, vile (good looking) jerk. The story is told from his perspective. I couldn't believe I was rooting for him in the end. I also like how classic stories play into the book. Kyle finds a connection to the Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo, Rochester, all the beastly boys of classic lit :) I like how smart and funny (and uniquely pretty) the girl in the story is too. Beastly was lovely. If you like the story of Beauty and the Beast (which I do ...), you must check this one out. My only problem is this: the girl in the story has red hair (yay!) and freckles (yay!). The girl playing her in the movie, which comes out next year, does not have red hair or freckles. She looks more like a model than Lindy, the girl in the book, is supposed to look. Lindy is pretty in a different way; that's an important part of the story. Boo, Hollywood. 

2. Have you seen the Adam Lambert interview just after he finished the last show? It was fabulous. Reporters kept digging for some nugget of info suggesting he and Kris A. were big competitors. They weren't. They were genuinely happy for each other. They both seem like very kind guys. Adam was psyched when Kris won and it's obvious Kris loves to hear Adam sing. Adam said something about how, even though they were different, and came from different backgrounds, they were great friends and found a connection through music. I love that. I wish more people could focus on what they have in common instead of getting irate over their differences. I'm glad Kris won, btw. He seems like a sweetie too and I hope he gets to enjoy it. I thought it was sad when he immediately said, "Adam should have won." Not true, Kris. You did a great job. Enjoy making your album, and staring at your fancy trophy (?), and eating your free cheese dip for life (!). (For life!) Adam might have a slight edge in the winner category since he didn't have to sing that awful song they came up with for the winner though. Also loved: Queen. (How much do you think Queen would love it if Adam L. decided to tour with them?) I went to London for a month during college to take a Shakespeare class. While there, I heard Brian May play "God Save the Queen" from the top of Buckingham Palace: 

Note I said, "heard". I was there but I was with the rest of the peasants in the park adjacent to the palace :) BMay wasn't on the part of the roof I could see. Everything I saw, I saw on the special jumbo screen. They claim it was happening just over the lawn but they could be making it up for all I know. That concert ended with Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton singing "Hey Jude". There were millions of people there and we were all singing it together. There were fireworks and lights and Union Jacks waving in the air. It way too much awesomeness for one night. I remember thinking - if a cute British guy kissed me right now, this would be like an awesome end to a movie. And just as I thought it this guy staggered toward me, spilled his drink, and passed out. Close enough, right? 

3. Went to a furniture store this week. I was looking at bedroom furniture when a sales associate came up to me and said. 

"Do you have a gun?"

I panic. "Excuse me?"

"Do you own a gun?"

"No."

"Oh," she points to the nightstand, "that has a hidden drawer for a gun." 

Ironically, at a different furniture store I was in last week, there is a large sign taped to the window that says, "no firearms allowed". Just observations. 

4. Fall Out Boy is singing on the Today Show. I think the lead singer might be wearing my glasses ... 

5. I'll post my Cade's Cove pictures next week. There were several bloggy aspects of that adventure. For now, I wanted to mention how unbelievably gorgeous it was. Always is. I love mountains so much. They sky was a pretty silver color and fog was lifting out of the mountains. Here's a teaser: 

What's new with you this week?