Pop a la Mode

I love Anderson Cooper. He’s the only reason I watch cable news. I love the gray hair and the blue eyes - plus he’s a reporter! Out there digging for the truth and showing compassion to those in need. Sigh, he’s so dreamy.

So I was ecstatic when this week’s Entertainment Weekly did an article on my pseudo-boyfriend. We are so compatible - he watched American Idol! He likes brainless MTV shows like “My Super Sweet 16″ and “Tiara Girls”! He reads as much as I do!

Not that I’m obsessed or anything.

I read six newspapers at my desk every day: The Birmingham News, Danville Register &  Bee, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The New York Times. And I have found nothing that has moved me as much as this.

It’s a special section of the AJC that is detailing in 22 chapters the plight of two major hospitals in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina - Charity and Tulane. Every day as a new chapter is posted I have been amazed at the humanity and selflessness that the staff at these hospitals displayed during the height of uncertainity. I can’t even begin to imagine the hell they went through waiting to be rescued. One nurse even kept her patient alive by manually squeezing an air bag into his lungs for two days.

I won’t lie to you - it’s hard to read. I’ve cried many times. I’ve been mad at the local, state and national government for not providing more aid. I’ve visualized the desperation and desolation that those patients felt. It’s sickening but it’s necessary to read. If only to keep it from happening again.

After Mad told me about this book, I absolutely had to pick it up: You’re Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation.

I want to preface this by the fact that my mom and I pretty much say what we think, in all situations. Passive-aggressive is not in our nature. Sure we have our moments but across the board if I’m upset with her, I’ll tell her. And vice versa.

But this book really opened my eyes to how we relate to each other in different ways. Like my mom is the only person in the world I can call and tell her about the new nail polish I bought today. She’s also the only person that I can sit on the phone with and not say a word - but knowing she’s on the other end just makes me feel better. This is from the book:

“It’s important for daughters to remember the true, irreplaceable value of having someone in your life who is interested in every detail, no matter how small. A mother cares about everything. You can just tell her what you ate for lunch and who you met. It’s the feeling that someone is looking at you with the same level of attention that you look at yourself. That has built into it the risk because one woman says, you know, my mother is losing her eyesight but she can still spot a pimple across the room.”

Can I hear an amen?

Love you Mom.

A conversation between myself and my granddad on Sunday night.

Papa: So how was church today?

Me: It was really good.

Papa: Do you have your eye on anybody there yet?

Me: What?

Papa: You heard me. Have you picked out somebody?

Me: Papa, that is not why I go to church and I really don’t know why you keep asking.

Papa: Because I’m concernced that’s why.

Me: Of all the things in this world to concern yourself with, THAT is definitely not one of them.

Papa: You are my oldest granddaughter. I will always be concerned.

Sigh.

So remember when I suffered through the series finale of 7th Heaven? Well it was all in vain. For some reason the new CW network (a merging of the WB and UPN) has decided to resurrect it for one more season. The worst show on TV EVER will not die.

And the worst part? They’ve cancelled Everwood. I will never understand network executives.

I don’t watch as much TLC as I did in the past. I was very much in to Trading Spaces, While You Were Out and What Not to Wear for a while. But then every thing they remade started looking exactly the same so I had to take a break. Really Stacey and Clinton, I get it. Fitted jackets, kitten heels and bright colors make anybody look better than black.

But I aboslutely love their new advertising campaign featuring “life lessons” - these little figurines that look like Precious Moments. My favorite is the Crazy Cat Lady. A close runner-up is this kid.