This was supposed to be a Book Report

I asked my pal Neva [ who is practically famous and if you don't believe me check out the 12, yes 12 pages in the current issue of Art Doll Quarterly ] on a girl date to see the movie Julie and Julia because it had chick-flick written all over it. Very fun, I give it A FOUR STAR (OUT OF FIVE) rating. And psychologically I am almost over the fact that someone wanted to make Julie Powell's blog into a book and then someone else like Nora Ephron wanted to make it into a movie. [Photo of the real Julie swiped from MSNBC]

Texas-born Julie Powell had a solid, swell idea. To make every single recipe in the Joy of Cooking and blog about it. I like these ideas where people make commitments like "one piece of art a day for a year" or "one art doll a month" no matter what and stick to it. It gives a girl structure and a deadline. I suspect these are the same people who make New Year's resolutions. I can never settle on a resolution that feels right for me. Just as I had difficulty naming my kids and figuring out a quote for my yearbook picture. I choke when I have to commit.

That said, I never really liked Julia Child. Frankly, I thought she was dowdy and dull, but I like Meryl Strep's Julia and I like Julia's husband and their supportive but not sickening marriage. Julia is endearing and mischievous. Heck, I might even buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking and make a holladaise sauce.


Don't want to spoil your own movie nirvana, but let me just say I was happy to see my professional idol Chloe O'Brian (from the show 24) aka Mary Lynn Rajskub cast as the best friend. Julie: "So am I a bitch?" Chloe: "Well, ye-ah. I mean, we all are."


SIDEBAR: I was a Graham Kerr/Galloping Gourmet fan. And in fact, my third grade teacher sent him a story I had written wherein I was a green pea on his show (when Graham Kerr ate a pea, it was like that Meg Ryan "I'll have what she's having" scene in Sleepless in Seattle - peas were that good. So it was in my story where some single pea was buttered and blissfully digested (uh huh). I remember receiving a personal response, which encouraged me to "slosh around in the kitchen" as soon as my mother would let me. God bless people who answer kids' letters. Turns out Graham Kerr is still cooking, but not "sloshing" the wine around anymore. He and his wife found Jesus and lost the wine, butter and cream. Amen.

A la carte - So offspring3 wakes up practically trembling from a nightmare. I'm all "it's over now, let's just flush that dream right down the toilet, mommy's here" but she insists on recounting the terrifying details.

Offspring3: "You were PREGNANT. It was DISGUSTING. And people KNEW you were pregnant."

Me: Yeah, that scares me too.

OS3: I never want another sibling, you KNOW that right? I NEVER want another little PERSON in the family [shudders violently].

Me: Well, um, yeah, well...

OS3: And I'm really mad about it, okay?

Me: [For a half a nanosecond I wish I was pregnant with twins.] I can see that.

OS3: Thank God you are soooo menopausal. And dad is fixed, right? TELL ME you got him fixed.