Gary performed in a 50’s themed murder mystery dinner/show at the Omni Park Hotel in Dallas on New Year’s Eve, so we went to watch him and enjoy the entertainment. It was a blast!
Ready for the show to begin!
Our fellow “crime solvers”
Gary, the star of the show. He was the private detective trying to solve “whodunit”
Hula hoop contest. During the show, they had lots of entertainment and 50’s-style dancing (bunny hop, the twist, etc) between the acts and the four-course meal.
The cast of the play. It was a fun show and challenging mystery. After they revealed who the murderer was, we got ready to ring in the new year with a balloon drop, noisemakers, and confetti. It was lots of fun!
How many times have you heard the phrase, “sex sells?” People often state that sex can help companies sell more of their products. It doesn’t matter what the product is. It can be anything — ranging from clothing to food to movies. It’s a commonly known fact, but is it true?
Results from recent research seem to debunk this “fact,” making it possibly one of the most widely-believed myths. At least for movies, that is. According to a study conducted recently by “Sex Doesn’t Sell — nor Impress! Content, Box Office, Critics, and Awards in Mainstream Cinema,” nudity and explicit sex scenes don’t translate to major success for films. Researchers examined more than 900 movies released between 2001 and 2005, and the results were more than surprising. Sex failed to positively affect a film’s popularity among viewers and critics. Furthermore, it didn’t guarantee box office success.
The results held true both for domestic and international films. Even in R movies, the research showed that less sex and nudity fared better. None of the top-grossing films during the four-year study contained graphic sex. Rather, most included only minor scenes of sexual situations and/or nudity.
I’m not a fan of selling “sex,” so these findings are refreshing to me. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to watch graphic sexual scenes or nudity. It’s simply not necessary in order to make a good movie. Family-friendly films are much more appealing. Apparently, others agree, and the box office numbers prove it.
Party goers will get a special treat as they ring in the New Year on Thursday night. A somewhat rare New Year’s Eve blue moon will illuminate the night skies.
According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month, and it occurs every 2.5 years on average. However, blue moons appearing on New Year’s Eve are much more rare. The last time we had one on New Year’s Eve was way back in 1990. Since they only occur every 19 years, you won’t see another one on New Year’s Eve until 2028.
The blue moon will be visible, weather permitting, in the US, Canada, Europe, South America, and Africa. According to Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show, “If you’re in Times Square, you’ll see the full moon right above you. It’s going to be that brilliant.” Here in Dallas, the moon should be visible in the eastern sky near the constellation Gemini as we say goodbye to 2009 and ring in the New Year.
With only a few days left in 2009, it’s time to say goodbye to another year. My 2009 had some great highlights — trips to Nice, Monte Carlo, Cannes, Belaggio, and Milan; drama productions like The Prison, Hartburn Hotel, and SNL; celebrating 15 years of marriage; a new car; a new church building; and my first group ride, Tour Dallas. It also offered some lows coupled with lots of work and stress! Although I enjoyed many aspects of 2009, I’m not sorry to see it go. I’m looking forward to a new year with a fresh new start. Here’s to 2010!
But, before we wrap up this year, it’s time to take a quick look back at the most interesting and scandalous events from the last 365 days. No one does it better than JibJab. They squish together the highlights and low lights into a hilarious two-minute video for your entertainment. Check it out.
2009 offered us a rare treat for Christmas…SNOW! The last time Dallas saw snow on Christmas was back in the ’20s! The flurries started yesterday afternoon, but since temps from the previous day were above 70, we didn’t expect any accumulation. However, the temperature kept falling, along with the snow, and by early evening, it began to stick on the rooftops and grass. It appeared that everyone’s wishes for a white Christmas might just come true.
Around 5 pm, we went to Forney to celebrate Christmas Eve with my husband’s family. The snow was still falling, but the roads were in good condition so we weren’t too worried about it. We ate dinner, read the Christmas story, exchanged presents, and had fun watching my nephew play with his new toys.
When we left their house is when things got really interesting. The roads seemed normal until we got on the highway and headed North. The overpasses were icy and very dangerous. The first icy one we traversed had a few wrecked cars on both sides of the highway. Cars were slipping around them as we slowly passed. Things just got worse as we continued. Finally, we decided to test our luck on the back streets to avoid the icy bridges and overpasses, especially the “high five” intersection. It was a slow and painstaking trip back home. What is normally a 45 minute drive turned into 2 hours — oh, the joys of a white Christmas (haha)!
The snow stuck around for Christmas day also. While the sun came out and melted most of it, some still remains tonight in the areas that were shaded from the sun — a white Christmas, indeed!
Today was the big Christmas celebration at my house. Gary and I got up early to exchange presents, then the entire family (my family and Gary’s) converged at my house for lunch and the big gift exchange. It’s always a fun experience, especially with the kids. We spent the afternoon playing with the new presents and enjoying the company.
Gary and I wrapped up the day with a little Sherlock Holmes at Studio Movie Grill. We learned our lesson last year when we tried to find a restaurant open for dinner. Apparently, there are few places open on Christmas night, so this evening we decided to have dinner with our movie. SMG rocks!
All in all, it was a fantastic Christmas experience. I hope you and your family had a great holiday also.
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