Meat Pies

Peggy and I stopped by a bakery a day or two before the big Australian Football League finals when I was in Australia. Sports is a Very Big Deal in Australia and you have to be prepared. Meat pies are The Thing To Eat when you're watching a footy tournament.

Her cable went out that afternoon, so we packed up our meat pies and went to her friends' house. They were going to some other footy party, but let us use the house, the kitchen, (and the cable). We sat there watching the footy tournament, and eating our meat pies.

It was Brisbane against Collingwood. Brisbane was Peggy's team, Collingwood is Sue's team...

(Sue was thrilled when we found this street
when I was giving them a tour of San Francisco!)

Brisbane clobbered Collingwood, 134-84, which tickled Peggy and snide e-mails were sent to Sue in Melbourne to acknowledge that fact.

Well, it's no secret that sports are not real big in my life. I enjoy a game, when I'm with a group of people, but when I'm alone, it would not be my first choice of what to watch on television.

However, my sporting events come around a couple of times a year -- the Oscars and the Emmys. Tonight was the broadcast of the 60th annual Emmys and I decided that the event called for meat pies. I was right in the middle of making meat pies when Walt discovered that Chico, the new dog, had disappeared. We can't find him anywhere. Ashley walked the neighborhood, Walt biked the neighborhood, I made signs. There is still no sign of him.

But in the meantime, I'm bloggin' the Emmys. My comments, written as I watch the Emmys, follow:

The opening bit with the reality show hosts...dumb...dumb...dumb. The bit with Heidi's suit was predictable from the moment she walked out on stage. Not predictable: Bill Shatner joining the group. But basically the whole opening was just stupid.

Supporting Actor in a Comedy - I should start watching Entourage. Jeremy Piven wins every year and I've never seen the show. My preference would have been Neil Patrick Harris. (Interestingly, I didn't care WHO won for Supporting Actress. 2-1/2 Men is the only one of those shows I watch.)

Heidi Klum's dress introducing the Desperate Housewives women...I don't get it. Must be "high fashion." Does nothing for me...but Terri Hatcher looks gorgeous.

Who the heck is Zelco Ivanek? Is Damages going to ease Mad Men out of all the awards it's expected to win?.

LOVED the montage of acceptance speeches...Ricky Gervais and Steve Corell were very funny.

It's very weird that the Emmys for directing usually go to the Oscars telecast...and often to the same director who has directed both.

I knew Diane Wiest would win the Emmy for supporting actress in a drama series because her show was the only one I'd never heard of. Damn...all those great women whose performances I enjoy and none of them won.

Howie Mandel is the Joe Biden of comedy. He doesn't know when to shut up.

Tommy Smothers hasn't lost his edge. Good ol' Tommy. Bless the Academy for letting him speak without trying to stop him.

I don't like Heidi's second dress any better than her first one.

Whose idea was it for Josh Groban to sing all these theme songs? Sounds weird--and who knew that the Andy Griffith theme music had actual words? (I admit I do like his rendition of South Park), OK. The longer this goes on, the more I like it, weird tho it may be. I like the dancers to the M*A*S*H theme...and nice to see Ed McMahon as part of it.

Oh fun...a "sock it to me" prelude to the Laugh-in guys. Gary Owens and Alan Sues haven't aged well and aren't quite as funny as they used to be; the women have worn better and look as good as when Laugh-in was on.

YES! The Daily Show wins. Always my favorite of the nominees. Now I don't mind so much that Colbert won the writing words,. Nice comment by Stewart to the Laugh-in guys.

Heidi's next dress looks like a dressing gown with too many jewels. I thought she was a super model!

Not sure why they don't give the awards for guest stars on the regular program. But I'm thrilled Kathryn Joosten won. I've liked her ever since she was Pres. Bartlett's secretary on West Wing. Speaking of which, so nice to see my favorite president back in the Oval Office again, however briefly. I was surprised that when the Academy president said that Bartlett had his vote, there was zero audience reaction. I'd have clapped. Maybe non-actors aren't supposed to have good ad libs.

Finally! A made-for-TV movie that I've actually seen wins the award. Recount was a fascinating movie. Hope lots of folks saw it.

Colbert is brilliant. Loved his bit on prunes.`See? Stan Freberg knew years ago that prunes could be topical.

Wow--what a moment from M*A*S*H, when the shooting stops and the war ends. I'd forgotten...Sandra Oh is very cute. And a nice tribute for Don Rickles. And Rickles is great, giving the proper degree of "seriousness" to the show.

The Amazing Race wins again. Sixth win and well deserved--I love that show. Can't wait till it comes back on again.

It's nice to see Sally Field with her bones looking so strong.

Well, FINALLY they give Heidi a nice looking blue dress,,,just before Tom Bergeron dropped her on the floor. Not funny. Again, predictable. Kristin Chenowith looks gorgeous. As always.

Rickles seems actually moved to win an award...and not his usual ascerbic self. Kind of nice.

And Walt gives me a hard time for watching so much House--now it's an Emmy winner. Harumph. So there!

OK--here we go. First award for Mad Men. Is this the first of many? Or is it too late in the evening for "many"?

Now I wish I'd watched John Adams. I wish ComCast had it OnDemand.

Nice to see Alec Baldwin win. I guess all is forgiven. Of course Monk is always my pick, but this is a nice one.

I'm also sorry I never followed Damages. Wouldn't you know that as soon as I stopped following it, it turned into a terrific show. Glen Close looks glamorous; Candace Bergen is starting to show her age.

The "Memories" montage is touching as always...nice touch to start and end with Carlin. Nice parentheses. Always a little pang to see the "favorites" like Harvey Korman and Tim Russert.

OK. I've changed my mind about adding more awards to this show. My legs are falling asleep from holding the laptop on them.

Well, what a surprise. Everybody expected John Hamm to take the Emmy for Mad Men. I don't even know who Cranston is. I've never heard of Breaking Bad.

Damn...do i have to hope Sarah Palin makes it into the White House (or Blair House) so Tina Fey has a great role to play for the next four years?

I don't get how Deal or No Deal is a "reality show," but I'm not going to start watching it to find out. I thought it was a game show. Good choice for Reality Show Host winner, though. For me it was between Jeff Probst and Tom Bergeron (Bergeron is the only star we've ever sat in front of at an event, so he has a special place in my heart).

MTM doesn't look so bad for an old broad. Not nearly as emaciated as she usually looks. Nope...I take that back. When she spreads her arms she looks like our chihuahua's skinny, bony legs. But Betty White is just...terrific.

Well...there is is, finally. Mad Men wins best drama. Now I know I didn't waste those two days I watched the entire first season on ComCast. Even if it did give me lung cancer from watching so much cigarette smoke on the television screen.

OK--that's the end of the Emmys and the dog is still lost. I hope he has a warm place to sleep tonight. I will miss him. Lizzie and Sheila seem to know something is up. The two of them haven't left me and are sleeping at my side in my office. They haven't done that in months.

But the meat pies were delicious!