What I have in common with the 7 Idol Finalists

...and it's not my singing voice. Buh-dum-bump. Actually, I too got the inside tour of Dreamworks studio once. (If you watched last night, you saw the finalists treated to a tour and a first-look at Shrek 3.)

It happened for me about 8.5 years ago when I was asked to review The Prince of Egypt for Aspire magazine out of Nashville (now-defunct. unfortunately.) Anyway, I was 8 months preggo at the time, so my mother naturally concerned for my well-being decides she should accompany on the two-day excursion to the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena. So I waddled around the fancy schmanzy hotel, ate far too much cheese in the hospitality suite, experienced a behind-the-scenes look at Dreamworks, pre-viewed the movie, noshed on a catered meal by candlelight at the studio with other members of The Press. (I dig saying that.) The next day I sat next to Jeffrey Katzenberg and other producers while we writers interviewed them about the movie making biz. All very high-brow and la-te-da and f-u-n. (And need I mention r-a-r-e?) Thank God Mom was there to make sure I was okay :), LOL (You know I'm kidding, Mom. Right?)

So anyway this weekend I'll be teaching some article-writing classes down south. I'll be telling my students that writing is work, that it takes discipline and the willingness to spend long, tedious hours alone on a hard chair (doesn't matter how good the chair is, the bum's unforgiving after a day of writing) in front of an eye-numbing computer screen, that there's very little glamour in it, if any. LOL Hopefully none of them read my blog...

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p.s. Bye Sanjaya...twas, uh, interesting...