Christmas 2009 and My Blogging Situation

Work has been insane. Not horrible insane, exciting insane, but also busy insane, and because of that I haven't blogged in a while. But here are some great Christmas photos, our tree for 2010 with a ton of ornaments Steve has created. I know it's a highlight for fans of Disney and the blog, so here you go...







On an unrelated note, people have asked me about the blog, wondering when the next post is coming and if I'll be keeping up the blog more regularly in 2010.
The answer is, no. I just can't do it. Since starting this job, I've been writing and editing every single day including weekends, and that's gotten even busier since we laid off seven people from the company. And every day I've been feeling guilty for not blogging, but the truth is-- I have been. I've been writing for Unzipped.net or editing the things my writers have been producing, and as such there just hasn't been enough time or energy in the solar system to produce my own material. And I'm okay with that. At past jobs (which I've hated) I've been frustrated because I wanted to write things I loved and couldn't, but I like the work that I'm doing at Unzipped. The new issue is pretty amazing, and even though some readers are hating the fact that I'm changing the look and feel of the publication, I'm proud of the work I'm doing; it's a vision I think that's both entertaining and profitable, and if you add that with the video content I'm writing/editing/producing, that's a lot of creativity. I can't produce more at this time. I'm married, I have a life, and I want to spend my free time with Steve-- not blogging.

So I'm taking a break with Mondo Rick-o.

I'm on Facebook, and anyone who wants to follow our adventures can do so there. If you want to email me, hit me up at andreoli1@aol.com.

This isn't the end, it's just a "To Be Continued..." until the next chapter. And as I say, our updates will always be happening on Unzipped-- like more of these ornaments are in my albums. So enjoy. It's the same evolving adventure, just in a new format.

Rick & Steve's Trapeze Show

Sunday night Steve and I were in a trapeze show together at Cirque School LA. It was Steve's first student showcase-- his first time performing a whole routine for people other than students-- and he did amazingly well. We says he was shaking the whole time, but having been on the ground almost underneath him, I can definitely say that it didn't show.

I was playing a boy scout character, and the props on the left were the things I played with throughout the show when I wasn't clearing pads or boosting girls up onto the trapeze bar. I sort of go through this whole transformation from childish boyscout to punky leather guy at the end. No shots of that at the moment, and no video, but hopefully soon.
Here Steve and I are backstage. We should be getting some more professional photos soon. He looks good as a hunky industrial worker.
Here Steve is in iron cross. Photos are a bit iffy because we couldn't have flash photography going off or else it might mess with a performer.
Here I am in an ankle hang while ripping off my shirt... that wouldn't rip. Oh well. It cam off eventually... That's showbiz.

We're off to see family tomorrow for the holiday but I'm hoping to have some video up soon.

Breaking News on Unzipped.net!

Steve and I are trapezing this weekend in Steve's first show, and it's going to be amazing. We'll post photos (and maybe some video) next week. But in the meantime, we just broke a major story on Unzipped.net.

Levi Johnston working alongside—and pleasuring—homosexuals!

It's good for a laugh. Check out the story here.

Trapeze Showcase - November 2009

Steve is super cute.

Here he is resting before beginning a run-through of his performance on the trapeze. This was a rehearsal for this coming Sunday's show and he's pretty amazing. (Contrary to what my ego desires, I'm not posting photos of myself because I don't want to give anything away about what I'm doing this weekend.)

So here are two pics that explain why Steve has been described as "masculine" and "seductive" while up on the bar.

It's a good thing, because Steve struggles with seeing himself as being both masculine and sexy. And thin. He thinks he's fat. It's silly, but after 8 years I've made peace with his insanity (just as he has with mine)

Anyway...


It's true, he is masculine and seductive while in the air. At least in my book.

Hopefully we'll have some video next week.

Weekend Work Dinner

Amidst prepping for next weekend's trapeze showcase, Steve had to tag along with me to a work dinner. It was for the Free Speech Coalition, and two of the main honorees were getting out of their cars just as we arrived: Larry Flynt and Ron Jeremy.

Yeah, no kidding.

It was a long night, but at least I got this picture with Ron and our magazine's legal guy, Adam. He's the one on the left (in case you didn't know that Ron Jeremy was the dude in the center).

Steve's New Disney Stuff

As a follow-up to Monday's post about Steve attending the Princess and the Frog cast & crew screening, here are some of Steve's collectibles that you can buy at The Disney Store. And if there's a link you can buy them at DisneyStore.com, but keep in mind they're less expensive in the stores right now.
Here's his two piece Princess and the Frog snowglobe.
Here's the super cute jewelry box that Steve loves. I love it, too, but the best was the day it came into his office and he called me so excited. The words out of his mouth? "Honey! We're going to have a jewelry box on our dresser!" However, I must note that he has not actually brought one home yet. But when we do, just you wait, on top of that Ikea dresser. That's a promise.
I know I've been promising to show you some of his Christmas ornaments, so here is his Tiana Christmas ornament. Since we have two sets of the other Princesses with skirt dresses, we'll... well... um... I don't know what that means other than this ornament will go up on the tree with all the other Disney ornaments.
And these are the bookends. Quite girly, but yet cute. And these were the words out of my mouth the other day: "So, honey, are we putting the Nightmare Before Christmas bookends away and replacing them with these? Because these are pretty cute."

So you know what that means? Yes, we do have the gayest house ever.

"Princess and the Frog" Cast & Crew Screening

Steve got to attend the cast and crew screening for Disney's latest animated feature, The Princess and the Frog. We're all very excited because it's a return to a traditionally animated format, and since those are Steve's roots we want the film to do well. Plus, he made some awesome sculpted items for the film, which I'll probably show off later this week. But for now, let's focus on the party.
There were performers.
There was confetti helping the performers.

There were also celebrities, which is pretty awesome. I mean, they call these things "cast and crew" screenings but the cast seldom shows up. They come to the premiere. But at last night's party Steve got to snap some pics of the cast.
Here's Debbie with Bruno Campos who plays Prince Naveen.
And here's the big moment of the night. Disney bigwig John Lasseter, Michael-Leon Wooley who voiced Louis the alligator, and Princess Tiana herself, Anika Noni Rose. She was delightful, letting everyone approach, introduce themselves, and take photos. Steve also loved the movie. He'd seen earlier versions, obviously, but said the final release was even better.

I stayed home and filed comic books, read comic books and drank beer. It was a pretty great night for both of us.