While this past summer has so far been astoundingly beautiful, I still find myself yearning for southern sun and beaches, so this past weekend I jetted down to Boca Raton, Florida to visit my brother. He has an apartment that is placed nicely between the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean, so setting is ideal to say the very least. South Florida is an amazing place to relax, party and play, plus there aren’t many other places you can get away with wearing a swimsuit as clothing! There is always great music, great people and a great amount of fun to be had.

My brother, his friends and I spent most of our time going from pool, to ocean to pool again.  While it was truly glorious, visiting a place such as Boca reminds me of how happy I am to be living in a place like Buffalo! We are blessed with so much culture, creativity, and most importantly, appreciation for the good things in life! When every day is sunny, we can take it for granted. We need the rain, the snow, the wind to remind us that each sunny, warm day is a gift that shall not be squandered!

So I, with my recently remembered sense of gratitude, say thank you summer for the unending warm days, sometimes stifling heat, and gorgeous sunshine! Come December I’ll be missing you!

‘Til next time, with a sun-kissed glow,

Allie

Miami Skyline in Nikki Beach!

It was a busy busy weekend in the life of yours truly!

It began with a trip to the movie theater. After a long day of work on Friday, I was perfectly content to head home, make dinner and relax on my couch. My decision to be completely lazy was challenged a bit when I drove through the Subaru 4 mile race on my way home, but I was determined to expend little to no energy for the rest of the evening. My plans changed, however, when my boyfriend suggested we go see Christopher Nolan’s latest film Inception.  I was initially hesitant but I figured the walk to and from the car probably wouldn’t kill me. The film was well worth my effort, and then some! I am not much for special effects, I generally feel they distract from the plot of the film and allow for lapses in story line and quality of acting. I hate when films take a break from the story so we can watch people shoot guns and buildings blow up. Rarely do I think effects contribute to a story, but I was shown otherwise! The dream-like setting of the film made every effect an element of fantasy and interest. It was also a brilliant story with a wonderful cast.

Saturday I spent a day by the pool, which was much needed, then on a whim went to see Great Big Sea at Artpark. I have seen Great Big Sea a number of times, once at Thursday at the Square and last year at Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor. Each time they play an amazing show, and Saturday was no exception. The band seemed to have been thoroughly “refreshed” before the show, which allowed for some song improvisation and banter between the members, which made everything that much more personal and enjoyable.

On Sunday was the much anticipated Pulaski Day Parade. I was nervous about my duties as co-emcee to begin with, but when Don Postles arrived complete with polish phrases and a knowledge of who’s who in Buffalo, I realized I wasn’t anywhere close to a nervous as I should have been!  Despite my inability to pronounce a single polish name other than Szmanski correctly (I apologize again to individuals whose names I sufficiently butchered), it turned out alright and was a great learning experience. I had never been to the parade before and it was astounding to see the strength of the Polish community in Western New York. I’ll be brushing up on my polish so hopefully I can take part in the fun again next year.

Overall the weekend was busy, yet thrilling, and I hope to have many more like it!

‘Til next time, from Poland, with love,

-Allie

Don and I at the Pulaski Day Parade

Summer is just about half over, or depending on how you look at it, we still have half our summer left!

It has been amazing weather-wise in Buffalo this year, thus prompting a few outdoor projects.  Having no outdoor space of my own, my cousin Katie and I teamed up to create Katie’s Backyard Club, a fantasy land complete with solar lanterns, flower sprinklers and tiki torches. We are lucky we still have half of our summertime left, because we are far from half finished! Does anyone happen to know where we might find some lawn flamingos?

The taste of Buffalo was truly stellar this year, despite the heat! Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Channel 4 and CW23 tent, it was really an amazingly fun time!

Now, one might be inclined to look at the calendar, count the days, and assume that fall is just around the corner, but fear not! There is still a whole lotta summer left!!

Buffalo Place rocks the Harbor and Thursday at the Square seem to be saving their best shows for the end of the season, so there is still much to be seen!

On July 21st- July 25 University at Buffalo is hosting the Empire State Games. This is really a huge deal and is a great opportunity to see some of New York State’s best athletes compete! I will be at the opening ceremonies on Wednesday and will be catching a whole bunch of games on Friday.

Canalfest begins soon, and the Italian Festival got underway yesterday. The Elmwood Art Festival is in August, so there are plenty more festivals and outdoor activities to take part in while we still can!

One event I am truly looking forward to is the all female case of Macbeth at Shakespeare in the Park. From July 22- August 15th you can see a truly unique interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy on greed, revenge, guilt and atonement. Having seen Macbeth performed a number of times and being a bit of a Shakespeare junkie, I am very interested to see how a female cast brings new light unto the story. To get more info head to http://www.shakespeareindelawarepark.org/.

‘Til next time I shall bid you all good Day,

And I, methinks, will be well on my way.

-Allie

I was not born on the 4th of July, sadly.

I have always dreamed of having my birthday be declared a national holiday. It would be a time for everyone to take a break from working, sit back, relax, think about how great I am, then call or write me to tell me about it. The chance of this happening is pretty slim to none, especially due to the fact that most holidays instated in honor of an individual are established after they die.

I am, however, very envious of those whose birthday happens to fall on a national holiday! And what a better holiday to be born on than the 4th of July! EVERYONE you know doesn’t have to work. You get to eat tons of hot dogs. A picnic with a pool or slip and slide is usually involved. If that isn’t enough, at the end of the day you get to celebrate the wonderful time you had with fireworks. Pure awesomeness.

There are some truly lucky individuals who get to share their birthday with America. They include: Nathaniel Hawthorne (though I am not sure he was around to experience the true joy of a Sahlen’s hot dog),  Ulysses S. Grant (he may have had one hot dog too many),  Ann Landers (I bet her picnics were very proper), Abigail Van Buren (a.k.a Dear Abby, must be a polite day),  Geraldo Rivera, KoKo the Gorilla, and Becki Newton (of Ugly Betty fame).

If your birthday happens to fall on the 4th, you have my eternal jealousy! If not, then have some fun celebrating America’s birthday, I plan on it!

‘Til next time, from the land of the free,

Allie Doodle Dandy

For years I have been a fan of Dustin Hoffman. I admire the roles he takes, the depth of his talent, his ability to laugh, even at himself. I have always hoped to one day achieve the success and respectable career that Mr. Hoffman has earned.

If we are really going to trace my affinity for him back, it began with Hook. The scene with the “boo box” spurred an admiration so great, my 5 year old mind was overwhelmed.  About fourteen years later I was sitting in my basement, dreaming of critical acclaim and Oscar nominations and watching The Graduate, when I realized, not only do I identify with Benjamin Braddock (the one who has graduated), I hoped to one day identify with Dustin Hoffman.

I became enthralled by his entire career. I checked out every book from my University’s film library on his life as an actor (and racked up about $200 in late fees). I rented every film of his and watched each one tirelessly. I managed to write a paper on Dustin Hoffman’s career and propose it as an alternate topic for a final essay. I was a woman obsessed.

During this time he was filming Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium not far from my apartment in Toronto. I would walk down the street and imagine how I might initiate a conversation with him. Chance encounters with celebrities are not uncommon in Toronto, so these scenarios where not wholly ridiculous. Weeks earlier I had bumped into Christopher Walken and managed to spill the bag on M&M’s I was eating all over the sidewalk in a statement of shock, thus making an amazing impression. I had decided I would be much cooler when I eventually bumped into Mr. Hoffman.

The closest I ever came was a missed encounter in a mall. I had a friend who worked at an athletic store and used to exploit her discount shamelessly. I was trying on pair after pair of unnecessary yoga pants and eventually sauntered my way to the checkout. As I plopped my pile of pants down, my friend excitedly told me that the person checking out ahead of me was none other than Dustin Hoffman expanding his loungewear collection. Despite running out of the store and into the hallways in a desperate attempt to impress my idol, he was nowhere to be found.

My admiration for Mr. Hoffman continues to this day. I find myself watching Tootsie on days when I need a little encouragement, All the President’s Men on days when I feel accomplished, and Rain Man on days when I am annoyed by Tom Cruise.

This summer The Rivera Theatre has decided to cater directly to me and host a retrospective of Dustin Hoffman’s film career. It begins on July 1st with The Graduate and continues every Thursday until Spetember 2nd. Should the Square be rainy, or you find yourself in need of a little inspiration, I recommend heading to North Tonawanda for a little Hoffman magic. I most likely will!

‘Til next time, definitely next time, definitely definitely next time,

-Allie

Hello all!

Today I filmed a segment for By the People, a public service show that airs on Channel 4 . I have to admit I was a teensy bit nervous, and I might have had a fitful night of sleep (dreams about forgetting to wear your pants on TV are no laughing matter!), but due to the fact that we have wonderful producers and I was lucky enough to have some wonderfully eloquent guests, it went off without a hitch!

I was actually very intrigued by the topic my guests discussed. At the Karpeles Manuscript Library, Canisius College is hosting an exhibit about Pope John Paul II and his relations with the Jewish Community. I feel it sends a wonderful message of respect and admiration for other cultures. Buffalo being such a diverse city, can really relate to this message and easily apply it to every day life.

So overall, a good Saturday morning! A seamless first attempt at a show, plus I learned something new about an amazing cultural event in Buffalo, BONUS POINTS!

‘Til next time, with more worldly knowledge,

Allie

This past Sunday was the 2010 Buffalo Marathon, and I was one of thousands who ran it! I know what you’re thinking: “Gee whiz Allie, 26.2 miles sure is a lot, however did you do it?”

Well, I didn’t. I chose to run the equally daunting 13.1 mile Half Marathon, and believe it or not, it was fun!

My cousin came to a family party a few months ago and announced she was running the half and invited anyone who wished to join to tie up their runners and come along! I was the only one to really jump at the offer.

I have been running for a few years now, I was on the track team in High School, but mostly stuck to sprinting (the idea of running three+ miles at top speed was too much for me to handle in my adolescence). This past November I ran the Turkey Trot, and was not in any condition to be doing so, but I still had a blast. Now seemed like a good time to push myself a bit (or a lot) further.

I trained hard for a little over a month, and trained less hard for a few weeks after that (life just always seems to get in the way!). By Sunday I was more or less ready!

The race itself was amazing. The energy created by everyone running was truly unique. Much to my surprise, I felt GREAT! I mean that. I honestly felt like a couple million bucks, a runner’s high is no joke! By no means am I chomping at the bit to run the full marathon, but I am already making plans to run another half in October.  If my legs would quit their protest on all movement, I’ll be out running again soon.

For anyone considering running the marathon next year, I HIGHLY recommend it.  It is surprisingly fun to push yourself and accomplish something, especially before 10am!

You can check out my very professional form in this photo and at sportphoto.com.

I HEART RUNNING

Til next time, with less lactic acid,

-Allie

Have you ever watched an outdated video and laughed yourself sick at the unintentional hilarity that ensues? If so, you are in very, very good company!

Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, two comedy writers from Wisconsin, have been touring the United States and Europe for the past six years presenting a collection of such videos. They have named it the Found Footage Festival, due to the way in which they discover the videos.

Videos are submitted by people across the country, or found by Nick and Joe themselves.  They are then reviewed before being added to the website website or included in the touring festival.

There are only two rules that apply to all submitted footage:

1. Footage must be found on a DVD or VHS, YouTube is out of the question.

2. The video must be trying to accomplish something, at which it fails miserably (to our delight).

Luckily for us in Buffalo, Nick and Joe will be bringing the event to Buffalo on May 22nd! I was fortunate enough to chat a bit with Nick via Email in preparation for the event. My questions are in bold. His answers are the witty responses in regular typeset.

Firstly, what was the first video you “found” and how did it inspire the festival?

Nick Prueher (Co-creator and host, Found Footage Festival): I was working at a McDonald’s as a freshman in high school and stumbled across a training video for McDonald’s custodians in the break room one day. Out of boredom, I popped it into the little TV-VCR combo unit and couldn’t believe my eyes. It was one of the most ridiculous things I’d ever seen on videotape: a dim trainee on his first day as a janitor, an overly perky crew trainer, and a cloyingly cute plot. My first thought was, “The world needs to see this video,” so I put it in my backpack and showed it to [fellow FFF founder] Joe, who also fell in love with the video. We’d host screenings of the video in my parents’ living room, making jokes the whole time, and it kind of became this cult thing. And that got us to thinking, if there are videos this silly right under our noses, imaging what else is out there.

Is the sole purpose of the festival to be funny, or does it accomplish something more?

NP: Well, our background is in comedy so we definitely try to make the show as funny as possible. That said, there are other things that people can take away from it. These sort of regrettable and forgotten moments captured on VHS can say a lot more about us as a culture than can some of the greatest films of the last 100 years. I mean, if you’re only looking at “Citizen Kane,” you’re getting a pretty incomplete picture of who we are as a people. We also release videos called “How to Toilet Train Your Feline.”

Can we expect to see different videos than the ones posted online?

NP: Yes, the videos in the show are things you can’t see anywhere else, including our own website.

Have you had success in other towns across America?

NP: We’ve been touring all over the country, and sometimes in Europe, since 2004, and we’re continually surprised that anyone beyond our immediate friends shows up to our shows. But for whatever reason, the show really strikes a chord with people, so we have great sold-out shows in most cities. We’re hoping for a nice turnout of VHS enthusiasts in Buffalo.

Have you ever offended anyone with the videos, such as the “stars”?

NP: Quite the opposite. All the people we’ve tracked down from the videos have been almost flattered by the attention. This is footage they’ve long since forgotten about, so when they find out that people all over the country are getting so much joy out of it, they seem to enjoy it as well. We were doing a show in Minneapolis recently and a guy came up to us afterward and said, “Do you recognize me?” It took me a second, but then I knew exactly who he was. He was the guy who got hit by a car and fell off a tall ladder in this series of safety videos. It was like meeting a celebrity. My hand was actually trembling when I shook his hand.

How often do you receive footage?

NP: We’ve been lucky enough to have people bring their own found footage to our shows each weekend and send stuff in the mail each week. That’s the most gratifying part of what we do: meeting other video collectors and hearing the stories of their finds. It’s how we keep the show going, so if anyone has found anything in the Buffalo area, we’d highly encourage them to bring it to the Squeaky Wheel on Saturday.

Where are your favorite places to look for footage?

NP: We usually get to town early on the day of the show and hit all the local thrift stores. Salvation Army is by far our favorite of the chain stores. They don’t filter their tape selection at all, so you find a lot of home movies, instructional videos and other oddities in the VHS section. Estate sales are also good places to look. Sometimes people sell their camcorders there and leave the tapes inside.

Do you have a favorite video?

NP: It changes from time to time but I’m currently in love with this raw footage we found from a local furniture commercial in Corpus Christi, Texas. It stars this older bearded man called Bargain Bernie whose catch phrase is “All I want to do is save you money!” But he just can’t seem to get it right, so we cut together our favorite outtakes into one pretty hilarious clip.

Will the festival continue past this tour?

NP: Oh yeah. We have so much material that I don’t think we’ll ever stop doing the show. This summer, we’re taking some time off to go through all the footage we’ve collected over the past year and edit together our favorites for Volume 5 of the show. As long as people have bad ideas and access to video equipment, we’ll be in business.

You can join me and check out the festival at Squeaky Wheel on May 22! I’ll be there with bells on (not literally because that would be hugely distracting and uncomfortable)!

‘Til next time, with a chuckle,

Allie

We are one month closer to summer, which means we are one month closer to some of my favorite events in Buffalo. Thursday at the Square should release it’s schedule soon, which is always something to look forward to! Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor already has their line-up, and with O.A.R., Slightly Stoopid and Citizen Cope, it looks like it is shaping up to be a great summer concert series! I can almost guarantee I will be there (don’t be shy, feel free to say hello!).

Besides concerts, the Allentown Art festival is one of my absolute favorite summer events. Last year was one of the best in my recent memory, it was sunny and warm, I can only hope that this year is as gorgeous, weather wise. Just the thought of the Art Festival gets me anxious for all of Buffalo’s summer events!

With the weather becoming increasingly pleasant and the days getting longer, you can be sure to see me out and about around Buffalo and Western New York!  I’ll be updating the website often with videos and blogs on my many adventures, so definitely check it out!

‘Til next time, with much anticipation,

Allie

What is CEPA Gallery?

That is a question I found myself asking just over a week ago. Listed in Buffalo upcoming events, I found the CEPA Gallery’s Biennial Auction. The link was posted next to a very striking photograph, so I clicked on it and was directed to www.cepagallery.org. As a list of artists appeared on the right side of the screen I glimpsed CINDY SHERMAN! Could it be? A Cindy Sherman photograph being auctioned here in Buffalo?

I quickly discovered that many well known artists had donated to this year’s auction, which got me wondering, how did such a small gallery acquire pieces by such influential people? I came to lean CEPA is a large gallery that has been in Buffalo for over 35 years. CEPA is not just a gallery, but a center for art education. They have several dark rooms that can be rented and used by aspiring artists (a feature I cannot wait to try out). It provides a great space for local and international artists, and I am honestly embarrassed not to have known about it sooner.

The auction takes place this Saturday, but CEPA will be around and open for years to come. I highly recommend stopping by and checking out what they have on display. It is well worth your while!

‘Til next time, with more culture,

Allie