O's Christmas Tree! O's Christmas Tree!

Here's a pic of this year's xmas tree in my apartment. It's been a good tree! Merry Christmas to all!

Dance Dance Pics

Here are some jammin' pics from DDR. The last batch of house seats went on sale this Thursday. Now the run is completely sold out. Vexy exciting! I have to remember to tell dad how to get to the theater for tomorrow.

The dance corps in mid-flight

Vayu catching some serious hangtime.

Dance Dancers Unite! (I'm just out of frame to the left! Really I'm there!)

The Change We Got

Tuesday was an amazing day in history. We all know it. Here are a few highlights of the day:

BFF Votes For the First Time! It was great to know someone who had never voted before in a national election, who now felt motivated to vote for someone for the first time. Barack was the change she believed in. She was a little nervous and i think might have felt a little insecure about being an adult that wasn't already familiar with the ballot-casting process. But she did not let insecurity stop her! She voted and realized how painless the process could be. Brava, BFF. You fulfilled your civic duty!

I voted for Obama. I was so excited to vote for him. I was humming the "I've got a crush on Obama" Song the whole time i waited on line. Everyone there seemed so eager to vote, even though the lines were longer than anyone had ever seen them there. Afterwards, "For Now" from Avenue Q came on my ipod and when "George Bush!" got called out, I broke down in tears right in the middle of the street.

Being with friends. It was my friend Alex's birthday/election party. His birthday is such that it usually falls right around election day. It was an amazing assortment of people with whom I went to college. Lots of them are married now, but since lots of those marrieds don't have kids yet, they can still come out to play on a school night. After the total horror that was losing in 2000 when we were all at Wesleyan, i really felt like something was restored to us as a group to be able to witness Barack's win together. We've basically spent our adult lives working against a horrible, divisive, fear-mongering administration. For me, it felt almost baptismal to be with them the moment they announced that Obama had won at 11pm. It felt like so much weight and sadness had been washed away. Finally we could address these huge problems facing our world with hope in our hearts instead of anxiety and frustration. The country did what it collectively ought to have done in electing Barack Obama. That knowledge, that moment, can never be taken away from us. We did the right thing. John McCain deserved to lose for the campaign he ran. Not because he himself is awful, but because he did not run a campaign that was reflective of him. He gave control of his campaign to the wrong kind of people with the wrong strategy, and if he could do that with his campaign, he could do that with his Administration. But getting back to my main point, being able to unite with my friends in-person, after uniting with them via the internet to take a more active part in the campaign was a truly momentous occasion. For us to be a little older, a little wiser, a little more active and a lot more hopeful eight years later? That is fucking awesome.

Taking it to the streets. After Obama's amazing victory speech, we left Alex's apartment and headed for union square. You could hear people all over the place screaming and cheering. Cars and trucks all over were honking horns along with the chant "O-BAM-A! O-BAM-A!" and "YES! WE! CAN!" Union Square was a sea of bodies, all excited none really sure what to do with themselves. We danced and and cheered and hugged... and then i could not ignore the fact that i had to be at work at 9am the next day and had to go home. But the night was filled with a fantastic energy that i will not soon forget.

The next morning. I remember waking up post-election day in 2000 and 2004 and immediately thinking, "what's the use? this is a total nightmare to face the world under a Bush Presidency?" then i checked the news and the race was undecided! Both times! But then it went to Bush. Both times. It was so great to wake up yesterday - even after only 4 hours sleep - and feel the Obama Era taking hold. And I turned on the TV and it was still very clear Obama had won. There would be no court battle, no slimy feeling of a stolen election. We just had the somewhat scary, very hopeful, and totally exciting question to ponder: What Happens Now? Whatever happens, everyone needs to be a part of moving forward. I can't wait to find out what good comes from the change we got.

2008 ING NYC Marathon Playlist

Here's my Marathon Playlist. Amazingly it worked out perfectly! I charged toward the finish line to Green Day's cover of The Simpsons Theme and crossed just as the tempo picked up on Don't Stop Me Now by Queen. Here's the whole list!

Mile 1
You Can't Take No For An Answer, Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Happy Birthday, Bright Lights, Big City (Studio Cast)
Straight Lines, Silverchair
Mile 2
Final Fantasy IV - Main Theme
30/90, Tick, tick... BOOM!
Mile 3
Outer World Theme, Final Fantasy VII
Home, Chris Daughtry
Mile 4
Is It Any Wonder?, Keane
Lost Ones, Jay-Z
Vertigo, U2
Mile 5
Blackout, In The Heights
Breakthrough, Hope 7
Bury My Lovely (October Project), The Cardinal Sinners
Mile 6
Some People, Patti LuPone
One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces, Ben Folds Five
When you're next to me, Mitch & Mickey
Mile 7
Cheer Up, Boys (your make-up is running), Foo Fighters
One Minute, Kelly Clarkson
Oh My, Mellowdrone
Mile 8
So What (Main Version), P!nk
Music Is The Victim, Scissor Sisters
That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed), Panic At the Disco
Mile 9
Mr Brightside, The Killers
A Little Respect, Erasure
Goodnight Goodnight, Hot Hot Heat
Mile 10
The Water Song, Julia Meinwald
The Goonies R Good Enough, Cyndi Lauper
The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In), Hair
Mile 11
Your Fault/Last Midnight. Into the Woods [Original Broadway Cast]
Going Through The Motions, Once More With Feeling
BTW - Write Back, Andrea Burns
Mile 12
Invincible, Pat Benatar
Barrel of a Gun, Guster
Shoplifter, Green Day
Mile 13
I'm Lion-O, Relient K
Kansas Sky Highway, True Fans
We Are Not Strangers, Runaways Soundtrack
Mile 14
Run for Your Life, Nancy Sinatra
Blinded (When I See You), Third Eye Blind
I Kissed A Girl, Katy Perry
Mile 15
Stuttering, Ben's Brothers
Don't Waste Your Time, Kelly Clarkson
The Bucket, Kings Of Leon
Mile 16
Crush, David Archuleta
Just Fine, Mary J. Blige
Can You Picture That? Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Mile 17
bleeding love, leona lewis
96,000, In The Heights Soundtrack
Mile 18
Pocketful Of Sunshine, Natasha Bedingfield
U & Ur Hand, P!nk
Bones, The Killers
Mile 19
When I Grow Up, The Pussy Cat Dolls
Funplex, The B-52's
I've Just Seen A Face, Across The Universe Soundtrack
Mile 20
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Green Day
Looking At the World from the Bottom of a Well, Mike Doughty
All I Do Is Dream of You, Singin' in the Rain Soundtrack
Mile 21
Princes Of The Universe, Queen
Motorcycle Drive-By (acoustic live),Third Eye Blind
March of the Witch Hunters, Wicked Soundtrack
Mile 22
Take My Temperature, Kaiser Chiefs
Swollen Summer, The Bravery
Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag,Chicago Movie Soundtrack
Mile 23
Pounding, Doves
Lollipop, Mika
Bastian's Happy Flight, The Never Ending Story Soundtrack
Mile 24
Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne
Who Knew, P!nk
Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell Soundtrack
Mile 25
Gone, Kelly Clarkson
Eagle Fly Free, Helloween
Thundercats Theme
Mile 26
Bigger Than My Body, John Mayer
Carnaval Del Barrio, In The Heights Soundtrack
The Simpsons Theme (From "The Simpsons Movie"), Green Day
Don't Stop Me Now, Queen

Legally Brown, Episode 6: The Grand Finale

All good things come to an end. Thanks to everyone who made Legally Brown possible! Congrats to the victor! :)

Legally Brown: Episode 5, Cheyenne's Little Problem

The Penultimate Episode! It is awesome blossom fabulous fantastic! Great job, Cheyenne!

Episode IV: A New Hope

I'm glad we went for the Star Wars reference at the beginning and the Poochie homage at the end. Clinton campaign references abound in the narration.



My time with Allison was brief but she was a total delight and brought so much to the shoot. Enjoy!

Legally Brown: Episode III

Episode 3! Matt's awesome. As you will see. And you can see me in the background for a second as I'm furiously scribbling down the lines for the judges off of my computer!

The Marathon On The Horizon

I'll be running the 2008 ING NYC Marathon in support of The Children's Tumor Foundation. The Children's Tumor Foundation.is a non-profit 501(c)(3) medical foundation, dedicated to improving the health and well being of individuals and families affected by neurofibromatoses (NF). NF is a set of distinct genetic disorders that cause tumors to grow along various types of nerves. In addition, NF can affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin. My extended family has a very personal connection to this disorder, as my 11 year-old-cousin, Lauren Loose, has been meeting the challenges of neurofibromatosis her entire life. Her courage, strength and amazing sense of spirit has been a huge inspiration to me over the years and especially throughout my training for this event. I'm so happy to be able to raise awareness and money for this important cause through participating in this year's marathon!



The success of my fundraising efforts depends in part on your generosity. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to my Marathon Run for NF, please follow the link to...

MY NF FUNDRAISING PAGE: http://www.active.com/donate/nfnewyork2008/runowenrun

It is a completely secure and an easy way to make a contribution. Plus you'll get to see fun pictures of me running and a nice picture of me with cousins Lauren and Grace from this summer. A donation of any size would be greatly appreciated. If you prefer not to donate online, you can also send me a check made out to "The Children's Tumor Foundation" at the following address:

Owen Panettieri
21-38 31st St. 2S
Astoria, NY 11105

Even if you cannot donate at this time, thank you for support and well wishes. I will be sending updates as the race gets closer, so you can track my progress online the day of the race. Or you can come out and cheer me on in person! I have included some more informative links below if you would like to hear more about Lauren or The Children's Tumor Foundation.

If you would like to learn more about Lauren's Story you can read all about her current updates at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurenloose

There is also a website for the incredible non-profit football camp that her parents have set up in Lauren's name: www.laurensfirstandgoal.org

And if you would like to learn more about the work CTF does, you can visit their website as well.
www.ctf.org

Legally Brown: Hunter's Condition

I love Hunter. This was fun. Enjoy!

I still love you, Rafa!

Dearest Rafa,

I'm sure you're disappointed about not making it to the US Open Finals this year. I am sad for you. But let's face some facts. It's HARD to win 3 majors in one year on three different surfaces PLUS win the Olympic gold. You and I both know you were tired coming into this Open. You played so well, but I could tell you were... well, I wouldn't say "weakening" but you and I both know that if you want to beat the top players you have to keep digging deep, and there just wasn't that much deeper left for you to dig against Murray this weekend. You need some rest, papa. You've earned it. And let's stop for a second and take stock of this year's accomplishments. Still undefeated at Roland Garros! A Wimbledon victory in what might be the greatest match ever played! Olympic Gold! Plus, you've made your best showing to date at the US Open and the Australian Open as well. 8 tournament titles and a #1 ranking in the world. All that ain't exactly chump change.

I'm glad I got to see you practicing while I was at the US Open on Labor Day. It was such a treat. Best of luck at the Davis Cup match in two weeks (I hope you win your matches, but ultimately Spain should lose to USA. Go USA!) and then there is the end of the year tourney still for you to try and dominate.

Even though I'll be seeing you less on the television this fall, and missing you muchly,I will still be loving you with the same level of intensity. Maybe even stronger. If that's possible.

Love Always,

Owen

Legally Brown is Online!

I am excited to report that Legally Brown: The Seach For The Next Piragua Guy is up on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. It's been very rewarding to work on this from behind the scenes and see it actually be put out there for public consumption. Written by me and Lin-Manuel and starring a whole parade of awesome Broadway Actors it is our loving spoof on the Legally Blonde Reality Show and on reality competition shows in general. I don't consider myself a good auditioner which is probably why I don't like doing it and that is ALSO probably why i don't do as much acting work as I would like. I find the very idea of auditioning over the course of several weeks on a nationally televised show to be a rather horrifying. While I enjoy watching these competition shows on TV it is beyond me why anyone would actually want to be a participant. Sure I guess it's a quick way to open doors for you, and a certain amount of the population will always be fame-whores who will do anything for attention. But i think most people by now should know that most people don't come off looking good by the time they lose, and it's not that easy to expand your 15 minutes of fame beyond the season you appear on. Hell, there are people on American Idol who were in the top 24 (or even top 10) than i couldn't remember having ever seen or heard by the time they got trotted back out on stage for the Grand Finale. But people keep auditioning for stuff in front of America, and I keep tuning in. And now with this project, those gluttons for punishment have become a sort of artistic inspiration. There will be more Legally Brown clips coming in the future. I hope you enjoy.




You should also go to this youtube link and then check out usnavi's other youtube clips because they are all really funny and worth your time. Enjoy!

numero uno

Today, Rafael Nadal finally secured the number one ranking in the ATP. I am very happy for him. I fell in love with Rafa years ago, during his first French Open, which he won (and continues to win every year). Along with this year's French Open, he conquered Wimbledon and won Olympic Gold. I have had many tennis crushes in my life, and while Agassi still probably takes the cake with his longevity in the sport and his American Pride, Rafa is quickly giving Aggie a run for his money. I can talk about Rafa's unbelievable skill and tenacity on the court, all day long. He's the perfect adversary for Roger Federer. They are both amazing yet very different, except when it comes to how respectful they are of each other. Rafa just keeps getting stronger and stronger and I hope he stays healthy to battle for the title in this year's US Open and next year's Aussie Open. I really think he could get the Career Grand Slam over the next few years. If you have not seen this guy play tennis you have to check out his matches in the US Open which starts next Monday. His play is exhilarating. And his arms are massive! Dude, he's the best. And the rankings now fully support that fact!

Rafa, we may never meet, but you had me at "Vamos!" Keep taking a bite out of those trophies!

Race Day: A Reflection

So today was the Half-Marathon! It was a great experience. Though we did have an early morning thunderstorm while waiting in the runner corrals, I managed to stay dry and the heavens were kind enough to let the sun come out for the entirety of the actual race. The race was a challenge but really really fun. The highlight was running down 7th avenue from 57th to Times Square, which is an area i walk around a lot, but in this instance,, i got to run in the middle of the street and disregard all traffic signals, which is normally what i feel inclined to do to avoid the tourists. At long last, a dream fulfilled! :) My overall time was 2:05:50 and my pace was 9:36/mile. That was a bit better than my anticipated pace of a 10 minute mile. And while I was extremely tired at the end, my body held up well and I felt like I still had a couple more miles left in me. :)

Before I sign off about the half-marathon, several thank-you's are in order. I would like to thank everyone who donated to my charity run to support the Organization for Autism Research. I managed to exceed my $1.000 fundraising goal, and I'm thrilled and amazed that I could raise that in just a few weeks' time. I'd also like to thank everyone that sent me messages of support - it was a huge motivator to keep me headed toward my goal. I need to thank my Dad for coming to see me at the finish line and for finally bringing me that air condition he promised me long ago, so I won't be sleeping in a puddle of my own sweat during the next heat wave. I also have to give a special shout out to Lin-Manuel for letting me stay at his place in Manhattan last night so the N train wouldn't have the opportunity to screw me over with shoddy service as it has done on several other early morning race days. A special mention must go to this very nice runner who offered me a lift in her cab across the park when it started to rain around 5:45 this morning. And a thank you to the two trees in Central Park I stood under during the thunderstorms. You kept me dry and you were not struck by lightning, so good work.

I'm sure I'll be extremely sore in the morning, but right now I feel really good.

Nadaledon

Wow. Rafa did it. He won Wimbledon! It took all day. I literally was watching it from like 9:30am until almost 4:30pm. There were delays for rain mixed in, but still it was almost 5 hours of A-game tennis from the two best players in the world. It was an amazing match. Just look at the score 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (10-8), 7-9. Incredible. I was rooting for Rafa, and he had many chances, but somehow as the match went on, I believed less and less it would happen for him. I still hoped and wished and called out to Grandma in The Heavens, but I thought Roger would somehow pull away. I had seen this all before last year. Nadal was physically stronger, but Federer just couldn't be broken mentally. Going into the 5th set with Fed having the better serving order, I just didn't see how Nadal was going to succeed. But Nadal was just an inch more amazing than Federer. It was so intense. Really great stuff.

Poor Fed. My heart goes out to him. He's probably the best player ever and this has been a hard year for him. He's such a classy guy though and such an amazing athlete. Now that Rafa has won Wimbledon, I think I can finally root for Fed to win at Roland Garros, so he can get his much sought after Career Grand Slam.

I'm not expecting a ton from Rafa at the upcoming US Open in the end of August. Rafa is really more of a threat in the first half of the calendar year on clay and grass than he is on the American hardcourts. I will never count him out, but i also wouldn't mind if he rested those knees a bit during the grueling hardcourt season.

Congrats, Rafa. You earned it. Thank you for an amazing Wimbledon viewing experience. You're the champ!

In Memoriam: Mae Panettieri

Over the years, people in my family would joke to each other that because my Grandmother had lived for so long and been in such good health that she was going to wind up outliving us all. Now, I don’t think she had any interest in doing that, but God did bless her with a long, healthy life and it was easy to think she was just gonna keep on going.

All the way through her 95th birthday my Grandma had her sight, her hearing, her mobility and a sharp mind. Her memory for people and events was still good, and she enjoyed following her favorite sports on TV, especially baseball and tennis. I inherited my tennis enthusiasm from her, and I particularly enjoyed calling her up during the Grand Slam tournaments and discussing who was winning and losing. I was all set to do that again as Wimbledon started this week, when I got the call from Dad on Sunday that Grandma had passed away. Despite her increased physical frailty over the past several months, the news still came as something of a shock. I will miss my grandma and I will miss handicapping the field of contenders for this summer's events with my favorite arm chair double’s partner.

Having lived for almost a full century, it’s amazing to me to think about all that my Grandma lived through in all the different periods of her life. Visiting her house, you were treated to all of these wonderful collages of photographs hanging on the walls that told the story of where she had been and what she had done. You could mark the passages of time as the pictures went from black and white, to faded color prints on thick square photo stock, to Polaroid pictures, to 4X6 prints and digitally-printed photo calendars. I love looking at her wedding photos where she looks so tall and beautiful and happy beside my grandpa, with a train following behind her that seems to go on for miles. I love seeing her in all different places with my grandpa, taking care of their store in Brooklyn, playing tennis and golf, clamming together out in the Bay, going on cruises and vacations with friends, dancing together at their 50th anniversary. It was a life filled with love, and hard work, a competitive spirit and a sense of enjoyment.

After my Grandpa passed away, the scope of her world got a little smaller, but she still had a lot of love surrounding her. She took care of two parakeets that both could speak to you in three languages, she tamed my rather scruffy and lovably disagreeable dog Sparky, she had the constant love and support of my dad and in recent years she had the joy of spending time with three of her great-grandchildren, Anna Mae, Ava and Mallory.

There are so many images and memories that immediately jump to mind when I think of my grandmother, The way she held a bocce ball or a horseshoe when she was preparing to throw, the way that she threw down her pinochele cards when she had all the remaining tricks of trump in her hand. How she rolled out the crust when making apple pies with me and my sister Nancy. The way she stood at the door and waved to us as we’d drive away from her house after a visit. The joyful way she danced at her 90th birthday party, and the way she held and comforted my sister Anne Marie after my mom’s funeral. My grandma was strong but soft-spoken, she was competitive but not over-bearing. She loved her family and she took care of us. She was a great lady.

When my dad told me she had passed away, he told me she had a very good last day. She woke up happy and with energy, the great grandkids came over and she played with them and they went outside in the sun. Then as they left to go back home, she waved good-bye, and then later she was tired and she laid down and drifted away. After 95 years of living and working and loving, that sounds like a very nice day. I wouldn’t have wanted it any differently for my grandma, and she deserved nothing less. I’d like to close by saying thank you to my Dad for taking such good care of her these past few months under difficult circumstances. I’d like to thank her caregiver Lydia, who took such great care of her these past few months, Anne Marie and Randy and my nieces for showing Grandma so much love and attention and keeping her mind focused on happy things. I’d like to thank everyone who sent her cards, or made phone calls or just kept her in your thoughts and prayers. She felt your love and it sustained her. We can all take the memory of her with us, as she now rests in God’s love.

Vamos, Rafa!

I love Raphael Nadal's tennis. I think he's an amazingly entertaining and talented player. It does seem like he will be forever stuck behind Roger Federer as the #2 player in the rankings, which is sad. But don't get me wrong, I love Federer too. It's just that in terms of who i prefer watching, it's always Rafa. Federer is effing amazing, but he can totally decimate an opponent and make it look so easy. What I love about Rafa is that he makes it look difficult. His arms are huge and he just rips the ball all over the court. With Federer, you see him make an unbelievable shot and you think "how did he DO that?" But with Nadal, you know exactly how he did it. He powered it there. And it's awesome. He also is a bit OCD, with long amusing routines for having things just so before each point. Both he and Roger are amazing competitors and treat each other with a tremendous amount of respect. They are both amazing athletes and are equally impressive ambassadors for their sport. They approach what they do with intensity and hunger, but seem to be very humble gentlemen off-court. They are the best of adversaries.

This morning was the French Open Men's Final at Roland Garros. Nowhere is Rafa more dominant than on the clay at Roland Garros. He has won every match he's ever played there. He has won it the past three years, beating Federer in the Final the past two years. Federer's missing French Open trophy is all that's keeping him from a Career Grand Slam and the title of the Greatest Tennis Player in History. So it's always high drama around whether Roger will come up with a plan to get past Nadal.

Today, Rafa totally crushed Roger. It was not even close. Ever. It was competitive for about 15 minutes in the second set, but the eventual score was 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. 6-0!! Against Federer in a Final. It's not even like Federer is bad playing on clay. He's just second best after Nadal, but the distance between them sometimes is so great. At this point in his career, Nadal cannot be touched on clay. The thought of someone taking 3 sets from him in a clay court match seems unbelievable. So now Rafa has 4 consecutive Roland Garros titles, tying the record with Bjorn Borg.

The thing is I LOVE that Federer can't beat Nadal at Roland Garros. I love that Nadal is undefeated there. If he wasn't then I wouldn't care, and would be thrilled to see Roger win. but why should Nadal have to suffer his first loss and mar his record just so Federer can be the King of Tennis for All-Time? When the commentators are pulling for Federer, I want to remind them that Nadal is trying to make history too with the most consecutive wins ever at the French Open, plus this kid wants to be number one and he's never gonna get there by losing a tournament he won the year before.

In two weeks, Wimbledon starts, where the situation for Roger and Rafa is flipped. Roger's not undefeated there, but he's dominated it for the past 5 years. Rafa has been getting closer and closer to winning it himself, taking Roger to a 5th set last year before ultimately losing. It remains to be seen if they can get through the field and meet again in yet another Final. But if they do get there, you'll know which one I will be rooting for. Vamos, Rafa!!

Plans

I believe the Lennon quote goes: Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.

But what if you are not busy making other plans? What if there are no plans and no momentum towards making them? I am not by nature a self-planner. I mean, it's my day job to organize other people's schedules and make plans for them, but that's different. It's like with chefs who don't cook for themselves at home. Right now I have peanut butter and jelly prospects for the future.

It's not like I'm naturally spontaneous either. I'd mostly just kinda like to sit here on my couch and have good things happen to me with no effort. I don't think I'm unique in this desire, but I know it can't be this way! As I continue to barrel toward 30, I've been reflecting, and I've got some perspective on where I've been, and where I am now. I have some nice ideas about where I'd like to be heading, but no real plans on how to actually get there. So, if I have no real plans, does that mean despite having a full daily routine, I in essence have no chance at having a life?

Quite possibly. The thought makes me uneasy, but you could argue a strong case for it and i would be inclined to agree with you.

But then recently I turned a corner: Maybe I COULD make plans! Sure, why not? And then life would wonderfully come and interrupt me just as i started getting busy, and send me in the direction of my destiny. I will make an effort to make plans, and then i will report back here and chronicle how it's going. Perhaps life will show up after all.

So I'm gonna try to blog. I will most likely not follow through. I tried something similar to this on myspace, but i wound up hating myspace, so it never really materialized. But the interface here seems easy enough to understand. Excuses are few. Hopefully if you are reading this, I'll say something mildly amusing every now and again, and you'll eventually comment, and I will feel special. I have lofty ideas about what I should be able to accomplish in my life and it ain't gonna happen unless I get out of my comfort zone and try new things. When I get inspired, I will follow through. Now that's my plan.