Yes….every restaurant in town has a special NYE dinner tonight. Yes….every club in town is having a dance party of some sort. If you’re looking for some different way to celebrate the last day of 2009, as well as a day off of work & school tomorrow, here are some ideas!

PIX PATISSERIE’S FREE CHOCOLATE BUFFET

C’mon….you know tomorrow, you’re going to break out those workout dvds you got for Christmas and start working on your New Year’s resolution to get fit. I know. I’ve been there and will be working out right there with ya! So, why not enjoy one…or two…or many tastes of something you may not taste again until….well, Valentine’s Day. Haha! Seriously, Pix has some truly mind blowingly good desserts and FREE is a really good price. You have to buy a glass of something bubbly (and yes, soft drinks count) at PIX tonight to qualify for one of the free Chocolate Buffet tickets. They will start handing those out at 11pm. Click the link and scroll down for more details!

COMEDY SPORTZ IMPROV

I had these guys on my show, back when I was doing Celebrity Playlist daily. It was one of my favorite interviews because they were so fun…we were laughing the whole time! I tried to “stump” them by throwing really random suggestions at them and they turned everything I threw at them into something funny. In the show, improv teams compete against each other for points. You get to be a part of the show by shouting out suggestions for the scenes they act out. It’s family friendly, tickets are pretty affordable, and they are doing several shows tonight at 7pm, 9pm, and 11pm. BTW….if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be funnier in 2010, then you should check out their improv classes, by clicking this link.

RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES

Yes, they were a bit before my time (and probably yours, too), but who doesn’t love a Beatles song or two….or many? When you see this show, you are reminded of just how many Beatles songs you love. I saw this on opening night (the same night the snow created the commute from hell) and I was admittedly in a bad mood when I sat down in my seat at the Keller Auditorium, but the vibe changed as soon as they started playing these classic songs. It was fun watching all of the people my parents age dancing and having a good time, but there were a lot of people my age & my daughter’s age twisting and shouting right a long with them. Everyone left with big smiles and I decided there is no better cure for a bad day (or bad commute) than a large dose of loud Beatles music. Seriously. This show is all ages fun……and a MUST if 2009 left you with a need for some cheering up. Tonight’s show is at 7:30. Click here for details.

SEE A MOVIE!

Ok….this is highly unscientific, but according to my facebook friends’ status updates, “Avatar” in 3D is a must see. I’ve been surprised at how many very different types of people are raving about this, too. I’m planning on checking it out myself this weekend. I’ve been seeing a lot of positive comments about “Precious” as well, though you are pretty much guaranteed a good cry. I can recommend “The Blindside” as a football movie that’s really about relationships, so there’s something in it for everyone. I want to see “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, as I love Wes Anderson movies, Roald Dahl stories, and George Clooney. It’s playing at the Fox Tower and getting some great reviews. Check out the trailer below.

GO TO HAWAII

Of course, if you want traditional NYE fun, like dancing and toasts of bubbly, then there are lots of parties all over town. Check out Willamette Week for a pretty full listing. My personal fave is the WXYZ bar at Aloft Hotel Cascade Station. They are right on the Max line, so you can party hop, then hop on the Max to ride out to Aloft, party some more, then take advantage of their AWESOME NYE package. 99 bucks for one of their very hip, very cozy rooms, plus champagne….PLUS, the chance to WIN A TRIP TO HAWAII! I’ve been to many events at Aloft and it is always good times with fun people. P.s If you want to stay an extra night and watch the Rose Bowl game on their big screens (or from the comfort of your room), they will give you a GREAT deal on the second night stay…59 bucks! Here’s the link for more info! When you call the hotel, ask for their NYE Party package.

 www.babycenter.com says “Twilight” had an impact on baby names this year. Isabella was the top name for girls, Jacob #5 most popular name for boys. Hmmmmm…..I don’t see Edward anywhere on the list….ha!

Girls’ Names / Boys’ Names
1 Isabella / Aiden
2 Sophia / Ethan
3 Emma / Jackson
4 Olivia / Jayden
5 Ava / Jacob
6 Madison / Noah
7 Madelyn / Caden
8 Chloe / Logan
9 Lily / Lucas
10 Addison / Jack
11 Abigail / Matthew
12 Emily / Ryan
13 Hailey / Brayden
14 Mia / Caleb
15 Kaitlyn / Connor
16 Kaylee / Nicholas
17 Riley / Dylan
18 Ella / Michael
19 Zoe / Gavin
20 Peyton / Joshua
21 Layla / Alexander
22 Sarah / Benjamin
23 Avery / Liam
24 Mackenzie / Tyler
25 Hannah / Landon
26 Alexis / Nathan
27 Grace / William
28 Elizabeth / Mason
29 Kylie / Luke
30 Natalie / Evan
31 Alyssa / Andrew
32 Samantha / James
33 Taylor / Gabriel
34 Anna / Zachary
35 Arianna / Elijah
36 Isabelle / Owen
37 Sydney / Christian
38 Aubrey / Carter
39 Lillian / Daniel
40 Brooklyn / Cameron
41 Keira / Joseph
42 Lauren / Chase
43 Brianna / Christopher
44 Gabriella / Colin
45 Allison / Anthony
46 Claire / David
47 Leah / Isaac
48 Makayla / John
49 Audrey / Samuel
50 Maya / Max
51 Aaliyah/ Wyatt
52 Lila /Tristan
53 Savannah /Austin
54 Sophie/ Hunter
55 Kaelyn /Cole
56 Kayla /Cooper
57 Amelia /Jonathan
58 Charlotte/ Brody
59 Brooke /Dominic
60 Julia /Alex
61 Jasmine/ Thomas
62 Morgan /Jordan
63 Bailey/ Henry
64 Alana /Sean
65 Katherine/ Isaiah
66 Jordyn /Colton
67 Bella /Carson
68 Molly /Brandon
69 Reagan/ Parker
70 Lucy /Jake
71 Abby /Hayden
72 Victoria/ Ian
73 Cadence/ Julian
74 Megan/ Eli
75 Camryn/ Adam
76 Caroline /Aaron
77 Kennedy /Riley
78 Kate /Charline
79 Evelyn/ Xavier
80 Maria /Oliver
81 Carly /Sebastian
82 Callie /Blake
83 Paige /Miles
84 Alexandra/ Brady
85 Ashley /Devin
86 Liliana/ Nathaniel
87 Ellie /Justin
88 Gianna/ Jason
89 Makenna/ Levi
90 Gabrielle /Adrian
91 Sadie /Grayson
92 Jayden /Bryce
93 Eva /Robert
94 Ashlyn/ Nolan
95 Rachel /Micah
96 Alexa /Kyle
97 Katie /Josiah
98 Reese /Peyton
99 Jenna /Brendan
100 Jada /Eric

Awwwww

There are reports today that Brittany Murphy had recorded many songs over the last few years that were never released to the public….songs that may soon be released as (of course) some people are now seeing the $$$$$ to be made off a dead celebrity.

Having said that…this isn’t an entirely a bad thing. Brittany Murphy was actually a pretty good singer. But then, you probably knew that if you saw “Little Black Book” or “Happy Feet”. You may not have known about her collaberation with Paul Oakenfold a couple of years ago. It’s a really cool song called “Faster Kill Pussycat”. Check out the video below.

Some random videos have been popping up in the last couple of weeks of some of your fave American Idol contestants, spreading Christmas cheer! As we get ready for a NEW season of AI in January (yay), here’s a few videos to enjoy from some of your faves

Danny Gokey does “O Holy Night”
(you might want to turn down your speakers just a bit….Danny totally goes for it in this)

Jordin Sparks & crew do I’ll Be Home For Christmas “Chipmunks style”
Cute!

Melinda Dolittle & friends “Jingle Bells”

In case you missed it, here’s Carrie Underwood’s Christmas special

He looks so….wholesome! This video is from his high school graduation…..back when he was a lot blonder (or is that more of a strawberry blond?) ….and much heavier….less theatrical….but he could still make the girls scream when he hits the high notes. Check it out!

Pat, Scott, & Jimmy from Train stopped by last week for a chat before they did a mini-concert for Buzz winners (You can see video in the Buzz-A-Vision section). We had fun talking about….”Hey Soul Sister” and how it was inspired by Burning Man, a naked-dancing-in-the-desert extravaganza that Pat has yet to visit…..Pat’s bratty Christmas tantrum when he was a kid…..what the guys find most beautiful about women….Pat’s big tv debut on CSI:NY (and what it was like to work with Kim Mardashian……and more! It was a fun chat. I hope you like it!

Pat talks about “the OTHER Pat Monahan” and being on CSI:NY
train talks about their show and CSI NY

The guys talk about “Hey Soul Sister” & Burning Man
train talks about hey soul sista

Train talks about their new CD, “Save Me San Francisco”
train talks about the new cd

Train talks about the Holidays (including Pat’s childhood Christmas tantrum)
train talks holidays

Kristin Stewart is young and my very forgiving husband keeps reminding me that she could get better.  We shall see.  Here’s her new role opposite one of my favorites William Hurt in her new movie “The Yellow Handerchief”.  She’s the same girl with same facial expressions and mannerisms.  Meg Ryan? Jennifer Anniston is that you??  I’m sorry- please forget what I said and judge for yourself.  And Happy Holidays. Ya’ll.

LOTS of pretty people in this one, including not one, but TWO of my fave Grey’s Anatomy docs (McDreamy & McSteamy)….and if the trailer is any indication, it should have a great (FUN) soundtrack. Check out the trailer below…..especially the TaylorX2 “makeout” scene (which, I’m sorry, looks a little fake to me).

Sarah Sue is just a wonderful, gentle dog that needs a loving home! She is absolutely full of love and would be a wonderful companion for anyone looking to add some love to their life. CLICK HERE for everything you need to know about making Sarah Sue a part of your family!