Lily Burana

Neither Fear Nor Loathing in Las Vegas

It was too, too good to be back in Vegas. Short, bittersweet, gained more than I lost (except at the slot machines.). More thoughts on the trip, and what it inspired, to come, but for now, just a couple quick snapshots of a few friends. I focus too much on work as the metric for success--why do we do this?--and I always think I come up short. Vegas--with its emphasis on luck, odds, and therefore, opportunity, forces you to reconsider "success" since so much of what you enjoy about Vegas is the thrill of possibility, rather than attainment. And it forces you to question the value of "authenticity"--allegedly the true mark of quality, in art or elsewhere--since the very essence of Vegas, what makes it high-quality fun, is the expert manifestation of artifice. This is not a vacation destination for those who like to relax; it's stimuli-junkie heaven. With the full sensory overload and boundless distractions for both mind and body, Vegas demands a certain stamina. You close out each night in Sin City somewhere between titillated and exhausted. Each of the five senses gets a full-onslaught workout, and if you've got a few friends around to enjoy the punishment with, there's really no better way to burn up a weekend.

 

Charidie and Kelly Timberman at the Monte Carlo. Between Charidie's 4 pounds of jewelry (her estimation, not mine) and Kelly's World Champion ring, the Timberman's set the standard for rodeo bling.

 

Ms. Redd (so named as smart, beyond-gorgeous women like her are often misread) is a soon-to-be household name in Burlesque. Just being near her makes you feel like you've gotten the velvet glove treatment. It's not just the va-va-voom packaging, it's the heart beneath it all. Oh, and the eyes. The eyes, the eyes, the eyes. I think if you fail to let yourself be intoxicated by beauty, you're walling yourself off from one of the great joys of life. 

That's MY excuse for staring at her, anyway. What's yours?

Here We Go...A Rare LB Reading in NYC.

Lots of lovely artists on the bill, and the event is in a comfortable, intimate, and dare I say chic downtown lounge. Won't cost you a dime, and it makes a more than suitable Happy Hour excursion. Pin-Up Girl Clothing is sending me something incredible for wear for the reading. See you there?

 

TV Fashion: Fair & Unbalanced

Please observe my camera-ready TV outfit for "On the Record." When you know you'll be seated at a desk, you can show up in the sartorial equivalent of a mullet (which is 'business up front & party in the back'). I am: 'prime-time anchorlady up top'--matte pancake makeup and hair curled then sparkled with shine-making spray & 'biker chick down below'--old Levi's and trusty engineer boots.

Or maybe it's more like a reverse mermaid--the bottom half of me is perfectly functional and at ease. The top feels vaguely like a mythological creation.

 

LB on FOX NEWS Discussing Military Family Holiday Blues

Last night, I was interviewed on the FOX NEWS show "On the Record" about how military families can cope with the holiday season, which was followed by a sweet on-air reunion between a dad and his son overseas. 

 

We hauled out some Christmas decorations today, and I predict a full seasonal onslaught by the end of this week. Per custom, I am sending holiday cards to deployed troops on request, so if you have a loved one you'd like me to include, please send along their name and APO address! lily (at) lilyburana.com 

Thanks!

**FYI, I may be on On the Record with Greta Van Susteren on Friday night, sometime after 10 pm. Will post accordingly early Friday evening that comes through.**

I spend a lot of idle time wishing I were different, wishing I were someone else. Maybe not the pursuit of someone with well-calibrated self-esteem, but I wouldn't know much about that. Like many writers, I spend a lot of time in my own head and view self-recrimination as a form of cardio. I think it's part of the Writer's Package--you have ample skill and affinity for analysis and observation, but turned sideways, it morphs from a life-saving, life-enhancing endeavor into a way to keep looking at yourself (or your work) and going YUCK.

 

But there's a silver lining: Within that urge to become someone else is the willingness to improve who you are. Those escape-from-myself fantasies point out exactly where I feel I'm lacking. So, rather than beat myself up for it, I'm going to be thankful for it. I'm going to view it as a guidepost of where I'd like to go, and not a sign that I'm really messed up. A human experience that overlaps with countless other people who do the same cruel stunts in their head, and not some singular defect. Lots of writers do this--and lots of women. We just do. It's yet another act of creation, even if it adds up to little more than self-created hell.

 

We manage to find our way out of the flames eventually.

 

Because this is the season of gratitude, I've decided to be grateful for even this. Even this. But, in case you were wondering, who would I like to be this week, this month, this blog post? Her. Right here in this video, with the flashing brown eyes and open heart and, jeez, that SMILE. Singing something so impossibly romantic. I don't write like that. Yet. But I might. And I'm thankful for that, too.

 

 

Veterans Day 2010

  

Veterans Day. Well, what can I say except thank you to all the troops who have served and are serving still, their spouses, their children, their loved ones, and every single American who has expressed their gratitude to us.

I've been blessed with an adventure-filled life that has taken me many places and transformed me in many ways, but nothing has moved and transformed me more than my experience as a military wife. The grit, ritual, passion, dedication, resilience, and sacrifice have left an indelible mark on me.

This Modern Love column may be my final word on my experience as an Army wife--though you never can tell. When I saw it online, I started shaking and cried, mostly out of a deep gratitude for being part of the military family.

Let's never forget to say "Thank You for Your Service" to our military members, and their families who serve as well. And let's never forget what it's all about. I watch this video when I need a reminder.    

Spirit of the Season

Ever seen a ghost? I have. Happy Halloween & All Saints Day.

ZOMG

Must be the snugglin' weather, because I am obsessed with love songs right now. I have already extolled the ecstasies of this song, so I'll just sit here looking at the floor.  

 

 

Hey, Which One of You Did That?!

Someone put an image on my Wikipedia page. Thanks, man. Appreciate your choice, as it was taken on a festive book party night (with Rachel Kramer Bussel surgically excised from the image). It's not a bad photo, when you think of what you could do to someone...on the Internetz, you could end up with a furball-coughing LOLcat for a headshot.

If you've got some more extra time, could you finish all these pdfs of my published work that I gotta get up on my Web site?

In Love With Love...and Possibly Jason Aldean

I would probably kill myself trying to pick the ultimate love song of all time, but for today, "Relentless" is the Dreamiest Song Ever.