BARBARA — DAY 3: Thank you, Darlene and Rob

40 notes to 40 people in 40 days

Darlene and Rob
Darlene and Rob
Thank you to my friends Darlene and Rob for hosting this year’s Oscar/Rob-scars party. We made homemade pizza (fitting since Ellen ordered pizza for everyone at the actual Oscars) and brought our favorite movie candy to build a popcorn and candy dessert bar. Yes, it was a good as it sounds.

You might be wondering, what are the Rob-scars? Rob laments every year that his favorite movies aren’t necessarily the same as the Academy’s picks. (Who ever heard of Mr. Hublot, anyway?) So, this year he nominated films for the Rob-scars. A la the People’s Choice Awards, the guests voted for the winners.

In my circle of friends, the Oscar party tradition began several years ago with an impromptu gathering at my old apartment. Joanne, a friend from out of town, was staying in the city that weekend and wanted to watch the Oscars. She had us fill out ballots and brought special prizes for each category. Joanne had a spreadsheet and special formula to determine the winner in the case of a tie. On her way to the party she bought a trophy from a man selling random items on street for the grand prize.

The creativity of my friends — the Rob-scars, Joanne’s Oscar prizes — adds a whole new layer of fun to a gathering. The Oscars are given to Hollywood’s best — but I count myself lucky to have the best friends, all award winners in my book.