I had heard lots of wake-up requests from my Annie.  But that was the first time I'd heard that one.

Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony was a long one.  However, it was interesting that nobody really knew who was going to go home with the final award:  Best Picture.  Even in years when there had been a few surprises, the Best Picture award was usually locked and determined.

This year could have gone several ways.  And as drowsy as Annie had become, she really wanted to know how this story ended.

I wish there hadn't been so much darn filler in this year's Oscar presentation.  There were endless montages.  Life size shadow puppets.  Too little of Jessica Biel.  And I believe the entire "Dreamgirls" soundtrack was performed.

And I love movies.  What were average people thinking of the show?

Here are a few things that kept me entertained...

Jack Nicholson and his bald head.  I smiled every time they showed Jack.  It was as if he was the evil ruler of Hollywood and was there to look down on his minion.  If only he had been stroking a cat.

Will Ferrell and Jack Black's song.  Good stuff.  But too early in the show.  That would have been a great waker-upper in hour three.   Strangely, the gentleman sitting behind Kate Winslet looked at his watch just after this song.  Buddy, we're only 20 minutes in.

Seinfeld.  I'm not talking about the rude way he joked about the price of theatre concessions.  (Didn't he know his crowd?)  But I'm referring to the candid moment the cameras caught of him in the audience when Gore and DiCapprio were on stage.  Seinfeld made this face like someone just woke him up by squirting lemons in his nose.  Priceless.

Guillermo.  The guy created everything about "Pan's Labyrinth".  He was thanked by everyone who won for "Pan's Labyrinth".  It was great to see him sitting so proudly.  Strangely, the film did not win Best Foreign Film; eliminating Guillermo's only hope of walking on the stage that night. 

DeGeneres.  I've always laughed at her.  And I find her so darn cute.  I still don't think they even need a host for the show.  But whenever she was on camera, I perked up a bit.

Cinematography nominees.  Never again will we see two films in this category about 19th century magicians.  That's a historical moment.

There were several Oscar moments I found interesting...

I think Melissa Etheridge should have performed acoustic for her performance.

I think Tom Cruise should have introduced the "Dead Actors" segment of the program and then included Katie Holmes in the montage.

I don't think the "live" best costume presentation worked.  And "The Queen" models had a real dog on stage.  Fur!  Fur!

Here's my favorite part of the evening...a phone call.  About an hour into the show I answer the phone and hear a familiar voice yell "Hola!"  It was my mom who was vacationing in Mexico with my dad.  I had made them promise me that they wouldn't call me their entire trip.  But you can't tell your parents what to do.  Nor should you.

"I talk to you every Oscar night", she said.  And that made my night.  It brought back the feeling of family and friends.  Because, and I've said this many times, the Oscars don't mean squat to the world.

The Oscars are over.  Next year at this time nobody will remember who won what.  But maybe you'll remember things about the night.  Whether it be a phone call, a mistake on live TV, or the difficulty of waking your sleeping wife at midnight.

By the way, Best Picture went to "The Departed".  You can go back to sleep now.

- Max Fischer