Somethings Old, New, Borrowed And Blue

::Onesome: Something old- Do you have anything that you've owned simply forever? A cherished childhood toy, an antique handed down through the family? ...the family Bible?

• Not me per se, but my mother has her grandmother's foot pedal sewing machine. It's an antique. If by forever you mean MY own lifetime, I have all my journals. I used to write pages every Sunday afternoon when I was in college. Probably the best documented years of my life.

::Twosome: Something new- Buy anything new lately?

• I suppose food and/or gasoline do not constitute new exactly...ooh! Bought my sister The Reduced Shakespeare Company's DVD with The Complete Works of Shakespeare and The Complete History of America for her birthday. Sooo funny. OMG. Seriously, see these guys. Hysterical.

::Threesome: Something borrowed- Have you ever borrowed an item and never returned it?

• I was going to say no, but I think one of the books I have had for years actually belongs to Cogent, a friend from college...oops. In the reverse, my second year roommate borrowed my copy of a REALLY expensive textbook - one I might have used again - and never returned it. E, you know who you are. Bring it back!

::Bonus: Something blue- Can you see anything blue from where you are? What is it?

• Other than the glorious-ness that is the sky out the window? Well, the place mats on the table are blue. A rich royal blue. I likey them, I do.

This is me, memeing on the right day - woot!

Wednesday

Today was the funeral for Tarzan's grandmother who passed away earlier this week. It was a lovely service, all her children spoke and unlike another funeral we had recently, it was more a relief than a sorrow. D3 had severe dementia, she forgot how to use her legs and she couldn't eat. She had lived and served for a long time, raised seven children, played with 20 grandchildren and held 8 great-grandchildren. She was tired and I think ready to move on. So there were some tears, but a lot of laughter and a lot of relief that her soul is no longer trapped in the body that wouldn't do what it used to. Lots of memories were shared, funny and bittersweet. The flowers were gorgeous, the weather perfect. It was a day D3 would have reveled in.
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Is it kosher to mention television in the same post as your grandmother-in-law's passing? Well, they were never a stand on ceremony type of people so whatever.
It was almost a given that Monica would be the first woman to go home from DWTS last night. And when she was up against Marissa well, not a surprise at all. And no shocker that Penn went. I wish he could have stayed longer, he's so funny, and Julianne is SO annoying. But it seems the fans are voting for her even if her partner trips over his own feet while standing still so what can you do? I must ask where all the "she's so hot" stuff is coming from? Kym's boobs are TOTALLY bigger than Julianne's. Whatever people. Adam is funny too so I can deal for a week or so. But That's. It. The Cirque de Soleil-esque dance was fun, not as big a deal as they had promised but it's a portable trap you know? The Jonas Brothers must be owned by Disney because I can see no other reason why people with so little talent would be broadcast across the nation. Even Tarzan, who is VERY forgiving and tries to find the good in people he doesn't know and will never meet, said they have no talent, sounded horrible and left the room when they come on the second time. Not my speed. Just another week on a not-really-reality show.

This is me, back from my first funeral ever.

Musically Bad

I'm wondering if I shouldn't post WHILE the show is going on rather than waiting for the next day. I am just not as motivated to write today as I was last night...
It was The Night Of Crappy Music. I don't know who chooses the tunes for this show but they ought to be shot. I know I've said it before - in fact I HAVE said it before, apparently not here though... but it still stands. The person, or people, who select the songs to dance to ought to be strung up from a tree. There are great selections out there that actually match the types of dances that are being performed. WHY don't we use those?!!?! I sure as heck don't know. And yet in spite of that, Kristi Yamaguchi was phenomenal. Freaking amazing. Frankly, she's going to walk away with the trophy if there is any justice in the world. Mark lucked out in his partners. Again, Priscilla got scored higher than her dance deserved but the woman is 63. Anything she's doing is a tribute. Thankfully Adam still stunk so it's *LIKELY* he will go home - please, please, please let it be. Shannon was greatly improved and I can deal if she goes on. Marissa managed to settle down a little, so her dance was smoother and I think that will do her well. It's a pity Penn can't dance better because he is funny! He did not move his feet. That's a no-no in the dancing world. Of course Adam is funny too. But we don't like his partner so buh-bye. Marlee did a really nice job. Not spectacular, but she's got some room to improve. Christian needs to develop some smooth skills but he's got the props. Mario seems to be doing well and he's less obnoxious than other young stars on this show. *ahem* Floyd *ahem* Steve is sweet and a really good sport, but I don't know how long the charm will last him. He needs to be more...precise maybe? Monica, it's just so sad, just is not a dancer. Not everyone is, her thing is tennis - she's really good at it - but she can't dance. Her dance was so small last night. Competitions, especially competitions on TV, need to be big and bold and she just wasn't. Jason Taylor is awesome. He needs to loosen up his hips for the Latin dances but he's really, really good.
And, per my fans - love you Rocketgirl! - I answer the question "who is the short slightly geeky looking celeb girl?" I think you mean Marissa. None of the other girls, except Kristi, could be considered short, and she's certainly not geeky.

This is me, biting my nails for the results show.

Anyone Can Miss A Day

Quite the aptly named post n'est pas? I am not making this a habit, making excuses or whining, really I'm not - just so you know what's going on - the day I volunteer at the food bank was changed so instead of Wednesday afternoon, it's Thursday. Yesterday morning my uncle took his oath of citizenship for the United States, so Tarzan and I went to that. And it was really cool. Touching and impressive and packed. There were 6,226 people in the one session. Wow. Then it was off to the food bank and from there I drove to my parents' house to pick up my sister to stay the weekend with us. Nothing big, just hanging out - pictures to come I swear!! But we didn't get back until way late last night, so here we are. Maybe if it were changed to the Friday meme, and no one told me - then I might get it done on the right day...
::Onesome: Anyone-- Has anyone made an impression on you lately? No, not on the national level, but at work or school or just 'around'. ...or even here on the web?

• One of the gentlemen who volunteers at the same food bank is just a really nice guy. He works with Tarzan frequently with the youth and he and his wife are always there to volunteer and help out and talk and chat and they are nice and kind and really, just good people. I knew that before this week of course, but they impressed me again yesterday.

::Twosome: can Miss-- Speaking of webbish things (and of course we are!), what types of things do you take a miss on at your place and choose not to post about? Just curious...

• I mention it on occasion but try not to detail our sex life or our arguments. And I've alluded to our desire to conceive but I don't want to become an infertility blog. I try to keep it fun and humorous and informative.

::Threesome: a Day-- On a similar note: do you post every day? ...or just whenever? ...or is every session at the computer a spur to work up a little something?

• I try to post frequently but it's not religious. I want it to be good, not just what I ate for breakfast you know? On the one hand, we do a lot so sometimes it's a matter of paring it down to post, but on the other hand we repeat a lot of activities - church lessons every Sunday, cub scouts every Tuesday etc. - so there's some lost interest points there. Comme ci, comme ca.

This is me, thankful for The Back Porch people.

Footwork - part II

Before we jump into our (my) reviews of last night's dancing I share this tidbit from my superblogger sister-in-law who maintains three, count 'em 3!! blogs. This is taken from her bargain hunting website Miss Cheapskate. Such a deal. I ordered some towels and I get a sewing machine for free! Sweet. Now I don't have to drag every tiny thing out to my mother's house to have her stitch it for me. Not to say she's not talented - she is - she made my wedding dress, and both my married sisters' dresses - but she has a life and she really doesn't need to spend the time mending the bedsheets where Tarzan's exTREMEly sharp toenails have ripped through, you know? Yeah...
So on to the reviews. The ladies were good last night. I had high hopes for all of them and was not really disappointed. Which is quite a compliment coming from me - I tend to be hard on the women.
I think they - the judges - scored Priscilla Presley higher than her performance merited, a little in awe of who she was perhaps? She was good and her dress was a fantastic color. Really a great dress.
Shannon Elizabeth was what I expected, not an impressive dancer, but really great looking and able to learn.
Monica Seles was a bit of a let down. I guess I expected more from a tennis star who has to "dance" around the court for hours at a time. Posture can be worked on, but her feet weren't even that great. Sadly, I would have to pick her for the first eliminated next week.
Marissa Jaret Winokur is how I expect I would be if for some reason I was famous enough to be asked to be on the show. So excited and so happy to be involved and so ready and with a little experience but not really aware of how much work it is to be a competitive dancer. She may do well if she can calm down.
Marlee Matlin was very very good. I do not say that 'considering' her disability but in spite of. She was really really good. She won't win because she was half a beat behind her partner, but she could go far.
Kristi was, briefly, brilliant. So pretty, so graceful. I don't know that her skating experience gives her an advantage, but I think she has some skills that will do her well in this arena as well.
If I had to suppose now, I would pick Jason Taylor and Kristi Yamaguchi to battle it out for the trophy.

This is me, guessing already.

Footwork

I realize not everyone who reads this - all four of them - is into Dancing With The Stars like I am. I'm not sure anyone is into DWTS like I am...well the filipinos4hough may be but they're crazy. Truth be told, I am NOT a fan of reality TV. Once I found out Survivor was orchestrated with challenges and games and not just a bunch of yuppies dumped in the jungle to fend for themselves I was quite turned off. And there hasn't been a single show to catch my interest since. Except DWTS. Maybe because there are professionals involved...(Skating With The Stars had professionals too but that did not turn out to be a good show) Maybe the hosts...(Tom is excellent, Sam not so much) Certainly not the judges. (Len Goodman I can respect the other two think they're still 15 and it shows.) I suspect it's because I love to dance. Not in any professional or competitive way certainly, just for fun. Tarzan and I danced on the USC Ballroom Dance Team and we still trip the light fantastic once in a while. It's a classy exercise, fun, romantic and relatively easy. Not to say the celebrities don't work hard, they do, but it's less political than most of the other reality shows out there. No backbiting, no gossiping, the contestants don't vote against each other...it's civilized. It's funny, charming, all the qualities that I find endearing in entertainment. It's true. I may have been a little cynical the last time but I take it back. After last night I think Season 6 will be okay. Only the men danced because of timing - they had to show the first meeting footage and everything; the ladies will dance tonight - so I apologize for two in a row. The pictures of Q's weekend in town will come, I promise.
THE MEN:
Hallelujah brother!! Thank you Fates! The planets have aligned and something is right with the world again - Julianne is going to have a hard time pulling a championship out of this one. Adam Carolla was funnier than I expected him to be - I was amused more than I expected to be perhaps - but the man did not dance well. It will be sweet if they are voted off the first week. I daren't say more or it might jinx the whole thing...He and Penn Jillette talked a LOT more than any other celebrity has before, interrupting the judges and Sam several times - little bit funny, little bit annoying.
Speaking of Penn, he does not suck, but Kym has her work cut out for her too. The man is very tall and broad. Also funny and very self depreciating. I don't know if he has enough fans to go far though.
Steve Guttenberg was cute and it was fun to learn that he was in Mary Poppins, the movie. He'll stick around for a while but I don't think he will win it.
Cheryl will do well with Christian de la Fuente I think. He's got potential and he may have the fan base needed to pull in the votes.
Bless me, did Edyta really draw a decent partner this time? I truly hope so. She deserves it. Jason Taylor may play football but he had rhythm, rise and fall, he was elegant - it was beautiful to watch. I hope he can pull it out for the Latin dances too. Based on 1/2 a show I say they are the best talent. The only problem I see is that it's mostly men who know who that he's a tight end on the Miami Dolphins. Of course Jerry Rice and Emmit Smith did really well. Maybe there's something to that joke about football players and ballet...
Karina and Mario (no last name, just Mario) will be the biggest threat to Edyta's chance at a trophy. His fans are girls, he's young and he can dance.
This could get good.

This is me, talking 'bout some dancing.

Green Is My Color

Happy St.Patrick's Day everybody! I don't know why I have such an affinity for Ireland and it's traditions - it's not like I've ever been there - and my father's ancestors immigrated so many moons ago it's ridiculous. But, somewhere in my youth, or childhood, I was disproportionally pleased to discover that my family was of Irish descent. And it continues even today. Any mention of Ireland perks my ears up, LOVE the lilt of Gaelic though I can't understand a word and can barely pronounce some of the syllables. Celtic Woman, The Pirate Queen, Riverdance; love them all. My favorite storyline on Heroes is Peter's because he finds his girl in a bar in Ireland. I still believe somewhere in Ireland is a castle waiting for me. (Some girls dream of a prince but I want the castle.) I guess it shows, Tarzan wrote me poetry when we were dating and called me his "Irish dream..." what can I say, we were young and silly. Maybe it's also that the festivities fall near the first of spring but I love St. Patrick's Day. If I were a drinker I would totally go out to the bars and have green beer. I bought a new shirt last weekend in honor of the day - one of the $5 Target ones - with "Everyone Loves An Irish Girl" across the chest. It's awesome. So eat some soda bread or some corned beef and cabbage, go green and let out your inner leprechaun!!
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On a totally separare topic; as mentioned previously The Odyssey: A Musical was very well received at the conference for the youth and we have received a number of accolades for it. The down side to all of this is that I can't in good conscious post it here for you to see because it is an exercise in plagiarism. I ripped images from a lot of sites, including famous artwork and photos and just Photoshopped the copyright symbol out...While we did not make any money from the show I feel a little apprehensive about throwing it out there for all to see. Should anyone want a copy THAT badly, email me and I will send it.

This is me, getting ready - DWTS begins tonight, and on that note: this is pretty funny.

Insomnia, The Cure For Sleep

Surprise! I made it after all. More in the coming days about The Odyssey - really well received - and Q is in town this weekend. We went to the beach, ate some food, stopped by my office, talked a lot - it was a really good day. Being the type who does not like to forget one's obligations, here is the weekly meme from The Back Porch peeps.
::Onesome: Insomnia-- Ever have it? Some do and some don't, but have you ever been hounded awake for that endless hour after hour with no hope of sleep? ...or does the very act of touching head to pillow put you out for the count?

• Perhaps is was out of necessity in my chosen profession, but I have never had troubles in the sleep arena. I can sleep anytime, anywhere - and have. I once fell asleep standing up - seriously - shelving books at the library when I was in college. Not long admittedly, the book fell from my hand, smacked the floor and woke me up.

::Twosome: the cure-- Hey, if you do have the occasional bout or chronic insomnia, what do you do about it? Work? Read? Try cures? Hmmm... Did you ever find one that worked?

• If ever I have trouble sleeping - the night before a presentation let's say, I count backwards from 100, inhaling and exhaling deeply for every number. I don't remember ever making it past 90...

::Threesome: for sleep-- Female/male, young/not so young, we all need varying amounts of sleep. What's your personal sleep cycle? Five hours? Ten hours? ...and if you had a choice, what would be your personal sleep cycle? ...and yes, "All day long" is a valid answer.

• I think my sleep cycle is nine hours...is that a lot? Am I lazy? I would prefer to sleep from 11pm until 8am if I could. Lately I have been and it's been excellent. Really and truly. I get a lot done in a day and I get some sleep and I don't have to wake up in the dark. I think I have a phobia about that; having to get up when it's still dark. Not sure where it comes from but there it is.

This is me, way too flippant for the time of day/night it is. More later.

Choreography...

I am taking a short break from the craziness that is The Odyssey for this week's meme from the people at The Back Porch. HOW is it Thursday already? It's too soon! And is this meme title long enough for anyone else? In the interest of interest I abbreviated - hope that's still kosher for any meme-a-holics.
::Onesome: Choreography: What do you choreograph in your life? Your morning routine? The dinner ritual? How you study? What is 'designed' by you?

• Other than I brush my teeth, comb my hair, pee and then wash my hands before I go to bed, mmmmm, no. With an abstract sequential in the house it's hard to maintain a routine. My philosophy is; as long as it gets done in time for the next thing I can let it go. Only big events do I like to "choreograph" so to speak, and even then one needs to be flexible - always flexible.

::Twosome: The art of symbolically: Art? Hmmmm... Sure, what do you like to have? ...or do you? ...but how about that little symbol you keep on your desk or headboard? The one you keep because??? I mean, if you can share that...

• Someone is surely fainting somewhere or dismissing me as a low-brow peon; I don't get art. It's not practical and unless it looks like a real life object I don't "see" anything in it. What do we have on the walls? Pictures of us and family, diplomas...and that's about it. Like I said, low-brows.

::Threesome: representing dancing: No, not 'do you dance?' (although that's fine too!); rather, which type(s) of dancing will you stop and watch for a moment? Ballroom? Swing? Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey?

• We do dance. But we like to watch dancing. You must have noticed my commentaries on DWTS and if it's anything faintly resembling dance I will stop to watch. Ballet, tap, ballroom, modern, whatever. I have suffered through many a poorly written movie because of the promise of dancing. Sometimes the dancing was worth it, sometimes not. It's all fun.

This is me, back to work now.

Snippet

So my latest reason for not blogging so much? Creating an animated production of The Odyssey. A musical version. Pictures of people we know, their heads floating above cartoon bodies, portions of Ship To Shore and Cocaine running through my head - I am so distracted by this thing I only shaved one armpit this morning...my life is truly stranger than my dreams.

This is me, fractured.