All In One

Last night you may have seen the show making my "review' is a little out of date but I can't really write about tonight's show last night now could I? And I have made up my mind that two days is too many to devote to this one subject. So, it's the all in one post. Last night's dancing and this night's results and musical guests. What say you? No objections? Excellent.

• Can I just say, that was the simplest, sweetest outfit Samantha has ever worn on this show. And her hair was cute too. Who designed HER clothes? Because, as you may or may not know, tonight the celebrities created the outfits for their partners and in some cases it was awesome, and some not so much.
• Well, Melissa and Tony's Argentine Tango was sharp and precise, and I think she found her aggressive side. What is up with the lift rule though? If they can have them in one dance why not others? It's not like they are following any of the other ballroom rules so what's with the quasi-lift debate going on?
• Lawrence should maybe consider a second career in clothing design - the dress Edyta wore for their waltz was gorgeous. The waltz itself was not bad - not great - but not bad. They missed some connections in the middle but he did have an adequate rise and fall, which is hard to master.
• I was so scared of L'il Kim's rumba. The potential for slutty was so high I almost didn't watch it. But. But, it wasn't as bad as I envisioned. The content was low for me, they seemed to spend a lot of time posing and as I have said, I just don't understand what a "good" rumba looks like.
• I think red is Chuck's color. Either that or he's at home designing little dresses with fringe. His and Julianne's samba was really good. Really, really good. He actually moved his hips, danced the steps, and embodied the character of the dance. It was really good. But, did anyone else notice that in the dip, Chuck's hand was all over Julianne's boob? Most of the guys hold their hand in a fist or flat out to prevent that occurrence, but not Chuck. so funny.
• Ty's waltz was sweet. The man is just what his wife (Jewel) said he was. A real man. He tries so hard, and his posture is awesome, his rise and fall is excellent. He doesn't extend his arms as much as he could, but he's a classic dancer, a smooth dancer. And I love him.
• Shawn's cha-cha was much better than it sounded like it would be from the rehearsal footage. It was older than she usually dresses and dances which was interesting. Don't know about Mitzi Gaynor, but whatever Bruno. But it was fast and on beat and had content, so good. It's really funny how Mark loves to play the nerd. Did anyone else notice how both he and Derek are having some acne issues this week?
• Gilles and Cheryl's (not) Viennese Waltz was very lovely. I didn't like Cheryl's dress all that much, the two tiered effect didn't work for me. But, one cannot fault her teaching methods since they work so well.
• The group dance was, as always, amusing. A little bit silly, a little bit weird, and a little bit good. I suppose they do these things to break up the strict dancing requirements and just have fun. It was purely for the entertainment value.

The results show had Celtic Woman as the musical guest! (Maybe because they're performing in town Saturday? (We have tickets!)) I sort of wish they'd sung something more Irish than "You Raise Me Up" but it was still good. And I REALLY hope they had just a paired down version of the group too, because where were Orla and Meav? Natasha Bendingfield was also a guest - who I am a little shamed to say I hadn't heard of. I'm a little weirded out by how close Lacey dances with her brother - Julianne and Derek are not gross when they dance together - and I don't mean physical distance. The competition between professionals is an interesting idea and I guess we will see if the audience has any idea what makes a good dancer. Otherwise, Lawrence and Edyta went home and while that was no big surprise it is another bummer for Edyta because this is her eighth season and she has not come close to winning. It's a dirty shame.

This is me, all judgemental.

Goin' To The Chapel

Yesterday was the day that QC married SBB. It was a gorgeous day and despite the re-donk-ulous traffic from the wedding site to the reception site - were we high to plan an event for that time of day on a Friday? Probably - it was a lovely party and I am really impressed with SBB's acceptance of the insanity that comes with marrying an O'Grady man:Rocketgirl and I planned a welcome to the family kit that included some essential items. We were quite proud of ourselves: air freshener (I think you can imagine what that is for), ear plugs (because they are loud), an appointment book (because they forget things), cookbook (because they love to eat) and hugs and kisses (chocolate) because they are so sweet and need a lot of love. Awww, the cheese is melting off the screen and into your lap.)

She took it all with grace and a smile:

The ceremony was sweet and poignant - nary a dry eye in the place - and then it was to the celebrating. The grounds were just gorgeous and smelled amazing - Rocketgirl kept insisting she wanted to eat the flowers:

It was Tarzan's birthday as well, so this is one of many shots of us:

And speaking of shots of us, this was the very awesome dress that we bought for only $8 back in February:

My hair. I was going for a rat's nest look but I'm not sure that I achieved it:

Speaking of Tarzan, I wonder how he ended up the only one to wear a pinstriped suit?:

Our family:

Her family:

I was trying to improve my self photography skills and appropriated nearly everyone in the place. I don't know if I got any better, but the in-laws all look cute. Me and one of Tarzan's cousins I have yet to think up an acronym for but he's awesome and plays Mafia Wars with me:

Me and R123's son, also a cousin and also a Mafia Wars fan:

Me and Phatfiddle:

Me and Gamma, Tarzan's mom:

Me and Rocketgirl, who looked totally hot in her polka dots and bow. I "heart" her:

Then came the traffic portion of the evening, though one bright spot was this weird bridge:

Dinner was so totally worth the hours spent driving though. SBB's brother-in-law made the food and IT. WAS. GOOD:

People did eat much:

And then there was cake:

All in all, a successful party. And the bride and groom are muchly happy which is all anyone can ask:

This is me with the wedding details of a sort.

Kitty Sitting Places

Cats sure pick the weirdest places to relax. I get that they don't really care about Tarzan's suit, all dry cleaned and ready to wear, or about the fact, I had been sitting in that exact spot and got up merely to use the facilities. Those are irritating but make a sort of sense, if I were a cat. Some of the place they choose to lay down certainly do not make that much sense, and even go so far as to be completely opposite of what you would think a cat would be looking for as a napping location.
Some of my favorites:

• My chest, nose to nose with me, totally sleeping. I know this because when I wake up the ears flick, the breathing pattern changes, the eye cracks and I get the look of "Really? You have to move now?"
• My chest, slightly to one side so I CAN still breathe, but I get an excellent view of the hindquarters. And the little twitch of the tail that tickles my ear, or right over my eyebrow so I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to.
• My lap, while I am on the toilet, or at the desk, but not just on my lap. On my lap, after kneading for a while, and then with two paws sprawled over one, or both, of my arms so I can't move it or incur the wrath of the claws.
• My shoulder, draped over my shoulder, with her hind legs on one arm, and her nose buried in my hair.
• The newspaper that I am reading - which is quite common and I understand to a point - but does it have to be in such a way so her tail goes IN the milk from my cereal bowl and then all over the newspaper I am still trying to read?

And then, and then, if the imposition was not enough, should I choose to move, my arm, leg, paper or nose, I get such a look of disgust, sometimes an irritated meow and then complete snubbing for a day or so. Until I sit in a position that appears comfortable to the feline again. Then all is forgiven and we are friends.

This is me, with where the cats sat.

Open Wide-r

It seems as if I have spent an awful lot of time in the dentist's chair AGAIN this spring, and I have to say it's not my favorite place to sit and read for three hours. Yes, that's correct, THREE. HOURS. Three hours just hanging out and anticipating the fun of having a crown and post removed so another dentist could mess around in the back of my mouth only so the first dentist could go back in for a new crown and post. Just the way I wanted to spend my first free day since we got back from The Frozen North.
Of course it didn't turn out exactly like that or what would be the reason for my posting about it? The initial post and crown removal went according to plan, except for the three hours part of it. I barely made it to the specialist on time for the rummaging part of the day. After the "fun" part of the appointment involving Novocaine (Note to the curious, Novocaine is much better AFTER you have had it once, the same day, because then you don't notice the needle jabs and only have the fun of the tongue that doesn't work right anymore.) I was given the news: my tooth was apparently broken during the inital root canal and might have to be pulled instead of fixed. We chew on the last molar in our mouth only about 18% of the time, and if it had to be pulled, "you wouldn't know it was gone," said this special endontic surgeon. Thank you, that's very comforting. And I suspect a little inaccurate in my case. I have to come to be excessively familiar with the fact that my mouth is small. Tiny even. Minuscule. Geckos have larger mouths than I. WORMS have larger mouths than I. (The little skinny ones that come out after it rains.) I mentioned the time they had to pull out the child's plate to take the impression for my crown? Today was much the same. The dentist removing the previously installed crown had two things to say. To me: open wider honey. And to the assistant: get me smaller tools. Awesome. Some things never change.

This is me, back in the chair and wishing it had a higher voltage.

Dancing Lately

I keep forgetting which day it is since we got back, so I've been running a few steps behind. I did the post about the trip last night, not even remembering that DWTS was on right at the same time. So we can discuss the jive and rumba AND THEN go right into who got kicked off for their crappy dance and then all will be well. Aren't you glad I always have a Plan B?

• I REALLY want Ty to do well but his jive was not as loose on the floor as it was in practice and it seemed like Chelsie was doing a lot more of the actual dancing than he was. It's a shame really. He's SO cute and SO nice and I want a cowboy of my own just like him.
• Mark is so very funny when he teaches. He and Derek crack me up when they get silly in the rehearsal studio. Mark and Shawn's rumba though, was interesting. Shawn needs to work on her hip movement. It played a little awkward with Mark grinning like a fool and Shawn almost biting her lip in concentration. Not my favorite dance of hers but not stinky.
• Lawrence and Edyta's jive was a relaxed jive, like he was grooving on a riverboat or something. His knees weren't high, and he didn't bounce much but his kicks were good. I feel bad for Edyta in this situation because she's been on this show EVERY SINGLE SEASON and has yet to win.
• The rumba bugs me as a dance. It's so hard to figure out, even just watching it, and the hips sometimes move and sometimes not, and it's just...blwleaaah. Tony and Melissa's was not bad. She likes the floaty movements and airy lines and usually that works, but depending on the music the rumba should be a little more grounded, *I* think.
• I really think that when Derek and L'il Kim were DOING the jive it was good, but there were a lot of unnecessary movements that were frenetic - is that a word? It was a faster jive than anyone else has done, which is good, but it didn't hit me exactly right.
• I didn't hate Steve-O and Lacey's rumba, which totally surprised me - and Lacey's shoes were AWESOME. Though the hips were certainly not in the dance and Lacey did most of the actual dancing, it was oddly compelling as Carrie-Ann said.
• Cheryl knows how to get her partners to relate the dance steps to something they already know in their real lives. It's amazing. And whatever Gilles said about not relating to the dance, it all went away before the performance. That was a SUPER fast song, some weird selections for the jive tonight, and even Cheryl's kicks were slowing down by the end of it, but I thought the musicality was excellent.
• Chuck and Julianne's rumba was really great for a lot of it - he certainly didn't worry about the steps too much - and I did not like what Julianne was wearing. The lace leg things were weird. But the connection was certainly there, they were comfortable with each other, no doubt.

And regarding the results show; the number from West Side Story was good. I wonder if they left out the men for a specific reason or if that's the way it goes on stage. Rascal Flatts were cool - though if we want to talk about frantic, Julianne and Tony's dance seemed a little over the top. She almost got her head smacked a couple of times on the floor and then she surely hurt something on the way down from that jump. Who said that Carmen Electra could dance? I ALSO think the two-at-a-time business was the weirdest way to announce the couples that would be continuing on to next week.

This is me, trying to get caught up AGAIN. How often does this happen to me? Too often.

These Things Are Priceless

That was the kind of trip that absolutely needed to be taken, glad I was able to go and help, taught me many things - most of them good - had a great time, was the sort of thing that happens only once in your life, and when it's over, feels SO FREAKIN' good to come home.

Seriously.

There are some things I can't remember about the trip.

There are some things I don't WANT to remember about the trip.

There are some things I would LOVE to tell you, but my father's head would explode should my mother let him know that I wrote it where other people could see it.

These being the restrictions, I will relate only the best parts. The things that I enjoy remembering. The flight up was simple - though it started awfully early in the morning for me - the finding and procuring the rental car was tres easy and getting to SO's house was none too difficult. The drive across the border into The Frozen North was uneventful and the actual crossing was not as complicated as it could have been. We made the ferry earlier than anticipated and were in town before the sun set. This meant we could start rooting through the items in the garage and setting aside the things we wanted to save.

That was Thursday.

Friday was one long series of runs from the house to the thrift store. Yay Sallie Ann! Seven to be exact, with a whole lot of dust, dampness - it was threatening to rain the entire weekend - and mildew. Fun.

Saturday was like Thursday, only in reverse. And the border crossing took much longer. No problems, just the border guard was multitasking and thus not able to devote his attention to those of us wanting to leave The Frozen North. This was the line of cars when we got there:

It was much longer behind us before we got on our way again. There was much time to ponder the Peace Arch that guards the border. I was highly amused by it:

Fortunately the weather held out for us and we made good time getting to the airport and home again.

That is a brief summary of our trek. The best stuff was, in a large part, the food. All the treasures from my childhood that I hadn't thought of for years.

Friday, during one of our stops for boxes we purchased Ketchup chips to be brought home:

Now, if you come to Ketchup chips as an adult, as Tarzan did, I completely understand the initial recoil of horror at the name. They sound disgusting. BUT. If one grows up with them, as I did, it's like coming home, to have them on the shelf again, if only for a little while.

Saturday morning we ate Shreddies for breakfast:

They LOOK like Wheat Chex but they soooooo aren't.

And before we left town we HAD to stop at the greatest donut shop in the world. Tim Horton's:

Not just for the donuts, though those are fantastic:

All the flavors that they have. I seriously didn't know there was another kind of apple fritter until I was 21. Still think they should all be like Tim Horton's apple fritters. But the Timbits:

Donut holes that come in the same varieties as the full grown donuts. So, so good. Totally worth it just for the Timbits.

This is me, back in town and thankful for it.

Fix Me

Today makes the fourth time in two years I have gone to see my doctor with a symptom he didn't have an answer for. Not that he didn't prescribe something for me, because they always have a pill or something, but he didn't know what was causing the issue and so couldn't say definitively, "this will fix you." That has got to be some sort of a record isn't it?
First was my chest, when I had that carrot stuck halfway down. Which cleared itself, so I suppose that was good.
Then about six months ago I was dizzy for a lot of the day, especially mornings and while Tarzan held his breath I went to see the doctor - we weren't pregnant - but he didn't know what it was. That also healed itself, but it was a mighty weird sensation while it lasted.
Last week was my ear; I had a dull roaring in my ear constantly. That also got better...I wonder if I need a doctor on call, who would just look at whatever is bugging me and then it would get better. How much would I have to pay for that do you think?
Now it's my thumb. With a different problem that's not trigger finger. And he doesn't know what to do about it.
Yes, I am that good.
******************************************************************************************************
And because I couldn't let it go without a mention, David Allen Grier got eliminated from Dancing With The Stars. Which was a little unexpected if you ask me. Steve-O is clearly the worst dancer on the show right now, but I think the viewers saved him because he did improve but the judges and scores did not reflect that.
Etta James was the musical guest and she was really excellent. Not that I would expect less. And La Reve was very Vegas.

This is me, a pile of issues.

This Week's Dancing

The dancing for this week. (Does anyone else think the changes this season are a little much? The dances that aren't ballroom, new orders, pushing the timing, and can we please make a decision on the lifts.)

• I appreciated Chuck's efforts to be "more" with his Viennese - don't make me repeat the rant about how they do not do a real Viennese Waltz on this show - Waltz and I ended up liking it mostly. He did mess up the footwork in the middle there, but the emotion was better, and as we've learned, that can make all the difference.
• I think Lawrence and Edyta got gypped on their music for the paso doble - don't make me rehash THAT one either - because it did get a lot better once the beat dropped. And I really liked Edyta's dress - it's rare that she wears what could be CALLED a dress - it was really pretty.
• I thought for a moment that Shawn and Mark's Viennese Waltz would be a real one, but then they broke the hold and it was all over. It was lovely though. I love the stiff edging for the dresses that make them float. I want one like that.
• While Melissa and Tony had GREAT music for their paso doble, I felt a little cheated because I expected more out of her. Melissa was kind of stiff, like she was trying TOO hard. Though the costumes tonight have been really great. The slight Indian influence for the music and costumes for this number was really cool.
• Looks like I spoke too soon. Did not like David OR Kym's costumes for their Viennese Waltz. They also had weird music, but it could have been overcome...somehow.
• I was expecting great things out of Gilles and Cheryl, with his passion and ability and her being the most awesome instructor. And let me just say, they did not disappoint. Oh. My. Gosh. That was the best paso doble I have EVER seen on this show. EVER. And the costumes and music were excellent again. The man even grew stubble for effect.
• Steve-O and Lacey danced a Viennese Waltz that was not bad. He is a few weeks behind the rest of the group and thus will be eliminated soon, I believe, but it was better than the weirdness of weeks past. I think some of the fault lies with Lacey who does not bring out the best in her partners. If anything, she encourages their weaknesses.
• Ty and Chelsie's paso doble was good but not great. I really thought he had the attitude right during the rehearsal but he was *too* tough in the show, like he was really fighting a bull, rather than just dancing like he was fighting a bull. I also think the choreography did not match the music and that might have led to some dissonance.
• L'il Kim and Derek did a very lovely Viennese Waltz. I noticed her posture was not consistant and her heel leads are lacking, but it did look great. If only she wouldn't talk.

This is me, with another week of the DWTS.

Right Kind Of Stand

Previous to this month's insanity, I had been able to catch up on most of my recorded television shows which is about to prove fortuitous for you my friends in the Internet.
Privileged is one of those TV shows that bugs me, and yet I still watch it because I hope each and every week that the main characters will figure out that they are causing their own problems and will then grow up and live happily ever after – I am a big fan of happily ever after. Not that HEA means one's life is a done deal; those looking for HEA still have to work at their relationships, but at least you know they are going to try when the credits roll. That’s all I ask.
My original point was that while Megan Smith – main character of the show Privileged – bugs the crap out of me because she just won’t grow up and what are the writers thinking giving a person lines and attitudes like that – I was impressed with the way they handled the situation between Sage – Megan’s charge and super rich teenager – and Luis, her boyfriend. When the subject of gay marriage came up I rolled my eyes, really afraid this would become a soap box for the writers to preach to us all about how someone somewhere is being intolerant AGAIN and where are we going and why are we in a hand basket? But they didn’t and it wasn’t. The crazy kids broke up because they didn’t agree on a really big issue, and that made total sense to me, BUT - and this is big - they allowed each other to go their own way, with their own opinion; no one was called names, no one belittled anyone, no one was a bad person, they just weren’t right for each other. And I really, really appreciated that.
So much of the media and influence being pushed at us – and teenagers in particular – these days says there is only one opinion and if you don’t agree with ‘mine’ you’re a bigot, a racist, a sexist, a prejudiced, a chauvinist, an intolerant, a hypocrite, a fanatic, a ugly, horrible person. And that’s just isn’t so.
Tolerance is, according to the Encarta English Dictionary, precisely that; recognizing other people’s rights to have different beliefs or practices without attempting to suppress them.
It's a lesson we should all adopt. We don't have to associate with people we don't agree with, but they are allowed to believe what they want. One day it will all settle out. Or it won't matter.

This is me, pleasantly surprised at the depth of a teen drama. Once.

I Screwed Up 18% Of My Teenage Life

Stole this one from RHM. With all the whining and TV reviews I thought you might like a meme AND a glimpse into my past. What could be better?
Have you ever:
[ ] Gotten detention.
[ ] Gotten your phone/pager taken away in class.
Cell phones were still a futuristic thing when I was in school, and there was no way my parents were getting me a pager.
[ ] Gotten suspended.
[x] Gotten caught chewing gum.
[ ] Gotten caught cheating on a test.
Total: 1
[ ] Arrived late to class more than 5 times.
[ ] Didn’t do homework over 5 times.
I was such a nerd. I liked homework and felt like there should be more of it.
[ ] Turned at least 3 projects in late.
[ ] Missed school cause you felt like it.
[x] Laughed so loud you got kicked out of class.
It wasn't so much the laughing loudly, as the fact I couldn't stop laughing. Even after being kicked out in the hall I was still fizzing with giggles for a good 20 minutes.
Total : 2
[ ] Got your mom/dad etc. to get you out of school.
[ ] Texted people during class.
We had no idea what texting was.
[x] Passed notes.
Got my first love letter that way. He was a nice guy too. Especially for the age we were.
[ ] Threw stuff across the room.
[ ] Laughed at the teacher.
Total : 3
[ ] Pulled Down The Fire Alarm.
[ ] Went on Myspace , Facebook , Xanga , etc. on the computer at school.
No conception of that - we were excited over the delete button.
[ ] Took Pictures during school hours.
[ ] Called someone during school hours.
[ ] Listened to an iPod , CD , etc... during class.
Total : 3
[ ] Threw something at the teacher.
[ ] Went outside the classroom without permission.
[ ] Broke the dress code.
[x] Failed a class test.
[ ] Ate food during class.
Total : 4
[x] Gotten a call from school.
[ ] Couldn’t go on a field trip cause you behaved badly.
[x] Didn’t take your stuff to school.
[ ] Gotten a detention and didn't go.
[ ] Stuck up your middle finger at a teacher when they were not looking.
[ ] Cursed during class loud enough so the teacher could hear.
Total : 6
[ ] Faked your parents signature.
[ ] Slept in class.
[ ] Cursed at a teacher to their face.
[ ] Copied homework.
Total: 6
MULTIPLY YOUR NUMBER BY THREE : in my case 6 x 3 = 18
Then repost this & put the Title as "I Screwed Up XX% Of My Teenage Life"

In A Nutshell

Before you all pummel me into the earth because of what I am about to say, let me preempt it with, I KNOW we are ALL super busy, ALL OF THE TIME. We are. Everyone has so much to do and not enough time to do it in. That's just the way of life.
But the month of April this year is going to kill me. Almost literally, down on the ground dead. There are so many places I have to be and little or no notice that I had to be there. I'm usually pretty accommodating but I need some time to talk myself into things. You might not know it but I am a shy individual. I've got to work at this personality on a daily basis. And there just isn't time to do that in the next 30 days. Let me break it down for y'all:
1 - Doctor appt. and running things to Tarzan's school for the Academic Decathlon kids.
2 - Food bank volunteering
3 - Dentist in the a.m. - something is not right with this crown that went in last year, check that, TWO YEARS ago. Apparently it's not the worst case scenario he talked about then but it can't be good. I will find out then what day I have to come back to get the actual work done. (Editor's Note: Apparently it IS the worst case scenario because they have to take out the crown and the post, re-clean and disinfect all three roots of the tooth, and then put a new post and crown back in. Yeah. The tooth didn't hurt before the original root canal so why am I going through all this hassle?) Then, tomorrow afternoon I am going out with a female missionary because her companion had to go home suddenly and they don't like the ladies to be out on their own.
4 & 5 - Thank goodness for General Conference. This is what church should be like every week, with the calm and the quiet and the listening and the me not having to run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to catch people before they rush out the door.
6 - Doctor appt. and then sitting with Tarzan's grandfather in the afternoon.
7 - Different doctor's appt. and the stove technician is coming to tell me why my stove won't heat up. Hopefully he will fix it the same day or I'll have to schedule another date.
8 - Fetching Tarzan's aunt from the airport so SHE can sit with her father for a few days.
9, 10 & 11 - My dad and I are FINALLY going to The Frozen North to get his brother's things packed up. And the sad part is, it is still frozen up there. It's nearly Easter people, that's too late for snow.
12 - Easter itself. Don't know when the Easter Bunny is going to find time to get a new tie for Tarzan and some of those little cream eggs he likes so much...
13 - 16 Preparations and fetching people from the airport for QC's wedding to SBB.
Editor's Note:
15 - This is the day of days, when I will see not one but two (2!) dentists who will scrabble around inside my mouth, pretty much all day long.
17 - Tarzan's birthday AND QC's wedding.
18 - Wedding brunch with family AND Picnic Day at BHB's school in the Temperate Zone. I don't think we're going to make it this year, though it's her last year at the school and I haven't missed one yet. Curses.
19 - I think this might be a normal Sunday - as normal as our lives EVER are.
20 - Return Tarzan's aunt to the airport after her extended stay for the wedding and all.
21 - Doctor appt.
25 - There's an activity for all the kids of the church in our region so I will have to chaperon/supervise and probably bring a game or treat or something. AND there's more; ATL and I have tickets to see Celtic Woman that evening. So excited I can't even think of it yet or my head will explode.
That's all I have so far but I am sure the rest of the month will fill up quickly. It always does...

This is me, and I'm thinking timing, timing, timing is more important than location, location, location. Thoughts?

The Call

I can't find a video that has the group singing this live but it rocks nonetheless:



This is me, hoping they perform this one in three weeks.

Discontinued

Holy smokes, that is a bright shirt there Len my friend. (And of course there isn't a picture of it yet...)
Yay for no dance-off and yay for bringing back the encore number. Even if it's just for the night, it was nice.
And can I just say, since Mel B wore a pleather bikini and great coat, EVERYONE else has decided that that is the paso doble uniform. I mean, it was hot the first ten hundred times I saw it, but the blue number last season was really great too.
As for the musical guests this evening...this always happens when I like something. When Tarzan and I got married we registered for china and linens - both were discontinued inside of six months of our wedding. My favorite 'flavor' of a certain shampoo brand? The one that actually does what all the commercials promise their shampoo will do? Discontinued. The red dress that makes me look hot, can do church or parties, always fits and is comfortable just like the black one? Don't make it anymore. What is that about?!?! So I should have known once I mentioned that I liked the talent the producers had chosen thus far for the DWTS results show.
This week: Kevin Rudolph (who IS that?) and Boys2Men. Seriously? Though I have to give B2M credit for wearing suits rather than floppy jeans and backwards baseball caps.
I couldn't be happier that Sam was giving her voice a rest.
And it was just a win-win situation from where I was sitting considering the three couples on the hot seat. And I think that was the way to go. Steve-O was not AS bad as the other two.

This is me, judging the results show too. I think I have an addiction.

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

This week my review is on the night that the show actually happened so I feel good about that. Sadly, I am not so in love with the show as I once was. (Is it telling that I am excited for tomorrow night when they send two couples home?) The drama is completely unnecessary. The "real-life romance" is irritating. And I'm kind of annoyed that all these non-ballroom dances are being included in what is ostensibly a ballroom competition. I know, most people have a half-second attention span these days, always needing more! More hospital visits! Bigger! Bigger temper tantrums in rehearsals! Wilder comments from the judges! More unease on elimination night.
As you may or may not have guessed; I am not most people, more's the pity sometimes I think.

• David's lindy hop was tame in comparison to what I expected. I get that he's on the old-er side of the group so maybe it was appropriate, but he's so fun and funny usually I wanted him to take this dance to the extreme.
• Li'l Kim continues to bug me when she opens her mouth BUT the tango that Derek choreographed was in many ways better than the same dance by the country of Argentina on the Superstars of Dance show. The movements were sharp, the musicality was spot on and they did hold the character and facial expressions throughout. I will cry if she wins the competition. And not the good kind of crying.
• I really want to like Chuck. I do. And he and Julianne aren't as irritating as I expected them to be. (Don't shoot me ATL!) But something doesn't sit right with me about them. Their lindy hop was not all I wanted it to be either. Mediocre.
• Lawrence's Argentinian tango was okay. He seemed to be concentrating just a bit too hard for me. But he kept the mood and the sharpness of the dance. I loved seeing Alec in rehearsals. SO CUTE!
• What amused me the most tonight was when they ran the wrong clip introducing Steve instead of Ty. I really want Ty to do well, but I'm thinking dance is just not his hidden talent. He was cute and he does try so hard and he is improving and I love him, but it's not as...easy as it is with some of the others. Is that fair to judge?
• If you've ever considered a teddy bear doing the Argentinian tango, that is what Steve looked like. So really very cute, but there was too much of the chair. And it's so obvious when the guy just stands there and his partner does all the steps around them. That's not so good.
• Melissa's lindy hop was EXACTLY what a lindy hop should be, and what the others thus far had not been. So awesomely energetic and equally spread around for both partners. Really nice. Melissa is the one this season to change my initial impression of her.
• Hmmm, Holly's Argentinian tango was almost like an instructional video. Holly would do a step and Dimitry would do it again, and do it right. The one lift was awesome and there were times when she looked good, like those were the moments they practiced a lot of and then the connector bits just lapsed.
• Sam sounded really gravelly tonight...I wonder why, in a world that can make real things out of nothing, they can't find something for her throat?
• Steve-O and Lacey looked like what they were trying to play, I think; country bumpkins learning a new dance? It wasn't horrible, there are certainly worse, but it wasn't good. His timing was fairly awful.
• Gilles' Argentinian tango was nearly as marvelous as his other dances. He is very incredible to watch. The one detraction for me was Cheryl's dress. I didn't like it so short; the passion of the tango usually means the skirt swirls a bit and I missed that.
• Mark sure does play the nerd really, really well. And while I loved the athleticism of Shawn's lindy hop, there wasn't as much dance as there were tricks. The stuff from rehearsals this week was better than the routine I think.

This is me, with the weekly report on the dancing, or lack thereof.

Almost Forgot

I realize I will be posting another one of these tomorrow, but I didn't want to be behind a whole week on the postings. You know how it is. Your week would not be complete without my snide remarks about people who make WAY more money than both of us combined in heels and fringe. It's like pizza and root beer.

• While it was awesome to see Maks in the samba skirt and hat, Denise’s samba was the slowest I have ever seen…but I don’t think it was totally her fault – I have said this before and I likely will say it again, whoever picks the music on this show ought to be shot.
• Okay look, Julianne and Chuck, NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW TO DANCE, that’s the point of the show idiots, so stop whining about him not knowing how. And what was that supposed to be? I did not find a lot of foxtrot in their routine and there was a total lift at the end. TOTAL LIFT.
• Holly’s samba had the right music at least…but her shimmys were scary, and I have seen some shaking in my day.
• Steve-O and Lacey had the right music as well, but I think he’s playing too much on the sympathy vote. This is too much of the “reality” crap I don’t need. Just do some dancing for once.
• I love that Lawrence gave up golf for his dancing. And it was not a bad samba, needs a little more enthusiasm perhaps, but correct and his music was good too.
• Shawn and Mark’s foxtrot got a lot of effervescent comments from the judges, but they were right about it being fluid and graceful. She was almost too quick to return to the hold but otherwise, lovely.
• And that, boys and girls, is how the samba is done. Gilles and Cheryl were awesome. I really hope it becomes a show down between him and Shawn.
• David and Kym’s foxtrot was cute, and pink. (Carrie Ann needs to stop with the hand gestures. She really does.)
• Do we really need an ambulance EVERY TIME someone tweaks a muscle? Seems a tad much. We are discussing Steve and Karina – and their samba was not bad…exactly. But not complete. It was a little tight, I guess. And Karina’s dress was awful.
• I love Tony’s analogy of the foxtrot frame being like a martini glass and the head being like the olive on the edge. I am totally surprised by Melissa’s style. She’s really good and makes it look easy. If there is any justice in the world they will be in the final three.
• I really need to not hear Li’l Kim talk. Ever. Their samba was action packed for sure. And it was fast and sunny. But as I’ve said and will say again, I can’t like her. She’s crude, she’s brash, she does not sound educated and there is no way I am voting for her.
• I like Ty. He is so smooth and classy and so dang cute! I liked me the cowboy’s foxtrot. Chelsie needs to speak to wardrobe about her dress and the hemline however. Twice she fell, TWICE, because her heel got caught in her outfit.

AND THE RESULTS:
Does anyone else hate the dance off idea as much as I do? I much prefer seeing the best dance repeated than the worst dances done again, with nerves added in and the pending doom of elimination. I have to say though, Denise’s samba looked better. It had much better timing, though it was still a crappy song, and looked like a dance at least and less like flailing. I’m unsure how Steve and Steve-O were both not in the bottom two? I lose the Internet for one week and look at what happens. Who is voting for these guys? And they saved the bunny?! It’s all chaos in here people. Chaos.
I really liked Hall and Oates though those boys are showing their age just a tad – their sunglasses are BACK in fashion again, that’s how old they are. But great guest singers thus far this season. I know, week three, whatever.

This is me, keeping you current on the snide.

Bumper Boogie

I know, I promised this days ago, but that thing I will not mention happened and I couldn't.
So.
This is my opinion on the first elimination round for Season 8 of Dancing With The Stars.
OMG – Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy was awesome. I would watch the insanity of Julianne and the stupidity of Steve-O AND the dance off – which was just as painful as I envisioned it being – I would watch all of that many, many times just to watch them play and sing. LOVE THEM!
I am sure I will say this many times this season, but they kept the Playboy Bunny? Really? Men don’t vote. I would have thought she’d be outta there. And it was a tough call between the two, Belinda and Steve. Neither were too good but there were other bad dancers too.

This is me, with the first results show.

Weird Dream #27

Just when you thought my mind couldn't get any more twisted, I dreamt I was at a church function, new building, new group and I was alone, that is, no Tarzan. In retrospect it seemed like a rather young crowd for me to be hanging out with.
The activity was going to require the group of us to stand in rows, kind of at attention, take turns stripping naked, recite a poem or other famous passage and then get dressed again. I declined to play, as did one other girl. Everyone else was just fine with the whole idea, and actually, the other girl was fine with idea, she just had a medical condition that prevented her from standing that long. (?) So they proceeded to recite, while naked, randomly, and since they were all in rows, no one could see anyone else, except from the back. (I also stood at the back of the room.) This went on for about ten people and then we were done, with no discernible timer, or signal.
Totally random and oddly vivid since I can remember lots of details, even now.

This is me, daring anyone else to come up with weirder dreams.

Word From Our Sponsor

Does anyone else remember when commercial breaks were so short you had to race to the bathroom, hope none of your siblings were there ahead of you, and still not make it back before the show started again?
Nowadays – do I sound old or what? – there’s not only time to visit the restroom, but time to change a load of laundry and get a snack as well and STILL be back before the ads are over.
What are we teaching our children?

This is me, and the times they are a changin’.

Not Breathing

Okay. No one move, no one even breathe...
It is quite possible that my Internet AND my phone are back online and I can call people and respond to email and post blogs from my living room. But don't tell anyone or they might take it away again.
Jeepers. What a drag this whole ordeal has been. What I want to know is why they can disconnect my phone and my Internet in 30 seconds but it takes two weeks to get it back?

This is me, and this is the last time I will whine about not being connected. I promise.

Just When I Thought The Worst Was Over

This has got to be the most irritating situation of my life. It was bad last week but I had the Internet back and now it's gone AGAIN. I barely got to enjoy the freedom for a few days and then Saturday the nasty red light was on again. (I hate the nasty little red light.) The lovely customer service girl told me we have apparently been cheating the system for the last few days and they finally got it caught up...Curses. But the deal is we won't get it fixed until the 25th. Do you know how long that is?!
I know.
I am posting this from the local library. Which is an amusing option I suppose. It will get old fairly fast though.

This is me, does it surprise anyone else that the first thing I do when I get online is check my Mafia Wars status on Facebook?

I Know You Missed Me

Lest my integrity as a critic be called into question, I have not watched, nor read, any entertainment news during the hiatus, so my review will be as unbiased as it ever is. Because I know you were worried about missing my scintillating commentary on this week's Dancing With The Stars. You're welcome.

• Holly IS improved from last week, but really, how could she not be? She needs to smooth out some edges though. She and Dimitry are not quite in sync.
• David looked better in his rehearsal of the salsa (Since when did salsa get put on the list of regulation ballroom dances?) than he did on the floor. He was not as fast on his feet and didn't have as much hip action as is necessary for that dance.
• Denise's quickstep was not bad, in fact for most of it I really liked it. Maks is right, she IS tense, even her face, which is an odd place to be visibly tense I think.
• I really want to like Belinda - partly for Jonathan - but her salsa was a little slow. She seemed more relaxed though, which is a good step.
• I love Ty's new "concentration" face. And I really liked his quickstep. I was worried when he started but then the music kicked in and rocked it. He definitely gets most improved from me. (Was it not a tad premature Sam to ask what dance they are going to do in the dance off FOR LAST PLACE?)
• I love that Mark has no problem doing the girl's part in demonstration for Shawn, including the full body shiver. I think her salsa hips were not quite in though. She has the steps down already and the face and everything, but her hips are stiff.
• Steve's quickstep was not overly quick...But he does try and he is very funny and has such a good attitude and enthusiasm about the whole thing.
• Chuck and Julianne's salsa was hot, but it wasn't a lot of salsa in my opinion. And I hate the pants on her. But I always do, on any of the girls. Dance needs a skirt on at least one of the competitors. Chuck is right though, we ALL know what Bruno wants.
• Lawrence's quickstep was not as quick as some of the others, but it was pretty - loved Edyta's dress - and his footwork was better than it looked like it would be after the rehearsal footage.
• Why am I not surprised that Steve-O hurt himself in a tiny little stunt dancing, rather than doing the hugely stupid things he does in his movies. In any case, the dress rehearsal of the salsa did not suck, (is it wrong of me to like the short skirts with the thigh-high stockings?) and I thought it was a good balance of rebel versus regular steps.
• No matter how good her dance is - and the quickstep was cute - I just can't get into Lil' Kim. She acts well on the dance floor, but as soon as she opens her mouth her real life persona is just too much for me.
• What still amuses me about Melissa is that they have to introduce her as a star of The Bachelor because she isn't famous for anything else. I thought her salsa was pretty good. Her hands have a tendency to flap when she isn't holding Tony's hands but it was fast and the musicality was very good.
• Good color scheme for Cheryl and Gilles. Love the green. The music took forever to get to quickstep speed though. That's a little disappointing. It was well done despite that though, I thought.

I will reviewing the first elimination and what seems to be a stupid dance off idea in the next episode, tomorrow. I will confess I am more excited for Big Bad VooDoo Daddy than for the theatrical tactics they use during the elimination show.

This is me, late but still opinionated.

Hospice Here I Come

I am not sure how these things happen to me - and it's not that I mind, I don't mind helping at all - it's just that these are not things I would have chosen as talents of mine aaaand then I get asked for a favor and find myself in the middle of something I just had not expected.
Tarzan's grandfather has been in the hospital and then at home recuperating. The man is ninety-two, his wife died last year and we didn't really expect a lot of recuperating to be going on, but his children - of which Tarzan's mother is one - just wanted him to be happy and comfortable at home. They arranged for at-home nursing and a caregiver in the afternoons and things went fairly well for the first week. Then issues of a variety I was not privileged to to know arose and the afternoon help was unable to continue.
I got a call last week, right around the time the phone and the Internet pooped out, to see if I was available to sit with him in the afternoons for a few days this week. As I had nothing else to do during the day - Internet off-line, remember - I said sure. How hard could it be? The man was bed-ridden the last time I saw him and none too lucid, so I figured I'd bring a book, hang out, pass a few sips of water across when necessary and then go home.
Ha.
Ha ha.
Ha ha ha.
This grandfather is freakin' resilient let me tell you. I went down there last Friday and he was up and walking around, flirting with the nurses. This week he's been able to have food that's not liquid and that seems to have perked him up even more - should have heard the exclamations about the Cream Of Wheat for breakfast! But he's stronger, ordering people around and making jokes; he taught me a joke in German to share with Tarzan. It makes me happy for him and for his kids, and happy I could in some way help with the process.
I have seen certain parts that I could have gone my whole life without seeing - a certain sense of detachment is quite necessary - but it's a small price to pay considering the benefits...don't you think?

This is me, all set for a career in nursing.

Finally

Holy crap people, that was the longest week of my life! I kid you not, it seemed every time I needed something it was in some way related to the Internet or the telephone and let me tell you, I did not realize quite how much time I spend each day with either of those two items.
I wonder of there is an Electronic Device Anonymous group...?

This is me, hooked up again.

Unconnected

Is it amusing to anyone else that when I found out Wednesday our phone had not been receiving calls for who knows how long, my first thought was: what an awesome blog post this will make!
Yes, I am slightly psychotic, thank you for asking.
The facts are these: Tarzan called - my cell phone - to ask why our - house - phone was disconnected. (His cell phone was dying and felt I needed to know that so if I called and got voicemail I would know he wasn't ignoring me. Remember the psychotic part above? Yeah, he sure knows me.) I called the phone company - from the house phone, meaning we could dial out, just not receive - to ask what had happened. They said our number was being ported to another service provider and I would have to call to figure it out. So I called the other company and THEY said there was no record of our name, number or address in their computer and so they surely weren't porting our phone number. I called the first group back to tell them my findings, got a different person, naturally, and they said, they would try and cancel the request. That night someone called us and we figured it was all fixed. Great story right?
But wait, it gets better.
I got home from the food bank, where I volunteer on Thursdays, and found our Internet modem blinking a nasty red light and the phone didn't work at all. I called the phone company AGAIN and apparently it was after hours because I got routed through some little town in darkest Africa where the dude had such a delay on the phone he only heard half of what I said.
"My Internet is not working and neither is my phone."
"Your Internet is not working? Have you tried resetting in from the back of the modem?" (I certainly had, twice.)
"Well, my phone doesn't work either, are the two related maybe?"
"The phone doesn't work? Have you tried unplugging it from the wall?"
...
Anyway, I went through that futile exercise in order to get a problem number to give to a repairman the next day only to have the connection severed right as my helpful agent started to read it to me. Gah! So annoying. Do you know how many hours a night I spend on Facebook? I think you do.
There's more.
So Friday, yesterday, I called the phone company yet again, only to have them tell me the cancellation had not gone through, our number had ported and the disconnect order for the Internet had begun. And apparently it can't be stopped for 3-5 days; they could reconnect my phone, but I would have a different number. And since it also takes 3-5 days to set UP the Internet, I will not be connected again until Wednesday - WEDNESDAY people - and then next Friday I will have to call and see if they can change my phone number BACK to what it was before. Turns out the company they thought had requested our number - who still had no idea what I was talking about - has very similar request codes as our cable TV provider. The TV people had requested our phone number and disconnected our Internet so they could bundle our services in one bill - not a bad idea in principle - but I hadn't said do it and they didn't tell me it was going to start. That's the last time I am nice to a telemarketer.
In the meantime I am snatching time wherever I can, even if it means enemy territory over here on the other side of town at ATL's apartment.

This is me, a girl's got to keep her Mafia Wars score up.

The Sky And The Dawn And The Sun

This is one of my new favorite songs:

This is me, liking the cascading melody. And the crescendos of course.

It's Back, And Real-er Than Before

It's begun again. Weirder, zanier, far more hype and more conflict and less actual consideration for the conception of the idea, but I watch it, yes I do, because it is addictive. I suddenly understand the obsessions other people have for reality shows. I thought I was above such things because MY reality show was classy. MY reality show had dignity. MY reality show had a point, needed talent, blah, blah, blah. Then last season happened.
And look at what is coming down the staircase in this, the eighth season of Dancing With The Stars.

• I cannot believe they let Lil' Kim on the show. A shout out to "her girls in the pen?!" This is a family show people. Derek Hough is her partner and he won last season but please don't let her win.
• I wonder if Jonathan Roberts asks for the older stars? He is a gentleman and a lot less competitive than some of the other professionals. I hope he and Belinda Carlisle get their partnership in sync. She seems nice and humble - reminds me of Priscilla Presley. Ugly color for a dress I thought.
• Lawrence Taylor has the footwork - like the other football players - and Edyta Slwinska has stamina. That girl REALLY wants to win a trophy. Of course her husband won the first season so I wonder if she wants one to even it up?
• Steve O...all I can say is oh my gosh, and really? And if anyone can relate to - and work with - this guy it is Lacey Schwimmer, so thank goodness she's his partner. His feet were...there. And they moved. But it wasn't the steps he was supposed to be doing.
• The fates have been kind, Cheryl Burke has a young-ish, hot guy. Too bad Gilles Marini is not as famous as some of the others; he could win.
• Oh no. Oh nonononono. Chuck Wicks is dating Julianne Hough?! AND they're partners?! This season is going to be one long soap opera. And not the good kind. TOTAL lift right there at the end of the routine.
• This has officially degenerated into a ratings game. We have a bunny on the show - a Playboy bunny and let me tell you Bruno was drooling all over the desk. Holly Madison, the bunny herself, is dancing with a new pro, Dimitry Chaplin who I know nothing about.
• I don't think I am going to like Chelsie Hightower - she's very Julianne-y. I did love her dress though. And Ty Murray needs to loosen his hips up A LOT. He's so cute and he sounds SO cute. Love the accent. I hope he can work out the footwork.
• Who does Mark Ballas know such that he gets the Olympic Champions? And what is with the beard? Shawn Johnson is very athletic, but she's got to make new muscles work. Mostly the ones in her face. But she's got the elegance, and I liked it. I might have to vote for them.
• Steve Wozniak - there is a man I would not have suspected as wanting to dance. He's going to need some work, but the dance was funny; not totally bad. And WHAT is Karina Smirnoff wearing? P.S. Do they know they have two contestants with the same name?
• David Alan Grier - there is a funny man. I don't think Kym Johnson is sure what to do with the sarcasm though. He's SO deadpan. And I think she's been getting fashion tips from Edyta. It didn't suck.
• Yay, Maksim Chmercovskiy's back! He can be tough, but I love him. And he's so cute and SO good. Denise Richard's needs to save the crying for later in the season when the stakes are higher. And she needs some work. Her feet need some work.
• The producers sure don't waste any time cashing in on new celebrities - and this one has a huge sympathy vote - Melissa Rycroft's been famous for about three days. Tony Dovolani may luck out this time, with the replacement rather than the originally scheduled partner.
• The hosts are back and they are the same, Tom is funny, Sam is sad, so sad. And the judges, oy. Len still offers the most constructive and unapologetic comments, Bruno still needs to be shot, and Carrie-Ann still wants to be young and hip.

This is me, it's all the same reality hype, even dressed up in sequins and heels.

Late Night

Have you ever woken up knowing you didn't move all night long? That was me this morning. I slept hard. Don't know if it's because we were out late - had dinner with QC, SBB and B's 2 and 3, then went to drive some cars really fast - or because of the stress we're dealing with. Weddings, funerals, all that.
The good news is; tomorrow is stake conference so I don't have to do any lessons, or go to any early meetings, or sit on unruly children, or direct singing, or...yeah, it'll be nice. Weird, but nice.

This is me, a little bit sore in the shoulder department.

Anti-Fantastic News

Just the karma of life I suppose, that following something good, something not good happens to keep the balance.
My dad called today to tell me my uncle Jamie, Dad's only sibling, had died. His brother was young, only 47, and my dad thinks he just gave up living. Their mother passed away two +/- years ago and Jamie had lived his whole life with her. (Grandad died a long time ago when the boys were teenagers.) He'd gone to school of course, even college, but he'd never had a job or a girlfriend and when grandma died, he was all alone. He didn't want to leave the only house he'd ever known and move closer to us, so we were a little surprised he hung around this long. (Is that a horrible thing to say?) He's probably happier, being with his mother again, and that makes me feel a little better. I really feel sorry for my father though. Uncle Jamie was the last of that side of the family - it wasn't large to begin with - so now my Dad's all alone. It's not the same, I know, he's got my mom and all us kids, and grandkids, but Jamie was the last person who knew my dad as a kid, the last person who knew the inside jokes we all have with our siblings, the only other person to talk about Grandma - young and pretty Grandma - with.
I might be going back to The Frozen North with my dad, depending on how the arrangements work out, to pick up all the pictures and things left behind. I'll let you know.

This is me, with the sad news now.

Fantastic News

QC is getting married! And she's marvelous. Tiny - seriously, shorter than me, and about a quarter of the thickness - but marvelous. She's from South Of The Border, WAY south, but she also has family here and we met some of them at dinner on Sunday night. Really cool folks. Friday night we're invited to a dinner with different family members to get to know her some more. Poor Music Man, he'll be the last one - he's at home in The Rockies and only finds stuff out if someone calls him. Gamma is out here to see her father who's in the hospital so even she got to meet MLL - the finacee.
We're all incredibly happy for QC - this is really good for him it's already apparent and SBB is very cool - but we were a little skeptical when he said he was coming to The Jungle to meet his future wife. (They've been talking via video conferencing for a while and chatting all the time, but they were meeting for the first time this week and it seemed quick.) QC is like that - he throws random topics out there with no intro just to see what will ignite. It's a family characteristic I suppose, Tarzan has non-sequiter-itis in spades.
But.
The wedding is likely to be soon, and so Rocketgirl and I are kind of the go to girls for the party. Rocketgirl because she's awesome, has great taste in everything, and me because I'm a girl and I live here. I say that with no bitterness. I am not one with a lot of...current trendiness let's say. But the wedding sounds very classy from our brief discussions so far and I'm totally excited. Small, mostly family but really elegant I think.


This is me, helping to plan a wedding.

Dwelling

Now THIS is an interesting story:

Not because of the upside down mortgage - half the people in the country have one of those. Is it sad, sure, but dude, you knew it was a risk when you financed it that way - no it's interesting because how did they plan it? It sounds like it would be a great idea, only have to build half the walls with the rock as the others, and the idea of using the earth as the heating/air conditioning system is very renewable resource of the family. I wish they'd included some plans, or more pictures.

I really want to know how they arranged the living spaces:

Is the house only one room deep so they can get natural light to every one?:

How much of a problem was the electrical and plumbing work? Could they use the abandoned mine utilities? Were there any? Was getting the materials down the cliff a huge obstacle? Which direction does the front face and what kind of window treatments are being used for heat transfer? I hear it gets cold in Missouri.

This is me, interested, intrigued and yet, not tempted.

Advertisement

People, people, people, how does the car have any effect whatsoever on how the kid performs at an event his parents aren't even present for?

This is me, bemused by how dumb they think we are.

Overscheduled

I'm pretty sure I have asked this question before, but I think it bears repeating: why the "*$%^&!#%@!" does everything get scheduled for the same weekend?
Friday night was the Blue & Gold dinner for the cub scouts, their families AND any boys who will be eligible to join in the coming year. It was also the dinner/lecture with Norm Chow. We chose to see Norm because there were many other people involved with the Cub Scout thing, and no one else was going to walk in with matching jackets of the rival team and ask Norm why he left us. But it was a tough decision.
Then yesterday, Fleighund needed help moving, a parent of one of my church kids was getting baptized, there was a veteran's memorial program, QC was flying into town to see family (and a girl) and they were ALL AT THE SAME TIME! We helped Fleighund move because, again, there was no one else involved with that and he had a lot of crap to clean out and schluff across town. Fortunately the girl QC was coming to see arranged to have him picked up at the airport because there was no way we were going to make his arrival time. Sadly, the veterans and the baptism had to go on without us.
Tonight we're scheduled for dinner with the paternal side of the family and also visiting grandpa (Tarzan's mother's father) in the hospital. All important things but I can only be one place at a time - SOMEone clearly needs to tell SOMEone else to not plan something on a day that I already have something arranged. That's all.

This is me, saying spread it around mateys, spread it around.