Yay for Christmas!

I realize we have yet to slice the Thanksgiving turkey, but come on, it's basically Christmas already. That means it's time for PRESENTS!! Yes, presents. I'm just picturing new sweaters and shoes and gadgets and... did I write all that? What I meant was it's time for family and friends and being together and PRESENTS!! Whatever. Everyone likes getting presents.

Anyway, can we come up with a creative gift exchange between the three of us? I was thinking we could put a dollar limit on gifts and then figure out some fun way to buy presents. Maybe we pick a theme or it has to be from a certain store or fall into a certain category. I don't know. I was hoping you guys could think of something.

Substitute

As Brant and I were enjoying a meal at El Porton in Cordova, we were lucky enough to witness an exchange between another customer and a waiter. A family sat down at the table next to us and began to order their drinks. Here is how the exchange between the son and the waiter went...

Son: "Do you have root beer?"

Waiter: "No, we do have Dr. Pepper."

And that's it. Brant and I almost died laughing. We were exhausted from the weekend so I'm sure that helped make it more funny. Still, Dr. Pepper is not a substitute for root beer. The waiter may as well have offered cheese dip as a substitute.

Decision Time

So, who is going to win Project Runway this season? In my perfect world, Michael would win. I like Uli a lot but she hasn't shown enough variety. Same with Laura. Plus, she's weird. Jeffrey is too out there for me, which probably means he will end up winning it all. Anyway, who do you think will win?

My first movie role

I thought I'd let you both know that I'm going to get some practice in before "The Big Day" next summer. I was just asked to play a bride in an independent movie by a girl who works at the theater (apparently I have "THE LOOK"). Seriously. All I have to do is sit and wear a wedding dress and look like a bride or something, so I should be able to pull it off. Don't be confused though, this film is probably not going to be my big break, but I'm definitely going to be putting it on my resume from now on. And if my dress looks anything like this, I'm probably going to ask to keep it.

In Case You Were Wondering

Goldfish Crackers that are packaged in small individual packages are not nearly as cheesy as those packaged in the larger boxes. I bought the individual packages a few days ago, because I tend to have a problem stopping when I start eating out of the box. Clearly, I love Goldfish. Anyway, I was sorely disappointed by the less than cheeserific (duh it's a great word) taste of the individual packages. If you have any contacts at Pepperidge Farm, please notify them of my issue immediately. Thanks.

Project Runway will save our blog!

It's been pretty bleak for awhile here on the blog, but I think I know what can save it! Project Runway!! I know that it's one of my favorite shows on TV, and I think each of you would probably agree that Heidi, Tim, Kors-y, and NEENA GAA-CEEA are the best personalities on reality TV. So, I'm going to start with my thoughts on the last episode!

Well, I was rejoicing at first because disgusting Vincent had been eliminated the week before. If he said, "It turns me on" ONE more time, I was probably going to punch the TV. His designs are terrible and he has a sick infatuation with clothes that isn't very healthy. So, imagine my surprise when they brought him back!! It was the worst choice they could have made, and although it made sense in theory, that every designer who won be brought back for a second chance...it just didn't seem at all possible that Vincent or Angela (aka Rosettes) would come close to winning the competition. I think that Bravo just loves the drama and they thought that those 2 loons would provide some. Well, bravo...uh, Bravo, because you got that right. And that's why I love your blantantly dramatic challenges and previews.

The designs were OK. I think Michael should have won because that white dress was hot. Uli's stuff is starting to get repetitive, so she needs to get it together. And Laura...she's become so much more enjoyable now that she's going through emotional breakdowns with the pregnancy!

My vote for the final three is Michael (who I want to win), Uli (who knew patterns could be so great?) and Laura (who's designs are basically all the same).

Drained

I don't think I have the ability to be clever during this post. Being around young minds all day has the tendency to completely drain me- mind, body and spirit. It's odd to me that I'm a teacher. I don't feel all that far removed from high school myself, yet these students and their actions remind me that I am getting old.

The few cool points I earned with my freshman class came with their discovery of my Napoleon calendar. I bribe my middle school class with candy and fair tickets to gain not only their attention, but their affection. It's weird. I don't necessarily want to be the "cool teacher," but I do want the students to like me. At the same time, it is disruptive to let them use the restroom during class or do other things to make them happy. When I was in high school, I got pissed at teachers who wouldn't let you go to the restroom during class. Now I understand why. That makes me sad, because it makes me feel old.

I told the middle school class that I would play their music in class if they brought music that was appropriate. A kid brought in a Snoop Dog cd. I give him points for being old school. However, as you might imagine, the song was all about getting high and drinking. I refused to play it in class. Does that make me a prude? They said another teacher had allowed them to play it in class. I guess she's cooler than me.

Anyway, that's about all I can think of right now. I would like to post a funny story but I'm just too worn out. I feel kind of like Deb Down. I'm looking forward to a weekend in Fayetteville with the Davies! Wish the bride and groom of 2007 could be there.

If you haven't seen this yet, you're welcome

So, this is the newest video from the band OK GO and it's so great that I had to make sure you both were able to see it. Thanks to YouTube for making it happen. And enjoy...

Adventures in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor welcomed a new visitor this past weekend! After surviving the "ghetto terminal" and Detroit, Kari made it into Double A safely. The first night, we went to dinner at a nice brewpub downtown and then headed home to crash...at 10pm - we're party animals!! The next morning, we headed out to Cost Plus World Market and then the mall. We were pretty successful, as you can tell from the picture above. We shopped in honor of Brittnee, who must have been channeling some great deals our way because we found a few good bargains! Next time, when Brittnee comes to AA, we might have to retire our credit cards. That night we cooked a lovely dinner at our apartment - complete with rice pilaf! It was pretty delicious.

The next day, the destination was downtown and Kerrytown and we also had some luck shopping there. We found some cute housewares and also hit up Moosejaw for some sweet tees! That night, we put on our "fancy clothes" and had some dessert and cocktails at La Dolce Vita.

Afterwards, we tried out a jazz club (Goodnight Gracie's), but it was kind of smokey and loud, so instead we went to another favorite spot - Leopold Brother's. We drank gin n' juice (like Snoop Dogg) and played Sorry! (we each won a game) and then finished up with some darts. I was terrible, but Kari and Eric were pretty good and things got a little competitive near the end!
Sunday was pretty laid back. We went to lunch at Zingerman's deli and afterwards headed home to lounge all day long! It was pretty relaxing...there might have been some naps, but who can remember? We ordered Cottage Inn pizza and Kari procrastinated packing for about 4 hours. Then, we packed it in so that we could get up for her early flight the next morning. It was a really fun visit! We definitely missed our third musketeer, though. Next time, you're comin', B!

Travelogue: Oahu

I know that I returned from Hawaii a week ago, but I figured that a recap post is better late than never. I can describe the trip much easier through words and some pictures anyway. And so...

Day 1: No major activities to speak of, we got in, went to eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise (very good) and tried to stay awake until 10...we made it to 9:30 before passing out.

Day 2: I will always remember this day because that's when Eric proposed! You've both heard the story, so I won't go into detail, but the experience was magical.

Day 3: After my engagement high, I was brought back down to earth the next morning with surf lessons! It was actually very fun, but my arms got so sore and I was battling a pretty intense case of sea sickness that I headed in about 30 minutes before the rest of the gang so that I could lay on my surfboard and try not to hurl. Here's a shot of me beforehand though, yeah!

Day 4: All the families rented Sebring convertibles to drive around the island and I will tell you that it was pretty fun. We first visited the Dole Pineapple pavillion (I had some sweet pineappe sorbet), then ventured to Haleiwa where we ate lunch and got some shave ice. Then we went on a beach tour near the North Shore trying to find the perfect beach. We went to three (and actually unpacked all our stuff and hiked down to a spot) before settling on the perfect one. It was semi-comical and semi-frustrating doing all that back and forth driving, and things almost came to a head when the keys got locked in our car at one beach. Eric and Sara actually broke in (through the obviously poorly constructed convertible top) and were able to pop it so we could get back in. That night on our way back home we ate at an authentic Hawaiian diner. I had what I will refer to as one of the best burgers of my life at that diner (Flamingo Diner) and I will never forget it!

Day 5: Eric and his stepdad went on a kayak tour out on Kailua beach (about 45 minutes away) in the morning and then everyone else went out to that beach in the afternoon to hang out in the sun. That was the best beach we went to the whole time. It wasn't very crowded and had some sweet waves for boogie boarding! After the beach, we headed back to Waikiki for drinks and then dinner at Tiki's grill.

Day 6: We got up early to hike up Diamond Head, which turned out to be pretty cool. It took about 45 minutes or something and the view was great. However, I think a quote from Eric's uncle Jeff best summed up the experience: "Off the record? A postcard would have been just fine." After a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, we were bused out to Paradise Cove for a luau! I had a really fun time. We made leis and threw spears and got to watch people shake their hips and stuff. I even tried poi! It was nasty. Here's me enjoying a "Blue Hawaii" - and enjoy it I did!

Day 7: We woke up early to go to Pearl Harbor and see the USS Arizona Memorial. Although we stood in line (which wrapped around twice!) for an hour, it was definitely worth it. We had to go out on a boat to see the memorial itself, which is built on top of the sunken Arizona. It was really incredible. After taking a small tour of Honolulu on the bus ride back to Waikiki, we went back to the beach and did an Outrigger tour. It's basically a big kayak that about 10 people get in and paddle out to sea and then ride back in on waves. It was so fun! That night we went to dinner at Duke's - named for Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii's famous Olympic swimmer and surfer - and we were able to sit outside and sip delightful cocktails. I don't think I've ever had so many pina coladas in a week, it was great!

Day 8: Our last day was pretty laid back. We hung out on the beach for most of it. Right before we were about to leave, we saw the torch-lighting ceremony that they do on Waikiki beach every night. Guys dressed in nothing but a sarong run down the beach and light all the torches for the night. It was a fun way to end the trip.

All in all, it was one of the best trips I've ever been on. It was tough to leave and face the daily grind again. That's why I propose that the next gathering of the three of us should be in Hawaii! Please keep your calendars open!

He's Just Not Right

Date: July 19, 2006
Time: Around 7:00pm
Location: Texas Roadhouse

Detailed account of events: As I sat with my family for dinner recently, I witnessed something that just wasn't right. Shortly after getting our drinks, a family sat down at the table next to ours. It appeared to be a girl and her husband (in their twenties) and her parents. They seemed nice enough and quite normal. However, that "normal" thought quickly turned. Texas Roadhouse plays country music, somewhat loudly, in an attempt to create atmosphere. This atmosphere came crashing down as the son-in-law at the table next to use began serenading his wife. It could have been cute, maybe. I doubt it, but maybe. Anyway, he couldn't sing, yet she acted as if he was the next George Strait. It was obviously annoying. The worst part, however, is the song he chose to sing. Some of the lyrics are below and please keep in mind that they are dining with her parents:

"Baby lock the door and turn the light down low
Put some music on that's soft and slow
Baby we ain't got no place to go
I hope you understand
I’ve been thinking 'bout this all day long
Never felt a feeling quite this strong
I can't believe how much it turns me on
Just to be your man"

Annoying. Gross. Inappropriate. And like I said, the man did not have a good voice. All in all, he's just not right.

On the Road... Again!

Last weekend, Brant and I went to South Fork with Gary, Steph, Jerrod and Dana. We all had a great time going fishing, golfing, eating and drinking. We caught a few fish, the girls won at golf and a bear visited the cabin one night and left claw marks on the ice chest. All in all, great fun! By the time Sunday came around, we were pretty tired and not looking forward to the three hour drive home. To make matters worse, it rained really hard most of the way home so the drive seemed really long. But we got home and were glad the weekend had gone so well, or so we thought...

After searching through all of our bags, I couldn't find my phone! I pretty much freaked out. I've never lost something so personal before. Plus, my phone is sometimes the only contact I have with the outside world as I sit at home all day. There was really only one option - drive back to South Fork (remember, it's three hours) early Monday, alone, with no phone. So that's what I did. I honestly don't mind driving, but six hours by myself was a bit much. I wouldn't recommend it. On the bright side, and perhaps somewhat random, Gulley was groomed on Monday so I picked her up when I got back to Pueblo and she looks fabulous!

Birthday weekend

Another birthday come and gone, another year older. I had a great birthday, filled with great food, fun shopping and, of course, lovely presents (thanks again to you both!). I think that 24 will be the greatest year ever!

In addition to the birthday celebration, Eric and I also managed to have a very productive weekend. We went to the new Ikea in Canton on Sunday to look for some new furniture. If you've never been to an Ikea, here's a short tutorial: Swedish company; HUGE warehouse filled with mock-up rooms; instead of aisles, you wind through the store following a map; insanely crowded; tons of organizational items; most products are for self-assembling; CHEAP. In a nutshell, it's the perfect store. If there weren't a billion people there that day, I would have run through the warehouse with my arms flailing, yelling, "I WANT EVERTHING! I'LL TAKE IT ALL!" We ended up purchasing a new desk and add-on unit. If you're interested in seeing it, cut and paste this link:

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=12&catalogId=10103&langId=-1&topcategoryId=15600&parentCats=15600*15872*16133&categoryId=16133&cattype=sub

It's the MIKAEL desk and add-on unit in the "black-brown/white." The whole thing was just $100!! I love it, it's the coolest desk ever! Plus, after we returned home from Ikea, we went to another store and bought a Papasan chair and stool to match! Our study is totally reorganized and probably the best room in our apartment now. Redecorating is F-U-N!

A side note: we've been referring to the new Papasan chair as the "Popozao" chair and I don't think we have any plans to quit. POPOZAO!

Double A beckons!

Here's my plea for both of you to visit me in Double A. I have taken the liberty of choosing a few dates that might be acceptable.

Fri, July 28: There is a Guster/Ray LaMontagne concert in Chicago on this date and it takes about 4 hours to drive there from AA. Even if we didn't end up wanting to do the concert, the weekend would still be good for me.
Fri, August 11
Fri, August 18
Fri, August 25

Obviously, what I am thinking is a 3 day weekend trip. However, if you're both interested, you can feel free to do whatever you choose.

If you're STILL questioning AA, ponder this: a good mall with a new H&M, JCrew, Marshall Fields, CPK (Vegas style); DSW shoe store; fun stores and good restaurants downtown; a pool if we wanted to go sunbathing; free movie passes to shows at a historic downtown movie theater! It's a pretty cool town and I think we would have lots of fun. PLUS! we could go dancing at fun clubs and if you got in on Thursday night, we could go to a sweet karaoke bar!

OPEN CALL: Bad Girls Club

This morning as I got off the bus in front of the theater, I saw some flyers in our "marketing stand" that didn't belong there. It's part of my job to keep it stocked and also make sure that flyers for events not at the theater are removed. So, I promptly removed the flyers with the headline: "Bad Girls Club: Open Call" expecting it to be an ad for a new strip club or something. Well, to my surprise, it was a casting call for a new Bunim-Murray TV show! Here's the description:

From the producers of The Real World, six girls will live by the beach in L.A. and work with each other to tackle aspects of their personalities that - while making them FABULOUS - tend to hold them back from success in relationships and careers.

Ladies. I'm not joking, this is ACTUALLY what the flyer said. Also, a few questions on the side of the flyer:

Does your refusal to PLAY BY THE RULES sometimes get you in trouble?
Have you ever been called a "Drama Queen"?
Need a way to reach your dreams without compromising the things that make you special?

My favorite is the third question, as the answer surely lies in going on TV broadcasting these "special things" for the world to see.

This is SO not a joke, to see real proof, go to the official website here: http://www.bunim-murray.com/casting/index.htm

I'll see you both in NYC on Saturday for the open audition.

My Favorite Picture

"Shake it like a Polaroid picture, bitches!"

We're on a break

So, we haven't discussed it formally, but we at the blog are on a "break." We are all preparing for the wedding of 2006. The bride has plenty to be worrying about without trying to come up with fabulous blog entries. The rest of us are taking advantage of the wedding to come home and spend some quality time with our families, who miss us ever-so-dearly. I just thought I would send out a small note to the legions of fans we have out there who might've gotten worried that the blog was no more. We will be back - and we will be fabulous. POPOZAO!

It's Just Another Manic Monday

Hello, girls! I just thought I would write to see how each of you are doing this Monday morning. Did you have good weekends? Do anything special for Mother's day?

My weekend was all right. First off, the weather here is terrible. It's been cold and rainy for about 10 days now and it doesn't look like it has any plans to quit. It's bad enough when I HAVE to get up and go to work, but it's almost worse when I want to get out and enjoy the weekend and it's so gloomy. Boo.

Eric and I saw Inside Man on Friday night. It was good. Denzel and Jodie Foster were good in it and the story was clever. I'm excited about the new summer movies coming out. I think I want to see MI:III, even though Tom Cruise is CRAZY, and I haven't read the book, but DaVinci Code looks good. Anything's better than Just My Luck and Stick It, gosh!

Mother's Day was good, even though I couldn't actually be with my mom. She LOVED her apron and said that it's too pretty to wear when she's cooking (and possibly get food on), so she'll probably just put it on when guests come over and pretend like she cooked in it and showcase it like a new outfit. That's funny!!

Did either of you watch Grey's Anatomy? It was a cliff-hanger! I will be tuning in to the 2-hour (really?) finale tonight.

A Note on Friendship

Recent reports say that CaCee Cobb, Jessica Simpson's BFF will no longer be her assistant. There are only a few reasons why this might have happened.

1. Ken, Jessica's extremely involved hair guy, took CaCee to an undisclosed location and threatened to shave her head unless she quit, so that he could take over as Jessica's right-hand man.

2. Jessica is pissed that CaCee did not remain wholly devoted to her, and instead showed some sympathy to Nick.

3. CaCee has strict rules about friendships with orange people.

Whatever happened, it's kind of sad. Supposedly they two have been friends since childhood, and though reports say they are still very close, I highly doubt the truth of those reports. Sorry girls, but if I got divorced and you continued to hang out with my ex, I would probably have some bad feelings about that.

Who is that?

In an attempt to take attention away from her ex-husband, who has grown in popularity since their split, Jessica goes to extremes. She does not look good as a red-head and/or an orange-bod. My advice to Jessica: if you want to get back in the spotlight, try to release a decent CD or movie. Do not try to become an actual spotlight.

Slackin' off!

Do we need to address why no one has mentioned that Britney Spears is preggers again? We're totally slacking on our duties! I admit that I had fallen behind on the blogs, so I am just now finding out.

First off, WHY? What is she thinking?! Or rather, why doesn't K-Fed take some precautions when...you know...don't make me say it, they're gross! This news upsets me, because it's not as if it's smooth sailing with baby #1. Plus, Brit is not a pretty sight when she's prego. That just had to be said.

I Missed It

As I got out of my car to go into Old Navy this morning, there was a woman walking out of the store and a car approaching the crosswalk the woman was about to use. From my angle, the car came between myself and the lady and slowed to almost a stop Then suddenly the car zoomed forward, before letting the lady cross. I was appalled, until...

I saw the woman PICKING HERSELF UP OFF THE GROUND! She had tripped before ever reaching the crosswalk! I wanted to ask if she was okay, but I fear that I may have laughed in her face. Plus, she appeared to have only injured her pride with the fall. Life is funny.

Short Run

I am quite sad to see that MTV only signed 8th & Ocean for a few episodes, as if they thought it might not be a huge hit! Last night's episode was fabulous, as far as I'm concerned. I'm not sure if the show is supposed to be a comedy, but I laughed out loud several times last night. Suzy always provides a chuckle or two, but my big laughs came during Kelly and Sabrina's bitchfest and when we saw that Heidi was the model Irene Alien Botox Marie chose to move in the model apartment. Genius!

Sometimes I wish they would focus less on Kelly and Sabrina, but then I realize that they provide priceless moments of extremely ridiculous jealousy. They are NEVER happy for each other. I can only imagine the day one tells the other that she's engaged!

I'm glad to see that Britt is still being portrayed as the good girl. I really hope she doesn't take a fall from that pedestal next season. I'm afraid Teddy, who can look devilish at time, may cause Britt to make some bad decisions. Stupid eyeliner boy.

Randoms...

Yesterday I went in to get my bridesmaid dress altered. The tailor, Sophia - a tiny, Eastern-European woman, stuck those pins in around me so fast, I was basically wincing from the THOUGHT of pain. Thankfully, I didn't get stuck at all. On a side note, she did not make any comments about me having "great shoulders" or any other great body part...so maybe SOME people should stop being uncomfortable and realize that they're a model, ok?

After going to the tailor, I drove across the shopping center to a BIG K-Mart. I cannot remember the last time I went to K-Mart, so I decided to check it out. I must say that although people give Martha Stewart crap for being mean and bossy, she's got some great stuff! I was in her aisles for basically the entire time I was there and I bought a few things that I didn't even really need.

Included in the items I purchased was a lint roller from Martha's "Everyday" collection. I use a lint roller quite often because of Sloane - at least a sheet a day. So, I was testing it out last night and I could hardly get the protective outer covering off! That's when I thought to myself, "There's no WAY lint's getting past this bitch!" And that's when I decided to name it, The Enforcer.

One final note: tonight is the finale of 8th & Ocean. I have really enjoyed this show. I'll be sad to see it go away. A moment of silence, please.

Vacays

So, I'm sitting here thinking about possible summer and fall get-togethers for us and I decided to start a discussion. I know that there has been talk of a visit to A2 this summer, and Brittnee has mentioned a visit to F-town to see her new abode in late summer, early fall sometime. So, I thought I would throw out some possible dates for these excursions!

Firday, June 23 - Sunday, June 25
Friday, June 30 - Sunday, July 2
Friday, July 7 - Sunday, July 9
Friday, July 28 - Sunday, July 30

And I can do any time in August, because I don't have anything scheduled. Also, throughout the fall, I don't have anything except a wedding in early September. Brittnee mentioned scheduling a visit around a football game and doing a cookout and stuff which I think is an excellent idea! The football schedule hasn't been set yet, but when it is perhaps we can pick a game early in the season so that the weather will still be decent.

I know that with Brittnee's move to Fayetteville and Kari's possible move out of CO, that the summer could get hectic, which makes it hard to plan. I guess that's something we have to consider before we book flights and stuff. Anyway, thoughts??

A letter to MTV

Dear MTV,

As a loyal fan of your programming for more than 10 years now, I feel like you owe it to me to come up with quality television shows. Now, I looked the other way when the Andy Milanakis show aired (we all make mistakes), and I also chose to give you the benefit of the doubt when you began airing the FIFTH season of Punk'd. But, in recent months I've become somewhat disheartened by your choices (see: Yo Momma, Date My Mom, Tiara Girls, My Super Sweet 16) and it's left me feeling like I have no one to turn to. That is, until last night.

Last night was perhaps the best night of programming I have seen in many months. First, there was the Real World...you gave us a fantastic mix of drunken breakdowns (Paula Walnuts), sober breakdowns (Paula) and guys hooking up with girls and thinking that they won't want a commitment (Zach). It was great!

Next, you stepped it up during the commercials...you aired the teaser for THE HILLS! The most highly anticipated show since Laguna Beach: Season 2!

Finally, 8th & Ocean...Britt is the best person on reality TV and last night she showed why. A preachers daughter who semi-refuses to pose for soft-porn photoshoots is pure GOLD. Not only that, but you got rid of Tracie, who was probably never going to work again in Miami anyway.

In short, you have redeemed yourself, MTV. You are still the channel I will turn to when I am bored and you will always be my source of sub-par reality shows. I will never be able to thank you enough for that.

Love,
Jenny

Yo momma

No, I'm not referring to the new show on MTV starring Wilmer "Fez" Valderrama in which people insult each other for a half hour...and if you haven't seen it, don't bother.

What I am wondering is what are you both doing for your moms for Mother's day in a couple weeks? I ordered my mom an apron from Anthropologie, the store in Vegas where I bought myself an apron (like mother, like daughter, whatever). It's super cute and I'm pretty excited about it. I have slacked off for a while for Mother's/Father's day and this year I'm going to do better. I already bought my dad a book by an author he likes. I'm basically the best daughter my parents ever had.

Random Thoughts

Based on the most recent pictures I have seen, I think Prince Harry has far surpassed Prince William in looks. Prince William took an unfortunate turn towards his father's genes over the last year or so, and I'm almost certain that he is already balding.

My favorite person on 8th and Ocean is definitely Suzy, one of the booking agents. She's always quite sassy and last night she said "To boob or not to boob?" in response to the news about Kelly cancelling her boob job. That's just plain funny.

I was told by the seamstress I went to that I had great shoulders. It made me incredibly uncomfortable.

I was craving a Subway sandwich today so I went to the brand spankin' new Wally World here in Pueblo West to get one. The bread was hard and cold. I was not satisfied.

Watch out for Sloane!

Our dogs can be famous! Ellen is accepting pictures of people's pets as part of her "Best in Show" show coming up. Paris Hilton will be a guest and Tinkerbell will be joining her. I sent in a picture of Sloane that we took while she was getting a bath. I hope they use it on the show! I encourage each of you to send in pics of your pooches to Ellen on her website: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/.

Dancing Nancies

And by nancies, I mean old people. On Friday night the husband and I attended a gala for the American Cancer Society. Since we live in a strange town where we don't know anyone, we pretty much just sat at our table and commented on the various crazies that were in attendance... which brings me to this post. A pretty good band started playing after dinner, but I didn't think anyone would dance. The average age at this event was probably 50. Oh was I wrong! Tons of people started dancing and I just wanted to share with you some of our favorites:

The How Low Can You Go Woman decided to get as low to the floor as humanly possible no matter what the song. She obviously does yoga and wanted to show off her skills. She was pretty short though, which makes her feats less impressive.

The Loose Tie Guy not only loosened his tie the minute the band started, but also untucked his shirt and yes, took off his socks. At least we hope he took off his socks as opposed to coming to the event sockless. Anyway, he was probably in his late thirties and he had a hell of a time.

The Gumby Man was a short man in his late fifties, early sixties probably. He enjoyed the bend over move, where he literally bent his entire body over as if he wanted to touch his toes. He did this move really fast and really often and really, I can't figure out why.

And finally, The Amazon Lady was probably in her sixties. She was taller than everyone on the dance floor, but it wasn't her height that drew us to her. It was her crazy dance moves that I can't even describe and even more so, her outfit for the evening. She wore a beige pant suit with a jacket that she probably stole from Dorothy (of Golden Girls fame), dyed beige and thought "hey, this looks fab!"

Overall, it was a fantastic evening for people watching and we enjoyed ourselves more than we thought we would. If I had known there were going to be so many dancing nancies, I definitely would have taken a camera.

The G: What's Left of Nick Lachey

An update on our favorite half of the "divorcees." Tune in at any one of the several viewing times to watch Nick badmouth Jessica or sing some tender ballads about heartache. He'll probably cry. Then, they'll air his new making the video. I know I'll be watching!!

MTV SPECIAL - Nick Lachey: What's Left Of Me
A lot has happened to Nick Lachey in the last year. For the first time on TV, Nick speaks and sings from the heart as he gets ready to release his new, very personal, solo record. This is probably the last shot Nick has at a successful solo career and he knows it. We follow Nick on his first radio promo tour for his first single, as he steps out with his music into the public eye. The radio tour is the back drop for the special, but the heart and focus of it is Nick speaking in a very honest and frank way about the music, the lyrics, and his life. We shoot Nick in very intimate and conversational "one on one" sit downs in New York, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles, as he travels from city to city on this 10 city radio tour. These settings allow us to capture Nick being very candid and raw as steps out into the public light for the first time.with his music and his life. In addition to these conversations with Nick, we will also focus on three songs from the album. The songs that will be highlighted are: "What's Left Of Me" (the first single), "I Can't Hate You Anymore" and "Resolution" (last track on his album). These three songs represent what Nick has been going through emotionally since the break-up of his marriage, ending with his own personal resolve. "What's Left Of Me will be presented using recording sessions, B-Roll, and new performance footage. Nick plays the track "I Can't Hate You Anymore" for the first time for his father in a very emotional moment at his home in Cincinnati. The show concludes with Nick's live TV debut performance of the song "Resolution". This song was shot with Nick "live" in the studio with just a piano accompaniment exclusively for this special.

Sat 04/22 12:00 PM

Sun 04/23 12:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 3:00 PM

Mon 04/24 4:30 PM

Tue 04/25 10:00 AM

Thu 04/27 12:00 AM

Arm Hater?

A student walked into the classroom yesterday wearing the following: khaki ankle pants, ribbed tank top and down vest complete with fur collar. This didn't make sense to me. Is she hot or cold or what? Has she no regard for the warmth and well-being of her own arms? I believe that down vests should only be worn with a long sleeve shirt. If it's cold enough to require down (and a fur collar, mind you), it's cold enough to require long sleeves, right? I would have even excused her for wearing a t-shirt though, due to the fact that she is young and makes stupid fashion decisions. However, there is no excuse for a tank top with a down vest. I'm too concerned about her top half to even bother with the absurdity of her pants.

PS: I feel okay about posting comments about students' fashion choices. This is mainly because I would gladly look back at pictures from when I was in high school and make fun of myself.

My crazy neighbor

Eric and I live next door to this crazy old man named Jim. On the day that we moved in we met him and he proceeded to talk to us while we were moving heavy furniture inside. I was annoyed with Jim right away. During this past year, Jim has continued to astounded us with just how weird he can be. For one thing, every time we see him he tries to talk to us about how the apartment community is full of weirdos. Newsflash: we live next door to you, we KNOW! And one day he told us that one of our other neighbors was high and that he didn't want to be around people like that. To which Eric and I both thought to ourselves, "Perhaps you should leave??" But the weirdest thing that Jim does is post signs on his apartment door. I think there have been a total of 3 or 4 and every time it's something crazy. To illustrate my point, I took a picture of the sign that he posted yesterday. Behold...

In case you can't ready what it says:

BE A LEADER.
BE AN INNOVATOR!
BE A QUITTER!

DON'T SMOKE.
DON'T LITTER.

And be truly free.

It's possibly the most inspirational sign I've ever read.

Our blog is slowly dying

Poor little bloggie. No one likes it anymore. Here it is, just waiting for cool posts and fun pictures (thanks, goldies) and we're giving it the deuce! Personally, I try to think of something every day to write about and I have a hard time. What's the deal? I know I'm not TOTALLY boring.

This reminds me of our Vegas trip when everyone thought we were mad or sad about something. It's like people look at our blog and say, "cheer up, it's not so bad." Even though we are perfectly content about our lives, just not projecting it with huge smiles or roaring laughter. My thought is that in order to save the blog, we are going to have to put on our happy faces and try to think of little things to post about. Because I know I am curious to know about the minutia that happens in every day life that may give me something to chuckle about. And that's why I'm going to start now:

CELEBRITY LOOKALIKE SIGHTING: WHOOPI GOLDBERG
I have spotted a Whoopi lookalike twice this week. She rides the same bus as me in the mornings sometimes. She has dreads and wears funny silver shoes and kind of dresses like a bag lady. That's basically Whoppi in a nutshell. I'll try and get a picture.

Goldies

These are my new shoes from Target. How do you like me now?

You May Not Realize...We Can Hear You

This morning I was shopping at Borders for some birthday cards. It is a beautiful day here and people are pretty excited about the warm weather. One woman was so cheery that she was singing...out loud...in the store. Here's the thing - maybe I wouldn't be so disturbed if this didn't happen fairly frequently around town. I get that people like to sing. Maybe they're even good at singing. That's great for them. But it is so bizarre that they choose to do it in public when going about their every day business. The woman in the store was on her way to the bathroom. Yes, just singin' a little ditty on into the bathroom. I think we partly have mp3 players to blame. When you're listening to a song, it's only natural to want to sing, or at least hum along. Normal people can resist that urge when in a public place. Do the others just feel like it's no big deal, or that their singing is so good that people will thank them for bringing song into their otherwise boring day? I need answers. Why do you guys think people sing in public?

The G: Simpson Baby Buzz

Apparently Jessica Simpson doesn't think the media is paying enough attention to her. To turn the bright lights back on her, she made the following comments (thanks to MSN):

"I want to adopt, and I plan to adopt before I have my own kids," the pop star recently told TV's "Extra."
"I think Angelina Jolie has done amazing, amazing things, and the international adoption rate just since her has skyrocketed," she said. "It's unbelievable."

We all witnessed on Newlyweds that Jessica Simpson struggles to take care of herself. I don't think she should be allowed to be responsible for another's life. I guess you could say it's nice that she wants to adopt a less-fortunate child. But she's obviously seen what adopting did to put Angelina in the spotlight and hopes it will work the same way for her. Please Jessica, don't do it.

We're Fun Girls!

Guess who partied at Tao recently? B. Spears and K-Fed! They went to celebrate his birthday and probably sat at the very section that we sat down in before we were made to leave! I'm pretty excited that we can say we convinced the bouncer to let us in based purely on the fact that we were fun (and paying $20 each). Turns out that we weren't all that fun, though. For example: dropping a beer bottle on the floor and promtly leaving the scene; spending half the time waiting in the line for the bathroom; being told to leave a reserved section for people like Spears and K-Fed; and getting wheeled out of the Venetian (that's all you, Owens). While I'm sure this isn't what the bouncer had in mind as "fun girls," I had an awesome time! And at least no one had to tell us to, "Smile, it's not THAT bad!" because I seriously would have messed them up.

Look at what I FOUND

This week is the AA Film Festival here at the Theater. They have a lot of activities planned for the opening night, including a speaker from the magazine FOUND. I went to their website and I must say that I was entertained for quite some time. They publish notes, doodles, to-do lists and whatever else makes its way into the hands of the editors. I strongly encourage you to check it out!

http://www.foundmagazine.com/index.php?fuseaction=finds.home

Are you guys okay?

Did everyone watch 8th and Ocean the other night? I just watched it last night and I'm now concerned about you guys. Neither of you had anything to say about Vinci wearing little boys underwear. It was just a flash of his rear that we saw, but it was very obvious that Vinci does not fancy boxers or even boxer briefs. I think this may be why he is such a little jerk. He's probably uncomfortable all day so he makes others pay by complaining about having to wake up at 9:30!!! Ridiculous. I'm a little surprised Irene didn't slap him when he said he couldn't go to sleep becuase all he could think about was having to get up so early.

Early is not 9:30am, little Vinci. I hate him.

Venting

Cheaters never win. Never. Or if they do, they eventually get caught and have their medals taken away or their banners torn down. They never win in the long run.

In the past two weeks, I have caught six kids cheating on their assignments. How hard is it to type out a business letter and put some clip art at the top? Not hard at all. But they still copied each other's work. Didn't even move things around and in some cases, left the wrong initials on the letter. DUH! If you're going to cheat, at least be a little smarter about it.

I cheated once in the eight grade on a spelling test. I was thisclose to getting caught, and after that I never cheated again. Not because I'm particularly noble, but because I was scared of getting in trouble.

If I catch anyone else cheating, I might just toss them out the window. Scratchthat. I will toss them out the window.

Lighten up, it's just FASHION!

Tonight is the night. It's the big finale of Project Runway!! I'm a new convert to the show. I started watching about midway through the season, but thankfully Bravo has a marathon every day, and I've been able to catch up. It is so awesome!! Santino is really annoying and cocky, but I think he's got a great final collection. And his impressions (Tim Gunn, Michael Kors, etc.) are some of the funniest things I've ever heard. I think that Daniel V. is adorable and I really want his collection to be better...perhaps the runway will help. And Chloe is cute too, but I just don't know if she's committed enough. Honestly, I wish that Nick was still in it, because I really liked him and his clothes (he has a faux-hawk!). So, tonight when Heidi Klum says (in her slightly agitating voice), "you're in!" I predict she says it to Santino.

Unfortunately, You're Not a Witch

Obviously, 8th and Ocean is the new show for MTV. Because I know she reads our blog, I just wanted to give Sabrina a few tips.

1. Consider not wearing a trucker hat or a track jacket to a casting call. Especially when you wear them together, it makes you look like Spears, and that ain't good.
2. Look into changing your name. The name Sabrina only really works for teenage witches.
3. Quit whining about your sister getting all the jobs. She has way more personality than you so get over it and work harder.
4. When the photographer says "don't move," don't move. Seems simple enough to me.

I'm being harsh, I know, but it's only because I want success for you! I really do. However, until you take a few of these tips to heart, I will continue to root for your sister Kelly. Burn...

Random Tee

What size t-shirt would you prefer? Would you like unisex or girlie? Check out gofugyourself and let me know which kind of shirt you would order. I'm buying one for everyone because they are too awesome to pass up!

Money-Hungry Millionaires

To show our diversity, I thought I would post a little something on sports. I'm fairly sure the NFL is still having "labor talks", and even if it's been resolved, what I have to say still stands. Even the very worst major league players in any sport make enough money to be shown on "MTV Cribs" or to pimp their ride. Therefore, the general public should never be subjected to pro players whining about money. Even if the negotiation talks are very complex, and when you really look at it the players aren't just talking about money, we still don't need to hear about it. All it does is turn fans, who by the way make on average every year what these guys make per game, away from the sport.

That is why I will always prefer college sports over the pros. Not only do the kids seem to care more and play harder, but they can't go on strike. Ever. It won't happen. And one more thing, with March Madness fast approaching... GO DUKE!!

Oscar the Grouch

Did either of you watch the Oscars last night? I watched all of it and oh my god was it boring. I forgot how almost everything after the best supporting actor and actress was the technical stuff. It was definitely the most unexciting awards show of the year. I think a lot of people are upset about Crash winning. I was surprised, only because all the buzz had been on Brokeback. But, I haven't seen Crash so I can't really say what I liked better. JOn Stewart was really funny and I think my favorite quote was, "In case you're keeping score, Martin Scorsese: 0 Oscars, 3 Six Mafia: 1."

About Our Friends

Can we just talk for a minute about Nick and Jessica? It's almost like I don't hear the gossip about them anymore because I'm immune to it or something. Anyway, our devotion to The Newlyweds, I believe, earns them a place on our blog. Right now, Jessica and her banana lips are on my nerves. She did the nasty with Adam Levine, while married to one of the best looking guy's around. If that doesn't show her intelligence level, I don't know what will.

Nick is gallavanting around with Ms. Kentuck (that's how they refer to Kentucky in Uncle Tom's Cabin and I enjoy it), who rivals Pam Anderson with her ginormous boobs. But honestly, I'm okay with this. I think Nick got the raw end of the deal. I'm sure he has his jerkface moments like any other guys, but on the whole, he seems like a caring and supportive man. You can't blame him for running for the hills when faced with Joe "If I Have Anything to Say About It, I'll Always Be the Only Man in My Daughter's Lives" Simpson.

What do you girls think? Team Lachey or Team Simpson?

Lost: Sorry about that kidnapping thing

Finally, we know what happened to Claire and her baby! I'm glad that the crazy lady was redeemed in last night's episode, because she'll be a valuable ally if they choose to fight the Others. Right now, I'm very interested in the prisoner situation because he managed to get under Locke's skin...LOCKE!! He's the master of mind games, he should totally know that he's being played. I do think that the prisoner is lying and I'm pretty excited to see how that plays out. It could go any number of ways, because the writers on Lost are straight crazy.

The G: American Idol Attack

BREAKING NEWS! The American Idol girls have been attacked. That's right, attacked! I believe Mandisa suffered the worst. She basically had shreads of denim hanging off of her last night, while she watched the guys bore America to death. This leads me to believe that when the Denim attacked, she was the first to stand up to it. Others, including my favorite, Paris, also donned denim suits. Aside from Mandisa, the denim suits were about as clean cut as denim can get, which I assume means they saw what happened to Mandisa and simply gave in to Denim. All told, I counted FOUR denim suits out of ten female contestants. Four, forty percent, almost half, closing in on the majority... FOUR!! As of the end of the show, police were unable to apprehend the stylist who is allowing these girls to dress in denim suits. We can only hope the girls come to their senses on their own and realize that head-to-toe denim is never a good idea.

Downside of DVRs

I will not be posting any comments on the new Real World today and it's because of my DVR. It's such a great piece of technology to have and I depend on it as if it were my best friend. Well, yesterday we had a fight. I specifically remember programming it to record Real World. Alas, when I went to see the premiere of RW, after two somewhat boring hours of AI (I'm sure we'll talk more about that on another post) it was nowhere to be found. This has happened a few times before, and it's as if someone said they had a nice cold Coke in their fridge that I could have and then when we get there it's gone. In other words, devestating. I can only find solace in the fact that MTV religiously shows reruns of every show for the next several days and then, in case we missed anything during the season, there is always a marathon or two to count on.

Anyone else fight with their DVR or TiVo or whatever you have? Does it not feel like a really good friend has let you down?

String Cheese

Can I just say one thing random to start things off? String cheese is very different when you eat it straight out of the fridge, as opposed to eating it while it's been in your desk all morning. I'm not sure which way I like it better.

Hey, Ladies!

It's my first post! It reminds me of the hours I used to spend typing pretty horrible (and hilarious) things about others fashion mishaps...suckers. I'm glad we're doing this. It's going to be F-U-N.