Reality TV Recap

Okay, I missed doing this last Saturday because I was immersed in setting up this new template. So let's pretend that it's Saturday and have Reality TV Recap.

*post may contain spoiler info, in case you haven't seen any of last week's shows.

The Bachelor

The Bachelor came to a close last night, and the audience was treated to a dose of (ahem) reality when the Bachelor DID NOT PICK one of the 2 remaining ladies!!! In some ways, it does not surprise me, and I wondered why he chose the selected final two.

So DeAnna (pronounced DayAhna)
and Jenni (pronounced Jenni).
were both sent home sobbing in stretch limousines. This particular round of the The Bachelor didn't do much for me. While he was attractive, and rich, he was also a bit of a dud. So tonight is the ever famous 'after the final rose' show, where both ladies have their final slugfest at poor Brad. Let's hope the next round is better.

America's next Top Model

Ambreal went home last week. I liked her, but didn't like the attitude. Too much too handle. The show is now down to the final 6 (I made a booboo last week when I said last week was the final 6...I stand corrected...by myself).

I still like Heather. She is cracking with the pressure, but she is still my fave so far. Go Heather!

Survivor: China
mmmm Frosti (makes me think of that Wendy's® drink) went home after the tribe had spoken. Too bad. Frosti was a cool dude.

The tribe is still gunning for double immunity holder James, Gravedigger James, who I continue to root for. It's going to be very difficult for the tribe to get rid of hime, and he stands a very good shot at winning the million dollars.


The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race 12 is as exciting as ever. Throw 12 teams with assorted (or is that sordid) personalities, in a race around 5 continents, and it makes for one heckuva great show. The married lesbian ministers went home as did the 2 sisters. It's kind of hard to get sentimental about any of the teams at this point, since they were hardly around much.

Dancing with the Stars
In the past, this show never really grabbed me. I would start to watch it, but then would get increasingly bored. Not so this time. I have been following each week, and am quite enjoying the dancing. My least fave right now is Jennie Garth, but Yay Marie! Yay MelB! Yay Helio!

Beauty and the Geek

This show is just entertaining in a sordid kind of way. There are three couples remaining. The couple displayed in this post is Will and Jenn, the underdog couple. They haven't gotten along since the start of the show (which is surprising since the couples are urged to try and get along), but they keep winning somehow. They possess (or are possessed) some sort of teamwork that gets them through. Perhaps they will end up winning????

Dear Readers

As you can see, I am still reorienting myself in my new surroundings. You by now have noticed that all of my links disappeared. So, if you're still visiting, please leave your link so that I can add you back into my blogroll.

Thx!

Time for a Change````

It's about time...for a change. My blog is going to get some major changes, which may or may not come to fruition.

We'll see, and maybe you will too....or not.

Ciao

It's been a blast....

addendum:
All of my links are gone into netherland, and never to return. Gradually I will rebuild from scratch, but that is all part of general housekeeping.

Friday's Feast - One Hundred and Sixty-Nine

Welcome to Feast One Hundred & Sixty-Nine
for
Friday, November 16th, 2007

Pull up a chair and dig in!
Friday's Feast is a meme of five questions
cooked up by the chef each and every week.
Enjoy!

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?

Um, I assume that first 'real' job means full time as opposed to student jobs or part time (are they considered phony jobs??? I certainly didn't think so at the time), so my first real job was with a major retailer, working in the catalogue office for the headquarters division. It was a great job and opened so many doors for me, places that I never thought I'd go.

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?

My closet has a bounty of crafts. I can go through my oodles of yarn, or my stitching, and make things. My scrapbooking is all in the basement....another spot where creativity blossoms.

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…

I speak in public. I turn red like a tomato!

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?

Be yourself. Tell the truth. Be polite. Be respectful. Don't speak unnecessarily.

Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years. (I am going to name more than 3...just because)

1. Hula hoops


2. Roller skates (the kind that strapped onto your shoe)


3. Elephant pants


4. Hot pants


5. Go-go-boots


6. Mini skirts


7. and with that I have now totally dated myself...

BJ's Update: My Owners are Sick!

Hi! It's me, BJ, the cat!

There's something to be said for draping myself across the heat vent. This cures all (tell that to my folks, because they are both under the weather with a bug of some sort). My Dad is really sick, coughing and hacking and spewing stuff into the sink. My Mom has a sniffle and is complaining that her head is stuffled (or something like that).

I think they should both just flake out on the floor, and flop down on top of a heat vent. They'll feel much better.

I always do.

Meoooow to my fellow felines!

Wait versus Weight?

The other day, I was at the store to purchase a welcome home balloon for My Sweetie (another tradition).

The following conversation took place:

ME: I'd like to buy a Welcome Home balloon.
SALES PERSON: Okay, no problem. That will be xx dollars.
ME: Okay.
SALES PERSON: Do you wanna weight? It's 2 dollars extra.
ME: Yes, I'd like to wait.
(I'm a little surprised that there is a cost to wait for the balloon).

ME: There's a cost for that?
SALES PERSON: Yeah, well, the weight is extra.
(I am still confused, but I wanted to wait for the balloon to be ready).

In the meantime, I find a little Gund reindeer to which the balloon can be attached. I bring it to the balloon person, who attaches it.

SALES PERSON: So instead of the weight, you're buying the animal?
ME: Yes.
(by now, my doh moment arrives, and I realize what was happening).

Happy Monday!

Remember

My favourite Aunt Helen had met a handsome Air Force man, Albert.

They married, and not very long after, he went overseas to fight in World War II.

He never came back. If he had, he would have been my uncle.

He is buried somewhere in France.

Peace.

Reality TV Recap - Part 1

Last week was most excellent, imho. So much has happened, and because of that it appears that we are approaching the end of some of my favourites.

Here's last week's recap:
*post may contain spoiler info, in case you haven't seen any of last week's shows.

The Bachelor

Well, we are down to the final two (ahem) ladies. Gosh, they look alike, well sort of, except that one is skinny and the other is a bit plump. Maybe that's why he's so confused. Brad has decided that it's either Deanna
or Jenny.
Quite frankly, I don't give a hoot. Neither of these was my pick at any point, so it's all his making now, and I hope he's happy....heh.

Beauty and the Geek

This show is down to the final four couples. Last week, there was no tie-breaking challenge in order to send people home. Instead, 2 of the winning couples had to outright decide which couple was going to go home. And did they pick the couple who did not get along, and really wished they could go home? No. They got to stay and torture each other for another week (that is if they don't kill each other first).

John
and Natalie
were sent home. The show was partially successful in that John now resembled a shadow of his former geeky self. I guess it's a lesson to us all...get along with everybody, no matter how much they kiss-up (or don't).

America's next Top Model

The show is now down to the final 6. Sarah
went home last week, amid a sea of tears. She was supposed to be the Plus Size girl. One problem. She started to lose her Plus Size figure. Yes ladies and gentlemen, she lost some weight AND she actually started to look good. However, the judges were hoping that she would have kept her wee bit of flab on so she could have been an example for the Plus people out there. I still like Heather. She is my underdog.

Survivor: China
What did I warn you about Jean-Robert
eh? That poker faced pro poker player lucked out and was sent home. Yes, lucked out means that luck was not on your side. Now the tribe appears to be gunning for double immunity holder James, Gravedigger James (somebody has to do it!) who I am currently rooting for.




The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race 12 began, and Ari and Staella were the first couple eliminated. Not a great loss. They were both a little whiny, and they were already grating on the nerves, in one short hour. The footage of Ireland was most excellent though.

Friday's Feast - One Hundred and Sixty-Eight

Welcome to Feast One Hundred & Sixty-Eight
for
Friday, November 09, 2007

Pull up a chair and dig in!
Friday's Feast is a meme of five questions
cooked up by the chef each and every week.
Enjoy!

Appetizer
Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?

Popcorn of course! Is there any other kind?

Soup
What year did you start using the internet?

We might have started surfing the World Wide Web, as it was mostly known back then, as soon as it was available...early 1990's maybe? It was certainly not as cool or sophisticated or as much fun as it is today.

Salad
What is your first name in Pig Latin? (Here’s how to speak it if you don’t already know!)

aureenmay

Main Course
Name something you are picky about.

My food. I am picky about what I eat, and how I eat it. I am also picky about having certain foods touch each other.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: I ____ ____ yesterday and I ____ ____ today.

I shovelled snow yesterday and I need whirlpool today.

BJ's Update: The Day After the Big Snow

Hi! It's me, BJ, the cat!

Yesterday, our little city got the first dumping of pre-winter snow....real snow....heavy snow. You've already seen the pictures that My Mom posted. Just like Halloween, you can well imagine where I was during that event. I was in my favourite hidey spot in the basement. There was absolutely no way that I was going to be anywhere near My Mom during any of this.

I don't like snow, or any wet stuff for that matter....no way. There was no way that I was going to be going outside on the patio. Uh uh. I much preferred to watch things from inside.

Now, I do recall seeing my Mom outside, digging through the piles of snow that had fallen, so deep that they covered the tops of her boots. Her face was getting pretty red too!

At the end of the day, the snow had finally stopped (oh don't worry...it started up again today). My Mom and I cuddled in the basement and watched some TV.

Some poeple say there is no global warming. Some people say that our seasons are just changing. Whatever it is, I certainly hope that my world stays together somehow.

Meoooow to my fellow felines!

Whacky Wednesday - November 7, 2007......SNOW!!

Isn't this pretty amazing. Last week, we were walking around in T-shirts, and a few people were wearing shorts. It was so mild and balmy.
This is no joke!
This is what I woke up to this morning!


I have to post a comparison picture from November 11, 2006. We had no snow until later in the year.

A post-shovelling update - reality sets in.

So, you've seen my first snow photos and have either said 'oh the snow is so pretty' or 'blech'. I can concur with the latter right about now. I'm tired. I just finished shovelling the driveway and the front patio. This was not a straightforward task.

I couldn't locate the shovels. Not in the garage. Nope. They were in the shed in the backyard. Not a biggie, right? Well, there was about 8 inches of snow in the back yard, which, when I started to walk in it, immediately found its way inside of my boots.

Great. Just great.

So I hauled the shovels to the front of the house, to commence shovelling. The snow is that heavy stuff...heavy and wet. Great.

I started shovelling the front patio, and realized that the chairs and table from the summer are still there, covered with snow. So I cleaned them and stored them. (watch - tomorrow will be 75 degrees!).

The driveway was a chore and a half. More heavy snow (I think the skiers call this packed....pfeh whatever...it was heavy).

You might ask why I didn't use the snowblower, the nice, big, new, heavy duty, expensive snowblower? Well, since we were kind of caught off-guard with this storm, that baby is still in the backyard shed. Gosh, I had enough trouble getting the shovels!!! Plus, I am gas operated machine challenged. I have troubles with gas lawn mowers, the outboard on the dinghy, the whipper snipper, and of course the snowblower.

So, I am done with my rant. I am going to have some soup, and a good sob.

Oh, by the way, I blame this snow on our neighbours, who, on the weekend, put up all of their exterior Christmas decorations. I hold them responsible. So there.

You might also notice that this is all written in the first person...I. We won't say where My Sweetie is right about now....will we? It's a private joke.

High Heeled Shoes

If you watch TV, especially the talk shows, have a look at what the female hosts are wearing. With the exception of E-l-l-e-n, they are sporting what I call ho shoes. You know the kind. Five inch heels. Ankle straps. Clunky sole. Some shiny material, maybe even with a glitter or two. Ho shoes.

For the life of me I don't understand why they have to wear these things, especially if they are only walking from the stage door to their talk show seat. It baffles me. Relly Kipa is probably the most guilty of wearing said shoe. She had a pair on this morning that were totally distracting. They were a cross between ho and school girl (now that's quite an image isn't it?).

Now, I love shoes, but you won't catch me wearing anything like that. Cripey, I freak when a saleslady suggests a 3 inch heel!

The Reality of TV Land

Lately, I haven't talked much about my favourite reality TV shows. Last night, however, I had an opportunity to share my enthusiasm with a fellow reality TV follower.

So what follows is my rundown of my favourite reality shows and my top picks for outcomes.

The Bachelor
This year it's been all about Brad, and tomorrow night it is down to the final 3 (ahem) ladies - Bettina, Deanna and Jenny. My favourite, Sheena, left last week, so now I am rooting for Bettina. We'll see I guess.

Beauty and the Geek
This is a cute little psychological twister of a show. The idea behind it is the following: 9 female beauties (and not particularly intelligent) are paired up with 9 male geeks (very intelligent but oh so geeky). As the show progresses, the challenges push the geeks into social situations where they are normally not comfortable, and pushes the beauties to challenge their minds. The winning couple, usually, is the couple who has changed the most, for the better of course. This year there was a little twist...a male beauty and a female geek formed the 10th and final couple.



America's next Top Model
I love Tyra!!! I love Jan Manuel!!
Now that I got that out of my system, we are down to 8 girls. Ebony made her exit...finally. I like many of the girls this year, but I particularly like Heather.


Survivor: China
Oh my. Jamie got voted out, and she thought she had found the hidden immunity idol (all she found was a piece of wood with a carving on it). Jean Robert. the professional poker player, is still there. They better watch it!



The Amazing Race
Tonight The Amazing Race 12 begins. Should be a good one.......stay tuned!!

Friday's Feast - One Hundred and Sixty-Seven

Welcome to Feast One Hundred & Sixty-Seven
for
Friday, November 02, 2007

Pull up a chair and dig in!
Friday's Feast is a meme of five questions
cooked up by the chef each and every week.
Enjoy!

Appetizer
How much money do you plan to spend this upcoming holiday season?

Money? I have to spend money? Well then, as little as possible I think. We're on a limited budget this year, just like everybody else.

Soup
What was the last television show you watched, and was it good?

Grey's Anatomy....and it was most excellent...as usual. What are we going to do during the strike? Guess I'll revert to the DVD sets.

Salad
If you had to paint the walls of your living room tomorrow, what color would you choose?

Seafoam green.

Main Course
Name something clever or practical you have thought of that should be invented, but hasn’t yet.

Wireless iPod

Dessert
List 3 things you would like to receive as gifts this upcoming holiday season.

1. The final Sopranos DVD set


2. A compact digital camera


3. The new iPod, since there is no truly wireless iPod

BJ's Update: The Day After Halloween

Hi! It's me, BJ, the cat!

First of all, I’d like to send out a big meooooow to my fellow furry readers, be they canine or feline (the latter being my preference of course). ….you know who you are.

Yesterday was Halloween. You can well imagine where I was during that hallowed event. I was in my favourite hidey spot in the basement. There was absolutely no way that I was going to be anywhere near any of that activity.

Now, I knew that something was up a couple of days ago. My Mom was hauling out two plastic bins, and was sorting through orange and black things, and hanging things, both inside and outside the house. This reminds me of moving day, another day that I despise, and my first clue to disappear.

Then, last night, there was a lot of activity around the house, and then my folks dressed up in funny clothes and wigs. I was totally embarrassed, and decided that the basement was for me.

Even downstairs, I could hear the main floor sounds. I could hear the footsteps on the patio steps, and the knocking on the door (thank goodness nobody rang the doorbell!). The words….”“Trick or Treat”. “I like your costume”. “That’s a nice spider”. “Oh, goodie bags”.

Over and over and over. The same words…..argh! It was driving me crazy!

This nonsense went on for about 2 ½ hours. I waited to see if the noise had indeed stopped (or maybe I just fell asleep). In any case, when I felt that the coast was clear, and I could finally escape from my hidey spot, I decided to join My Mom on her lap, and we both watched America’s next Top Model.

Meoooow!

Happy Halloween 2007!! Boo!

Happy Halloween 2007, and Happy Halloween from G-o-o-g-l-e above! I just love watching to see what G-o-o-g-l-e does each year. Yes, it's that time of year again. I'll be bustling around the house, getting ready for this evening. Now, for today's special post, I could have investigated the origins of Halloween, but instead I chose to share some of MY traditions. Everybody has a tradition for something or other. For me, when I look back on past Halloweens, there are some highlights.

When I was little, we lived next door to a family who was new to this country. They had a daughter, around the same age as me. She had never experienced Halloween before, so we taught her what to say, and managed to have her dressed up as a hobo. From that time forward, she and I had been childhood friends.

One memorable Halloween, my Dad had made a witch hat for me. It was a really cool hat...a very tall hat. The hat was so tall, that when I went trick-or-treating at houses where I had to walk under a doorway, the hat would get caught and topple off.

I always remember my Dad coming along with me. There would be a ton of candy in my little bag, so my Dad carried a pillow case, and would fill it up so as to relieve me of the weight. At the end of the night, we'd trudge the bags back home, then dump them out to check them for the bad stuff.

My parents would make up goodie bags to hand out. Some people hand out scoops of candy, or hand out chips and a chocolate bar, but we handed out goodie bags. The goodie bag tradition is now a part of my Halloween. Every year, I buy an assortment of candy and create anywhere from 60 to 100 goodie bags. This year I have 100 bags ready.

This year, as in prior years, we decorate the outside of the house on Halloween itself. My tradition has us decorate on the day itself, not beforehand. This year, we are going to don our hippie costumes, complete with wigs, and have a little fun.

Happy Halloween everybody....it's going to be a good one!

The 'F' Word

Yes, that's right. The dreaded 'F' word. White stuff falling from the sky. THAT 'F' word.

Last night, we went out to dinner, to continue celebrating my birthday. It was soooo windy outside. And the rain was coming down in sheets. Then this morning, while we were having breakfast, we had F-L-U-R-R-I-E-S or sleet or whatever you want to call it....yikes!

This ought to make for an interesting and slightly cool Halloween...unless suddenly we have 75 degree weather once again.

note to self - don't forget to put hat and mittens on Mr. Pumpkin....

It's Time for a Funny: Visit to a Woman's Restroom

I received this in an email from a friend...enjoy!


When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.
You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR! ), yank down your pants, and assume " The Stance."

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance."

To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. "Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.

At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.

You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this."

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!

This HAD to be written by a woman! No one else could describe it so accurately!

Send this to all women that need a good laugh.

A Friend Is Like A Good Bra...
Hard to Find
Supportive
Comfortable
Always Lifts You Up
Never Lets You Down or Leaves You Hanging
And Is Always Close To Your Heart!!!

Share this with a friend!
I Just Did!