Vampires are Everywhere

After happily viewing the pictures of Kellan Lutz (of Twilight fame) posted on David Dust this morning (see pictures here) I started my day. I then got an email from a teacher friend who announced that one of the 3 year olds in her class when asked, 'what would you like to be when you grow up' promptly answered "a vampire of course". My friend then asked if this was a Halloween wish and the child answered "no it is what I want to be for all time".

Now tell me we are not having a Vampire phenom at the moment.

I am not sure how I feel about this yet...

I love all things Gossip Girl (you know this). But I especially love Chuck Bass. His sarcastic charm and womanizing ways make him one of my favorite characters on television. Apparently in the upcoming season Chuck Bass will participate in a little man-on-man action. According to the books (of which I have never read) Chuck Bass swings both ways sexually. I don't have a problem with this per se; I love a good gay character. In this situation the problem that I have is that the television show has really promoted Chuck as the slutty guy. Yes he dresses well (OK he has his own style) but he sleeps around, picks up random women and in general acts like a shit. They even used Britany's song (Womanizer) to promote him. And now to do a 180 (or 360) on his character seems a little severe. Plus there is already a gay character on the show who has no screen time. I guess I will have to wait and see how the actual scene plays out before I complain. I just do not want a situation where the writers assume that once you run out of storylines for a character "lets just make him gay" will work to keep the stories fresh. Read the whole story on EW.com (here). What do you think? Happy? Excited? Frustrated? or just wait and see?

Fun Day (where is that sarcastic font)

So I received a phone call from a friend today (who lives in the neighborhood) that her oldest daughter was diagnosed with the N1H1 virus (aka the Swine Flu). I then talked to my director at the preschool to let me know that one of the children in my class (a 2 year old) has also been diagnosed. If this was not enough my children came home from their school with a note stating that a confirmed case of the virus was announced today and to be vigilant with our own children. Basically I need to look into that bubble that I had once considered a necessity for my kids.

Welcome to a new school year!!!!

Random email....

I got this from a friend the other day and some of these are kind of funny (and so true)...

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
(this is so me and I hate this about myself)

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. (never happens)

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and steel when they've invented the lighter?

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger. (double yes)

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f#ck was going on when I first saw it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? (I always wondered this and my linen closet can attest to this)

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. (all the time)

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. (I have stopped looking good on principal)

I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

Are you ready for some football?

As most of you know, I love football with all my heart. I adore this time of year and miss being in North Carolina for "football weather". A few key figures in the game of football have been discussed this week and I wanted to comment. Love or hate my thoughts, I still am going to voice my opinion....

Michael Vick on 60 minutes, did he show remorse or not? I am not sure but I still think he deserves to get back in the game. I am not a Vick fan. I was not when he played college ball and never have been when he played for Atlanta. I associated him with being lazy with an attitude and never felt that he gave the 100% that his team needed. But (always a but) he has served his time. He has lost millions of dollars in endorsements and two years of his life. What he did was atrocious (and yes I realize this) but he has been punished, embarrassed and subjected to ridicule (over and over). I do not agree with what he did, nor do I condone it but (but again) for a young man brought up in this environment; sometimes right and wrong can be a little skewed. There are many players in the NFL that are still playing after committing a crime (multiple times). Give Vick an opportunity to prove that he has matured. I want to see his work ethic improve as well as his attitude.

Brett Favre, please retire! For the past few years this has been dangled in our faces and we have watched you cry and walk away only to come back (more than once). As we get older our bodies change and slow down. You are no exception. I loved you in Green Bay, tolerated you in New York and will ignore you in Minnesota. As George Constanza once said "leave on a high note". Well you missed this opportunity; so now just leave.

Had to get those off my chest. Welcome to football season everyone.

Project Runway All Stars....

Thursday night on Lifetime, before the new season of Project Runway begins, a two hour special will air entitled Project Runway all-stars. The list of people (minus two) seems to be my list of favorites from seasons past.

KORTO MOMOLU Season 5
JEFFREY SEBELIA Season 3
SANTINO RICE Season 2
DANIEL VOSOVIC Season 2
ULI HERZNER Season 3
MYCHAEL KNIGHT Season 3
CHRIS MARCH Season 4
SWEET P Season 4

I cannot wait to see this group compete. Who is your fav? Who do you hate on? I love Project Runway!

What a Week!!!!!!

The announcements of the new dancers for "Dancing With the Stars" came out today. I do not watch the show but am always interested in the dancing and the forgotten celebrities that ABC gets to compete. Here is the list:

Mya, singer
Melissa Joan Hart, actress
Michael Irvin, former Dallas Cowboy
Ashley Hamilton, actor, comedian, singer-songwriter
Aaron Carter, singer
Kathy Ireland, former supermodel-turned-businesswoman
Debi Mazar, actress
Natalie Coughlin, U.S. Olympic swimmer
Louie Vito, snowboarder
Chuck Liddell, ultimate fighting champ
Donny Osmond, singer
Tom DeLay, former Republican congressman
Macy Gray, singer
Joanna Krupa, model and actress
Mark Dacascos, Iron Chef personality
Kelly Osbourne, reality star

For recaps and up to the minute reporting on this show check out Joy's take (Babble On). This is how I keep up with the show. Anyone you are excited to see?

Not only do we now have the dancers for this show but Top Chef starts this week (Wednesday) as well as Project Runway (finally on Thursday). And....school starts tomorrow!

What a great week?!

He is only 17....

I know that I have stated more than once that I am on Team Jacob for the new Twilight movie. I have also announced that I feel like a cougar whenever I look at this movie. Here are some of his latest pictures. Now when does this movie open??????

Someone Give Me Some Good News

I need something happy! Now!!!!! Once again my husband is experiencing a pay cut and I am literally trying to find the good in anything before he comes home. I know, I know I have happy healthy children, a house and so on... I just wish that our (his) stress level could go down just a few steps. Help!!!!!!

End of the Summer

I have been trying all week to play catch up with my kids. Catch up in the sense that I want to make sure that they remember what a fun summer they have had. School starts next week and I do not want them to think that all we did all summer was travel and run errands. Sooooo we have been to the beach twice this week and have had multiple scheduled playdates. I think that I am cramming a lot of fun into a very short period of time. With that said if I have been a little out of it or remiss in my duties to my blogger friends, this is my reason. It has nothing to do with Bejeweled. I promise.

One thing that I do notice (and for those of you that bitch about weight this is for you). I have decided that I care more about what I look like on the beach than anyone else does. I will not wear certain swimsuits based on my body type but around here I may be the only one that thinks this way. A 200 pound woman in a string bikini is not a surprise on the beaches down here. Just a thought for the day. Why can other people be comfortable with their weight ( no matter what) and I cannot?

Walk Away From the Computer

I have a new obsession. As if keeping my house clean was not hard enough; I have discovered (with the help of my friends damn them) Bejeweled on Facebook. Bejeweled is a basic dumb game that has you fitting jewels together to get points and I hate to admit it, I am obsessed. Every time I think I may walk away, I want to try one more time for a higher score. All of a sudden I have wasted 45 minutes in my day and have absolutely nothing to show for it. Have I been a little lax on my Blog lately? Blame Bejeweled. Are the kids still not ready for school to start? Blame Bejeweled. I am trying to break the addiction and have decided to head to the beach this morning (no computers there). I will let you know how my day of no Bejeweled goes. If I go all day without it, may I play tonight?

Jeanine Wins So You Think You Can Dance

I had guests this weekend so this is my first moment to sit down and write about the results of SYTYCD on Thursday night. First let me say that I am ecstatic that Jeanine won. I was a big Brandon fan but she was wonderful and her moment was extremely heartfelt. With that said I am also relieved that America did not allow Evan to win. I love the fact that an amazing dancer took home the prize.

Other observations from the night. There were so few dances that I loved (loved) this season. A few stood out as great (Wade Robsen's jazz number, the cancer piece, the addiction piece) but there were not as many this season that made me excited about the tour. I am not sure what happened. All we heard about when this season began was how great the dancers were and how this season was going to blow us away and I am left feeling a little discouraged. Maybe it was the lack of chemistry (and not in all the pieces Jeanine and Jason had major chemistry), or maybe it was the fact that so many of the dancers were ones that we did not get to see through the audition process (Ade). Whatever the reason I did not enjoy this season as much as last.

Now going into fall television, I am excited about SYTYCD being in the fall lineup. Maybe the magic will have returned.

* One note to Fox bigwigs....please, please, please no Paula Abdul. Mary Murphy is enough to deal with.

So You Think You Can Dance - last night

Tonight is the night! 4 becomes 1! America's favorite dancer (for about a month) is crowned. And after last night I am not sure who it will be. Based on the four finalists (not the four best dancers by the way) the decision is not as clear cut as it was last season.

First, let us review Brandon. After being cut down by Mia and Lil' C in the auditions; Brandon has proven he can do just about anything and last night was no exception. His solo was amazing (a little weird but awesome to watch), and he danced every number like it was his last. All of Brandon's comments from the judges were positive, which is great. My fear is that no one will vote for Brandon because he is too obvious.

Next up is Jeanine. Jeanine has always been a solid dancer but she really came into her own when her partners could match her skill (no offense to Phillip). Her solo last night was an unexpected surprise and she was technically phenomenal. Jeanine's personality gives her a bit of an edge but again you have to wonder if the gushing of the judges may hurt.

Then we have Kayla (aka White Lightning, really?). Kayla has been a favorite since she began (great story, single mom, grandparents took her to dance classes etc). She has had great performances and she has had mediocre performances (think Broadway with Kupono). Last night I thought she was good (not great). I was not a fan of her solo and I felt that in the two girl number Jeanine looked better. Kayla could win if the public took offense to the judges constant reminder that both Brandon and Jeanine are the front runners.

And last but not least (OK maybe least) welcome to Evan world. He is cute. I will give you that. He has personality galore and when dancing in his style he is fun to watch. But once again I have to say that watching him do any other style is just not believable, Evan can not be a thug nor can he be sexy. Hell I even had a hard time seeing him as a football star. Evan will win if the American public feels justified voting for him because the judges were too harsh last night. Making this show more about personality than dancing. Now I respectfully disagree but I only voted twice last night.

So who do you think will take the prize? Which dances would you like to see again from the season? Am I wrong to be so harsh about Evan? Looking forward to tonight. Let me know what you think.

The Bachelorette - Final Thoughts

Just so everyone knows...I was never a huge Ed fan. I was a Michael fan and was devastated when he was sent home. Once Michael left I was pulling for Reid (I like the goofy, funny guys). I truly thought that after Ed was "unable to perform" (which by the way how embarrassing on national television) Jillian would come to her senses and finally get rid of him. But once again this season I gave Jillian too much credit because she kept Ed around and ended up choosing him in the end (at this point I would have gone with the Kipper). Do I think that the two will be "happily ever after"? Who knows, stranger things have happened. I started out liking Jillian and toward the end I found myself no longer caring what she did. I think it was a combination of Wes staying longer than anyone thought he would, and the fact that any nice non-cheesy guy was given the shaft. Once again with a reality couple, only time will tell. This was posted recently on People.com Jillian Harris: I Am Not Worried About Claims of Infidelity.

Does this make you wonder about the new couple?

Are Old Friends the Best Friends?

The past three weeks I spent time in North Carolina (all over the place) visiting family and old friends. I then spent an adult weekend in Bald Head Island with my group of girls that I have known for over 30 years (Wow I am getting old) and their husbands. I have to say that I loved every minute of it. These girls that I have known forever plus all of my other friends from my hometown know everything about me. All my weirdness, my idiosyncrasies, my mouth (definitely my mouth) have gotten me in trouble in the past but every person that I made the effort to visit with is someone that loves me in spite of my flaws.

This got me to thinking about my new group of friends and how I feel with them in comparison to the old. This is what I decided...

1. Old friends know everything about you. Good or bad there are no secrets and there is no reinventing yourself (ever!!!). New friends means a fresh start. You can be who you want and have an added air of mystery (OK I am not very mysterious but still).

2. New friends still leave you questioning where you stand at times. Old friends you always know where you stand and where you fall in the pecking order.

3. Old friends are going to be loyal to you just because of your history. New friends means that you have to build up to this loyalty. As with anything, a loyal friend takes time to build. This can never be an instantaneous thing.

4. Old friends husbands are a must like for your own husband because you will never give up that friendship. New friends husbands can make or break a new friendship because most of the time couples meet both at once.

5. New friends give you the opportunity to branch out and try new things, meet new people and go new places. Old friends have a tendency to do many of the familiar activities because they are familiar. With new friends, places and activities are new and exciting.

With all of this said, I think that my conclusion is that you never give up the old friends but continue to make new friends. Every friend can make you laugh or cry. Whether old or new these emotions cover the entire gamut of your friendships. Sorry I am in a contemplative mood today. I will be more lighthearted later.

So You Think You Can Dance - The Final Four

I have now watched all back episodes of So You Think You Can Dance and I have to just tell everyone that I am a little shocked! The final four is not at all what I had anticipated. How is it possible that Evan is in the finals and Ade is not? I knew that from the beginning Evan was a fan favorite but for someone of his limited dance ability I just do not see how he can compete with the other three finalists. If the winner is not Jeanine or Brandon I will protest (OK not too loudly since I love the show so much). How fun was it to see some of the most memorable dances from last season though? Also which dances will be the ones that are memorable this season? Wednesday and Thursday night will be fun! Can't wait!

I have returned....

I am back from my three week trek of North Carolina. I arrived home on Saturday and have frantically tried to play catch up (on the mail, television etc). I have not watched all my shows yet but I will have a few comments about The Bachelorette and So You Think You Can Dance later today or in the AM tomorrow. I also need to watch the beginning episodes of Design Star and read the Dustman's recaps (aka David Dust). I am glad to be back but bear with me for the next few days as I try to get my bearings a little. Hello everyone!!!!!