How I Met Your Mother (from Monday night)

I knew it! I knew that this was going to happen! Robin has "broken up" Ted and Barney (truth be told Barney was more than willing but still). Damn that Yoko!

After last week when Barney and Robin hooked up I wondered if this would throw a kink into the relationships on the show and by gussy (my grandmother used to say this) it has. Not only that but once again at the end of the episode we get some cryptic statement about how Robin lives in Ted's apartment when he is 31 (the episode was about Ted's 30th birthday). What the hell? So a year from now Robin and Ted are back together. We know that she is not the "mother" so what gives?

As my husband is constantly reminding me, these are not real people. But if you watch the show, you (meaning me) cannot help but get involved with the lives of the characters.

The entire episode, until the very end, was very funny. The flashback to the making of the "Bro Code" (Barney's rules for men and their friends) alone was enough to keep me laughing for a good 15 minutes.


And... up until the end, I felt the writers handled the hook up with a hilarious twist without making it too cheesy and out of character. I just could not handle "sad Barney" at the end. It depressed me (I know I am too involved where are my children).

Will Barney and Ted ever be friends again? Is it over for Barney and Robin or was it a one time thing? And why in 2009 are Robin's towels in Ted's bathroom? All good questions...now answer them.

The Paper on MTV

As Amanda arrives fashionable late to her first ever staff meeting as Editor in Chief, you know that her dramatics and overbearing attitude are not going to be well received with the other members of the Circuit staff. I watched the first episode of The Paper on MTV and now have watched numbers 2 and 3 (so I am caught up) and I must say this group of high schoolers is hilarious.

This week and last weeks episodes centered around Amanda trying to get a handle on being in charge while Alex (the managing editor) is trying to accept the fact that he is second in command. Only in Florida will a student take the summer vacation to get a nose job; which is what Amanda (Miss dramatic) has done. this girl is too much and when I say too much I mean it. She tapes post-it notes on the wall to get her motivated, she talks to her dog about what the next day will bring, she plans an entire week of outfits and writes notes on them for accessories because "a great outfit is essential to a great attitude" and she throws an ice cream social to bond with the other staffers. The girl is living in la la land. I don't know if she is over acting (reality right?) or if she really is this strange, yet she wonders about not being invited to parties or not being included. She has the affected attitude of someone who feels that they are better and smarter and a sense of entitlement that is brought on by too many people telling her she is great (which she is not).



The most recent episode had Alex come up with a "day in the life" story idea about the football team. He and Dan (another staffer) were going to practice with the football team to write a story about how hard they work. Good idea, right? Well Amanda laughed at him twice. Once in the newspaper room and then she and her posse decided to go out to the practice and laugh again. Yet she cannot understand why Alex won't call her back or invite her to Dan's birthday party.



Next week looks like a mutiny is in the making. Should be interesting to see how the Amanda haters deal with her and a deadline. I think they should sic Adam on her. He is a major Diva (I love it) and I think he could take her. Once again the kids all follow your normal high school stereotypes and yes I have definitely concluded that Amanda is the one that everyone loves to hate.

Gossip Girl

I cannot stand not knowing something. I am the person who reads the last page of a book because I cannot stand the suspense (I know, I know that is the best part). Imagine how I felt last night watching the entire episode of Gossip Girl last night and still not finding out Serena's big secret.

Georgina arrived last night ready to "party and drink" (again how do these kids get served alcohol all over town) with her buddy Serena. Serena accepted the invitation because she felt that she needed to. Georgina spiked her drink, Serena missed her SAT's, Serena freaked and called Chuck? How bizarre is a world where Serena goes to Chuck for help instead of Dan? At the end Georgina introduces herself to Dan as Sarah. Finally a twist for the golden couple but I still need to know what is going to happen so that I can prepare myself.



On the Queen "B" front; Blair invited the girls over to study for the SAT, but first she wanted to sabotage the smartest girl in the class (who also wants to go to Yale). Blair's back and more campy then ever. Also, Jenny met a guy (she needs a "king" so that she can be "queen") and Nate and Vanessa are hanging out.



Hopefully next week we will find out Serena's big secret. Will Georgina break up Serena and Dan? Is Serena going to hook up with Chuck? Oh and who in the world is going to be gay (my money is on little Erik but we will have to see)? Tune in. XOXO!

Top Chef - Chicago

Finally, finally I have had a chance to sit down and discuss my thoughts about Top Chef last week. This weekend has gotten away from me and after seeing the re-run of the show for the third time on Bravo, I figured I would go ahead and voice my opinion.

The week started like any other week with Jennifer "doing it for Zoi" and Spike talking about how great he was. Andrew did pipe up and state that he would miss "pretty-boy" (really?) Ryan. As the cheftestants walked into the kitchen the sweets covering all tables was a sure sign of what was to come. The QuickFire this week was to make a "delicious" dessert (Padma's words not mine I wanted a dessert that tastes like crap). The winner of the QuickFire would receive immunity and their recipe would be included in the Top Chef cookbook (nice plug by the way). Richard won (shock) and he wins immunity for the week.

Next up everyone gets dressed because they have been invited to Second City (Improv) for the evening show. While there the actors on stage start taking feelings, food and color words from the audience. Here comes the Elimination Challenge ladies and gentlemen. The cheftestants (got to use the word twice) split into teams of two and have to create a dish inspired by the words from Second City. For example; Richard and Dale (dream team) are asked to create a dish inspired by green...perplexed...Tofu. Andrew and Spike team up and their words are yellow...love...vanilla. Finally Spike will get to make his butternut squash soup. Antonia and Lisa (yuck) are a team and they refuse to follow directions and instead of cooking drunken, polish sausage they create a dish of sea bass (because polish sausage and sea bass are the same thing, right?). The top two teams end up being Dale and Richard (again shock) and Spike and Andrew. Dale and Richard win!



The bottom two teams are Antonia and Lisa and Stephanie and Jennifer. Stephanie and Jennifer had to create a dish out of orange...turned on...asparagus. The explanation that these two had was way too fallic and suggestive. Plus the judges hated it so...Jennifer goes home. No more "doing it for Zoi". I liked Jenn and I enjoyed her humor but she became a little too literal. Do I think it is fair that she goes home and Yucky Lisa and Antonia did not follow directions and they get to stay? No I don't but as the judges stated at least their dish was good. Who is next people? Please let it be Lisa!

I Hate Comcast

My internet (and phone and cable) has been out all day. I have watched Top Chef, and The Paper and My Name is Earl and would have loved to write about all three but I have been unable to do much of anything. Can you tell I am frustrated? Plus my husband is out of town and what will I do with the children if they cannot watch television all weekend? It continues to flicker in and out so we will see what happens. I called this morning and the people at Comcast reported no outages in my area. Really? None? Well let me report one. I will try to discuss the shows later.

America's Next Top Model - Cycle 10

I think that I have finally become sick of this show. I have loved all seasons of America's Next Top Model (some more than others) but this season is getting on my last nerve. The judges continue to rave about Anya and I just don't see it. Plus...she cannot speak people!!!! Her "accent" (if that is what you call it from Hawaii) sounds fake and she comes across as a dumb (and dumber) blond who has no education! My goodness that was a rant, wasn't it?

This week followed the models in Rome as they took a tour of the city (on Segways no less) and had a fashion/walking challenge for Gai Mattiolo (some Italian designer I have never heard of). Of course Anya won (my God people) and she took home an original designed Gai Mottiolo (again, who?) dress. This was the week for the Cover Girl commercial and since normally none of the models do well, I knew that this would be interesting. Plus the commercial was done in Italian. This never bodes well. It was not. Anya was horrible (shock) as was Lauren (again shock, she just looked pissed off the whole time). Whitney was slutty as was Fatima. Katarzyna was boring (the judges have already spoken to her about her lack of personality). And shock of all shocks; Dominique looked like a man!



The judging was extremely frustrating. None of the judges knew who to send home because all the girls were so bad but if I heard one more word about the beauty (?) of Anya I thought I would throw up. The judges finally made a decision and Lauren was sent home. Good decision since Lauren cannot walk and had an attitude during the commercial but at least she looks like a girl. Dominique looked scary and crazy in the commercial and she is still here? I am not sure what Tyra is thinking this season. Nice to see Whitney (the plus size model) is still around but the judges continue to get on her about being fake. She will not last another week.

Tyra if you are listening; If Anya wins I will boycott your show. There is something off about this girl and there is no way the American public can listen to her speak. If she says how grateful she is one more time I think my head will explode. Having gone full circle I am now pulling for Fatima and Katarzyna.

How I Met Your Mother

I was finally able to watch this week's episode of How I Met Your Mother and my goodness was I in for some surprises. The return of Robin's previous teenage self "Robin Sparkles" the Canadian pop star returned this week in a fun look back of Robin's first boyfriend. A surprisingly funny, James Van Der Beek, played an aging singer (for a group called Foreskins), who visits Robin in New York. Same old story, she loved, he broke her heart, summer romance and so on. Also Simon was her love interest in her video. The funny part was not just Van Der Beek's Canadian accent (although that was hilarious), it was once again the idea of Robin as a "pop" princess.


Here is my worry; at the end of the episode Barney and Robin watch the video (Sandcastles in the Sand, seriously funny) together after Robin is once again dumped by Simon. The two (Robin and Barney) end up making out. Is this going to ruin the awesomeness that is Barney? It does seem as if the two of them have always fit together well but are we ready for a Barney and Robin romance? Or will this just be a hook up? I guess only time will tell with this one.

I love the word Revertigo! This is a new word made up by Marshall as he tries to explain what happens to people when they get around old high school friends. We (everyone does it) all have a tendency to Revert back to our high school persona (as Robin did with Simon and Lily apparently does with her friend Michelle), thus was born Revertigo. Love the explanation and love the word. Lets see where the Robin and Barney thing goes next week. Til then.