DWTS - Performance #7

Well, what do you know? We finally got a week where I didn't hear the words "jiggly parts" the entire show!

Actually, I love Niecy. She looks like a lot of fun, but not so fun that she's never serious about hard work. Her partnership with Louis is adorable. And I appreciate how she'll gladly eat a cheeseburger without fear of bursting from a (gasp) size 2 dress.

Unfortunately, I think she's gone after tonight. Which is probably fitting - I think she and Chad have gone as far as they can with their skills. But Niecy is at the bottom of the leaderboard and I don't think her fanbase can compete with Chad's to make up the difference. As someone who also loves to eat, I'll miss her candor and acceptance. And dammit, the woman is funny.

Other than the jiggly parts bit, most aspects of the show remained the same. Chad making a move on Cheryl? Check. Nicole crying because "it's not easy" for her? Check. Brooke's weekly reminder that she once danced on the show? Check. Montage about how everybody wants to do their best? Check. And duh.

Chad and Cheryl - I think he has hit the wall this week. I love how much fun he seems to have when he dances, and at least he's working hard and not coasting on votes and his smile. But I'm not sure how much more he could improve. He's a decent party dancer who wouldn't embarrass a date on the dance floor (at least not due to lack of rhythm), but he's just not very graceful. His Argentine Tango was stiff, and his "jive" wasn't so much a jive - very few flicks and kicks. Quite disappointing.

Niecy and Louis - I really liked her waltz. I can see what the judges were saying about Louis jerking her here and there a little bit, but I've always had a soft spot for "I Got You, Babe." She positively floated across that floor and did the steps very well. Her paso, however... not so good. (And I'm still wondering why they'd include the 90s, while leaving the much more distinctive 70s out of the whole thing.) I think that dance has done in our Miss Jiggly Parts, unfortunately.

Erin and Maks -Hey CI and Bruno - how do you go on and on about how hot and awesome that tango was and then give these two a 9? It's the dancing equivalent of blue balls. That AT better get the encore tonight. It wasn't the highest score of the night, but it continued a nice breakthrough for these two and they have yet to get an encore this season. I was disappointed in their rumba, however. For two people to be this sexy and totally into each other, that dance was surprisingly lacking in chemistry. It wasn't smooth enough, and they didn't look at each other very much.

Evan and Anna - My geek love for this guy just got stronger with his Wall-E impression. That charm sneaks up on you, doesn't it? I knew he'd be a class act but had no idea he was actually funny before the second or third episode of this season. I thought his robot cha-cha was really good (nice choreography, Anna!), although his waltz bored me a little bit. From the message boards I've seen, though, it looks like a lot of people are voting for him this week. So he should be fine. He's actually my pick to win it all - he'll get to the Final Two with Nicole, but his dancing is close enough to hers where he'll beat her out on personality.

Nicole and Derek - Well, will you look at that... our little princess is having FUN! I actually enjoyed her dancing this week, and that's the first time I've been able to say that. She smiled! With teeth and everything! That foxtrot was totally charming, and they did a good job incorporating 50s moves into a paso doble (although they got an assist from the music department - was that even a song from the era?). Derek annoys me to no end with his attention-hogging mug, but I have to admit he's one of the best choreographers they have on the show. Now if we could only boycott the "woe is me, the Artist" rehearsal footage...

And now, on to my favorite night of the week. DWTS results, LOST and V. I'm a happy girl in May Sweeps!

My weekly childhood flashback

Every Monday night my house is transformed back to 1976.

No, we don't change into our finest polyester or whip up a batch of rosy perfection salad. Instead, the kids get bathed and in their PJs early and at 8 p.m. we all settle into the living room for that week's installment of Dancing With The Stars.

Sure, we could record it and watch the next day. But there's just something so wholesome, so innocent and retro about all of us rushing to get our chores done and comfy clothes on so that we can sit and watch a scheduled broadcast television show. Together.

So what do we think so far? Of course we're already halfway through, but those already booted off can each be summed up rather quickly:

Shannen - Dull, but didn't deserve to go home first. I felt bad for her.
Buzz - Loved his personality, but the man couldn't dance. And it wasn't due to age either.
Aiden - There was just something off-putting about this guy. He seemed a little domineering at first, but he started to grow on me. Still, too clompy with his dancing.
Kate - Horrid. She's not just an awful dancer, but a miserable wretch of a woman as well.
Jake - Tom Cruise called. He wants his creepy smile back.

Last night was a great night of dancing, to the point where I'd love a non-elimination round.

Erin and Maks - A very fun quickstep! I could have done without the clothing change, but it was a nice misdirection lest we thought that Maks was going to strip again (he's full of himself, but he's not an idiot). Erin's improvement arc is showing nicely and if viewer votes hold up she should be in the finals. I wouldn't doubt it if my love for these two is influenced by the fact that she's a fellow Gator, or that she's actually kind of a dork - because I am a dork too and I know the awkward you-don't-quite-belong thing that it entails. I also love how these two aren't even trying to hide whatever romantic shenanigans are going on between them.

Chad and Cheryl - I like Chad a lot more than I thought I would before the season started. That being said, I keep thinking he should dance better than he does. Part of it is posture, but there's something missing in his performances. Character, maybe? He always just seems to be Chad Doing The Dance out on the floor, instead of actually being a part of the dance.

Niecy and Louis - I don't think you can appreciate just how funny Niecy Nash is unless you watch Reno 911. Don't even bother with Clean House; her Raineesha Williams is comedy gold. She's pretty good on the dance floor, but I think she's taken her dancing skills about as far as they'll let her go. I'm glad she had a good night last night, but I don't see her lasting much longer.

Nicole and Derek - I don't care how well she dances (which is not "the best dancer the show has ever had" - shut up, Carrie Ann). Anyone preoccupied with camera angles as opposed to actual steps does not belong on this show. And I'm sick of her angry guppy faces that she makes while doing the Latin dances. Why so upset, Nicole? Is the headband too tight? Oh, and I normally don't make a fuss about ringers... but yeah, total ringer. Anyone who studied dance in college (it was her minor) and has danced professionally for at least five years shouldn't even be considered for this show.

Pam and Damian - From what I've read, there was a lot of outrage at bringing Pam Anderson in due to her risque career. Which is a shame, because everything I've read about her or heard her say reflects someone who is very down to earth and nice with a really good sense of humor. So it's rewarding to see that a lot of her initial detractors have grown to like her. Now if they would only vote to back it up. But as well as she has done, she had a rough go of it last night with an error-ridden solo in the group cha cha. Her waltz was beautiful, but I think it'll be her or Niecy going home tonight.

Evan and Anna - Did you ever see "Million Dollar Listing" on Bravo? There's one Realtor with this emo haircut, the kind that swoops into his face and partially covers his eyes. He's got a whiny, wussy voice that drives me nuts. Evan also has that voice, so I was prepared to be bored. Big surprise, though... the scarecrow has a great sense of humor. We knew he'd be able to dance well, but that goofiness is a nice surprise. We were all pleased to see them get the first perfect 10 instead of Nicole.

So, who do you think is going home tonight?

A year in the life

So one year ago today I was laid off from my full-time job. Since then...

1) I enjoyed a true-blue summer at home with the kids.
2) I did part-time contract work for a local magazine, which included not only writing but editing, layout, photography and production work as well. Fantastic experience.
3) I took the kids to their dance recitals, dress rehearsals, football practices and games, and their grandmother's house... all without the worry of how I'd make up the hours I missed at the office.
4) The family and I traveled with my husband on a couple of his business trips.
5) I had time to actually make/shop for and wrap holiday presents.
6) I took a yoga-pilates class.
7) Oh yeah... I BREATHED.

We've got less money. We buy less stuff. I clip coupons every week and shop around for the best price on toilet paper. We almost never go out to dinner, and when we do it's with coupons and/or gift cards. We'd love to take a vacation - nothing extravagant, just a getaway to a beach or a cool city - but we know it's just not in the cards anytime soon.

And yet, we love life more. We spend more time together, we are more patient with each other. The house is cleaner and runs more smoothly. The kids are happier. And so am I.

Bad events can lead to better things. They happen for a reason, whether we want to believe it or not.

Random Thoughts

Hey, you know that idiot in the parking lot who mashes the "unlock" button on her keyfob several times to unlock her door because it's not working properly, when she's standing right next to the car and could easily just stick the key in the door and turn it? Yep, that's me.

Every time I hear Gregg Allman's "I'm No Angel" all I can think about is a very pregnant Amy Poehler dancing/grinding on Josh Brolin in an SNL skit set in a dive bar. It shouldn't be funny at all, but most anything with Amy Poehler manages to overachieve. I still giggle a little bit in the car when that song comes on the radio and my children think I'm nuts.

I can't decide which are scarier, fast zombies or the slow, lumbering kind. I think it depends on the scenario. If you're in a large field or clearing, the speedier zombies are worse because it's harder to escape (whereas you can dodge or kill the slow zombies pretty easily). But if you're in a small room with no way out, that's got to suck having the lurching zombies slowly close in on you, prolonging the horror and dread.

Remind me to never again let my son get Burger King for dinner before football practice. And no, 45 minutes is not enough time from the end of such a meal to the start of physical activity.

Wow, so it's been a year, huh?

So I haven't been the most dedicated of bloggers. Very true. But a lot has changed in the past 12 months.

You see, I lost my full-time technical writing job to mass company layoffs just about a year ago. While shocking at first, it turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me professionally. Losing my job allowed me to pursue freelance writing as my sole occupation, which was liberating beyond anything I could have imagined. It gave me more chances to be creative with my writing, but I also had more time with my family.

Last summer was the first ever that my kids actually spent at home. Not in daycare, not in full-time camp, but a true summer where they could sleep in if they wanted and played with neighborhood friends until dusk every day. Plus I had the time to juggle dance recital duties, trips for my husband's work and, once the school year started, my son's football practices and helping the kids with homework. It has been heaven, I tell you, and something I never thought would happen.

So between my new creative outlets and the joyous time suck that is being with my children, I just haven't been inspired to blog until now. But that will be changing, as life has become more settled after the adjustment from the full-time rat race (it seriously takes a while to come down from it all!). Stay tuned, my friends... it won't be long before you're once again subject to my random missives. :-)

Why I Heart Meghan McCain

From CNN.com:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/29/limbaugh-to-specter-please-take-mccain-with-you-2/

If nothing else, Rush Limbaugh is great entertainment. Never in my life have I witnessed such self-importance, such bombastic psychobabble as what comes out of this man's mouth. If I ignore the fact that millions of people nod their heads in agreement while he spews, I can actually enjoy the show. This is what he said on Tuesday regarding Sen. Arlen Specter's move to the Democratic party:

"A lot of people say, 'Well, Specter, take [Sen. John] McCain with you. And his daughter [Meghan]. Take McCain and his daughter with you if you're gonna... It's ultimately good. You're weeding out people who aren't really Republicans."

Later in the day, Meghan McCain filed this on her Twitter:

"RED TIL I'M DEAD BABY!!! I love the republican party enough to give it constructive criticism, I love my party and sure as hell not leavin!"

So why do I like this?

1) The whole point of the Republican Party is supposed to be less government interference. And yet they're trying to dictate what we can do in our private lives to an extent that we've never seen before. If anything, in my opinion the religious/conservative right members are the "people who aren't really Republicans."

2) Meghan McCain is not a genius, but she's not an idiot either. She's a young adult who views the world in much the same way that we all do - not as politicians but as people. We might not be running for office or have advanced degrees in economics, but we are invested in and concerned about our country's success. And we're not afraid to talk about it.

You know, she already had me with her Ann Coulter smackdown and her Tyra Banks "kiss my fat ass" moment with Laura Ingraham. But this? This officially puts her on my "public figures I'd like to have a beer with" list. Keep talking, Meghan!

Really, is this normal now?

My daughter's favorite joke:

Her: Knock, knock!
Me: Who's there?
Her: Interrupting cow.
Me: Interrupting c-
Her: MOOOOOOOO!!!!!

It's cute with a five year old, in the context of a joke. But has interrupting become the norm now? I can't watch an interview, reality show or anything without escaping the rudeness. Celebrity Apprentice reinforced it with Melissa Rivers not letting anyone get a word in edgewise. But it's far more rampant than that. Watch Jon Stewart or Bill O'Reilly conduct an "interview" - Stewart especially. Which is a shame, because he's such a smart and observant guy. But LET YOUR GUESTS TALK, PEOPLE. Why have them on the show if they aren't allowed to say a damn word?

Sic my mother on them. You could buy stock in Ivory Soap for that.