Another 2-hour episode...good lord!
OK, so here's my little crew I'm cheering for after seeing this episode:
Jillian - I really like her. She seems very much herself around Jason and doesn't seem like she's trying too hard.
Lauren - I like her too, but she is a smidge high maintenance. We'll see.
Melissa - Awww! Yeah, she's still adorable.
Stephanie - I. Love. Her. So sweet and genuine.
Nikki - She seems like she's pretty cool, and a lot more mature than many of the other girls.
Molly - I know she's a little bit of a schemer, but I can't help rooting for her.
Surprise Pool Party and Impromptu One-on-One Date
I'm glad Shannon has a new nickname: "Sha-Nay-Nay." The girl is crazy. Throwing ice = lame. And I don't think she has an internal monologue; it's like everything that crosses her mind, then crosses her lips.
I loved that Nikki was coaching poor, sweet Stephanie on how to steal Jason away from Natalie! The poor thing is so gentle, she wouldn't hurt a bug, much less a blonde. I think Jason was probably impressed by her tact in not breaking up his conversation to take him away.
I think Jason is doing a really good job of getting to know the girls on his own terms. I loved that he surprised them at the pool; I think he really wants to get to know them in a more relaxed setting, without them being all dressed up and made up. I thought it was hilarious that the girls were freaking out because they had no make-up and ponytails! He seems very at ease and seems to genuinely want them to have a good time, unlike Deanna, who threw a fit when no one was paying attention to her (remember that from last season?!!).
He picks Jillian for an impromptu one-on-one, which makes Lauren totally jealous. Until she thinks about how frantic she would be... "I mean, she didn't have very much time to get ready. I would be freaking out, and I don't know what I'd do with my hair. I'd have to wear it curly. No, I'd have to put it in a ponytail!!! Ok, I'm glad it wasn't me."
Lauren is pretty high-maintenance and Jason is picking up on this. I think he's looking for someone who can roll with the punches, which is probably a lot of what being a step-parent is about. We all know how high-maintenance Deanna was, and I hope Jason steers clear of that this season.
Jason's date with Jillian is at Disney Hall, which you may remember from the movie Get Smart. Very cool. And inside is Robin Thicke with a full band, singing for just the two of them! (How awkward would that be to be up there performing with a full set for just two people who were dancing/watching/smootching the whole time?)
Melissa gets to go on the other one-on-one date. At first I'm worried that she's going to turn into a brat and not have a good date, but when Jason feeds her the oyster and she obviously hates it, and then admits that she thought it was gross, I was back to cheering for our little cheerleader! She is just too cute. And then the Good Year Magic 8 Ball Blimp came by to answer some questions. And Melissa asked some good ones, including "Will I get a rose?" and "Will I get a kiss?" And as Jason knows from personal practice, when it comes to kissing...ask and you shall receive. Well played, Melissa. Or, as she would say, "Nicely done."
Group Date
Jason takes the girls shopping (aww!) and then it's back to the pool so he can hang out with the ladies in their bikinis and show off his wonderfully sculpted torso again. Molly gets a rose on this date after showing Jason her "secret talent," which is kissing, and also showing her goofy side by coordinating a synchronized swimming dance with Sharon and Kari.
Molly is slick; you have to hand it to her. I know the other girls got mad at her for the "secret talent" thing and for spending time with him when she'd already gotten a rose, but I think she knows that if you play too nice, you go home, and she's showing Jason that she's there for a reason.
Naomi told Jason that she'd be his friend no matter what. I had to ask myself if she was seriously asking to be put in the Friend Zone. Then to get him to kiss her, the line she used was, "Do friends kiss?" Sigh...yes, Naomi, sometimes friends DO kiss. That's called a friend with benefits. And that's not the same thing as a fiancee.
Erica says something to Jason about having certain standards that he needs to meet...or something like that. I didn't really get what she was saying. Then she tells the camera that it's hard for her to see Jason with the other girls, because she was cheated on in her last relationship and that's why it ended. "She was 52," she says.
Wait, did I hear that right? I had to rewind and play it again. "She was 52." Yup! That is what she said. So Erica's last boyfriend was either stolen by a senior citizen woman, or her last boyfriend WAS a senior citizen woman. I'm still not clear on that.
Raquel pulled kind of a creeper move by climbing into Jason's car and waiting after he dropped the other girls off after the group date. (Does anyone remember when one of the guys...Twilley, I think...did this to Deanna? I do, and I think it was equally awkward this time around.)
On to the Rose Ceremony...
Megan...kinda sucks. Nothing is working out for her. First the fake elimination rose, then she doesn't get a date, and then Molly pops by with her rose in the middle of Jason's conversation with her and takes him away (and is it just me, or did Jason look relieved?). That led to a completely pointless fight between her and Erica. And to put a cherry on top of her Bachelor Disaster Sundae, she decides to find out more about the mysterious Stephanie and "what her deal is."
"So, we haven't gotten to know much about you, " she starts out in her nervous, abrasive manner. "What happened with your ex?"
Then Stephanie, the angel of this cast of contenders, tells this beautiful, tragic story about how her husband died in a plane crash. And then she shows her poise and grace by turning the conversation's focus back to Jason instead of keeping everyone's sympathetic attention on her. This woman is too sweet to be on reality TV.
Lisa tells Jason she has to leave the show because her grandma is terminally sick with cancer. Boo. I was really hoping we'd get to see more of her. And wow, the girls don't even try to act like they feel bad for her. "One less girl for me to worry about!" they all said. Geez!
Nikki tells Jason she is worried some of the girls are not there for the right reasons, or aren't prepared to settle down and be a mom. There's always one in the bunch, folks. Someone who is ready to sell out their fellow competitors because they care about the Bachelor so much (or the Bachelorette; it happens with the guys too). I like Nikki, but I think it's always a dangerous move to try to turn the object of your desire against other contestants. I'm just worried someone's gonna put gum in her hair while she's sleeping.
At the end of the night, Jason only has to eliminate two girls because Lisa left voluntarily. The roses go to:
Megan (booo.)
Nikki (duh.)
Lauren (again, duh.)
Naomi (not quite in the Friend Zone yet.)
Stephanie (YESSSSS!!! with arm pump.)
Kari
Natalie
Sha-Nay-Nay
Melissa (one-on-one date)
Jillian (on-on-one date)
Molly (group date rose)
Erica - (booo...and she does this whole trashy thing where she goes, "Stop doing this to me!" because he called her name last, and she makes him put his hand on her chest so he can feel her rapidly pulsating heart.)
Sharon is sent home to find a new job, since she gave up her old one to be on the show. Oops. Raquel salsas into the sunset, snuffing our hopes for an international hometown date. Oh well.
Next Week...
We'll get to see an amazing one-on-one date with Stephanie as she is surprised by a visit from her darling little girl! I think I caught Jason crying during their reunion, but we'll just have to see.
Oh, at the end of the show, they played a clip of Stephanie's numerous bags of luggage and (of course) she let all of the girls try on and borrow anything they wanted to. Is this lady for real?!
I can't wait for Deanna to come back. When do you think that will happen?!!
Supplemental Reading...
Lincee (for the funniest recaps on the planet)
Chris (for those of you who, like me, are fascinated by what happens behind the scenes of a reality show...and this is also a hilarious read!)
And of course the ladies who go Beyond Reality...see what they have to say this week:
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
not attached, not looking...not in the same boat
Quick note - because I'm in the middle of working and it's 10 minutes till crunch time!
Yesterday morning my meteorologist asked me if I was dating anyone. I said no. And then she goes, "Well, do you have guy friends that you hang out with--"
"Yeah!"
"--that you want to date? Or that you're interested in?"
"No. Why?"
"Well...I just think you'd be a good girlfriend."
Yeah. I would be a good girlfriend. If I wanted to be one. But I don't want to be one. My mom really understands that, which is great because I know she probably wants grandkids and I'm not helping out with that right now. I know my dad is A-O-K with me not putting myself in any potentially heartbreaking situations, as long as I'm happy with that decision. And they're both cool with me being more focused on my career than on my personal life right now.
But sometimes it's like other people don't get that.
Which is fine. It's not my problem...but sometimes I get annoyed that I have to defend my reasons for not jumping back into the dating pool.
Plus, the meteorologist is getting married, like just about everyone else in the world that I know, so I think that always makes me feel a little more alone in the world. Not alone in the sense that I have no significant other, but in the sense that I don't feel like I have any friends my age who are single and content with that. Even my sisters... Michelle is already planning a wedding in her mind, and she and her boyfriend are already having those "when we're married" conversations. She is a VERY hopeless romantic. And my little sister Marla is in a new relationship, and she has this ability to just sort of move smoothly from one relationship to the next without having to take a year off for "me-time" like her second-oldest sister (that's me, if you didn't catch that).
So I think that's what makes me feel lonely sometimes. It's not the loneliness of not having a special guy in my life...just the loneliness of not feeling like anyone else is in the same boat as me.
And sometimes I get tired of paddling alone. Just sayin'.
Ok, 5 minutes to crunch time! Gotta go! The news won't wait! :)
Until later.
Yesterday morning my meteorologist asked me if I was dating anyone. I said no. And then she goes, "Well, do you have guy friends that you hang out with--"
"Yeah!"
"--that you want to date? Or that you're interested in?"
"No. Why?"
"Well...I just think you'd be a good girlfriend."
Yeah. I would be a good girlfriend. If I wanted to be one. But I don't want to be one. My mom really understands that, which is great because I know she probably wants grandkids and I'm not helping out with that right now. I know my dad is A-O-K with me not putting myself in any potentially heartbreaking situations, as long as I'm happy with that decision. And they're both cool with me being more focused on my career than on my personal life right now.
But sometimes it's like other people don't get that.
Which is fine. It's not my problem...but sometimes I get annoyed that I have to defend my reasons for not jumping back into the dating pool.
Plus, the meteorologist is getting married, like just about everyone else in the world that I know, so I think that always makes me feel a little more alone in the world. Not alone in the sense that I have no significant other, but in the sense that I don't feel like I have any friends my age who are single and content with that. Even my sisters... Michelle is already planning a wedding in her mind, and she and her boyfriend are already having those "when we're married" conversations. She is a VERY hopeless romantic. And my little sister Marla is in a new relationship, and she has this ability to just sort of move smoothly from one relationship to the next without having to take a year off for "me-time" like her second-oldest sister (that's me, if you didn't catch that).
So I think that's what makes me feel lonely sometimes. It's not the loneliness of not having a special guy in my life...just the loneliness of not feeling like anyone else is in the same boat as me.
And sometimes I get tired of paddling alone. Just sayin'.
Ok, 5 minutes to crunch time! Gotta go! The news won't wait! :)
Until later.
Monday, January 12, 2009
changing clothes...and other stuff
Tonight at musical rehearsal, a couple of the girls told me they loved my clothes.
"You always look so fashionable," they said. "You could be a model!"
Now, I know that's a load of crap, but it still made me feel good. Here's the funny thing -- I have always admired people who are able to sort of "put it together." But when I was in high school and even college, I never really felt like I knew how to do it, so I usually opted for the jeans-and-t shirt look.
It wasn't until probably my junior or senior year of college that I started trying to put it all together clothes and accessory-wise. For me, a "matching outfit" meant no clashing of black/brown or black/navy. It took awhile for me to just start getting how jewelry and shoes could pull an outfit together or that layering was more interesting than just wearing a t-shirt or sweater by itself. (The whole layering thing is still kind of a puzzle to me.)
And then after college I got to the point where I decided to wear whatever I wanted, because my job description doesn't really include a dress code. That gave me an excuse to take some risks and try some things that I was too chicken to try to pull off in college.
And now apparently some people think I'm fashionable.
So it just goes to show you how new people can be a litmus test for how much you've changed over the years. And I don't just mean on the outside, but also how you've changed you're opinions or your level of acceptance or your ability to branch out and try new things. I feel like every time I meet new people, I kind of find out more about the person I've become and how my experiences have taught me and influenced me to change. It's pretty cool.
On a separate note, another comment tonight made me and a couple other people laugh. My friend Chris, another guy in the show named Jeff, and I are all in the 24-25 age range. And at one point in the rehearsal, the kids sitting behind us made some comment about the three of us, referring to us as the "cool college kids." And we all three sort of went, "Pshhh, we're not in college! We're old! We're not that cool!" I think it's really funny how much we all get over ourselves once we graduate. You sort of get smacked in the face with real life, and then it doesn't matter how good your grades were, or how many clubs you were the president of, or how many friends you had, because they are all history and now you are a little fish trying not to get eaten in a very, very large pond called The World. It is very humbling to be a twenty-something.
OK, here's my last bit -- It used to be that when I was in junior high, high school, and even college, people always thought I looked older than what I was. But starting when I graduated, people have always been surprised to find out how old I am. I'm hoping it's because I stopped looking older and not because I display a lack of maturity! And either way, I'm not complaining; I'm getting to the place in life where it's a huge compliment for people to think I'm younger than what I am, and I hope it continues. But it's weird to go to a bar and have to get that suspicious eye from the bouncer after you've been legal for three years! I was always sort of afraid that because I matured early as a kid and teenager that I'd also age quickly as an adult. And it's nice to think I won't have to worry about that just yet.
Do you remember looking in the mirror as a kid and wondering what your adult face would look like? Now I catch myself looking in the mirror sometimes and thinking, "Oh! I guess this is it!" That's so weird. I still feel like I'm waiting to turn into a grown-up. I keep forgetting I am one.
"You always look so fashionable," they said. "You could be a model!"
Now, I know that's a load of crap, but it still made me feel good. Here's the funny thing -- I have always admired people who are able to sort of "put it together." But when I was in high school and even college, I never really felt like I knew how to do it, so I usually opted for the jeans-and-t shirt look.
It wasn't until probably my junior or senior year of college that I started trying to put it all together clothes and accessory-wise. For me, a "matching outfit" meant no clashing of black/brown or black/navy. It took awhile for me to just start getting how jewelry and shoes could pull an outfit together or that layering was more interesting than just wearing a t-shirt or sweater by itself. (The whole layering thing is still kind of a puzzle to me.)
And then after college I got to the point where I decided to wear whatever I wanted, because my job description doesn't really include a dress code. That gave me an excuse to take some risks and try some things that I was too chicken to try to pull off in college.
And now apparently some people think I'm fashionable.
So it just goes to show you how new people can be a litmus test for how much you've changed over the years. And I don't just mean on the outside, but also how you've changed you're opinions or your level of acceptance or your ability to branch out and try new things. I feel like every time I meet new people, I kind of find out more about the person I've become and how my experiences have taught me and influenced me to change. It's pretty cool.
On a separate note, another comment tonight made me and a couple other people laugh. My friend Chris, another guy in the show named Jeff, and I are all in the 24-25 age range. And at one point in the rehearsal, the kids sitting behind us made some comment about the three of us, referring to us as the "cool college kids." And we all three sort of went, "Pshhh, we're not in college! We're old! We're not that cool!" I think it's really funny how much we all get over ourselves once we graduate. You sort of get smacked in the face with real life, and then it doesn't matter how good your grades were, or how many clubs you were the president of, or how many friends you had, because they are all history and now you are a little fish trying not to get eaten in a very, very large pond called The World. It is very humbling to be a twenty-something.
OK, here's my last bit -- It used to be that when I was in junior high, high school, and even college, people always thought I looked older than what I was. But starting when I graduated, people have always been surprised to find out how old I am. I'm hoping it's because I stopped looking older and not because I display a lack of maturity! And either way, I'm not complaining; I'm getting to the place in life where it's a huge compliment for people to think I'm younger than what I am, and I hope it continues. But it's weird to go to a bar and have to get that suspicious eye from the bouncer after you've been legal for three years! I was always sort of afraid that because I matured early as a kid and teenager that I'd also age quickly as an adult. And it's nice to think I won't have to worry about that just yet.
Do you remember looking in the mirror as a kid and wondering what your adult face would look like? Now I catch myself looking in the mirror sometimes and thinking, "Oh! I guess this is it!" That's so weird. I still feel like I'm waiting to turn into a grown-up. I keep forgetting I am one.
Friday, January 9, 2009
twenty-five
This came from a Facebook game, and I'm not asking anyone to play it here...although it does make for a kind of fun blog post if you want to try it! I just thought I'd post mine on here for that very reason.
(The Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.)
Here are my 25 REALLY random things:
1. I am a social networking junkie. I have a blog, two YouTube channels, a Twitter feed, and (of course) Facebook! I don't have MySpace, though. Do people still use that?
2. I wouldn't say I hate cooking, but I don't enjoy cooking just for myself. (And I don't mean making burgers in the George Foreman or scrambling up an egg omelette -- in my book it only counts as cooking if you actually measure out ingredients and stuff.)
3. I do enjoy living on my own, even if that does mean cooking (or frying, or microwaving) for one!
4. I love my job. Even on the days when things don't go well. It doesn't matter how much money I make...I just love what I do.
5. I'm left-handed. Did everybody know that?
6. I have so. Many. Shoes. Most of them are heels because...
7. I am 5'2". Just like Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Tisdale, and Amy Poehler!
8. My dream jobs include: Marci Klein's job at SNL, Gellman's job on Regis & Kelly, being a personal assistant to Tina Fey just so I could soak up her awesomeness (did you catch how that's a reference to Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey?!), producing my own TV show, performing on Broadway.
9. I'd really like to write and publish a book someday.
10. I am so proud of my friends; so many people I know from high school, church, college, and after college are incredibly talented and I can't wait to see them make it big so I can cash in on those friendships. Totally kidding. But I truly believe that so many people I know have absolute star quality!
11. I have lived without cable television for 3 and a half years. I still keep up with a lot of TV shows; I just watch them all online or buy them by the season on DVD.
12. I do not, and probably never will, like the taste of coffee. I think it smells good, but tastes gross.
13. I don't remember a moment in my life where I stopped believing in Santa Claus. Most people can tell a story about how they found out, but I have no recollection of that happening...which makes me think I probably still believe in Santa Claus.
14. I also don't remember a point in my life where I started believing in God and in Jesus. Most people have a story to tell about that moment, too. But for me, the belief has just always been there, although that belief has definitely evolved and been challenged and dissected throughout my lifetime.
15. Back to accessories...I also love handbags and hats. I think my love of hats is what gets me through the winter.
16. I think it'd be really cool to live in the South, but I love-love-love the change in seasons that we get here in the Midwest. I would have a hard time giving that up.
17. I want a dog, really really a lot. I think everyone knows that. Hopefully I'll have one by this summer!
18. A lot of people ask me this, so in case you're wondering, here's what my work/sleep schedule is like: I go into work around midnight. I stay until 8 AM (give or take, depending on how much other work I need to do), then I go home and go to bed, usually from 8 or 9 AM until 4 or 5 PM. I don't have black curtains or heavy shades to block out the daylight. I'm just nocturnal, like an owl or a vampire.
19. My all-time, hands-down, no-contest favorite song in the world is "More Than Words" by Extreme for three reasons: (1) it reminds me of being at the lake (I don't know why), (2) the harmonies are beautiful, and (3) I love the lyrics and I think they have an awesome meaning. YouTube it and listen.
20. $20 bills are the worst. It seems like most bank machines and cash-back options always start at $20, which annoys me because usually I just need 5 bucks to put on my laundry card and I don't want to spend money just to break the 20, and I feel like a jerk just walking up to a random cashier and saying, "Hi, I'm not gonna buy anything, but will you just break this for me?" And it's hard for me to actually go to the bank and get cash in the amount that I want because I'm usually asleep during bank hours.
21. There's an episode of "The Office" where everyone was naming the five movies they'd bring with them if they were going to be on a desert island (the game is called "Desert Island" and it's supposed to be books, but I guess everyone was mildly illiterate, so they did movies). So anyway, here are my Desert Island 5: Big Fish, Singin' in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Ferris Beuller's Day Off, and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I think. I'm never completely sure; I like a lot of movies!
22. My favorite color is pink. I feel like everyone knew that one too. My dad actually ordered me a pink phone without me having to ask. Isn't that awesome?!
23. On your 23rd birthday, you go off your parents' insurance. When I turned 23 I was working two part-time jobs, so I didn't have any insurance. It was that way for a few months until I got hired full-time at the TV station. Luckily, nothing bad happened.
24. I have a lot of fake foliage in my apartment. Fake flower vines around my kitchen, fake lilies in a vase on my counter, fake ferns on my window sill, a sconce with a fake bouqet on my wall, a vase of fake flowers in my bathroom, and a big fake flower sitting on my dresser in my bedroom. Low maintenance beauty, folks. That's what it's all about. Although I do enjoy real flowers too.
25. My favorite magazine is "Lucky." (I just bought one today, so that's what made me think of it.) I like it because you don't have to see any stories like "most embarrassing moments" or "101 sex tips." It's just all about clothes, which is my only reason for reading fashion magazines anyway.
And that's it! You might give it a try...just start at one and write about the first 25 things that sort of just pop into your head!
Have a great weekend :) Until later!
(The Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.)
Here are my 25 REALLY random things:
1. I am a social networking junkie. I have a blog, two YouTube channels, a Twitter feed, and (of course) Facebook! I don't have MySpace, though. Do people still use that?
2. I wouldn't say I hate cooking, but I don't enjoy cooking just for myself. (And I don't mean making burgers in the George Foreman or scrambling up an egg omelette -- in my book it only counts as cooking if you actually measure out ingredients and stuff.)
3. I do enjoy living on my own, even if that does mean cooking (or frying, or microwaving) for one!
4. I love my job. Even on the days when things don't go well. It doesn't matter how much money I make...I just love what I do.
5. I'm left-handed. Did everybody know that?
6. I have so. Many. Shoes. Most of them are heels because...
7. I am 5'2". Just like Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Tisdale, and Amy Poehler!
8. My dream jobs include: Marci Klein's job at SNL, Gellman's job on Regis & Kelly, being a personal assistant to Tina Fey just so I could soak up her awesomeness (did you catch how that's a reference to Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey?!), producing my own TV show, performing on Broadway.
9. I'd really like to write and publish a book someday.
10. I am so proud of my friends; so many people I know from high school, church, college, and after college are incredibly talented and I can't wait to see them make it big so I can cash in on those friendships. Totally kidding. But I truly believe that so many people I know have absolute star quality!
11. I have lived without cable television for 3 and a half years. I still keep up with a lot of TV shows; I just watch them all online or buy them by the season on DVD.
12. I do not, and probably never will, like the taste of coffee. I think it smells good, but tastes gross.
13. I don't remember a moment in my life where I stopped believing in Santa Claus. Most people can tell a story about how they found out, but I have no recollection of that happening...which makes me think I probably still believe in Santa Claus.
14. I also don't remember a point in my life where I started believing in God and in Jesus. Most people have a story to tell about that moment, too. But for me, the belief has just always been there, although that belief has definitely evolved and been challenged and dissected throughout my lifetime.
15. Back to accessories...I also love handbags and hats. I think my love of hats is what gets me through the winter.
16. I think it'd be really cool to live in the South, but I love-love-love the change in seasons that we get here in the Midwest. I would have a hard time giving that up.
17. I want a dog, really really a lot. I think everyone knows that. Hopefully I'll have one by this summer!
18. A lot of people ask me this, so in case you're wondering, here's what my work/sleep schedule is like: I go into work around midnight. I stay until 8 AM (give or take, depending on how much other work I need to do), then I go home and go to bed, usually from 8 or 9 AM until 4 or 5 PM. I don't have black curtains or heavy shades to block out the daylight. I'm just nocturnal, like an owl or a vampire.
19. My all-time, hands-down, no-contest favorite song in the world is "More Than Words" by Extreme for three reasons: (1) it reminds me of being at the lake (I don't know why), (2) the harmonies are beautiful, and (3) I love the lyrics and I think they have an awesome meaning. YouTube it and listen.
20. $20 bills are the worst. It seems like most bank machines and cash-back options always start at $20, which annoys me because usually I just need 5 bucks to put on my laundry card and I don't want to spend money just to break the 20, and I feel like a jerk just walking up to a random cashier and saying, "Hi, I'm not gonna buy anything, but will you just break this for me?" And it's hard for me to actually go to the bank and get cash in the amount that I want because I'm usually asleep during bank hours.
21. There's an episode of "The Office" where everyone was naming the five movies they'd bring with them if they were going to be on a desert island (the game is called "Desert Island" and it's supposed to be books, but I guess everyone was mildly illiterate, so they did movies). So anyway, here are my Desert Island 5: Big Fish, Singin' in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Ferris Beuller's Day Off, and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I think. I'm never completely sure; I like a lot of movies!
22. My favorite color is pink. I feel like everyone knew that one too. My dad actually ordered me a pink phone without me having to ask. Isn't that awesome?!
23. On your 23rd birthday, you go off your parents' insurance. When I turned 23 I was working two part-time jobs, so I didn't have any insurance. It was that way for a few months until I got hired full-time at the TV station. Luckily, nothing bad happened.
24. I have a lot of fake foliage in my apartment. Fake flower vines around my kitchen, fake lilies in a vase on my counter, fake ferns on my window sill, a sconce with a fake bouqet on my wall, a vase of fake flowers in my bathroom, and a big fake flower sitting on my dresser in my bedroom. Low maintenance beauty, folks. That's what it's all about. Although I do enjoy real flowers too.
25. My favorite magazine is "Lucky." (I just bought one today, so that's what made me think of it.) I like it because you don't have to see any stories like "most embarrassing moments" or "101 sex tips." It's just all about clothes, which is my only reason for reading fashion magazines anyway.
And that's it! You might give it a try...just start at one and write about the first 25 things that sort of just pop into your head!
Have a great weekend :) Until later!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
first impressions (bachelor week 1)
OK, I'll try not to go on too long about this, but WOW, what a great season premiere! I actually had to take notes!
The Girls
Jillian
I like her. She seems cute and genuine, and her dress was gorgeous! She has invented a personality test based on hot dog condiments, which she used on Jason. She found out that he's a "mustard guy," which means he's the kind of guy you want to settle down with. I'll have to test out this theory in the future.
I was glad she got a rose.
Stacia
I liked her too. She is a cute, single mom but I don't think she really got to talk to Jason a whole lot, so we didn't learn much about her.
I was sad she didn't get a rose.
Dominique
Oh my goodness, so adorable! She looks like my friend Caitlin C. (aka real-life Disney Princess) and has the personality of a D.P. as well. And when she talks, it's like a mix of Sarah Palin and Kirsten Dunst's character in Drop Dead Gorgeous.
She didn't get a rose, which is too bad because she would've made for some funny TV.
Nikki
OK, I got it wrong...Stephanie is not the Pageant Patty; NIKKI is! They went to her house and shot b-roll of her cleaning house in her "Miss Illinois" sash and letting her niece wear her crown. In last night's episode, she scored well in evening gown and interview, garnering her the first impression rose.
We'll see.
Jackie
She's kind of the sad girl of the bunch; apparently she's been engaged, broken it off, married, divorced, and now she's a wedding planner.
She didn't get a rose and was actually really mad about it. But what's that they say? "Always the wedding planner, never the bride?" No, that's not it...
Stephanie
Not Pageant Patty but a smidge Stepford-ish. That being said, I love her. She is a really sweet lady and her older age gives her an advantage among the other girls, as she's mature and truly sweet about meeting people, not old and bitter. But we'll get to Megan in a bit.
She got a rose, yayyyy!!!
Naomi
She looks like Eva Mendes' cousin who also gets hired to do Eva's stand-in stuff in movies. A little rough around the edges, but should be entertaining.
She got a rose.
Megan
Oh lord. I'm scared of her. She seems to play the Mom Card a LOT. She does it to get closer to Jason, to bond with the few other single moms in the crowd, and to belittle her cuter, younger, friendlier competition. She got a rose "courtesy of the other women" and we will talk about that soon. She has a potty mouth. Ty is going to learn LOTS of new things from her!
Lisa (a.k.a. Suri)
I like to call her Suri, because I think she looks, sounds, and so far acts like Suri from Whatever Hollywood (she's the one all the way on the right and sometimes she writes me emails! She's the coolest!) So far, Lisa/Suri is cool too, which is good because I don't want someone with my name turning out to be a spazz.
She got a rose. (Yesssss!)
Lauren
It's Lauren's birthday. She makes Jason guess how old she is while almost bouncing out of her dress. Then Jason brings her a birthday cake, but she thinks it's going ot be the first impression rose, so she tells the camera, "I'm obviously getting the rose, duh!" It would've been a pretty embarrassing birthday for Lauren, but at the end of the night...
She did get a rose.
Melissa
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Awww! She is so stinkin cute.
Yay, she got a rose!
Sharon
She quit her job to be on the show. So far, it's paid off.
She got a rose.
Natalie
She looks like she's gonna be one of those girls who looks like she's thinking, "I'm hotter than you so you know I'm going to be better than you at life" but she was so nervous when she met Jason that it was endearing! And like me, she doesn't have TV.
She got a rose. Yay!
Treasure
Not the free spirit I thought she was -- at least I don't think so, because we didn't learn anything about her except that "Treasure" is not her stage name. I think it would've been funny if she'd have followed up with, "Actually, my stage name is Pat." Or you know, something really boring.
Treasure did not get a rose.
Raquel
Cue the Latin music. Literally, every time she walked into the room, spoke, walked out of the room, or was mentioned anywhere around the room, they started playing her theme music.
She got a rose.
Molly
A straight-shooting Midwesterner. I like her so far.
She got a rose.
Erica
Ehhh...let's just say formal occasions are not her strongest suit.
But she did get a rose.
Nicole (also wanting to be called Nikki)
Although not the nut job I was afraid she'd be, she did wear an orange dress (and black shoes...what?!) because orange is Ty's favorite color. But Ty wasn't there and he certainly wasn't handing out roses, so...
She didn't get a rose. Sigh...so long, Janice.
Renee
She looked and sounded about 10 years younger than she was, but she (not Treasure) turned out to be the free spirit, saying her vision board had said she was meant to be with Jason. And the thing about vision boards is, everything you put on it comes true.
Except for the one time when she went on The Bachelor and didn't get a rose.
Emily
She looks as scary on TV as she does in her picture. She is like Scary Barbie (which is what my sisters and I called Space Barbie because she looked scary).
She did not get a rose, so it's back to Seattle...Jason's hometown. Yup.
Julie
Cute, teaches first grade. That's about all we got out of that.
No rose.
Ann
Meehhhh...who?
No rose.
Shannon
ABC has already gotten us to think of her as The Stalker. In the opening sequence, she's running on a treadmill and says, "I'm coming for you, Jason!" Whaaaat.
Then there's the infamous MyStalk conversation. But I think Jason was won over when she got out of the limo with her fake hillbilly teeth in, and it didn't matter that she was a stalker because she was a funny stalker.
And she got a stalker. I mean, a rose.
Shelby
She reminded me of a news anchor; she has the perfect hair and face for it, and she seemed to be conducting interviews with everyone.
She didn't get a rose. But I think the Early Show should hire her to replace Julie Chen.
Kari
Good thing she wrote and read aloud a poem for Jason, because that's all I remembered about her.
She got a rose.
The Twist
They borrowed a wooden box off of the set of Lost and told the girls they had to vote on a girl they thought should leave the house. I wonder if they just thought the girls just weren't being catty enough and some production assistant said, "I know, let's go Survivor on these biotches!" Anyway, the award for Biggest Bitch went to Megan (surprise surprise). But then the girls found out she was actually winning a rose, not a trip back home. That announcement was followed by Megan calling the rest of the girls @#$**&##@s (I don't even know what she called them, they had to bleep and fuzz so much of it out) and then went up for a super-classy rose awarding...
"Megan, will you please accept this rose?"
"Yes, I'd be happy to!" (Stink eye to the rest of the gals.)
That, along with the rest of the bleeps and fuzzies used to cover whatever was coming out of Megan's mouth the rest of the time, was enough to make her a shoo-in for Ty's new mom, no doubt.
OK, that's it for week one. But the sneak peek into the rest of the season was insane, because guess who's coming back...
DEANNA!!!
That's right, just like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and Hillary Clinton, SHE IS BACK. You just can't keep a good girl down. Or...something like that. Yes, Deanna comes back, apparently to ask for a second chance, and the girls. Are. Mad!!!
I love reality TV! :)
Remember, check out Lincee (linked on the right), or if you don't like reading recaps, watch these girls (they are hilarious!)
Enjoy! And please tell me your thoughts on the season premiere!
The Girls
Jillian
I like her. She seems cute and genuine, and her dress was gorgeous! She has invented a personality test based on hot dog condiments, which she used on Jason. She found out that he's a "mustard guy," which means he's the kind of guy you want to settle down with. I'll have to test out this theory in the future.
I was glad she got a rose.
Stacia
I liked her too. She is a cute, single mom but I don't think she really got to talk to Jason a whole lot, so we didn't learn much about her.
I was sad she didn't get a rose.
Dominique
Oh my goodness, so adorable! She looks like my friend Caitlin C. (aka real-life Disney Princess) and has the personality of a D.P. as well. And when she talks, it's like a mix of Sarah Palin and Kirsten Dunst's character in Drop Dead Gorgeous.
She didn't get a rose, which is too bad because she would've made for some funny TV.
Nikki
OK, I got it wrong...Stephanie is not the Pageant Patty; NIKKI is! They went to her house and shot b-roll of her cleaning house in her "Miss Illinois" sash and letting her niece wear her crown. In last night's episode, she scored well in evening gown and interview, garnering her the first impression rose.
We'll see.
Jackie
She's kind of the sad girl of the bunch; apparently she's been engaged, broken it off, married, divorced, and now she's a wedding planner.
She didn't get a rose and was actually really mad about it. But what's that they say? "Always the wedding planner, never the bride?" No, that's not it...
Stephanie
Not Pageant Patty but a smidge Stepford-ish. That being said, I love her. She is a really sweet lady and her older age gives her an advantage among the other girls, as she's mature and truly sweet about meeting people, not old and bitter. But we'll get to Megan in a bit.
She got a rose, yayyyy!!!
Naomi
She looks like Eva Mendes' cousin who also gets hired to do Eva's stand-in stuff in movies. A little rough around the edges, but should be entertaining.
She got a rose.
Megan
Oh lord. I'm scared of her. She seems to play the Mom Card a LOT. She does it to get closer to Jason, to bond with the few other single moms in the crowd, and to belittle her cuter, younger, friendlier competition. She got a rose "courtesy of the other women" and we will talk about that soon. She has a potty mouth. Ty is going to learn LOTS of new things from her!
Lisa (a.k.a. Suri)
I like to call her Suri, because I think she looks, sounds, and so far acts like Suri from Whatever Hollywood (she's the one all the way on the right and sometimes she writes me emails! She's the coolest!) So far, Lisa/Suri is cool too, which is good because I don't want someone with my name turning out to be a spazz.
She got a rose. (Yesssss!)
Lauren
It's Lauren's birthday. She makes Jason guess how old she is while almost bouncing out of her dress. Then Jason brings her a birthday cake, but she thinks it's going ot be the first impression rose, so she tells the camera, "I'm obviously getting the rose, duh!" It would've been a pretty embarrassing birthday for Lauren, but at the end of the night...
She did get a rose.
Melissa
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Awww! She is so stinkin cute.
Yay, she got a rose!
Sharon
She quit her job to be on the show. So far, it's paid off.
She got a rose.
Natalie
She looks like she's gonna be one of those girls who looks like she's thinking, "I'm hotter than you so you know I'm going to be better than you at life" but she was so nervous when she met Jason that it was endearing! And like me, she doesn't have TV.
She got a rose. Yay!
Treasure
Not the free spirit I thought she was -- at least I don't think so, because we didn't learn anything about her except that "Treasure" is not her stage name. I think it would've been funny if she'd have followed up with, "Actually, my stage name is Pat." Or you know, something really boring.
Treasure did not get a rose.
Raquel
Cue the Latin music. Literally, every time she walked into the room, spoke, walked out of the room, or was mentioned anywhere around the room, they started playing her theme music.
She got a rose.
Molly
A straight-shooting Midwesterner. I like her so far.
She got a rose.
Erica
Ehhh...let's just say formal occasions are not her strongest suit.
But she did get a rose.
Nicole (also wanting to be called Nikki)
Although not the nut job I was afraid she'd be, she did wear an orange dress (and black shoes...what?!) because orange is Ty's favorite color. But Ty wasn't there and he certainly wasn't handing out roses, so...
She didn't get a rose. Sigh...so long, Janice.
Renee
She looked and sounded about 10 years younger than she was, but she (not Treasure) turned out to be the free spirit, saying her vision board had said she was meant to be with Jason. And the thing about vision boards is, everything you put on it comes true.
Except for the one time when she went on The Bachelor and didn't get a rose.
Emily
She looks as scary on TV as she does in her picture. She is like Scary Barbie (which is what my sisters and I called Space Barbie because she looked scary).
She did not get a rose, so it's back to Seattle...Jason's hometown. Yup.
Julie
Cute, teaches first grade. That's about all we got out of that.
No rose.
Ann
Meehhhh...who?
No rose.
Shannon
ABC has already gotten us to think of her as The Stalker. In the opening sequence, she's running on a treadmill and says, "I'm coming for you, Jason!" Whaaaat.
Then there's the infamous MyStalk conversation. But I think Jason was won over when she got out of the limo with her fake hillbilly teeth in, and it didn't matter that she was a stalker because she was a funny stalker.
And she got a stalker. I mean, a rose.
Shelby
She reminded me of a news anchor; she has the perfect hair and face for it, and she seemed to be conducting interviews with everyone.
She didn't get a rose. But I think the Early Show should hire her to replace Julie Chen.
Kari
Good thing she wrote and read aloud a poem for Jason, because that's all I remembered about her.
She got a rose.
The Twist
They borrowed a wooden box off of the set of Lost and told the girls they had to vote on a girl they thought should leave the house. I wonder if they just thought the girls just weren't being catty enough and some production assistant said, "I know, let's go Survivor on these biotches!" Anyway, the award for Biggest Bitch went to Megan (surprise surprise). But then the girls found out she was actually winning a rose, not a trip back home. That announcement was followed by Megan calling the rest of the girls @#$**&##@s (I don't even know what she called them, they had to bleep and fuzz so much of it out) and then went up for a super-classy rose awarding...
"Megan, will you please accept this rose?"
"Yes, I'd be happy to!" (Stink eye to the rest of the gals.)
That, along with the rest of the bleeps and fuzzies used to cover whatever was coming out of Megan's mouth the rest of the time, was enough to make her a shoo-in for Ty's new mom, no doubt.
OK, that's it for week one. But the sneak peek into the rest of the season was insane, because guess who's coming back...
DEANNA!!!
That's right, just like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and Hillary Clinton, SHE IS BACK. You just can't keep a good girl down. Or...something like that. Yes, Deanna comes back, apparently to ask for a second chance, and the girls. Are. Mad!!!
I love reality TV! :)
Remember, check out Lincee (linked on the right), or if you don't like reading recaps, watch these girls (they are hilarious!)
Enjoy! And please tell me your thoughts on the season premiere!
Monday, January 5, 2009
The ABCs of my TV viewing habits
OK, if you for any reason follow my Twitter, you may know that I'm currently trying to catch up on the last season (or so) of Scrubs. Why? Well, (1) because I kind of stopped watching it a year or so ago, and even then I was about a season behind, and (2) I just got new inspiration for catching up with it because now that NBC has dropped it, its distributor ABC is picking it up to run the 8th (and possibly final) season this year! And I'm going to need something to fill the void since another of my favorite shows on ABC, Pushing Daisies, is getting cancelled. PD is just one of those shows that is too good for TV, unfortunately.
Anyway, so today I got about halfway through Season 6 of Scrubs, and as sad as this sounds, it's kind of like talking to an old friend...there are all of these characters and running jokes and things that I had forgotten about, and it's just so nice to see all of them again! This show literally makes me laugh out loud frequently. And the episode "My Musical" guest-starring the girl from Avenue Q actually made me cry a little bit. Lol.
But anyway, tonight...as I'm typing this...is the season premiere of The Bachelor, which I am so excited to watch in the morning :) And this season is like, the ultimate payoff for me because Brad Womack's season of The Bachelor was the first one I watched faithfully all the way through. Then the runner-up from that show was the next Bachelorette, Deanna, and of course I watched that all the way through as well. And now they are making history by taking Deanna's runner-up, Jason, and putting him in as the next Bachelor! And he's a single dad, which is also a first for the series. So I have the full back-up story on this dude, the girl who dumped him, and the guy who dumped her!
It's going to be a wacky ride.
And for any of you who'd like to ride along, please feel free to leave your comments and check back because I will probably be discussing the show every week. You are also going to want to check out Lincee's postings...her blog is the ultimate study guide for all things Bachelor -- she does hilarious recaps every Tuesday after each episode, as well as keeps us updated on the "where are they now's" of past Bachelors and Bachelorettes. In fact, go check her out now because she's already made her picks for the final four (who needs March Madness when you've got this show, seriously?! Kidding.)
And I'm not going to make my predictions yet, but I have browsed the list of bachelorette candidates, and here are some girls I think we should be looking out for:
Emily - This girl's bio says she's 23, but I have a hard time believing that. Which isn't to say I think she's a liar...just a truth-stretcher. She does live in Seattle, same as Jason. Which makes me wonder...why did she have to go on a national TV show to meet him? You don't think a little MySpace action would've been enough to get that set up?
Erica - Is it just me, or is this one of the only girls on the roster who looks like a real person? That alone has me cheering for her. Watch, she probably got eliminated tonight.
Megan - a.k.a. Deanna 2.0. This is who everyone seems to have picked as the front-runner. I think she looks a smidge scary, like she might have that same "I'm about to go Hollwood" gleam in her eye as her original version. Just sayin'.
Melissa - Awww! Right? I just think she looks like she could be Ty's mom. Or Jason's sister. Which could be creepy. But still...awww!
Nicole - I'm just gonna call it right now and say I think this girl is gonna be one of the crazies. I don't know why...maybe just because she looks like Janice from Friends?
Raquel - I'm cheering for her just because she's from Brazil and that would be a sweet hometown date.
Renee - one of the oldest in the group, she is one of the only bachelorettes capable of "robbing the cradle" where Jason is concerned (he is 32). How will all these 23-24-25-year-olds measure up to her? We'll just have to see...
Shannon - poor girl. I'm guessing she went home tonight (see the Bachelor "sneak peek" promo where she goes all stalker on Jason), but if she doesn't, she will be one to watch! She has done her homework and already knows everything there is to know about our Bachelor, his son, his brother, and apparently everyone else attached to him on MySpace. You gotta admire a good researcher.
Stephanie - Gaack! Did someone say Pageant Patty? Here's why I want to watch her: she's 34 (so, also a cradle-robber), a single mom, and she looks the same age as Emily. And I want to know how all of that is possible.
And finally, everyone's favorite - Treasure! - a single mom from Salt Like City, I peg her as a free spirit because of her lack of make-up, her big earrings, and...her name. So I think she'll be an interesting one to watch as well.
OK, that's it for me. Check back in tomorrow to see if I was right about any of these girls. And make sure to read Lincee's blog! Trust me, she makes it worth watching the whole season.
Gotta go wash dishes as part of my commitment to my New Year's resolutions.
Until later! :)
Anyway, so today I got about halfway through Season 6 of Scrubs, and as sad as this sounds, it's kind of like talking to an old friend...there are all of these characters and running jokes and things that I had forgotten about, and it's just so nice to see all of them again! This show literally makes me laugh out loud frequently. And the episode "My Musical" guest-starring the girl from Avenue Q actually made me cry a little bit. Lol.
But anyway, tonight...as I'm typing this...is the season premiere of The Bachelor, which I am so excited to watch in the morning :) And this season is like, the ultimate payoff for me because Brad Womack's season of The Bachelor was the first one I watched faithfully all the way through. Then the runner-up from that show was the next Bachelorette, Deanna, and of course I watched that all the way through as well. And now they are making history by taking Deanna's runner-up, Jason, and putting him in as the next Bachelor! And he's a single dad, which is also a first for the series. So I have the full back-up story on this dude, the girl who dumped him, and the guy who dumped her!
It's going to be a wacky ride.
And for any of you who'd like to ride along, please feel free to leave your comments and check back because I will probably be discussing the show every week. You are also going to want to check out Lincee's postings...her blog is the ultimate study guide for all things Bachelor -- she does hilarious recaps every Tuesday after each episode, as well as keeps us updated on the "where are they now's" of past Bachelors and Bachelorettes. In fact, go check her out now because she's already made her picks for the final four (who needs March Madness when you've got this show, seriously?! Kidding.)
And I'm not going to make my predictions yet, but I have browsed the list of bachelorette candidates, and here are some girls I think we should be looking out for:
Emily - This girl's bio says she's 23, but I have a hard time believing that. Which isn't to say I think she's a liar...just a truth-stretcher. She does live in Seattle, same as Jason. Which makes me wonder...why did she have to go on a national TV show to meet him? You don't think a little MySpace action would've been enough to get that set up?
Erica - Is it just me, or is this one of the only girls on the roster who looks like a real person? That alone has me cheering for her. Watch, she probably got eliminated tonight.
Megan - a.k.a. Deanna 2.0. This is who everyone seems to have picked as the front-runner. I think she looks a smidge scary, like she might have that same "I'm about to go Hollwood" gleam in her eye as her original version. Just sayin'.
Melissa - Awww! Right? I just think she looks like she could be Ty's mom. Or Jason's sister. Which could be creepy. But still...awww!
Nicole - I'm just gonna call it right now and say I think this girl is gonna be one of the crazies. I don't know why...maybe just because she looks like Janice from Friends?
Raquel - I'm cheering for her just because she's from Brazil and that would be a sweet hometown date.
Renee - one of the oldest in the group, she is one of the only bachelorettes capable of "robbing the cradle" where Jason is concerned (he is 32). How will all these 23-24-25-year-olds measure up to her? We'll just have to see...
Shannon - poor girl. I'm guessing she went home tonight (see the Bachelor "sneak peek" promo where she goes all stalker on Jason), but if she doesn't, she will be one to watch! She has done her homework and already knows everything there is to know about our Bachelor, his son, his brother, and apparently everyone else attached to him on MySpace. You gotta admire a good researcher.
Stephanie - Gaack! Did someone say Pageant Patty? Here's why I want to watch her: she's 34 (so, also a cradle-robber), a single mom, and she looks the same age as Emily. And I want to know how all of that is possible.
And finally, everyone's favorite - Treasure! - a single mom from Salt Like City, I peg her as a free spirit because of her lack of make-up, her big earrings, and...her name. So I think she'll be an interesting one to watch as well.
OK, that's it for me. Check back in tomorrow to see if I was right about any of these girls. And make sure to read Lincee's blog! Trust me, she makes it worth watching the whole season.
Gotta go wash dishes as part of my commitment to my New Year's resolutions.
Until later! :)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
it's that time of year...
...when the world falls in love...
OK, I think that time of year is just about over. But really, it's that time of year when we all make a list of things we're going to do (or not do) in hopes of becoming a better person, having a better year, and making it a better world.
New Year's Resolutions.
And I feel like the act of making them is kind of a cliche, and something we as a culture don't really take seriously anymore. But I think there are some things in my life I want to improve, and I might as well make goals now, right? And I think writing them down will sort of make me commit to them and hold myself more accountable. Plus, then I can blog about them, which I'm sure will help too!
(I have to mention that as I'm writing this, I'm listening to the playlist I just attached to my blog and it's really fun to write while these songs are playing. I hope that it's not annoying that music starts playing on my blog, and you don't have to listen to it, but if you don't mind turning it up a bit while you read, think of it as a soundtrack for my blog. These aren't just songs I like; they all have a reason for being on that playlist.)
OK. Here we go.
1. I'm going to get into and stay on a regular workout plan. (The ultimate New Year's resolution cliche, right?!) But over the past few days, I feel like I've eaten enough sweet stuff to give myself diabetes. And I keep reading all these news stories about how much the average person should work out, and I'm realizing that more and more, I can't put myself in that group, which is pretty sad. So, I'm going to start out by saying I will work out three times a week. That's really not that hard. And I'd like to do more than that. But I think I'll start with something I know I can do realistically, and then once I've been doing that for a few months, reset the goal for something higher. But I'll start at three days a week.
2. I'm going to save money. That is kind of hard for me to do; my paycheck does not stretch very far. But I got a small raise recently, I'll be getting paid for coaching color guard, and I just worked a holiday, so that should give me a great springboard for saving. I mean saving significant amounts of money, not saving one month just to use it all up the next. I really want a dog, and I'm waiting until I pay off my car so I can use that money every month to save/use on doggie expenses. But I'd like to have a bigger cushion before then. Speaking of which...
3. I'm going to get a dog. The plan has been in place for months and months, but why not add it to my list? I will finish paying off my car in May, so the plan has been to start looking at breeders in June. That way I have the summertime to house-train and everything, not to mention have the financial means to take care of a dog. And here's an added motivation for Item #1 on this list - the kind of dog I want to get (miniature schnauzer, for anyone who has forgotten) has a tendency to get fat and unhealthy if it doesn't get a lot of exercise and good nutrition. Sound like anyone else you know? So I think if I can get a healthier lifestyle in place by the time I adopt a puppy, I can do a better job of taking care of and raising a dog!
4. Speaking of nutrition, that's something I also want to work on. I kind of phase in and out on this, and I eat WAY less fast food than I did a year ago, but I want to keep improving on this. Sometimes it's hard to eat regular, balanced meals because my schedule is so weird, but I've been at it for a little over a year now, and I think I can figure out how to make it work. I'm going to eat more fruits and vegetables. I'm going to eat more meat. I'm going to eat two balanced meals every day. (That has to include some sort of meat and some sort of produce; not just peanut butter and crackers or a bowl of cereal.) I'm going to start rehearsals for a play soon, and I know that's going to make it harder to eat right, but I've already been through this schedule during the summer, and I know I can do it.
5. I'm going to do some housework every day, instead of waiting until the end of the week to do all my cleaning. Whether it's washing dishes, taking out the trash, surface cleaning, laundry, sweeping, or just picking up around the house, I always feel better when I do a little bit here and there every day than when I let it pile up and then spend my whole weekend doing all of it. Plus, when I get a dog, I'll probably have to do some cleaning every day anyway :-P
6. I'm going to consider my career options. I'm going to look around and see what's out there. I'm going to keep staying here as an option for one more year. I'm not going to limit myself by what I think is realistic; if Good Morning America still has a segment producer opening available when my contract is up, I'm going to apply for it. I'm not going to be too afraid to go for something big. I'm not going to be discouraged if the job market is frozen and the best option is to stay here. I'm not going to feel pressured or obligated to stay if that's not the best thing for me to do. I'm going to trust God to help me make a decision and to take care of me whatever I decide.
7. I'm going to use up all of my vacation time and comp days this year. Five days will absolutely be for a trip to the lake with my family. The five-plus-comp days I would like to use to visit my sister in Florida, take a trip to New York with family or friends, possibly use for job interview trips, and maybe even take another trip to the lake with friends now that we have the new cabin. I'm entitled to those days and I'm going to take them. Just because it's hard for them to cover my job while I'm gone doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to use my vacation time up. I have just as much right as anyone to take time off. I'm not going to feel bad about it anymore. I'm just going to schedule it, and not worry about it. I've got it down to a science now how to prepare the person filling in for me, so it shouldn't be that hard.
I feel weird stopping on seven, but I think those are my big things I want to accomplish this year. I'm actually proud that I accomplished a lot of things in the past year -- I'm living on my own, supporting myself, I got involved with a church that I go to regularly, I made big changes and improvements to my show at work, I got involved in civic theatre, I made new friends, I've done a better job keeping in touch with people, and I feel like I've improved and cultivated my relationships with my parents and my sisters. Of course I want to keep working on all of those things, but I think you need to be able to look back on your year and be proud of what you've accomplished, so that you realize you are capable of achieving the goals you've set for the year ahead. Life is good, and it can be better.
Happy new year!
OK, I think that time of year is just about over. But really, it's that time of year when we all make a list of things we're going to do (or not do) in hopes of becoming a better person, having a better year, and making it a better world.
New Year's Resolutions.
And I feel like the act of making them is kind of a cliche, and something we as a culture don't really take seriously anymore. But I think there are some things in my life I want to improve, and I might as well make goals now, right? And I think writing them down will sort of make me commit to them and hold myself more accountable. Plus, then I can blog about them, which I'm sure will help too!
(I have to mention that as I'm writing this, I'm listening to the playlist I just attached to my blog and it's really fun to write while these songs are playing. I hope that it's not annoying that music starts playing on my blog, and you don't have to listen to it, but if you don't mind turning it up a bit while you read, think of it as a soundtrack for my blog. These aren't just songs I like; they all have a reason for being on that playlist.)
OK. Here we go.
1. I'm going to get into and stay on a regular workout plan. (The ultimate New Year's resolution cliche, right?!) But over the past few days, I feel like I've eaten enough sweet stuff to give myself diabetes. And I keep reading all these news stories about how much the average person should work out, and I'm realizing that more and more, I can't put myself in that group, which is pretty sad. So, I'm going to start out by saying I will work out three times a week. That's really not that hard. And I'd like to do more than that. But I think I'll start with something I know I can do realistically, and then once I've been doing that for a few months, reset the goal for something higher. But I'll start at three days a week.
2. I'm going to save money. That is kind of hard for me to do; my paycheck does not stretch very far. But I got a small raise recently, I'll be getting paid for coaching color guard, and I just worked a holiday, so that should give me a great springboard for saving. I mean saving significant amounts of money, not saving one month just to use it all up the next. I really want a dog, and I'm waiting until I pay off my car so I can use that money every month to save/use on doggie expenses. But I'd like to have a bigger cushion before then. Speaking of which...
3. I'm going to get a dog. The plan has been in place for months and months, but why not add it to my list? I will finish paying off my car in May, so the plan has been to start looking at breeders in June. That way I have the summertime to house-train and everything, not to mention have the financial means to take care of a dog. And here's an added motivation for Item #1 on this list - the kind of dog I want to get (miniature schnauzer, for anyone who has forgotten) has a tendency to get fat and unhealthy if it doesn't get a lot of exercise and good nutrition. Sound like anyone else you know? So I think if I can get a healthier lifestyle in place by the time I adopt a puppy, I can do a better job of taking care of and raising a dog!
4. Speaking of nutrition, that's something I also want to work on. I kind of phase in and out on this, and I eat WAY less fast food than I did a year ago, but I want to keep improving on this. Sometimes it's hard to eat regular, balanced meals because my schedule is so weird, but I've been at it for a little over a year now, and I think I can figure out how to make it work. I'm going to eat more fruits and vegetables. I'm going to eat more meat. I'm going to eat two balanced meals every day. (That has to include some sort of meat and some sort of produce; not just peanut butter and crackers or a bowl of cereal.) I'm going to start rehearsals for a play soon, and I know that's going to make it harder to eat right, but I've already been through this schedule during the summer, and I know I can do it.
5. I'm going to do some housework every day, instead of waiting until the end of the week to do all my cleaning. Whether it's washing dishes, taking out the trash, surface cleaning, laundry, sweeping, or just picking up around the house, I always feel better when I do a little bit here and there every day than when I let it pile up and then spend my whole weekend doing all of it. Plus, when I get a dog, I'll probably have to do some cleaning every day anyway :-P
6. I'm going to consider my career options. I'm going to look around and see what's out there. I'm going to keep staying here as an option for one more year. I'm not going to limit myself by what I think is realistic; if Good Morning America still has a segment producer opening available when my contract is up, I'm going to apply for it. I'm not going to be too afraid to go for something big. I'm not going to be discouraged if the job market is frozen and the best option is to stay here. I'm not going to feel pressured or obligated to stay if that's not the best thing for me to do. I'm going to trust God to help me make a decision and to take care of me whatever I decide.
7. I'm going to use up all of my vacation time and comp days this year. Five days will absolutely be for a trip to the lake with my family. The five-plus-comp days I would like to use to visit my sister in Florida, take a trip to New York with family or friends, possibly use for job interview trips, and maybe even take another trip to the lake with friends now that we have the new cabin. I'm entitled to those days and I'm going to take them. Just because it's hard for them to cover my job while I'm gone doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to use my vacation time up. I have just as much right as anyone to take time off. I'm not going to feel bad about it anymore. I'm just going to schedule it, and not worry about it. I've got it down to a science now how to prepare the person filling in for me, so it shouldn't be that hard.
I feel weird stopping on seven, but I think those are my big things I want to accomplish this year. I'm actually proud that I accomplished a lot of things in the past year -- I'm living on my own, supporting myself, I got involved with a church that I go to regularly, I made big changes and improvements to my show at work, I got involved in civic theatre, I made new friends, I've done a better job keeping in touch with people, and I feel like I've improved and cultivated my relationships with my parents and my sisters. Of course I want to keep working on all of those things, but I think you need to be able to look back on your year and be proud of what you've accomplished, so that you realize you are capable of achieving the goals you've set for the year ahead. Life is good, and it can be better.
Happy new year!
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