The Tango and the Jive

I wasn’t going to post on Dancing with the Stars this week but since Ellen asked, I will. :o)

You know, when I watch the dancing I have no idea if they’re doing the right steps or not. Sometimes I can tell a little because they may have shown the professionals doing it or something but I’m by no means competent to say whether they did what they were supposed to or not. I just know what I like and enjoy.

Having said that, in season one of DWTS, on day one, they announced the rules of dancing. The biggest no-no that I remember is there were to be no lifts done.

They didn’t announce the rules in season two so they let the first few lifts slide, with a warning, and they were never repeated by the warned dancers.

They didn’t announce the rules this year but they’re holding the dancers accountable anyway. Last night started with Emmit Smith. He danced the tango (as did all the men, with the exception of Joey Lawrence, who danced the jive). I thoroughly enjoyed his dance but he did have one move that I wondered if it was a lift (it wasn’t a lift in the tradition of what I would identify as a lift, but then again, what do I know?). He got reamed by the judges for doing a lift, as well as breaking the hold during the dance. He scored a total of 19 (which ended up being the low score of the night).

Next came Monique. In the pre-dance talk, she was saying that her mother was coming in to watch her and she was so excited about that and said she hoped the judges didn’t say mean things about her in front of her mother (she was so cute). She danced the jive (as did all the women, except for Vivica, who danced the tango).

If you haven’t seen it, they have a stage and a dance floor. Some of the dancers have used the stage, and the stairs to get to the stage and/or dance floor, in their routines. Monique started on the stage, her partner was on the dance floor. When the music started, Monique ran full on to the dance floor, taking a flying leap, twisting so her back was to her partner, off the stage. Her partner caught her (and I again wondered if that would be considered a “lift” - it apparently wasn’t) and they went to town. She was great! She got straight 9s but I have to wonder if she would have gotten 10s if she hadn’t performed so early in the evening, but anyway... The MC mentioned that he knew the jump scared her and she laughed saying something like, “yeah, it apparently scared my clothes off too”. Had no idea what she was talking about until this morning when I saw the news. During the dance, the bottom of her costume slipped down and she, it would seem, mooned the audience and then pulled her costume back on. It happened so fast though, I didn’t notice.

Mario and his partner broke more rules again, despite the pre-dance talk that they were going to dance a “safe” tango so’s not to tick off the judges again. They broke their hold and did a lift. Len was the first to give comments and he said he would have given them a 10 but they lost him when they broke the hold. Bruno ranted that Mario made them mark him down - they didn’t want to but they had no choice. Carrie Ann calmly told them that they knew the rules and they needed him to follow them. Carrie Ann and Bruno both said, when giving their scores, “would have been a 10, but instead...8". Len gave them a 6.

You can tell Harry is really improving and given that the tango requires a more serious “character” for dancing, he did well, and scored well.

And, I know I initially said I wanted Jerry to be voted off in week one, I’m now at a point where I would be okay if he won the whole thing. I think I’m falling in love just a little bit. He’s so funny and you can tell that he takes it seriously. His partner said that he wanted to make it to the next round so that he could learn the waltz so that he could waltz with his daughter at her wedding. At the end of the dance when they talked with them, he said he did want to make it to the next round but then America needed to stop voting for him because “everything hurt”. He had a few missteps but overall, did a good job.

I thought Sara Evans did a great jive. They danced to These Boots Are Made For Walking and they both wore cowboy boots and hats. It was her best dance so far (and the judges agreed with me on that).

Vivica did a great tango and scored straight 9s. She got a bit emotional...it was sweet.

Joey did a great jive and Carrie Ann and Bruno liked him but Len thought he did too much acrobatics (he did a handstand). I can’t remember if he did a lift or not but he got the same scores from the judges as Mario did.

So, again, I don’t want any of them to go but I guess one will. My guess would be it could be Willa Ford, simply because she’s scored well with the judges in the past and found herself in the bottom after the public votes and she didn’t score as well with the judges last night. But who knows, it could be any of them.

I'm Torn

Tonight they do the next elimination round on Dancing with the Stars and I'm torn.

I don't want anyone to go. You can tell that everyone has worked so hard this past week and I thought everyone did great. But someone has to go, so who?

I loved Mario's routine but the judges were right - he didn't dance the quick step. I was surprised that he scored as well as he did, given the fact that he didn't do the dance he was supposed to. He didn't get any of my votes, even though he was my originally named favorite. I'd hate to see him go but he didn't do the dance. Not to mention that I was annoyed that Bruno, who raked him over the coals, gave him an 8, yet gave someone else, who he praised, a 7. How does that work?

Anyway, I thought Jerry did really good (I'm really starting to warm up to him...he's pretty funny!). He's the George Hamilton from last season, only I think he's doing the steps better than George did. I don't want to see him go either. They had a cute routine. And bless his partner's heart, dancing with a knee injury! That's dedication!

Personally, I was least impressed with Harry, he still seemed pretty stiff. It was obvious that he's worked hard this past week and I think he's improved a lot but he just doesn't seem to have it. And still, I don't want him to leave tonight.

I don't want any of them to leave and even want them to bring Tucker back. *sigh* It's going to be hard no matter who they send home.

Foiled Again

I have an aluminum foil couch.

Well, sort of.

See, a few years ago I was having a problem with my dogs getting on the furniture and I wasn't crazy about that. Add to that, I have a doggy door so my dogs could get out "in the elements" and THEN jump on the furniture, when I wasn't home. On more than one (or two or three) occasions, I came home to find my couch AND my bed covered in mud because Max took a dip in the pool (wading pool, purchased just for him) or went out after it rained and then ran around the muddy yard - right before he jumped on furniture. (I could always tell the paths he took in the house, but I digress.)

Anyway, a friend told me that if I put aluminum foil on the furniture that would stop it because dogs didn't like the sound or the feel of aluminum foil. I figured I didn't have anything to lose by trying it so I put a strip on the couch the next day before I went to work. Now, aluminum foil is pretty flimsy so you'd be able to tell if it was "disturbed" during the day. I came home to find the aluminum foil in perfect condition and so it became an every day thing. Each morning I'd cover the furniture (bed too) with aluminum foil and go to work. Every evening I'd remove the aluminum foil - putting the foil from the couch on the piano and the foil from the bed on the dresser - so I could use it. This became my routine.

Then I got Brewsky.

Not only did the aluminum foil not "scare" Brewsky, he thought it was a toy. As a result, it was more of an incentive for him TO jump on the furniture. I'd come home in the evenings to find aluminum foil all over the house and backyard. Shredded. In little pieces. I also caught him, or more than one occasion, running through the house with this long strip of aluminum foil trailing behind him. It served no purpose to put it out anymore. It was a lot more work for me to clean it up and it wasn't effective anymore.

So my furniture hasn't been covered in aluminum foil in a couple of years now and the dogs have been jumping on it (no mud - knock wood - though). That is, until today.

Last night I thought Brewsky might be old enough now to think he should be afraid of aluminum foil, so I covered my couch last night. Of course, overnight coverage isn't really a true test so I left it on this morning when I went to work and was happily surprised to see the foil hasn't been touched!

So, when it comes to covering the furniture to protect it, forget about plastic - I use aluminum foil. LOL

WOW!

I think Dancing with the Stars got off to a great start tonight!

First dancer was Joey Lawrence. I thought he did a great job. He looked like he was having fun and I'm looking forward to seeing him progress.

I have to say, when Emmit Smith came up and they said he was the football player, all I could think was that it would be a repeat of last season where Jerry Rice tried hard but just didn't cut it - in my opinion (which is what all of this is, my opinion). But Oh. My. God! He was fabulous. I was very impressed. I think he's going to be a true contender! Wow!

I wasn't overly impressed with Willa Ford. I was watching her and felt like she was doing a lot of posing as opposed to dancing. The foxtrot, according to Len, is a romantic / love dance. I saw a lot of love there but she was directing it all at herself - at least from my point of view. But the judges loved her. Don't get it.

Then, when my named favorite (Mario, in case you forgot) came up and they showed the work background, I was worried. I really didn't think he was going to step up to the plate. But WOW, did he ever! He was my favorite tonight, and I'm not just saying that because he was my named favorite (Emmit is a close second though!).

I thought Vivica A. Fox nailed it tonight. I guess I'm not a big fan of the foxtrot because none of the other ladies did it for me at all but I thought she was great. She was in my top three favorites tonight. Good job!

And then there's Jerry. You know, he didn't suck tonight. In fact, he did alright. I hope he gets to come back next week.

I'm excited about this season!

What did y'all think?

I've heard there are no more original ideas but is this what it's come to?

Not be negative or anything but I want to discuss a book I recently read.

It was about a woman who'd recently found herself looking for a job and the only one she could find had her doing "investigative" type of work. Her boss is a sleazy man who only pays her when the job is done (and only gives her the low paying jobs because she's still "in training"). One of the office workers has a colorful past (think illegal), but they're still friends.

Because she's so new to the job (and totally inept), a man, who has been doing the job a long time and is quite good at it, helps her out from time to time. She can call him day or night and he is there for her. And although she's out of her element in this job, she keeps plugging along because she's notoriously behind on her bills.

Her family would like to see her settle down, and thinks she should get a "normal" job. She goes to her parents house quite frequently for dinner and whenever she brings home a young man (which happens from time to time) her family assumes it's her latest boyfriend and try to progress the relationship. Her parents live in a nice neighborhood and have an elderly quirky relative living with them. This elderly quirky relative wants to help out on the "investigations" and often finds themselves in the middle of it. And she has a small "rat-like" pet at home.

Then there are the two men she's drawn to. One she works with who helps her out when he can and one who is a bit mysterious. He works in the law enforcement field and always seems to be assigned to the cases she's on but is unwilling to share the information he has with her. And he always seems to show up just when she needs him...bails her out of a lot of scrapes.

As for love scenes, every time she decides to get intimate with one of these hunky men, something really bizarre happens and the mood passes.

And this is a series.

So, think you know what I'm reading? I'll give you a hint: It's NOT Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

Shocked? So was I.

Now here's the deal. Last summer I came home from Reno with two of these books in this series (I got another one in Atlanta). I read the first one shortly after I got home from Reno and wasn't overly impressed (I hadn't read any of Evanovich's stories at this point). As a result, I wasn't motivated to pick up the second one any too quickly.

But then, a couple of days ago, I was situating all my books in my linen closet (yeah, don't expect towels in there if you come visit me) and came across the second book by this author. I was trying to decide what book to read next and narrowed it down to this book or Hot Six by Evanovich (whose series I started reading a couple of months ago...LOVE IT!). I decided to go with this other book, having forgotten the details of the first one (only remembering that I wasn't overly impressed by it, but wanting to give the author another chance).

As I read this other book, all I could think was it was stolen from Evanovich! I mean, it's one thing to decide to write mysteries or to take an idea and write your own story (for example, say the story has to be set at a B&B and a murder and mayhem happens) because if you give a million people the same thing to work with, you'd get back a million different stories. But this? I felt like this author took all the same characters, the same premise and only slightly changed it (ie names). I mean, who wouldn't want to be the next Evanovich or Nora Roberts but this is a bit much if you ask me.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I liked this book better than I did the first one although, I don't know if I will be able to get past the fact that I feel like the idea was a stolen one.

T Minus Six, and Counting

Just six more days until the new season of Dancing With the Stars! The contestants are:

Tucker Carlson (News Anchor)
Monique Coleman (Actress)
Sara Evans (Singer)
Willa Ford (Singer)
Vivica A. Fox (Actress)
Harry Hamlin (Actor)
Joe (don't call me Joey) Lawrence (Actor)
Mario Lopez (Actor)
Shanna Moakley (Beauty Queen/Actress)
Emmitt Smith (Football Player)
Jerry Springer (Talk Show Host)

I put their profession because, well, I don't know most of them. I didn't recognize many of the professionals either. Ashley (Master P's partner from last season) is paired with Harry Hamlin and I think Cheryl (Drew Lachey's partner) is there. Lisa Rinna's partner is also back but I didn't see any other professionals that I recognized right off the bat...doesn't mean there aren't more, just that I didn't recognize them.

So, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess at the first round elimination and final winner - before it starts and before I've seen the first dance step.

First round elimination candidate is: JERRY SPRINGER for no other reason other than I don't like his talk show and I don't want to suffer through watching him dance for ten weeks.

Final round winner: Mario Lopez for no other reason than I think he's kinda sexy. Mmmm

So, what about you? Any guesses about who might win?

A fool and his money....

Nothing beats a hot bath with a good book. I love taking leisurely baths on the weekends reading to my heart's content. And since I spend so much time like that (on the weekends, that is, not enough time during the week to indulge :o( ), I like to have a nice bath pillow. So throwing my old one out a couple of months ago, without a replacement, wasn't such a good idea.

I went to WalMart, since that's where I'd bought the last one, but they didn't have any. I looked every week in new places to see if I was missing where they kept them, with no luck. (I even looked for one while in Atlanta...I really missed the pillow!)

Then I remembered, I was given a Bath and Bodyworks gift card for Secretary's Day, and I hadn't used it yet! I drag myself over there and, sure enough, they're out as well. It's like I'd done something to piss the bath gods off or something...they weren't going to make it easy on me.

Finally I snagged someone at WalMart and she said they usually carried them but she didn't know why they didn't have any. She recommended I call the manager on Monday.

I forgot.

BUT, a week or so later (which was only a couple of weeks ago), they had stocked them again, so I grabbed one up. $1.67 (or somewhere thereabout)! It's one of those plastic blow up pillows but it does the job, right?

So now I still have the gift card to use. I go back to the store and what do they now have? You guessed it! Bath pillows, for $18.00. The difference is, they're more like an actual pillow. It looked really comfy. It had suction cups to hold it to the side of the tub and everything. I figured that the gift card made it "free" to me, so I decided to do my own comparison test and bought one. I used it Saturday night.

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) more expensive does NOT mean better. This was the case with the bath pillows.

Yes the $18.00 bath pillow looked all cute and everything when I bought it. It had lettering on it in pink letters that said "Leave me alone". I thought it was a message to anyone who might be bothering the person taking a bath. Apparently it was a message from the pillow to anyone who might think to use it! The cute pink message? BLED! The pillow is now pink (it was white when I purchased it). The pillow? Looks like a drowned cat. And two days later it's STILL soaking wet. The suction cups did NOT work and I was constantly having to make adjustments to it when I was bathing. Not to mention, I can't "hang" it anywhere to dry because it's too "bulky", so it's sitting in my tub right now (and has had to be put in my sink when I've showered).

Meanwhile, the $1.67 pillow dries minutes after I use it, has functioning suction cups and is every bit as comfortable (if not more so) than the $18.00.

So who is more stupid? The company who makes a product they know will get wet, with a color that bleeds, or the person who pays $18.00 for it? I'll let you know after I try to return my drowned cat for a refund tomorrow.....