Hahahahahahahaha

Yes, I know this is poor taste and I seriously hope none of my readers hold it against me but ...dear lord this is hysterical!

Tiny Tim was a freak! A wonderful freak...

New Review: Australia (2008)

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

Bettie Page-Gone Daddy Gone

She was 85. And she still had the little bangs when she died...:)

A Moment of 'Cinematic Proportions'

Brilliant! I would love to know what Sophia Loren is thinking just at this moment, with that sidelong glance at the magnificent breasts of Jayne Mansfield.

...Things Are Goin' Your Way

On my way to the store last night, Wilson Phillips' 'Hold On' came on and I couldnt help but remember a HILARIOUS time in 1993 (?) when Toby and I drove to Nashville with Annie and Shane Phillips to see the Pink Floyd Concert at Vanderbilt. Heading out of Memphis, this song came on the radio and the funny thing was, nobody turned it. The funnier thing was, everyone knew the words (every word, even the little nuances like 'ooo things are goin' your way'). And the funniest thing was, we all proceeded to sing the entire song as LOUD as we could in its completion. I will never forget that. Shane and Toby belting Wilson Phillips was so entertaining that me and Annie had difficulty doing our 'part' but sing we did. It was almost sad when the song was over.

That was also the trip where Toby's blue Celica broke down at the Waverly exit and we had no choice but to patiently wait on the side of the Interstate until Jonathan (my then boyfriend) drove his little Honda to pick us up. We hung around in the car for a while. Then we got bored and proceeded to break out Annie's camera and take pictures of the oddest things. One was of Me, Annie, and Shane doing the three monkey 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' on the back of the car. One showed Shane sitting on the ground in the median of the Interstate tossing grass in the air. And one was of us lying in the middle of the interstate w/ our feet in the air. Whoever has those pictures needs to come forward!!

Love you guys! kiss kiss.

'FSBO'

A realtor from Century 21 came out on Wednesday of last week. He had seen our house on Craigslist and seemed pretty certain that even in today's market, there shouldnt be much of a problem selling it. After much consideration, we decided to sign w/ him-only to be told that he wouldnt be able to actually sign w/US until we improved the 'curb appeal' of our property. Which takes money. So again, we're at a stand still when it comes to 'officially' listing the house.

In the meantime, we have listed it w/ five free FSBO websites, including Craigslist and kijiji (ebay's version of Craigslist) in hopes that it will sell before we ever sign w/ a realtor at all. Wouldnt that be great? The proverbial 'pbthhht' in the face of the guy who claims 'selling w/ a realtor is the ONLY way in today's market'. hee hee. THat extra 12,000 certainly wouldnt come amiss.
http://nashville.craigslist.org/reo/925867197.html

Anyway, I looked back over my earliest postings to this blog and I'll admit it made me really really sad. I do love my house. I love my views, my dogs that run free, and the herds of deer that skip around on our hill. It's obvious from the things I wrote that I thought we'd never leave. But priorities (and economies) change and we have a new set of goals that don't involve the upkeep we took on with this place. To be honest, we really don't have the time or funds to bring it to its true potential. Yes, we should have thought of all of this three years ago (when we started building) but we were too excited to really weigh out the pros and cons adequately. So lesson learned.

Now, we're not really sure where we'll end up after we sell. We still would like to try the desert out for a while but are not too certain if that is the wisest initial move; perhaps a transition period somewhere local makes more sense. We do know that we want to be in 'town' somewhere-close to things we can actually walk to-with little or no upkeep so that Jew can focus on other things for a change. Renting will be our first step for sure. Maybe even home schooling. Who knows? And after a couple of years, we may decide this area is where we need to be after all. Sometimes you just need to step back and tilt your head.

Divorce- American Style

Saw this interesting clip in October's segment of 'Watching the World'. So crazy!

Divorce: Bad for the Environment

The surging divorce rate worldwide is huring the environment, since it results in increased consumption of limited resources. Divorce leads to more households, decreased household size, and higher consumption per head, says a study printed in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Divorced households in the US could have saved more than 38 million rooms, 73 billion killowatt-hours of electricity, and 627 billion gallons of water in the 2005 alone if their resource-use efficiency had been comparable to married households." In the year 2000, there were 6.1 million 'resource inefficient' households of this kind in the United States.

My Many Layers

I saw this on another blog...looked worthy.

LAYER ONE:
– Name: Ashley
– Birth date: 1975
– Birthplace: Memphra Tn
– Current Location: The Boonies
– Eye Color: Brun
– Hair Color: Platinum blonde currently
– Height: 5 ft 6, I think
– Righty or Lefty: Righty tighty
– Zodiac Sign: Cancer, I think...not interested in that pagan stuff :)

LAYER TWO:
– Your heritage: Anglo Saxon
– The shoes you wore today: Ryka trainers
– Your weakness: pretty things that I simply MUST have
– Your fears: none, really
– Your perfect pizza: mmmm, black olives and pepperoni
– Goal you’d like to achieve: saver not a spender, pioneer, and more patience

LAYER THREE:
– Your most overused phrase on AIM: lol...I really don't do it that often when I'm typing. And it really looks silly.
– Your first waking thoughts: Usually my boys.
– Your best physical feature: I don't know...my nose maybe?
– Your most missed memory: I miss the desert

LAYER FOUR:
– Pepsi or Coke: Coke zero please
– McDonald’s or Burger King: Burger King!
– Single or group dates: I like both.
– Adidas or Nike: neither...I really like vans and rykas
– Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton
– Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla
– Cappuccino or coffee: Cappuccino

LAYER FIVE:
– Smoke: No
– Cuss: Sometimes
– Sing: All the time
– Take a shower everyday: No
– Do you think you’ve been in love: for many years now
– Want to go to college: nah
– Liked high school: not especially
– Want to get married: not again! hee hee
– Believe in yourself: sure...i am certain i exist.
– Get motion sickness: yes i do
– Think you’re attractive: somewhat
– Think you’re a health freak: not at all
– Get along with your parent(s): yes
– Like thunderstorms: yes, when i am not driving
– Play an instrument: no, i wish i did though.

LAYER SIX: In the past month…
– Drank alcohol: yes
– Smoked: nope
– Done a drug:alcohol counts, I'm sure. And I've taken benedryl
– Made Out: yes
– Gone on a date: yes, actually. wow.
– Gone to the mall?: nope
– Eaten an entire box of Oreos?: are you kidding? who can do that??
– Eaten sushi: yes
– Been on stage: yep
– Been dumped: no
– Gone skating: no
– Made homemade cookies: yes i did
– Gone skinny dipping: nope
– Dyed your hair:yes
– Stolen Anything: not unless you count 'time'. yikes

LAYER SEVEN: Ever…
– Played a game that required removal of clothing: yes, my shoes
– Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: i don't believe so.
– Been caught “doing something”: what??? i'm not sure what that means.
– Been called a tease: not that i know of
– Gotten beaten up: no
– Shoplifted: i took some face powder once but i didnt know it until later
– Changed who you were to fit in: yeah, i did

LAYER EIGHT:
– Age you hope to be married: i was the right age, i think-for me
– Numbers and Names of Children: 3
– Describe your Dream Wedding: i had it. but i really loved misty and michael's wedding
– How do you want to die: i don't want to die
– Where you want to go to college: n/a
– What do you want to be when you grow up: i don't want to grow up either
– What country would you most like to visit: Italy

LAYER NINE:
– Number of drugs taken illegally: none
– Number of people I could trust with my life: one
– Number of CDs that I own: about fifty now
– Number of piercings: just two
– Number of tattoos: one
– Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper?: once or twice when i was in elementary school -oh and in some obituaries i think
– Number of scars on my body: four that i know of
– Number of things in my past that I regret: lots of things but there's a reason it's called the 'past'.

Freedom at the Bottom

There is somehow a marvelous freedom in being at the bottom of the barrell. Need a loan? NO!! Want to sell your house? NO!! Want to sell a portion of your land? Hmmm, let me think-er-NO!! What about a job...want a new one? No way!! But we might have some layoffs to offer.

In the light of the ever-increasing economy slump and housing situation, things may seem bleak. But just think how nice it is to have so much company at the bottom of the stack. Let's have a party down here!

For Keely

Who couldnt be inspired by three grown men singing a lullaby in the desert?!

I thought Keely might like this funny little clip. And hey, we can always use a new lullaby to sing to mommy's tummy.

Makin' Memories...Disney 2008 (Part Three)

Day 6, Oct 3rd: After another late night out, it was again a struggle to get to the Animal Kingdom by park opening at 9am. However, we still made it by 9:30 and met up w/ our friends at Dino-land, which is kind of a cheesy version of a carnival complete w/ 'midway'. Dinoland boasts the greatest playground in Disney. It's gigantic and includes a large area called 'the Boneyard' which looks at first glance like any other huge sandbox but is in fact an 'excavation' site for kids to dig up the 'bones' of prehistoric creatures. The 'sand' is also deceiving since it's actually tiny little pebbles and it feels wonderful on the feet (though technically, you're supposed to keep the shoes ON, heh heh). The greatest thing about that is how easy it is to shake the little grains off of your clothes and shoes.

We also rode 'Dinosaur' together, while Sarah watched Victor for me, and that turned out to be a mistake. I've ridden it before and since Nathan and Johnson love dinosaurs, I thought they'd love it. Unfortunately, I completely forgot out LOUD the ride is and how rough. It jars and jerks violently, which Nathan hated. Add to that the huge Carnotaur that 'hunts' you throughout the ride and he basically rode w/ his eyes sealed shut throughout the duration. I thought I'd help out in one aspect at least and reached forward to our 'stowaway' compartment where we had to put our bags during the ride to get his noise reduction earmuffs. I succeeded in doing that but as I was straining to reach them, the car we were in jerked hard to one side and I heard my neck go 'pop'! I didnt realize at the time how badly I had hurt myself but I certainly found out later. Nathan didnt seem to hold it against me however and enjoyed the dinosaur store at the end of the ride thoroughly.

After Dinoland, we followed our friends over to 'Asia', home of Expedition Everest. It was our first time and we were so excited! Johnson rode w/ daddy first (we did the baby swap) and since he liked it, rode again w/ me. It's definitely one of Disney's best, though I still prefer Rock N Roller Coaster as far as thrill rides go. The one thing I found disappointing is the 'sighting' of the Yeti himself which was so brief and dark, it almost didnt happen. When the ride was finished, we headed to the Maharajah Jungle Trek, an exquisitely detailed animal exhibit that makes the animals appear to be living among ruins instead of in captivity.

Another kind of downer about Animal Kingdom day was Victor's fever. He seemed to be sleeping abnormally long in his stroller while we were on the Trek and afterwards, when he woke up, was a little fussy. As we stopped at 'Pizzafari' Counter Service restaurant for lunch, I picked him up and discovered he was burning hot. Of course, due to the warm weather, I'm sure he seemed hotter than he actually was but I did panic a little and left the guys to eat while I found First Aid. They took his temperature which was about 101 and allowed me to sponge him off and give him a dose of Tylenol. I couldnt figure out if he was overheated, sick, or teething but after we left the First Aid area, he was in a better mood and ready to eat a bite. He also really enjoyed the rest of our day, including the Kilimanjaro Safari ride in 'Africa' and the Jungle Safari Parade which inspired him to clap and dance along.

We had stayed longer than we anticipated but since it was our only day for AK, we decided to just take our time and see It's Tough To Be A Bug on our way out. This is Disney's funniest and most original 3D show since the audience becomes 'honorary bugs' during the show and basically gets 'terrorized' by Hopper and his cronies in many disturbingly hilarious ways. I just love this show but it is a bit loud so I gave the two younger boys their noise protection and both enjoyed it heartily, Victor without the 3d goggles. It was a nice finish to our touring. I'd like to split Animal Kingdom up next time, I think however, since it's definitely the hottest park due to all the flora and fauna that encapsulates the humidity.

So that was the end of our official park touring and I feel we got to do more than I expected, w/ the baby and all. It just took some rearranging and patience and some willingness to forego shows and things that would add more 'waiting' time to the less patient ones of the group. I love Disney shows and look foreward to catching the ones I missed in the future.





That evening, we had dinner reservations at Coral Reef, a restaurant inside the Seas Pavilion in EPCOT. It is surrounded by the Seas aquariums and provides a great atmosphere. The food was delicious but Victor was still not feeling great so we ate quickly this time. On the way back to the hotel, we noticed that Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald were at the Character Spot in Future World w/ virtually no wait so I got a couple of very good pics of the boys. We also stopped in France for a drink I'd seen on Samantha Brown's Disney Favorites, called a Grand Marnier Orange Slush. May I just say, DANG! My husband had a Grey Goose Lemon Freeze and it was extra yummy too. I shudder to think how much we spent on booze this trip...especially w/ no buzz to show for it..hee hee. Let's just say that, unlike Las Vegas, Disney doesnt care to cut you any slack on alcohol. A bottle of miller light-5 bucks! No, I'm not joking.

That night being our last, we let the boys swim a little when we got back to the hotel. It was an unexpected treat they really seemed to love, being almost 10:00 already.

Day 7, Oct 4th-Departure Day Since checkout was 11am, we hurriedly got our things together and had bell services store our luggage so that we could spend the day in World Showcase, using up all our leftover snack credits on those Food and Wine Festival vendors we had been salivating over all week. I had heard stories about people who had meals leftover at the end of their vacation and, not being one for wasting ANYTHING if I can help it, I was more than prepared to stuff myself if necessary. As it turns out, there was no problem. We had one kids meal left too so we went to The United Kingdom and used that on an adult meal of Fish and Chips that the kids could split since there was no kid's menu at the Yorkshire Fish Shop. We said goodbye to our friends, Craig and Sarah, regretting that we hadnt been able to see them more than we had but still happy for their company.




We had ten snacks left. First we went to France and got two orders of escargot and a french 'orangade'. Mmmmmmm. Second, we stopped at Marrakesh for something called a Kefta, which is basically a pita wrapped around spicy ground beef and tomato salad. Yummy. Next we stopped in Italy for a canoli, which (gripe) wasnt eligible for snack credits so we had to pay oop for it. So we still had six credits. I spent one on a bottled water (yep, bottled water counts as a snack). Five. Then we stopped in New England and ordered Crab Cakes and a Lobster Roll. Gooooood stuff. We now had three. Mexico has churros. Can't pass up the churros. So I ordered two. One snack credit left. I also saw this baby at a kiosk in Mexico and had to try it. It's a quadruple layer margarita:


Yes, it was every bit as yummy as it looks. Just enough salt on the rim. Anyway, Jonathan saw some shrimp in Istanbul marinated in cilantro that looked good so we used up our last snack on that. Turned out just right too because when we checked the time, it was rediculously late and we JUST made it to the hotel for our shuttle to the airport.

So now I'm home and I am happy to be, though I still kinda get sad when I realize how long it will probably be before we can go back. That hotel was so homey that I was getting kinda used to living there. I also have whiplash, as it turns out, from the stupid Dinosaur! ride. I know my straining to reach the earmuffs during the ride is the reason for it so I don't gripe too much about the ride itself, though I definitely feel it has changed a little and is not nearly so exciting as it used to be. Sunday, I was stuck on the couch for the ENTIRE day while my house got messier and messier and luggage remained unpacked. Today is Tuesday and I feel much better thanks to some Soma I bummed off a friend. I can actually turn my head slightly in either direction. Enough about me though. The kids had a ball and it was so worth it to show them around Disneyworld and see them enjoy it too.

I know alot of people (including the Unofficial Guide, incidentally) would say that taking babies to Disneyworld is a mistake but I didnt find that to be the case at all. Even if Victor was left out of certain things, he was obviously very positively affected by the stimulation all around him and never did he seem 'overwhelmed' or cranky (until he got sick on the last day). He smiled his charming little grin evey time he saw a camera, even if it wasnt pointed at him...ha ha. Nathan can't stop talking about the rides and his new lego toy. Johnson feels so grown up now that he can say he rode everything, including the thrill rides. My husband couldnt hide how happy he was to be with all of us for a full week, even if looking after three boys is more work than actually BEING at work. And I am just glad that everything turned out at well as it did and that we have so much fun stuff to talk about.

And that's it. In a very VERY large nutshell.

Makin' Memories...Disney 2008 (Part Deux)

Day 3-Sept, 30th: Day three of our vacation saw the sun rise on our new home resort, The Beach Club. It's another New England style Beach-themed resort that really has a restful atmosphere. The pool area, called Stormalong, is arguably the best in Disney since it's really more of a water-park than a pool. The bottom of the pool is sandy and there is a great water slide that can only be reached by climbing a 'shipwreck' on the beach. Also, there are other great details about the pool, such as a lazy river section w/ a current, a whirlpool section that the kids just love, and a huge sandy kids' pool that looks almost naturally created. The lobby and rooms are furnished w/ pale woods and fabrics, white pannelling, painted wood floors, and other very restful details. The landscaping is just beautiful and there are lots of great sitting areas throughout the resort, as well as two 'quiet' pools for those that don't want to deal w/ the vastness of Stormalong Bay. I actually preferred the elegance of The Boardwalk, as far as decor goes, but I did enjoy the relaxing admosphere of the Beach Club and the close proxmity to EPCOT.

Our room was almost a mirror image of The Boardwalk's Studio room and we were more than ready to move in and unpack finally. The View from Villa 270 was just a little bit less exciting than our Boardwalk view had been but the balcony was bigger. One of the downsides of renting points from a Vacation Club member and staying at the villas is there is no daily maid service. You kind of have to straighten up after yourself, even though they do make periodic visits to empty trash and replace towels.

This day was our Magic Kingdom day but due to our late night, we let the kids sleep a little longer and planned to hit the park a little before lunch. We went first to Tomorrowland since we had only gotten Buzz Lightyear out of the way the night before. We also met up w/our friends again and they joined us for most of the day. Johnson enjoyed Space Mountain and we did the baby swap again (a great arrangment that Disney allows where one parent waits in line w/ the kids who can ride and then after they're finished, the other parent gets to ride w/out a wait)so he got to ride it twice. Laugh Floor, a new attraction with Monsters Inc characters was my favorite new thing at Disney. It's an interactive comedy show where the audience provides part of the entertainment and it's hilarious!

After nondescript counterservice lunch in Tomorrowland, we headed to Fantasyland for the Winnie The Pooh ride and playland. The Playland was a first for me and I really enjoyed details like these in pooh's house:

Today was one of my favorite days also because Nathan and JOhnson both went on Splash Mountain with me. It's one of my favorite rides for sure. The details are so incredible and the ride is both relaxing and thrilling. It's just one of Disney's best attractions. The hill is big but nobody seemed to even notice and we only got slightly sprinkled on the landing.

We had dinner reservations at the Contemporary Resort so we went back to the hotel for a quick swim before getting dressed a little nicer for our meal at the California Grill. This restaurant is a regular for us on every trip! It is pricey so it took up two of our Table Service credits each, but it is well worth it. The pork loin on polenta is incredible. The Chocolate Lava Cake and Butterscotch Creme Brulee are out of this world! And the view, from the top of the Contemporary is stunning, especially during the Magic Kingdom Fireworks which are clearly visible from the windows.





Day 4, Oct 1st: Victor was one year old today! Anyway, today was EPCOT day. We walked over from our resort only a few minutes late for the opening and didnt have to wait for ANY of the Future World rides for more than five minutes. This was my first visit to the Seas Pavilion since they Nemo update and I'll admit in a second that it's an improvement. The Nemo and Friends ride is a bit of a throwaway until the final moments but they are well worth it since animated characters are incorporated w/ the existing aquariums almost seamlessly. 'Turtle Talk' with Crush allows kids to interact w/ the Sea Turtle from Finding Nemo and no matter how annoying his 'dudes' and 'righteous'es are, it's still extremely entertaining. The boys also really enjoyed the Land Pavilion where we ate lunch. Sunshine Seasons Food Court is unique in that much of the fresh ingredients used in the food are grown right on the premises. I had a most a-typical counter service lunch of Wild Salmon with a calamata olive pesto sauce, fresh green salad, and mashed red potatoes. In addition, it was my first ride on 'Soarin', which is remarkable, and both the boys absolutely loved the 'Living With The Land' ride, where you get to take a boat ride through Disney's State of the Art Hydroponic Gardens.



After a quick break at the hotel pool again, we went back to EPCOT to really tour World Showcase. Shopping is great there, especially in China. We had dinner reservations at Tokyo Dining in 'Japan' and the meal was hearty and well presented. The kids got their meal on little airplane shaped platters and they got free toys after they finished. I had a Tempura selection of scallops, shrimp, and veggies that was very yummy indeed.




Day 5, Oct 2nd: Today was our 'free day' originally but since we had missed some major attractions at The Studios, we decided to head back there to ride Toy Story Mania and the Tower of Terror. Toy Story Mania was great fun; better than Buzz Lightyear even. You wear 3d glasses and shoot at targets as they come at you...I'm better at this than the laser tag thing. Then we went to Tower of Terror. Johnson went w/ daddy and decided he couldnt do it again (ahhh!) so I went alone, which I didnt mind at all. I had no wait, after all. We left the studios by about mid-morning and went back to the hotel to enjoy Stormalong Bay. We had lunch and ice cream by the pool and rode the slide multiple multiple times. I love this place!


Dinner reservations were at Raglan Road, an Irish Restaurant in Downtown Disney. Lots of shopping there and the boys are crazy about the lego store. I ordered the 'It's Not Bleedin' Chowder' and whatever it was, it was delicious. I didnt care for the soda bread, however. We did some shopping afterwards, before heading back to the hotel. Another very busy day.

Makin Memories...Disney 2008 (Part I)

Despite a few negatives like aches and ailments, a couple of closed attractions, a few bratty moments, and some late starts-the trip was a very positive thing indeed! I'd even venture to say it was a rousing success and a blissfully busy time that we'll never forget. No, it wasnt a relaxing vacation by any means. It was a challenge always and I've never worked so hard to have fun! But it was beyond fun; it was a huge hoot that I feel inclined to share in my typical wordy and overly expressive way. I'm providing this trip report partly as a personal diary and partly as a travel-guide of sorts for my readers. After all, going to Disney with three children takes guts and frankly, I feel it qualifies me for some kind of title. So here I am, Mistress of Magic Kingdom Mayhem, to spout off about the little adventure my family and I had during the past week.

Day 0-Sept 27th, Arrival Day : Originally, our trip was supposed to be Sept 28th thru Oct 4th but as Southwest would have it, the only affordable flights leaving Nashville on that day were late, which would have wasted us an entire day of touring. So we got an inexpensvie room at Disney's All Star Music Resort (one of their budget picks)and chose a flight that would put us in Orlando at about 10pm. Incidentally, this was Nathan's first plane ride and he was understandably chatty about it. Once we were in the air, he really didnt believe we were going anywhere and got bored w/ the whole thing pretty fast. Luckily, the flight is less than 1 and 1/2 hrs total so it's a breeze. When we arrived, we utilized Disney's Magical Express service-a bus service that provides free transportation to any of the Disney Resorts and a definite bonus to staying on property. As most of you know, I won't go to Disney unless I can stay at one of the property hotels. Due to the details provided by the Disney folks, the feel of the parks stays w/ you even when you go to your room. And I love that.

Anyway, our room was in the Country Fair (Yeehaw!) section of the All Star Music Resort. For those of you who don't know about the All Star Resorts, they are Disney's answer to a Motel 6 and cost a mere 69.00 a night on average. The buildings are horribly garish and ugly, adorned with giant replicas of Disney Characters, Musical Instruments, Football Helmets, or Pop Culture Icons as the theme of the hotel demands. Our building was in the 'Country Western' wing of the All Star Music resort and was predictably horrible. Huge Cowboy Boots, Fiddles, and Banjos against a backdrop of concrete buildings painted the color of baby poop. On the plus side, all the resorts including this one have immaculate landscaping that encompasses the theme. So as you can see in the photo below, the cacti and Yucca plants were really lovely.




Day One-Sept 28th Our night at The All Star Music was okay. The room was so tiny that I felt claustrophobic when I was pacing the floor w/ Victor at midnight. But we all got a little sleep and were ready to change hotels the next day. Our hotel of choice, The Beach Club, was not available for all six nights so we opted to stay one night at the Boardwalk so we could still stay at the Beach Club for most of our trip. Both resorts are within walking distance of our favorite park, Epcot, and both have New England beach-y themes. After breakfast at the All Star Music food court (which was really a nice surprise and had lots of fresh options to choose from), we left our luggage w/ the Bell Desk for them to transfer to our new Resort and took the bus to The Hollywood Studios, not to go to the park yet but instead to catch the boat to our new hotel, The Boardwalk.





The Boardwalk hotel is a cheerful and beautifully decorated place decked out in crisp pastels and ornate details. The lobby is one of Disney's most memorable, featuring a giant golden chandalier with all sorts of fantasy sea creatures cavorting about on it. There are also glass cases containing detailed models of carousels, roller coasters, and the like. The furniture is 'upscale' oceanside, some of which is very elaborate. Even the muted seaside paintings are framed in heavily carved gold frames that really stand out.

We checked in and gathered up our hotel packet, which included your Key To The World Card-a card that can be used for room charges, entry to you room, and if you have your park passes added to it, can also be used for park entry. Everything went off w/out a hitch and we hurried to our room to get our bearings. The Studio villas have only one queen sized bed but also a fold out couch, which is where the boys slept for the duration. There is also a small kitchenette, a single sink vanity area, and a seperate toilet, bathing area like most hotels. Room decor was again, very bright and cheery boasting muted tones of reds, greens, and yellows and a well placed mirrored section on one wall that made the room seem huge. Our balcony looked out over the Pool and grounds as well as a distant view of the Hollywood Studios Tower Of Terror.

Our luggage had not yet arrived so I visited The Boardwalk itself, a real 'board' walk on the backside of the resort that offers lots of dining/shopping options as well as bicycle rental and funny street performances. It's right on the water, which makes it very picturesque so I was in no real hurry to get back to the room. I ordered some typical junk food staples (cheese sticks, corn dogs, meatball subs) from a little vendor . After lunch, I took the boys down to the playground while daddy rested and when our luggage finally arrived that afternoon, we all got dressed to go to Epcot for dinner reservations.

Sept and Oct are 'Food and Wine Festival' at Epcot. I've never been able to go during this event but I doubt I'll ever go at any other time now! In addition to the already huge array of foods and wines available from the different 'countries' of World Showcase, there is an additional number of vendors that offer food and drink options from another 20-30 countries! It was late so we didnt have time to sample anything then, but we made a mental note of all the drinks/ snacks that looked yummy for future reference.

We had only about an hour and a half until our dining reservation in 'France', so we took the boys on the only two World Showcase rides-In Mexico and Norway. The Mexican ride is sweet and cool w/ a great Three Caballeros theme. Nathan loved it and he got to have his picture taken w/Donald afterwards. The NOrway ride is just a little more intense and dark and has a few 'Trolls' to contend with so he was a little timid of that one. Victor rode in my lap for the Norway ride (called Maelstrom) and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's also a boat ride but has a few faster segments so it's a good test for kids to see what they'll be able to handle later on. Nathan didnt like the trolls but he did fine w/ the speed of the ride so I knew he would do great on some of the big rides of the next few days.

Our dinner was at Les Chefs De France and it was delicious. We utilized the Disney DIning Plan this time so all of our food was paid for in advance, w/ our hotel check-in, and was also placed on our Key to the World Card. The Dining Plan gives you one table service and one counter service meal per day as well as one snack. We planned to eat breakfast in our room since we had a fridge. Table Service meal credits allow you to choose one Entree, One NOn Alcoholic Beverage, and one desseert each. I had the Tiger Shrimp w/ scallops as my entree and Creme Brulee for dessert. both of which were wonderful. Disney is one of the only places on earth where you can enjoy fine dining at a white tablecloth establishment and still bring your smacking, shouting, roll-tossing children along w/ you without being sneered at.

After dinner, we strolled outside to watch Illiminations, the nightly firework presentation at EPCOT that features the music of the different nations on display. It's very nice but not as moving as it used to be due to the cheesy 'inspirational' song tacked onto the end. Nathan thought it was way too loud so I gave him some earplugs and he was just fine. I also had some noise reduction earmuffs for the baby. A very pleasant and even somewhat relaxing day one.

Day 2-Sept 29th We woke up happy that today was our last day of having to play 'musical resorts'. We were careful not to unpack anything the night before so it was relatively easy to call bell services and have them, once again, transfer our luggage to our new home-The Beach Club Villas. Then we all caught the boat to The Hollywood Studios, even though we were running a bit late due to the moving situation.

I swear by the Unofficial Guide to WDW. It's full of useful information, the prime piece of which is to 'Arrive Early! Arrive Early! Arrive Early!'. Try as we might, we just couldnt get to any of the parks prior to opening for the whole trip. I had also planned the days according to the Guide's statistics for crowd levels at each park so Monday was supposed to be an ideal day for the Studios. Unfortunately, w/ our late arrival, crowds had already gotten pretty bad, even for the slow time of year. We just made it a point to relax, rent strollers ( I paid for four days of double stroller rental with my Disney Rewards Card which came to about 105.00. It's alot but well worth it since those strollers are super easy to push and turn on a dime. Just make sure to bring a brightly colored bandana or scarf to tie around the handle so you can find it in the crowd after rides.), and enjoy some coffee before attempting to see anything. Star Tours (Star Wars themed simulator ride) was first and had only a five minute wait so me and the two older boys took advantage and enjoyed the ride. It's a little rough but Nathan loved it and was especially enamoured of the gift shop called Tatooine Traders at the end. We spent a good hour in there.



Because of the crowd, not much was accomplished in the way of attractions. THe longest line of the trip was The Great Movie Ride, which Jonathan and Johnson waited for while I watched the younger two. Our friends from La, Craig and Sarah, were there w/ family and they caught up w/ us for a quick visit before lunch. The newest ride at The Studios, Toy Story Mania was at a sixty minute wait for the whole day and fastpasses (special feature for park guests that allows you to come back at a certain time for little or no wait on a ride) were already out by noon. So no Toy Story for us that day.

For lunch, we visited the Toluca Legs Turkey Co. I had read on Allears.net that this place was a great option for counter service lunch because there is no kids menu so kids get adult portions which can be useful if you want things to take with you for later in the day. We got two adult sized salads, one pulled pork sandwhich, and a turkey leg as our entrees. These things were so filling that we took our chocolate chip cookies and chips w/ us for later and saved our snack credits that way. Also, instead of a fountain beverage for all four of us, we got a couple of bottles of water that we could take along. Thanks Allears!

Next was the ROck N Roller Coaster-the Aerosmith themed super-fast indoor coaster at The Studios. I talked Johnson into riding it w/ me and he hated me afterwards! heh heh. No, he didnt like it. I purchased the photo they took of us on the ride because his face was so priceless. THe ride slingshots you into action w/ the best takeoff ever and I don't think he expected it to be so fast. My favorite ride at WDW! By then, Johnson was not about to try Tower of Terror yet so we opted to head back to the hotel and swim before going to Magic Kingdom for Extra Magic Hours. Extra Magic Hours are hours before or after official park hours for Disney Resort guests only. We love the Evening ones because Magic Kingdom is so cool at night.

One word about the pool at The Boardwalk: It's excellent for kids! There is this great 'carnival' feel to the pool area, complete w/ beautiful red and white striped circus canopies over the snack vendors and restrooms. The slide is called the Keister Coaster and it replicates a Coney Island Roller Coaster, the exit of which is a giant clown mouth. Johnson and Nathan both enjoyed the slide and Johnson even learned to swim that day! Yay!

Because of Extra Magic Hours, we decided not to do a Table Service meal that day. Instead, we went to the Magic Kingdom and grazed on snacks while we rode the rides. The park closed at eight o' clock so we used the time everyone else was watching the fireworks show, to get at least four rides under our belt. We knocked out Fantasyland in no time and this is a blessing because its the 'land' that gets the longest waits during the day. There are lots of cycle rides there (think Dumbo and Cinderella's Carousel) and those are the ones w/ the longest lines since they arent 'continous loaders' like Peter Pan and Small World. I can't say enough about Magic Kingdom at night! It's so much more fun due to the lights; the castle changes colors continuously. Big Thunder Mountain is lots more fun in the dark, for some reason, not to mention the Haunted Mansion. We hadnt intended to stay so late but we were having so much fun and riding so many rides w/ absolutely no wait that we decided to just hang out until 11 pm and sleep late the next day.

The kids were exhausted but super happy. And so were we.

Okay, I lied

Had to post one more thing...saw this movie again today and had to share this scene (one of my all time comedy favorites) since I can SO identify with it right now. Heh heh

OH! Silly me, I forgot about the 'fancy talk' at the end of this scene so to avoid that, just stop the film about 3 seconds early. *blushing*

'Too Jehovah Witness Chic For Me'

hee hee. That's what the snooty guy on Fashion Police said about Jeremy Piven's pinstriped suit at the Emmy's Sunday night. I just saw the special on E! today and had to share because it cracked me up!

Okay, this really is my last post before I leave so I'm Audi 5000...:D

My 'Laughing Place'

This is my last post before our trip...gotta pack and all that jazz. I hope to do some daily trip reports if I have the time w/ photos and such since I'll be brininging along the trusty laptop. If not, I'll do a lengthy and over-the-top report when I get back, I'm sure. Til then, I'll be kickin' up my feet here (thanks to Mo, without whom such a thing would be quite impossible):



Zipadeedoodah, my sistas!

Jose Gonzalez-Covering Kylie

I've posted a bodongo link to this song before but I found this video today and had to share. Such a beautiful cover of an otherwise forgettable pop song by Kylie Minogue. Suddenly, the words have meaning! This is why covers are sometimes a great thing:

12 Days to Wally-World

Walt Disney World that is...

I found a couple of very clever videos on youtube that really impressed me. This one is the Disney Chicks doing 'The Cell Block Tango' and the synchronization is pretty amazing...and very funny!



And since Cinderella is my very favorite of the Disney movies, I had to include this one too. The song fits so well...I really like it.

New Review: Becoming Jane (2007)

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

Two great videos...

Found these two videos on youtube this past weekend and had to share...

Those of you who are fans of the brilliant comic, Zach Galifianakis, will really appreciate the first one. Also makes me love Fiona Apple all over again since it's a great song and she's a funny girl. Anyway, embedding is disabled by artist request but here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4LmJToyAEo

THis one was my husband's idea YEARS ago! The Danzig song always reminded us of Elvis anyway. Whoever put it together really put some time and thought into it. Really, it's kinda moving (but what is UP with everybdoy disabling embedding?):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4LmJToyAEo

August At a Glance

August exits with a bang and now the extra busy month of September looms before me. Unfortunately, we've done very little this summer to improve our property and prepare it for selling. So that is a very big job ahead of us and since our vacation to Disney is set for the 27th, it's going to be a crazy month. I don't anticipate leaving the house much.

The weather has been hot and sticky but not nearly so hot and sticky as last year. Humidity is always an issue for me, but as for the temperatures, they're right on track w/ what I love-90's with lots of sunshine.

Early this month I took a much needed break and caught up w/ my darling friends Moose and Monkey at PF Changs in Nashville. It was a fun night that almost didnt happen and I'm so glad it did! I was also able to take a little stroll around Opry Mills mall and buy a couple of magazines and a few bargain t shirts from Hot Topic. The night ended with a spontaneous decision to get a room at the downtown Hampton Inn instead of making the long trip back. No big eventful evening but it was very nice to chat and drink Rolling Rock while watching public access on the telly. Thank you girls!

This month was also the ever-popular Wilson County Fair, regarded by many as the best fair in the state. It's a good one, for sure. Amazing food, much of it from local vendors, abounds and brings new meaning to the term 'fair food'. The corn dogs are crispier, the corn on the cob is sweeter, the kababs are 'ta die for', and my new favorite-the gyros-are extra saucy. Even Maggie Moos has a kiosk,for those of us who arent satisfied w/ the normal fair staples like fiddlesticks and funnel cakes. In leiu of cotton candy, Nathan opted for cotton candy flavored ice cream which was the brightest shade of blue I've ever seen and which made his subsequent poops an absolutely awesome shade of radioactive blue-green. This year, the music was a little less impressive but there was a really good bluegrass duo in the fiddler's grove that we enjoyed. They were off the beaten path and therefore missed by most of the crowd, kinda sad really. Nathan had not really seen live music before and he seemed to be especially attentive. After the music and a routine walk through the rabbit and poultry tent, we headed over to the tractor pull and kiddie-rides. I used to love fair rides until pretty recently, when I rode the Kamikaze a few years back and my shoulder harness smell like ralph. Also, it seems pretty unlikely that the freakish carnies that man the rides are capable of sufficient safety check in the short time they take to throw the things up. The kiddie rides seem a little bit safer so I spent that ungodly 20.00 on as many tickets and split them evenly between my four and eight year old. After a measley three rides a piece, I was able to placate them w/the statement that when we go to Disney, they will be able to ride as many of the squeaky clean, well maintained rides that they wish and so could we please go get some food? Which we did. Unlimited ice tea and fireworks were also extra nice this year. So, if this is our last Wilson County fair for a while-at least we had a nice farewell vist.

On the 16th, our friend Michael Stacey took a wife. He and Misty were married on a very nice boat at the Center Hill Marina and the wedding was so much fun! The bride wore a strapless and flirty t-length gown w/ a ribbon at the waist and sexy red patent leather shoes. After the ceremony, we all drank champagne and ate cake before the dancing commenced. It was a very chummy time and everybody looked pretty and smelled nice. And even though we all had alot of fun, hooting and hollering and carrying on,it was a very relaxing event.

The 23rd was a post-baby shower for a sister in our hall and it turned out very nice as well. We played the famous 'purse scavenger hunt' in which all the ladies must race one another to find various items in their purse and literally run them to the caller, me, who was stationed at the front of the room. It was crazy and hilarious and sometimes a little scary.

So that was August. And today is Labor Day, the first of September. Victor James had his first haircut, I'm still in my pj's at 11:33am, an America's Next Top Model marathon is on MTV, and after lunch I'm planning to take my boys to Lake Defeated for what may be the last time in a long while. I'm planning to start packing for my vacation right after I finish the laundry (I love to pack so I often do it a month in advance) and finish another chapter in Anna Kerinina somewhere along the way. So off I go...

Oh yeah, and to make a very long post even longer-Victor started walking this month-at only 10 months! So cute. He walks in short little steps w/ his arms in the air-just like a little chimp.

I Swear, It's Funnier Every Time...

I think we have watched this fifty times in the past two weeks. My 4 yr old sings it now! LOL

Enough, Already!

Ya reckon his mamma is tired of crying?

Gymnastics-For Better Or Worse

I'm wondering if I'm the only one who sees the difference in the gymnastics of this year's Olympics and those of the past? I mean, I've been watching them since I was tiny and I've always thought it was so exciting. And though I still feel that way somewhat, there is a marked difference.

I remember watching Mary Lou Retton and that crazy (and very simple, by today's standards) vault in 1984 when I was nine-where she got all perfect tens. But other than that, I never really remember watching gymnastics seriously until 1992 when Kim Zmeskal and Dominique Dawes had such fun, energetic floor routines and Shannon Miller moved around on the balance beam like some kind of insect princess. That was also the year Tatiana Gutsu and Svetlana Boginskaya made such a beautiful showing in the team and individual competitions. I think it was the best Olympics ever, as far as gymnastics goes. I've been following the teams of Bela Karolyi since then, very closely. In 1996, when Keri Strug hit that vault on her hurt foot-it was thrilling. Dominque Mocianeau was also a darling little gal, especially on floor exercise. But it seems that since then, the charm of the routines and the thrill of women's gymnastics has waned. Last night, I felt the telecast was missing alot of the variety it used to have. I remember seeing more than just two countries compete on the events and I know that floor exercise used to have more style. The routines used to be musical and more of a performance, similar to the Chinese girls last night. The Americans not only blew it technically but they were boring as heck.

On the other hand, I feel Men's gymnastics have only improved. Monday's team finals was really exciting and yes, the Chinese guys were amazing. I actually don't remember following men's gymnastics until Vitaly Sherbo wowed me in 1996. He was pretty hot. And since then, it seems the routines and the skills have only gotten more rediculous. Paul Hamm was extremely impressive in 2004 and he's also really great at Ninja Warrior, of which I'm a huge fan-heh heh. This year, Jonathan Horton and Justin Spring really stood out to me but again, not much emphasis was put on any teams other than the Chinese or Americans so there was little with which to compare them. Still, I'm far more excited about the men's all-around competition than the women's.

As a side thought, I'm still very into the Olympics, be it summer or winter, and the opening ceremonies this year were better than ever. I also find the synchronized diving to be a pleasant diversion.

Revisiting the Ray Collins Hot Club...

I've already posted these guys once this year. I care not. Love them, love them, LOVE THEM!!!



There's a marked difference between bands like this, that so authenically portray the sound that inspires them, and cheap imitations...heh heh.

Twitch-You Are My Winner!

Due to technical problems w/ my dvr, I missed the first few routines of the night...grrrr.

ANyway, here is how the final four stack up in my eyes. Keep in mind that this ranking shows what I feel should be the final standings of the competion, the winner being number 1!

1. Twitch-in the final weeks after Will left, I was torn between Josh and Twitch. The Russian 'dance-off' decided me. Twitch looked like it was his style! He was graceful and powerful beyond belief and even though I would have preferred more dynamic music, the routine was unforgettable. His floorwork was incredible, to say the least. His foxtrot was so classy and when they danced together in the contemporary routine, he was who I watched. In addition, Twitch's solo routine was full of personality and made you WANT to vote for him. The first video I posted was his audition...the 2nd my favorite routine of the season for him-showing his ability to mold himself.

2. Katie-she wasnt in my top dancers throughout the show because I felt her personality was lacking a little. The interview helped her. I also had never seen the difference in technique between she and Courtney until they danced together and it was indeed quite obvious when they did that Katie is the better dancer of the two. She seems to be able to slip more easily into whatever role she's given, such as the precious little umbrella routine to The Trolley Song. And her foxtrot was gorgeous.

3. Josh-His solo was absolutely my favorite of the night...so much personality! His jive was gritty and macho. But though he can hit any routine he's given w/ almost no faults, I simply prefer Twitch. That said, I am ready to see a Hip-Hop dancer win the show so if he wins, I won't be disappointed, regardles.

4. Courtney-Such a joyful little lady. I just loved her jive and I thought she did very well in the Broadway routine as well. During the contemporary routine, I thought she made up for her slightly lacking technique with boundless energy, punctuated by little yelps that made me smile.

Feature-List Yourself #1

Here is one of the lists from the List Yourself book I mentioned on a prior post.

List the situations that always make you cry:

1. Movies Movies Movies: i.e. To Kill a Mockingbird, Dumbo, It's a Wonderful Life, Dead Poets Society, Spartacus

2. Frustration, feeling out of control

3. Disturbing news items: i.e. The Tsunami footage, anything dealing w/ the torture or murder of children, starving children. Incidentally, I HATE the local news. They seem to love getting morbid, as opposed to just relaying facts like reuters. I've sworn off the evening news.
C
4. Seeing my kids sick or in pain

5. Death (friends, pets, family members)

6. Unexpected acts of kindness

7. A bad haircut (actually that's only happened to me once)

8. Music, especially emotionally charged broadway like Les Miserables or Opera like La Boheme

9. Powerful poetry or lyrics i.e. Christian Dedication in the 'songbook', The Children's Hour, Pale September by Fiona Apple, John Doe No. 24 by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Godspeed by Radney Mitchell (or the Dixie Chicks)

10. Watching new ones get baptized at a convention

11. Also, singing with my spiritual brothers and sisters at the conventions and assemblies.

12. Sudden unexpected pain (like stubbing my toe) or a bad stomach virus or cold, basically just feeling bad makes me cry sometimes

So You Think You Can Dance-Top 8

Best Show of the season so far! Amazing night! And may I just say, Tony Basil is the best judge ever...seriously, she needs to be a permanant fixture. Her critique was inciteful, succint, and not over the heads of us lay-people. So kudos to her!

Anyway, on w/ the ranking:

1. Will-His Samba and Hip Hop routines with Courtney were spectacular. Sexy and masculine. His solo was a spot-on, hilarious, phenomenally danced James Brown impression-complete with wig! How could he go wrong?? Still on top, for sure.

2. Courtney-A surprising pick for my number two spot. But she was fantastic last night in both of her routines with will. In the hip-hop, she totally moved me. In the samba she was Cyd Charisse-style sexy. But her solo blew me away! It was so joyful and beautiful. She accomplished more in that thirty seconds than just about anyone else.

3. Twitch-The contemporary routine choreographed by Mia Michaels was my favorite of the season so far. To that overplayed Duffy tune, they portrayed a yin and yang style couple having a-er-confrontation of sorts. Twitch was a cool dude who refused to be ruffled by his crazy girlfriend and the incorporation of the steps and the performance and even the door...fantastic. His broadway routine was absolute perfection. His solo, impressive. He's still doing amazing work, especially to be the most untrained of the contestants.

4. Chelsea-her legs, her legs, her LEGS! Even though she's not the slimmest girl, her grace and poise and freaking sex appeal are unforgettable. In the tango, she was sultry and moved like taffy. In the 2nd routine, she and Josh danced a disco. In my eyes, it seemed heavy and a little sloppy...possibly due to the rediculous ammount of lifts incorporated into the choreography. Can we please do away w/ Doriana Sanchez next season? There have to be better disco choreographers out there! Anyway, of the two-Chelsea stood out to me due to those great legs and the sheer energy she exudes. And again, her solo was just great.

5. Katee-I love her joy , her spirit, her beautiful movement. She is a gifted and natural dancer. The only reason I rank her third of the females is that I don't feel her true personality comes thru as well as Courtney's or Chelsea's. It's tough though. Her contemporary piece, with Twitch, was absolutely brilliant and her broadway was charming-though I agree it should have been a little 'dirtier'. Her solo wasnt as impressive as last week, in my eyes.

6. Josh-This guy is still able to grab every style of dance he is assigned and just 'kill' it. Yeah, his butt is big and he's a powerful guy, but he still exhibits such grace when it is called for, like in that great Argentine Tango that he and Chelsea performed. The disco was not as appealing to me but there is no doubt he was 'there' for her as a partner and he really shone on the 'Travolta' style moves in the middle. His solo was hard hitting and strong, though not quite as impressive as last week's.

7. Mark-Poor Mark. He was fantastic this week in two of his three numbers. The Hip Hop was one of the best of the season...so fun to watch! And he danced it extremely well; I actually noticed him more than Comfort during the performance. His solo was so much better than last week and he utilized the music and his unique birdlike style throughout. Unfortunately, though I felt it was still pretty, the foxtrot was not up to par with the rest of the competitors' routines and therefore, will probably be his downfal.

8. Comfort-she's ridden the wave long enough. Her Hip HOp was phenomenal-a great high note for her to leave on, I feel. The solo was dull and meandering and the foxtrot was not believable from her.

I'm almost certain that my bottom two will also be the country's bottom two.

Edit: Gasp! My top three ended up in the bottom four last night...and my season-long love affair with Will-arguably the best dancer in the show's history-came to an abrupt end when he was ousted from the show! It was a travesty. I almost cried. Anyway, I don't know what America is up to but for the first time, I'm considering picking up the phone and voting next week. Grrrrrr.

So You Think You Can Dance-Top Ten

I fell away from posting a weekly 'rundown' on this show for no particular reason other than a busy summer. It's still my favorite show on tv and the competition is still anybody's game. I am shocked by how evenly matched some of these dancers are, especially when it comes to the men. I'm fairly certain at this points that the winner will be either Will or Twitch. It strongly depends on the next few weeks.

Here is my take on last night's show, ranking the dancers individually now since that is how America votes from this point on:

1. Will-He is far and away the most 'trained' dancer on the show but he caps it off w/ great sex appeal and an actual personality (unlike Danny from last year). Last night he did a 'Broadway' routine and a ballet routine with Katie-both of which were entirely different and equally impressive. The latter was one of the most moving things I've seen on the show. His solo was spectaular and highly acrobatic. I think the competition is his to win.

2. Chelsea-This girl has been my favorite girl since the beginning. She has such passion in her face and such phenomenal technique,no matter what style she is given. That crazy blonde hair only adds to the appeal and her gams are fantastic-like Leslie Caron. Last night she did a jive (the most fun routine of the night) and a contemporary piece with Gev. She outshone him on both. And her solo was brilliant. She holds her own with Anya and Heidi, other great ballroom dancers from seasons past.

3.Katie-I have always thought she had a little less energy than Carrington or Chelsea, though she has been the judge's favorite girl from the beginning. She knocked it out of the park last night. Her broadway and ballet-style routines with Will were two of the night's best and her solo was extremely moving. I loved the fingers. I only rank her below Chelsea due to my personal preference of the latter's dancing style.

4.Twitch-Always the showman, Twitch definitely did shine last night. His Waltz with Comfort was lacking and showed their lack of skill in this particular style, but when she and he were assigned a hard-hitting hip-hop routine later in the program, both of them pulled out all the stops. It was the highlight of both of their time in the competition, in my opinion. In addition, Twitch's solo routine was one of the best memorable of the night. He's fantastic, no doubt.

5.Josh-He has done exceptionally well from the beginning, due partly to his partnership with Katie. But each style he was given was surprisingly well-danced. Last night he danced a Ramba and a Hip-Hop with Courtney. They seemed to mesh well as a couple and their sizes suited one another. He was stoic and strong with the Ramba, sexy and cool with the Hip Hop. And his solo was marvelous, really showcasing his athleticism and soul.

6.Courtney-did a fabulous job last night as well. Her Rumba and Hip Hop routines with Josh were fantastically sexy. She was very evenly partnered, I felt. Her solo was stunning...absolutely beautiful. It was nice to see her dancing alone again after the auditions.

7.Comfort-Not one of my favorites from previous weeks, Comfort came into her own last night, mostly thanks to two opportunities to perform her own style. She didnt do well w/ the Waltz but it wasnt horrible and her hip-hop with twitch was incredible. Also, her solo hip hop was really energetic and fun. She almost didnt come back because she got voted off last week but with Jessica's injury, she won another chance. And proved she deserved it.

8.Gev-Not my favorite but he surpassed some of my favorites this week. He did very well with both his Contemporary routine and his Jive. He is so little that he doesnt make the impact that someone long and lean like Will does, but he does a good job with every style he is given. I was not as impressed w/ his leaps as Mary but I am not a dancer and I only go by what looks good to me. They seemed sloppy. His jive was much more to my taste, though of course it paled in comparison with Chelsea. His solo was a typical breakdancing routine. It was mostly tricks with very little rhythymic movement.

9.Mark-has a great style-almost birdlike in nature. Kind of a cross between hip-hop and jazz and his quirky looks add to the appeal. Though his solo was great, I didnt feel it showed off his style to its best advantage and since his technique isnt as developed as Will's, for instance, he really has to make up for that with charm. The two routines he did with Carrington, the Western Two Step and the Jazz routine, were both only okay. I rank him higher than she however because I still love his style and in the Two-Step, he was the stronger of the two.

10.Kherrington-dissapointed last night. She has always had the most luminous face and such a great technique as well. She is young (19 or so) but her stage presence has always been strong. Last night, she and Mark (one of my favorite guys) had a Western Two-Step, which bombed, and a jazz routine that seemed a little trite in the choreography department . Both looked meandering and lacked energy. She couldnt connect w/ her partner and seemed out of her element...but her solo was still stunning, even if it didnt seem to match the music.

WALL-E-Added to my Pixar Reviews

I added a quick mini-review of this latest Disney masterpiece to my existing Pixar post. For those of you who haven't seen this precious movie-see it! It's easily one of the best.

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

My rating: 10/10

Interesting Stuff and Nonsense

I was alerted to this cool blog a while back and now I'm addicted. A photo 'commentary' on european street fashion...so cool I can't stand it:
http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Anyhoo-the Guided By God's Spirit District Convention was one of the best yet, of course. We had a great time even though it rained off and on the whole time and humidity in Huntsville Al was at 90%. The Huntsville City Park is such a lovely place to hang out during lunch and since we were staying at the Holiday Inn accross from the Convention Center, we took advantage of our close proximity to the park to visit it 'after-hours' as well. I thought it might be a hassle to walk to the site every day but it wasnt bad at all. Jew toted the baby and the kids shared the lunch load and books. I even took my parasol along which was a life-saver during our stroll. Ladies, invest in a pretty parasol if you're going to be out-of-doors. I can't stress the good sense of this enough!

Last night was Johnson's first talk. His reading was in the back school but consisted of fifteen verses in Acts that were replete with long, multi-syllabled city names. He did a great job pronouncing the names correctly and kept a nice audible tone throughout. Daddy gave him a new flat-top for the occasion...so handsome! Afterwards, we made it a point to visit Sonic for treats since it was a special event. He really felt important...heh heh.

In other news, my dog, Mrs Roper, is convincing me repeatedly that she is indestructible. A few days ago, my neighbor hit her with his truck while she chased him down the driveway. She and my Pyrenees Bernice have the worst habit of doing this, despite our efforts to keep them from it. So it was inevitable that one of them was hit. We thought Mrs Roper was a goner; she flopped around pitifully after the fact and couldnt use her back legs at all. I had to carry her to our porch and give her fresh water and food right there. I couldnt take her to the vet right away because Jonathan had two of the car seats so we decided to wait until the next day and see how she was faring. The next morning, she was still pretty perky and didnt seem to be in too much pain, though she still couldnt use her back section at all. I took her to the vet and he diagnosed her with a 'hurt back'. Since there were no broken bones, he gave her a shot of cortisone and some antibiotics along with the positive statement that he wouldnt be a 'bit surprised if she bounced back'. Not 20 minutes after the shot, she was already putting a little weight on her back legs. Looks like she might make it after all.

Murder and Coincidence

So last night as I 'nodded nearly napping' in my trusty brown recliner, I came across some more useless animal info to share. You guys may know this stuff but it was all new to me. Collectuve animal terms are tricky...a pride of lions, a band of gorillas, a yoke of oxen etc. But I had no idea that the technical term for a group of crows was a 'murder'. A murder of crows. When I googled it, incidentally, there were a ton of movies and bands with the name-it's pretty catchy, I'll admit. Other interesting collective animal names: A leash of fox, a storytelling of ravens, an army of frogs, a bale of turtles, a cry of hounds (also a 'mute of houds'-condradictory, no?), a shrewdness of apes, a down of hares, a drift of swine, a kindle of kittens, and a 'labor' of moles. Cool stuff, huh?

Change of subject:
Here is a cool true story that just reeks of coincidence and shows how small a world it is, especially when you are in the truth:

In May, the old man and I were watching House Hunters on HGTV-an episode in Las Vegas where a young professional was moving out of his parents' house to a home of his own. We always watch the episodes that are set in the areas we are considering for our coming relocation. Anyway, this episode was immediately appealing because the guy was probably close to thirty and still lived with his parents-and he owned a successful business designing swimming pools. I told my husband 'He's probably a Witness' and we both laughed. Then we noticed some very familiar looking books on a shelf in his parents' house as he was being interviewed; I was almost certain they were boundvolumes. My husband was still unconvinced. Next, the guy introduces the family dog who happens to be named-'Philea'. I just looked at Jonathan but he smiled and shook his head. The realtors in this episode were 'old family friends' according to our house-hunter and they were all very comfortable on camera and gestured alot. By the end of the show, I was just sure they were all our brothers but again, my husband just told me there was no way I could know for sure.

Anyway, last week I contacted my friends from a neighboring congregation who have aquaintances in Las Vegas and asked if they could put me in touch w/ them so that I could ask some questions about the area. I was given the name of a young brother in the area who owned his own business and who might still live with his parents; my friends weren't sure. They gave me his business phone, which I reverse searched online to see if there was a website. It was a business that designs swimming pools. I immediately thought of the guy on House Hunters and decided to google the guy's name and see if there was a photo of him online. Sure enough, the house-hunting guy and my friends' friend in Vegas are one and the same! I was excited and my husband was wierded out...heh heh.

My Dad-Doing Victor Hugo Proud...

Isnt he handsome? My dad has accomplished his goal and Victor Hugo's 'The Man Who Laughs' is finally available to American readers. This version is a little more friendly to modern readers and slightly abridged. A screenplay is currently being marketed and will be released in book form soon. The novel can be purchased at Amazon, Borders, or Xlibris (the publisher).

In other news, We have adopted a new kitty. His name is Frank. We found him the other day when my oldest son and I were on our way to town. While driving a frequently travelled back road, I almost ran over the wee thing when I rounded a bend and he was in the middle of my lane. I missed him, but turned around to see if he was okay. I stopped because he was still in the road and instead of his running, as I expected him to do, he came right up to me, mewing pitifully. I'm such a softie. I couldnt resist him. My son held him while we drove to the gas station and got a can of cat food since the kitty's ribs were showing and he was very frail. He ate it all up and fell asleep in Johnson's lap. We put him in the basement w/ our other cat, Possum. They didnt like each other much at first but are getting along now.

We have sold the back portion of our property and are in the process of cleaning things up to prepare the house and 6 acres for sale as well. We are still planning to move out west. Not sure if we'll be in Utah, Nevada, or Arizona yet-still doing some research.

So You Think You Can Dance-Weekly Rundown

Well, I think its gonna be another great season! The contestants seem even more talented than prior seasons, with a few definite standouts.

Here's the order I think they should be in based on last night's show. We'll see if I'm right on tonight's results show. Incidentally, I find it comforting to see that the judges get to make the decision on who leaves since they are, after all, the ones with all the experience. Then America gets to decide between the final four. In other words, anyone who isnt good enough will not make it farther than they should (like American Idol).

1.Chelsea H. and Mark, both Contemporary dancers but Mark really stands out for me because his style is so bird-like and unconventional. It was a great move, on Mia Michaels' part, to design a contemporary routine for them that was about an unconventional wedding. It was incredible, my favorite routine of the night. She was like a feather in her white wedding dress and he tossed her around like a cotton ball...it made me tear up.

2.Carrington and Twitch-Twitch is a hip-hop breakdancer and Carrington is a Contemporary Jazz dancer. She is only a senior in high school and I wondered how they would do together since he's quite a bit older. They were dy-no-mite! They did a broadway routine and her gorgeous face and his comedic style really carried across to the audience. It was immaculately done. They will be front-runners down the line.

3.Katie and Josh-Katie is a Contemporary dancer and Josh is a hip-hip breakdancer. THey did a hip-hop routine that was really well executed and smoother than most. It was also kind of moving since it told a story. And they danced the heck out of it. To those of you who know Summer Zack, I'll bet you Katie remind you of her!...hee hee.

4.Will and Jessica-I think Will may be the best dancer in the competion. He and Jessica were both Contemporary dancers that had to do a Tango Last night. It was pretty close to perfect, except for a few little wobbles from her. But she more than made up for it with her commitment to the movements. And they seem to have alot of chemistry.

5.Chelsea and Thayne-Chesea is a Jazz dancer and Thayne is a Contemporary dancer. They did a Cha Cha and it was great. She, especially, is amazing. Her hips, her legs, her smile...she was just on fire. Thayne was the 'prop' he was supposed to be but he was masculine (a stretch for him,I'd wager) and smiled alot. Looked like they both enjoyed themselves.



6.Susie and Marquis-Susie is a Latin dancer and Marquis is a Contemporary dancer. He is phenomenal but during the auditions, she just seemed to kind of be a music-video Shakira style girl. I was shocked how well they did w/ the smoothe waltz they were given. Susie was really impressive, especially when she extended her beautiful legs and arms. Marquis was very elegant. The music was really strange-reminded me of Enya mixed with Evenescence.

7.Comfort and Chris-Chris is a Contemporary Ballet dancer and Comfort is a hip-hop dancer. They did a respectable Jive. Having watched alot of jive in Vegas, the thing I love about it is the loosey goosey style of it. Since neither of these dancers had done it before and the choreography was a little bit difficult, that was hard for them. Comfort was straight-legged and a little stiff throughout. Chris was a little too elegant. But they did a good job regardless and Comfort's personality was great.


8.Raven and Jamie-Raven is a contemporary dancerand Jamie is a West Coast Swing dancer. They were out of their element slightly w/ the hip hop routine they did. Both of them did a great job and it was good...albeit slightly less memorable than some of the other contestants'...I blame that on the routine.

9.Courtney G. and Gev-Courtney is a Lyrical dancer and Gev is a breakdancer. They did a very energetic but kind of sloppy disco. I love her so I hope she makes it through but I haven't been all that impressed with her from the beginning.

10.Courtney and Matt-As a tall couple they had the opportunity to really impress. She is really fun to watch when she dances her own style ,which is Contemporary, and he is a really good Lyrical dancer (which looks alot like ballet to me). But the pop routine was a bit trite, in my eyes. They looked like something out of an eighties episode of Solid Gold. And I do agree that Matt needs to bring a bit more personality across.

Owning Up...

I had a funny idea on the way home from Wal Mart last night. A song came on that I absolutely love (more on that later) and I turned it way up with the windows down and laughed at how absolutely rediculous it was that I knew all the words and how very embarassed I would be if anyone caught me. So here is a post all about the things we are slightly ashamed of doing/wearing/or liking...things that no one would EVER guess.

MUSIC: The song 'Cherry Pie' by Warrant. Yep, I said it. I love that song and I know every sordid word. I have tried to deny it for far too long but who can resist : "I scream, you scream, we all scream for her..."? I also happen to love the band Def Leppard but I refuse to feel ashamed of that. Me and Ernie will defend them to the last (isnt that right Mr Ayres?).

TV: I have seen every single episode of every single season of America's Next Top Model. Now, I have told people this before and can feign nonchalance about my watching it...'hey, I like the photo shoots'. But what no one else knows (including my husband) is how MANY times I've seen each episodes. MTV and VH1 have these 'marathons' of the show and therefore I have seen each episode multiple times. And I can't seem to stop...somebody help me!

MOVIES:I have quite a few 'guilty pleasure' movies on my list. I'm more ashamed of some than others...'Mean Girls' is one. So is 'Deep Blue Sea'. Some movies are so bad, you watch them like you would a train wreck.

CLOTHING: I have a bad problem buying new underwear and socks. I just can't seem to get over it either. So some of my skivvies are sadly worn. And that's an understatement. I wear socks w/ holes in the heel, bras that have visible underwire, and underwear with shot elastic. Don't ask me why I have this problem. I am very particular about every other aspect of my wardrobe and I do enjoy buying pretty underthings. But I don't do it very often. I have a pair of thong underwear that my husband bought me at a Candiria concert a few years ago. They are faded to charcoal gray and the elastic is showing thru at the seams. But I adore them and I still wear them constantly...sigh.

BOOKS: I went thru a romance novel phase as a teen. I tried not to get into the Harlequin ones since they were so trashy but I did fall prey to an author by the named of Katerine Lynn Davis who does these period romances that are all lush and atmospheric. But they're still pretty trashy...and I shake my head when I think back on how raptly they held my attention.

FOOD: When no one is around, I lick my plate. And I relish little debbie cakes just so I can take them apart and eat each individual aspect of it seperately. Swiss cake rolls are the best...I eat off the chocolate, then unroll them painstakingly and lick out the cream. Then I sigh and eat the cake. I also drink pickle juice...sipping it slowly. And when I was pregnant I enjoyed dipping ham in it. Isnt that disgusting?

OTHER: When I put my baby down for a nap, I am overcome by a feeling of freedom so acute that I have to literally run down the hallway. It never fails and I've done this since I had my first child. I think it comes from being slightly unbalanced and I'm okay with that. I also tend to dance when I'm happy...no matter where I am or what the circumstances are. And I also clap alot when I'm excited about something...I've noticed my kids do that too. Finally, I have a mesh sponge I bought from Bath and Body works BEFORE I WAS MARRIED. That's right, the thing is 13 years old at least! It is still perfectly intact and clean. I have no idea how this is possible...the yarn loop that you hang it by is faded to pale lavender but the sponge is still bright purple. I now feel challenged to see how long it will last.


If I think of any other things to confess, I'll do so. I feel lighter somehow.

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

Overheard last night:

Johnson-" I hate the way this dogfood smells. It's a 'down' smell."

Daddy- "A 'down' smell?"

Johnson- "Yeah...It's hard for me to explain. My head thinks in graphs. It's like my head has a graph in it and smells are on the graph. This dogfood is a 'down' smell. Cheese is an 'up' smell."

(No kidding, that was a real conversation. Since he likes cheese, I'm assuming an 'up' smell is a good thing.")

Overheard this morning:

Nathan: "Twinkle twinkle little farts...how I poopie, how I poopie. Davy Jones, Davy Jones, poopie poopie Davy Jones. Twinkle twinkle farty fart...Davy Jones, Davy Jones."

(I'm thinking of turning that last one in to The Wiggles. I'd get monster royalties off that tune!)