Reality Bytes- Part 4

The show pairs a number of celebrities with professional ballroom dancers, who each week compete by performing dances, which are then given scores by a panel of judges. Viewers are given a certain amount of time to place votes on their favorite dancers, either by telephone or  by the Internet. The couple with the lowest combined score is eliminated and does not go on to the next week. This process continues until there are only two or three couples left, at which point one couple is declared the champion.
This season’s of Dancing with the Stars premieres March 9th. Usually a “take it or leave it” show for me, this is going to be one interesting season. They have released the Season 8 contestants who I believe to be the most interesting, crazy, unpredictable group to date.

Singer/songwriter Jewel. I am a huge music fan of hers. I have seen her on a few specials shaking her ‘thang’ and from what I can tell there is a reason she is a singer and not a dancer.
*Edited 3/5/09* As reported this past week, Jewel has injured her knee while practicing for DWTH. Rumor has it, if she is not able to compete, former Girls Next Door’s Holly Madison will take her spot, hmmm….

Ty Murray, “King of the Cowboys” is the most accomplished rodeo athlete in the history of the sport. He is married to Jewel, which will be the first time a married couple will compete against each other on the show.
(I have a friend who has met and spent time with Jewel and Ty and says they are a genuinely nice couple….so far I’m rooting for them him!)

Nancy O’Dell, best known for Access Hollywood, she is one of the country’s most respected and leading entertainment journalists. In her early forties, she remains in tip-top shape and may give these others a run for their money!
*Edited 3/6/09* O’Dell is said to be the latest victim of the DWTS curse, she has a torn meniscus (cartilage) that will require surgery. No word yet on her replacement. Wishing both, Nancy and Jewel a speedy recovery!

Probably one of the most unlikelys for this show is, Steve “The Woz” Wozniak. He Apple co-founder, philanthropist, and author of New York Times Best Selling autobiography, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon.He briefly dated My Life on the D List’s, Kathy Griffin. He is a geek, obsessed with Bob’s Big Boy….because of all the B’s and B’s are the 2nd letter of the alphabet….As nice as he seems, somebody is going to have their work cut out for them!

Stephen Glover, better known as Steve-O from MTV’s Jackass and Wildboyz. Need I say more? The guy is crazy and has and will try anything. He has a history with the law and a history of drug problems. I have heard he is taking this new role serious and giving it all he has….who knows, this could be a life changing experience for the bad boy!

Fashion model turned actress, Denise Richards has also joined the cast. Known for her sexy roles in Starship Troopers, Wild Things and The World Is Not Enough. She had a highly publicized divorce from Charlie Sheen, followed by a controversial relationship with Richie Sambora, the estranged husband of one time best friend, Heather Locklear. Losing respect of many of her fans. I think she has what it takes to do this, however if it’s based on popularity, don’t unpack your bags just yet Denise.

Former Go-Go’s lead singer, turned solo artist, Belinda Carlisle, if nothing else is going to be in shape for 2009. She has recently also been appointed the new spokesperson for NutriSystem. I’ve always been a fan of hers, and she has always claimed, “She’s (We) Got The Beat!”

The youngest dancer in the show’s history is, Shawn Johnson. At 17, she is the 2008 Olympic women’s balance beam gold medalist, the individual all-around silver medalist, the 2007 all-around World Champion, and the 2007 and 2008 U.S. all-around champion. All of which have their advantages, if she’s got even a bit of bee-bop in her I think she’ll be a top contender!

Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor is widely regarded as the greatest defensive player in the history of the National Football League. The first player in the history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in ten consecutive seasons, “LT” has also written 2 best selling books and appeared in feature films. From what I have observed, this is either a sink or swim competition for most NFL players. Tune in!!

Actor/Comedian David Alan Grier is sure to provide entertainment for all. His personality alone, in my opinion leaves the door open for him being a favorite. Now let’s see if he can cha-cha!!

Also in this season’s line-up are country singer Chuck Wicks, rapper Lil’ Kim and actor Gilles Marini.

Good mix of gender, age, personality,  and drama….

My nephew sent this to me via email, I had to share!!

Here’s the reply the teacher received the next day:

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn’t show me dancing around a pole. It’s supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

I had seen this a few years ago, I was just sorting through old files and came across it again. It’s only 2 or 3 minutes long and soooo worth watching! Enjoy!

A beautiful and powerful presentation. Enjoy the breathtaking
photographic images and inspiring message that has touched so many!

(told you so!!)

As mentioned, complained about, harped on and whined about, I have spent a good part of the last month sick! When I did eat, 90% of my diet consisted of Chicken Noodle Soup, a Saltine Cracker here and there and Vitamin Water. Sometimes it stayed down, other times it had me praying to the “Porcelain Goddess.” One would think the plus side of that would be shedding a few pounds. I finally got the nerve up to climb on the scale…I gained 5 pounds, 1/2 of what I had just worked so hard to lose. Needless to say I’m not happy, I’m frustrated and I’m mad. I’m mad because I feel like a cow hence, I have Mad Cow Disease. Moo.

Reality Bytes- Part 3

I easily become addicted to this show each and every year. I’m not so big on the whole audition thing…although I never miss a minute. I already have my favorites, as usual they won’t even make it through the first week “Hell Week” in Hollywood. Then I will pick a few more favorites, one may make it to the top 10, the others will be on Dr. Drews Celebrity Rehab in 2010 and I will be the only one that even remembers them. I will have it be known, I did call Ruben Studdard the winner after seeing his audition….Ruben who?
I’m really liking the new judge Kara DioGuardi, she is….well, normal. She looks like a brunette version of Holly Madison from “The Girls Next Door” Ya think? Maybe not so much in these pictures, but pay attention. You’ll find yourself going, “yep, Heidi was right!” Randy is cool, a little too cool unless your name is DAWG. I will have to Google it, but I bet he is somehow responsible for the songs, “Who Let The Dawgs Out,” “The Dawg And The Butterfly,” “Black Dawg,” “Atomic Dawg,” “You Aint Nothing But A Hound Dawg,” etc… And Paula, well I do like her when she’s there, both physically and mentally. Physically, she’s a trooper and very dependable. Mentally, not so much. Ding-dong! I like Simon, from a distance. He is brutally honest, but does have a soft side to him. I am hoping perhaps Kara will step up to the plate and take that man shopping for some manly man shirts. (but don’t tell him I said that!!!)
I get tickets each season right around the time #4 gets the boot. I have actually only gone once, Season 3…barely. X amount of tickets are given out for each show. It states on the ticket that if you are unable to attend to call the number provided. My guess would be so they actually know what kind of turn out they will  have and be prepared. Taping starts at blah, blah. Get there by blah, blah. Be in line by blah, blah. I was so excited to go. A) I love the show. B) It would make for a nice afternoon out. We were right on time to leave the house, with minutes to spare. For sure we would be there by blah, blah. Of course that would be too easy. Just before we left I had a full blown panic attack and it was a doozy. We finally got out the door, but not by blah, blah. We were indeed running late. Not a problem I thought, I’ll just call the number on the ticket and tell them what happened, they will understand and save us a seat. Alright, humor me…it sounded logical at the time. I called back a bit later a gave the nice guy an update as to how close we were getting. As if he freaking cared!!!!! (O.K. this is where the story gets good)
We arrive with a mere 300 or so people preceding us in line. It’s not looking good.
While standing in the hot, noisy, long, line we meet a few other suckers. (all in front of us at least) I was really surprised how far some of these people drove without a guarantee of even getting in, although, our hour drive seemed like forever. After about a 30 minute wait, there was an announcement. “Do to an unexpected guest performing tonight, and the number of V.I.P tickets that were needed….we will not be able to accommodate (all you nobodys) as many people as we had anticipated. We apologize. This cannot affect me, after all I had called, twice. I had a panic attack, I talked to somebody, I told them how close we were. Surely there are seats being save for us!!! The next recollection I have they are making another announcement. “Thank you for coming. We are filled to our capacity. We apologize.” Dear God, I did not have a panic attack for nothing. I looked at my boyfriend (who by the way was less than thrilled to be there to begin with) straight in the eye and said, “I am not leaving, I am going in there.” Many people had started leaving, many stayed, more left. Another announcement, “We will be letting 10 to 20 more people in shortly as seat fillers.” They continue, “You are not guarnteed to get a seat, you will be on stand by…just in case.” So…if someone goes potty during break, you sit in their chair until they are done. Lovely. At this point there are 167 people still ahead of us. Seeing how restless my boyfriend is getting, I reassure him I’m still not leaving. “Come on Heid…think about it, chances are….”  “I am not leaving, I am going in there.”
As we stand at the end of the line, I begin my mission. I see two gentlemen towards the front of the line but off to the side. They have V.I.P. passes dangling from around their neck. They weren’t big guys, I’m thinking we can take them down, grab their passes and make a run for it. My boyfriend declined to help me. I do the next best thing. I step out of line parallel with them, across 167 people make eye contact with them, then make my move. I hold up two fingers, my secret signal letting them know there are two of us. OMG! They nod their heads and motion for us to come up to them. Standing tall and proud I grab my b/f’s hand, who at this time had no clue what was going on, and march past 167 people, 167 unhappy people. We follow these men to a door that leads us to the back entrance of the studio. Once inside, the four of us go through security and are escorted to our seats. At this point there had been no verbal communication at all with these guys. Because of their V.I.P. passes and the route we were led in I assumed they were American Idol staff, then they sat next to us. Still in shock over what had just transpired in a matter of minutes, I managed to utter the words thank you! They just smiled and said we hope you enjoy the show!! When I was finally able to speak again I told them until they sat down with us I thought they were with American Idol. The guy I was sitting next to said they worked on the lot but were on The Young And The Restless and just got done shooting. They were given four passes but two of the people couldn’t make it. “You just stood out” Ummm…yeah because I was stalking you! “You signaled there were two of you, and it just worked out.” Ummm…yeah cause I wasn’t leaving! I don’t watch The Young And The Restless so I had no clue who they were but they were my new best friends!!! We had a great time with them, they particularly liked the special appearance by Clay Aiken. *wink* We couldn’t thank them enough as we all walked out together and said goodbye. I’m pretty sure I skipped all the way back to the car, and sang too. Once settled and on our way home, I looked my boyfriend straight in the eye and said, “I told you I was going in there.” His reply, “I never really doubted it….I know you too well.”
Seriously, is that not a great story? You know it is!

I have been sorting through pictures these past few days. Remember in the olden days, when you snapped a picture and as soon as the roll of film was done you ran to the local drugstore, dropped it off and eagerly waited 10 days for it to be developed? You always ordered double prints so grandma and aunt Betsy could have some, only to find 4 pictures that were actually viewable. At first you were very diligent about keeping your treasures organized and in albums, but eventually all hell broke loose. You are now left with boxes of loose photos not having a clue who or what they are of. I decided it was time to at least organize my kids pictures and catch up on their albums but the more I go through…the worse I feel.

You both are so cute, so loving and have so much personality!

I don’t know why I would allow you to wear a necktie to kindergarten each day, then skate around the neighborhood. I must say you were quite the trend setter back then!

What was I thinking when I matched you head to toe….in not so masculine clothes,
I promise I corrected every last person that said, “she’s gorgeous”

You are my pride and joy. The three of us were always together!

But maybe it wasn’t a good idea to put you in spandex shorts
and get on with our day in our matching Batman t-shirts…

I was so proud that by your second birthday you were potty
trained and now wearing “big boy” chonies!!

Bless your heart, you tried so hard to walk in them….
I swear at the time I thought it was cute!

Madonna called…she said she wants her boots and butterfly belt buckle back.
We’ll blame your dad for this one!! Love you! (who can we blame for that carpet??)

Surprise!! We were on vacation and guess who got all gussied-up for dinner
all by himself? You were the cutest thing ever!  Everybody thought…. nobody saw you….

You and your “bestie” were always so trendy….

Trying to teach you independence and responsibility, Mom sends you out for
a day of errands, unfortunately you had to do it without your super cool shades…..

….I was sporting them and my super cool 80′s suit at the beach

Yes boys, mom has her moments too!!

The pictures obviously are endearing to me, however if I were to show them to anyone….
I have many more to conquer, which I’m sure will lead to more laughs, a few tears and probably a few more posts!!! I love you boys

If you have not read the tails of Oliver, you can do so here and here.

So, the previous owners are indeed gone and have not returned for him. As of Thursday, January 22nd,  I officially deemed him part of our family. He is spending more time each day in the house and has made himself right at home. He was an outdoor cat, but as soon as he is totally comfortable here and my other cat “Filthy” quits flicking her tail at him I will be keeping him inside. He is so far, very well behaved, knows no and loves to be loved.
On another note…I am finally feeling ‘human’ again, I might even live! It’s hell getting old!

2 years
24 months
104 weeks
730 days
17,520 hours
1,051,200 minutes
63,113,852 seconds
Any way you look at it, today marks the 2nd anniversary of my son being in REMISSION FROM CANCER!
Words cannot express the feeling of him finally reaching this important milestone. I love you baby!! Your courage, determination and positive attitude have been an inspiration to all!!! You are our HERO… Congratulations!