Reality Bytes- Part 2

With a set of fraternal twin girls (Mady & Kara, age 8 ) and a set of sextuplets, (Collin, Leah, Joel, Hannah, Aaden & Alexis, age 4) the Gosselins a.k.a. Jon & Kate Plus 8 are hardly your typical American family.  The show follows the family through their daily lives, focusing on the challenges of raising multiple children. While part of me feels this show has run it’s course, another part of me would really miss seeing this family each week. All of the kids have their own unique personalities and you can’t help but to fall in love with each and every one of them. Jon, 31 is very laid back….Kate, 33 not so laid back. The show has documented, and given us a chance to see these kids go from babies to preschoolers. The love and interaction between them is heart-warming and I believe, genuine. One of my all time favorite scenes is, while being potty trained, Leah, with a scrunched up nose informs a camera man, “Hannah pooped. Hannah pooped in Hannah’s underwears.” Priceless!! You truly get a sense from this show of what it would it would be like to raise multiple multiples. We, at least have the option of turning the T.V. off if Mady is throwing a tantrum, the six younger ones have the flu and are vomiting one after another or Kate is having a mini-breakdown. But this is the ‘reality’ of their life! Kate is often criticized for her obsession with cleaning and organization as well as “verbal attacks” on her husband. In her defense, one would have to be organized in a household with 8 children, 8 and under. As far as verbal attacks, she does have a tendency to lash out at Jon out of frustration but I have not witnessed anything I would really consider a “verbal attack.” More recently, concerned viewers have expressed they believe the show ($$) has changed the Mr. & Mrs. They are afraid their motives have changed and they are now at the point of exploiting the kids. One quote reads, “What started as a documentary has turned into dangerous distortion of childhood, parenting, and what passes for acceptable risk in the age of the Internet.” Like I said, while part of me feels this show has run it’s course, and maybe it’s time to turn out the lights….another part of me would really miss seeing this family each week. Perhaps I’m being selfish, perhaps they are.

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Premiering in 1996, Judge Judy is an American reality-based court show, featuring a former family court judge. Judge Judy Sheindlin is known for tackling real-life small claims in her courtroom. With her no nonsense attitude, you may often hear her saying; ay! QUIET!”, “Do I have stupid written over my forehead?”, “I think you ought to be quiet. You know, they don’t need anybody stirring up the pot. You’re a pot-stirrer.” As much as I love this show, I am deathly afraid of this woman. A sweet looking elderly woman dressed in a black robe, her bench side manner is not for the weak. With an 8 second opportunity, this woman would have me on the ground begging for forgiveness…..guilty or not. Generally dealing with conflicts that irritate people and give them stress,  JJ deliberately avoids serious cases like child abuse saying, “I’m an entertainer, and I’m paid as an entertainer.” She adds that court T.V. shows are not the place to hash over cases that could lead to “life-altering decisions.” Ummm….good call. Although entertaining, the reality of it is, neither Judge Judy nor her bailiff are acting as actual court officers on the show.  JJ is acting as an arbiter, her “bailiff” a private security guard. I guess that means when she awards money in one of her rulings, it’s the producers who pay up. I’m sorry but no amount of money is worth 15 minutes of fame, losing every ounce of dignity all the while laying on the ground begging for forgiveness…..guilty or not. (I would have given this three stars, I went with four out of fear!)

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Based on the previews, I knew I would never be able to sit and watch this show in it’s entirety. Much to my surprise, after just one episode I was hooked. I can’t quite put a finger on what it is I find so intriguing, but after talking with others I’ve learned I am not the only one with this guilty pleasure. Million Dollar Listing takes an inside look at the top agents in Los Angeles’ tough real estate market, who stop at nothing to close the deal. The show follows three of the area’s top agents – Josh Flagg, Madison Hildebrand and Chad Rogers as their paths cross and they compete and expose the intense work that it takes to move the hottest listings in the City of Angels. Josh, 22 is just plain old creepy. Probably last season’s top seller, most of his listings are estates of his wealthy grandmother’s (who discovered polyester) deceased friends. My creepiness instincts weren’t far off as reports later surfaced that Josh was arrested for allegedly stealing ridiculously expensive art that was part of an estate he was handling. Madison, 27 who was recently featured in playgirl, is the pretty boy of the three. He is openly gay or bisexual, although he prefers the term “polyamorous.”  As he struggles with his sexuality, he often turns to his ex-girlfriend, Lauren for advice and support.  Chad, 30…who appears to be 16 is annoying, yet intriguing. He is constantly checking his bowl-cut hair in the mirror and although he mentions he is employed by Hilton and Hyland Real Estate (thee Paris Hilton’s dad) 146 times an episode, I can’t recall him ever closing a deal. He has an organizational  obsession with plastic bags that an be carried out to the detriment of the anal-retentive. My biggest gripe is this guy always has spit in the corner of his mouth! Creepy + Pretty + Annoying = Conflict. While Chad and Josh have an ongoing rivalry, Madison as usual, remains friendly with both sides. (No pun intended!) This somehow makes for good T.V. So, as I hide behind my computer screen in my virtual world, I confess….I’m hooked. 

…stay tuned for more Reality Bytes!

It’s that time of year again…National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!
Whether they are big or little, high or low….Check those boobies ladies!!

….a friendly reminder, brought to you by Heidi

Reality Bytes- Part 1

Intervention profiles people whose dependencies on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis. Agreeing to appear in a show documenting their addiction, these people have no idea they will soon face an intervention. Each participant has a choice: go into rehabilitation immediately, or risk losing contact, income, or other privileges from the loved ones who instigated the intervention. This is one of my favorite shows and I cry buckets every time I watch it. It concludes with an update of the person’s progress, which 9 out of 10 times is positive.  I love the way each episode begins, having the person state their name, then spell it. I often wonder if this started out as a cruel joke. A prerequisite; you must at least be sober enough to know and be able to spell your own name.
* side note, I just watched an episode last night of a girl dealing with an addiction to “dusting.” “Dusting” involves inhaling compressed air from aerosol cans, specifically computer dusting products. The statistics are quite startling…33% of users die the first time they try it!

My name is Heidi, H-e-i-d-i, Heidi.
I am 45 years old, and I am a reality show addict.
I really didn’t think I watched that many….but if I actually sat down and made a list, I would probably be ashamed.

“Due to the graphic nature of this program, viewer discretion is advised. COPS is filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.” COPS follows police officers, and sheriff’s deputies during patrols and other police activities. It is one of the longest-running television programs in the United States and the second longest-running show on Fox. I don’t think I have seen any recent episodes of this show but because of it’s long history, there are plenty of re-runs I have yet to see. The concept of this show when it first aired, quickly made it one of my favorites. It gave you the ability to be in other peoples business…secretly, making it the first reality show. It consists of calls anywhere from shootings to burglaries to cats stuck in trees. You get a first hand glimpse at how stupid people are, how desperate they can be, and how many innocent victims are affected. It is both thrilling and heartbreaking….from high speed chases to domestic violence. You begin wishing you had the money and power to take in and protect the children whose parents were just busted for running a meth lab or just watched daddy beating mommy senseless. It’s a reality that be be shocking to even those with the toughest of hearts. Each episode will contain at least two of the following; a) mullets b) a beat down trailer park c) a drunk d) a trans-sexual e) a prostitute. One of my favorite parts of the show is knowing that just about every person who appears on COPS must sign a release giving their permission for the events to be shown on TV. You know there are parents beaming with pride everywhere!! (SPOILER ALERT: It remains to be one of the only completely unscripted and unplanned “reality” shows…..I know, huh?)

A spin-off ‘reality’ series of the VH1 series Hogan Knows Best. (…he obviously doesn’t know everything, but he’s learning.  For example; if you cheat on your wife with one of your daughter’s best friends, she will leave you.) While brother Nick serves time in jail for charges of felony reckless driving, Brooke Knows Best focuses on the aspiring pop star and daughter of Hulk Hogan. The show is about Brooke dealing with her family problems, her (failing) music career, and life her own. No longer the innocent and somewhat sheltered girl portrayed in daddy’s show, Brooke is breaking out of her shell and exploring her new found freedom. Now living in a penthouse in South Beach, Florida she and gay roommate, Glenn decide they need third roommate, Ashley to help make ends meet. I guess it made for a good storyline but the penthouse is actually paid for by VH1. Shocking, I know. Brooke is probably the most likeable of the Hogan’s, I only wish her clothes were as big as her heart. Her micro-mini skirts and belly-baring shirts make her look cheap and desperate for attention…which reminds me….mom, Linda has made a few appearances looking as classy as ever. (cough) Not only does she try and look twenty-something, her attempts of trying to be a friend instead of a mother are embarrassing. I guess the caked on make-up on her overly tanned skin, bleach blond 80′s hair, and tacky wardrobe are working for her, she has recently snagged herself a boy toy younger than Brooke! Daddy, Hulk has also had his share of visits, but you get the impression he is on the verge of wearing out his welcome. His motives are one of the following: a) he is genuinely concerned for his little girl. b) a last ditch effort to steal the spot light before his skin turns to leather. c) to see if Brooke has any new, single friends. Give this girl some room to breath! I’d be lying if I said I never watch this, but it’s definitely not the show you make time for. If nothing else you learn to appreciate your parents.

The reality show, The Girls Next Door focuses on the lives of Hugh Hefner 82, and his three girlfriends who live with him at the Playboy Mansion. Just starting it’s 5th season, the series not only showcases events at the Playboy Mansion (e.g. Fight Night, Fourth of July celebration, the midsummer celebration etc.), but also sheds light on other Playboy related events such as the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, Operation Playmate etc… Holly Madison, 27 is Hef’s ‘main girlfriend’ and the only one that shares a room with him. She is probably the most serious and laid-back of the three. In recent years she also began working at the Playboy studios as an intern and later a junior editor. She also helped design and put together the girls’ 2008 The Girls Next Door calendar. After 7 years together, Madison recently announced she has moved out of the mansion and is no longer romantically involved with Hef. Although Hef is said to be devastated, he has already moved 2 pretty young thangs in to console him. Bridget Marquardt, 35 is the brains of the bunch. She is way to happy…about evertything, almost to the point of being annoying. Although she comes off as a real bimbo, she actually earned her Master’s Degree in Communications in 2001 and later went on to take a graduate level course in broadcast journalism through UCLA Extension. Kendra Wilkinson, 23 is by far the goofiest and has no shame. She is probably best know for her laugh and ‘blond moments.’ A huge sports enthusiast, her aspirations are to be a massage therapist or sports announcer. Denying rumers she is engaged to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Hank Baskett, she recently admitted she was in a relationship with him. Bet she’s out the door next! They say the bunch is already committed to another season….which if true should be quite interesting. I guess this proves…money can’t buy everything. This show is entertaining at it’s best, the shock factor is what brings you back for a second glance. Reality, smeality. 

More coming soon….you all know now, I have no life. Pathetic as it may be, that’s the reality of it!!

A random picture I just came across. Appropriate for this time of year, reminds me of Halloween. It was taken a few years back on a hot and sunny, summer day. A random day. For no particular reason, my best friend Deanna and I donned these masks while driving around running errands….in a convertible. It wasn’t out of character for either of us, perhaps this was a warning, an indication we I had issues.
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This month has been pretty uneventful. I had a Doctors appointment for my ear infection, I have started to prepare my turtle, Kiwi for hibernation. Got new front tires for my car, I lost my mom for a day (she was fine!) I did have the pleasure of having my son and his puppies come for a week-end visit…twice!!! I survived another birthday, officially reaching my
mid-forties! And….I did something that, a few years ago I could never have fathomed. It was unrealistic, a goal that was unreachable within my wildest dreams.
But I did it…..and if I had a horn, I would toot it!
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Seven years ago, after experiencing a traumatic event I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (O.C.D.) I had a type, similar to what they refer to as Trichotillomania, a form of hair pulling. Long story short, I would spend an average of 5 to 12 hours a day pulling my hair out, eventually leaving me completely bald. As fast as those babies grew back in, I would yank them right back out. There was nothing anyone could do or say that would justify my stopping. The urge or ‘impulse’ has often been described as a hiccup in your brain, or a brain lock, preventing your brain from shifting gears. Wigs (later dubbed “the helmets”) and scarves did a great job of covering the physical effects, but the emotional and psychological damage it caused was often more than I could bear. This not only impacted my life, affecting my ability to function in the outside world….it unfortunately took a toll on everyone around me.
Unable to fully comprehend what I was going through, and not knowing how to deal with it, some people pulled away from me….abandoning our relationship. Those who stood by me were there through the thick and thin, good days and the bad reiterating their unconditional love. After six years, with the support of my loved ones by my side, many hours of therapy, medications, a lot of sweat, tears, prayers and determination. I (toot-toot) have reached a personal (tooooot) milestone. As of October 5th, 2008 it has been (toot-toot-toot) one year since I have tugged, pulled or mutilated my hair (tooot) in any way!!! After going through a year of awkward lengths and styles…..I finally got my first real “girly” haircut. I maintain therapy to help prevent any sort of relapse, but I’m there.
A few years ago I could never have fathomed this. It was unrealistic, a goal that was unreachable within my wildest dreams.
But I did it…..and if I had a horn, I would toot it!

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The Gift Of Life…My Life

It doesn’t matter how you look at it, it’s still old.
So yesterday I celebrated my 45th birthday, the phone rang off the hook, I received virtual greetings and got pampered. It’s nice to feel special, to have your loved ones acknowledge your special day. But it’s just not like it used to be, I remember, in my younger days going to bed the night before with butterflies in my tummy. I remember waking up with such anticipation, being a princess for a day. Having no worries, not a care in the world. Watching the clock, waiting for your friends and family to show up with cards, presents….having a cake with candles that fit on it.
The clock ticks, the years go by, we get old. The butterflies in your tummy have turned to gas, the anticipation now anxiety and you now can’t even stay awake to greet your friends and family. Your idea of presents are no longer a Barbie Dream House or a new bike….you are now just happy to have your health, to have family and friends that care. Your expectations of being a princess for a day have diminished….reality has set in. You’re 45 now, (oh and yes, it will happen to you too!) this is now your idea of a perfect Birthday:

• Dyed my eyebrows
• Cleaned the litter box (my cats)
• Researched hearing-aids
• Had a hot flash
• Made an appointment for a face lift
• Clipped coupons for Depends
• Took out the trash
• Swapped out stylish jeans for Polyester Apparel
• Watched “Bowling For Dollars”
• Did 5 sit-ups, 5 leg lifts….forget what else
• Had another hot flash
• Looked through K-Mart ads for Flannel Pajamas, on sale
• Laughed so hard I fell off the bed
• Rejoiced I was able to get up
• Installed “Clap On” light
• Walked the dog, then realized I don’t have one
• Hummed while I did the dishes
• Called my kids by the wrong names
• Googled local Senior Centers
• Had another hot flash
• Practiced saying, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”
• Cancelled appointment for a face lift
• Started knitting slippers
• Played a game of Solitaire…with cards
• Sipped warm milk
• Went to bed at 8:30 p.m.
• Read a chapter of “Dentures; Grin and Bare It”
• Had a hot flash
• Fell asleep

WOW! Good golly wil-a-kers….has it really been that long? I actually got an email via my website asking if I had “kicked the bucket.” I haven’t, (you can all give your sigh of relief now!) but there have been a few times I’m pretty sure I was close to it. I have had that ears, throat, nose crap that has been going around…and I just haven’t felt good. My ears have been “plugged” for two weeks now. If things don’t start looking up I will be investing in very expensive hearing aids, as my constant “huhs?” and “what did you say?” are reminding me of a good ol’ conversation with my parents… (love you mom!) There have also been some family and close friend issues that have been weighing on my mind as well. In the end I know everything will be O.K., but for now I can’t help but wonder how, what and why things happen.
So you ask, ‘Heidi, what do you do when you’re so close to kicking the bucket and also have personal issues weighing on your mind?’ Well, I’m glad you asked. Time and time again I find myself drowning in music that will give me that little pick-me-up I need, that song that gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling, that helps get you through those times!!  This by far is one of my favorites, click here to hear it!

Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again.
Alex Tan

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.
Author Unknown

Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.
Marsha Norman

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.
Aristotle

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
Robert Byrne

We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.
Konrad Adenauer

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
Albert Einstein

Life’s not always fair.  Sometimes you can get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow.
Cherralea Morgen

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
Robert Frost

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.
Reba McEntire

What can appear to be your worst moments in life are sometimes just an invitation to yourself and to your next magical journey – a journey that we would never have had the courage to take unless forced to do so.
Mark Hoog

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
Soren Kierkegaard

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Winston Churchill

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
Joseph Addison

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
George Carlin

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.
Isaac Asimov

The human mind is like a TV set. When it goes blank, it’s a good idea to turn off the sound.
Author Unknown

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
Hans Christian Anderson

Bad is never good until worse happens.
Danish Proverb

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein

Updated Nov. 2, 2008

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.
Dalai Lama

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
Albert Schweitzer

A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives, which he habitually uses in conversation.
Mark Twain

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
George Bernard Shaw

Updated June 27, 2009

Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.
Richard Bach

There is no future, there is no past, I live this moment as my last
Jonathan Larsonabout

A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.
Kahlil Gibran

Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.
Elbert Hubbard

There is always room in your life for thinking bigger pushing limits and imagining the impossible.
Tony Robbins

You cannot kill time without injuring eternity.
Henry David Thoreau

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.
Unknown

Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live it?
C. Myss

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
St. Augustine

As she has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field of karma.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib

How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else.
Buckminster Fuller

You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
Jon Kabat-Zinn

My life has a superb cast but I can’t figure out the plot.
Ashleigh Brilliant

The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.
Louise Hay

The man who has done his best has done everything.
Charles M. Schwab

Sometimes, familiarity and comfort need to be challenged.
Khano M.

If you have a favorite Quote you would like to share, email it to me at: whatsleftofmyhead@yahoo.com

We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.
Phillip E. Berstein

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.
Kenji Miyazawa

He who has not looked on Sorrow will never see Joy.
Kahlil Gibran

… joy and sorrow are inseparable. . . together they come and when one sits alone with you . . . remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Kahlil Gibran

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.
Jan Glidewell

Every evening I turn my worries over to God.  He’s going to be up all night anyway.
Mary C. Crowley

Tearless grief bleeds inwardly.
Christian Nevell Bovee

The worst sorrows in life are not in its losses and misfortunes, but its fears.
Christopher Benson

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.
Jacques Prévert

Sorrow makes us all children again – destroys all differences of intellect.  The wisest know nothing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tears are words the heart can’t express.
Author Unknown

You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.
Chinese proverb

Tears have a wisdom all their own. They come when a person has relaxed enough to let go and to work through his sorrow. They are the natural bleeding of an emotional wound, carrying the poison out of the system. Here lies the road to recovery.
F. Alexander Magoun

What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul.
Jewish Proverb

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.
Author Unknown

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.
From a headstone in Ireland

Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again.
Alex Tan

What can appear to be your worst moments in life are sometimes just an invitation to yourself and to your next magical journey – a journey that we would never have had the courage to take unless forced to do so.
Mark Hoog

The pain passes, but the beauty remains.
Pierre Auguste Renoir

Sorrows cannot all be explained away in a life truly lived, grief and loss accumulate like possessions
Stefan Kanfer

Updated June 22, 2008

The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.
Caroline Myss

You move totally away from reality when you believe that there is a legitimate reason to suffer.
Byron Katie

If you have a favorite Quote you would like to share, email it to me at: whatsleftofmyhead@yahoo.com