Tide Pods

So, I boycotted Proctor & Gamble many, many years ago...well, not entirely b/c their hands are in way too many products to try to bypass them completely *and* maintain some semblance of sanity, but Tide was one of the things I let go. 

I'm here to tell you if you don't use Tide, you MUST run and get some.  Do not walk, RUN.  Tide Pods are seriously the best thing EVER!  I've used other pods (or whatever the other brands call them) and nothing compares.  The smell/freshness is out of this world and Tide has always done a swell job cleaning the laundry.  PLUS, no dripping liquid..what a serious bonus, right?!

I read a review of them in a blog a while back and I thought, c'mon they can't be THAT good, she's giving them a good review b/c Tide was nice and sent her some, but O-M-G they are awesome.  I'm  using the Spring Meadow scent right now, but I'm sure the others are just as awesome.  I'm still not a fan of P & G, but I'm back to Tide with my heart on my sleeve!!!  And, no, this isn't a paid endorsement lol :))

Painting for Dummies

Next time I want to paint, I'll go buy that book.  Yes, I should've read it BEFORE painting for the first time, but I'm more of a jump right in and figure it out later kind of girl.  Of course, that means this project is the proverbial first pancake, but I'm ok with that.  I'm really just wanting to say I did it and do a decent enough job to be proud of, nothing fancy.

That said, I had planned on painting one wall.  Just the north wall in the downstairs living room.  The entire area is somewhat dark b/c it's the only dwelling space in the house with one lone window, so I thought it wouldn't stand out if I just did the one wall, in case it came out crappy.  I opted for the one wall with a window, thinking it'd be less work.  STOOPID.  At any rate, after I'd started, I realized that when I rearranged the furniture, the couch would be on opposing walls with two different colors.  UGH!  I consulted my friend, queen of painting anything and everything, who told me that I HAD to paint the other wall.

Now, we have another trip to the store to get another gallon of paint.  I think I'd have had enough for two coats on the one wall, but now that's a moot point.  Add to the list paint thinner/turpentine/whatever.  Yes, I started a painting project without it.  Thank God the paint washes right off if I get to it immediately.  I actually considered not buying a drop cloth b/c I was SURE I was tidy enough to not get one drop of paint anywhere it shouldn't be.  Have I mentioned that I'm new?  OK, so a trip to the store is in order.  Just for a couple of things.  Well, then I'm thinking that I could buy some inexpensive rags.  As if I can't make something out of old towels, but I'm going to the store.  Then, I decide that, after nine years of living here, I absolutely HAVE to get baseboards down in the few areas that don't have it.  Never mind that they won't match, it's a MUST. 

I have thoroughly come to understand how DIY home projects go awry and result in tons of money being spent and how people get lost at the home improvement stores.  I'm seriously thinking that in order to curtail the impulse, the home improvements must stop here.  After I buy my book.  And my paint.  And my baseboards.  Oh and a curtain rod and tie backs.  And...  

Season 15 DWTS FINALE

So, how many of y'all knew this was Derek's last season?  Are you bummed, too?  I sure am.  He is a fabulous choreographer.  Have you seen the Paso, he and Chelsie choreographed and danced?  I can't remember which season, but it is one of the best dances I've ever seen in my life and this from the girl who isn't in love with the Paso.  Of course, none of this has to do with the subject of this blog entry, mind you.

Last night, our remaining three teams, Derek & Shawn, Tony & Melissa and Val & Kelly all did their monster freestyle and then their repeat dance, which was a dance they'd done earlier in the season, whether to showcase their strength, again, or to improve in a weak area, it was up to them.

First to dance were Kelly & Val doing their repeat Paso.  It was awesome, even better than the first time and they finally got a (two) 10.  Their freestyle was done to Dirty Dancing's Time of My Life, which I personally feel is a risky move, but I was actually very pleased with it.  I really enjoy watching their chemistry and I'm gonna miss that.  Carrie Ann made a comment about not knowing whether or not they were an item, but how well they do together has gotten everyone caught up in thinking that they're witnessing a real, live fairytale and I agree.  I'm not sure it was really worth a 30, but so it got.  Honestly, I felt like the finales were pretty scaled down this season, but maybe I'm the only one thinking that.  They did allow them extra dancers and any sort of extra stuff to showcase their talent, but I just don't feel it was mega style.  Then again, Kelly did come onto the stage doing acrobatics suspended in air, so maybe I was just tired lol!

Melissa and Tony were up next and their repeat dance was to their Samba, which earned them a well deserved 30.  I never thought Melissa was a bad dancer, but if you're the 10th best dancer in the world surrounded by the other top nine it puts you in a bad position, which has been part of the problem.  However, they have REALLY risen to the challenge and their party dance was fun, fun, FUN!!  I still feel like she's teacher's pet and needs to get over acting surprised at every ten, but I really can't NOT like her, she's so cute and works so hard and has really improved, even though she started out really good.  Their freestyle was a beautiful contemporary number, but it was definitely too safe, too ordinary.  Beautiful, but not as competitive as I think it should've been.  Of course, the judges fell over themselves giving her praise, which I guess is fine.  You'd think I'd be used to it by now.

Shawn and Derek's repeat dance was their rule-breaking Quick Step.  First of all, not my favorite dance.  They could've showcased her for the finale much differently and done ANY other dance that was actually well received.  I'm a little pissed at Derek for talking Shawn into doing it "illegally", again.  He totally thumbed his nose at the judges.  Shawn is sure a sweet, loyal thing, making sure to totally stand by what they did, even though it was wrong.  The freestyle is the place for tricks, NOT the Quick Step and since they got low scores last time for breaking hold, why the hell would Derek even think they should do it, again?  Fans, schmans.  Well, ok, the fans are obviously a huge part of the show, which is a gigantic understatement, I know, but daaang, would it have been so hard to choose a different dance?  Really?  I think poor Shawn was in quite a spot and, like she said, she respects judges rules and has followed them her whole life, but for her, she really wanted to please the fans....or so she said.  Bruno did tell them that, in spite of the marks down for breaking hold, it took nothing away from what they've accomplished, which was really nice to hear, after Carrie Ann was a snarky you-know-what.  Their freestyle was danced as a collage of the season's greatest hits of theirs and they called on the Fab Five Olympian teammates of Shawn's, to help seal the deal.  It was really a phenomenal number, perfectly synchronized, totally stunning and, in my opinion, by far the best freestyle. 

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT FOR PACIFIC TIME ZONE WATCHERS...........

DON'T SCROLL DOWN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW.......


















KELLY & VAL TAKE THIRD (as I predicted)
SHAWN & DEREK TAKE SECOND (as I feared)
MELISSA & TONY WIN SEASON 15!!!  

I'm honestly ok with this, it was fair, for once.  Not that Melissa has never had  any dance experience, she's hardly a novice, but I think she worked hard to get as good as she was and I truly felt it belonged to either her or Shawn.  Sure, I'd have preferred Shawn, I think she deserved it more, but give it to the teacher's pet, I'm good with that, too.

Reason #199 why I don't keep candy in the house

I've been about to bust, wanting to decorate the house for Christmas.  My rule is not until at least the day after Thanksgiving.  I wouldn't even allow myself to open the bags of Christmas themed candy before the designated date, seeing as how it's a rule and all.

So, yesterday, I gathered up the dish that holds that Christmas candy and proceeded to wipe down the outside, as some grime had collected.  While I'm doing that, I'm talking.  To the dish.  "Do you think that's clean enough now?  Whatcha thinkin?  Are you excited to get filled with candy?" 

I  know.  Odd, right?  Not so much when you consider that the second I'd filled that dish with candy, set it down, and turned my back, it called me.  BY.NAME.  Like, "Liiiisa...pppsssttt...aren't you excited to try some of the Christmas themed candy?  So what if it's regular candy dressed in pretty Christmas clothes, isn't it pretty?"  Which led me to try a piece...and about eight more.  Epic diet fail here.  Because of a freaking talking candy dish?  What the heck?

On another note, I was looking forward to the living room looking as if the Hallmark store threw up in it and I experienced nothing but glee on that front.  Adding to the excitement, I realized that I have enough boxed Christmas cards for about the next four years.  Evidently, I had a great time at the going out of business sale at my Hallmark store last year.

DWTS Season 15 Michael Jackson Tribute Week

Sorry, I've been lazy about posting, but the man was here and then we were in SoCal, so I've been a little busy.  I'm gonna do my best to get this week's published right about 9pm EST so that I can post the spoiler with it, as it's another double elimination week, going into the finals.

This week, each team had to do a fusion dance (read funky made up dances combined with real dances) and a dance to a Michael Jackson song.  They also had little dances here and there from the troupe dancers to some songs from the 25th anniversary CD (or DVD).  The point is, it was an entertaining night with music from the King of Pop.

Melissa & Tony danced a Caveman Hustle (stupid much?) to Walk the Dinosaur and I think they did as well as they could, given the dance itself.  The judges noted that she hobbled a little during her hustle moves, which I didn't see, but will take their word for lol!  Melissa is REALLY a good dancer and she works very hard.  Her figure sure shows it!  It's hard for me not to root for her because she's really that good, I think.  I do feel like the judges go overboard in their praise for her, at times, like she's teacher's pet and I hate teacher's pets, but she is very likeable and cute and fun.  Some girls have all the luck, right?!  Their second dance was an Argentine Tango, one of my very fave dances, to Dirty Diana.  I really felt like the music was too heavy for me to get into the dance.  It was a beautiful dance, don't get me wrong, I just didn't see the perfect 30 in it that the judges did.  ::shrugs:: 

Shawn & Derek first danced a Bhangra/Knight Rider fusion, which is...???  Yeah, they didn't know either.  The writers are grasping at straws trying to make the show new, but hello, the old formula was working fine...no?!  At any rate, they freaking nailed it and I now desire to dance Bhangra.  Like Derek said, forget Zumba.  I was screaming, clapping my hands, going nuts over this dance and it's the only one I rewound to be entertained, again.  Man, it hurts my heart to root against my Apol-OH, but I heart Shawn so much, I can't help it!  Their second dance was also an Argentine Tango, performed to Bad.  Shawn SERIOUSLY brings it.  Her competitive, fighting little spirit is bringing it large to DWTS, wow!  I've yet to see an Argentine Tango that rocks me to my core, like Maks and Erin's a few seasons ago, but for Shawn's age and life experience, I think she is just the cat's meow!

MMMApolo and Karina got screwed in their first stupid er fusion dance, if you ask me.  They had to do a Jazz/Bigtop number to Circus.  I felt bad for them, honestly.  First of all, my poor guy slipped running out onto the stage in the beginning of the number...I mean, what a time for a slip...and, as Carrie Ann said, it set a bad tone for the rest of the dance.  I agree with her comments that they seemed disjointed, but I really feel it was largely b/c of the lunacy of the dance.  Largely interpretive, I think Apolo did a wonderful, wonderful job, it's just the dance was flat out DUMB!  Their second dance, however, rocked the hizzhouse.  They did a rumba to Man in the Mirror that was smokin hot!!  VERY nice, indeedy!  Apolo, like Shawn, just thrives on the competition and you can see it in the performance.

Emmitt & Cheryl had to dance an Espionage/Lindy Hop.  I told you they were damn stupid, right?  They danced to Secret Agent Man and, really, I felt like all they had to do was Lindy Hop b/c there is no Espionage dance and I dunno how you could prove someone wasn't doing an espionage dance, right?  ::rolls eyes::  It was energetic and fun, but I really think it was obvious that it wasn't Emmitt's favorite night.  Their second dance was Tango to Leave Me Alone, which was fine, but I can't think of anything that stood out to me, for some reason.  Both their dances were just fine, but I think they needed a pinch more than just fine, at this stage in the game. 

Kelly & Val danced a Surfer Flamenco.  PPFFFTT!  They got chastised for not having enough Flamenco.  Whatever.  We did get a nice shot of Val's whole package lol with him in a little speedo.  That was interesting.  No extra points?  COME ON!  Their second dance was a Rumba to I Just Can't Stop Loving You and, naturally, they got robbed.  I swear the judges hate them.  Morons.  They should've gotten 10's and Val was obviously ticked off about it and I was, too.  It was a beautiful, moving, soul baring dance.  Someone get the judges some more fiber in their diet or something because the irregularity is getting to 'em!

OK....SPOILER ALERT....SPOILER ALERT........here's who got eliminated tonight......READY???


Yep, my boy Apolo is gone, along with Emmitt & Cheryl.  This was one of the weeks I really would've been happy to see them all stay, I must admit.  It's a sad night on DWTS.

So, that means that finals will be Shawn & Derek, Melissa & Tony and Kelly & Val.  I think it'll end in that order or with Melissa & Tony in first place just because she's teacher's pet lol!

DWTS Season 15 Guilty Pleasures Part 2

Due to the Presidential debate, this week's competition was split into two nights.  I blogged about night one, earlier in the week, if you want to catch up.  There is no elimination this week, but rather a team dance, along with the individual dance, and the scores from this week will be added to the scores next week.  I'll let you know right now that I wasn't completely over the moon for any of the dances.  I didn't hate any of them, but it sorta felt unremarkable to me and I'm sure the write up will reflect that.

Dancing first this night were Melissa & Tony, doing a Tango to "Toxic" by Britney Spears.  Not the best Tango I've seen, but then I prefer the Argentine Tango to the regular one.  They did really well and Melissa was quite convincing in the role she was playing, it just didn't scream to me.  They got nines across the board, giving them a total of 27 for tonight.

Second up was Shawn & Derek, doing a Rumba to "My Heart Will Go On," by Celine Dion.  Here, again, we have another dance that isn't necessarily my favorite, but done correctly, it can be really emotive and suck you right in.  No, these are no Gilles & Peta, but I thought what they did was mesmerizing and beautiful and it really showed Shawn in a different light.  Len pitched a fit about not enough hip movement, which Carrie Ann and Bruno disagreed with, but in going back to view the tape, again, I have to admit he was right.  I don't agree with his BS score of 8, but he did have a legitimate point.  This dance really showcases a woman's rear end and her hips.  It should be beautifully seductive.  If you look at Peta's rumba and then go back and view Shawn's, you'll see the marked difference, but then Peta is a pro.  Even watching Peta & Gilles, I was completely drawn to Peta's every move, in spite of myself, because that's the nature of this dance.  However, if you compare Shawn to what Gilles did, I don't think you can justify the disparity in scoring.  The scores were all over the place, with them getting and 8, 9 and 10 for a total of 27.  I must say, as much as I adore my Apolo, I think these two have emerged as my favorite team now.  No one we have left, with the except of Kirstie, is less than the best of the best, so it'd really quite hard to choose a favorite, but I Shawn & Derek make me so happy, when I watch them. 

Next, we had Apolo & Karina, dancing a Samba to "Give it to Me Baby," by Rick James.  Carrie Ann commented about how there seems to be a disconnect with these two.  AMEN to that!  That's the problem.  Karina has an Olympian out there and yet he's under-performing or at least it seems that way b/c of the lack of chemistry.  There's just always something missing.  Technically, it wasn't horrible, they did just fine, but when I'm not on my feet screaming A.Pol.O, something is up.  They also scored a 27 for the night.

Last to do their individual dance were Sabrina & Louis, dancing a waltz to "So This is Love," from Cinderella.  Sabrina was dressed like Cinderella, Louis like her prince and it really was like watching a fairytale dance.  It's hard to not root for Sabrina as my first choice, because her heart is on her sleeve for every single dance and she just works so hard.  On top of that, she's extremely humble and gracious and she just lit the place up, dancing in her fairytale.  She is really a beautiful dancer, but I think she does need to learn how to slow down a little, just back off a wee bit.  They scored a 29 for the night, which I believe was their best score yet.

Wrapping the night up was the team dance, consisting of Gilles & Peta, Emmitt & Cheryl, Kelly & Val and Kirstie & Maks.  They danced to Gangnam Style and omg this was the goofiest thing EVER!  I don't think they necessarily intended for it to be that level of goofiness, but it just got ridiculous.  I must admit, though, they did make me laugh.  It was so dumb, you couldn't help but crack up.  Three nine's, though?  That did not make me laugh.  Yeah, there was great entertainment value in their dance, but man it was just a big clusterf***.  I don't know a better way to describe it.  I think it was Kelly that commented in practice that it was like watching a train wreck, but that can be fun, sometimes.  That was about it.  You couldn't tear yourself away from the mess.  I'm not there to watch a mess, though, right?!

DWTS Season 15 All Stars Guilty Pleasures Week

So, this week the stars got to dance to a "guilty pleasure" song of their choosing.  We have the team freestyle dance this week, as well, which should be interesting.  Also, due to the Presidential debate,  the two hour show was split into two nights, Monday & Tuesday, so we got to see half of the eight remaining couples, along with the team chosen by Derek & Shawn.  There will be no elimination this week and the scores from this week will be added to next week's score.

Did you check out that dress that Brooke was wearing?  Giant HORIZONTAL stripes and she still looked as hot as ever.  It's nuts!  I did think the hair was a bit too poofy.  My gosh, how tall do they need her to be, anyway??

First to dance were Kelly & Val, who did a Samba to Cher Lloyd's "Want U Back."  Right away, I was worried about them b/c Kelly is back to working all day on set at General Hospital and they had to learn two dances this week.  It seemed like she was really having a hard time getting the steps down and she was constantly on the edge of a meltdown, just from sheer exhaustion.  Do the GH producers have no heart?  It's DWTS we're talking about here, give a girl a break.  So, I was totally unimpressed by her outfit.  As Cheryl said, later, "The Samba is a party dance."  EXACTLY.  A black get up, from head to toe, (and a boppy little stupid outfit, at that) does nothing to say party, not to mention it doesn't showcase Kelly's adorable figure, something the Samba itself begs to do, with all its shakin'!  I think the entire problem was song and wardrobe based.  Both just made the whole thing seem bogged down and, unfortunately, the scores reflected it, with them getting the lowest score of the night...24.5.  I do so hope her fan base kicks in, though, b/c she is fabulous to watch and I know she has lots more to give. 

Next up, Gilles & (still on my last nerve) Peta doing a Rumba to Whitney Houston's, "I Will Always Love You."  Truly, I'm happy to just sit and watch Gilles do nothing, but stand there.  An occasional word of broken English is fine, too.  But, THE DANCE........I'm pretty sure I've never seen such a fantastic Rumba in my life.  I got so caught up in it that I had to rewind it to make sure Gilles was actually dancing.  It was totally mesmerizing.  In the beginning of the song, the girl (best cover ever of this song) was singing a Capella and the beauty of their dance with no background music was something to behold.  It wasn't the best dance EVER, I mean it *was* the Rumba and yeah, they were a pinch short on the actual "rumba-ing", but it's what it became in Gilles & Peta that was captivating.  After the dance, we got to see the funniest thing ever on DWTS, at least as far as I can remember, and that would be Carrie Ann falling off her chair.  She screams out, "Let the baby making begin," referencing Gilles comment in practice that it was gonna be so hot that babies were going to be made all over the world, and proceeds to just fall right out of her chair.  I was laughing so hard and so long (ridiculous number of replays I enjoyed in my room) that I had tears just streaming down my face.  If you didn't see the show, go find a clip of that happening.  It's priceless!!  Len falls on the table laughing, Bruno throws himself on the table, the people in the audience are totally stunned, it was hysterical.  I just forced my husband and my teenage son to sit through the video of the dance and the fall lol....the whole thing just kills me.  OK, anyway, they are atop the leader board with 29.5.

The third couple to dance is Kirstie & Maks (whom you'll notice has been getting FAR less attention from me this season), dancing a Quick Step to Simon & Garfunkels's, "Mrs. Robinson."  My first thought was:  DUMB.  My last thought:  DUMB.  I'm not impressed.  The judges thought they danced better than Kelly & Val.  I do believe they were still on some high from Carrie Ann's fall.  Then again, I may just be bitter.....in rehearsal, Kirstie was talking about the song, basically about how it's appropriate, not only for her, but all the other women 40 & over and "maybe even 50 & up," who have a mad crush on Maks.  Maks is hot and now b/c I'm over 40 I'm some Mrs. Robinson?  PPPFFFTT!  Can she just speak for her 60+ self, please?  How old is he, anyway?  He's almost exactly 10 years younger than I am, so I guess that can make me a Mrs. Robinson, but I still resent it.  As an aside, if Kirstie Alley is a size 6, I'm the queen of frickin England!  I don't know what they got...don't care...sorry if you do.  I think maybe it was a half point higher than Kelly.

The final couple to dance was Emmitt & Cheryl, who did a Samba (note the SAMBA music here, Kelly & Val) to "Copacabana," by Barry Manilow.  It was, as Bruno said, like they were having the best party in the world right there.  It was so fun!  I noticed the little misstep that the judges commented on, but really it was nothing in all the dancing they did.  I had a blast watching them and, had it not been 4am, I'd have probably tried to get up and dance with them.  They scored a 29, their best score this season, I do believe.

Team dance, consisting of Derek & Shawn, Melissa & Tony, A.Pol.O A.Pol.O A.Pol.O....my needle got stuck, sorry....& Karina and Sabrina & Louis.  Let me preface my commentary on this dance by saying, again, how very mismatched I think Karina & Apolo are.  I think he could be doing SO much better, but she really is just not suited to him...nor him her.  Seriously, though, how do you make an Olympian look bad??  Right?  Now, I'll admit, I was afraid this dance was gonna bomb, given their cheesy outfits.  They had to dance to Carly Rae Jepsen's, "Call Me Maybe," but lifts and tricks and such were allowed.  I just didn't want it to be all like cheerleading camp b/c I can watch the cheerleading championships for that kind of thing.  As it turns out, it was an awesome routine.  They had plenty of fun tricks (Melissa ended up being like a human jump rope, at one point), but each couple had their individual moment in the spotlight and all of them did really well, really playing up their strengths.  I guess I should mention that Melissa ended up having to be carted away in an ambulance (can you say dramatic flair), but was given the green light to dance.  They said the diagnosis was a herniated disc, but man oh man, I have those, from time to time and IDK how they said or she felt she could dance with one.  I'm not a believer, but whatever you gotta do to get ratings lol!  They scored very high on the team routine, with a 29.5.  Should've been a 30 imho, but I got the feeling the judges were saving that extra half point for the next team, should they be able to be even better. 

Tonight, we have the rest of the couples, as well as the next team dance.  I will try to get the blog updated about that tomorrow, but remember, no elimination this week.

DWTS Season 15 All Stars

I don't know what the name of this week's competition was, specifically, but there were a ton of new dances involved with the added twist of each team choosing a dance for another team.  I actually put down all my notes, in text format, on my phone, while I watched.  Four KB later, I have the blog, but then have to actually drag it downstairs to put it in a format you can read.  Oh yes, we also had a guest judge last night, Paula Abdul.  She added a fun element, I thought, and she's no newb to dancing.

Kicking off the night were Kirstie & Maks who had to dance a Charleston.  Sweet Sabrina chose that dance for her, thinking it would be one she LIKED, not wanting to give someone a dance they couldn't or didn't want to do.  I think most of the others tried to find a dance that would be difficult for the other team and trip them up.  I'm not saying it's wrong...just sayin.  This dance ended up being a really fun, cute, little vaudeville number.  A great way to start the night, but knowing who the competition was, I think they should've stepped it up a tad.  They were allowing lifts and tricks and whatnot, so you really gotta bring it.

Next to dance, we had Bristol & Mark doing a rock n' roll dance.  My notes about this were that Bristol is not light enough on her feet and that's still the main thing that stands out to me from her dancing last night.  Mark was crazy energetic, just flitting around the dance floor and I swear he had to use marionette strings to pull her UP off her feet.  Yes, for Bristol, it was yet another improvement and more of her just having fun and coming out of her shell, but um could my fellow party members stop voting for her just because they feel sorry for her?!  Enough already.  I understand that she's improving, but I could improve at running until the day I day and it doesn't mean I'm gonna deserve a gold medal at the Olympics.  The judges really liked her, blanketing her with praise, which I'm fine with, but higher scores than Kirstie & Maks?  Whatever.

Sabrina & Louis were chosen to do a disco dance.  They danced to the Bee Gees "You Should Be Dancin'", something I mention just because it's important to note that a group of my friends and I also did a dance to this song....in Jr. High...for our gymnastics competition.  Yeah, we rocked the disco, but probably a little less so than Sabrina.  That girl is SUCH a professional, so explosive and precise and eager to just dance her little heart out.  It is absolutely unreal to me that she has been in the bottom two and Bristol hasn't.  STOOPID, I tell ya.  They did get scores that I felt were appropriate, with a combined total of 35.5.

Emmitt 'Mr. Ford F-150' and Cheryl danced next.  I'm not sure I've seen a Bolero danced before, but this one was frickin AWESOME!!  They brought such beauty to the floor and were perfectly in tune, drawing everyone in to the story they were telling.  This was not a dance that Cheryl knew, but you sure could've fooled me.  Carrie Ann said that Emmitt's articulation was spot on and that was exactly right!!  Paula said it was sensual, exquisite, also exactly right.  It was just beautiful!  They jumped ahead of the pack with that dance, by just a half a point, but there were still tons of awesome dancers left.

Next up...Gilles & Peta dancing Bollywood, something that still makes me laugh.  Peta has done nothing thus far to make me any less annoyed with her, which really annoys me and, while this style was not my fave, omg they totally KILLED IT!!!  The choreography was dead on and just wow...anytime Gilles wants to go Indian, dude I'm there!  The judges all praised them both and, as Carrie Ann said, "Aladdin has nothing on Gilles."  They ended up with three 10's, giving them a total of 39.5!!  I don't envy the couple having to follow them....especially since it was.....

Melissa & Mark dancing a JITTERBUG lol!  Yeah, something else to make me laugh, though I'm not sure why.  It just seemed unfair that sexy Gilles and his BW dance went before cute, little Melissa and her peppy dancing.  HOWEVER, I was quickly put in my place b/c these two really work well together.  It's like they've known each other and been dancing together their whole lives.  It was a really cute, energetic dance, but I really felt like it had too many lifts.  The reason being is that I really think peeps are getting too concerned with the tricks that Shawn Johnson does instead of worrying about their own DANCING.  I already know that Melissa isn't Shawn, so I'm not really trying to watch her try to beat her.  Right?  CA was totally right here, when she said that Melissa makes eery dance look so easy.  It's really impossible not to like Melissa, at the end of the day, so let's keep 'em around a bit longer.

Speaking of Shawn, she and Derek danced a Mambo next.  Here's what I put....OMG OMG OMG screaming in my bedroom whoooooo holy cow, what a phenomenal hot, hot...OMG let's replay it....which I did lol!  It was late, I was loopy, but I'm telling you, what a sassy little number.  I agree with Paula...Derek for President!!  They tied for first with this dance, but seriously it should've taken the lead, it was superior!

Oh my babe, Apolo is up next and I was so nervous for him, having to follow Shawn.  UGH, they're performing a hip hop dance and Karina was about to have a stroke from the stress b/c she doesn't like that style.  Well, I saw a human side of Karina, anyway, something I've rarely seen.  She felt bad about her own performance.  Their scores were sucky....CRAP!  Come on people A.Pol.O A.Pol.O A.Pol.O oh please oh please bring him back.  Poor baby just isn't suited to Cranky Karina.  He has swaggy, we need more swaggy.

Last to dance, Kelly & Val, dancing a contemporary dance.  Before they even danced, I had written this:  While I like Kelly...she's got a killer body, she's beautiful, she can dance, but do y'all not get the sense that she just wants to do Val right there...it's like her soapy sex kitten is always on.  LOL, I really think my eyes see different things late at night.  However, after watching their dance, I think my eyes were perfectly tuned into the nuances.  The dance was so emotional, gut wrenching, raw emotion and beauty...so descriptive...Kelly was so caught up in it, even afterward.  They made me cry.  (That late night thing, again lol) They just really such beautiful chemistry and if they aren't together, they REALLY need to be.

I'm not proofing this, again, so pardon any grammatical or any other kind of errors.  I'll try to remember to update, once I know who is gone, but no promises.

SPOILER FOR WEST COASTIES.........

BRISTOL AND MARK ARE GONE!!!

DWTS Season 15 Iconic Dance Week

So, this week was about iconic dances from previous shows/seasons.  Of course, most of the stars and pros insisted it wasn't about doing it better than the original, but hello, it's a competition, people!  The exception to that (that I can remember, anyway) was Val, since he was very obviously going after big bro, Maks.  Oh yeah, the other component to this week was that the stars had total creative control, making for an interesting mix of themes out on the dance floor.

West coast viewers, there IS a spoiler in here, at the bottom, so if you don't want to know yet, you should stop reading before the end or put your hand up to block the spoiler or IDK....do something.

Drew & Anna danced first, to the Cha Cha Cha.  They danced to Beyonce's Crazy in Love and were recreating Joey & Ashley's season 1 dance.  It was cute watching Drew pull out the sexy in Anna.  Normally, I don't care for her, she seems to cold, but this week I really warmed up to her cute, shy side.  The dance wasn't spectacular, mostly b/c they were awesome in a world of SUPER awesome.  They did really well, but scored pretty low, comparatively.

Gilles & Peta recreated season 10's Tango by Maks & Erin, dancing to Eurythmics Sweet Dreams.  I am loving Gilles (though he's no Maks).  He's proud yet humble, he seems sorta dark, but his eyes just dance.  Have I mentioned I like 'em tall, dark and brooding?  Ah, no wonder, right?!  Peta, on the other hand, drives me crazy and I'm unlikely to ever vote for anyone she dances with.  The exception may be Apolo, but that's not happening, so no worries.  But, I digress.  Peta looks frickin bored by everything.  I find myself yawning with her and wondering if we both don't have narcolepsy.  AND, she needs to stop doing the crazy bleach blonde look, it's totally unflattering.  It was a beautiful dance.  The man is, after all, quite beautiful and his lines are stunning and he is a most elegant dancer, but they were no Maks & Erin.

Melissa & Tony, who were completely adorable together last night, recreated JR & Karin's Samba to Conga (Gloria Estefan).  These two were totally in sync, completely ON last night.  Again, they're surrounded by tons of others who are bringing their A++ game, but they did a really fabulous job.  It helps that I LOVE the Samba.

Apolo & Karina recreated Season 8's Foxtrot by Gilles & Cheryl.  They danced to Fever, by Michael Buble.  Now, I have to say (while I chant A.Pol.O A.Pol.O. A.Pol.O) I felt this was sort of an odd choice.  I mean, people are bringing hip shakin, ground moving, crazy, over the top stuff and here they chose subdued.  I know Gilles did a mellow number, too, but it definitely suits him more than, say, a Samba, so it's ok.  I think Apolo should've taken a bit more risk.  Dude has plenty of hip shakin to share, so what up?  OK, still and all, it WAS gorgeous.  Fox Trot is not my favorite dance, so it says a lot for me to have gotten so into their dance, but I still wish it'd been done a little differently. 

Kelly & Val did a Paso Doble, recreated from Maks & Laila's Season 4 number and whooo boy, as much as I love me some Maks, I'm sorry to say that little bro nailed it!!  These two have such chemistry and they're both young, cute and energetic and the mix is just lethal.  The judges were totally blown away.  I'm not surprised, actually, Kelly is a phenomenal dancer, but OMG this dance was just WOWZA!!

Kirstie & Maks did a Cha Cha Cha to Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger, a routine originally done in Season 4 by Carson & Anna.  Um HELLO, Kirstie, we don't care why you watch DWTS, we want good stuff and we want it now.  I really don't know what dance the judges were watching and I know that Kirstie is always highly lauded for her Cha Cha, but damn, I have to disagree.  She moves too slowly.  I always want to move her feet more to get her up to the beat of the music.  I know she's older and doesn't have that same spring in her step and, yeah, her Cha Cha kicks my Cha Cha's ass, since I can't do it, but I am not on DWTS during all stars week.  COME ON.  Maks looked good, Maks always looks good, he makes Kirstie look good, they have good chemistry, it was a good dance, but do you see the problem there?  It was GOOD, not GREAT!!  Kirstie should be going home soon...please.

Sabrina & Louis recreated Mel B & Maks’ season 5 Paso Doble – Free Your Mind by En Vogue.  Sabrina is such a firecracker!  She came out and danced her excellent dancing hiney right off.  I really think she could do any dance, her dancing skills are so superior, but I'm not entirely sure it leaves her a ton of room for improvement, which the judges like to see?

Emmitt & Cheryl also did a Paso to Cancion Del Mariachi by Desperado Los Lobos, which was a recreation of Season 3's routine by Mario & Karina.  I don't recall it being the best dance ever.  I recall them talking about not being able to bring his donkey's into the studio, but it didn't stand out as the best dance or the worst dance.

Helio & Chelsie recreated Apolo & Julianne’s season 4 Quickstep to Mr. Pinstripe Suit by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.  Oh gosh, Helio is so cute.  So is Chelsie, for that matter.  You'd think they totally wouldn't have chemistry b/c of the age difference and just life experience, I guess, but they are just super cute.  Unfortunately, Helio stepped on Chelsie's dress, so they had a couple of missteps.

Bristol & Mark ALSO did a Paso to Living on Video by Trans X, a recreation of Season 4's dance by Derek & Joanna.  The judges really complimented her on her improvement, but she's still at the bottom of the leader board....where she belongs, I might add.  I seriously have nothing against Bristol, although her frickin tantrum at Mark was totally uncalled for, but she's in the ALL STARS, not at the 'who can improve the most contest'.  I read a board the other night where some ass clown called everyone who didn't vote for Bristol a liberal something or other.  These are the people we have voting like crazy, keeping people on who NEED TO GO, DAMN IT!!  Yeah, she's improved, but she is simply not anywhere near the caliber that the other stars are at, even on their worst day.  Ya know??

Last, we had Shawn & Derek, who broke many a rule doing a Quickstep to Hey Pachucho from The Mask.  This was a nod to Season 5's dance by Helio & Julianne.  I read (before I'd seen it for myself) that it was basically a glorified gymnastics routine and I really have to disagree.  She wanted to make sure there was some dancing in it (she's such a cutie) and there was.  Plenty, in my opinion.  They got a wee talking to about the rules, which they anticipated, but they just went for it and put so much energy, so much movement, so much fun in it, I don't think anyone was immune to the charm.  Rules schmules!!

SOOOOOO.....the booted ones this week are:  Drew & Anna and Helio & Chelsie.  Seriously, while they were not THE best dancers, they weren't near the worst.  Gawd, people, come on, it's a dancing competition...or supposed to be. 

DWTS Season 15 (I think) All Star Cast

Wow, my DVR saved me from freaking out over missing this one.  I had no clue it was already time for DWTS, but woohoo was it a good one!!  I think they did the Cha Cha Cha and the Fox Trot.  I won't mention each team's dance, just a brief critique of how I thought they did, while I warm up my blog voice...been a while.

Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson danced first (and after this there is no particular order, for the most part) and, while I thought they did quite well, it didn't exactly wow me.  He has talent and I'm all for seeing him stay.

Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas...eh, Bristol looks really good and she's really come out of her shell and opened up, but fan favorite/best of the best...REALLY?  I like her just fine, it's just her dancing isn't superb b/c it is really out of the poor girl's comfort zone.   They are in jeopardy of being kicked off, as of right now.

Helio Castroneves & Chelsie Hightower....Helio is ever the charmer, although how a race car driver has such a presence on the dance floor, I'll never know.  I guess I don't need to know.  He'll be nice to keep around for a while, but I'm not sure he has what it takes to finish in the top of the pack.

Pamela Anderson & Tristan McManus can both go.  NOW.  I don't care for either of them and that girl certainly can't dance.  She's relying solely on sex appeal and duck face and um eeww to both, as far as I'm concerned.  Unfortunately, my go to place for early updates hasn't commented on these two yet....stay tuned.  UPDATE....HELL YEAH, PAMELA AND TRISTAN ARE GONE!!!! 

Sabrina Bryan & Louis Van Amstel....I'm not a huge fan of Louis, but I like Sabrina.  She was VERY surprisingly kicked off early in the competition, several seasons ago and she was the one who won the fan vote to come back this season.  Personally, I'd have rather had little (ok, so not so little, but whatever) Kyle Massey come back with his tootie roll, but I guess I'll just have to deal with it.  Sabrina is a really good dancer, though I agree with Carrie Ann that she tends to over-dance.  She needs to bring it down a notch.  I hope she'll be staying awhile, so we can see her true talent.

Shawn Johnson & Derek Hough....a new partner for Shawn and the youngest dancer Derek has ever had didn't seem to phase either of them.  They're both too cute for words and I hope she stays for the long haul.  Retirement looks good on her!

Drew Lachey & Anna Trebunskya...another pro I'm not altogether fond of, but Drew is just such a nice guy, it's hard to want to see him leave.  This is going to be a seriously tight competition and they're all gonna have to bring it every week, so I'm not sure how long he'll last, but he's quite good.

Apolo Ono & Karina Smirnoff...so, even though I don't like Karina and would MUCH rather he be back with Julianne, I would be totally fine with sending every other couple home right now and watching him (dance, talk, sit in a chair, WHATever) for the rest of the season.  A-pol-O A-pol-O A-pol-O   I vote for him to win the whole thing and even though my kid adores Shawn Johnson, I'm hoping her mutual adoration of Apolo will convince her to vote solely for him!!  And, yes, Carrie Ann, he did get 3000X sexier!!!

Gilles Marini & Peta Murgatroyd...I think this is a new partner for Gilles, too.  OK, he oozes charm and sex appeal and his eyes just dance with light, what a joy he is to watch.  If I had to betray my Apolo, it'd probably be here.  His lines are gorgeous, he is smooth and, well, I'd better stop there.

Kelly Monaco & Val Chmerkovskiy...Season 1 winner, Kelly, is paired with a new partner and boy did they do this one right.  What hot chemistry these two have.  LOVED watching them and the girl's still got it.  She's adorable, she's sexy and she dances the hell out of the dance floor.  I expect her to finish at the top of the heap.

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani....the ever graceful Melissa brought her beautiful lines and elegance to the dance floor.  She's a cutie and a good dancer, but, again, the competition is really stiff this season, so I think she's really gonna have bring out more of her spunk.

Kirstie Alley & Maks (my man Maks needs no last name)....still as cute together as ever.  They dance well together and really seem to have quite a bond.  Kirstie has a really fabulous presence on the floor and is really great at dancing the part, but I'm not sure how long she'll last.  I know she's a bit thinner than last time, but I swear you have to be an Olympian this season to have a shot.

Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke...I've already stepped out and said (yes, before I saw him dance) that if he wins this one, I'm boycotting this show permanently.  I pray I don't have to keep my word b/c I really love this show lol!  All this time later, I'm STILL pissed that he won the season that he did...I'm pretty sure it was voter fraud.  I'm just sayin.  Ok, sure, the football players always do extraordinarily well on this show (go figure) and Emmitt is no exception, but really he's no Apolo and, well, that's all there is to say about that.  He's in fine form, he can stick around a few weeks, but then he'll be needing to move along.

No time to proofread, hopefully this makes sense.  See y'all next week :)