What Would You Do?

I am a huge fan of news programs such as 20/20, PrimeTime, 60 Minutes... yes, I know most news is depressing and sad, but not tonight. PrimeTime on ABC showed a great program called, "What Would You Do?" The first portion of the program showed individuals who had just been told the Bible story of the Good Samaritan. They were told to go to another location to continue what they thought was a "try-out" for a TV Show where they would retell the story of the good samaritan. Only on the way they were to cross paths with what appeared to be a man in distress sitting in the grass clearly upset. Most did not respond, but there was a woman who took action even at the expense of an asthma attack. It was remarkable. You may want to check it out online... of course there were some quite comical scenes as well... a trick the producers played on a couple sitting in a restaurant... terribly hysterical!

American Idol Fan

I am soooo enjoying American Idol this season! My favorite is by far the young, David Archuleta. He is extremely talented. What a pleasure to watch and listen as he performs so effortlessly. Another one to watch is Jason Castro (pictured here). Very talented, and very endearing. Although my schedule won't allow me to watch the episodes as they air (thank God for DVR), I enjoy them nonetheless!

Joy Over the Little Things in Life

It's amazing how the little things in life can give such joy. The sound of this child can turn your "down" day into a "happy" day! Thanks to my in-laws for sharing this video through a "forward email".

Girls Night Out

I just got home from a really nice evening with the "girls". This is somewhat of a tradition my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law started. We all go to a chick flick (we saw "Mad Money" tonight) and go out to eat (we went to Kona Grill tonight). It's a great time to connect and just be girls. Tonight was interesting because I typically order things at restaurants that I am familiar with but tonight I tried a couple of types of soup, macadamia nut chicken, and even sushi.
Very enjoyable experiencing something different! To top the night off, we strolled through Barnes and Noble at Perkins Rowe where I found a hard to find book for Erin, a couple of little paperbacks for Dylan, and the new John Grisham book (which my mother-in-law bought that I will borrow... it's great having similar tastes!). What a great evening!

The Moment of Truth

I am loving this show! I am indeed a game show fan, but this is intense... The Moment of Truth. Fox has done it again... we gear up for American Idol which is followed by this little gem of a "game". It is very exciting to watch, but there is no way I could see myself or anyone I love being put under the stress of it all. The really great thing about the show is that it really makes me realize that no one is perfect. We all have our flaws no matter how great or small... we are all part of the human race. I only wish they would do a follow up show of how the family and friends responded to the information that was "discovered" about the person in the hot seat.

Ricochet

I just finished a book by Sandra Brown called, "Ricochet". This was a "for-fun" read; not a book to expand my mind nor a book for school... just simply for entertainment purposes. It has taken me some time to finish it because of all the other things I have been doing, but well worth my "entertainment" time. To be honest, I have read most of this book while driving... yes, driving. Reading is the only thing that has kept me sane while inching down I-10 towards Prairieville during 5 o'clock traffic.

Bucket List

Today was "Inauguration Day" here in Baton Rouge, so I didn't have to go to the office ;-) After putting the kids on the bus, I hit the laundry and headed out to do grocery shopping. What a boring way to spend the day off. After spending half the day doing the same ole mundane tasks that would have been done regardless of being off or not, I decided to head to the movie theater... by myself. It was rather nice. I saw "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It was really cute. Basic story line... two completely different men meet each other through hospitalization where they are forced to share a room. They both are given a year or less to live, but it isn't so morbid, because the rest of the movie is about how they complete tasks and life experiences that they have listed on the bucket list, a list of things to do before "kicking the bucket". It was heartwarming and funny.

ANTM

I have just discovered a really cool show on VH1... "America's Next Top Model". Over the last couple of days there has been a non-stop ANTM marathon showing episode after episode of this series that apparently has been out for quite a few years. Tyra Banks (former model... and I think she acts some too) hosts the show along with a few very strange men who serve as runway trainers and photographers. Besides seeing all of the beautiful clothes and lovely people, this show appeals to me from a photographer's perspective. It is so amazing what the photographers can do from an artistic standpoint! I'll have to find out when it currently airs then set the DVR now to record this new found reality TV series.

Another Movie Review

WD and I went out to a movie earlier this week. We saw "I am Legend" with Will Smith. Will is a super actor, but the movie was no so great. I was disappointed more with the ending than anything else. I have to give cudos to the special effects people... great job. I would wait until this one comes out on DVD instead of seeing it on the big screen.

Enjoying Survivor China

This season, Survivor is set in China. It's been a very physical season so far. I don't recall the challenges being so vicious... as the participant I'm sure that's not so great, but as those being entertained, it makes for quite a season. My favorite player this season is James, who just so happens to be from Louisiana. He's a gravedigger by profession! I think the most entertaining thing about him is the way he tries to make other players see things through common sense. He's a really interesting person!

State Fair 2007

Saturday afternoon was the perfect weather for going to the fair. WD and I took Erin, Dylan, our Godson Zackary, and Erin's friend, Callie. The kids had a great time. I think Dylan spent all of his allowance on the "games", while Erin and Callie indecisively walked around wanting to spend their money, but not quite sure. My favorite part was watching them attempt the rope bridge game. It kicked their butts!

Rubik's Cube

While reading the news, I ran across an article about the Rubik's Cube world championship being held in Budapest. I've never been a huge fan of the cube (even at its height of popularity in the 80's), but some of my family members are enamored by it. After reading a few articles on the pop-culture icon, I realized that people are passionate about their cubes. Some even filed down parts and added silicon lubricants to make twisting the little cube more effecient. It looks like the time to beat is 12 seconds. Anyone up for the challenge?

Movie Review

I finally got to watch the new "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer" this weekend. Typically not a huge fan of comic book, action movies, I was surprised by my interest in this one... I guess it was because I so enjoyed the first one. Some of the other comic-book spin-off movies that I have enjoyed are Spiderman and X-men. I guess the reason why I like these movies is because there is the "good" versus "evil" thing where you can celebrate in knowing that "good" will prevail. In all of these there is a small element of humor that's subtle and not too over the top which makes me smile, too. One of my favorite parts in Fantastic4 was when Johnny Storm touches Ben Grimm and they switch powers... Johnny turns into rock while Ben has fire power (see photo above). Gotta love good movies!

Big Bang Theory

Well the fall line up has started ;-) I am not typically a sitcom fan... as you all know... I am a reality TV freak, but my husband is a sitcom watcher. Together we watched a new sitcom last night called "Big Bang Theory". It is hilarious. Two nerdy roommates meet their new blonde ditzy neighbor. Quite a mix of personalities with lots of laughter. Ya gotta check it out:
Big Bang Theory.

BB Finale

Well Dick won BigBrother8 (hope I didn't spoil it for any of you who have it saved on the DVR to watch later ;-). I was not happy when Zach was kicked off because of Dick's attitude but between Danielle and Dick, I was happy Dick won. I thought that if Danielle won the bigger prize she would not work on the relationship with her dad as much as she will now. $50,000 is enough for any 18year old to enjoy. So much for Big Brother... now we are gearing up for Survivor China premiering tomorrow night! I can't wait. Does anyone know when American Idol premieres? I'm going to have to set the DVR to record all of my shows then record to tape because I foresee the DVR filling up fast!

Colbie Caillat

I LUV MUSIC!!! I would just about call it a passion of mine. While I was driving to work this morning, a great new artist came on the radio, with a really "happy" song called Bubbly. This new artist is Colbie Caillet. I don't know much about her other than what I found on her MySpace page. You've got to listen to the little diddy above... especially pleasant when you need a little pick-me-up ;-) Colbie Caillat kind of reminds me of Sandi Thom. If you don't know her song, I Wish I Was a Punkrocker it's one you've got to listen to... it just so happens that I have it here for you too!

The Singing Bee

Well I missed the show, "Power of 10". I forgot to program the DVR, but I did catch a new show that the kids and I have recently enjoyed. It's a great primetime game show called, "The Singing Bee" hosted by Joey Fatone. It's basically a karaoke showdown. The premise of the show is to be able to recall lyrics to songs recorded from as far back as the 1950's (maybe older) to present day. It's not a singing contest, but a challenge to see who "knows the words". The kids are great to watch this with because they just stare and giggle at me and WD when we sing out loud the lyrics we know, although WD stands by the fact that he feels the show is cheesy and that it appears cheaply produced. Me and the kids don't care how it appears... it's fun!

20 After Midnight

Well I didn't get my blog opened until after midnight tonight :-(
Oh well, I've got to make priorities. I will say that I got through another online assignment for my ETEC 5700 class, but not before watching tonight's episode of Big Brother... priorities I tell ya! I can definitely foresee Jen going home Thursday. She's provided enough entertainment in the beginning of the season and quite recently has become an "inert" force on the show. For all you non-BB8 fans, thanks for enduring my ramblings about the show, but it is quite a source of entertainment for me and WD. Tomorrow night, two of the BB8 players are to appear on the game show, "Power of 10" hosted by Drew Carey, so here comes another show to schedule on the DVR.

My Train of Thought

To give you an idea of how my mind jumps from thought to thought... almost like rapid-fire... while driving to work Friday, an old James Taylor song came on the radio, "Your Smiling Face". It reminded me of when I was a little girl listening to my dad sing along to songs in the car. He loved James Taylor. Anyway, I jotted down the song title in my Blackberry so I could be sure to download it to my iPod when I got home. Once I got home, I browsed for the song and ran across another song that James Taylor sang with Cat Stevens, "Cat's in the Cradle". I remember growing up with Cat Stevens, too. (These guys were all born around the same year my dad was, 1949, so obviously you wouldn't hear them on the radio too much now.) In thinking about Cat Stevens, it reminded me of the reel-to-reels filled with music that my daddy used to listen to. Which then made me think of one of my earliest "music" memories... I was riding with my mom to her job and being sad that I had to go to the daycare... I had to have been only about 3 or 4 years old... when this song came on the radio:

It's "Eastbound and Down" by Jerry Reed.... OMG, it is the theme to the movie Smokey and the Bandit (circa 1977)! See what happens when my mind begins to wander back in time ;-)

BB Widget for all you BB Fans like me!

I guess you can call me crazed... it's what I look forward to vegging out to 3x a week... Big Brother 8! (You may not believe it, but I actually know someone else who is crazier about BB than I am and BB8 is her first season!)