Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Top 30 on the 30th of Analisa’s 30th by Sister of the Blogger

Disclaimer: This was all written by my sister Kristina and copied and pasted into here by me. She even sent me detailed instructions on where to place the pictures. I didn't change anything but you should know it is the greatest thing you will ever read.

Hello world! I’m the sister aka best friend (see below: My Golden Birthday #1). When Analisa started this blog, she brought up the idea of me doing a guest blog post. This morning, I decided today is the perfect day for me to share 30 reasons why I love my sister not just in pictures, but in real life too.

Top 30 on the 30th of Analisa’s 30th
  1. She always takes my side, even when it’s my fault. Messing with 1 Gisin girl really means messing with 2.
  2. She’s purple, I’m pink, and we each have our own corresponding ensemble. 
  3. We send at least 2,475 text message to each other per day. 
  4. She manages to make marriage seem fun and not so much of a ‘Betty Crocker, life is perfect, I married my best friend’ type of situation. 
  5. We are each other’s #1 cheerleader. 
  6. Some people don’t like all things social media, but we do and we’ll shout it from the rooftops.
  7. We joke about how the 2 of us are similar to a ‘weekend hurricane’ when we visit our parents. It’s really the truth. 
  8. When we find out we’re pregnant, we will tell each other before telling our husbands. 
  9. Her 1st Christmas break home from college, she became the funniest person I know and it’s been that way ever since. Most people don’t realize how hilarious she is and she’ll be the first to tell you she doesn’t think she’s that funny, but it’s true. Analisa’s got jokes. LOTS. 
  10. No matter how big or small a crisis may be (overheated radiator, picking between 2 pairs of shoes), she always pulls through. Even if it’s a late response, I know she’s out there. 
  11. We intentionally try to wear matching outfits. 
  12. She’s the older sibling and has to be the responsible one by birth. 
  13. I’m secretly jealous that people always think I’m the older one. She’ll look 50 at 68 and I’ll look 98 when I’m 50. 
  14. We never get tired of each other. Ever. After a 3 hour phone conversation, we send each other text messages about things we forgot to say. 
  15. She isn’t afraid to tell people that I’m a monster when I’m tired and hungry…she’ll also tell people while I’m tired and hungry. Playing with fire.
  16. Even though she’s a Warren, she will always be a Gisin girl. 
  17. She’s Daria and I’m Quinn. 
  18. When we speak in movie quotes, we completely understand what the other is trying to say. 
  19. We secretly wish we could spend the rest of our lives together in a room with white walls and white floors because it would be “total.utter.INSANITY.” 
  20. We have a Super Sister bucket list and it’s fabulous. For example, wear Mom’s old clothes to a Cher concert, attend NKOTBSB in our signature colors (see #2), run the Statesman Capitol 10K and (literally) hold hands while crossing the finish line. 


  21. We use various emojis as a symbol for a particular person, thing, or feeling. There’s 1 for every member of our family (including the dogs) and (our favorite) the cigarette emjoi = “I’m over this”. 
  22. She lets me plan crazy birthday parties for her because she knows I’m obsessed with birthdays.
    Yes that is a button celebrating the Royal Wedding of Will and Kate she is wearing- Birthday party 2011.
  23. We yell and scream at each other, and then 5 minutes later we are best friends. 
  24. She is 150% of the reason why I love my life so much. 
  25. Following in her footsteps has led me to A&M and becoming a Pi Phi. Two of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 
  26. She let me be Barbie while she was Ken…something I’ll still remember in 20 years. 
  27. She created a written application and made our Mom submit it when she wanted to become a ‘Mom Friend’ since we are ‘Sister Friends.’ 
  28. No one has any idea the amount of stuff we accomplish when we go home, most recently saving our dog from having her eye removed. Sheesh. 
  29. She’s the reason our relationship hasn’t waned since she got married. 
  30. She’s my sister, 2nd Mom, therapist, nutritionist, life skills coach, and best friend. She is everything. If you’ve been reading her blog, I’m sure you’ll agree with the majority of these. 


Happy 30th Birthday, to my Giftedly Golden Sister!

My Golden Birthday- The Big 30

I am turning 30. On the 30th of April. 30 on the 30th. It's my golden birthday. It feels strange and at the same time like it's time. Time to say good bye to my 20s. A decade that was tough for me, even though I always imagined it being so fun. It was a decade of growing from a single college sophomore into a married adult with a career. That alone is crazy to me.

Please excuse the mess. This is apparently what 30, being married and having a career look like a la 8am. Thanks husband for my new shades!
Instead of being sad though, I thought I'd list out 30 things I know about myself, am proud of, am not proud of, but at the end of the day I know about myself as I head into my 30s.

  1. My sister is my best friend. I am not sure when it happened but somewhere in the past 30 years it did. 
  2. After all the awful dates, guys and dating games, I am married to the best husband and most perfect person for me. It was all worth it in the end and if you are reading this and are still looking for your person, I promise it will be worth it in the end for you too. 
  3. I am still obsessed with my family. They are my people. 24/7. We have each other's backs and I am proud to admit that. 
  4. The working world can be strange. I have met some amazing people in the work force and some of the strangest people in the work force. I finally learned this is applicable to everyone, the world is not out to get just me.
  5. I have met some amazing friends I never would've imagined meeting and I have lost some friends in my life that I never would've imagined losing. This has been the toughest part of growing up for me. 
  6. I learned I can move to cities I have never lived and figure them out. That being said I have also learned it isn't truly a move until you've cried at least once over the boxes and the changes.
  7. On a similar note, I also learned that as much as I hate a city when I move there, I will always be sad and cry when I leave. 
  8. I know a funeral is the worst place to have front row seats. 
  9. I wish I read more. I struggle to finish books. But every time I do I feel so accomplished and energized by the process of reading. 
  10. I am much happier when I am busy. Even though I don't feel happy at the time, I am happier. 
  11. I miss school and getting grades. Work is tough because you don't get grades. You work hard and just continue working hard. There is never the rush of finals being over and going on a break. I miss that.
  12. I can say I am old enough to remember when you had to be in college to be on Facebook. 
  13. Speaking of college, I never thought I'd go to A&M. Now I can't imagine my life had I not gone to A&M. 
  14. My favorite color is still purple.
  15. My favorite animals are still cats and I now own one myself. The fact that I own a pet separate from our family dogs at home has made me feel very grown up. 
  16. I have developed a love of touring hotel lobbies. The exact thing I used to give my Dad hell for making us do as a child.
  17. I love to travel.
  18. I love cozy nights at home.
  19. I love wine. 
  20. I have yet to own a home, only apartments. I am secretly okay with this absence of commitment in my life.
  21. I still don't know how to cook that well. 
  22. I still pick my nails. Occasionally I let them grow and get manicures for awhile. Then I pick them all off again. It's a vicious cycle. 
  23. I worry. A lot. About big things and dumb things. I am not sure if it is fear of the unknown or fear of failure or issues with expectations. But I worry. 
  24. I am slowly but surely admitting to myself that I have been and always will be a planner. I have always gotten made fun of for this and have attempted many times to quit planning, but it doesn't work. You can't quit planning if you are a planner. Instead I am learning to embrace it and embrace getting made fun of for this in the process.  
  25. I love dancing. I really do miss performing in dance recitals and dance team. 
  26. I know that the concept of being in the right place at the right time isn't a concept- it's God. 
  27. I don't like to brag. Which is good except even when it is the good kind of bragging, I still struggle. 
  28. I have figured out I love writing. I love public speaking. I love delivering meaningful messages to people to help them. I love making people laugh. I am trying to figure out if I will ever find a way to tie those together. 
  29. My friends affectionately call me their life counselor and say I missed my calling. I actually love that I am the person people think of calling when they need someone. 
  30. I truly feel loved by the people in my life. Even in admitting that, I struggle because I feel like I am bragging (see #27). But it's true- I am loved. 

 Cheers to 30! Thank you for reading and celebrating with me today! 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

DWTS: Latin Night

It's latin night with Ricky Martin but he does not open the show with "Livin La Vida Loca" Come on Ricky. Give the people what they want. 

Derek and Amy- Rumba
  • Amy starts talking about how her relationship with her boyfriend isn't going so well and how that is making doing the rumba "the love dance" difficult
  • Translation: I am real surprised home girl is airing her dirty laundry on national primetime TV
  • They danced to this slow version of "Come on Baby Light My Fire" and I kinda liked it. Mental note to figure out where that is from.
  • Also, I hate the rumba. It bores me every year. 
Post commercial break- they are serving pina coladas to the judges. Then Tom Bergeron turned his upside down and it looked like it belonged in my old Fisher Price kitchen because it didn't spill. 

Peeta and James- Samba
  • They are still discussing this potential couples thing. I am over it/them and their potential couple status. I smell stunt to get votes. 
  • She is also dancing in glorified lingerie. I know these costumes are usually provocative but this is quite ridiculous. 
Val and Winnie Cooper- Salsa
  • Apparently Winnie Cooper broke her rib this week.
  • They did this scene where they showed graphics of the texts coming in that said 
    • "Fractured"
    • "Yeah, it's broken"
    • Clever ABC. Way to mix it up.
  • Then we see Winnie jumping rope 5 seconds after so I am quite confused.
I am also quite confused by how this 90s funk outfit translates to a Salsa. 
This just in: The guest judge next week is the Coach from Dance Moms. I may die. If you have never watched I think you should tune in just to see the train wreck that will be that. 

Tony and NeNe
  • I'm not going to lie I fast forwarded. I am not sure what they even danced. 
Girl I Don't Know and Charlie 
  • I really liked Charlie's dance and the judges didn't. I actually think they were mean to him. 
  • I thought it was sweet to see Maks and Meryl getting excited for their dance.
  • I also think Charlie in response to the rude comments Charlie is thinking: "I am an Olympian with a Gold medal. I'm going to live if I don't win the mirror ball trophy"
  • He's #overit 

Mark and DJ Tanner 
  • Apparently there is such a thing as "Dancing With The Stars" therapy. 
My thoughts on this can best be described by the one and only Jim Halpert. 
  • I only half watched this dance. I was pretty bored and confused by the song.
  • How did they get nicer comments from the judges than Charlie White? I smell favoritism. 
Maks and Meryl
  • So good. I am obsessed. Obsessed with these people. 
  • On an unrelated note, is this a wig or how does one get their hair like this:

And let's just all give a moment of thanksgiving that I was paying such close attention to the TV at this moment because I would've missed this gem right before commercial break:

NIKKI AND JUAN PABLO! BACK ON AN ABC SHOW. WHAT!!!!!


Team Dance #1: La Cupa de La Vida aka The Cup of Life


  • Charlie White was precious. And I think he and NeNe are BFFs. And that's even more precious.
  • And if that's not enough, you tell me you don't want to go to a dance club with this guy. I feel like I am watching Center Stage:



Team Dance #2: Livin La Vida Loca aka Living The Crazy Life 
  • Since Amy Purdy hurt herself she was out- which meant they had to judge the dress rehearsal. I thought I was getting gipped. Going to admit I was wrong. I.was.wrong.
  • Let's all just pause and see all the shirtless men. Okay glad we all had that moment together. 

Elimination Time
  • ALLELUIA CHARLIE AND NO NAME GIRL ARE SAFE!!!! ALLELUIA! 
  • In the spirit of Latin Night…..Adios Nene and Tony. 
'Til next week and the next Meryl and Maks dance. 
Dance Moms Coach. Going to be epic. 

Monday, April 28, 2014

Ready- Set- Eat!

A few weeks ago I attended an event called Menu of Menus. Imagine a craft fair but with food. That is Menu of Menus.  It is a big all you can eat foodie event held at a warehouse.

I was a little hesitant to pay the $50 for the food ticket because I really wasn't sure I'd get my money's worth. I can now say I was not only wrong but I got more than my money's worth and was stuffed for days. I tagged along with some of Kristina's friends here in Houston and it was delicious.


When you walked in the door you were handed an all in one plate to carry around with you. It contained a plastic fork, knife and spoon, plastic wine glass with holder and plate.

Your personal "Table To Go"

If you think that wine glass looks unstable, you are not incorrect. It may or may not have somehow tipped over onto everyone's plates except one of us at some point during the night. I kind of had a premonition that based on my previous bad luck with wine, I was in no shape to tempt fate. I opted for white wine all evening so when my prediction came true, I was quite calm and didn't have to rush to rush to the dry cleaners the next morning. 

New meaning to the phrase "to go" food.

I am a quite un-adventurous eater. I am on a regular basis referred to as a "picky eater" and people can often predict what I will order everywhere we go because I order the same thing every time. I don't like the risk of ordering something I will not like and being stuck with it and I also don't like a ton of variety in tastes. But this event was perfect for me because I could try different foods and if I didn't like it, I could just throw it away. 



You were also given a little chip to vote on your favorite restaurants and the one at the end of the night the restaurant with the most chips was declared the winner. I know there are many great places I have already forgotten...but some of my new favorites that I intend to try sitting down at an actual table next time are:

Ciao Bello - winner of the night
  • They had candy shaped pasta shells filled with deliciousness. 
  • I would have never gone to this place because I don't eat fish. Therefore going somewhere that fish is in the title is a no brainer no. 
  • Food item that won me over: BBQ Smoked Pork over a Cornbread "Twinkie" with a Jicama Citrus Slaw
  • I was wrong and will be visiting at some point in my life and ordering that cornbread "Twinkie" and smoked pork again. 
  • We nearly missed them in this side room and they shortly ran out after we stopped by
  • Sweet tooth satisfied.
Freebirds- I know you are thinking how am I lumping Freebirds into this category. Allow me to explain- 
  • Freebirds always stresses me out because I don't know how any of their side options taste so I just stick to plain jane food. So when I tried some new dressings and burrito combos and actually enjoyed them I decided I needed to give Freebirds another chance. 
  • Of course leave it to me to attend a giant foodie event with tons of gourmet restaurants and I leave being the most impacted by my surprise love for Freebirds. 
It was a great night and I was still full for days. The restaurants, their set up, it was all very impressive and I am pretty excited to attend next year with this crew and hopefully a few more! Only requirement is you must be willing to stuff your face…and possibly spill wine on your plate at some point.  

This is a "judge free stuff your face zone." These are my kind of people.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Friday 5

It's Friday. Friday. Friday. Friday. In case you are heading into a slow downfall known as Friday afternoon here are some things to help you kill time:

The squirrel fell 75 feet and broke her ankle but she is going to be okay. I can't get over the cast. Photo courtesy of abcnews.com 
 The Office Time Machine
  • Apparently this guy watched nonstop episodes of The Office, waited for them to reference something relating to a specific year, plugged it in and then created videos dedicated to each year.
  • I know it's confusing, but watch and I promise it will make you smile if you love The Office like I do.
 The People's Couch
  • Thanks to my friend J at work, I am slowly becoming obsessed with this show. Try to watch this clip and tell me you don't love the show. 
Peeps Candy
  • You either love them or you hate them I love them. And 'tis the season for Peeps on sale galore!
 In honor of it being April 25 shout out to Miss Congeniality 



Have a great weekend! 

Monday, April 21, 2014

DWTS: Party Anthem Night

Apparently it is 'Party Anthem Night.' I only figured this out during the judges critiquing Nene and seeing this giant red hair guy named REDFOO talking about 'Party Anthem Night.' I had to fast forward the beginning Party in the U-S-A number because it is 9:30 and I am just now eating dinner and watching DWTS. What does dinner and life at 9:30 look like:

Breakfast of champions right here. While Chloe watches intently and gives herself a bath.
In the words of Fergie, G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S.
Disclaimer: I don't know the actual names of any songs so I am just going to rattle them off the best I can to explain what they are. I am also really tired so I am literally flinging words on to my blog as I watch and try to go to sleep. Because I care that deeply for this show. 

Tony and Nene "Hot in Here" 

  • Here we go again with Real Housewives of Dancing With The Stars Drama. I'm over it. I don't even understand what happened and I am over it. 
  • Nene and Tony started out dancing in the middle of the audience and I actually highly enjoyed some of these audience members thinking they were on DWTA 'Dancing With The Audience'
  • Erin Andrews may be slowly annoying me with her post-dance questions. 
Mark and DJ Tanner "I Don't Care, I Love It" 

  • Can DJ stop talking about being a sexy girl and just dance? JUST. DANCE. DJ. 
  • I liked DJ's dress. I'd like to know where to buy it. 
  • I cannot take this REDFOO guy seriously. 
This just in…next week…Ricky Martin. I am 'Livin La Vida Loca about that. Wasn't he on last year? Ricky must love him some DWTS. 

Peeta and James "You're The One That I Want" Grease
  • Just going into this dance I'm already nervous because I love this song and they better not ruin it.
  • My conclusion: I didn't like it. I was disappointed. 
  • REDFOO says the Quick step was "Quick." This guy. This guy is scoring contestants and determining the next champion of our beloved DWTS. I don't like it one bit. 
Promo on how intense DWTS is for the dancers…some things to note:
  • I am pretty sure Meryl and Charlie literally have nothing to say and are trying to making something up. This is not intense for them. They just won gold in Russia. Again, I repeat, this is not intense for them. 
  • I would give anything to be part of DWTS. Anything. Anything. And I'd never even complain in one of the promos. I would sit there and just freak out that I was there.
  • I just looked up and noticed Macy's flags everywhere and I am super impressed with the marketing efforts behind the Macy's Stars of Dance….which I am now fast forwarding. Why? Please see above and note the time and what I am eating for dinner. No time for this. Must see Meryl and Maks. 
Val and Winnie Cooper "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"
  • Once again, I love this song. Please don't disappoint me. But I think Val won't let me down. 
  • It was good. More discussion of the journey of DWTS.
  • REDFOO didn't even remember to score and just copied Carrie Ann.
  • Did anyone notice Val give a shout out to Winnie's boyfriend? I totes thought he and Winnie were dating. Now I realize why he gave him a shout out. And did you see Winnie's face. I'm gonna guess there is trouble in paradise.
Maks and Meryl "I Feel So Close To You Right Now" 
  • I'm not going to lie, I have always always always thought the judges are harder on Maks than anyone else. 
  • I think Meryl could be the new official DWTS psychologist. She just analyzed Maks more in 10 seconds than anyone ever has the entire 13 seasons he has been on this show. 
  • That dance was awesome. The second the they grabbed hands I knew it was going to be awesome.
  • Len complimented Maks. That never happens. Never.Happens. Never.Happens. 
  • REDFOO says "ET Phone Home." Once again. I am riveted. 
  • PERFECT SCORE. FINALLY. 
  • Confession: I hit rewind and watched it again. Yes, I am fast forwarding nonstop and through Macy's Stars of Dance but I rewatched this performance.  
Cheryl and Drew "Super Freak" 
  • They are really going to do a tango immediately after Maks and Meryl? Is this a joke. 
  • I didn't really watch this dance so I can't provide much commentary. Drew gets an E for Effort though. 
And then I fast forwarded through REDFOO's performance. I did it so fast I didn't know what happened and i didn't rewind to see what happened either. 

Girl I Don't Know and Charlie "Everybody Dance Now" 
  • Charlie using curse words in his pre-footage. I never would've guessed Mr. Mary Poppins used curse words. 
  • Hello flashback: I lip synced this in my 6th grade talent show. It was the performance of my life. 
  • So cute. I heart Charlie. And glow sticks. And this song. And the black light meets neon ending. 
Derek and Amy "Shout"
  • This is my Dad's favorite song in the world. He, Kristina and I may or may not have ended up on the floor at my wedding when it was time for "a little bit softer now…"
  • I honestly could not stop watching Amy's legs. It was the first time we have seen them and I cannot believe they are not her real legs. It is overwhelmingly impressive.
  • It was a good ending to the show.  
Elimination Time….I think this is actually the first elimination I have watched and I am not sure how but it is. So long to Cheryl and Drew. Drew was sweet. He will be missed.

Can we watch more of Maks and Meryl? Can we just have the Maks and Meryl show? I am still dying over their performance. You can watch it here if you missed it: 



Even if you didn't miss it…just watch it again. 
Cheers to Monday, Maks and Meryl!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Culture Thursdays and Bubbly on the Bend

A couple Thursdays ago, S and I ventured on yet another evening of what we now fondly refer to as "Culture Thursdays." This time it was an event called Bubbly on the Bend taking place at Bayou Bend Collections and Gardens. We visited Bayou Bend in December for their Yuletide Nights but it was dark and we couldn't see much of the grounds. We were excited to see it during day light.

Of course when the day came, it makes perfect sense that for a festive Spring event full of champagne and flowers, the weather would be rainy, humid and dreary. But they had a huge tent covering the lawn and even had a giant flower chandelier.


We got our cups of champagne and wandered around the grounds to explore. Again, the gross weather kind of dampened the Spring feeling but we survived…because there is nothing lovelier than wandering around a rich estate with champagne whether its sunny or sprinkling. 


The main attraction here is that all of this land and this house used to belong to an actual person. She left it to be used as a way to preserve American History. The house is like taking a step back into time with all the old furniture, nicknacks, decorations and feel. I really enjoy museums that aren't typical museums so this is one of my favorite discoveries in Houston.



At Christmas time, they have tours led through the house where you watch people act out scenes in each room depicting what it would've been like in different eras to be celebrating the holidays. They didn't have that this time but we enjoyed trying to figure out what decor items were different in each room. 

The one thing that remained the same though was the rickety bridge you have to cross to get to and from the property from the parking lot. When we left it was pitch black and lit up like it had been at Christmas time. 



It made me think about how I was feeling last December heading into Christmas after what had been a whirlwind of a few months of moving to Houston, adjusting to new jobs, adjusting to new work schedules, adjusting to a new life...and heading into the holidays felt like a nice breather for us. As I wandered across this time, it was interesting to think how much more settled I feel now than I did at Christmas time and how thankful I am for this reminder of how far we have come even though it may not feel like it at times. 

I think it's always a good idea to take a minute and think of how far you've come in any situation. I tend to have a problem with patting myself on the back, unfortunately focusing more on what I do wrong than right, but I should really make an effort to do it more often.

So here I am making an effort and if you are reading along, take a minute and pat yourself on the back for something too- And consider me sending you a virtual pat on the back too! 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Dancing With The Stars: Disney Night

Disney night should be renamed flashback night. Because apparently when I hear Disney songs, I flashback to all kinds of things in life.

Drew and Cheryl- Aladdin "You Ain't Never Had a Friend Like Me"
  • Drew danced half this dance with his mouth open and I don't know why
  • Lo and behold the Genie appears on the floor. That became more exciting than the dance.
  • Flashback to Jafar. Now I remember why I don't like Aladdin.
Charlie and his no name partner- Mary Poppins "Supercalafragalisticixpialidoshus"
  • Dancing fast with umbrellas. Charlie dropped the umbrella. But you can't be mad at him..because you can't be mad at Charlie. Try it...
See? Doesn't work.
  • Flashback to high school dance team ribbon performances and having the fear of God put into me if I dropped the ribbon.
  • Charlie makes me want to grab a top hat and cane and dance. 
Winnie Cooper and Val- Beauty and the Beast "Be Our Guest"
  • Flashback to being 8 years old dancing with my waiter outfit marching up and down the aisles of for our opening recital dance Be Our Guest. My favorite dance routine ever. I want to be 8 again. 
  • I love the Quickstep. I am dying to learn how to Quickstep. 
  • I had forgotten how much I love this song. Now I remember. Gregg will wish I hadn't been reminded: 

  • I felt like Beauty and the Beast came to life. They were super fun to watch.
Amy and Derek- Cinderella "So This is Love"
  • As usual I am pretty amazed by Amy. 
  • They had the mice at the end. And unlike seeing the Genie, seeing the mice made me want to watch Cinderella.  
Cody Simpson…guy I don't know and his partner I don't know- Lion King "Can't Wait To Be King"
  • Homeboy starts off singing what I can only guess is a new hit off his album. I can also only guess that his girlfriend he had at the beginning is not happy either. 
  • I'm not going to lie, I forgot this song existed.
  • I fast forwarded the judges critique because I just don't care.
Nene and Tony- 101 Dalmations "Cruella DeVil" 
  • So I think Nene liked Derek better as a partner than Tony. I am sensing some drama brewing. 
  • I think Nene thinks this is RHOA. Not DWTS. I think she's confused. 
  • After seeing Nene and Tony, I understand why Cruella DeVil was selected. 
  • They started crying talking to Erin Andrews. And Erin Andrews seemed like a sass. I don't even know what to make of all of this. If I wanted RHODWTS I would've put on Bravo.
James Maslow and Peeta- Frozen "Let it Go"
  • This is just a reminder to me that I need to see this movie. 
  • While watching this I was trying to remember the name Travolta called the singer- yes, Adel Dazim. There we go.
  • Then they reminded us Frozen is now available on DVD and I saw in a flash the entire reason for Disney night. 
Meryl and Maks- The Jungle Book "I Want To Be Like You"
  • I've been staring at Maks all night without a shirt. Can we please just fast forward to them??
  • I think this was a tricky song to do a Samba to and I was really impressed with it. 
  • Basically I could just watch Meryl and Maks dance for an entire hour. 
DJ Tanner and Mark- The Little Mermaid "Under The Sea"
  • I am just not feeling DJ as a dancer. She is lacking something/too stiff/not flowy/I don't know.
  • At the end of watching this I realized this is actually how Ariel would've danced when she first got legs. Note that Ariel was not on DWTS. 
I realized this morning that Gregg walked in and I didn't even pay attention to who got eliminated. Clearly I knew my faves were safe and it's too early to care….

Good-bye Cody Simpson guy I don't know and partner I don't know.

I still love Meryl and Maks. The End. 


Monday, April 14, 2014

Mastering Colds During The Masters

Disclaimer: If any parts of this do not make sense, please blame the large amounts of cold meds in my system.

Having spent the past couple weeks so busy I thought my head would fall off, predictably I have gotten sick with a cold that can be described as just enough to make you miserable but not enough to send you to the doctor. My favorite kind of illness!!

Here's the issue with getting sick- it starts to happen and I go to my medicine drawer to figure out what I have available to take. First of the list is Airborne. Always Airborne. I know some people prefer other supplements but for me it's Airborne and if you are going to do Airborne you have to do Very Berry.

Trust me. Very berry or bust.


Here comes the tricky part- every time I am sick I can never remember what worked the last time to get me well. It's usually some combination of starting with Claritin…then try Alka Seltzer Cold, maybe Mucinex, maybe Sudafed and then my co-worker introduced me to Advil Allergies and Cold so now I've added that to the mix.

I have been rotating between my head feels stuffed up to my nose won't stop running and back again. It's like this vicious cycle. Mixed in with an occasional sore throat depending on the moment. So I've consequently also been rotating medicines. I am not sure if this is a great idea or worst idea ever and considering my head is actually cloudy I don't know if my own judgment should be trusted or not.

I decided to seek Dr. Internet's help to figure out what these ingredients meant. Again, this is one of those things that I learn every time I am sick and then quickly forget. I should probably take better notes when I am sick but I am usually so busy trying to get well that by the time I am, I just want to move forward.

I found this nifty article that explained these ingredients and why I need them and while you may already know all of this, I clearly don't…so below is how I plan to remember this information in the future when I am sick and deliriously standing in the cold medicine aisle at Walgreens:

1. Antihistamine- this will make a runny nose dry up. It is anti-histamine…who knows what histamine means? Not me. I am going to call this ANTI runny nose.

2. Expectorant- this will make you cough. it will specifically make you cough up gross stuff in your chest. Take it and you can EXPECT to cough.

3. Decongestant- if you are congested…this will DEcongest you. But then your nose is going to run. (Then you have to refer to ingredient 1) It is a vicious, vicious cycle you see.

Sometimes you need both the Antihistamine and the Decongestant because your head is stuffed up and your nose won't stop running. Apparently in these cases you have to find a combo that gives you just enough of a stuffy head and just enough of a runny nose to continue living. This pretty much describes where I am at right now. 

Of course I also have all the other essentials...OJ, soup and other warm comfort foods I have been enjoying all weekend that are super fattening and super delicious and lots of kleenex….and prayer. Praying I live through my cold.



In the meantime, Gregg has greatly enjoyed that I have wanted to do nothing all weekend because for him it has meant a weekend of nonstop watching the Masters..let's face it, that was going to happen whether or not I was sick. Apparently, we all win…except my ability to function like a normal human. 

Lots of magazines. Hundreds of kleenexes. 
Two PJ days. One nose that is trying to kill me.  

I am sure you now feel like you need to go wash your hands so you don't get sick
 after reading this post. Stay well my friends.






Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Dancing With The Stars Week 3

Monday bribery- the practice of giving yourself a reward for waking up and surviving a Monday. 



For instance, this past Monday was a Monday. But it did feel just a smidge better knowing that at the end I had a "TV watching, wine drinking, cheese eating" evening planned with my friend S who was in town this week. It was Monday bribery at its finest.

When we were making plans, S asked what good TV was on since we didn't have The Bachelor to watch…. Here's one thing I am extremely proud of and at the same time can never put on my resume... when people ask me what good TV is on I know good and well they are looking for mindless entertainment perhaps with a competition element based on real people…and I come through with a great list of options that make them think they have come to the right place every time. Proud.

On Monday night's agenda…..Dancing With The Stars.

I missed last week due to the Cher concert and I never got caught up. My friend M (who I also got hooked on The Bachelor) told me (via email) that she thinks the show is better live and I have to say, she is completely right. I've never formed those words but I have secretly always known them in my Dancing With The Stars heart. Long story short, I didn't catch up.

What happened this Monday?

Spoiler alert: The guy from Star Wars left voluntarily because he couldn't hack it anymore.

What else happened?

Well for starters this happened….

Home Happy Hours. Wine and cheese with S, Cheers! 

My un-PRO-fessional thoughts on DWTS:
Disclaimer- You may notice some people missing and that is because there are a lot of people I just don't care about right now. If you feel strongly that I missed someone you care passionately about, I am open to hearing your argument. 

Derek and Amy  
  • They showed footage of how she learned to walk again by dancing with her Dad. I'm not going to say I got tears in my eyes and I am not going to say I didn't... 
Val and Winnie Cooper
  • She performed a dance for her son Draco…who was precious. But the entire time I couldn't stop thinking of Draco Malfoy a la "Harry Potter" 
  • I am also wondering if she and Val are the love connection couple to watch. 
  • Oh and Winnie's son was crying when she was done because the music was so loud. She picked him up from the audience and he had a death grip on her and wouldn't let go. She had to carry him over to the judges while she got her scores. It was sad but funny at the same time.
Maks and Meryl
  • Holy hotness their chemistry. And Meryl is an amazing dancer and amazing to watch.
  • I still predict Final 2.
Pro dancer who I don't know her name and Charlie
  • Charlie was precious dancing to "Happy"…I mean precious.
  • He was also wearing "man-pris" aka "capris for men" as my dear friend J used to call them as we wandered around Europe studying abroad. 
  • His hair has also really grown on me since I first saw it debuted at the Olympics. S didn't agree but I told her to just give it time…she'd come around just as I did. 
Mark and DJ Tanner
  • Here's the thing- I thought DJ could dance. She's lacking the dancer flow. 
    • I am also having trouble recalling any specific DJ Tanner dance scenes. Every time I try to recall something I have a flashback to Kelly Kapowski and then I'm like Nope! Wrong show!
  • Regardless I really hope she stays around because every week is like a trip down memory lane:
    • Aunt Becky and Kimmy Gibler came to visit at dress rehearsal
    • Steve and Kimmy Gibler cheered DJ on in the ballroom.
    • Mark and DJ danced to Elvis in honor of Full House. 
  • S and I are holding out for an Uncle Jessie appearance in the near future. 
Cheryl and Drew Carey
  • They were sweet. Drew Carey has lost a lot of weight. 
  • He dedicated his dance to his son and the entire time he was only talking about his son, I kept trying to figure out if he was married..I am still not sure. 

'Til next Monday and next week's ballroom adventures….
start deciding now what your Monday bribery is going to be.