Thursday Thirteen #41

In honor of yet another dance show premiering tonight (Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew), I thought I'd focus my Thursday Thirteen on what is probably my favorite genre of movies...dance movies. See, if you know me at all, you know that if there is one regret I have in life, it is not pursuing dance as a career. There are a million and one reasons why I did not, the main one probably being that I am a realist and a college education and good paying job won over chasing my dreams in an industry that beats you up and spits you out. An industry that can leave you with broken dreams, a broken heart, and a broken down body, unless you manage to be one of the select few that "makes" it. Even then, it can only last so long before the reality of age against a dancer's demanding lifestyle catches up with you. Name me a professional dancer over the age of 30. Right.

But I love dance. I love TO dance, I love to watch others dance, I love to talk about, think about, and examine the world of dance. From ballett to ballroom, from jazz to hip hop, it all fascinates in a way that very few other things in life do. I can stop cold in my tracks watching a young kid breakdance on a piece of cardboard on a street corner. I can watch a ballroom competition on television beginning to end without once taking my eyes of the screen. When I was younger, I could dance for hours out at nightclubs, never needing to get drunk or high like the other partiers, because I really was out there to dance, period. And even now, as I realize I'm way too old for the club scene, but still too young to put away my dance shoes, I've managed to incorporate dance as my main workout, with that fantastic video game invention Dance Dance Revolution.

Therefore, when it comes to television and movies, it should come as no surprise that I'm hooked on anything that even mentions the word dance. As far as television goes, my favorite has got to be So You Think You Can Dance, and I've focused more than one blog post on that show alone already. But with movies? OH, how I love me a good dance movie. In fact, I love me a bad dance movie too. Because as far as dance movies go, about 95% of the time, the plot and storyline (and even the acting) can leave a lot to be desired. But it's not about all that with dance movies, it's about THE DANCING.

Here are 13 dance movies I can watch (and have watched) over and over again (click on the photos to learn more about the movies).

1. Dirty Dancing - Of course.

2. Center Stage - probably one of my favorites on this list. This one not only has an actual plot, but it's about ballett, which is secretly (or not so secretly) my favorite form of dance.

3. Step Up - Dancing and Channing Tatum? How could you go wrong?

4. Save the Last Dance - yes, white girls CAN dance.

5. Honey - Boy, did the plot on this one leave a lot to be desired...and yet, the dancing made up for it.

6. You Got Served - I honestly don't even remember what the story was for this movie, but the dancing was amazing.

7. Flashdance - because you can't possibly have a list of dance movies and not include this one!

8. Footloose - a town where dancing is outlawed? INSANE! And Kevin Bacon dacing on top of cars? Really, isn't that what movie magic is all about?

9. Fame - you know you started singing that song immediately, didn't you?

10. Grease - Who can forget that dance scene with ChaCha DiGreogorio? And the dancing through the fun house at the end? Ah Grease!

11. Bring It On - Cheeky, but oh so much fun. And yes, Virginia, cheerleading really is dance.

12. The Turning Point - an older movie about ballett. A bit more serious than your typical dance movie. And yes, that is Mikhail Baryshnikov.

13. Saturday Night Fever - You didn't think I'd forget, did you? I mean, come on, it's Travolta when he was still hot!

I realize I've probably missed a few, so, please, if you have a favorite dance movie I didn't mention, tell me what it is, because I want to watch it. And don't tell me to go watch Stomp The Yard, I KNOW, I KNOW...it's on my list, I swear. As is the soon to be out Step Up 2 (Feb. 14th). So, what's your fave?

Friday Find and the love of dance.

So, I am completely hooked on "So You Think You Can Dance" (SYTYCD). Anyone who knows me, knows how important dancing has always been in my life. I started with ballett when I was 4 years old, and then did rhythmic gymnastics until I was 10. When we moved to the States, my parents couldn't afford to send me to gymnastics or dance, so I had to stop. Still, I would always dance whenever I had a chance, and my cousins and I spend many hours choreographing dances and creating our own routines. When I was old enough to hit the club scene, you would find me on the dance floor ALL NIGHT, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, whatever chances I had. I've never been cocky about much, but my dancing is one thing I was always confident about...I can dance! REALLY WELL.



Or I could...because now I'm way too old for the club scene, and dancing is unfortunately just not part of my life anymore. I keep thinking of signing up for a dance class somewhere, but haven't found anything that works with my schedule and/or my budget yet.



One of my greatest regrets...perhaps my only TRUE regret in life, is that I didn't pursue dance further. I would have loved to have made a career of it. But it was not to be.



This is why I am addicted to all things dance related. I watch ALL of the dance movies, from "Honey" to "Save the last Dance" to "Step Up", the plots all tend to be the same, but I don't watch for the plot, I watch for the dancing...for the LOVE of the dancing that is protrayed in each and every one of these movies. I watch live concerts so I can watch the dancers...I'll never forget watching one of Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" concerts on television, and crying, because I just wanted to live that so much. My heart aches with not only the loss of what I never had to begin with, but also with the beauty and art form...there is nothing like a dancer to show you the true beauty of the human form.



And now it seems television has discovered that same love affair. With "Dancing with the Stars", "Dance Life" (on MTV), and of course "So you think you can dance", it seems dance is the next big thing. And I'm loving it.



To be honest, I can't watch "Dancing with the Stars". Then dancing is just not that good, and I want to watch dancing that touches me...that show does nothing for me. I'm not knocking it, or the people on it...It's just not for me.



But SYTYCD? HOLY CRAP...those kids CAN DANCE. I mean, WOW. No joke! The top 20 this year are quite possibly the best group of dancers I've ever seen anywhere...they're amazing. Each and every week I'm completely blown away by what they can do. And the choreographers do an amazing job with the routines, for an effect that is at times just mindblowing.



Last week one of the couples did a routine that actually brought me to tears, it was so beautiful. (Look, I said I have a deep emotional connection with dance, right?) I've now watched this routine countless times, and I still get chills every time I watch it...so I share it here with you, my Friday Find.



This is Lacey and Kameron, two of the competitors on SYTYCD, and obviously, my favorite couple to win it:

Too old for MTV

So, Fun Monday this week is all about being nice, and good and all that mushy stuff (see post below for all that do-gooderness)…but as much as I am a sweet, nice, loveable person (cough cough), the catty me needs equal time. And as you all know I’m a bit of a celebrity gossip nut…so there was no way I could let the events of last night pass by without comment. I tried, I really did, but I just couldn’t do it.

What events, you ask? Well, last night MTV presented its annual event of debauchery, music and accolades, also known as the Video Music Awards. Now, for the record, I stopped watching about 98% of anything televised on MTV years ago. I can only handle so much teen angst and 20something self-destruction before I want to throw my television out the window, so MTV has been replaced by other equally bad, but geared toward a more “mature” (use of the word loosely) audience programming, such as the crap on VH1. But, the award shows I usually tune into. Thanks to the advent of Tivo, I can now record them and watch them later, making a two to three hour event usually last about 25 minutes, as I fast forward through most of it, stopping only for some of the performances, and the random speech or presenter. Last night I knew I had to tune in, because Britney Spears was to make her much anticipated return to performing. Her “comeback” performance if you will. And fascinated as I have been with the demise of her career, I was curious to see if she could actually pull it off, or if she would just add to her already long list of disappointments. To be honest, I was not expecting a stellar performance. But even I, in my negativity, could not have foreseen the complete and utter disaster that was Britney on that stage last night.

The words Train Wreck are actually too mild a description for what occurred. As much as I enjoy the ups and (mostly) downs of celebrity life, and as much as there is this inner curiosity for how they can so completely get off track, I actually felt bad for the girl. I know she’s brought most of her destruction upon herself. I realize she’s made poor choices and is not a victim here.

But OH BRITNEY, my heart actually broke for you as I watched you with a deer caught in headlights look on your face, almost visibly counting steps in your head as you attempted to dance and lip-synch your way through your “comeback” performance. Some might say you looked nervous, I think you looked downright terrified. I don’t think you blinked once, your eyes so wide the whole time. And the dancing, if that is what we are choosing to call it, was almost a joke. I half-expected the music to stop at one point, and for you to do one of those “Okay, just kidding, here we go” sort of things, and then shut off the lip-synch machine and start actually dancing and kicking some ass. But that never happened. Instead, you continued to sludge through, moving in a robotic snail-like manner, missing steps, and completely losing your place several times. And we mostly expected you to lip-synch, you weren’t the only one last night to do so, but Brittney, sweetie, part of lip-synching involves actually moving your lips. Something you managed to forget to do for the larger part of that charade.

When the song was over, you mouthed a week “thank you” and ran off the stage like your feet were on fire. Never to be heard from again the entire evening. Were you nervous or were you high? Did you think you were being cute, or did you actually think you pulled it off? Are you actually looking to make a comeback, or have you just completely lost your mind? I’m not sure what is going on, and I’m not sure I’m supposed to care, but after that performance, I’m actually concerned and feel badly for you. I want you to get the help you need, not for your career, because I think that ship has sailed, but for your own sake and mostly for the sake of your kids. When Fed-Ex becomes the better parenting choice of the two, I worry about those kids.

Okay, I’ve gone on too long about the whole Britney fiasco, but I couldn’t help it, I had to put in my 2 cents.

As for the rest of the “show”, I have this to say: It’s no wonder kids today are all diagnosed with ADD and the like. I had the damnedest time keeping up with whatever was going on with this show. It was all over the place, and was making me dizzy. If this format is successful, I’m definitely way too old for MTV.

A couple more random observations, and then, I promise, I’ll stop. First of all, John Norris, what were you wearing? Was that eye make-up? Note: I tried to find a picture but couldn't, so you'll just have to trust me...it was bad. Dude, seriously, you’ve been on MTV since the beginning, and I can see you are trying like hell to hold on to your cool factor and your youth, but seriously, let it go. You looked like an idiot, and I’m pretty sure all the celebrities you interviewed were laughing AT you, not with you. I’m not saying you have to quit your cushy job with MTV, just don’t try so hard to still be ONE with the MTV generation. You’re not, that time has passed. Hey, maybe VH1 is hiring?

Sarah Silverman. I don’t get it. Maybe it’s the generation thing again, or maybe it’s just me, but…I don’t think she’s funny in the least. I know this whole “let me pick on the celebrities while they’re in the room with me” shtick is supposed to be a funny thing, but it’s actually painful to watch. She just comes off as crass and ignorant to me.

Kanye West…I heard he threw yet another hissy fit because he didn’t win any awards. Me? I’m laughing about it because he’s not getting the fact that your fame hinges on your fans, and if you are constantly insulting your fans by proclaiming to be where you are because of YOU and nobody else…well, then you don’t get any awards. Humility goes a long way…look into it.

Nelly Furtado as a bleached blonde? Not loving it.

Chris Brown’s performance? SICK. You all know what a lover of dance I am anyway, but this kid? WOW, he’s something else. I’ll give props where props are due, and he’s earned them. SICK! Could have done without the interruption with that damn umbrella song by Rhianna though.

And finally, the Justin Timberlake and Timbaland performance at the end of the show. First of all, DAMN, who knew Timbaland was ripped like that? I always thought he was a bit on the “cuddly” side, but WOW get a look at those arms. And JT? What can I say, I’m a fan. I actually watched his Labor Day performance on HBO on Saturday night, and I was impressed then. He’s an all around artist. He actually won the “quadruple threat” award, something new and MTVish for singer/producer/actor/something else, but I say he earned that. He delivers. He can put on a good show, and looks like he has fun doing it. Good on him.

There were several other moments during the show that I had reactions to, but mostly I just felt confused and old. I think heared myself saying “these damn kids today” more than once. Yikes. That’s it no more MTV for me.

Thursday Thirteen #35

All over these here interwebs folks are wrapping up 2007 with all sorts of year end lists. I'm no follower, but I figure as far as year end lists go, Thursday Thirteen is as good a time as any to host one, don't you think?

I give to you 13 of my picks for the best of 2007:

1. Best "New Release" Movie: This wasn't a tough one because I actually did not see all that many movies that were released this year. I decided to go with a movie I actually saw in the theatre and hands down, the best movie I saw in a theater this year was Knocked Up. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this was one of the funniest movies I have seen in years, I laughed until I cried. I highly recommend it, if you haven't seen it yet.

A close second for best of 2007 for me, for completely different reasons was a movie I just saw about a week ago on HBO, and that was Alpha Dog.

This movie was definitely not funny. It was gritty, it was sad, it was depressing and haunting. But it was extremely well done, powerful, and very well acted. With big name actors such as Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone, and an extensive list of lesser known actors (the type of actors that you go "I know that guy, I've seen him somewhere"), the movie packed a punch. And even Justin Timberlake held his own, making it obvious that there is nothing that man can't do.

2. Best CD: This one was a bit tougher, because I didn't buy very many cd's this year, and every time I'd think of one to pick for this list, I'd realize it was actually released in 2006. But then a few days ago I bought the new Lifehouse CD "Who We Are". Lifehouse is definitely my favorite group out there, I own all of their cd's and can honestly tell you that there isn't a single song of theirs that I don't like. And this remains true with their new cd. So I'm giving it my number one spot for the year.

An honorary mention goes to Kelly Clarkson's release. I know she received a lot of grief for it, but I actually thought it was pretty damn good.

3. Best Book: Even tougher, I tend to have an extensive "to be read" pile at home, so I don't read a whole lot of "new releases". So, we'll just go with the one I'm sure was a 2007 release:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After all, weren't we all waiting on pins and needles for this release? It was bittersweet to read this book, and say goodbye to Harry Potter, but it was rewarding to reach the end of his journey with him, after all those years invested at Hogwarts.

4. Best Audio book: I'm going to go with "Forever in Blue" by Ann Brashares which was the final book in the "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" series. I know these books were written for teenage girls, but they were just a feel good series to read, and I really enjoyed this conclusion. There's a teenage girl inside all of us grown up women, and that girl enjoyed this book immensely.

5. Best Song: Ah, so many songs to choose from. 2007 was a great year in music, so many great songs with catchy tunes, touching lyrics and memorable hooks. Where to go with this? I could go with Timbaland and "The Way I Are", the song that made me want to dance, or maybe One Republic's "Apologize", the song I first heard on "So You Think You Can Dance", during one of my favorite dance routines of the season, and then couldn't turn on the radio without hearing it. I could chose Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry", the song in which she chose to show us she can actually "SING", or even Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder", the song that turned me into a Maroon 5 fan...what to choose?

I can't help it, I have to choose Bon Jovi's "(You want to) Make a Memory"

It's classic Bon Jovi, and it is one of those songs that I can hear over and over again. I love this song.

6. Best Television Show: There were a lot of new t.v. shows this year that I got hooked on, and a few returning shows that I couldn't get enough of, but there was only one show that I would catch myself saying several times while watching it "I love this show". And that show is Heroes.

I couldn't get enough of this show, and can't wait until it comes back. Let's hope the writer's strike doesn't make us have to wait too long!

7. Best Concert: I didn't actually go to any live concerts this year, so I'm sort of cheating with this one, however, I did get to watch the Justin Timberlake concert on HBO, and that boy can sure put on a show. I'll give this one to him. I became a JT fan this year, and this concert certainly had something to do with it.

8. Best Musical/Theatre Production: I did, however, get to see "Grease" on Broadway. What a great production that was! With Sandy and Danny being cast on the reality show "Grease, You're the One that I Want" which was one of my guilty pleasures on t.v. this year, it was fun to be able to see them carry out the performances they won in the show.

9. Speaking of reality shows, my pick for Best Reality Show this year goes to "So You Think You Can Dance". The talent on this season of the show was unbelievable, and it was a thrill to watch each week.

Here again is my favorite routine from this season:

10. One more television related pick - Best Documentary: The Planet Earth Series. Did anyone watch these? They were beautiful, fascinating and informative. I think everyone should watch these.

11. Best Gadget: My pick for favorite gadget this year? My new cell phone, the Fusic by LG, because this thing does it all. It's a phone, a camera, a gps, an mp3 player, web surfing tool, and it even washes the dishes. Well, okay, it doesn't wash the dishes, but it does everything else.

12. Best Toy: my favorite toy this year? It's my little secret that I haven't told you all about yet. About a month ago I inherited my brother's old Playstation 2, no, not so I could play video games, because let's face it, I don't have time for video games, but so that I could have my own in-home gym. What in the world am I talking about, you ask? I bought myself Dance Dance Revolution, and if you have played it, you KNOW what a workout it is. If you haven't? You simply must.

Check out this kid and how crazy good he is:

13. Best Post: Time for a little shameless self-promotion, my pick for my best post this year here on Candid Karina? That's a tough one, picking a "best", so I'm sort of cheating here...I'm going to refer you to THIS POST, where I...uh...refered you to some of my favorite posts. (I know, totally cheating).

And there you have it, my year end list. Happy Thursday everyone.

The Single Girl's Guide to Valentine's Day

So, here it is, just a couple of days away, Valentine’s Day. The day of roses and chocolate hearts, candlelit dinners are expensive jewelry gifts. A day for lovers and romantics alike.

But you? You’re single.

Therefore, by all accounts, you should stock up on your favorite flavor of ice-cream, some sappy romance movies, a bottle of wine and a box of tissues, because you, my dear, are spending Saturday night at home, feeling sorry for yourself.

Right?

WRONG.

Because you are single, but you are not bitter, depressed, lonely, miserable and pathetic. In fact, the other 364 days out of the year, you are actually an intelligent, successful, stylish, independent FIERCE woman. A woman who walks with her head held high, proud of her accomplishment and prepared to take on the world. Single or not, dating or in between relationships, you KNOW who you are, and you love being that girl. You’ve got it all together, and if a man hasn’t come along just yet to realize what a perfect catch you are? Well, that’s just fine with you, because you know that when, and if, it is your time, you’ll get the catch of the century. And until then, you’re perfectly comfortable in your own skin, living life as it comes at you.

But, Valentine’s Day is here, and with it, the insecurities, the expectations, the disappointments. Because no matter how fiercely independent we single girls are, on Valentine’s day, everyone wants to receive roses at work.

As a bonus, this particular Valentine’s Day happens to fall on Saturday, so, if you want to go the route of ice cream and tissues, you can. You don’t need to show up to work, and you won’t even have to watch your coupled up co-workers receive flowers at their desks. The single-girl gods are smiling down upon you this year.

But, how do you survive another “lover’s holiday” as a single girl? Here are some ideas.

There is, of course, the option of just going about your day, ignoring the fact that it is Valentine’s day, not paying much attention to the hype of a Hallmark created holiday. That is an option, but let’s be honest, you’re not deaf, blind or dumb, and you are well aware what day it is.

So, let’s go ahead and embrace the day, turn Valentine’s Day into your very own cause for celebration.

Gather the troops - Round up your other single girl friends and hey, if you have them, single guy friends, single gay friends, whatever, after all, you’re all on the same boat, right? Be it one, or ten, make a date, and set only one rule: No “Woe is Me” mentality allowed this evening.

Get dressed up – Everyone knows that when you look good, you feel good. So do it up. Dress to the nines, dress to impress, dress to kill.

Have a plan – Due to the nature of the beast, restaurants, movie theatres and perhaps even bars and clubs will be crowded tonight. Plan ahead, make reservations where necessary, buy tickets in advance, be prepared. Select a movie that you can enjoy without having to share the room with a bunch of lovey dovey couples, because even those of us most secure in our singledom are bound to be affected by obvious displays of affection and romance. Choose a restaurant with more of a fun vibe, versus the candles on the table, violinist in the corner type.

Seek alternatives – Think of all the places you’d love to go on a romantic valentine’s date. Got them? Good. Now cross those off your list. Think of the places you know most husbands and boyfriends would love to take their dates but know better than to even attempt it for fear of spending a week in the doghouse. Got those? Yep, that’s exactly where you want to go. That hockey game, action flick, paintball tournament you heard about? Odds are the crowd at these places is either going to be single men, (and women), or couples who are not so much in the lovey dovey stage of their relationship, so they’ll be fun to be around, Valentine’s Day or not. Yes, I know this sounds sexist and gender role prejudiced or whatnot, but let’s be honest, it’s Valentine’s Day and even the sportiest of girls is expecting to be treated to a romantic dinner at a nice restaurant on this day if she has a man in her life.

Try something new – always wanted to try sky diving, pottery making, or snow shoeing? Always wanted to check out that new dance club, take a drive out to that weird diner, or attend that midnight showing of Buffy the Musical? Tonight’s the night. You’re breaking tradition already by not letting the holiday turn your Saturday into a “mopey” day, so add a new adventure to your list. What have you got to lose?

Have fun – this is the most important thing. No matter what it is you decide to do tonight, make it fun. After all, you passed on the option to stay home and sulk, didn’t you? So, enjoy yourself.

A few don’ts:

- Don’t wear all black and refer to the day as “Black Saturday”, it’s not going to do anybody any good.

- Don’t send yourself flowers. There’s nothing wrong with buying fresh flowers for your home, or desk, but if you do it today, you’re just going to feel pathetic when you get them with the card signed “you know who”…yes, you know who, and really, it didn’t work to make you feel better, did it?

- Don’t indulge in the ice cream/chocolate/comfort food myth. All you’ll gain from these is an extra 2 lbs you don’t need.

- Don’t hunt for a last minute date just so you can have one. It’ll put unnecessary pressure on both of you, and it’s a waste of what could otherwise be a perfectly good first date.

- Don’t hang out with that one friend, you know the one, who is going to spend the entire evening bitching and moaning about not having a boyfriend AGAIN this year. Leave her at home with the ice cream and the romantic comedies.

- Don’t, whatever you do, watch romantic comedies that evening. Honestly, why would you do that to yourself?

- Don’t hesitate to give out your number to the cute guy in front of you at the hockey game, or send a drink to that other one, watching you from across the bar. Just because you’re single this Valentine’s Day, doesn’t mean you can’t be celebrating an anniversary this time next year.

-Don’t worry, this day only comes once a year, and as much as you may think you’re going to have a miserable time, just remember one thing, it’s not any better for your coupled off friends. Or did you forget all the fights and disagreements this holiday caused your past relationships? See? You’re bound to have a better time if you just put your mind to it.

SO get to it! And then come back here and tell me how you spent your V-Day. Oh, and for those of you in relationships? I want to know how you spent your V-Day too, good, bad or ugly, I promise I won’t judge. ;-)

As far as what THIS single girl will be doing? I'm taking my own advice, I'm heading to a college hockey game with a group of single girl friends. Dinner, flirting with college boys, and just having a good ol' fashioned girl's night out. How can that NOT be a good night?

What about your friends?

The beauty of friends is that they come in all shapes and sizes, colors and schematics.

I’m really lucky in that I have some truly wonderful friends, who fit more than one mold, and are just wonderful to have in my life at all times.

But I was thinking the other day, in one of my “bees buzzing in my head” moments, about all the other friends. The “peripheral friends” I’ll call them. These are usually the really interesting ones. They are usually good friends, but not “great” friends, thus why you keep them on the peripheral.

The only true difference, in my eyes, between a GREAT friend, and a GOOD friend, is that a GREAT friendship doesn’t require maintenance from either party, the friendship just IS. Whether you see each other every day, or live thousands of miles apart and only see each other every other year, the friendship is true, and effortless. This is not to say that you will never fight with a “great” friend, because you will. It just means that once the fight has been fought, you’ve just become that much closer, the friendship is that much stronger.

In “good” friendships, you can have a lot of fun together, you can go through a lot of stuff together, be there for one another, and even think the world of each other, but, there’s always been a bit of a struggle to connect. You know those friendships where you have to think before you speak for fear of hurting their feelings? Or the ones where there’s always been more than one occasion where one of the friends felt snubbed, or ignored, or left out and it just always takes some work to make sure the friendship runs smoothly. Or maybe it’s simply the kind of friendship which with time, and distance, just slowly dies out, never to be heard from again. There is nothing inherently bad about about a “good” friend, it’s just lacking some mysterious ingredient which would make it great.

So, it was in thinking about friendships that I gave some thought to the types of friends every woman (for I can’t really speak for men) has both in the close and the peripheral classes. Here’s a few, and it is possible that a friend can be more than one of the following at once:

DISCLAIMER: The following is a completely fictional list of characters and none of my friends should take the list as a list of who my friends are (unless it makes them happy to do so). I have some of these in my circle, and I have others that don’t quite fit into any specific mold, if you take offense, let it be known that you are definitely NOT the person I was thinking of (if I was thinking of anyone at all) I love you all dearly for your virtues and your quirks.

The Pleaser: This friend is the kind that whether she does it on purpose, or it simply comes naturally, she is so eager to please that you sometimes wonder if she has any interests of her own. She will wait for your suggestion as to what you should do together, or if she does make a recommendation of her own, it is quickly followed by a “is that okay? We don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.”

The Database: (Sometimes this friend is both the pleaser and the DB): This friend is the one who always remembers every birthday, job interview, date or special event you have on the horizon and calls you the very next day to see how things went. Personally, I love this friend and wish I could be her.

The Shoulder: This is the one you ALWAYS call when you’ve been through a break-up, or you’ve broken a nail. She listen, she hugs and she always knows the right thing to say, even it it’s just “That sucks, I’m sorry”.

The Drama Queen: Needs no explanation really, but you know with this friend, she’ll always top you with her stories, her ailments, her crisis’s. Very closely related to the Negative Nelly.

The Negative Nelly: There is NOTHING in the world that can ever go right for this girl. And even when it does, it just means it’s somehow going to explode and go wrong. This is not necessarily the truth, but stick with her long enough, and you’ll start believing it too.

The Positive Patty: in contrast to Ms. Negative, this girl always sees the bright side of things. You stubbed your toe? Well, at least you stopped thinking about your headache right? Lost your job, well now you can find something you really love to do. Not a bad person to have on your side. Except on those days when you really just want someone to scream with. Call Nelly then.

The Bad News Bear: This friend, unlike the Drama Queen, won’t necessarily call you with her personal woes, but always has a terrible story to share, or some news article she read that will put the fear of God into you. This is also the friend you should NEVER discuss your health with, because she is likely to respond with “I don’t mean to scare you but…” Friends are supposed to say “I’m sure it’s nothing”, you never want to hear the other words come out of their mouths. (the bad news bear in my life by the way, was the inspiration for this entry).

The Flake: God love her, she is one of your favorite people in the world, but you sure hope this girl always has friends like you around her to keep her from walking in front of a speeding bus. She would give you the shirt off her back, trouble is, she might ACTUALLY give you the shirt of her back, in public, in broad daylight.

The Boss: You know her, she’s always in charge, and although sometimes you may resent it, most of the time, you don’t really mind, after all, someone has to do the planning, make the phone calls, grab that cute boy’s attention and push you right in front of him on the dance floor. Yes, I know we can be annoying (yes, I am very aware I fall into this category), but you do love us for it.

The Superstar: This is your glamorous friend. She always looks perfect, has all the new toys, knows all the right people. She can find out any information you need at any time, and is sure to be the first to plan that exotic vacation. The only real problem with this friend, is you always feel like the frumpy younger sister next to her. But at least she’ll let you borrow her clothes. (NO, I absolutely do not think I am her, I am always the frumpy younger sister).

These are just a few of the ones I can think of. I am sure there are more, and I’m sure you’ve got plenty you can share with me. Please do.

Year End Meme - 2008

It’s time for the end of the year meme!

I saw this a few weeks ago at Bleeding Espresso and I thought this would be a perfect way to wrap up 2008.

So here we go:

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before? OH, so many things. Got a tattoo, went to Fort Lauderdale, met Donnie Wahlberg, lost 20 lbs., wrote 50,000 words in 30 days, became a youth group leader…we’ll stop there.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don’t really believe in “resolutions” but I make plans. I think I did fairly well this year, and I have LOTS of plans for 2009, you can read all about those here.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Hmm…one of my coworkers, but I’m not really close to her, I don’t think anyone else did though…

4. Did anyone close to you die? Friends of friends and relatives of friends mostly.

5. What countries did you visit? Didn’t leave the U.S. this year. Must remedy that next year.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? You know, I didn’t lack much this year…but, how about a few good dates? I could go for that.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? As far as “specific” dates, Thanksgiving weekend for the youth retreat, November 8 because that’s when I met Donnie Wahlberg and got my Donnie Hug (what?)…that’s it for “dates” though.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I don’t know that I’d call it an achievement as much as a personal step, but I’d say reconnecting with my faith. Also, writing those 50,000 words in 30 days is pretty amazing. And then there’s the 20 lb. weight loss. Oh, and actually getting that Donnie hug? Yeah, that was an achievement! Ha

9. What was your biggest failure? Hmm…nothing is jumping out at me.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just the common cold and stuff

11. What was the best thing you bought? Besides my tattoo? Maybe the HDTV and HT Tivo, kind loving those. OH, no wait, I take it back, best things I bought were my tickets to see NKOTB…twice.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mom’s for getting me to join Jenny Craig with her, so we could do the weight loss thing together.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Besides the obvious political and media ones? Yeah, those were mostly it.

14. Where did most of your money go? Toward cost of living expenses mostly. No fun.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? It seems I spent most of this year, or at least the second half of this year really, really excited about everything. The youth group stuff, my faith, my tattoo, the NKOTB reunion, taking a trip to visit “Traveller” in Ft. Lauderdale, my weight loss…yeah, it was a really exciting year.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Well, it sort of goes without saying that any of the NKOTB new songs will, but besides those, that annoying Lady Gaga song “Dance” and Katie Perry’s “Hot and Cold”.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? Happier, thinner and richer (financially as well as spiritually).

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Travelling, writing and organization…I spent a lot of time overwhelmed and confused this year, I need to work on that.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Hmm…procrastinating. I REALLY need to stop doing that.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With my family, having the best time EVER.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Yes, but not romantic love. I fell in love with God and with my friends and with the youth who give me great hope for our future. Oh, right, and then there’s Donnie Wahlberg. ;-)

22. What was your favorite TV program? Hmm…You know, I watched a lot of tv, but I can’t say I watched anything that really excited me. I don’t think I have a favorite.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t believe in harboring hate toward people, so no.

24. What was the best book you read? I really didn’t read very much this year, and I really can’t even remember almost any books I read, so I definitely can’t pick a “best” book.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Just recently discovered Straight No Chaser (an accapella group) and I think they’re pretty amazing. Hmm…there was a lot of music in my life this past year actually.

26. What did you want and get? To get back in shape and look and feel good about my self-image.

27. What did you want and not get? A new car.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? I didn’t really watch a lot of movies either, and I can't think of one that stood out for me.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 33, and I don’t remember what I did. Uh…not good. ;-)

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I really don’t know how I could answer this. This year was amazing, I can’t imagine asking for anything else.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Well, the first half of the year was “whatever fits that doesn’t make me cringe”. The second half was more of a “self-discovery” of what looks good again. I’ll be back in full “fashion diva” form now though.

32. What kept you sane? God, my faith family, my mom and the blog world.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Do I really need to tell you this one? AS if I haven't turned this whole meme into a NKOTB love fest already? Okay, here's Donnie in case you were wondering...standing MERE inches from me...sigh...

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Well, this was the year of the presidential election that will go down in history, so it was hard to not be politically stirred, wasn’t it?

35. Who did you miss? I missed my grandma a lot this year. There were just a lot of times that I really wanted to talk to her.

36. Who was the best new person you met? There were a few people I met at the end of 2007, but really got to know in 2008 that completely changed my life. I also “met” myself all over again in 2008, and you know what? I’m pretty awesome. Haha. But actual, real people that I met in 2008? It was really cool to meet Frances in person, she’s awesome. Also, my new boss and all the folks at my new job are pretty cool. And then there’s the youth.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Here's one: Lifehouse - Everything: You are the strength, that keeps me walking.You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.You are the light to my soul.You are my purpose...you're everything.How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Let me know if you do the year end meme!

The ABC's of Me - With Photos

I was tagged by Frigga quite a while ago with this ABC Meme, and I didn't forget about it so much as I just haven't been posting all that much lately. But I figured this would be a good post for a rainy Friday...

A is for: Attached or Single? Single and always loving it, but…as I mentioned in pretty much every single one of my “The Bachelorette” recaps at Café Karina…if anyone has Jason’s number, I’m willing to change that status for him.

B is for: Best Friend? All my friends are the best.
C is for Cake or pie? Pie, although, I much prefer mousse, chocolate mousse…YUM

D is for: Day of choice? Saturday for sure, get up when I want, go to bed when I want, do what I want in between…I love me some Saturdays!

E is for: Essential item? Just one? Cell phone. My life is in that phone, and wait till I get a blackberry or palm treo or something of the sort…I’ll be unstoppable then!

F is for: Favorite color? I do not have a favorite color, per se, but lately I’m quite partial to jewel tones, that deep purple that’s so in vogue, the emerald green…those colors

G is for: Gummy bears or worms? Neither, I’ll take Sour Patch Kids please!

H is for: Home town? I don’t know, I suppose I’ll go with Lowell, Massachusetts, because that’s where I spent my formative (i.e. teen) years…

I is for: Favorite indulgence? Shoes..shoes are by far my favorite indulgence

J is for: January or July? Always July…can it be July for a few more months?

K is for: Kids? LOVE kids. I especially love other people’s kids, because at the end of the day? You get to give them back and go home to your nice quiet kid free condo! ;-)

L is for: Life isn’t complete without? Love. And by love I mean faith, friends, family, all the really important things

M is for: Marriage date? You never know, that might actually happen in this lifetime, but first we need to work on the letter A above.

N is for: Number of brothers and sisters? One biological brother, Candid Brother himself (seen here with a "friend"). One lil’ sis through Big Brother Big Sister: Lil' K

O is for: Oranges or Apples? Mangos. WHAT? No one said I had to play by the rules.

P is for: Phobias? Ledges…not so much heights, but the “edge” of high (and not necessarily high) places freak me right out. And being underwater…can’t do it, won’t do it…EVER.

Q is for: Quotes? “What you think of me is none of my business” - Terry Cole-Whitaker; “If you think you are too small to make an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito." - Anita Rodick

R is for: Reasons to smile? All of the above, all of the below, the many many blessings in my life. Oh yeah, and chocolate.

S is for: Season of choice? Summer, Summer, Summer!!!! And just in case you missed it…SUMMER.

T is for: Tag 5 people: Sorry folks, I'm not tagging, but I'm inviting you to do this meme if you want to...I think you'll enjoy it.

U is for an Unknown fact about me: Oh come on, my life is an open book! No? Okay, let’s see…I don’t drink soda…ever. Not for health reasons or any of that, I just don’t like carbonation in my drinks.

V is for: Vegetable? I love veggies, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, green beans, snap peas, you name it, I probably like it…veggies are great!

W is for: Worst habit? Picking at my acne in my sleep. Yes, I know it’s gross, I don’t do it consciously…and besides, why am I still getting acne in my 30’s anyway?? Sheesh!

X is for: X-ray or Ultrasound? UM…yes, I’ve had both done…is that the question?

Y is for: Your favorite food? You should know by now (or you will learn anyway) that I suck at picking favorites…there’s no way I can do it, especially with food…and shoes…and people…and colors…and places and…

Z is for: Zodiac sign? FISHES…ironic for someone deathly afraid of being underwater, doncha think?

Z is for: Which zoo animal is your favorite? TWO Z’s?? And again with the favorites. It’s a toss- up between the wild cats (any of them, panthers, tigers, lions, leopards) and the monkeys…I love monkeys!

I also grabbed this meme from Frigga right around the same time...I wasn't tagged for it, but I tagged myself...so, might as wel throw it in here. It's the MeMe of Firsts and Lasts:

First real job: By real, I’ll assume that means babysitting doesn’t count, so we’ll go with the first job where I paid taxes and that would be every American teenager’s dream job (insert sarcastic eye roll here) McD’s.

First screen name: As if I could remember that? It was something on Compuserve, I know that…remember compuserve? Am I dating myself here?

First funeral: For the father of a friend of mine, who died from Lou Gherrig’s disease…I was 17 or so…it was horrible

First pet: Nice, the cat. Her name was the ultimate misnomer, she was NOT nice, but she was beautiful, and became the mother to the nicest, sweetest most awesome cat I’ve ever had, Pom-Pom

First piercing: and only – ears; oh wait, I’m lying, I got a second hole in each ear at one point, but they got infected and I let them close up

First tattoo: could be happening very very soon…stay tuned

First credit card: probably one of the many I signed up for on spring break in Daytona so I could get free stuff

First kiss: YUCK…read this post where I told you all about it.

First enemy: Stacy Greekopolous (not her real last name). She was evil, and jealous and made 8th grade miserable for me…but I got sweet revenge without even doing anything..maybe I’ll tell you about her someday.

Last car ride: home from work today, in the pouring rain...what fun!

Last kiss: OH, we don’t want to relive that fiasco, can we talk about the one before that instead?

And that's that...Happy Friday everyone. Hop on over to Cafe Karina for the latest "So You Think You Can Dance" recap, and Creative Karina for my latest entry into Pensieve's Poetic License (where she created a whole new poetic form JUST FOR US). Tomorrow stop by for Photo Hunter, and next week I'll have my next installment in my tales of "All The Boys I've Loved".

Thursday Thirteen #38

Okay, fine, I admit it. I'm one of them. One of who you ask? I'm one of the millions who watch American Idol every season. And yes, I watch from the God Awful audition process all the way to the finale. I love music, I love discovering new voices to add to my music collection, so I enjoy Idol. So, this week I was excited about the return of the show, and have been glued to my television set the past two evenings, watching the audition shows. And this brings me to my Thursday Thirteen today...Thirteen Observations about American Idol:

1. Enough. Seriously...enough. Enough with the William Hung's of the world. ENOUGH! Does anyone really still find the audition process with the obviously staged bad singers making complete and utter fools of themselves fun or funny?? Really? Because the brain cells I've lost the last two evenings as I fast forward through all the bad auditions? I can't get those back. OH, enough already!

2. If only they would focus on the actual "singers" who try out, and let us hear some more of the talent that exists out there, we as viewers could get so much more out of this show. There are some AMAZING singers out there, incredible, and every once in a while they showcase one of them and blow me away. MORE of that, please.

3. Simon Cowell? I Love the guy. I love him. I know he can be a real jerk, and I know that if I knew him in real life...well, no, actually, I think we could be great friends in real life. He's funny, he's sarcastic, he's a jerk, but he's right. He's right 99.9% of the time. Think about it, how much fun would it be to be friends with this guy and be out places with him, picking on the people around you? Admit it, FUN.

4. Paula Abdul? I know it's early in the season yet, but...is she more normal this time around or is it just me? I'm just sayin'.

5. Randy? I don't think I've heard him say "dogg" once yet...could it be? Has he retired that annoying need to be "young and cool?" Still with the "pitchy" though, but I guess you can't teach an old "dogg" all new tricks, right?

6. Do you think they'll change the voting method this year? After the whole SanjayaGate, I can't help but wonder if perhaps they'll change it so that the judges have some weight toward the vote (a la "dancing with the stars"), or if they can select the bottom three or the audience to vote from (a la "so you think you can dance"), or will the voting stay the same? And if so, then who will be the next Sanjaya, Scott Savol or whoever else "Votefortheworst.com" has targeted in the past? Will the judges be more careful to not allow someone like them through?

7. Back to the bad auditions for a minute because I'm actually typing this as I watch the show...okay, seriously, do these poor children not have parents, friends, siblings, enemies...ANYONE at home to tell them that they should stay home? Anyone?

8. My favorite American Idol to date? Hands down Kelley Clarkson. Funny thing is, I never watched the first season of AI, and I wasn't even really a fan of hers until recent years, but that girl can SING and I just love her "angry" music. It's fun, it's powerful and it's really good for "angry days at The Firm" too.

9. Close second? Carrie Underwood. I love her. That's it, I just love her. She's talented and her music is beautiful.

10. And then there's Daughtry. I loved Chris Daughtry from the very beginning, and was one of the many really pissed off when he got voted off. But hey, he laughed that loss all the way to the top of the charts didn't he?

11. And then there's the other winners...Ruben who? Taylor what? Guess it doesn't work for everyone, does it? Is it something about the "guy" winners? Because all the girls seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. Fantasia's on Broadway, and it's too early to tell, but Jordyn Sparks seems to be doing alright too. Yet, the "guy" runner's up seem to do fairly well for themselves. Odd?

12. Okay, so I get the whole "back home I farm and own 3 horses" stories for those who actually make it through, or at least the ones who stand a chance...but for those who obviously won't be going through...see, this is where the staging comes in...when you've got them going home with the crazy chick with the eye glitter...can we save this stuff for when we actually care about the singers (emphasis on the word SINGERS here)?

13. I'm thinking of doing an Idol recap post (in addition to regular posts) as the season progresses on the day after the performances (and again a short one after the results show)...what do you think? Should I do it? I think it could be fun...

Okay, that's it, I'm done. I know it wasn't the best TT list ever, but I told you, my brain cells are shrinking in number by the minute as I watch this audition show...see, there goes another one...

Interview with a blogger

There’s this great new meme going around and I just HAD to take part in it. Basically, a blogger interviews you, and you post the answers on your own blog. Then you invite your readers to volunteer to be interviewed, and you interview THEM, and they post it on their blog, and then they invite their readers to….well, you get the point. Can you just see how fun this can get? Because, then, when you post your answers, and ask your readers if they want to be interviewed, I can go and ask to be interviewed again, and this can just be blog fodder for ever and ever…and you’ll get to find out those things about me you’ve always wanted to know…or something…okay, anyway…

My buddy Frigga recently participated with this post. Of course, I happily volunteered to be interviewed. Here are her questions, and my OH SO witty answers. Ahem, right…let’s get on with it.

It took me quite a while to answer these, and if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that A)I break rules, and B)I'm very long winded...so...enjoy, it's a long one:

1. Let's get the obvious out of the way - why do you blog?

WELL…the timing on this couldn’t be more perfect, because I just answered this yesterday in my Fun Monday entry. However, the short answer is this: I blog because I’m a writer by nature, and need an outlet for my creativity, even if it's just in the form of my random thoughts. I blog because I always have a million things zooming around in my head that I want to explore and elaborate on. I blog because it’s fun to see how people react to my zany thoughts, and get other opinions on things I wonder about. I blog because there is this insanely cool world in the blogosphere that I’ve now discovered and just CANNOT get away from. I blog because it is just the coolest thing EVER and I love it. I blog because I've always been a bit of an attention whore, and love the attention my blog can get me. Well, so much for a short answer, right? But there it is...I blog because it seriously is one of the greatest ways I've encountered of getting to be ME.

2. Okay Ms. Single - what are you looking for in a man?

Frigga, this is why we get along so well. Because we are obviously on the same wavelength. Again, I just answered this in my Thursday Thirteen post last week. However, the TT was written in fun and humor, and I think some folks actually thought I was serious about wanting each and every one of those things exactly as I requested them. One person even told me my standards were too high...so I’ll be more serious in my answer here. (However, for the record, my standards are pretty damn high...I've been single this long, why should I settle for less than the best?)...okay, okay...

What am I looking for in a man? It would be easier to answer with what I am NOT looking for in a man, because that I know for sure. What I want, I’m not so sure about.

I am looking for someone who is going to come into my life to make it just that little bit...more. I have a good life. Actually, I might even go on and say that I have a great life. I have a good job, make decent money, own my own place, have a wonderful group of friends, a fantastic family, and am not lacking in things to do to keep me occupied. I am truly blessed with my life, and don’t take any of it for granted. I have worked my ass off to get where I am today and have what I have, and don’t ever sell myself short in realizing what I’ve gotten for myself. I am a truly independent soul, and have gotten used to living life on my own. I have learned to be alone without feeling lonely, and I have also learned the art of surrounding myself with great people when I can’t stand to be alone any longer. So, what the hell does any of that have to do with what I’m looking for in a man? It’s easy. I’m looking for someone who is just going to kind of easily FIT into my lifestyle.

Yes, I’m well aware that I’ll have to adapt, compromise, make some changes, all that comes with the territory of relationships. But I am hoping to find someone who won’t require a complete life change from me, because I’m not prepared to do that.

I have taken the time to work on myself, and make myself the best me that I can. I am looking for a man who has taken the time and the effort to do the same with himself. Someone who knows who he is, knows where he is in life, and has a general idea of where he wants to go next. Someone who can and wants to be with me, but at the same time, can and wants to have his own life apart from mine, in the beginning at least. As things progress, that can change. I grew up in a household where my parents do everything together, and I’m not opposed to that…just not yet.

I am looking for a man who doesn’t have a problem with my self-reliance. I’ll still let him open jars for me, but I can open them myself too, and the truth is if he tries to open them for me all the damn time, it's going to piss me off. Okay, maybe not the jars, but you get the point.

I am looking for a man who can make me laugh. This is key. I think life can really suck a lot of the time, so if we can’t laugh about most of it, we won’t make it. A man who can be goofy, and stupid, and ridiculous, but knows when to turn that off and be serious. No grouches though, please, I can’t handle it. Life is too short to be in a bad mood all the time.

I need my man to be intelligent. As I said in my TT, he doesn’t have to be a genius, but if we can’t have serious, intellectual conversations about stuff, then I’ll get bored real soon. I love to argue and debate, and analyze things…I love to do it with others. My man has to be able to do that with me.

I want a man that can make me feel like a woman. This should need no explanation...any woman out there knows exactly what I mean. It's just that feeling you get that no matter how independent and self-sufficient you are, once in a while, you want to just be a lady and your man to be a MAN.

(it wouldn't hurt if he had THAT back? hmmm...)

There are other things as well, he has to love family, because mine is the most important thing in my life. He has to want kids, because I absolutely want them, and have plans of adopting at least one child in my lifetime, whether or not I have some biologically. He has to be employed, and a hard worker, but not be all about work. It would help if he can dance, but as long as he’s willing to get out on the dance floor with me, I don’t even care if he’s any good. Just dance with me.

And two things I will not budge on EVER are the smoking and the drinking. I will unequivocally NOT date a smoker, EVER…I hate the stuff, want nothing to do with it, and will not have it in my house, will not kiss a smoker, YUCK…no thanks.

And alcohol for me can also be a deal breaker. I enjoy a good drink as much as the next person, but I drink socially, and in small quantities. My days of bragging about how many drinks I ingested are far behind me, and I have no plans of going back there. If “going out drinking” is still part of how a man spends his free time, then he’s not the one for me. If he’s “having a few drinks” while he’s out doing other activities, I don’t have a problem with that. I’m not against alcohol, I just don’t want to date an alcoholic (I’ve done it before, it’s not pretty). And please, whatever you do, don’t be one of those assholes who thinks driving with alcohol in your system is okay as long as you don’t get caught. We really won't get along then.

As far as looks go, I’m not really picky. I could tell you the kind of guys I’m attracted to, but the list is long. The truth is that my tastes have broadened from my younger days, and there are several “types” of men that I find attractive. And I honestly believe that personality has a lot to do with it. I’m not saying looks don’t matter, they do; I’m just saying that just like with everything else in my life, I have eclectic tastes.

How about that for a long answer! Hey, you asked.

3. How many shoes do you really have? And what's your favorite pair? And do you really wear all of them? (I know it seems like three, but it's really only one... Never mind that man behind the curtain)

This is definitely three questions, but since they’re about shoes, I won’t complain. Be forewarned, you gave me 3 questions on my favorite topic...you are in for it now.

Okay, at last count (which was at the beginning of the summer) I had 69 pairs of shoes. Shut up, it is not too many!

However, I have since bought at least 6 more pairs, (okay, I’m lying, I’ve probably bought closer to 10 pairs), BUT I have thrown out about 5 pairs as well. (okay, I’m lying again, I still have them, but they are in a bag in my room which is going to goodwill one of these days, seriously!).

I really do wear I’d say about 95% of them. Seriously. Here’s the deal, I have winter shoes, summer shoes and inbetween shoes. My winter shoes consist mostly of boots. My boots are for all occasions. I have stiletto boots I wear to work. I have other boots I wear which are slightly more comfortable for days when there is snow on the ground, but still dressy. I have boots I wear for really crappy weather days. I have casual boots for the weekends, I have sneakers. I have these in all sorts of colors to go with the myriad of outfits I wear. I have shoes. Dress shoes, casual shoes, work shoes, going out shoes, I have these in all colors. I have sandals. Dressy sandals, casual sandals. Flip-flops I have many. Again, in all colors. On average, I wear about 5 or 6 different pairs of shoes in any given week. Some days I will wear two different sets of shoes, depending on what I am doing in the morning, and then again at night. Because my wardrobe is about as extensive as my shoe collection, I can go weeks without wearing the same pair of shoes twice. I do, however, have my staples, which are worn more than any other shoes. These are usually black. My favorite and/or more comfortable black heels, black sandals, black boots, etc.

I do not feel guilty in the slightest because of my extensive shoe collection. I have paid cash for every pair of shoes I own. I have worked hard for that cash, and I choose to spend it on things that make me happy. Shoes make me happy.

I have never spent above $60 on a pair of shoes. And in fact, the ONE pair of shoes that I can think of that I spent $60 on, are the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I own, and I actually am extremely upset about having spent that money on them. Damn shoes…Nine West might just get an angry letter from me about them.

Most of my shoes I buy on clearance. I own several pairs of designer shoes that I have paid a mere $7 for. With deals like that, what sane person can resist? Shut up, I am too sane!!!

I have shoes I have owned for 6 years or longer. So, although my collection is extensive, I’ve been building it for years. Every year I recycle some, and buy new ones to replace them. This is my shoe philosophy: no matter how fat or ugly you are feeling on any given day, the right pair of shoes can always make you feel 100 times better. Try it, you’ll see.

Now, as far as which pair is my favorite. Seriously? That’s like asking a mother which child is their favorite. I can’t possibly answer that question. So, instead, I’ll show you pictures of some of my current favorites that are in heavy rotation in my closet at this time. Enjoy:

4. What movie character most closely represents you in real life? (I'm sorry that's worded kind of funny,but I don't know how to say it more clearly without typing a paragraph... which I've just done. Please ignore everything after that last question mark.) :P

Boy, that’s a toughie…you've got some thought provoking questions here. Can I cheat and use TV Characters too? Well, I'm going to anyway. The first one that popped into my mind was Carrie Bradshaw, from Sex and the City, but that's because I just answered the shoe questions above. haha...

In all seriousness though...this really is a tough one because there are not any movies out there that I can think of with a female who is single and comfortable with it. Most movies about a single woman focus on her desperate need to find a man. This makes it hard for me to identify with most of them, because although I love men, I'm not desperate to have one in my life.

That said, I remember really identifying with Diane Lane's character "Frances" in "Under the Tuscan Sun". I mean, I didn't get to move to a fantastic Villa in Tuscany, but a lot of the same feelings and personality traits of hers mirrored mine. She is one of the few female characters I can think of who was comfortable in her own skin. She kind of had to learn to get there, and it didn't come without all kinds of drama, but when she finally got there, she was a strong woman, who was making choices for herself, without much concern for what the rest of the world thought about her. She didn't fit any particular "mold" that society wants so badly to put us into. That's me. I live my life by my rules, and most of the time my rules are about as far from society's expectations as you can get.

Another one is Julia Robert's character in Mona Lisa Smile. Here was another woman who was just doing her own thing, and not letting societal pressures dictate how she should live her life. I also felt like her role of teaching these young girls that they COULD be independent, and do their own thing, is on a much lesser scale, how I am with my friends. I'm always the one trying to get them to realize that they are valuable members of society all on their own. Apart from the men in their lives.

This is going to make me sound all feminist and crap, so let me throw in a few characters with a more lighthearted representation of me. When I asked a friend how I should answer this question, she told me to say either Romy or Michelle from Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, because they were fun and stylish and didn't give a crap what anyone thought of them. I love this, I'll go with that. And she added that I'm a little bit Elle Woods from Legally Blonde too...in that I'm more fun than serious, more likely to hang out at some comedy show than a library, but with a sense of style, and even though on the surface I appear fun and carefree (although never ditzy such as Elle), I'm really intelligent and a hard worker, and the results of my work show it.

So, how's that for a long winded answer?

5. And now we've reached gossip time. Please tell us about the worst date you've ever been on.

OOH well...this one also required some serious thought. I have a couple of these as well...the first one I can think of took place when I was still in high school. My friend and I had met some boys from a neighboring city, which was (and still is) known for its crime rate and basic ghettoishness. We thought we were so cool not telling our parents where we were going and hanging out with said boys at their house. Until we went to leave and my car had been broken into, and money had been stolen out of our wallets. Leaving our purses in the car is only one of the many stupid decisions we made that night. I later found out that it had been my own date's brother who had stolen the money, so he could go buy drugs. Yep, that was our last date.

A few years later, during my college years, I attempted to go on a date with a guy I knew from the club circuit. Him and I had known each other for a while, and every time we'd run into each other at the club, we'd hang out all night, but we'd never been on an actual "date". We finally decided to take the plunge, and I bought tickets to catch "The Blue Man Group". (He was to reimburse me for the tickets...think you see where this is heading already? Oh no, it's worse). The plan was that we would meet in a local McD's parking lot, and he would then drive us into the city, where we would have dinner and then watch the show. All was well until he was already 45 minutes late for our meeting time, then arrives and decides he MUST go into McD's to buy a soda, comes back out and realizes he has locked his keys in his car...with the engine running. Cut to two hours later, when a tow truck finally shows up to unlock the car, and we've basically hung out at McD's all night, and I don't even think he bought me dinner...even at McD's. We pretty much called it a night after that, and I never did get my money for those tickets. And no, we never went out again.

Then there was the date I was set up on by a friend. Yes, you can groan now...This was yet another one of those situations where a friend assumes that because you are single, and someone she knows is single, then you two will automatically be a perfect match. For some reason I have yet to figure out, I agreed to exchanging phone numbers with this guy, and for even more inexplicable reasons, after a short telephone conversation, I agreed to have dinner with this guy. Now, I had told my friend prior to the number exchange that I was not looking for an "instant relationship", so for her to please make sure that he was aware of this. She told me this had been claryfied, and he was of the same mindset as I. Great! During our brief telephone conversation, we'd discussed our personal lives, and I'd informed him that I was newly single, and enjoying a bit of that freedom and wasn't looking to get serious with someone right away. Once again, he agreed. Okay, good...right? Yeah.

So, I arrive at the restaurant where we are having dinner and meet him out front. He has put our name in, and we are waiting for a table. He informs me that he has downloaded Alicia Key's "Fallin' to be my ringtone, because he knows I like that song. SERIOUSLY?? Because we have now known each other face to face for a total of 5 minutes. Hmm...okay. Still waiting for our table we begin talking about our individual plans for the upcoming weekend (we are having dinner on a Wednesday night). As I rattle off my extensive plans for the weekend (night out with the girls on Friday, day with my "little sister" on Saturday, blah blah), he stops me and says "Well, what about me? When are you going to make time for me?" Did you hear that? That was my brain doing the tires screeching, putting on the breaks, WHOA NELLY sound... Then our table was called. I spent the remainder of the dinner trying to get my hand back from him so I could use my utensils to eat, and trying to explain to him that marriage was just not part of my plans for that summer. No, I never did go out with him again. My friend did tell me later that he was "heartbroken", and apologized profusely for setting me up with a stalker type, because although I stopped taking his incessant calls, she had to work with him and deal with him asking her repeatedly what was going on in my life. She was actually relieved when she was laid off about a month later.

The most recent bad date I went out on was at least 3 1/2 years ago. This was also my last attempt at online dating, and probably the reason I've been hesitant to try it or any other kind of dating pretty much since then. Here was a guy I'd been chatting with online, and then on the phone with for a while. We were getting along well enough, so decided to have dinner. Now, before I get to dinner, I need to back up and tell you that most of our telephone conversations would either start with him telling me "I just got in from the gym" or end with "I have to get going, I'm heading to the gym". This is very important for you to know.

Also, he had mentioned at one point his recent conversion to Judaism. I didn't particularly have an issue with this, although, in hindsight, I probably should have put more weight on it, because someone who converts to any particular religion in adulthood, is obviously going to have some strong beliefs in that area, and I'm more of a "spiritual" as opposed to "organized religion" type of person.

Anyway, all this background is important because it sets up the punchline. Which is that upon meeting this man, and watching him have to slide sideways into the booth because his ass was too large to fit otherwise, and listening to him try to convert me to Judaism all night, I realized two things. 1. he'd never honestly seen the inside of any gym in America and 2. online dating was just not for me.

And there you have it, me in a nutshell...albeit more of a coconut sized shell...

Now for the rules:

Interview rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

all photos found on google (except for the shoes, of course)