Still No Girl Time Yet

Read the "Girl Time" post that preceded this one.

I miss my girls. I still haven't found time to hang out with them. I was supposed to spend time with them last Thursday, but Easy was sick and waited an extra day before going to St. Louis to pick up his things to move back to Chicago.

I stayed at his parents' house, took care of him, and did my first DIY bridal project. I was happy to spend more time with him... But I miss my girls!

Tonight, they were all hanging out with more of our friends. They were texting me at work so I'd be in on the new jokes they were making.

My friends have a lot of inside jokes. We've all been hanging out since we were children because we grew up in church together. While in youth group we spent an almost unhealthy amount of time together. So we have jokes that go back 10-15 years. It's great times.

Our new favorite thing is to start rumors about each other. Now don't think I mean anything like Rumor Has It or Jawbreaker. I just mean for inside jokes that we jokes with each other about (not in mixed company) for as long as we can remember the rumor.

They have one rumor about me telling a man to "scoot scoot" in a very snooty voice when he approached me in a bar. That never happened. Nothing like it has ever happened in fact. I'm very friendly to strangers who approach me for whatever reason. But it's absolutely hilarious when it's get brought up.

Whoever brings it up goes, "remember that time CeCe told that man to 'scoot scoot'?" Then someone else responds affirmatively and adds something even crazier to the story, such as throwing a drink at him, or demanding he perform tricks for my attention.

It's probably not funny if you're not there to witness it, but it cracks my friends and me up. Do you and your friends do anything crazy that you only do with each other?

Dancing With The Stars, Top 9

I missed Dancing With The Stars airing live because I was dealing with the hell that is unfolding in the airline industry right now. Those folks really need new planes. But I digress. I have found an online episode that I can see before ABC puts it online so I'll still have time to vote online! Just a note, if you're looking for the videos, they're off by one week for some reason, so you have to click the link for tonight's results shows to see last night's show.


Now that Wendy Williams is gone (thank God), I don't think there's anyone left that I just hate to watch dance, so I won't have a "bad" category per se, it'll just be for anyone who didn't impress me specifically this week. I'm really excited for what is to come with this Classical Week theme. I think it will really separate those with presence and technical skills from the rest of the pack.


Here are my categories:

You're So Great, I Want You In The Top Three
Karina Smirnoff and Ralph Macchio (Waltz): The judges didn' like him last week, but I thought he was fantastic. I think he'll be great at the waltz if he just fixes those weird ass hands. But I wasn't convinced he fixed the problem because during their video, he wasn't finishing his moves and that made his lines look icky. Really icky. Karina seems satisfied though, so perhaps it will be better in the dance. I do love their music, as I've loved most of the music. They did a good job of choosing songs that are really recognizable, at least they've appeared in multiple contemporary commercials. When the music started and they weren't dancing, I got worried. Len always fusses when there isn't enough dancing content, so I could only hope they would get it going and have a ton of content once she un-Juliet-ed herself. And oh my wow! Perhaps the lighting helped, I don't know and I don't care, he looked fantastic! His lines were much improved, he actually finished the moves. His shoulders creeped up, but then went back down. They had the elegance, the romance, and timing, everything a waltz could need. Finally! Someone gave me the happy feeling inside I've been waiting for (other than the professional troupe of course). I'd give it a 9, it was just fantastic!
Score: (8,8,9) At least Bruno agreed with me about the score. It was really just fantastic.

Kym Johnson and Hines Ward (Paso Doble): I know the man can dance, but I didn't know what to expect for this week. Usually when a star has a busy week, things go awry, but the football players always do well with the Paso, so I figured he'd be able to pull something off pretty amazing. After watching the video, I was a bit worried because he didn't seem to be getting the steps, but his determination really made me feel reassured. They take me on an emotional roller coaster with some of these video! As soon as the dancing began, I wasn't even a bit worried. It was just amazing. So tight and focused, very intense and right on the mark. He doesn't need lyrics to get a dance right. I was jumping out my seat watching them. It was something I would pay to see. Truly, it was. I would give it a 9. It was just fantastic.
Score: (9,8,8) People really expected higher scores than two 8s. But I think it was okay. He's tied for first place so far.

Mark Ballas and Chelsea Kane (Viennese Waltz): Anyone he dances with already starts off high in my book because I love his daring and innovative choreography. But Chelsea is really growing on me and I was looking forward to see what they would do to jazz up the classical music the entire episode. I figured they would be amazing in the Viennese Waltz, just like they were at the Waltz in the first or so episode this season. The video showed her really struggling, but the clothes never changed, so I assume this was just her first day learning or something like that. I have faith that Chelsea will be amazing. When the dancing started, I was actually confused at first. But then I figured out what they were doing and I was loving it. No one does whimsical like these two. I was entranced. He was like her puppet, but also her lover…? I'm not sure which specific Harry Potter characters they were, but it was both daring and classic all at once. I would give them a 9 if it were up to me. Len fussed but I guess they had enough traditional moves in it to appease him and maybe he'll give them a 7.
Score: (9,8,9) The took first place! I'm so excited for her. I think they deserved it because she's such a good dancer. And I'm really glad Len didn't give them a 7.

Maksim Chmerkovsiy and Kirstie Alley (Waltz): I absolutely love Kirstie and Maks so I really feel like they have to do horribly for me not to enjoy it. And I look forward to the video as much as the dancing. I know Kirstie won't be able to have her usual sass in this dance, so I'm excited to see how she'll add that pizazz in another way. The video reminds us that she is 60. But I have no worries; I'm sure this dance will be fabulous. I love this song and I thought it would be perfect for the waltz and perfect for these two because it has an intensity and a drama that fits them. I gotta say, I wasn't a huge fan of her hands and arms, but everything else was really good. Her legs and feet are always above par. It was really nice to see her softer side. Just wonderful. I'd give it an 8. The judges didn't like it nearly as much as I did. Looks like she'll be getting my extra votes tonight. Sorry Kendra.
Score: (7,7,8) I love it when Bruno agrees with me. They did good. But she does need to improve, I guess I'll grudgingly agree with the judges on that. Whatever.

I'm Liking What I See, But I Want More
Chelsie Hightower and Romeo (Paso Doble): Last week, the judges didn't like his performance as much I remember liking it, but I had more hope for this week. I doubt Romeo has any experience dancing to classical music, but he's good at catching the character of the dance. I just didn't know what to think about his footwork. After watching the video, then I was worried about him catching the character of the dance unless they do a basketball themed classical Paso. Not likely. When they started dancing, I was immediately loving it, though I wished he had as much power in his arms as she did. I absolutely loved the ending though and I really do love that song. Thanks to effective marketing, I now want diamonds and silhouettes. I figured they'd get good scores because they really evoked powerful emotions from the crowd. I'd give them an 8, but I really wanted more technical merit.
Scores: (7,8,8) Carrie Ann Inaba took off one point because of a lift. I hate when she does that. But looks like my 8 was accurate, yay!

Louis van Amstel and Kendra Wilkinson (Viennese Waltz): Her technical skills really improved last week, so I felt like she could handle this Classical week and the technical merit they'll be expected to show. I think the Viennese Waltz will be a good step forward for her as she's "learning to be a lady." Even though the video was silly, I figured she'd still be great. And when the music started I was laughing because I kept thinking of the movie Stepbrothers and the fucking Catalina wine mixer. But I focused back on DWTS and looked at their dancing. She looked great if you ignored her face. She looked terrified in her face, but the rest of her was graceful (except that one foot) and lovely. She made some mistakes, but I liked it overall. I'd give her a 7, but I may be overshooting what the judges give.
Score: (6,6,6) Yup, they liked it far less than I did. I still maintain she was better than "okay."

Cheryl Burke and Chris Jericho (Paso Doble): A side note first, I love Cheryl's new hairstyle. I love that color on her. But back to the dance. The video made me wonder if he could pull off the character of the dance, but I figured he'd be alright. He's freaking Chris Jericho after all. And by the end of the video, I was sure I was right. He went all WWE (or was it WWF? Whatever.) on the TV camera, and I was loving it. Again, I was loving the song selection. The producers really did good this week. But back to the dancing. This particular song doesn't really scream Paso to me, but Chris managed to come off as appropriately aggressive. His feet and legs looked a little weird with the big steps he was trying to take, but overall I liked it. I would give it a 7, just shy of an 8.
Score: (8,7,8) I agree with the scores. They were good scores, I just think he can do better.


You Did Alright
Dmitry Chaplin and Petra Nemcova (Paso Doble): I thought she was great last week, though not as great as the judges thought. I expect nothing less than amazing this week because she is so graceful that classical music just fits her. But the video showed her having a pretty hard time with the character of the dance. I was a bit worried, but I thought she might be able to pull it off. She looked pretty good while they were dancing, but just a little cartoonish. I think her makeup helped her face. Overall, I really liked it. I don't know what's up with my feelings about the dances this week and if I'm just expecting too much, but I don't love it. It made me laugh more than anything else. I'd give it a 7. The judges liked it waaay more than I did though.
Score: (8,7,8) A 7 is a good score for some, but I just know Petra can do better. I still like her though.


I'm Not Impressed This Week
Anna Trebunskaya and Sugar Ray Leonard (Viennese Waltz): What can I say, I'm just not a fan of his dancing. I guess he'll be alright this week, if he can get his posture better. We'll see. I was frustrated with his video talking about how hard it is for a boxer to be graceful and elegant. From my longtime crush on Muhammad Ali to hearing my dad talk about Sugar Ray, I just don't see how expecting a boxer to be graceful is some tall order. But I do love Tchaikovsky and was looking forward to the music if nothing else. I was tickled by him in those blue tights for the ballet class, but it did kind of give me more hope for his dancing. Before they got into the dance, I was liking them, but once they were out on the floor, my smile quickly faded to a frown. They'll get style points, but I honestly didn't like it. It just wasn't smooth like any waltz should be. He's just so awkward. Seriously, I wish they had just done the Viennese waltz and not tried to do those ballet moves. I would give them a 6. The judges liked it more than I did. They valued his entertainment value more than I de-valued his technical errors.
Score: (7,7,7) I completely disagree. But I will just show my displeasure by not voting for him.


This week, I voted for: Romeo and Chelsie, Kendra and Louis, Petra and Dmitry, Ralph and Karina, Hines and Kym, Chelsea and Mark, and Kirstie and Maks.
If I had to pick a Top 3, it would be: Ralph and Karina, Hines and Kym, and Chelsea and Mark.
 

Dancing With The Stars, Top 10

I was sad to see Mike Catherwood go, but then again I wasn't. I was sad because I would much prefer Wendy Williams to leave. But I wasn't sad because he got the lowest scores and was one of the least-known stars, it was his fate to leave. He would have had to be an amazing dancer to make that first cut. But I feel good about this week's performances and am excited to share my opinions because I know everyone cares so much, ha ha. Here are my categories:


Amazing Dancing, Should Get Top Scores
Mark Ballas and Chelsea Kane (Cha-Cha): I just always look forward to Mark's choreography and I like Chelsea and her dancing. Her emotional story about the song written for her was cute. Having dated a couple of musicians and having had songs written for me, I can understand how amazing that is (Easy, your song is by far the best!). And I was interested to hear this song and see what Mark would come up with to please both the judges and the audience. She looked amazing in her outfit and I really enjoyed the dancing from the moment they started. It was young and happy, just like her. And the song really wasn't half bad either. I didn't really feel like her body movement was as good as it could be, but she was good at being sexy, and I really enjoyed the performance.
Score: (7,8,8). Pretty good for week 3, and after only the first elimination. I guess I liked them more than the judges did.

Kym Johnson and Hines Ward (Samba): I just love the song selection for this week for him. Hearing his story about his mom wasn't a surprise because I read about it when I looked him up after the cast for this season was announced. And I'm happy that this song is really happy. And if anyone can pull of a Week 3 Samba, it's Hines. As soon as they started dancing, I was enchanted. Did I mention I love this song? There were moments when he wasn't perfectly on beat, but he was never really off it. And I felt like getting up and dancing with them, which is always my rubric for whether a Samba is really on point. And I really loved the support they showed for him in the audience. It was perfect, but it was so great, that didn't really matter.
Score: (9,8,8). Great scores, just like I expected. They were just sooooo good. Really enjoyable.
 Dmitry Chaplin and Petra Nemcova (Waltz): I would have been quite shocked if her story wasn't about the tsunami and losing her fiance. I wasn't hugely satisfied with her performance last week, but I had hope for her this week. Her story was really amazing about her recovering from what happened to her in Thailand and making something good happen for other people out of it. I'm looking forward to this dance because she does uplifting and elegant well. This dance gave me a sense of peace and was really enjoyable to watch. Petra should give a master class on clean lines with her arms. I loved it, I think it was one of her best dances.
Score: (8,9,8). Yup, really amazing scores. Just like I expected.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kirstie Alley (Rumba): I'm really looking forward to her video and her dancing. I had no idea she had lost so much right around her big break. I would be devastated if that happened to me. I guess the Rumba is just the dance for sex and also to celebrate death. How pagan, but I admit I'm intrigued. I want to see if Kirstie can pull off this Rumba, I bet she can. I was freaking out when he fell, mostly cause I was wondering how he was dragging her big ass across the floor. I hope he didn't really injure himself like Cheryl's partner Christian did a few seasons ago. But Maks was a trooper and finished the dance. Kirstie was the ultimate professional, showing her ability to get back on track once it was clear Maks was going to continue dancing. I'm so glad they finished that dance because she really was amazing. Her hip action was really on point as were her legs. And even her arms and hands were good. If I weren't deducting for that fall, I'd say it was one of the best of the night, but of course I'm biased toward Kirstie, so I don't know if that's accurate or not. I wonder if Maks was over-doing the limp for sympathy as soon as the dance was done or if he really was just professional enough to keep it going for Kirstie. I'd almost prefer the former over the latter because I'd hate for him to be injured.
Score: (7,7,7). Those were good scores considering they lost almost 20 seconds of dancing. I know the scores would have been way higher had they not fallen.


Really Good Dancing But Not The Best
Cheryl Burke and Chris Urban (or is it Irving?) (Rumba): I love the bedroom dance. People draped in sheets, all I think is Toga! Toga! I'm not a huge fan of Chris, but I see the potential. And I love his story about his mom. I'm a sucker for momma stories cause I love my momma. Every time someone does a rumba that's not sexy, Len fusses and complains. When they said in the video they were going non-sexy, I was worried for their scores. But if they have a chance, it's with a momma theme. When they started dancing, I was impressed. If he keeps improving like this, I will be a fan of his, a huge fan, in a couple weeks. I was glad the judges weren't pissy about the dance not being sexy. Yay for Chris and Cheryl.
Scores: (7,7,7). These scores are really good, but I know he can do better.

Louis van Amstel and Kendra Wilkinson (Rumba): I have to say that I just really love her personality. For the first time, I'm really a fan of a couple that Louis is a part of for more than just the laughs and pride they provide. She's a pretty good dancer and I was looking forward to see what they would come up with for this week. I wondered if her emotional story would discuss her bunny-ness, and it wasn't, just a situation influenced by it. It was about love, which makes me happy. As they were dancing, I was marvelling at her legs and trying to not look at her arms and hands. She was better than I expected though cause the Rumba is a hard dance. I think the dance definitely told a love story and I just love her so much, did I mention that?
Scores: (8,7,8). The judges seemed to really like her and the dance, but somebody needs to get Bruno to keep it in his pants, ha ha.

Karina Smirnoff and Ralph Macchio (Rumba): When they said he was doing the Rumba, I figured he was also celebrating someone's death and how he's grown since then. I have to admit, I was happy it wasn't about death, it was about holding onto special moments, particularly his wedding anniversary. I like Ralph and his dancing and his personality is growing on me more and more. I expect if nothing else, he'll have the character of the dance down. I don't know if I care for the song, but I was loving his dancing. His feet were really on point. He can teach the other half of Petra's Master class on clean lines, ha ha. Unfortunately, his hands are still funky, though less funky than before. And it was nice to see a romantic Rumba. Really great. I think this was so amazing, and worthy of pretty good scores.
Scores: (7,7,7). I think I agree with these scores. I hoped for one 8, but he can do better with the little details I think.


Just Okay, You Should/Could Have Done Better
Chelsie Hightower and Romeo (Rumba): I just love looking at him, and the good dancing doesn't hurt either. His story was unexpected. I didn't know he had dealt with the loss of two people he was close with as a child. I guess it really defines you as a young person when that happens. But I was very much looking forward to what he and Chelsie would do with the music out on the dance floor since they have amazing chemistry. After Cheryl got away with a non-sexy Rumba, I was hoping Chelsie could make it through too. I thought the dance was good, but I honestly didn't think it was great. I'm usually less-than-satisfied with people's Rumbas though, so I'm not surprised. Plus his arm lines, were just awful. And the judges are okay with non-sexy Rumbas. I guess you can't criticize someone for honoring a death.
Scores: (7,6,7). I pretty much agreed with these scores. Romeo can dance and personality his way to all 8s at this stage of the competition. So I will vote for him and hope he does better next week.

Anna Trebunskaya and Sugar Ray Leonard (Paso Doble): Last week, I was like, meh, at least that's the way I remember it. I didn't hold much hope for him this week. My daddy was disappointed that the man with the best footwork in the ring couldn't make that translate to the dance floor. I didn't know that much about his career, but I take my daddy's word. He's gonna have to do something amazing to reverse my opinion. I do like the song choice, and if it gets him pumped, I say try whatever works. And the dance selection should make life easier for him in terms of getting into the character of the dance. He still doesn't have enough punch and his feet are funky. But he has improved. He's getting better slowly but surely.
Score: (7,6,7).  His highest scores so far, but he still has a ways to go.


Seriously, Why Did You Come On This Show?
Tony Dovolani and Wendy Williams (Foxtrot): I'm glad she went first so I could get her out of the way. I have little hope for her to improve since she thinks they deserved 10s. Delusional lady. And she wants to focus on her career, how emotional. I guess. I don't have anything nice to say, so I'll just get on to the dance. I usually hate her a 10, and this week, I only hate her an 8. They keep giving her ballroom dances and she'll be alright. She's required not to move, so her inability to move doesn't stand out as much. Still hate her dancing. Next.
Score: (5, 5, 5). I'm not surprised by those scores; she's horrible!


I voted for Chelsea and Mark, Chris and Cheryl, Kendra and Louis, Romeo and Chelsie, Hines and Kym, .
I think the Top Three will be: Chelsea and Mark, Hines and Kym,

I'm Back! And I Finally Have A Real Life To Discuss!

So, I intended on blogging Friday to tell of how the rest of my last week went. But I was just so busy, this is literally the first time I have available to talk about everything. One of my best friends, Bad, told me he knew I must be excited because after so long of feeling like I was at a standstill, everything was moving forward at once. It does seem like quite a bit of the things I wanted to make progress with have all moved forward at once. I'm very excited, I tell you.


Monday and Tuesday
So, let's get to it. I posted my last post on Monday or Tuesday, to say I wasn't going to be posting because I wanted to focuse on my GRE and my upcoming job interview. I did write my posts about Dancing With The Stars, American Idol, and America's Next Top Model. I think I only published one of them, so I will go ahead and publish the other two tonight. But Monday and Tuesday were low-key days. I mostly just sat around the house, doing review questions. I spent some time sending out e-mails to confirm references for my job application. I spent a good amount of time making sure I covered all my bases because I figured I might not want to spend time doing that Wednesday night or Thursday morning.


Wednesday
Wednesday was GRE day and I took the 12:30 exam in downtown Chicago. First let me say, even if you read all the tips for the day of, you still may be unprepared. They told me to wear layers because I wouldn't know what to expect for room temperature. Well, they meant some other kind of layer than what I had on. I had to take off my scarf and my jacket. I had already removed my outerwear (coat, hat, gloves), but I also had to remove those parts of my outfit even though they didn't have pockets and were my layers! But enough complaining. The test went really well. Extremely well. I'm happy about my scores and can't wait to see what type of writing score I get when I receive my scores in the mail in three weeks. Wednesday evening, my parents and I went to visit some friends from church who were in the hospital. There were two different people in the hospital, and there happened to be a lot of folks from our church floating around. It was the most fun I've had visiting someone in the hospital, like a party, but with a weird smell and lots of prayer. Wednesday night, I just wound down and enjoyed watching American Idol and America's Next Top Model. I was very glad I had completed my interview packet beforehand so I could just chill that night.


Thursday
I spent the morning just relaxing and spending some time to myself, reflecting on the last year. I wanted to be perfectly calm and amiable and all the things that are perfect personality traits for a job interview. Then Bad called and asked if I wanted to do lunch before I headed to my job interview. I thought it would be a great idea so I wouldn't be hungry. We met at this great Thai restaurant in Hyde Park. Lunch was great and we caught up and he gave me some tips. We also made plans to have a "gainful employment" party once I have secured a job. And he paid for lunch which is one of those great signs of being an adult, not always splitting the bill. I told him I'd buy him lunch after I get my first paycheck. Then I headed to the interview. The people there were all so nice and smiley and well dressed and not-at-all stressed. It looked like exactly my type of environment. The interview went well. I felt like I used "um" too much, but I think I corrected myself. I felt great about it, especially because the two women interviewing were using words like "when" instead of "if." They told me I could expect to hear something back in two weeks and asked if I could start immediately. wish me luck or pray for me (whichever suits you better) that I get this job. Once the job is secured, I will explain a bit more about it. Thursday night, I went over my friend Gloria's house to dye my hair. I wanted to try a dark reddish brown color. She and I hung out with another of our friends. And when Michelle got to town for the weekend, she came over too and we had an impromptu girls' night.


This post will be too long if I cover everything, so I will stop here and post about the weekend next.

Dancing With The Stars, Top 11, Again

Their premier this season has two weeks of dancing before there is an elimination. I'm a fan of this because it gives us an extra week to get to know the contestants. DWTS is a huge popularity contest, so we're getting to know the less famous contestants before we vote. Also, they're giving the contestants a chance to have a ballroom and Latin dance and get votes for each before elimination. It's just a more well-rounded competition kick-off and I love it.

And can I just say what the fuck is up with Brooke? Why does she refuse to speak into the mic? I seriously can never hear her. Even when I turn up the volume, the music still drowns her, and only her, out. Sigh. On to my opinions because I know you care so much.


Great, Like I Expected/Hoped
Mark Ballas and Chelsie Kane (The Jive): They say they're doing a risky jive. I was excited for the possibilities because I liked her first dance a lot. I know Len is going to hate it because it isn't a traditional jive, but I loved it from the moment they started. They looked like sexy circus dolls or something like that. She's growing on me and I found her more interesteing than last week. I'm officially a fan. I know the judges hated it, but she will get my vote and hopefully she'll stick around. And can I just say, I'm loving their chemistry? I haven't seen him vibe with someone like that since Sabreenah seasons ago.

Cheryl Burke and Chris Jericho (The Quickstep): I had more hope for this week than last week. He may not be good with the steps in the video, but I figured he could get into the character of the dance a bit easier. And I was right. The dance was amazing. His character wasn't as big or outstanding as I would have liked, but that's my only complaint. I thought it was great.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kirstie Alley (The Quickstep): I loved her last week and even though this dance wasn't a Latin dance, but I expected her to still be great. She's so funny and charming (Winning!), and I wanted to see that for the character of this dance. As soon as they started dancing, I kew she had the character of the dance now. She wasn't as light on her feet as I had hoped, but she was simply amazing. She's by far one of my favorites in the competition because she has the whole package.

Lacey Schwimmer and Mike Catherwood (The Jive): I didn't know what to think, but then seeing the video, that made me really raise my expectations for the jive. Not only is he handsome and funny, I think he may be a great dancer (for some dances). I now have hopes for his long-term potential. I was excited to see the dance, and they were great. I liked his movement, especially since the music seemed os dam fast. I doubt anyone else could have danced to that ridiculously fast music. And I'm loving their chemistry. The judges hated it, but I loved it.

Chelsea Hightower and Romeo (The Quickstep): So fine he is. But he still has a ways to go to understand that doing these dances isn't going to ruin his persona. If that was the case, why even be on the show? But after watching the video I had more hope. And I'm liking their chemistry, they're like the new Shannon and Derek. I had my fingers crossed that he could be a gentleman. He impressed me, but I was more impressed by his frame. He wasn't even a bit slouchy. And of course, so sexy. Still reminds me of Will Smith, but this week I'll be voting for him for more reasons than that. And Len Goodman agreed with me!

Karina Smirnoff and Ralph Macchio (The Jive): He isn't as young as he used to be and he's too much in his head. After watching their video, I was concerned, but I had hope. And his kids are adorable. I bet his wife is gorgeous. As soon as the dance started, I felt better that he would be able to pull off a good energetic jive. I didn't like his lines. He didn't seem to be able ot the moves that fast. But everything else was fantastic. Really fantastic. He's quite the entertainer.

Kym Johnson and Hines Ward (Quickstep): After last week, I felt like he could handle a fast-paced choreography-filled dance with fun and excitement. I was really looking forward to his dancing. And the video was adorable. I love seeing Kym learn more about American pop culture. When they started dancing, I was immediately excited about the song. It's one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs. His face wasn't into the dance, he seemed to be thinking too much. But the dance was really amazing. I hope he can do better for the next ballroom dance. I can't wait to see him do Latin again because I'm quite sure he won't be going home this weekend.

None Too Shabby, But Do Better Next Time
Sugar Ray Leonard and Anna Trebunskaya (The Jive): I had hopes for him to do better with a Latin dance rather than a ballroom dance. But he isn't a young guy, so my hopes were tempered. I liked them putting in boxing moves he was familiar with, but with the jive moves, he didn't really look comfortable unfortunately. It was an enjoyable performance, I just hoped he would be lighter on his feet. He had enough energy to make me less than angry about that though. I don't think I'll be voting for him unfortuately.

Louis van Amstel and Kendra wilkinson (The Quickstep): After seeing her video, my suspicions about her rough side were confirmed. But I just love her personality she seems so down to earth. I wasn't too worried about her ability to do the dance like "a lady". She did seem just a bit uncomfortable in her body language, but her steps were great and she seemed great in the dance. And she certainly wasn't effortless. But I want to give her another chance at ballroom.

Dmitry Chaplin and Petra Nemcova (The Jive): I liked them last week, so I expected to like them this week. I was still scared about her abilities with the injuries she's suffered in the tsunami those years ago. Almost immediately, I was a bit bored, but I found her so cute. She wasn't amazing, but she wasn't terrible. And her jive tricks wer ereally something. She just doesn't look like a natural dancer, which is okay. And I love how sweet she is. She's getting a vote more for personality.


Just Awful, Like I Figured/Feared
Tony Dovolani and Wendy Williams (The Quickstep): I still am not a fan, even less so after last week's crash and burn. I just don't think think she has it in her to really learn these dances. Poor Tony. I hope they pair him up with a better person next season. During the video, I was just frustrated with her. Why is she feeling sad about the criticism? She sucked. But I relaxed and tried to give her a more open shot this week. But I had low hopes for this week, even though Tony had more hope for her. When the dance started, I at least was in love with song selection. It's one of my favorite songs for dancing. It turns out she was a bit better because the dance didn't require her to move more of her body than just her feet. But it was still super boring. How can she have so much ersonality and then get on that floor and be so lackluster? WTF?!


This week, I voted for Kendra and Louis, Chelsie and Mark, Chris and Cheryl, Petra and Dmitry, Kitstie and Maks, Mike and Lacey, Romeo and Chelsea, and Hines and Kym. I think it's pretty obvious who I want to go home. My early prediction is that the final three is Chelsie and Mark, Kirstie and Maks, and Romeo and Chelsea, and Ralph and Karina.

Dancing With The Stars, The First 11

I didn't actually get to watch this live tonight because I was out with my mom. We were making up for her double booking me and my father on Saturday. I'll explain that in another post, so on to DWTS!

Thank God for the internet because if I had to wait to watch it online, I wouldn't be able to vote. And by the time we got home, my dad was watching the tv we DVR on, so it was on to sidereel.com to watch the show.
Before I get to my reactions, can I express how sad I am that there's no Corky Ballas on this season? I love him. Couldn't they haven't gotten anyone older than 60 year old Kirstie Alley? Well, nothing can be done about it now. Here are my reactions.


Here's What I Think Of The Partners Before The Dancing Has Begun:
Mark Ballas and Chelsea Kane: haven't bothered to look up into on her cause I just don't care yet. He always gets the quiet fire chick, so I'm hoping she just skips the part where she starts off boring.
Tony Dovolani and Wendy Williams: Poor Tony, why does he keep getting these chicks. You think they'd do better for him after the fiasco with Kate from Kate Plus Eight. I think Wendy would be better with Margaret Cho's partner from last season, Louis van Amstel.
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward; she's great with big teddy bear type guys, so I have hopes that that's how he'll be.
Dmitry Chaplan and Petra Nemcova: He's sweet and I think she is too. Perhaps they'll just be the sweet couple, like Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas were.
Chelsie Hightower and Romeo: They probably won't have the chemistry Lacey had with Kyle last season, but they will be young and fun.
Anna Trebunskaya (sp?) and Sugar Ray Leonard: she always gets the men firecrackers and does well with athletes. I'm looking forward to this pairing, since I now expect him to be a firecracker.
Louis van Amstel and Kendra Wilkinson: I don't know much about her, but he always has extra fun with his women, so hopefully she'll be more fun than the last bunny on the show.
Karina Smirnoff and Ralph Macchio: she always brings out the sexy in her partners who are actors, not as much as some other women, but she will definitely utilize his acting skills and it will be nice to get to see if he can pull off sexy.
Cheryl Burke and Chris Jericho: Um... this could work. I now wish I had paid more attention when being forced to watch wrestling by an old flame. But from what I know about her, if they do have chemistry, it'll be great for their dancing, really great.
Lacey Schwimmer and Mike Catherwood: She always gets the rock and roll guys. I'm guessing he's wild and crazy, but sweet at heart. Showing his softer, sexier side, will be her mission for the season.
Maksim Schmerkovsky (seriously, sp?) and Kirstie Alley: I can't wait to see if he makes her cry. And we know for sure that he'll get her down to a sexy diet-commercial size like four episodes into the show.


And Now For the Dances
Great, As Expected/Hoped
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward (The Cha-Cha): They seem fun together. I had hope from watching the video before the dance began. And they were fun! And he was pretty good, and sooo sexy. I definitely had hope that he'd match up to the other football players, and so far, he's right on target.
Karina Smirnoff and Ralph Macchio (The Foxtrot): He's funny and they have a pretty good chemistry. I just know that with the chemistry, and if his natural talent isn't completely lacking, I figured they would be fine. And I was right, except they were better than fine. So charming, so enjoyable, so great. Not technically perfect, but with his over-analyzing, it will get better sooner rather than later.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kirstie Alley (The Cha-Cha): I already just knew I would be amazed at her wit and the craziness sure to come out of Kirstie's mouth. I knew Maks would work her and get her in shape. But I didn't know what to expect from the first night of dancing. All I knew is I was anticipating it sooo much. If the dances suck, at least I know their pre-dance video will be my highlight of each episode. But. She. Was. Amazing. 60 years old, say what? Overweight, shut yo mouth! Kirstie has amazing timing and musicality. And still great legs. She's getting my extra votes for sure!


Who Knew You Could Dance
Mark Ballas and Chelsea Kane (The Foxtrot): can I first say that I love her personality! I've been bitching about not having any idea who this chick was, but I don't care. And I love her with Mark. I wish I could put her under the Great category, but it certainly wasn't expected. I didn't care til I saw her dance. A Foxtrot is the perfect opening dance for a Disney star, they're used to being that needfully exuberant. The dance was fun and sexy and not too bad on the technical stuff. I hope she lasts in this season.
Dmitry Chaplin and Petra Nemcova (The Foxtrot): With her injuries, I didn't really expect her to be able to do much. Add in the emotional pain because of the tsunami, and I'd be genuinely surprised if she looked great dancing. She ended up being waay better than I expected. She had no problem acting out the character of the dance and being very elegant. I would like a better connection between her and Dmitry, but that may come with time.

Louis van Amstel and Kendra Wilkinson (The Cha-Cha): She has more soul than I expected. And I always love him. I think they might be a better match than I originally anticipated.I definitely like her personality more than I expected. She's fun! The dance was fun, but I wonder if the orchestra was playing it too fast; it seemed...ready to fly off the rails. But I definitely want to see what else she can do.

Lacey Schwimmer and Mike Catherwood (The Foxtrot): I feel like I learned so much about him in this one video. I don't know about the chemistry between him and Lacey, but she never has chemistry right away. And I know they'll be hilarious together in about four weeks. But I had no expectations for the dancing. She smartly limited his moves, but the ones he did I actually really enjoyed watching. He will the one who, if he sticks around, becomes this magically amazing dancer by week eight. I see now why they put these two together. He's the funny diamond in the rough, just like Kyle and Steve-O. Well, more Kyle, but you get my point.


Just Okay, Like I Figured/Feared
Chelsie Hightower and Romeo (The Cha-Cha): I so wanted him to make up for his dad's dancing back in Season 2. He reminds me of Will Smith, which basically guarantees him a vote. But damn, if I was voting on skills, he would be gone! It was painful to watch right from the beginning. He's too cool for school. I expected better from someone who is a football player, but then again maybe not. The only thing he had right was the placement of his feet.

Anna Trebunskaya and Sugar Ray Leonard (The Foxtrot): He should be light on his feet and intense. That's what I expect from her too. But the man wasn't a natural in the video. His darn shoulders were God-awful. The dancing wasn't terrible. I didn't feel lit-up like I should have. Whatever.
Cheryl Burke and Chris Jericho (The Cha-Cha): I doubted he could dance, and I didn't care if he would prove me wrong. After the video, I still didn't care, but my hopes were raised that he wouldn't suck. And I was right, he didn't suck. He's definitely a performer. What can I say? I still don't care about his dancing, but his personality is growing on me.


Not Good, Who Knows If You'll Improve
Tony Dovolani and Wendy Williams (The Cha-Cha): They definitely started off picking dances that are perfect for the contestants. I expected her to be too over-the-top, but I was so wrong. She was underwhelming. She looked timid and unsure. I would have preferred over-the-top. Won't be voting for her.


You Sucked, Why Did You Agree To Do This Show:
The closest anyone came to sucking was Romeo, but he has such performance skills, that his dancing skills were overshadowed and didn't bring it down.

I gotta say, I was completely in agreement with the judges votes once they started off giving Chelsea and Mark three 7s. I truly enjoyed this premiere. I voted for Chelsea and Mark, Hines and Kym, Petra and Dmitry, Romeo and Chelsie, Kendra and Louis, Ralph and Karina, Mike and Lacey, Kirstie and Maks

Dancing With The Stars, The Premiere

I did a post on my ranty blog about Dancing With the Stars. I wasn't sure at the time if I was going to cover it on that blog or this one. But seeing as how I've been talking about American Idol here, DWTS gets the main blog treatment as well.


If you look at that post, I've already covered the main points about the cast of Season 12. But it starts tonight and I'm super excited. Because I'm in Chicago, I have no live music show to go to and therefore will be completely uninterrupted in my enjoyment of the premier. My parents won't even be home because they have their weekly Weight Watchers meeting.


The people I'm looking forward to seeing most is:
Romeo. Not only is he adorably sexy (I think that's a thing, haha), I'm really looking forward to his dancing. I hope he can dance. After the crap his father pulled on the show with not even trying ten seasons ago, I'd hope he wouldn't be on the show unless he intended to actually try to win.
Ralph Macchio. I just like him. And I'm dying to see if he can really dance.
Kirstie Alley. I can't wait to see how much weight she loses and I know she's going to have hilarious things to say.

The people I'm looking forward to seeing least is:
Wendy Williams. I'm an anti-fan. It's not just indifference, I really don't like having to watch or listen to this lady. I hope she doesn't last long. She would have to be an amazing dancer and surprisingly sweet for me to even consider voting for her.
Mike Catherwood. I'm still like, who is this guy? I've googled and wikipediad him. I'm feeling a strong sense of "meh".
Chelsea Kane. I don't know her. She's the first Disney star on the show who I've never heard of or seen before. Maybe I'm getting old. Maybe she's just not that fantastic. Either way, I think they could have picked a better, more-well-known choice for their Disney star. Not looking forward to this. I'm sure she can dance. I'm sure she's surprisingly sexy. Whatever.


If you might watch this show, don't forget to vote. I'm still not over what happened to Sabrina Bryan all those years ago.