Sorry I missed last week, but let me just tell you I was thrilled to see Lovely go home.  I’m so surprised she managed to last as long as she did.  How annoyed were you with Suzanne?  It was almost as if she was in a completely different meeting from the rest of them.  I felt so bad for the girls team- especially when if they had been given good information, they probably could have actually pulled a good menu together.  I’m so surprised that more of the girls didn’t step up later, and tell her off for it.  Then there’s their absolutely awful dinner service where Tenielle get’s thrown under the bus for no reason.  It’s not like Suzanne had a great dinner service either- so when she starts attacking all the other girls in their meeting I about lost it myself.

I LOVED the special guest appearance of Tana, Ramseys wife.  She so rarely appears on camera in any of his shows (The F Word on BBC, being the most frequent appearances), that I always love it when she pops in.  She so clearly wears the pants in the relationship, although you would never think it judging solely on Ramseys individual behavior.

All in all, in terms of performance I thought Tek was the one that deserved to go home, especially since her performance last week was pretty terrible too.  Solely on attitude, I hope Suzanne gets the boot next week.

Hells Kitchen is on Fox, Tuesdays at 8pm PST

Oh man, how great was that Quentin Tarantino shoot-out scene where Michael, Fiona and Sam get some seriously big bullet holes?   Even better is how the three of them critiqued each other’s fake dying techniques.  “Nice fall there, Shakespeare.”  And by the way, next time I bust out the corn syrup I’m pretty sure all I’ll be able to think about is concocting some fake blood.

It was hilarious the way they completely duped that abusive jerk of a dad with pretty simple tactics.  “The same things that scare us as kids tend to scare us as adults,” Michael narrates as they show the jerk dad getting freaked out by a dark parking lot where the lights are going out one by one.  Then comes a loud-noised, screeching car and a little explosive that by that time he’s sure is meant for him.  The best, however, had to be near the end when the jerk brings along his corrupt brother and thugs to see the place where he was almost shot (in the fake shoot-out, mind you).  Of course there’s nothing there, and the guy looks even crazier when Mike pops up as a loving priest,  Sam as a pineapple vendor, and Fi as your average shopper walking down the street.  “They were all shot dead on that street, I promise!”

The meeting with Strickler was a bit of an afterthought, not really connected to the episode’s plot at all… nonetheless, it has me wondering just what Michale’s getting himself into for next time.

Any time a movie gets a lot of Oscar nods, I always get curious and want to see why the film people love it.  This movie lived up to most of the hype, in my opinion, especially the superb acting by Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.  They were so believable as their characters that I forgot they were being played by actors.

Do not watch this movie while sleepy, however.  It’s a little slow-moving, and I could tell it was adapted from a play because of the longer scenes and all the dialogue.   Good thing the people speaking and what they’re saying is so compelling; otherwise I probably would have nodded off.  Speaking of speaking, did I mention this is set in the Bronx and Meryl Streep’s accent is wicked cool?

I love how this movie deals with the ideas of honest doubt vs. blind obedience and loving acceptance vs. strict intolerance.  Father Flynn seems to embody the spirit of the law while Sister Aloysius is clearly the letter.  Poor Sister James, played by Amy Adams, is caught somewhere in the middle as she tries to decide who is right.  When she’s in her classroom her character reminds me so much of me during my first few years teaching, desperately wanting to love and be loved by my students but often at the expense of classroom management.  I would go back and forth between the old school mentality of “students should sit and be quiet and listen” and the more modern approach of a student-centered classroom where students guide the lesson with their ideas and free participation.  There’s no easy way to strike that balance.  Her bigger issue, however, revolves around Father Flynn’s actions and Sister Aloysius’ accusations.  (I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say more than that.)

Anyway, if you’re in the mood for a thought-provoking drama with great acting, this movie’s for you.

This movie is your classic chick flick.  You have a cute girl with an obsession–that we can all relate to, I might add–caught in a dilemma that affects her career, her relationships with family and friends and most importantly her relationship with the super cute male lead, who also happens to be her boss.  It’s so convenient when it happens that way in these romantic comedies.

Now I’ve never read the books that the movie is based on so I had nothing to compare it to, but I thought it wasa fun little watch for a Friday night.  Deep and substantive?  Of course not.  Predictable?  A bit.  But totally worth the Red Box dollar to watch Rebecca Bloomwood go to Shopaholics Anonymous, make up desperate although sometimes ingenious lies to dodge collection agencies, talk to mannequins as she gets sucked into yet another unnecessary purchase and of course fall in love with her Successful Savings boss (played by the very delicious Hugh Dancy).

This is one of my new favorite summer shows, and it’s definitely helped fill that Thursday night void I’ve felt ever since the season finales of The Office and 30 Rock. Even though this is the show’s third season, it seems like you can just pick it up and enjoy it despite not knowing all the background.  That’s what I’ve been doing, at least.  I do plan to get seasons one and two from Netflix sometime,  just for fun.

Basic premise of the show: Michael Westen was a covert ops spy for the government until he was “burned” by his contacts and left high and dry (aka fired) by the government.  He lives in Miami and works with his ex-girlfriend and explosives specialist, Fiona, and a former military spy named Sam.  The three of them take on cases for obscure clients while Mike is all the while trying to figure out who burned him so he can clear his name and get his old spy job back.  I love how Michael narrates this show and explains the best way to get spy stuff done, often with a very tongue-in-cheek delivery.

Last night he was tracked down by an old contact from the Ukraine, whose men kidnapped and chased Michael and Beck, a contact of Fiona’s that Michael had just met and was trying to get to help him, into the Everglades on foot.   Beck was understandably angry to be dragged into all this but refused to listen to Mike, being the too-confident and dumb thug he is, and of course ends up getting shot by the Ukranians.  I kinda hoped Michael would just leave Beck there to reap the consequences of his stupid decision, but no, he has to be a bigger person than I am and drag that huge, now wounded guy with him.

Meanwhile, Sam and Fiona are tracking down the Ukranian boss calling all the shots, and when they do they bring him back to Michael’s mom’s house for some rather ineffective torturing in the garage.  Michael’s mom is this nosy chainsmoker who insists on knowing what’s going on, and while Fi and Sam are fighting over how to get this guy to give them the info they need, the mom goes in and gets the job done.  I loved how she totally freaked the guy out with a few simple lies and shoving a cigarette in his duct-taped mouth.  Classic.  Whatever works, right?

Westen seemed to be in his element taking on a whole group of armed men, using those spy skills that have saved his life more than once.  I love the running narration as he’s setting up for something like that sneak attack; it’s fascinating to hear the tactics and techniques of a trained spy and then see them put into action.

Did I mention that Fiona is still in love with Michael?  Sadly, or not since that definitely adds to the show, Michael doesn’t fully reciprocate even though you can tell he still feels something.  Last night didn’t hate too much with the two of them, beyond the opening scene with her kickboxing the crap out of him, letting her know through sweaty punches and kicks how she really feels about his wanting his old job (scares her to death ’cause she doesn’t want to lose him) back.

Burn Notice is on Thursday nights at 9pm on USA.

I have never been more nervous watching a results show. What the heck happened? Why were the 2 best dancers (yes, my opinion) in the bottom 4?! Ade has been fabulous! And he’s fun, cool, different, and has great personality. The judges hinted that Melissa hasn’t shown enough… I’m not sure if they mean dancing or personality. But either way, I disagree. I think she’s been awesome.

So, anyway, apparently this is my wake-up call that if I’m going to be this upset about one of them going home, I’m going to have to start calling. That way I can at least feel like I did my part in contributing. (I seriously almost didn’t want to watch next week if they went home.)

Instead, it was Kupono and Randi who got the boot. I’m definitely not surprised about Kupono. He’s only had a couple dances that I’ve really liked. And he’s never impressed me with any solo he’s performed. It was his time. Randi, on the other hand, seemed like a crap-shoot. All the girls left are fantastic! I think it will be a toss-up every week to see which one of them goes home. (I just don’t want it to be Melissa or Jeanine.) What do you think?

I’m quite excited about next week! Two of my favorite things put together- So You Think You Can Dance, and Ellen DeGeneres! Ellen will be a guest judge next week. I can only imagine how funny it’s going to be. Watch with me Wednesday, 8pm PST on Fox.

This book is lengthy, almost hitting the 700 pages mark- but absolutely perfect for a good Summer read.  I picked it up last year on the way home from Europe and I was really pleased to see it at Costco last week.  I feel awful for shamelessly neglecting to review this book, when it’s been on my shelf for almost a year now.  My favorite adult reads are those that focus on female relationships and the complexities of their friendships, with a little mystery and romance thrown in for good measure.  This book fits that bill perfectly.  The female characters are strong and fascinating and complex.  It’s quite obvious from the get go that Kate Morton finds women to be the vehicles to move the story forward, while the men are mearly the road they drive upon.  They’re just background in the story, but also ultimately necessary for the destination.  The book can be a little confusing at first since it spans five generations of women, and is told not only from a bunch of different perspectives- but also from a bunch of different generations.  A quarter of the way into it and you’ll hardly notice the changes, and I think it just adds to the richness of the story.  It’s a serious read that you’ll want to devout some time too.

The Forgotten Garden is written by Kate Morton

Apparently, I shouldn’t go out of town. I didn’t get any internet, and the power went out and didn’t record my shows. So, after much searching, and a little cheating, I found most of the shows I wanted to see. (I just now finished watching the results from last week- before tonight’s episode airs in 9 minutes.)

I don’t have much to say… except 1) It was Caitlin’s time to go. She’s been great, but every other girl I think has something more to offer. I didn’t think she necessarily deserved the bottom 3 this week, but overall, the other 5 girls deserve the top 10.

And 2) I am quite upset that Phillip is gone. He was so unique, which they strive for on the show. I know he doesn’t do many of the other styles well, but I have thought Jason deserved to go home more than once. So, I’m bugged that he stayed over Phillip. There are so many “contemporary” guys on the show, and Jason just never showed much of a personality.

C’est la vie. At least they’re taking the top 12 on tour. (And I am planning on going!) Okay, well, the top 10 perform in 7 minutes now. 8pm PST on Fox. Enjoy!

I’m posting again for Elaine today.  This is another show where everything kind of blurs together for me but I just watched the recap at the end so hopefully I can pull this together for you guys.

First of, Mia Michaels has done it again.  That routine by Kupono and Kayla was freaking amazing.  I could feel it.  I could feel Kopono as the addiction holding on to Kayla and totally smug about her coming back.  I could feel it and it terrified me.  I was so scared for Kayla and wondering how she was ever going to get out of it’s hold.  Absolutely incredible.  I was so moved for Kupono that the routine touched him so deeply.  I was moved by the whole thing.

In case you didn’t catch it last night this is the last week these couples will be together which breaks my heart.  I feel like Kupono and Kayla have finally come into their own.  And I can’t picture Randi with anybody  but Evan.  He’s so little how is he going to partner with anyone else?  It’s like the world’s turning upside down.

Besides Kupono and Kayla my favorite couple is Melissa and Ade.  I like that Melissa is kind of the underdog because of her age.  I think they have done so well together.  Really complimented each other the whole way through.

Even though I’m not a fan of either of theirs I think Brandon and Janette are definitely the best couple.  They’ve done everything they’ve been asked to do beautifully.  They both just drive me crazy for some reason so I hope every week that they slip up somehow but they never do.

I’m really afraid that Phillip is going home tonight.  I don’t see how it could be anybody else and that breaks my heart.  Maybe Kupono, maybe Evan but I don’t know.  I don’t know about the girls either.  I hope it’s Caitlin because I’ve never gotten into her.  Well, that’s not true.  I loved the Bollywood routine, but other than that she’s kind of been a nobody to me.

Who do you think is going home tonight?

SYTYCD results show will be on Thursday at 9pm on FOX.

I was a little wary of seeing this movie, only because I’m not a big dog person.  I’ve never had a dog and don’t really have much interest in ever owning one, but I’d heard people say the movie was cute–back when it was out at Christmas time–and I’m always a sucker for Owen Wilson so I figured I’d give the DVD a shot.

Now I have to admit I’m no more interested in buying a dog than I was before I saw it; in fact, I’m probably less so, thanks to the non-stop shenanigans and destruction made by one dog throughout the entire movie.  I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t sell or trade in that crazy dog, especially once they had kids and the dog’s antics affected the whole family.  They had one scene where Aniston had just spent all this time getting their colicky second baby to sleep, only to have the dog bark loudly and wake him up.  The kid starts screaming again and Aniston looks like she’s going to scream herself.  It’s no wonder the couple struggled with their marriage.   “Just get rid of the dog,” I kept thinking, “and your life will be so much easier.”

Even though the dog stuff drove me a little nuts after a while–funny at first, but then it just got old (and way too long)–I was surprised to find how much I liked the story of Wilson and Aniston and their growing family.  Wilson struggles to find his niche in the journalism world, while Aniston gives up her successful career to raise their kids.  And while she chooses to be a stay-at-home mom, like all of us she has a lot of hard days and resents the things she’s had to sacrifice in the process.  Meanwhile, Wilson can’t figure out how to help her be happy when he’s struggling to be happy himself.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones where Wilson pulls into the driveway from work and sits in the car for a few minutes to watch Aniston through the window.  Some days he does it to bask in how content he is with his life, while other days you can tell he just doesn’t want to walk in the door to a grouchy wife, tired and colicky kids, not to mention that crazy dog.  I’m pretty sure my husband has those days where he’d rather just sit in the garage listening to sports radio in his car than come in to our mess of a house with all its immediate demands.

Anyway, it’s fun to watch their family grow up and change over the many years this movie spans, and I was happy the overall message was one about family rather than dogs.

Jillian took Kiptyn on the one-on-one date, and I still love that guy. He’s not the most drop dead gorgeous guy, but he’s cute, and he definitely has a good heart. In fact, of all the Bachelorette seasons, I think I like Jillian’s guys the best. She really does have a lot of great guys to choose from. In just listening to them talk, even they think so. With a couple exceptions, even the guys all like each other and hope that Jill sees through the phonies.

Jill took Mike and Mark on the two-on-one date. I’m sorry, but who is heck is Mark? I do not remember ever seeing him at all. (In fact, I think I thought the same thing last week when she kept him at the rose ceremony.) Anyway, sending Mike home was a shock to me! And apparently to him as well. I mean, they both seem like good guys. Maybe Jill just hasn’t had the time to get to know Mark, and even though Mike is a good guy too, ultimately, if she knows there are guys she likes more, I guess it doesn’t matter who she cuts. Eventually, all but one have to go.

So, I gotta talk about the drama at the cocktail party. What?! It was so sad to see Jillian know that there are loser guys there, but the other guys don’t want to be tattlers, so instead she just has to sit there and guess who it is. I have no idea if Wes really has a girlfriend. I certainly wouldn’t put it past him. But I did feel bad that Tanner was getting crap for telling Jillian about it. (Clearly he wasn’t the only one telling her things.) And I loved that Chris stood up for him.

In the end, she did send home Dave (Hallelujah!- he’s an ___!) and Juan. I really didn’t have that much of a problem with Juan. But I don’t think he was right for Jill anyway. I’m sure she knew that too. I’m crossing my fingers it’s Wes who goes next week. If it is, I will truly be happy with ANY guy she picks, because I really think they are all quality.

Have you noticed one of our “regular” contributors Julianne has been MIA the last few months?  Well we finally get to see the results from all that hard work rest, she just gave birth to a little girl!  So congratulations from all of your friends here at blogthedayaway-  Love you!

If you didn’t catch Wipeout last year you missed out on a whole Summer full of laughs.  Wipeout is a HUGE obstacle course that grown adults run and fall on their a$$ over and over and over again.  It is hilarious!!!  It’s not really a blogable show but rest assured our family will be gathered around the tele laughing our tails off every Wednesday night (or maybe Thursday afternoon for the kids).  This is a show that Scott and I watch together and laugh terribly hard at.  What I’m trying to get at here is that it’s not just for kids this stuff is priceless.  I can’t wait to see this new way off forcing people onto the big balls.  It looks fantastic.

Anyone as excited as I am for Wipeout?

Wipeout is on Wednesdays at 8pm on ABC.

cake wrecks

I thought that was a great night! There were a few little things here and there that I could critique, but overall, it was awesome! I know I’ve been saying this for a while, but this is the best top 3 American Idol has ever seen!

After round 1, I thought Adam had it in the bag. He blew Danny and Kris out of the water. (I still think he’s too much… and I can’t stand watching him stick his tongue out when he screams high notes.) But I can’t deny that he’s got talent.

I actually thought Kris did a nice job on “Apologize,” but I completely agree with what Simon said. If you give a guy a song, and tell him to sing it, you can’t criticize him for singing it!! He and Danny both did AWESOME on their second songs. Honestly, that was probably one of my favorite arrangements (EVER) of “You are so beautiful.” And I could have been listening to Kris’ “Heartless” on the radio!

I can’t help but wonder how much one person might be helped (or hindered) by the judges song choice, and/or by their order. Of the 3 left, Adam has sung last the most. And, personally, I think it gives him an edge. People generally remember the last one. And the first song that Danny sang didn’t really do much for me. I blame that on Paula. If they make such a fuss over song choice, they had better pick a good song. And not only that, but I think it’s a disservice to give 2 of the guys a well-known song, and the other one gets a song only our mothers know.

Ultimately, it’s down to the end, and I honestly think any one of them could go tonight. But if it were my choice, I think Danny should go. Adam and Kris have proven all along that they deserve to be in the finals. What do you think?

Well, I totally regret not blogging last week. If you didn’t see it- watch it! It was one of the most amusing episodes ever! Coach just gets better ever day. And when I say better, I mean completely ridiculous! So… on to this week’s episode.

First of all, I really have no idea why everyone hates Sierra so much. I actually laughed out loud at one point, where Tyson was talking to Sierra, because it reminded me of Michael’s relationship with Toby on The Office. He can’t ever give a reason, but he hates her! And that made me start thinking about Tyson, and how cocky he is, and that he is really starting to drive me crazy.

So, during the immunity challenge- (did that not look like one of the coldest moments ever?!) I couldn’t believe “The Warrior” would be such a wimp and sit out to eat. And it almost backfired! I was on the edge of my seat, hoping that Sierra could hold on to win it. *sigh* I don’t necessarily like her and want her to win, but I’m just sick of Coach and his cocky, patronizing attitude.

So, ultimately, that was one of the greatest Tribal Councils ever! Last week, I was praying that they could blindside Coach… and they didn’t. So, I just didn’t think they would have it in them to blindside Tyson. Especially after seeing JT shake hands with Coach. But they did it! Two weeks ago I would have wanted Tyson to go to the end. But that was one of the greatest blindsides ever! And even better was watching Sierra and Brendan be just as surprised! I can’t wait for next week, when Coach has to scramble…

Watch Survivor Thursday at 8pm PST, on CBS.

Well, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised last night. Disco night is usually terrible in my mind, but almost everyone did something a little different that it didn’t even feel like Disco night.

Lil’ started out the night… and I initially had a little hope for her. But she just doesn’t make anything her own. The girls still has a great voice… but as soon as Kris stared singing, it was apparent why the judges keep saying the same thing to Lil’. Kris did awesome! I absolutely LOVED his version. And it was so obviously him. Has has definitely moved up into my “favorites” category. (Had Lil’ sung after Kris, I think they would have been a lot meaner about it.) I did feel bad for her. She hasn’t gotten a nice critique in weeks.

To be honest, I actually agreed with (almost) everything the judges said last night. Allison has a great voice, but her song didn’t wow me. Anoop can sing, but I still think he’ll be in the bottom. Matt can sing- although I thought he had the same problem as Lil’. It just felt like a disco song. Adam rocked it… like usual. The only one I didn’t agree with was Danny. I like the guy. He can sing. But, I’ve gotten over his sad story. And he doesn’t have much personality anymore. He can sing, but I was not nearly as impressed as the judges were. Ultimately, like they said, I’m just so glad that all of the top 7 are great singers!

I definitely think the bottom 3 should be the same- Matt, Lil’, and Anoop. (And I think Matt and Lil’ should go.) We’ll see if it last week’s save was even worth it.

If anyone had an advantage this week it was definitely Tammy and Victor! However, because of the luck of the game, it didn’t seem to help them out much. Their cab driver didn’t know where he was going, Tammy got some lame birds, and 2 other teams followed right behind as they were doing their Chinese writing detour. (They would have been so lost without T and V.) I think that’s the only thing I don’t like about the game- how much luck is involved. At least 3 teams finished together. And it’s going to make for a very tight race next week!

And, of course, I cannot ignore the “battle” between Luke/Margie and Jen/Kisha. First of all, it was clearly BOTH of their faults. Some pushing and shoving is bound to occur when 2 people charge a route marker at the same time! (And when I watched the 7 replays, it seemed like one run-in was Jen’s fault, and the other was Luke’s.) However, despite the battle, what happened at the pit stop was blown out of proportion! Phil was nice and let each of them tell their own story. And when Kisha and Jen laughed while Luke was talking, Margie flipped out! I can understand where she’s coming from. She’s been protecting her son his whole life from bullies. But, I do NOT think Jen and Kisha were laughing at Luke. When I’m stressed or nervous, I laugh! And even Phil thought it was innocent. It really bothers me when people assume the worst, and play the victim. As sad as this is, this was the straw for me rooting for Margie and Luke. What do you think?

I think Mark and Michael were doomed from the beginning. Depending on the leg of the race, and where the next destination is, a 4 hour penalty can definitely be made up. But not this time. There were so many flights to China, and both tasks seemed to “reasonably” quick. I’m definitely glad they went home.

My favorites now are Tammy and Victor, and Jaime and Cara. Every team has done something to bother me at some point, but I think Tammy and Victor play the game the best. Although I do really want an all-girl team to win at some point!

Watch Amazing Race, Sunday at 8pm PST, on CBS.

Well, I’ll cut right to it! No one went home!! The judges have been talking about using a “save” for awhile. If someone ends up in the bottom that they feel deserves another chance, they’ll let them stay in the competition one more week. (They only had 2 weeks left to use it.)

The bottom 3 were Anoop, Lil, and Matt. (Which I thought was 100% the right people). It’s getting to the point that even the good singers are in the bottom because there are only 7 people left! But did you see how pissed Lil looked standing there? It’s actually kind of sad… I just don’t think she understands why she’s in the bottom.

It ended up being Matt at the bottom, who sang for his life, and the judges were discussing the entire time what to do. (I think Simon knew from the beginning he was going to save him.) However, now that he’s saved, 2 will go home next week. I kinda feel like Matt is still going home… he just gets a chance to sing once more. And sadly, as Simon put it, next week is Disco week! This will be a true test of who can sing anything, and who can make something their own!

I apologize for being so late. My tivo didn’t record (perhaps something I did…) but I’m trying to get this posted before the results air. (It will be brief.)

So, I don’t know about the rest of you. But I’m just not that into anyone right now! If I could pick the top 3, it would be Adam, Allison, and possibly Danny. The rest seem to be a crap shoot! I used to love Lil. But, she just hasn’t wowed me at all. (However, I think she did better than she got credit for last night.) And Kris has as great voice. But there’s nothing going on in the personality department. (Plus, it bugs me that he constantly looks like he’s smiling- while he’s singing!) Then there’s Matt- I could point out quite a few things to be critical of… but mostly, I don’t like that he looks like he tries SO hard to be a star. He’s goes a little over the top in facial expressions and singing all over the place.

And who else am I missing? Oh… Anoop. I agree that he did better this week than last, but still, I forgot about him!

Honestly, I think anyone could go tonight! I think my surety that Adam will win has made me not really care how well he does. (I didn’t love his performance… last week’s was, by far, much better.) But he has enough fans that he’ll get through no matter what. Allison hasn’t proven the same… which I think might change as the numbers go down. With less people to choose from, the mediocre will be weeded out quickly.

Any quick thoughts? The results are up shortly!