Music is one of my favorite things... Each morning when I turn on my computer, I open iTunes and minimize it for use throughout the day. Whenever I sit down at the computer, I immediately maximize iTunes and find something to listen to. I need music to function!
As Madonna says, "Music makes the people come together." (That was so cliche... Whatever! HaHa!)
For as long as I can remember, when summer rolls around, I've always put together some sort of "mix" tape, C.D., playlist, etc. I listen to it all summer long and memorize all of the words... It's just something that I love to do and have done it for so long.
This summer is no different. Being that I don't listen to the radio a lot because I can't stand commercials, I'm usually "behind the times" when it comes to the newest singles from artists. (I'll usually start listening to a song after it's been overplayed on the radio. What can I say?!) However, I feel that my playlist for this summer is pretty current as it includes the newest single from most of the artists.
The following is a list of my favorite songs from the summer in no particular order. If you haven't heard any of these songs, do yourself a favor... Preview them on iTunes, download/buy them, and enjoy them just as much as I do!
My Summer 2009 Playlist:
01. "I Gotta Feeling" - The Black-Eyed Peas
As soon as this song starts, I start bopping my head. I just can't help it. With simple lyrics that are pretty easy to memorize after a few listens, this makes for such a fun sing-a-long! It's also a great way to either start your day or start your night out on the town!
02. "Waking Up in Vegas" - Katy Perry
Being that I love Las Vegas, I was bound and determined to love this song. Listen to this and try not to dance in your seat during its chorus. It's fantastic! (Also, when you go to Las Vegas and hear the slot machines chime, you'll immediately think of the beginning sounds of this song!)
03. "Celebration" - Madonna
In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Madonna. I own every one of her albums, and I am eagerly anticipating her new greatest hits compilation, 'Celebration', which hits stores in September. This is the new single from that compilation, and it sounds a lot like "old Madonna" from back in the day. It's pure dance music, and it's great!
04. "Change It" - Dolly Parton and Cast of 09 to 05: The Musical
I love me some Dolly Parton, and I enjoy this song because of it's message. "Nothing's going to change if you don't change it!" It's very uplifting, and you can't go wrong with Dolly Parton, who is always wonderful and still sings so beautifully!
05. "Straight Through My Heart (Soldier Down)" - Backstreet Boys
I am a huge fan of Backstreet Boys, and I don't care who knows it. HaHa! Thanks to my best friend, Sarah, who always bought their albums for me, I have grown up listening to them. Their newest single from their upcoming album, 'This is Us', is fantastic. It's got a great beat and a chorus that constantly pops up in my head.
06. "Sweet Dreams" - Beyonce
Try to listen to this without breaking it down! If you've seen the music video, you'll see that even Beyonce can't help herself! It's got great lyrics and an awesome beat. Definitely download this one!
07. "Battlefield" - Jordin Sparks
OMG! I love this song! This is another one where I'm constantly dancing in my chair. This past American Idol winner does a great job on this song, and I'm looking forward to seeing her perform it live when she opens for Britney Spears next month in Miami.
08. "It's Amazing" - Jem
This could be an old song... I'm not entirely sure. I heard it on the trailer to Julie & Julia, and it was so catchy that I kept singing it for days. I finally looked for the name of it, downloaded it, and I LOVE IT!
09. "Please Don't Leave Me" - Pink
As soon as this song starts, you'll like it. It's catchy, and Pink sounds great. I really do enjoy it! It's the third single, I think, from Pink's newest album 'Funhouse', which is a great album.
10. "It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You" - Tim McGraw
By chance, I happened to come across this on iTunes this past week. I'm a huge fan of Tim McGraw, so I immediately downloaded it. It's a very catchy, clever, and humorous song, in the spirit of "Back When" off of his album, 'Live Like You Were Dying'.
11. "Already Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
The music may remind of you Beyonce's "Halo", which is because both are written by the same person, I believe, but that doesn't take away from how beautiful this song is. I've been a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson, even from American Idol days, so almost anything that she releases is good in my book.
12. "Cue The Rain" - Queen Latifah
I absolutely love Queen Latifah, and this is such a wonderful song. This is another one where you can't help dancing while listening to it.
13. "You Belong with Me" - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is just irresistible it seems, and so is her music. This is an adorable song, and she's got a wonderful voice that shines on this song. The music video is great, too, if you get the chance to catch it.
14. "Hey, Yo!" - Brooke Hogan and Colby O'Donis
I hate to admit that I like this song because I think that Brooke Hogan isn't the best of singers. However, after hearing it, I couldn't stop humming it... Luckily, Colby O'Donis brings some experience to the song and adds some necessary talent. HaHa!
15. "Closer" - Sugar Ray
I was surprised to see that Sugar Ray had a new album, 'Music For Cougars'. I previewed the tracks on iTunes and really enjoyed this one the most. It's pretty catchy, and Sugar Ray still sounds great after all of these years.
16. "So Fine" - Sean Paul
As soon as I heard "Get Busy" some years ago, I became a fan of Sean Paul. "Temperature" came after that, which I also loved. Now, "So Fine" is here, and it's in the same realm as the aforementioned songs! Wonderful!
17. "Fire Burning" - Sean Kingston
Here's another one that got stuck in my head so many times that I broke down and downloaded it. I'm glad that I did because it's become a favorite of mine this summer.
18. "21 Guns" - Green Day
One of the only good things to come out of Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen is this song, which is featured on the soundtrack and throughout the movie.
19. "Know Your Enemy" - Green Day
When Green Day was on Saturday Night Live, they sang "21 Guns" and this song. It's very repetitive, but that's what made it appealing to me. I couldn't stop singing it...
20. "Obsessed" - Mariah Carey
I downloaded this without hearing it because I like Mariah Carey a lot. It's certainly not her best song, but it's catchy, and I enjoy it.
21. "Her Diamonds" - Rob Diamonds
Here's another song that I heard a few times and finally downloaded it after not being able to get its chorus out of my head.
22. "LoveGame" - Lady GaGa
Surprisingly, I became quite the fan of Lady GaGa this summer. With "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", I kept thinking that me liking her was just a fluke. It was really this song that cemented me becoming an actual fan.
There you have it! My playlist for summer 2009! Each song is great in its own way, and I look forward to the upcoming albums that will house some of the above songs.
Let me know your thoughts, and include some of your favorite songs from this summer in a comment. I love checking out artists that I may have never of or songs that I may have missed when I do actually listen to the radio. :-)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
My Academic Camp... In Retrospect
Today was the last day of my academic camp that went for two weeks in June and this week. Looking back, I certainly have some thoughts on the future of Mr. Aubrey's Awesome Academic Adventures.
Here's a quick recap from a previous entry:
The first week was a total waste of my time. I pretty much babysat three girls for eight hours. The academics that I had planned went right out the window due to only having three students who would've finished everything in minutes rather than hours...
The second week was better because I had more students and less time. If I remember correctly, there were about eight students, and I only had them for four hours rather than eight hours, so things ran extremely smooth. The academics that I planned worked well, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Now, onto this week...
I was shocked to discover throughout the week that I never went below fifteen students each day. All of the academics that I planned went so well, and this week really got me back into the swing of things after enjoying sleeping in, taking a break from lesson planning, and not having to discipline children with a management plan.
My boss inquired today if I'd be interested in doing this again next summer. This caused me to break the whole three-week experience down by pros and cons.
The Pros:
One of the times that I stopped by the Office today, Tami told me that she spoke with some of the parents this morning as she was helping some students out of cars. The parents thanked her for offering an academic camp so close to school beginning to help their children get back into school mode. They also praised me and said that they're children have really enjoyed spending the week with me!
This, of course, made my day and helped with my answer to Tami's inquiry...
After thinking about it, I told Tami that I would love to do it again next summer, but I will only offer it during the week of Vacation Church Camp, where I would welcome students for four hours in the afternoon, and the week in August before Teacher Orientation Week.
She understood completely why I didn't want to repeat what I went through with the first week, which was right after school ended.
So... There you have it! I offered my time for an academic camp without knowing how it would turn out, and it was an overall success! It just goes to show to always try and see what happens! You never know how things will turn out. :-)
Here's a quick recap from a previous entry:
The first week was a total waste of my time. I pretty much babysat three girls for eight hours. The academics that I had planned went right out the window due to only having three students who would've finished everything in minutes rather than hours...
The second week was better because I had more students and less time. If I remember correctly, there were about eight students, and I only had them for four hours rather than eight hours, so things ran extremely smooth. The academics that I planned worked well, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Now, onto this week...
I was shocked to discover throughout the week that I never went below fifteen students each day. All of the academics that I planned went so well, and this week really got me back into the swing of things after enjoying sleeping in, taking a break from lesson planning, and not having to discipline children with a management plan.
My boss inquired today if I'd be interested in doing this again next summer. This caused me to break the whole three-week experience down by pros and cons.
The Pros:
- Getting back into teacher mode!
- Teaching in general! (After all, I love my job!)
- Interacting with children of all ages.
- Receiving assistance from Nic and Taz, who alternated days this week. (It was nice having another "grown-up" in the classroom with me, even if they both just graduated high school. HaHa! They're great, though, and help out a ton!)
- Hanging out in the Office when time allowed and laughing my ass off with Tami, Mary, Janet, Christina, and Paulette. (It's great being around them before the stresses of work take over!)
- Not having a management plan... (You really can't create and maintain an effective one with just three weeks that are spread out.)
- Having to discipline children of all ages... (It's much easier sticking to one age group with one management plan.)
- The first week in general...
- Not being able to use the restroom regularly the first two weeks; thanks to Nic and Taz, I could leave when needed this week...
One of the times that I stopped by the Office today, Tami told me that she spoke with some of the parents this morning as she was helping some students out of cars. The parents thanked her for offering an academic camp so close to school beginning to help their children get back into school mode. They also praised me and said that they're children have really enjoyed spending the week with me!
This, of course, made my day and helped with my answer to Tami's inquiry...
After thinking about it, I told Tami that I would love to do it again next summer, but I will only offer it during the week of Vacation Church Camp, where I would welcome students for four hours in the afternoon, and the week in August before Teacher Orientation Week.
She understood completely why I didn't want to repeat what I went through with the first week, which was right after school ended.
So... There you have it! I offered my time for an academic camp without knowing how it would turn out, and it was an overall success! It just goes to show to always try and see what happens! You never know how things will turn out. :-)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I Have Proof... I Met Bette Midler!
After not having the best day at my academic camp due to children who don't feel like listening, my downer of a mood completely turned around when I got home...
I walked in and saw a FedEx envelope from Las Vegas. I knew that it contained my pictures with The Divine Miss M.! I quickly cut open the envelope and was so excited to see the two pictures that Rhiannon and I took with Miss Midler on August 11. (They were nice enough to send us two copies of each picture!)
I immediately ran outside and showed my parents, who happen to live next door, and my second family, The Nevads, across the street! Once again, I was floating on that cloud, reliving the moment that has clouded my head ever since.
Once gravity brought me back, I did a series of things:
Now, for your viewing pleasure...
And... Just because I've always dreamed of this moment:
I walked in and saw a FedEx envelope from Las Vegas. I knew that it contained my pictures with The Divine Miss M.! I quickly cut open the envelope and was so excited to see the two pictures that Rhiannon and I took with Miss Midler on August 11. (They were nice enough to send us two copies of each picture!)
I immediately ran outside and showed my parents, who happen to live next door, and my second family, The Nevads, across the street! Once again, I was floating on that cloud, reliving the moment that has clouded my head ever since.
Once gravity brought me back, I did a series of things:
- I scanned the pictures...
- I uploaded them to Facebook...
- I updated my profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter...
- I synced my iPhone with the pictures and changed its wallpaper...
- I changed my desktop on my computer...
- I added it to the header of this blog...
- I included them in tweets on Twitter...
Now, for your viewing pleasure...
And... Just because I've always dreamed of this moment:
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Let The Planning Begin...
Being that Rhiannon and I are now engaged, it's time for the wedding planning to commence! I'm beyond excited! I've been looking forward to this for a LONG time!
Rhiannon, like most women, will do most of the hardcore planning, especially the dresses, flowers, and such. (I'm not too good at that. HaHa!) I'll help with all of the decision-making, though, after she's narrowed her choices down to two or three. (We suck at decision-making anyway, so this ought to prove to be interesting.)
I don't want to come across as a man who's just going to sit back and let his bride-to-be do all of the work. Not at all; that's not how I am. (If you know me well, you know that I will certainly put my two cents in, whether it's asked for or not!) I just know that Rhiannon will get more of a kick out of looking at thousands of flowers, colors, dresses, etc. than I would. That's just not my style. HaHa!
We have set a tentative date of June 26, 2010. Here's hoping that our bridal party and guests don't have plans for that weekend yet. :-) (If they do, they need to cancel and be available for our big day!)
We've already started putting together a guest list. As of now, it has almost 250 people on it! I've got a rather large and rather close family, and we both have oodles of friends from all aspects of our lives, including family friends, high school, college, and work. The hard part will be narrowing the list down to a reasonable number. After all, we're not extremely wealthy people, so we can't afford to invite everyone that we know! (As much as we would love to, by the way!)
We're looking into two churches: St. Joseph's Episcopal in Boynton Beach and First United Methodist in Boca Raton. We're going to check on the specifics that each church offers and go from there. We're pretty much set on having the reception at The Elks Club because they offer a fantastic room with a dance floor, stage for the D.J., well-stocked bar, and plenty of room for tables. However, we don't know the price of everything yet, including the option of having an open bar.
We've also been thinking about honeymoons... One of the good things about getting married over the summer is that we'll both be able to take a week or two off and enjoy a honeymoon right after getting married. Our absolute dream honeymoon would be a two-week stay in Europe, where we can travel to as many places as we can in that time period. However, if we can't find reasonable rates, we're interested in California or Hawaii.
As you can see, we have a lot of work ahead of us, so we're trying to pace ourselves and get as much done as we can without going crazy!
Rhiannon, like most women, will do most of the hardcore planning, especially the dresses, flowers, and such. (I'm not too good at that. HaHa!) I'll help with all of the decision-making, though, after she's narrowed her choices down to two or three. (We suck at decision-making anyway, so this ought to prove to be interesting.)
I don't want to come across as a man who's just going to sit back and let his bride-to-be do all of the work. Not at all; that's not how I am. (If you know me well, you know that I will certainly put my two cents in, whether it's asked for or not!) I just know that Rhiannon will get more of a kick out of looking at thousands of flowers, colors, dresses, etc. than I would. That's just not my style. HaHa!
We have set a tentative date of June 26, 2010. Here's hoping that our bridal party and guests don't have plans for that weekend yet. :-) (If they do, they need to cancel and be available for our big day!)
We've already started putting together a guest list. As of now, it has almost 250 people on it! I've got a rather large and rather close family, and we both have oodles of friends from all aspects of our lives, including family friends, high school, college, and work. The hard part will be narrowing the list down to a reasonable number. After all, we're not extremely wealthy people, so we can't afford to invite everyone that we know! (As much as we would love to, by the way!)
We're looking into two churches: St. Joseph's Episcopal in Boynton Beach and First United Methodist in Boca Raton. We're going to check on the specifics that each church offers and go from there. We're pretty much set on having the reception at The Elks Club because they offer a fantastic room with a dance floor, stage for the D.J., well-stocked bar, and plenty of room for tables. However, we don't know the price of everything yet, including the option of having an open bar.
We've also been thinking about honeymoons... One of the good things about getting married over the summer is that we'll both be able to take a week or two off and enjoy a honeymoon right after getting married. Our absolute dream honeymoon would be a two-week stay in Europe, where we can travel to as many places as we can in that time period. However, if we can't find reasonable rates, we're interested in California or Hawaii.
As you can see, we have a lot of work ahead of us, so we're trying to pace ourselves and get as much done as we can without going crazy!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
How Can Reality Be So Addicting?!
I'll be honest. I'm a HUGE fan of television!
My TiVo always has something on it because I'll find things to record when my favorite shows are airing reruns. I'll search for reruns of some "classic" shows from the past, anything where my favorite celebrities appear as guest stars, etc. just to fill up my TiVo's To Do List.
Continuing in the honest spirit, I'm not a huge fan of reality shows.
Don't get wrong... When I do catch one, it's extremely hard to turn off. It's not because it's entertaining. Believe me! It's like a train wreck. You want to look away because it's so awful, but you just can't. No matter how hard you try to flip the channel, you're sucked in to see how it ends.
Still being honest, the only reality shows that I do tend to flock to are ones that deal with celebrities.
Don't ask me why. I have no idea! My two favorites are The Celebrity Apprentice, due to always finding the craziest celebrities to participate, and Dancing with The Stars, for its entertaining host, judges, professional dancers and, I must say, the dances themselves.
Speaking of Dancing with The Stars, the new line-up of celebrities for its upcoming ninth season was just announced this week.
I think that it's my time to weigh in...
Aaron Carter: Seriously?! He was famous when he was a child, and he's remained semi-famous for being Nick Carter's younger brother and appearing on a reality show a few years ago on E!. (For those of you who may not know, Nick Carter is a member of Backstreet Boys.) We'll see how he does... I'm sure that he'll be able to catch on quickly to the routines, but I'm not betting on him lasting too long.
Ashley Hamilton: All together now... WHO?! Well... Come to find out, he's George Hamilton's son. (George Hamilton appeared on Dancing with The Stars in its second season.) From what I've read, this gentleman has written songs, done stand-up, and been in television and movies. He will certainly have to prove himself to get past the elimination rounds in my opinion.
Chuck Liddell: Being that I'm not a UFC fan, I have never heard of Mr. Liddell. According to what I've read, he's the "face" of Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as an icon of Mixed Martial Arts. He's also appeared in several movies, but who hasn't nowadays? He could have a good following to help keep him in the competition, but we'll see how his footwork is on the dance floor.
Debi Mazar: I LOVE HER! She's already one of my faves... She's been in several movies, like The Doors, Batman Forever, Bullets Over Broadway, and The Women, as well as in Madonna's music video for "Music", among others. Currently, she's on Entourage, and I read that she was once Madonna's make-up artist. (She and Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the judges, should reminisce about working with Madonna, since Miss Inaba was a back-up dancer for Madonna years ago.)
Donny Osmond: I can't lie... I'm dreading him. He was annoying when Marie Osmond was on in the fifth season by being all of the entertainment news shows' "special correspondent". It almost felt like he's already been on this show. Be prepared for cheesiness, and, perhaps, he'll faint and fall over like his sister did so famously! (That's awful, Kyle... Be nice!) I'm sure that he has quite the following, so he'll probably last for a while whether he's good or not.
Joanna Krupa: Once again, I have no idea who she is. Apparently, she's a famous model and has appeared in several movies and television shows, such as Las Vegas and, most recently, The Superstars. (Do you see what I meant by who hasn't been in movies and television?!) From what I can remember, the models who appear on this show usually fare well and are very graceful. We'll see if she continues that trend.
Kathy Ireland: As I just said, the models seem to do well on this show. I'm excited to see her for some reason. She seems like a great person with all that she's done in her life: She runs a billion-dollar empire while juggling marriage and motherhood. Besides being a model, she's also an actress, author, and, from what I've read, a Sunday School teacher. How cute is that?!
Kelly Osbourne: I can't lie... I'm really anxious to see her in action! She had such a potty mouth on The Osbournes, so I'm interested to see if she gets stank with the judges. How priceless would that be?! Also, will Daddy and Mama Osbourne surprise us all and be present in the audience? Ratings could soar even higher with an appearance by Ozzy Osbourne! HaHa!
Louie Vito: I have no idea who he is. According to what I've read, he's a professional snowboarder who's favored to make the 2010 Olympic team. He'll certainly have the stamina and drive to do well in the competition based on his occupation, so that'll be entertaining to watch. I'm sure that the younger ladies will be fans of his, as well. He's also very young, so he and Aaron Carter will probably be in competition with each other.
Macy Gray: "I try to say goodbye, and I choke... I try to walk away, and I stumble..." I wonder if they'll play that song when she's eliminated. (HaHa! I'm cracking myself up over here!) All kidding aside, I'm anxious to see how she does. She's had some good songs, like "I Try", which I quoted a second ago, and was good in Training Day. None of that matters now... We'll see how she shakes it on the dance floor!
Mark Dacascos: I, once again, said, "WHO?" after reading his name on the press release. Come to find out, he's the host of Iron Chef America on Food Network. I love that show! (Evidently, I don't watch it enough, since I didn't recognize the host's name!) He's also a Kung Fu Champion, so I can already foresee some of those "moves" in a dance routine or two. We'll see how he does and how long he lasts... Won't Bobby Flay miss him?
Melissa Joan Hart: She's adorable, and I enjoyed watching her on Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch back in the day. She'll bring the charm and grace, I'm sure, to her dance routines. I would assume that she still has a good fanbase, so they should help her stay in the competition for several weeks. If not, she could, as she did in her former television show, conjure up a spell and guarantee her stay! (That was lame, I know...)
Michael Irvin: The football player! Every season has one; this season, it's a former Dallas Cowboy. Football players have gone both ways on this show. In past seasons, Emmitt Smith won the "coveted" mirrorball trophy and Jason Taylor was in the final two. However, Lawrence Taylor didn't do so hot... It's a hit or miss with athletes, especially football players, so we shall see...
Mya: She should bring the sexiness to the Latin routines, or that's what expected, I'm assuming. She's a gifted singer and was a great part to the ensemble of Chicago. Plus, she was apart of the fantastic collaboration in Moulin Rouge's remake of "Lady Marmalade". I think that Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Lil' Kym, who was on last season, should reunite with Mya to perform that song on one of Tuesday's The Results! Who's with me?!
Natalie Coughlin: Another athlete... She'll be this year's Shawn Johnson. She's an Olympic gold medalist for swimming, so it'll be interesting to watch how she competes this year. Like last season's Shawn Johnson, dancing will be quite the adjustment. If she stays around long enough, we could see a dancer blossom, perhaps, as Shawn Johnson did. Remember?! One never knows, so we'll just have to watch...
Tom DeLay: Another staple in the Dancing with The Stars line-up is the "elderly" person... We've seen George Hamilton, Jerry Springer, John Ratzenberger, and, of course, Cloris Leachman. Now, it's a politician's turn! Evidently, his nickname is "The Hammer", so I can foresee some ridiculing coming from either the judges or some cast members. It's all in good fun, I'm sure!
As of now, these are my thoughts on this season's line-up of celebrities. As I've thought in the past, most of them are has-beens trying to revitalize their floundering careers. In other ways, they're celebrities who are trying to lose weight or just prove that they can compete in a dance competition.
This show is mindless entertainment, but that's what makes it fun for me. The dances are extremely entertaining, and you can't help laughing during the judges' critiques sometimes. Between the bickering between the three of them and some of the things that come out of their mouths, you're bound and determined to crack up.
I suppose that it's not technically a reality show; it's more of a fun competition show. It still falls in the "reality" category in my mind because it's not scripted.
Do yourself a favor and watch Dancing with The Stars. Even if you don't like any of the celebrities competing, you'll find yourself rooting for some of them as the show progresses. It's amazing to see the time and effort that's put into the weekly routines.
I always love to see those success stories, as well... The ones who started out terrible and worked their asses off to become fantastic!
Dancing with The Stars premieres on Monday, September 21 at 08:00 PM on ABC.
My TiVo always has something on it because I'll find things to record when my favorite shows are airing reruns. I'll search for reruns of some "classic" shows from the past, anything where my favorite celebrities appear as guest stars, etc. just to fill up my TiVo's To Do List.
Continuing in the honest spirit, I'm not a huge fan of reality shows.
Don't get wrong... When I do catch one, it's extremely hard to turn off. It's not because it's entertaining. Believe me! It's like a train wreck. You want to look away because it's so awful, but you just can't. No matter how hard you try to flip the channel, you're sucked in to see how it ends.
Still being honest, the only reality shows that I do tend to flock to are ones that deal with celebrities.
Don't ask me why. I have no idea! My two favorites are The Celebrity Apprentice, due to always finding the craziest celebrities to participate, and Dancing with The Stars, for its entertaining host, judges, professional dancers and, I must say, the dances themselves.
Speaking of Dancing with The Stars, the new line-up of celebrities for its upcoming ninth season was just announced this week.
I think that it's my time to weigh in...
Aaron Carter: Seriously?! He was famous when he was a child, and he's remained semi-famous for being Nick Carter's younger brother and appearing on a reality show a few years ago on E!. (For those of you who may not know, Nick Carter is a member of Backstreet Boys.) We'll see how he does... I'm sure that he'll be able to catch on quickly to the routines, but I'm not betting on him lasting too long.
Ashley Hamilton: All together now... WHO?! Well... Come to find out, he's George Hamilton's son. (George Hamilton appeared on Dancing with The Stars in its second season.) From what I've read, this gentleman has written songs, done stand-up, and been in television and movies. He will certainly have to prove himself to get past the elimination rounds in my opinion.
Chuck Liddell: Being that I'm not a UFC fan, I have never heard of Mr. Liddell. According to what I've read, he's the "face" of Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as an icon of Mixed Martial Arts. He's also appeared in several movies, but who hasn't nowadays? He could have a good following to help keep him in the competition, but we'll see how his footwork is on the dance floor.
Debi Mazar: I LOVE HER! She's already one of my faves... She's been in several movies, like The Doors, Batman Forever, Bullets Over Broadway, and The Women, as well as in Madonna's music video for "Music", among others. Currently, she's on Entourage, and I read that she was once Madonna's make-up artist. (She and Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the judges, should reminisce about working with Madonna, since Miss Inaba was a back-up dancer for Madonna years ago.)
Donny Osmond: I can't lie... I'm dreading him. He was annoying when Marie Osmond was on in the fifth season by being all of the entertainment news shows' "special correspondent". It almost felt like he's already been on this show. Be prepared for cheesiness, and, perhaps, he'll faint and fall over like his sister did so famously! (That's awful, Kyle... Be nice!) I'm sure that he has quite the following, so he'll probably last for a while whether he's good or not.
Joanna Krupa: Once again, I have no idea who she is. Apparently, she's a famous model and has appeared in several movies and television shows, such as Las Vegas and, most recently, The Superstars. (Do you see what I meant by who hasn't been in movies and television?!) From what I can remember, the models who appear on this show usually fare well and are very graceful. We'll see if she continues that trend.
Kathy Ireland: As I just said, the models seem to do well on this show. I'm excited to see her for some reason. She seems like a great person with all that she's done in her life: She runs a billion-dollar empire while juggling marriage and motherhood. Besides being a model, she's also an actress, author, and, from what I've read, a Sunday School teacher. How cute is that?!
Kelly Osbourne: I can't lie... I'm really anxious to see her in action! She had such a potty mouth on The Osbournes, so I'm interested to see if she gets stank with the judges. How priceless would that be?! Also, will Daddy and Mama Osbourne surprise us all and be present in the audience? Ratings could soar even higher with an appearance by Ozzy Osbourne! HaHa!
Louie Vito: I have no idea who he is. According to what I've read, he's a professional snowboarder who's favored to make the 2010 Olympic team. He'll certainly have the stamina and drive to do well in the competition based on his occupation, so that'll be entertaining to watch. I'm sure that the younger ladies will be fans of his, as well. He's also very young, so he and Aaron Carter will probably be in competition with each other.
Macy Gray: "I try to say goodbye, and I choke... I try to walk away, and I stumble..." I wonder if they'll play that song when she's eliminated. (HaHa! I'm cracking myself up over here!) All kidding aside, I'm anxious to see how she does. She's had some good songs, like "I Try", which I quoted a second ago, and was good in Training Day. None of that matters now... We'll see how she shakes it on the dance floor!
Mark Dacascos: I, once again, said, "WHO?" after reading his name on the press release. Come to find out, he's the host of Iron Chef America on Food Network. I love that show! (Evidently, I don't watch it enough, since I didn't recognize the host's name!) He's also a Kung Fu Champion, so I can already foresee some of those "moves" in a dance routine or two. We'll see how he does and how long he lasts... Won't Bobby Flay miss him?
Melissa Joan Hart: She's adorable, and I enjoyed watching her on Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch back in the day. She'll bring the charm and grace, I'm sure, to her dance routines. I would assume that she still has a good fanbase, so they should help her stay in the competition for several weeks. If not, she could, as she did in her former television show, conjure up a spell and guarantee her stay! (That was lame, I know...)
Michael Irvin: The football player! Every season has one; this season, it's a former Dallas Cowboy. Football players have gone both ways on this show. In past seasons, Emmitt Smith won the "coveted" mirrorball trophy and Jason Taylor was in the final two. However, Lawrence Taylor didn't do so hot... It's a hit or miss with athletes, especially football players, so we shall see...
Mya: She should bring the sexiness to the Latin routines, or that's what expected, I'm assuming. She's a gifted singer and was a great part to the ensemble of Chicago. Plus, she was apart of the fantastic collaboration in Moulin Rouge's remake of "Lady Marmalade". I think that Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Lil' Kym, who was on last season, should reunite with Mya to perform that song on one of Tuesday's The Results! Who's with me?!
Natalie Coughlin: Another athlete... She'll be this year's Shawn Johnson. She's an Olympic gold medalist for swimming, so it'll be interesting to watch how she competes this year. Like last season's Shawn Johnson, dancing will be quite the adjustment. If she stays around long enough, we could see a dancer blossom, perhaps, as Shawn Johnson did. Remember?! One never knows, so we'll just have to watch...
Tom DeLay: Another staple in the Dancing with The Stars line-up is the "elderly" person... We've seen George Hamilton, Jerry Springer, John Ratzenberger, and, of course, Cloris Leachman. Now, it's a politician's turn! Evidently, his nickname is "The Hammer", so I can foresee some ridiculing coming from either the judges or some cast members. It's all in good fun, I'm sure!As of now, these are my thoughts on this season's line-up of celebrities. As I've thought in the past, most of them are has-beens trying to revitalize their floundering careers. In other ways, they're celebrities who are trying to lose weight or just prove that they can compete in a dance competition.
This show is mindless entertainment, but that's what makes it fun for me. The dances are extremely entertaining, and you can't help laughing during the judges' critiques sometimes. Between the bickering between the three of them and some of the things that come out of their mouths, you're bound and determined to crack up.
I suppose that it's not technically a reality show; it's more of a fun competition show. It still falls in the "reality" category in my mind because it's not scripted.
Do yourself a favor and watch Dancing with The Stars. Even if you don't like any of the celebrities competing, you'll find yourself rooting for some of them as the show progresses. It's amazing to see the time and effort that's put into the weekly routines.
I always love to see those success stories, as well... The ones who started out terrible and worked their asses off to become fantastic!
Dancing with The Stars premieres on Monday, September 21 at 08:00 PM on ABC.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Mr. Aubrey's Awesome Academic Camp
A quick back story...
My school has a Summer Camp that's offered throughout the summer... Obviously! This summer, there were three weeks where the Summer Camp wasn't being offered: The first two weeks after school ended and this week, the week before Teacher Orientation Week. After hearing that my school was receiving several phone calls and e-mails from parents who worked and needed a place to send their children during those three weeks, I volunteered to put together an academic camp, so the school had something to offer for the entire summer.
The first week was $200 per child for the week; the second week was $100, since it was only for half-a-day. (The third week would go back to being $200 per child for the week and $100 if the child belonged to a working faculty member.)
The first week was, I hate to say, a complete waste of my time. From 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM, I pretty much babysat three girls for the entire week. What happened to all of those parents who needed something available?! My lesson plans went right out the window, and I was trying to find ways to keep them busy. We played board games and computer games on the SmartBoard. While those were somewhat educational, since the students had to use logic and critical thinking skills, I obviously didn't feel like the "academic" part of my camp was coming through.
The second week, my school's church was offering Vacation Church Camp in the morning, so I offered my academic camp from 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM. I had about eight students a day, which was much better than the week before. I could actually do activities and teach something each day. We still played some games, but I feel that it was much more effective than the previous week.
Now, onto this week...
After having such a wonderful summer vacation, I went back to work at my academic camp this morning. I was nervous because I wasn't really sure who had signed up over the long period of time between my last week of camp and this week. Plus, a three-year-old and four-year-old arrangement had been added by my boss to help with those who needed a place for their little ones.
I was shocked to find out that I had FIFTEEN students today! Everything went extremely well. My extremely detailed lesson plans worked perfectly, and I had plenty of time to complete everything. Thankfully, I had Nic to work with the three-year-old who came today, as well as assist me in anything that I needed him to do. He was a lifesaver!
I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow and for the rest of this week. I have Nic and Taz alternating days, so I'll always have an extra set of eyes and hands to help in any way.
This whole thing isn't just about the money either. (Although... That's definitely a plus!) It's really helping me get back into the swing of things. It's actually getting me excited about the first day of in school in two weeks. Woo Hoo!
My school has a Summer Camp that's offered throughout the summer... Obviously! This summer, there were three weeks where the Summer Camp wasn't being offered: The first two weeks after school ended and this week, the week before Teacher Orientation Week. After hearing that my school was receiving several phone calls and e-mails from parents who worked and needed a place to send their children during those three weeks, I volunteered to put together an academic camp, so the school had something to offer for the entire summer.
The first week was $200 per child for the week; the second week was $100, since it was only for half-a-day. (The third week would go back to being $200 per child for the week and $100 if the child belonged to a working faculty member.)
The first week was, I hate to say, a complete waste of my time. From 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM, I pretty much babysat three girls for the entire week. What happened to all of those parents who needed something available?! My lesson plans went right out the window, and I was trying to find ways to keep them busy. We played board games and computer games on the SmartBoard. While those were somewhat educational, since the students had to use logic and critical thinking skills, I obviously didn't feel like the "academic" part of my camp was coming through.
The second week, my school's church was offering Vacation Church Camp in the morning, so I offered my academic camp from 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM. I had about eight students a day, which was much better than the week before. I could actually do activities and teach something each day. We still played some games, but I feel that it was much more effective than the previous week.
Now, onto this week...
After having such a wonderful summer vacation, I went back to work at my academic camp this morning. I was nervous because I wasn't really sure who had signed up over the long period of time between my last week of camp and this week. Plus, a three-year-old and four-year-old arrangement had been added by my boss to help with those who needed a place for their little ones.
I was shocked to find out that I had FIFTEEN students today! Everything went extremely well. My extremely detailed lesson plans worked perfectly, and I had plenty of time to complete everything. Thankfully, I had Nic to work with the three-year-old who came today, as well as assist me in anything that I needed him to do. He was a lifesaver!
I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow and for the rest of this week. I have Nic and Taz alternating days, so I'll always have an extra set of eyes and hands to help in any way.
This whole thing isn't just about the money either. (Although... That's definitely a plus!) It's really helping me get back into the swing of things. It's actually getting me excited about the first day of in school in two weeks. Woo Hoo!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Las Vegas: Day #04 - August 13
Well... The end of our trip finally came upon us.
We woke up and packed our suitcases, checked out, stored our luggage at the hotel, and headed to breakfast. After we ate, Janet, Rhiannon, and I walked around Excalibur to look through the little gift shops to kill some time before heading to the airport.
We met up with Mary and Becky in the casino and gambled for a bit. I played one dollar on a old-time slot machine, complete with the pull-down thing...
I lasted quite a while on that machine and on that dollar. It was kind of exciting! I ended up losing it, but it was still fun pulling down on that thing, rather than hitting the button. (That "thing", I'm sure, has a name, but I can't think of it!)
We picked up our luggage and met the shuttle bus in the back of the hotel and headed to the airport. We got checked in rather quickly and had plenty of time to kill. Mary and Becky got their "Pre Boarder" passes for their "claustrophobia". They are now known to us as The Las Vegas Con Artists...
Rhiannon and I grabbed some chocolate lollipops from Ethel's Chocolates, which I hear is quite the treat in Las Vegas, and some Sbarro for lunch. We ate and sat around waiting for our flight.
We boarded around 03:30 PM and, like I mentioned in a previous entry, Southwest only gives you a zone letter and a number in line. This time, Janet, Rhiannon, and I were in the last zone, so we were the last to board.
There were no seats together. The only openings were middle seats. Every aisle and window seat was taken.
SO... For the five-hour flight home, Rhiannon and I were in separate rows and had to sit in between two complete strangers. How awkward is that?! (Janet got to sit with Mary and Becky. Lucky!)
I tell you once again... I'm not a fan of Southwest. They lost me as a future customer because I will be booking with airlines who actually designate seat assignments.
We landed around 11:30 PM in Fort Lauderdale, grabbed our luggage, and headed home. We dropped off Janet, drove through the Taco Bell drive thru, and started catching up on TiVo immediately as we unpacked and unwound.
We finally fell asleep around 02:00 AM and realized that our fantastic and extremely memorable trip to Las Vegas was officially over.
Looking back, the five of us had a blast! We laughed and laughed throughout the entire trip, and I feel so much closer to Rhiannon, obviously, since we're now engaged, as well as my three co-workers. Janet, Mary, and Becky will forever be my Las Vegas buds, and we will always share so many memorable moments together. I love you all!
Thanks for reading all of these posts about this trip! It really was absolutely wonderful; I look forward to my next vacation to Las Vegas!
Who knows?! It could be next summer! The five of us did discuss making this an annual trip! :-)
We woke up and packed our suitcases, checked out, stored our luggage at the hotel, and headed to breakfast. After we ate, Janet, Rhiannon, and I walked around Excalibur to look through the little gift shops to kill some time before heading to the airport.
We met up with Mary and Becky in the casino and gambled for a bit. I played one dollar on a old-time slot machine, complete with the pull-down thing...
I lasted quite a while on that machine and on that dollar. It was kind of exciting! I ended up losing it, but it was still fun pulling down on that thing, rather than hitting the button. (That "thing", I'm sure, has a name, but I can't think of it!)We picked up our luggage and met the shuttle bus in the back of the hotel and headed to the airport. We got checked in rather quickly and had plenty of time to kill. Mary and Becky got their "Pre Boarder" passes for their "claustrophobia". They are now known to us as The Las Vegas Con Artists...
Rhiannon and I grabbed some chocolate lollipops from Ethel's Chocolates, which I hear is quite the treat in Las Vegas, and some Sbarro for lunch. We ate and sat around waiting for our flight.We boarded around 03:30 PM and, like I mentioned in a previous entry, Southwest only gives you a zone letter and a number in line. This time, Janet, Rhiannon, and I were in the last zone, so we were the last to board.
There were no seats together. The only openings were middle seats. Every aisle and window seat was taken.
SO... For the five-hour flight home, Rhiannon and I were in separate rows and had to sit in between two complete strangers. How awkward is that?! (Janet got to sit with Mary and Becky. Lucky!)
I tell you once again... I'm not a fan of Southwest. They lost me as a future customer because I will be booking with airlines who actually designate seat assignments.
We landed around 11:30 PM in Fort Lauderdale, grabbed our luggage, and headed home. We dropped off Janet, drove through the Taco Bell drive thru, and started catching up on TiVo immediately as we unpacked and unwound.
We finally fell asleep around 02:00 AM and realized that our fantastic and extremely memorable trip to Las Vegas was officially over.
Looking back, the five of us had a blast! We laughed and laughed throughout the entire trip, and I feel so much closer to Rhiannon, obviously, since we're now engaged, as well as my three co-workers. Janet, Mary, and Becky will forever be my Las Vegas buds, and we will always share so many memorable moments together. I love you all!
Thanks for reading all of these posts about this trip! It really was absolutely wonderful; I look forward to my next vacation to Las Vegas!
Who knows?! It could be next summer! The five of us did discuss making this an annual trip! :-)
Las Vegas: Day #03 - August 12
On Wednesday, Mary and Becky went to Eleven Spa to get massages and manicures. (The owners of Eleven Spa are parents at our school, so we were given a discount.) Janet, Rhiannon, and I didn't want to spend over $100 for a massage, so we had a quick McDonald's breakfast again and headed downtown. WAY downtown...
After a $25 cab fare, we arrived at one of the oldest and dirtiest destinations in Las Vegas. I must say, it was pretty neat to be in "old" Las Vegas, but it certainly wasn't worth the round trip cab fare.
We walked around and saw some sights...
Then, we came to Mermaids, a super-old casino. I knew of it from watching Kathy Griffin: My Life on The D. List. In the season premiere of the current season, which actually just ended, Kathy Griffin met up with Bette Midler in Las Vegas. For dessert, Miss Griffin brought Miss Midler to Mermaids for their "reasonably priced" dessert items...
Being that Bette Midler stepped foot in this casino, I had to do the same!
Let me tell you...
It was so small and so dirty! Our feet were sticking to the floor, but I didn't care. I had to try fried oreos and a fried twinkie, just like Bette Midler and Kathy Griffin!
We ordered our deep fried goodness, and I recognized the gentleman who worked there from his appearance on the episode. I asked him if he was there when Kathy Griffin brought Bette Midler, just to make sure. He said that he was, and he pointed to the table where they sat, or stood, I should say...
Of course, as my luck would have it, another couple grabbed that table by the time our food was ready. Rhiannon and I went to another table and enjoyed our treats...
However, as soon as the other table opened up, I moved our stuff over there and finished it up at the same table where Kathy Griffin and Bette Midler enjoyed theirs!
After our deep fried good time, we made our way to The Golden Nugget and walked in, turned around, and walked out. We just wanted to say that we've been there! :-)
We walked to the end of Fremont Street, turned around, walked back, and got a cab. Another $25 was paid to get us to Caesars Palace, where we walked around The Forum Shops some more. I had to stop and pose with the newest poster for The Showgirl Must Go on...
Then, we ventured down The Strip to Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile Shops and walked around there for a bit to kill some time.
On our way back to Excalibur to get ready for our evening, we stopped by MGM Grand to catch the lions actually in The Lion Habitat.
The plans for the evening were that we would all get ready and meet downstairs. The five of us would head to Caesars Palace for dinner and split up to see our respective shows: Janet, Rhiannon, and I were seeing The Showgirl Must Go on while Mary and Becky were seeing Cirque Du Soleil's O.
However, I had something up my sleeve before we met up with the ladies for the evening. They were "in the loop", so they knew that we'd be a tad late meeting them downstairs.
After I quickly got ready, as most men do, I waited for Rhiannon to finish. She came out, looking beautiful as always, and gave me the look that asked, "How do I look?"
"I think that you're missing something," I said.
Her look quickly became kind of disgusted, like, "What do you mean?!"
I showed her a box and said, "Perhaps, that something's in here."
I opened it, where an engagement ring was waiting, dropped down on one knee, and asked her to marry me.
She immediately said, "YES!", and I slipped it on her finger. The best is that she had NO IDEA!
Let me back up and give you a little bit of a back story on this aspect of the trip...
Once I knew that this Las Vegas trip was happening, I planned to propose there. Rhiannon's only request about the proposal was that it happen somewhere that means something to the both of us. (She told me that a long time ago, so I stored it for later use in my brain.) Las Vegas is like "our place". We took our first "big" trip there and have now been back twice after that. We just love it there!
I bought the engagement ring in June, had it sized, received it in July, and kept it hidden until August. Whew! Of course, my fat mouth unloaded to almost everybody what I was planning to do!
A week before the engagement, I asked her dad for his blessing, which he replied, "You have it! It's about time!" Her stepmother even called me and gave me her blessing. :-)
I asked Janet to hold the engagement ring through airport security on the way to Las Vegas because, with my luck, they would've searched my backpack and taken it out right in front of Rhiannon! Janet and I were so swift with passing it back and forth that Rhiannon never had a clue.
I was so glad that it was a shock to her... That made me so happy!
Now, we were engaged! I had to tell her the next part... I passed a note to the gentleman who escorted us out of Bette Midler's green room the night before. In it, I asked Miss Midler if she could congratulate us on our engagement during her show. I knew that it was a long shot, but I wanted to try. I mean, after all, she had just met us, so she had faces to put with the names on the note.
We made our way downstairs where the ladies were waiting for us. They screamed and ran towards us... "CONGRATULATIONS!" We were floating on that cloud again!
We grabbed a cab to Caesars Palace for dinner and called our parents on the way there. Then, we each made several other phone calls. I had to call all of the people who already knew because they'd been waiting SO long to hear that it was finally official: my best friends, Sarah, Nikki and Paul, Becc, and Al, my boss, Tami, and my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, Jeff and Lina.
I sent out a text message to several other family members and friends while we were at Trevi, an amazing restaurant in The Forum Shops for dinner.
We enjoyed our meal and the excitement of being engaged! Now, it was time to see Bette Midler for the second night in a row!
I showed Mary and Becky how to get to Bellagio to see their show and met up with Rhiannon and Janet in front of The Colosseum. They gambled for a bit while I perused the Bette Midler souvenir shop one more time. It was weird walking through there, looking at her pictures and such, and thinking to myself, "I met her last night!"
We took our seats, which were about twelve rows from the stage, and I was almost more excited that night because Janet had never seen Bette Midler in concert before. I always love going with "newbies" because I know that they're in for a real treat!
The show was absolutely amazing! Miss Midler sounded great, and made the show so memorable. During the Soph segment, she messed up on a joke. It was priceless! Most entertainers would just continue on without admitting their mistake.
Not The Divine Miss M.!
She immediately dropped to the floor after realizing that she messed up the punchline and said, "If I have to tell that f***ing joke again, I'll kill myself!" The entire place was dying laughing at this point! She retold it, got the punchline right, and was met with thunderous applause and laughter!
She's certainly one of a kind!
You may be wondering if she congratulated me and Rhiannon during the show. Unfortunately, she didn't. However, I'm not blaming her. From the look that the gentleman gave me when I handed him the note the night before, I truly feel that he didn't give it to her. He probably read it and threw it in the garbage on his walk back to escort the other V.I.P.'s out.
Oh, well... I tried.
Janet LOVED the show and thanked us for recommending it to her.
We headed back to the hotel, Rhiannon and I grabbed a milkshake from McDonald's, and headed back to our hotel room for the night.
After a $25 cab fare, we arrived at one of the oldest and dirtiest destinations in Las Vegas. I must say, it was pretty neat to be in "old" Las Vegas, but it certainly wasn't worth the round trip cab fare.We walked around and saw some sights...
Then, we came to Mermaids, a super-old casino. I knew of it from watching Kathy Griffin: My Life on The D. List. In the season premiere of the current season, which actually just ended, Kathy Griffin met up with Bette Midler in Las Vegas. For dessert, Miss Griffin brought Miss Midler to Mermaids for their "reasonably priced" dessert items...
Being that Bette Midler stepped foot in this casino, I had to do the same!Let me tell you...
It was so small and so dirty! Our feet were sticking to the floor, but I didn't care. I had to try fried oreos and a fried twinkie, just like Bette Midler and Kathy Griffin!
We ordered our deep fried goodness, and I recognized the gentleman who worked there from his appearance on the episode. I asked him if he was there when Kathy Griffin brought Bette Midler, just to make sure. He said that he was, and he pointed to the table where they sat, or stood, I should say...
Of course, as my luck would have it, another couple grabbed that table by the time our food was ready. Rhiannon and I went to another table and enjoyed our treats...
However, as soon as the other table opened up, I moved our stuff over there and finished it up at the same table where Kathy Griffin and Bette Midler enjoyed theirs!
After our deep fried good time, we made our way to The Golden Nugget and walked in, turned around, and walked out. We just wanted to say that we've been there! :-)
We walked to the end of Fremont Street, turned around, walked back, and got a cab. Another $25 was paid to get us to Caesars Palace, where we walked around The Forum Shops some more. I had to stop and pose with the newest poster for The Showgirl Must Go on...
Then, we ventured down The Strip to Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile Shops and walked around there for a bit to kill some time.On our way back to Excalibur to get ready for our evening, we stopped by MGM Grand to catch the lions actually in The Lion Habitat.
The plans for the evening were that we would all get ready and meet downstairs. The five of us would head to Caesars Palace for dinner and split up to see our respective shows: Janet, Rhiannon, and I were seeing The Showgirl Must Go on while Mary and Becky were seeing Cirque Du Soleil's O.However, I had something up my sleeve before we met up with the ladies for the evening. They were "in the loop", so they knew that we'd be a tad late meeting them downstairs.
After I quickly got ready, as most men do, I waited for Rhiannon to finish. She came out, looking beautiful as always, and gave me the look that asked, "How do I look?"
"I think that you're missing something," I said.
Her look quickly became kind of disgusted, like, "What do you mean?!"
I showed her a box and said, "Perhaps, that something's in here."
I opened it, where an engagement ring was waiting, dropped down on one knee, and asked her to marry me.
She immediately said, "YES!", and I slipped it on her finger. The best is that she had NO IDEA!
Let me back up and give you a little bit of a back story on this aspect of the trip...Once I knew that this Las Vegas trip was happening, I planned to propose there. Rhiannon's only request about the proposal was that it happen somewhere that means something to the both of us. (She told me that a long time ago, so I stored it for later use in my brain.) Las Vegas is like "our place". We took our first "big" trip there and have now been back twice after that. We just love it there!
I bought the engagement ring in June, had it sized, received it in July, and kept it hidden until August. Whew! Of course, my fat mouth unloaded to almost everybody what I was planning to do!
A week before the engagement, I asked her dad for his blessing, which he replied, "You have it! It's about time!" Her stepmother even called me and gave me her blessing. :-)
I asked Janet to hold the engagement ring through airport security on the way to Las Vegas because, with my luck, they would've searched my backpack and taken it out right in front of Rhiannon! Janet and I were so swift with passing it back and forth that Rhiannon never had a clue.
I was so glad that it was a shock to her... That made me so happy!
Now, we were engaged! I had to tell her the next part... I passed a note to the gentleman who escorted us out of Bette Midler's green room the night before. In it, I asked Miss Midler if she could congratulate us on our engagement during her show. I knew that it was a long shot, but I wanted to try. I mean, after all, she had just met us, so she had faces to put with the names on the note.
We made our way downstairs where the ladies were waiting for us. They screamed and ran towards us... "CONGRATULATIONS!" We were floating on that cloud again!We grabbed a cab to Caesars Palace for dinner and called our parents on the way there. Then, we each made several other phone calls. I had to call all of the people who already knew because they'd been waiting SO long to hear that it was finally official: my best friends, Sarah, Nikki and Paul, Becc, and Al, my boss, Tami, and my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, Jeff and Lina.
I sent out a text message to several other family members and friends while we were at Trevi, an amazing restaurant in The Forum Shops for dinner.
We enjoyed our meal and the excitement of being engaged! Now, it was time to see Bette Midler for the second night in a row!
I showed Mary and Becky how to get to Bellagio to see their show and met up with Rhiannon and Janet in front of The Colosseum. They gambled for a bit while I perused the Bette Midler souvenir shop one more time. It was weird walking through there, looking at her pictures and such, and thinking to myself, "I met her last night!"
We took our seats, which were about twelve rows from the stage, and I was almost more excited that night because Janet had never seen Bette Midler in concert before. I always love going with "newbies" because I know that they're in for a real treat!
The show was absolutely amazing! Miss Midler sounded great, and made the show so memorable. During the Soph segment, she messed up on a joke. It was priceless! Most entertainers would just continue on without admitting their mistake.
Not The Divine Miss M.!
She immediately dropped to the floor after realizing that she messed up the punchline and said, "If I have to tell that f***ing joke again, I'll kill myself!" The entire place was dying laughing at this point! She retold it, got the punchline right, and was met with thunderous applause and laughter!
She's certainly one of a kind!
You may be wondering if she congratulated me and Rhiannon during the show. Unfortunately, she didn't. However, I'm not blaming her. From the look that the gentleman gave me when I handed him the note the night before, I truly feel that he didn't give it to her. He probably read it and threw it in the garbage on his walk back to escort the other V.I.P.'s out.
Oh, well... I tried.
Janet LOVED the show and thanked us for recommending it to her.
We headed back to the hotel, Rhiannon and I grabbed a milkshake from McDonald's, and headed back to our hotel room for the night.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Las Vegas: Day #02 - August 11
We started the second day with a healthy breakfast at McDonald's. (Nothing like eating like absolute crap when you're on vacation... I'd rather spend money elsewhere than on expensive meals in Las Vegas.)
We ventured to Bellagio, where we took in The Conservatory, which is a beautiful area adjacent to the lobby of the hotel. Each season, this sun room-type space houses a themed display. For now, it has a garden theme, which is absolutely beautiful! Take a look for yourself...
After walking through The Conservatory and admiring its beauty, we walked around Bellagio. Mary and Becky picked up their tickets for Cirque Du Soleil's O. (It's an aquatic show that's filled with acrobatics and things... Not really my cup of tea.) We continued on to Caesars Palace...
As I said in the previous entry, Caesars Palace is my favorite casino and hotel. For one, it's absolutely beautiful! The sculptures, the colors, and the headliners! :-)
After gawking over Caesars Palace, we moved on to The Forum Shops. Being that nobody wanted to spend an arm and a leg at any of the extremely expensive shops, we just window shopped. We were pretty hungry, so we stopped at Planet Hollywood for lunch.
Being a movie lover, I always enjoy walking around and looking at the plethora of movie memorabilia that's housed in Planet Hollywood. I even snuck upstairs and got some pictures of celebrities' lip prints that were framed on the wall...
After filling our tanks, we headed to The Mirage to experience Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. For just $15, you enter an amazing attraction that is pure educational. There are no "live shows" or anything along those lines. You get to be a fly on the wall as the trainers interact with the animals without putting on a show. It's great!
After a brief introduction, you can walk through an underwater tank and see the dolphins up close and personal. I was surprised to see how friendly they were, and they certainly weren't afraid to smile for the camera...
From there, you return to the ground level and cross a bridge where you can see the dolphins from above. This time, there was an eleven-month-old dolphin named Bella in the tank with her mother and grandmother.
After being awed by the dolphins, you continue on to the next phase: The Secret Garden. Before entering, you pose for a picture. (We didn't care for how it turned out, so we didn't buy it.)
Upon entering, you can make a wish on The Wishing Tree and touch the water from a fountain of youth-type thing. (I don't remember the "official" name.)
Some of the beautiful animals that you'll witness at this attraction are alpacas, leopards, lions, striped tigers, and white tigers. Here are a few shots...
After being outside in this attraction, we were desperate to get inside and cool off. We crossed the street and made our way to The Venetian to take in Madame Tussaud's, which has become one of my favorite attractions in Las Vegas!
For $25, which is a little pricey in my book, you are able to take pictures with celebrities from the past and present. You're even told as you enter to touch and interact with the wax figures. How awesome is that?! Usually, you hear, "Please do not touch anything!"
(An interesting side note... You can buy your tickets online and receive 10% off. I'm always up for ways to save money, so I figured that I'd share it with you. Click on Madame Tussaud's above, and it'll take you to the site. I'll be doing this next time for sure!)
Paris Hilton greets you as you enter, so we had to have our fun with her!
As you ascend up the escalator, you are greeted by Harrison Ford dressed as Indiana Jones and a room full of celebrities young and old! You have talk show hosts ready to interview you, including Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Springer, and Larry King...
You have some of today's biggest movie stars waiting for you to pose with them, including Meryl Streep, Daniel Craig, Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, and Cameron Diaz...
You turn the corner where George Clooney is ready to marry you with Reverend Robert Schuller presiding! Madame Tussaud's even has a one-size-fits-all wedding dress that you can put on for your picture! Mary had a ball with this!
From there, you enter the sports zone, where athletes of all realms are ready for you to interact with them. From Tiger Woods to Shaquille O'Neil to Evander Holyfield to Andre Agassi to Evel Knievel, they're ready for their close up!
Then, Jessica Simpson welcomes you to the pop stars room with the likes of Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and so many others.
Then, you descend down a staircase where the truly interactive section is waiting for you... SCREAM! In this part of the attraction, you get locked in a maximum security prison where the inmates have taken over. Live actors portray these inmates, and, from what it sounds likes, it's very Halloween Horror Nights-ish. As the official Madame Tussaud's site taunts, "Who’s that lurking in the shadows? They won’t leap out at you... Will they? They can’t touch you... Can they? In the chamber, anything can happen."
Personally, I have no interest in experiencing this part of Madame Tussaud's, so I always bypass it. This time, an actor portraying an inmate stared me down as I passed. My heart was beating pretty frantically... :-) I love watching horror movies, but actually being apart of the craziness is another thing.
After walking briskly past that insaneness, you walk into the Las Vegas room where the Mayor of Las Vegas greets you with another hilarious interactive opportunity. Get a load of me on the left! Don't get too jealous!
In that room, you have the opportunity to pose with the likes of The Rat Pack, Shirley MacLaine, Judy Garland, Liberace, Blue Man Group, Criss Angel, Debbie Reynolds, and, of course, Bette Midler!
The last room that you enter is the "educational" aspect of Madame Tussaud's. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin welcome you. Along with them, you'll be able to stand with Princess Diana, Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Barack Obama.
It was extremely crowded in there, so we didn't stop to pose for pictures...
At this time, Rhiannon and I headed back to Excalibur to get ready for our exciting evening: We were going to meet Bette Midler!
Let me give you a little bit of a back story...
I have been quite the Bette Midler fan for fifteen years and counting. When I was eight years old, I saw Hocus Pocus and was in awe of the actress who portrayed Winifred Sanderson, the bucktoothed witch, especially during her performance of "I Put a Spell on You". I immediately began renting and buying Bette Midler's movies and buying her albums. It just grew from there... I own every DVD/VHS, album, book, etc. of hers that I possibly can. Being that I became a fan so late in her career, it took a lot of time to build up the collection that I have now! I saw her in concert for the first time in 1999, which was a dream come true, and I even went to Las Vegas right after her show, The Showgirl Must Go on, opened in February 2008. Some would consider me obsessed, but I'm truly an admirer. She has been through so much during her life and career and has still maintained to stay positive. She hasn't had the success as some of her peers, like Barbra Streisand and Cher, but that doesn't stop her! She is truly a legend! Now, with the fact that I was going to meet her, this whole part of my life was coming full circle. I really never thought that I'd get to actually hold a conversation with her.
Well... That was about to change!
Rhiannon and I got ready, ate something quickly because my stomach was a little on the nervous side, and headed to Caesars Palace. Being that we ordered the Smug Mutha package, we were escorted into The Colosseum and were treated as V.I.P.'s all night! A nice gentleman brought us to our seats, which were front row/center... I was in awe of how close the stage was and how close The Divine Miss M. would be to me!
(Let me address something quickly... Cameras are not allowed in The Colosseum, so I couldn't take any pictures of the show or anything that I saw that night. I learned that lesson when I went in 2008. My camera was confiscated, and I had to pick it up after the show. I left it in the hotel room this time!)
Once we got to our seats, a photographer came and took a few pictures of us with the stage in the background. Being that this was such an exciting experience, we had to purchase one of the pictures. We couldn't pick it up until after the show, and the photographer wouldn't disclose the price. (If you ever do this, please keep in mind that it was $45 to get the picture. Before you flip out, it is packaged very nicely in a book-like case with a picture of Bette Midler. It's very nice!)
The show began, and I immediately teared up when she appeared on stage. I couldn't believe how close she was! It was an AMAZING show! Besides singing, Miss Midler tells jokes and interacts with the audience. It's truly a show, not a concert. Here's the set list of songs for those of you who are interested:
After the show was over, we were asked to wait in our seats until someone could bring us backstage. It didn't take long, and we were on our way! We were led into Miss Midler's official green room, where everyone who is waiting to see her after the show waits. For instance, I noticed immediately that Kristin Chenoweth (The West Wing/Pushing Daisies/Broadway's Wicked) was standing right there!
As we were waiting, I recognized a lady's voice behind me. When I turned around, I was shocked to see Lily FRICKIN' Tomlin talking with Toni Basil of "Hey, Mickey!" fame. (She also choreographs all of Bette Midler's shows!) I was now completely starstruck! Lily Tomlin flashed me a smile, and I could've died! I wish that I could've spoken with her, but I seriously think that she thought that we didn't know who she was...
I also saw Adam Shankman, the director of one of my favorite movies, Hairspray. (He was also in the line for a taxi when we were, and I contemplated walking up to him and singing a line from "You Can't Stop The Beat" or "Ladies' Choice". I resisted the temptation...)
We were delighted to find out that us "Smug Muthas" would be the first to see her, so we continued to wait for a bit and were given our autographed programs in the process! I've been waiting to get something actually autographed by Bette Midler herself and not something that's been printed with it on it for a while!
Then, it happened...
Bette Midler walked through the door!
She asked, with a smile, "Where are my V.I.P.'s?"
Rhiannon and I were the first ones up. "I saw you!" she said as she shook our hands. We introduced ourselves, and she started singing Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" after meeting Rhi. It was amazing! :-) We posed for a picture with our V.I.P. stickers on because, as Miss Midler said, "They could use this for their Christmas card!" (She's on the right track... I'm trying to talk Rhi into it.)
We posed for another picture without our stickers. Before we left, I asked Miss M. if I could show her a picture. She agreed, and I showed her this picture...
It's of me when I was eight or nine years old. I'm wearing a shirt that my mom had made for me that said, "Kyle Loves Bette". I'm standing in front of an attraction that used to be at MGM in Orlando about using stunts in movies. Bette Midler was the star of a short film that shows how stunts are added in movies, and the viewer can't even tell that the real actor/actress isn't doing his/her own stunts. It was quite interesting as I remember.
Miss M. took the picture from my hand as I was describing what she was looking at. "Thank you for bringing this," she said. She was really sweet about it and smiled as I told her that I've loved her for fifteen years.
She asked us to come back to the show. When I told her that we'd be coming back the following night, she asked, "The same seats?!"
"I wish!" I said.
"Wave to me; I'll see you!"
We were escorted to the elevator and shown our way out. I was floating on a cloud... I couldn't believe what just happened, and I was beaming from ear to ear! She was so sweet, so kind, so warm, and so welcoming! The experience exceeded all of my expectations!
(I will post the pictures with Bette Midler as soon as I receive them... They're being mailed, so let's hope for a speedy delivery!)
We met up with Janet, Mary, and Becky, who had seen Jubilee! at Bally's and loved it. We told them all about our evening, got some food, and hit the bed for the night!
I still couldn't really sleep just thinking about my dreams that came true that night.
I met Bette Midler, someone whose career I've followed for fifteen years. She became so "real" to me when we met. She wasn't just an actress, a singer, or an entertainer anymore. She was Bette Midler, the person. I couldn't believe that I was given this chance.
Thank you, Rhiannon, for purchasing the $1000 package. I'll try to pay you back over time! :-)
We ventured to Bellagio, where we took in The Conservatory, which is a beautiful area adjacent to the lobby of the hotel. Each season, this sun room-type space houses a themed display. For now, it has a garden theme, which is absolutely beautiful! Take a look for yourself...
As I said in the previous entry, Caesars Palace is my favorite casino and hotel. For one, it's absolutely beautiful! The sculptures, the colors, and the headliners! :-)
After gawking over Caesars Palace, we moved on to The Forum Shops. Being that nobody wanted to spend an arm and a leg at any of the extremely expensive shops, we just window shopped. We were pretty hungry, so we stopped at Planet Hollywood for lunch.Being a movie lover, I always enjoy walking around and looking at the plethora of movie memorabilia that's housed in Planet Hollywood. I even snuck upstairs and got some pictures of celebrities' lip prints that were framed on the wall...
After a brief introduction, you can walk through an underwater tank and see the dolphins up close and personal. I was surprised to see how friendly they were, and they certainly weren't afraid to smile for the camera...
From there, you return to the ground level and cross a bridge where you can see the dolphins from above. This time, there was an eleven-month-old dolphin named Bella in the tank with her mother and grandmother.
After being awed by the dolphins, you continue on to the next phase: The Secret Garden. Before entering, you pose for a picture. (We didn't care for how it turned out, so we didn't buy it.)Upon entering, you can make a wish on The Wishing Tree and touch the water from a fountain of youth-type thing. (I don't remember the "official" name.)
For $25, which is a little pricey in my book, you are able to take pictures with celebrities from the past and present. You're even told as you enter to touch and interact with the wax figures. How awesome is that?! Usually, you hear, "Please do not touch anything!"
(An interesting side note... You can buy your tickets online and receive 10% off. I'm always up for ways to save money, so I figured that I'd share it with you. Click on Madame Tussaud's above, and it'll take you to the site. I'll be doing this next time for sure!)
Paris Hilton greets you as you enter, so we had to have our fun with her!
As you ascend up the escalator, you are greeted by Harrison Ford dressed as Indiana Jones and a room full of celebrities young and old! You have talk show hosts ready to interview you, including Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Springer, and Larry King...
You have some of today's biggest movie stars waiting for you to pose with them, including Meryl Streep, Daniel Craig, Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, and Cameron Diaz...
You turn the corner where George Clooney is ready to marry you with Reverend Robert Schuller presiding! Madame Tussaud's even has a one-size-fits-all wedding dress that you can put on for your picture! Mary had a ball with this!
From there, you enter the sports zone, where athletes of all realms are ready for you to interact with them. From Tiger Woods to Shaquille O'Neil to Evander Holyfield to Andre Agassi to Evel Knievel, they're ready for their close up!
Then, Jessica Simpson welcomes you to the pop stars room with the likes of Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and so many others.
Then, you descend down a staircase where the truly interactive section is waiting for you... SCREAM! In this part of the attraction, you get locked in a maximum security prison where the inmates have taken over. Live actors portray these inmates, and, from what it sounds likes, it's very Halloween Horror Nights-ish. As the official Madame Tussaud's site taunts, "Who’s that lurking in the shadows? They won’t leap out at you... Will they? They can’t touch you... Can they? In the chamber, anything can happen."Personally, I have no interest in experiencing this part of Madame Tussaud's, so I always bypass it. This time, an actor portraying an inmate stared me down as I passed. My heart was beating pretty frantically... :-) I love watching horror movies, but actually being apart of the craziness is another thing.
After walking briskly past that insaneness, you walk into the Las Vegas room where the Mayor of Las Vegas greets you with another hilarious interactive opportunity. Get a load of me on the left! Don't get too jealous!
In that room, you have the opportunity to pose with the likes of The Rat Pack, Shirley MacLaine, Judy Garland, Liberace, Blue Man Group, Criss Angel, Debbie Reynolds, and, of course, Bette Midler!
The last room that you enter is the "educational" aspect of Madame Tussaud's. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin welcome you. Along with them, you'll be able to stand with Princess Diana, Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Barack Obama.It was extremely crowded in there, so we didn't stop to pose for pictures...
At this time, Rhiannon and I headed back to Excalibur to get ready for our exciting evening: We were going to meet Bette Midler!
Let me give you a little bit of a back story...
I have been quite the Bette Midler fan for fifteen years and counting. When I was eight years old, I saw Hocus Pocus and was in awe of the actress who portrayed Winifred Sanderson, the bucktoothed witch, especially during her performance of "I Put a Spell on You". I immediately began renting and buying Bette Midler's movies and buying her albums. It just grew from there... I own every DVD/VHS, album, book, etc. of hers that I possibly can. Being that I became a fan so late in her career, it took a lot of time to build up the collection that I have now! I saw her in concert for the first time in 1999, which was a dream come true, and I even went to Las Vegas right after her show, The Showgirl Must Go on, opened in February 2008. Some would consider me obsessed, but I'm truly an admirer. She has been through so much during her life and career and has still maintained to stay positive. She hasn't had the success as some of her peers, like Barbra Streisand and Cher, but that doesn't stop her! She is truly a legend! Now, with the fact that I was going to meet her, this whole part of my life was coming full circle. I really never thought that I'd get to actually hold a conversation with her.
Well... That was about to change!
Rhiannon and I got ready, ate something quickly because my stomach was a little on the nervous side, and headed to Caesars Palace. Being that we ordered the Smug Mutha package, we were escorted into The Colosseum and were treated as V.I.P.'s all night! A nice gentleman brought us to our seats, which were front row/center... I was in awe of how close the stage was and how close The Divine Miss M. would be to me!
(Let me address something quickly... Cameras are not allowed in The Colosseum, so I couldn't take any pictures of the show or anything that I saw that night. I learned that lesson when I went in 2008. My camera was confiscated, and I had to pick it up after the show. I left it in the hotel room this time!)
Once we got to our seats, a photographer came and took a few pictures of us with the stage in the background. Being that this was such an exciting experience, we had to purchase one of the pictures. We couldn't pick it up until after the show, and the photographer wouldn't disclose the price. (If you ever do this, please keep in mind that it was $45 to get the picture. Before you flip out, it is packaged very nicely in a book-like case with a picture of Bette Midler. It's very nice!)
The show began, and I immediately teared up when she appeared on stage. I couldn't believe how close she was! It was an AMAZING show! Besides singing, Miss Midler tells jokes and interacts with the audience. It's truly a show, not a concert. Here's the set list of songs for those of you who are interested:- "Big Noise From Winnetka"/"The Showgirl Must Go on"
- "In The Mood"
- "The Rose"
- "Do You Want to Dance?"
- "From a Distance"
- Delores DeLago Segment: "My Kind of Town", "Play That Funky Music", "Bad Girls", "It's Now or Never", "Luck Be a Lady", "Viva Las Vegas", and "My Way"
- "Hello in There"
- "When a Man Loves a Woman"
- Soph Segment: "Pretty Legs and Great, Big Knockers" and Dirty Jokes!
- "The Glory of Love"
- "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
- "Wind Beneath My Wings"
After the show was over, we were asked to wait in our seats until someone could bring us backstage. It didn't take long, and we were on our way! We were led into Miss Midler's official green room, where everyone who is waiting to see her after the show waits. For instance, I noticed immediately that Kristin Chenoweth (The West Wing/Pushing Daisies/Broadway's Wicked) was standing right there!
As we were waiting, I recognized a lady's voice behind me. When I turned around, I was shocked to see Lily FRICKIN' Tomlin talking with Toni Basil of "Hey, Mickey!" fame. (She also choreographs all of Bette Midler's shows!) I was now completely starstruck! Lily Tomlin flashed me a smile, and I could've died! I wish that I could've spoken with her, but I seriously think that she thought that we didn't know who she was...
I also saw Adam Shankman, the director of one of my favorite movies, Hairspray. (He was also in the line for a taxi when we were, and I contemplated walking up to him and singing a line from "You Can't Stop The Beat" or "Ladies' Choice". I resisted the temptation...)
We were delighted to find out that us "Smug Muthas" would be the first to see her, so we continued to wait for a bit and were given our autographed programs in the process! I've been waiting to get something actually autographed by Bette Midler herself and not something that's been printed with it on it for a while!Then, it happened...
Bette Midler walked through the door!
She asked, with a smile, "Where are my V.I.P.'s?"
Rhiannon and I were the first ones up. "I saw you!" she said as she shook our hands. We introduced ourselves, and she started singing Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" after meeting Rhi. It was amazing! :-) We posed for a picture with our V.I.P. stickers on because, as Miss Midler said, "They could use this for their Christmas card!" (She's on the right track... I'm trying to talk Rhi into it.)
We posed for another picture without our stickers. Before we left, I asked Miss M. if I could show her a picture. She agreed, and I showed her this picture...
It's of me when I was eight or nine years old. I'm wearing a shirt that my mom had made for me that said, "Kyle Loves Bette". I'm standing in front of an attraction that used to be at MGM in Orlando about using stunts in movies. Bette Midler was the star of a short film that shows how stunts are added in movies, and the viewer can't even tell that the real actor/actress isn't doing his/her own stunts. It was quite interesting as I remember.Miss M. took the picture from my hand as I was describing what she was looking at. "Thank you for bringing this," she said. She was really sweet about it and smiled as I told her that I've loved her for fifteen years.
She asked us to come back to the show. When I told her that we'd be coming back the following night, she asked, "The same seats?!"
"I wish!" I said.
"Wave to me; I'll see you!"
We were escorted to the elevator and shown our way out. I was floating on a cloud... I couldn't believe what just happened, and I was beaming from ear to ear! She was so sweet, so kind, so warm, and so welcoming! The experience exceeded all of my expectations!
(I will post the pictures with Bette Midler as soon as I receive them... They're being mailed, so let's hope for a speedy delivery!)
We met up with Janet, Mary, and Becky, who had seen Jubilee! at Bally's and loved it. We told them all about our evening, got some food, and hit the bed for the night!
I still couldn't really sleep just thinking about my dreams that came true that night.
I met Bette Midler, someone whose career I've followed for fifteen years. She became so "real" to me when we met. She wasn't just an actress, a singer, or an entertainer anymore. She was Bette Midler, the person. I couldn't believe that I was given this chance.
Thank you, Rhiannon, for purchasing the $1000 package. I'll try to pay you back over time! :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
