Weekly TV Recap for November 27th

You know, I really had intended to blog more this week. But I just ran out of time with everything I was trying to get in before Thanksgiving. One of those things was staying current on my TV shows, so at least I'll get this post in. Fortunately, with Thanksgiving this week, most shows took the time I'm out of town off. I'll have some catching up to do when I get back, but I can handle that.

The Amazing Race - I wasn't that sorry to see Chad and Stephanie go. Heck, I could do with the other two couples leaving. I like the two female teams and hope one of them wins. The double U-turn certainly made things interesting since the team that got U-turned didn't automatically lose. I hope they bring that back in future seasons.

Dancing with the Stars - Well, that was the least surprising ending since Kristi Yamaguchi won. Not that I don't think Jennifer and Derek deserved to win, but she had a huge advantage going in. I would really like to see them fill up a roster sometime with people who don't have any dancing experience in them instead of stacking the deck. Okay, so I was rooting for Lacey to finally win. And I've got to say that Bristol really surprised me. I actually liked her freestyle the best. She proved she deserved to be in the finals. Third place was the right finish for her, but she was actually holding her own with the other two.

Skating with the Stars - That was painful. No, I'm not talking about the skating, which was actually pretty interesting. But the hosts were so over talking things (even over the hosts on DwtS) . The judges had no personality at all. Yes, the judges can be over the top of DwtS, but they actually still make sense, and you can figure out what their scores will be. Here? The scores made no sense following the comments. I'm slightly tempted to see where things go next week, but I think I'm just going to let the show go. We're entering December anyway, so why not just enjoy a lighter TV schedule.

Chuck - Not the biggest fan of watching Sarah go all Rambo on everyone. Casey doing that and breaking the rules is funny. Sarah was just painful to watch. It does show how Chuck balances out Sarah, however. I like what they have done with them and their relationship this year. No, it doesn't have quite the same spark the show had before they started dating. But it is still fun, and I prefer this to them dragging this out for another year. I'm dying to know what was in the computer that Ellie and Awesome finally had open at the end. I'm one of the few people I know who doesn't think it's another intersect. I think it's a big family secret, however.

No Ordinary Family - They overall story didn't advance by much, which didn't really surprise me. And I was highly disappointed with how they resolved the JJ story about being charged with a crime. Seriously? We're going to use amnesia? I would rather they didn't introduce the storyline if that was all they were going to do with it.

Word Association for November 22nd

I was actually going to post the word assocation yesterday, but it's a day late.

1. Emotional :: Baggage
2. Bite :: Me
3. Get off my :: Porch
4. Heroic :: Action
5. Clothing :: Covered
6. Home :: House
7. Spelling :: Error
8. Attitude :: Adjustment
9. Argument :: Lose
10. Satan :: Evil

Weekly TV Recap November 19th

The Amazing Race - Father/Son were followed out the door by Father/Daughter. I wish I knew how close it really was because the editing made it look really close. But another team I am sorry to see go. Honestly, I think all the couple teams can leave at this point and I'd be happy. The ones who are left are getting on my nerves.

Dancing with the Stars - Another week, another round the Bristol makes it through. Let's be honest here, I bet her mother's fans are voting for her. But let's also be honest here, it's just a game show. We don't need to have all the drama over it we are seeing. I am definitely pulling for Jennifer, although I would be quite happy if Kyle and Lacey won as well. Bristol? Well, she's not a good enough dancer to deserve to win.

Chuck - When the episode started out, I wasn't that impressed, but as it went on, I really did like it and where they were going with it. This will wind up being another good milestone in the Chuck/Sarah relationship. But why oh why did they have to leave us hanging like that?

Castle - That was hilarious. Great spoof of sci-fi, especially X-Files. They even had the Cigarette Smoking Man. And I had no idea how they were going to explain everything, but they managed to have a logical solution to the mystery as well. I was laughing so hard, too.

No Ordinary Family - The kids' storylines this week were pretty weak, but the last few minutes were great. Jim and George finding a pattern in the people who are dying. Us learning that Stephanie was lied to by the widow. And The Watcher showing up to date Katie. This is going to get very interesting in the weeks to come.

Psych - The banter was killing me again, and the plot had me pretty confused for a while there. Great use of a haunted house to stage a murder. Plus, as against the Shawn/Juliette relationship as I have been, I think I might actually like it. It will be an interesting dynamic to watch as the season progresses.

Survivor - I really was surprised that Brenda went home. Most of the time when someone is as powerful and popular as she is, people aren't willing to turn on them. Maybe the people playing have a brain after all. (Note, I did say maybe.)

Better with You - Yes, this show snuck back into the rotation this week, mainly because they had Reba guest starring as a wedding planner. I used to love Reba, which also had star Joanna Garcia. Sadly, it reminded me why I gave up the show. I was cringing through a lot of it and skipped past the scenes about flirting at the yogurt shop. Reba was great, and it was fun seeing she and Joanna together again. But the show won't be back next week.

Burn Notice - I didn't remember that thief who had hired (or rather blackmailed) the gang into helping her, but I loved her. She was so funny, especially the way she and Fi went at it. I would love it if they found a way to bring her back again.

Another Great Weekend

This last weekend was fun but busy again.

Saturday was the 2nd birthday party for my friends Kenny and Kathryn's little boy Ethan.  We met up at a park.  It was great getting to hang out with some friends.  The kids seemed to have fun with the pinata, too.

Of course, around that, I was dealing with more car stuff.  My mechanic had found a problem with my CV Boot.  I called the place where I got my suspension worked on a couple weeks ago, and they agreed to fix it for me for free.  I took it in that morning, but it wasn't quite right I discovered while driving to and from the party.  So I spent more time getting it fixed afterward.  Fortunately, that place is within walking distance of my condo.

Then that night, some friends came over to hang out with us at the condo.  We watched Raiders of the Lost Ark and hit the hot tub.  It was a blast.

Sunday after church, I headed down to the beach again.  Dave and I decided with the weather being nice, we had to try the beach again.  It was absolutely perfect!  It was pleasantly warm.  We threw the Frisbee around for a while, then went for a run on the beach.  Eventually, we wound up back at his place where we hit the hot tub before I introduced him to the joy that is Chuck.

The weather is cooling off now.  In fact, we're supposed to get rain starting tomorrow or Saturday.  Guess it's time to say goodbye to nice weather because winter is here.  I'll be okay until Christmas is over, but after that, how soon until Spring?

FIR Reading Question #8

Holy cow!  Are we 8 weeks into Fall Into Reading?  I'd better get reading faster.  Anyway, here's this week's question and my answer.

Where do you get the books you read? Are you a faithful library patron? Or maybe a bookstore junkie? Do you exchange books with friends or family members?

I used a library almost exclusively as a kid, and if I went back to that, think of the money I would save.

I am a book buyer.  I will buy books anywhere and everywhere.  Used books?  Yes.  On line bookstores?  Yes.  Chain bookstores?  Yes.  Independent bookstores?  Yes.  Really, I will take books wherever I can get them.

I used to buy two or three books for every book I read on average.  You can begin to see the problem.  I am out of room in my condo and still buy books.  I could stop buying books and not run out of books I hadn't read for at least a year.

However, I have cut down some on the books I buy.  Might be more like 1 to 1.5 books bought to every book read.  I still don't feel like I'm catching up on the books around my place I want to read, but it's better than it once was.

Word Association for November 15th

Time for this week's word association.

1. Freezing :: Cold
2. Bikers :: Motorcycle
3. Infrequently :: Occasionally
4. Mickey :: Mouse
5. School:: Work
6. Textile :: Clothes
7. Obstinate :: Stubborn
8. Guard :: Security
9. Release :: Date
10. Authentic :: Real

All I have to say is the guy hosting the Third Annual All Things Disney Write-Off had better come up with Mouse for Mickey.

Weekly TV Recap for November 13th

So, you may notice that Hawaii Five-0 isn't on the list any more.  It's not that I wasn't still enjoying the show, but something had to go.  I just had too much else I was watching, especially with USA Network shows coming back.

The Amazing Race - Kevin and Michael finally left. To be honest, they lasted longer than I thought they would. Not as sorry to see them go as I have been the others the last couple of weeks because the way the son talks about his father was really getting me. And once again, racers learn the importance of reading all directions carefully.

Dancing with the Stars - So, the Instant Dance was pretty interesting. It certainly separated the great dancers from the next level down. Not that anyone isn't trying at this point, but there is a certainly natural ability involved. I'm sorry to see Kurt and Anna go, but they are one of the couples that needs to go. Now, Bristol needs to go next week. She's improved at lot, but she's not at the level of the other three. And Kyle was robbed! His Instant Jive was the dance of the season. He should have gotten a 30. I still can't believe that was a dance without a known song. It was flawless.

Castle - This one started out fun, but if grew serious pretty quickly when we learned a boy had been kidnapped. They did a great job of toning it down at that point and making it important for the characters. Not that I was ever really worried for the boy. This isn't the kinds of show where they'd kill off the kid. At least I hope not. That would really ruin the fun of the show, and it tries above all else to be fun each week. I even felt like the story with the pet rat wasn't as stuck on has it has been in the past.

No Ordinary Family - Nothing on any advancing storylines. In stead, the entire episode was devoted to Stephanie's parents visiting. And they have a bad relationship which is fixed by the end. Predictable. But I still loved it and ended the episode smiling. What is it with me and predictable, sappy stories like that that I love so much?

Psych - Once again, they had Cary Elwes on the show, and they made no Princess Bride references? On a show that prides itself on 80's references? Inconceivable! Other than that (and yes it does really bother me), I enjoyed the episode. The banter between Shawn and Gus was funny as always. Plot was decent, although the ending was a bit weak. Glad to have the show back.

Survivor - Marty's gone! I never could bring myself to feel sorry for him. Something about how arrogant and smug he always seemed. Now, if they can just get rid of NaOnka I will be super thrilled.

Burn Notice - This episode is everything I love about the show. You've got some quips with lots of action and things blowing up. Even though I know the characters will make it out alive, I still worry for them. Especially this week since it was so painful watching Michael walk around wounded. Jesse is going to be a huge wild card for quite a while. He's working with them, but almost under protest. I like what they are doing with that relationship. I hope they keep it realistic.

Nikita - Michael, Nikita really is on your side. Please know that. Please think! And in other news, just as I was complaining about not seeing Jaden for a few weeks, look who was back. I loved how Alex used her to clear herself. "If these two agree, they must be telling the truth." So funny. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops from here.

Fall Into Reading Question #7 (a Day Late)

So last night, I remembered that Callapidder Days had another reading question for us, but I didn't get a chance to blog about it.  So here goes.  And the question is:

How did you get into reading? When and how/why did you really become “a reader”?

I have always loved books.  I can remember being read to as a kid.  I can remember "reading" How the Grinch Stole Christmas to my parents (in reality I had it memorized).

I think the time when it really clicked for me was 3rd grade.  Don't get me wrong, I was reading before then.  But I can remember trying my first Hardy Boys book in third grade.  While I didn't really get hooked on them until 5th grade, I stopped reading it because I was hooked on the first Chronicle of Narnia.  I still love those books.  From there, I have always had some book going.  And almost 30 years later, it is still that way.

Narnia was also the first time I got others reading what I enjoyed.  I had several friends in class reading the series by the time the year was over.

So, yes, I have always read.  But 3rd grade was the first time I officially became a reader.

Long Over Due Disneyland Trip Report

Wow, I can't believe it's been a week and a half since my trip to Disneyland and I'm just now blogging about it.

As always, it was a fun day.  This trip was just Angelique and I.  We did our normal get there early and leave late bit, which always makes for a long day.

And boy was it crowded.  This was the most crowded I'd seen it in a long time.  Of course, after hardly anyone being there in February, anything would have seemed crowded, but this was exceptionally bad.  Long waits for most everything.  Indy and Space Mountain were around an hour almost all day.  But Pirates was over half an hour at one point.  And Haunted Mansion Holiday?  Way over an hour as well.

Of course, we were there the day before Halloween.  I'm sure that had something to do with it.

In my quest to find an ornament for the Pixar movie Up, I wound up finding and buying several more ornaments that they were selling this year.  I have got to stop buying ornaments at some point.  Really.  And of course I bought more Disney pins.

All in all, it was a great day.  Tiring but lots of fun.  How soon can we go back?

Word Association for November 8th

Don't have more than a few minutes right now, so I'm going to go ahead and do the word assocation today.

1. Everything :: Nothing
2. China :: Japan
3. Essence :: of Life
4. Immediate :: action
5. Obstruct :: Justice
6. Force :: Star Wars
7. Constellation :: Stars
8. Intuitive :: Obvious
9. Complain :: Whine
10. Train :: Track

Star Wars followed by Stars?  Interesting.

My October Reads

All ratings are on a scale from 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

ROYAL BLOOD by Rhys Bowen - 4
Lady Georgiana is invited to a castle in Transylvania to be a royal representative at a wedding. But once she gets there, she sees stuff that seems to involve vampires. And that's before someone drops dead. What's really happening? Plenty of fun as always, although the book does have a bit of a slow start.

NAKED HEAT by Richard Castle - 4.5
Gossip columnist Cassidy Towne has been murdered, and Nikki Heat must solve this high profile case quickly. To make this worse, writer Jameson Rook was profiling Cassidy, so Nikki must reunite with Rook to try to find the killer. Lots of great action and plenty of fun for fans of the TV show Castle. The writing was definitely better this time around, too, although it still could have smoothed out in a few spots.

MURDER IN VEIN by Sue Ann Jaffarian - 4
Madison Rose is kidnapped and is about to be killed until she is rescued - by vampires. And they want to use her to try to solve a series of murders that threaten their secret existence. Can she even trust them? I enjoyed the book and really grew to like the characters. Some of the scenes were just too dark for me, however.

THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER by CS Lewis - 5
A reread for me and the main reason I started rereading Narnia this year - the upcoming movie. Lots of fun as always.

NERDS: M IS FOR MAMA'S BOY by Michael Buckley - 5
The NERDS team is back and on the trail of a bank robber using squirrels as his accomplishes. Is it an old friend turned villain? This Bond spoof for kids is a very funny ride that I completely loved. Definitely consider it for kids on your Christmas list, but read it yourself first. You'll love it, too.

NIGHTMARE by Robin Parrish - 4
Maia is at the newest amusement park in the country - Ghost Town - when she sees a friend as one of the ghosts. Then she finds out this friend is missing. What is going on? This is a Christian novel with heavy ghost elements. Yet it treats the ghosts are real, or at least potentially real. Very well done with some creepy scenes. Perfect Halloween read.

Weekly TV Recap for November 6th

So NBC officially canceled Undercovers this week.  I actually had four on the DVR.  I couldn't quite get myself to give up on the show, but I wasn't making the time to watch it.  With it canceled, I went ahead and deleted them.  So now I have nothing on the DVR!

The Amazing Race - It was about time for another non-elimination leg. But boy, both parts of the detour were pretty hard. I would have tried for the music one, and the strategy of doing them one at a time was certainly the way to go. I think if other teams had tried that, they would have been happier overall.

Chuck - The show had me laughing for so much of it, especially Sarah after she found out that Chuck had talked to everyone but her about their fight. Or them having their heart to heart while shooting their way out of the bank. However, the tender moment of their mom talking to Ellie was great. The ending? Well, let's just say I don't want to have to wait two weeks to see what happens next. Totally unfair.

Dancing with the Stars - So, I thought more of the couples would stick closer to the original dances, but it was actually more fun seeing them take a fresh spin on some signature performances. And I loved seeing all the stars back again. Shocked that Rick left, especially since Bristol is still around. She's not that good a dancer, so I really have expected her to leave before now.

Castle - As if to make up for last week, we had lots of fun with the stripper in this week's episode. Totally hilarious how it all played out, and I never saw that ending coming. Sub-plots at home still aren't quite as good as they have been in the past, but I'm not complaining over all. Still a fun show.

Hawaii Five-0 - Interesting take on the hostage situation, and the twists by the end were amazing. Still could take or leave the show, but I can't seem to stop watching.

Survivor - Marty makes it through again. Will anyone wise up to how manipulative he is? And NaOnka? I was actually beginning to like her, but holy cow she went off the deep end yet again, and no one seems to realize how crazy she is. She needs to go now.

Nikita - I actually watched the last two episodes this week. Man, this show is awesome. Easily the best new show of the season. Thom out in the field was great, and I can't wait to see how they continue to play off his relationship with Alex. But I am wondering what happened to the black girl who was giving Alex so much trouble in the beginning. She seems to have just vanished.

New TV on DVD Reviews:
Mary Tyler Moore Season 7
V Season 1

Word Association for November 3rd

Here's this week's word assocation.

1. Adhesive ::  Tape
2. Bill :: Law
3. Swing ::  Slide
4. Counter ::  Offensive
5. Fluid ::  Movement
6. Investigate ::  Detective
7. Chit chat ::  Talk
8. Humane ::  Kind
9. Boss :: Great
10. Furniture ::  Living Room

And no, I'm not trying to butter up my boss.  As far as I know, he doesn't read my blog.

Reading Locations

If it's Tuesday, that must mean it is time for another reading question from Callapidder Days for Fall Into Reading.  This week's question is:

Where do you love to read? Note: I don’t mean where do you actually do most of your reading, because that might be the carpool line, the work cafeteria, or even the bathroom (if you have to escape from a few small children in order to read a chapter of your book). I mean, what are a few of the places where you LOVE to read?

Where do I love to read?  Yes!

Seriously, I will read anywhere and everywhere I get a chance when not doing something like running or watching TV.  I love to read in bed before I go to sleep at night.  I love to read on airplanes.  I will lean my seat back and read in my car at lunch time.  I rarely read in the living room because my roommates are usually out there, so when I get a chance to do that it is a special treat.  I really will read anywhere and everywhere I can.