Weekly TV Recap for October 29th

Just finished up the shows for the week, even though I had fewer shows than I have.  Something about two new shows on Friday night along with a night where I wasn't home and a busy Saturday.  But anyway, here are my thoughts on the week of TV.

Once Upon a Time - I hope that people were watching because I sure did like that pilot.  Okay, so the premise seemed to steal quite a bit from The Sisters Grimm books I like (and the rest will be stolen by Grimm, I'm predicting right now).  But the execution is pretty good and there are some very interesting places they can take the story.  Heck, I'm wondering if Snow White really remembers her past or not.  Frankly, it looks like a fun show, and this is coming from someone who doesn't want to start another major arc story.  Hopefully they get enough episodes to truly show us where the story might lead.

The Amazing Race - I feel sorry for the twins, they never appeared to have a chance to catch up to everyone else.  And it is amazing how the teams seemed to get switched around based on how their taxi took them in Bankok.  That was the only real place switching we saw.  I felt sorry for the father/son team when they found out they could have kept to their original bus, but at least it didn't cost them anything other than two tickets.  But back to the twins.  I greatly respect them not begging but finding drivers to give them rides for free.  That shows a maturity level that I really like.

The Sing-Off - Since I've been a fan of one of the members of The Collective since she started her career, I've been rooting for them all along.  But based on the judge's comments, I've been expecting them to go by the mid way point.  Guess I was right.  I did enjoy the hip hop more than I thought I would, well at least most of the performances.  And it is interesting that there doesn't seem to be a clear front runner or two coming out of this season, at least not yet.  Maybe as we get closer it will become more obvious who they are really rooting for.

Castle - They broke up Espanzito and Laney?  Say it ain't so?  I really liked them together as a couple.  I hope they work them back together.  Meanwhile, it looks like they are going to break up Ashleigh and Alexis.  I don't have feelings about that either way, I must admit.  Oh, the case?  A very good haunted mansion mystery, and I love those when there's a logical explanation at the end.  The killer was a bit random, even for that show, but I enjoyed the episode over all.

Dancing with the Stars - So I watched the dances only from Monday night and then watched some of the recap on Tuesday.  So that's when I heard Maks comments about how he built the show.  Really?  Someone has a serious ego problem.  And I'm sorry, but Hope's dance last night wasn't nearly as good as many of the others there.  This is coming from an untrained fan, Maks.  You might want to think about that.  Meanwhile, I called it last week, it was Chaz and Lacey's turn to go.  I was fast forwarding through, but what was Carson still doing around.  Dude's gone.  Deal with it and move on.

Last Man Standing - One good laugh, that's all this episode had.  And the stuff with the wife and the neighbor?  Completely unfunny.  I'm still on the fence with this show, but I think I'm about done with it.

Psych - Another really funny episode.  Yes, the killer was a bit of a last minute character, although not quite as bad as I thought since he had shown up in one scene.  But the jokes were so funny.  I was laughing the entire time.

Survivor - That is either the boldest move or the worst possible move ever.  If Ozzy doesn't win, he's going to feel stupid.  But if he does win and come back in, it might be the game.  What's really funny is that Christine would have been loyal to his tribe because she hated her own.  But now that they are lying to her, she might get so angry with them.  Next week is going to be very, very interesting.

The Big Bang Theory - An episode without Amy.  I think that's a first since they introduced the character.  It was very funny, too.  The plot with Leonard was predictable if somewhat sweet.  But what was really funny was the part about Sheldon trying to scare the other guys in the group.  It was so hilarious.

Nikita - Even from a cell, Percy is still a force to be reckoned with.  Setting up Nikita with her father to track her down and kill her?  The twists and turns in this episode alone were worthy of a full length movie.  And does this mean Alex is going to be working with Nikita again?  I hope so.  Although if Alex can't shake Percy's threat, it won't last for long.  And I guess Michael, Nikita, and Berkhoff will being finding a new place to live.  And how is Michael finding out about his son going to change things?

Chuck - I can't believe this is the final season.  How I have missed these characters.  It still felt like it was missing the humor of the old Chuck, but I love how they are handling Morgan as the intersect and what that means for Chuck.  And I love Sarah and Chuck as a married couple.  I believe it and I love it.

Grimm - The title was sure right on this one.  I suspect there is more to this than we've seen so far in the pilot.  But I'm not sold yet.  This one is going to have to grab me quickly or it is going to be gone.

New TV on DVD Reviews:
Chuck - Season 4  
V - Season 2   

Last Friday's Downhere Concert

I can't believe I forgot to talk about this earlier this week.  Especially since I had a great time.

I've been a fan of the Christian Canadian rock band downhere since, like forever.  Okay, I probably found them about a year after their debut came out, and I've been following them ever since.  They have an unfortunately small following, although that may grow thanks to lead singer Marc Martel's recent viral video entry in the Queen tribute band contest.

Anyway, I've seen them three times in concert over the years, twice here in town.  Last Friday, I got to see them a fourth time here in town.  This was probably the first time I've caught them in 5 or so years.

The concert appears to have been part of a fundraiser for a local Christian school.  Honestly, I didn't care.  It was a chance to see downhere in concert.

They only did one song that I recognized from the earlier concerts I've been to.  Everything else was from the discs they've released since then, which doesn't really surprise me.  What did surprise me was just how many of the lyrics I still knew.  I was expecting to know a small fraction, but I was able to sing along to them all.  Quite often, I couldn't remember which song it was until we hit the chorus.

After the concert, I hit the autograph line and was able to get their latest discs autographed, so I still have a complete collection of autographed discs.  They are truly nice guys who were chatting with everyone who came through the line.  I was near the end, and I left about an hour after the concert was over.

They're hoping to be back this spring with their tourmates, Aaron Shusts and Jason Gray.  I'm fans of both of those artists as well, so I hope that happens.  I'd love to spend a night with all three in concert.

Word Association for October 27th

Here's this week's word association.

1. Inhibitions :: Free
2. Sprint :: Holy
3. You :: Me
4. Shop :: 'Til You Drop
5. Priority :: Top
6. Testify :: Trial
7. Guys :: Dolls
8. Phone call :: Received
9. Removed :: from Circulation
10. Produce :: Grocery

Fall Into Reading Question 5

If it's Wednesday, it's time for this week's Fall Into Reading Question.

Do you skim? Or are you faithful to read every word?

My first reaction to this is always, "Of course I read every word."  And I think I read about 90% of them.

But I confess that there are times I get caught up in the action and my eyes start skimming over things.  This is especially the case with dialog between only two characters.  I'll just read what they are saying and skim over the tags.  And if the descriptions get long and boring, I skim them very quickly.

However, it's never my intent to skim.  And I feel like I read every word on the page.  It think it's more a case of my mind filling in stuff for me, and so my eye skips to the next part it doesn't already know.

I think it would be interesting to see how much I read versus how much I think I read versus how much is on the page some time.  That may be the only way I ever truly know.

Another fun, busy weekend

Like you'd expect anything less from me, right?

I actually got to play ultimate Frisbee twice this weekend.  I headed out to my new game Saturday morning.  Then I played again with the other group here in town on Sunday afternoon.  It felt wonderful to have plastic in my hands again, and it's only been a month.  Remember those years when I only played for St. Pat's Hat and summer league?  Every so often, I do wonder if I should stick to pick up and forget leagues, but I think I love the sport too much to do that.

Meantime, I spent time catching up on TV, including the Sing-Off I hadn't watched when I posted Saturday night.

And Saturday night, I went to see And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians) at a theater in North Hollywood.  It was a small theater, but very well done.  And it was nice because you could see everything, too.  My friend Angelique went, too, and we really enjoyed it.  Glendale Centre Theatre is mostly likely going to do it next fall, and I can't wait to see it again there.

Of course, Sunday morning was church.  But I didn't get to go hang out with my normal Sunday night crew due to sickness and late soccer games.  I haven't seen them for several weeks now, so hopefully we can connect this weekend.

Weekly TV Recap for October 22nd

So close.  I'm caught up on everything but The Sing-Off.  Won't get to that tonight, so I'll have to try to work it in over the next couple of days.  I just don't see myself watching it all at once, but we'll see what happens.  Meanwhile, here's my take on the new stuff from this week.

The Amazing Race - I'll admit, I wasn't only half watching the race this week.  Again.  Even so, I wasn't at all surprised that the snowboarders came in first on this leg.  As soon as I saw the tasks at the detour, I knew it was theirs to lose.  I hope they keep it up because I like them.  They just need to avoid mistakes like they did at the airport.

Terra Nova - For a while I was thinking they were leaving the dinosaurs out of that episode, but one did make a cameo.  Interesting ideas they are forming about the leader of Terra Nova.  I'm wondering what the real story is.  And I'm wondering what that devise the girl was sent to retrieve is.

Castle - "I don't take things that belong to other people."  Talk about a great line.  And I really like how they played with Castle and Beckett's relationship.  Plus I can't believe that Ryan and Sharpay Evan's mom was the killer.

Dancing with the Stars - So, apparently I'm the only one who thought it was beyond time for Carson to go.  He's fun, don't get me wrong.  But he's not a good dancer.  For him to stay while a better dancer left wouldn't have been right.  And yes, I've figured that out without watching the entire performances the last two weeks.

Last Man Standing - I'm torn on this show.  In all three episodes, it seems like we're supposed to be mocking Tim Allen's character, who is ultra conservative.  But he happens to be right, at least some of the time.  Are we going with an Archie Bunker thing here or are they going to prove that maybe he's not so bad after all more often like at the end where his daughter was defending him?

Ringer - Watched the two episodes I hadn't seen back to back.  So Shaban had Gemma killed for some reason?  What was it?  And why did Bridgette make sure her prints were on the evidence?  I knew they wouldn't find Bridget's sponser since they had tipped off the bad guys.  So how long will he be their prisoner, and did he give Bridget up?  This show gets more intriguing every week.

Psych - The Hangover didn't interest me.  Royal Pains did an episode based on the premise that was okay.  So I wasn't expecting much from this episode, but it was lots of fun.  The mystery was pretty good as well.  And the ending had me in stitches.  Much better than last week's premier.

Survivor - Ozzie wasn't quite as bad the whole way through, but I can understand his reaction at being blindsided.  And yes, some weeks I think people are over reacting.  But when you think you are in charge of things and they vote out your closest allie, it's going to hurt.  Meanwhile, at the other tribe, Brandon is indeed a lose cannon, but keeping secrets from him, especially when you are going to keep talking about being honest, is just going to make the situation worse.  Yes, Coach, I'm looking directly at you.  And speaking of which, threatening to punch someone for using your real name?  So over the top I don't even know where to start.

Charlie's Angels - I'm really sorry this show has been canceled.  The pilot was by far the weakest episode.  The rest have been fun.  No, it's not amazing or spectacular, but it's escapist fair, and that's all it was trying to be, really.  And I felt it fit the original pretty well, not that I've watched the originals that recently.

The Big Bang Theory - I'm not a huge fan of Sheldon's mom just because she is usually an excuse to mock Christians based on stereotypes.  Even so, I found the episode very funny.  I laughed so hard at this episode.  It's nice to find a batch of decent episodes on the show again.  They seem to be finding their groove in season 5.

Nikita - Last week was some more back story on Nikita as we finally saw the mission where she escaped Division.  This week, we got a little bit more on Michael, and it was interesting.  I expected Alex to figure out that Nikita was around, so I liked the fact that she never did.  This may be my favorite episode of the season so far since it feels like the story is beginning to move forward again.

Word Association for October 21st

Running late, so I guess it's a good thing that I'm just posting this week's word association today.

1. Neglected :: Forgotten
2. Sirens :: Police
3. Coordinate :: Avoid Duplication
4. Mellow :: Relaxed
5. Oscar :: Winner
6. Facebook :: Friends
7. Whoop :: Excitement
8. Affluent :: Rich
9. Battle :: War
10. Kisses :: Love

Fall Into Reading Questions 3 and 4

Since I was internet less last week, I'm going to do questions 3 and 4 from Callapidder Days this week.  (Why didn't I do this yesterday?  Because I just plan ran out of time.)

On what devices, if any, do you read books? Or are you strictly a “physical book” reader?

I do have some reading apps on my iPod Touch, specifically Kindle for iPhone and Barnes and Noble's reading apps.  But I've read one story and one book on them, I think.  If that.  I am very much a physical book person.  Which leads into this week's question.

How large is your personal/family collection of books? And where do you keep them?

Large.  I don't know how many books I actually have.  I have some boxes down in the garage.  And I have bookcases in the condo overflowing with books.  I should probably weed through them and cut some of them out, but I hate to get rid of books, even giving them away.  If only I could fit more physical books into my crowded condo (along with my DVD's).

So, the Trip

While my parents and brother, sister-in-law, and niece all met up in Colorado Springs late in the week, I wasn't able to join them until October 9th.  I had to work and had a choir day working on Chirstmas music on that Saturday.  Turns out it was a good thing I wasn't trying to fly that day because it actually snowed that Saturday.

And it turned out perfectly because Mom's birthday was on Sunday.

We spent the week camping in a state park just outside of Colorado Springs.  Bro and SiL stayed in their tent, while the rest of us slept in Mom and Dad's trailer.  We would do day trips to such places as Garden of the Gods and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, then come back to the trailer and let my niece take her nap.  The rest of us would shower, play games, or shop while she was doing that.

Fortunately, the weather mostly cooperated.  It was cool at night, but in the upper 60's or low 70's during the day.  We didn't make it up Pikes Peak because of the snow that fell on the 8th and winds, but we were able to do everything else we wanted to do.

On Sunday, we got to visit with one of my mom's counsins and his family, most of whom I'd never met.  Then Thursday, some family friends came down from Denver for a few hours.

We had a fantastic time.  My niece is so cute!  A highlight for me was seeing her face light up in a big smile when she saw me at the airport.  I was a little worried that she'd be sticking to me more than anyone else, but she was equally willing to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa, which saved my life I'm sure.

And did I metion she's very cute?

A definite highlight for me was visiting Focus on the Family's visitor center.  We've long supported their ministry and listened to that and Adventures in Odyssey.  The downstairs area where they have Whit's End and various store fronts from Odyssey was a real hoot for me.  They even have a Narnia room, so I finally got to walk through the wardrobe.  And their ice cream shop serves a WodFamChocSod.  We all got one of them.  Not the best thing I've ever had, but you have to buy one while you're at Whit's End, right?  (For those who haven't heard the episode "Our Best Vacation Ever," it's a World Famous Chocolate Soda.)

Friday, bro and his family drove home, and we started back to Southern California.  Mom and Dad went out of their way to drive me home.  We went through Santa Fe and Albequerque on the way.  It was the first time I'd been in New Mexico, so it was fun from that aspect.

We got back early evening Sunday night.  Now, I'm desperately trying to play catch up on a week's worth of TV.  It's a bit discouraging because just as I get something watched, this week's episode airs.  We'll see how far I've gotten and what kind of recap I can do this week.

Where Have I Been

You'd think I was away from civilization.  That wasn't true, I was just off the internet.  I was on vacation with my family in Colorado Springs last week.  I'll blog more about it later when I have more time, but for now the short of it is we had a wonderful trip.

Weekly TV Recap for October 8th

The Amazing Race - I really can't believe that Ethan and Jenna are gone.  How horrible for the first ever double elimination to take out someone I wanted to see last for a long time.  Why couldn't the brother/sister team go?  Yeah, I found the gay couple annoying and honestly I didn't think they'd last long, so it's no real surprise that they are gone, too.

The Sing-Off - I often say I don't know how the judges do it, and this week was a good example.  Every group had at least one strong performance.  Okay, so some of them also had weak performances mixed in there, but how do you cut one of those groups?  This season is just amazing.

Castle - Another very fun episode with lots of great funny lines.  And I like that they are giving Alex a several episode storyline again.  Hopefully they don't drop it like they did Ashley for most of the season last year.  The captain is proving to be a fun foil for Castle, so that's great.

Terra Nova - So, everyone is here in Terra Nova because of the wife's ex-boyfriend.  That won't be awkward.  I was glad to see the teens acting responsible this week.  A continuation of the repel/rule breaker would have grown tiring quickly.  And I think some of those scenes were specifically inspired by The Birds.  How could the one where the birds kept multiplying on the wires not be directly taken from the movie?

Dancing with the Stars - Yeah, I was shocked when the couple leaving was announced.  Most of the couples really did step up their game, but there are some obvious couples that need to go first.  Let's get to it, America.

Ringer - They weren't kidding when they said that they weren't going to drag things out indefinitely.  The friend figured out that Shobian was the one having the affair with her husband, and to keep her quiet, Bridget told her the truth.  My jaw dropped several times in the course of that episode.  Meanwhile, what is Shobian up to back in Paris?  I can't wait to see the next episode.

Survivor - Brandon needs to learn to shut his mouth.  I'm getting tired of listening to him whining.  And I'm tired of those who are voted out acting so bitter and angry.  Then again, I wouldn't have taken a hug from Coach or anyone else after being voted out.  And I felt sorry for her since she was the last one on her team at the challenge.

Big Bang Theory - A relatively clean show, and a pretty funny one.  We found out something interesting about Raj, although I kinda suspected that all along.  It's a shame his romance was destined to be a one episode thing but I actually thought it was rather brilliant.  But I loved the sub-plot with Sheldon letting the dice decide his life.  In fact, I would have preferred more of that.

How to be a Gentleman - I really thought I'd stop watching the show after this episode, but I've got to admit I kind of like it.  The main character reminds me a bit too much of myself, and I think that's probably why.  Of course, it's getting bumped and will probably we canceled in a week or two, so it's not that big a deal.  And I'll be the first to admit it's not the funniest comedy.

Charlie's Angels - Now here's a show I'll admit to being much more upset about when it gets canceled.  It seems to be getting more fun every week.  Of course, I'd like it if the mystery of the week told us something about the other Angels for a change.  And yes, I'm even getting used to Victor Garber as Charlie.  This one could still turn out to be pretty fun, poor dialogue and all.

Nikita - That was a bit more serious than I was expecting from the outset.  Wasn't really worried about Michael, but it was still an interesting twist at the end.  And was it me or did Alex take that shot?  That will make for some changes next week.  This week's was certainly better than last weeks, which still left me feeling like they are setting major things in motion.  Again, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't nearly as gripping as most episodes were last season.

New TV on DVD Reviews:
Melissa & Joey - Season 1 Part 2

Word Association for October 6th

Here's this week's word association.

1. Quivering :: Scared
2. Eclectic :: Unusual
3. Superimpose :: Over the Top of
4. The best :: The worst
5. Aches :: Pains
6. Vinyl :: Records
7. Hot and cold :: Our weather this week
8. Girls :: Boys
9. Wall :: Painting
10. Baby :: Cute

Fall Into Reading Questions - Week 2

It's time for this week's reading question, found here on Callapidder Days.

How often do you re-read books? What does it take to make you re-read?

I don't reread as often as I'd like to.  I've reread the Narnia books a couple times in the past few years.  I haven't even reread my Trixies in several years.  I am working on rereading Harry Potter right now.

I would love to reread more books.  It's a chance to revisit old friends and enjoy spending time in their company.  Usually after a couple of years, I don't remember all the details of the plot, so even if I remember the general direction the plot takes, I still enjoy my time with the characters.  So I guess it's great characters in a fun story that make me reread a book.

Why don't I more often?  I just don't have the time.  The list of new books I haven't read yet but want to read, like the latest in series or new authors to try, is always so long that I feel I am struggling to keep my head above water.  Of course, when I get caught up on the "must read immediately" list, I start to panic about not having anything to read, so it's a catch 22.  Anyway, I do too much else (witness my weekly TV recaps and running) to have time for all the reading I want to do, much less have time to reread old favorites.

Double Dose of Book Signings

You think that doing a 10K mud run was enough excitement for one weekend?  Well, you'd be wrong.  I also made it to two book signings at Vroman's in Pasadena this weekend.

Actually, that part worked out well, especially on Saturday.  The friend I did the mud run with lives near there, so I just hung out with him and his girlfriend until it was time for the book signing.

Saturday was Joanne Fluke.  Yeah, I know I had just seen her on Sunday at the launch party, but since that bookstore sold out of books and I needed more copies to give as gifts, I had to catch up with her at some point again.  This was the time that would work best (since when she's here in town I'll be busy).  Actually, I bought all the books for the book signings Friday night, so there was no chance I wouldn't get them that way.  Had a good time, and I got more of the Lime Balls and Triple Fudge she had at the launch party.  Yum!

I did drive home Saturday night since I had to be at church Sunday morning.  But Sunday afternoon found me heading back to Vroman's for Michael Buckley.  He was back promoting his new NERDS book, but there was lots of talk about his Sisters Grimm series as well.  He's a nice guy and remembered me from two years ago.  Of course, it probably helped that last time I was one of three people there and this time I was the only adult there because I'm a fan and not with kids.

Of course, that meant I was hardly home all weekend.  It's one reason I took Friday off, so I could do laundry and other stuff since I was in Pasadena so much.  I grabbed dinner with my friend after the signing, then came back to hang out with the usual Sunday night crew and meet one couple's new son.

So yes, it was a very busy weekend.  But I enjoyed every minute of it.

Gladiator Rock n Run - Rose Bowl

So, when I found out this summer that Gladiator Rock ‘n’ Run was coming to the Rose Bowl, I had to try to go.  This was their third race, and the third one I’ve done.  Plus it was close, and running through the Rose Bowl sounded like fun.

I signed up with my friend Luke, who lives in Pasadena.  That worked out well because I got to spend Friday night with him.

We had an option of the 5K length or a 10K length.  Naturally, we went with the longer run and then questioned our sanity.  Turns out I’m glad we signed up for the longer race.

I guess we started out too fast because I was dying early on.  We stopped and walked a couple times in the first half since I was so tired.  Keep in mind that I ran 5.5 miles on Tuesday, and actually ran them all.

We started by running through the player’s tunnel into the Rose Bowl, and then up and down the stairs three times before leaving the stadium and hitting some obstacles on the streets.  The 10K portion actually took us up into the hills behind the Rose Bowl, which was really neat.  I couldn’t believe how in nature we actually were a couple of points so close to such a big landmark and city.

When we rejoined the main course, I was afraid we might hit lots of crowds at a few of the obstacles, but most of the 5K racers (who started after us) must not have hit the second half of their course yet because we didn’t have long waits at the two last obstacles.  Just 15 minutes after we finished, the lines were huge at the obstacles I couldn’t do, the one where you have to use a rope to climb a wall with no braces on it.  I actually surprised myself by making it to the top, but that’s when my feet started to slip.  A couple of people tried to provide braces for my feet to I could push up and over, but I’m not sure that would have worked.  I didn’t try, but now I’m kind of wishing I could have tried.

Anyway, they had a mud pit with a tunnel early on and one to crawl through near the end.  Plus what was supposed to be ice water to walk through, although it felt great since the weather was hot that day.  We ran through a creek in the back section.  This mud run always has giant wooden spools we have to get over, and usually I struggle with them, but this time I sailed right over both times we saw them.  I got more of a running start than normal.  Maybe that’s the secret.

Anyway, we had fun.  And I kept the mud out of my eyes for a change, which really helped with how they were feeling the rest of the day.  When we went to clean up, there weren’t long lines at the hoses, but boy the water pressure was low.  That’s really my only complaint on a day that was lots of fun.

But the aftermath!  My calves have been killing me since the race.  All I can figure is the stairs were too much for them.  I am hobbling around, and really struggling when I have to go down stairs.  Not sure why they are bothering me so much, but I hope it goes away soon.

Weekly TV Recap for October 1st

You'll notice Nikita is missing from the list.  I'm not in town tonight, so I doubt I'm going to get it watched until Sunday at the earliest.  That's the problem with Friday night episodes, at least as far as my Saturday recaps.  But trust me, the show isn't off my watch list.

The Amazing Race - How lucky was that team?  Someone found their passport and got it to them at LAX?  I really was worried they'd not be able to go.  Then the grandparents were saved by a non-elimination leg.  I was happy about that because they seem nice.  And the clue in the billboard was freaking impossible!  But the boats look like lots of fun.  I would have loved to do that.

The Sing-Off - I know we're still getting to know the groups, but again I was amazed by how well all of them did.  Wasn't that surprised by who went home, and I think I see a few others coming soon if they don't blow the judges away, but they are all impressive.

Terra Nova - I almost turned this one off part way through the first hour because it was moving so slowly.  But I kept going and I'm kinda hooked.  I'm intrigued by the rock drawings and wondering what all that means.  There are lots of different avenues they can explore, and I want to know what is really going on.  We'll see how I'm feeling in a couple of weeks, but for now I plan to keep watching.

Castle - How fun was that?  I knew that a superhero episode would provide plenty of fun, and I was right.  The twists were fairly good, too.  Certainly kept me guessing.  The new Captain just doesn't get it yet, but there is hope.  If they play it out too quickly, it will just ruin the point of bringing in someone who doesn't like Castle, but I do like the fact that we've seen some hope for her to thaw.

Dancing with the Stars - I really thought it was David's week to go, which would give me less reason to watch.  I was really surprised he remained.  I definitely feel like the judges were right on Chaz.  That was by far the slowest Quickstep I've ever seen.

Ringer - It was nice to see more of Shibaun than just those few seconds at the end.  Now she knows her own secret.  That's going to make things interesting.  I feel so sorry for Bridget's sponsor who was questioned by the bad guy and shot up with drugs at the end.  Talk about a true and loyal friend.  Boy, I did not recognize the best friend at all.  And Bridget?  Using the FBI agent like she did was brilliant.

Survivor - I still do not understand why people take getting voted out so personally.  That's the point of the game!  (And the reason I am not on the show.  Well, one of the reasons.)  Brandon is definitely part crazy, but I absolutely feel for him.  And I'm thinking Ozzy chose the wrong person to trust with the knowledge that he found the idol.

Charlie's Angels - There were still some cheesy lines and moments of poor acting, but I felt this week's was better than last week.  I even had a better time accepting Victor Garber as Charlie.  But what I couldn't believe is that the one angel who tackled the guy into the drink looked so dry after we came back from commercial.  And I wasn't a fan of the shorter opening credits, but back when they did the original, there were fewer commercials.  Still, fun.  We'll see what I think next week.

Big Bang Theory - Definitely better than last week.  Sheldon and his trains were very funny.  Howard, Bernadette, and his mom were making me cringe, however.  Still, that whole train bit was too funny.

How to be a Gentleman - Okay, I caved and gave this one a try.  I can see potential, but I didn't find the pilot that funny.  I'll watch next week, but if it doesn't blow me away, I'm out of there.

New TV on DVD Reveiws:
Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries - Season 1