Author: Lynn

Story teller. Web designer. Party planner. Pie maker.

So, How Did It Go?

On By LynnIn TurtleHead7 Comments

The wedding was…good. I think. I’m torn.

I mean, there’s no question that the kids were great. We were very proud of all three of them. No meltdowns, not too crazy or wild, and they all ate (some) dinner. In general they were charming, played well with the other kids that were there, and had a really, really good time.

The down side to bringing your kids to a wedding is that you spend the whole evening chasing around after them, and thus you don’t get any time to socialize as adults. There were 10 of us there from my university class — fifteen years now since we graduated — and it was so good to see everyone. Sir Monkeypants’ old roommate had come from England (with his two-year-old and four-month-old daughters, and as I said to Mrs. Carl Sagan, some people are made of stronger stuff than I). Another of our friends was there from Paris; several others were there from Toronto or Waterloo.

So needless to say, these are not people we see very often and we can’t exactly call them up whenever we feel like it to pop out for a coffee. And yet I was only able to talk to each of them for maybe two minutes a piece, and our conversations went like this:

Me: So, how is work going? CAPTAIN, NO HITTING.
Friend: Oh, it’s okay, I’m thinking of moving away from hi-tech and into flower arranging.
Me: Really? Why’s that? GAL SMILEY, IT IS THE OTHER GIRL’S TURN NOW.
Friend: I just love flowers so much.
Me: That’s great, I have to run. LITTLE MISS, GIVE THE BABY HER BINKY BACK!

And so on. I mean, it wasn’t only us. Everyone had brought their kids and I think the oldest was seven, so obviously we were all doing a lot of running around chasing tots and sorting out disagreements and kissing owies better. Since all the other kids were there, I know I would have really regretted it if we had not brought our own, and it was so great to see our kids forming instant bonds with our friends’ kids. They all really did have a great time.

Oh, as a side bonus, we got seated with some friends of the groom who have two daughters, age 11 and 9. Their 11 year old in particular was so fantastic with the kids. At our table she helped them with their dinner and made art projects for them and then later let them all chase her around the dance floor endlessly. We are SO hiring her for babysitting when she turns 12.

And, I totally adored my Etsy earrings.

So all that stuff was great. I just feel like I really missed out on seeing my own friends. Sir Monkeypants pointed out afterwards that we didn’t even get to see each other; our entire conversation for the evening was long the lines of, “I’m taking this one to the bathroom, you have the other two!” and “Did she drink her milk? Does he want any juice? Can you get some extra napkins from the waiter?” and so on.

We left at around 9:30 just as the dancing was starting, because Gal Smiley in particular was crashing and asked to go home. I’m sure it was the right choice, but Sir Monkeypants never did get his special daughter dance. Little Miss Sunshine danced all through dinner, though (to the “over dinner hour” quiet background music), and that was worth seeing. SO CUTE.

I’m happy we took the kids. I’d make the same choice again. But going to a wedding with children in tow is definitely a very different experience than what I’m used to.

Going to the Chapel

On By LynnIn TurtleHead9 Comments

So! Tomorrow is The Big Wedding. An old friend of ours from our university days is getting married in a traditional style ceremony tomorrow, and we are bringing the kids.

That’s right! Have kids, will travel! Do you think that when people give wedding invites to “Mr. and Mrs. TurtleHead and family,” they assume that you won’t actually bring, you know, the family? I hope not. Because we RSVPed for a full five.

We decided to bring the kids because ever since Gal Smiley was born, Sir Monkeypants has had a fantasy of dancing with a prettily-dressed young daughter at a wedding reception. Since we don’t have any obligations at this wedding (no speeches, not in the wedding party, nothing to do except show up), it was the ideal chance to give it a go.

Of course, Gal Smiley swears up and down she is Not! Dancing! She is rather shy and doesn’t like people to look at her. Meanwhile, the other little girl we have, Little Miss Sunshine, only likes to dance if it involves a lot of spinning. So either Sir Monkeypants can spin her until he pukes, or he can put her down so she can spin herself until she pukes.

Now that’s a memory in the making!

Really, though, I think it is going to be a great time. The kids are really excited. Captain Jelly Belly is wearing a little tie and vest ($6, with the shirt, at the used kids’ clothing store up the street!). He also has real dress shoes that fit him perfectly, inherited from a friend of ours about five years ago when we laughed at how big they were — as if the Captain’s feet would ever be that big! The girls will be wearing matching dresses from my mom, Gal Smiley’s in blue, Little Miss Sunshine’s in pink. My mom is VERY big on the matching — I had an identical wardrobe to my older sister for the first 10 years of my life. The dresses are cute, though, and by far the most appropriate thing in the girls’ wardrobe, so a-matching they will be.

We haven’t been to a wedding in years — I think since 2002 — so I’m looking forward to a great time catching up with old friends, dancing like my shoes are on fire, and introducing the kids to a new experience.

I’ll let you know if anyone pukes.

How To Make Me Love You Forever

On By LynnIn TurtleHead9 Comments

We’re a week away from Blog Out Loud (eep eep eep) and plans are starting to come together.

I need a couple of volunteers to help out that evening. I need someone to man the door with FameThrowa, helping arriving bloggers to sign in and get themselves a nametag. And I need someone to sit with the photo blogger table, drawing attention to the pictures and making sure the table is kept tidy and protected. I might also need a third person just to help set up a few special tables and microphone area before we start.

If you’d like to help out, please let me know and we’ll get this thing organized!

One Minute Book Reviews: Olive Kitteridge

On By LynnIn TurtleHead4 Comments

So after some initial excitement, I must say, my affection for the library is waning. The problem is that I don’t normally read a book within three weeks, so when I get a novel from the library, I feel a lot of pressure to read, read, read all the time, as fast as I can. It feels like homework, which really takes away from my enjoyment of the book. Most of the books I’ve requested have a waiting list, so renewing them is not an option — that means that if I don’t finish it within the three weeks, I’ll have to wait another few months to get it again if I want to find out how the book ends. Eeep.

However, I’m very happy that I did manage to (barely) make it through the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout:

In short, I loved this book. It’s a series of short stories, all connected by the presence of Olive Kitteridge, an older lady in a small coastal town. Some of the stories feature Olive as a main character; in others, she just passes through or is only mentioned. Still, her presence is always felt.

The stories mostly centre on couples and older people as they reflect back on their lives. Old love affairs rear their ugly heads; old passions die out and fade away. Parents struggle to relate to their grown children and to build a relationship with their grandchildren; friends wonder if they ever really knew each other. It’s exactly the kind of subject matter that appeals to me — everyday people trying to make sense of their lives.

I think I enjoyed every single story in this book, which is very rare for me. In fact, I almost never read short story collections because I much prefer novels. This book reads like a novel, though — all the characters live in the same town and pass through each others lives, and it all fits together like a puzzle. It just feels like the focus of the book shifts gently from one household to another, fitting into the same tone and style.

And of course, there is Olive herself to tie it all together. I adore Olive. She’s tough and unemotional (to a fault) and strong. She’s also stubborn, angry, and sometimes mean. Above all, she’s real. I couldn’t wait to find out more about her and although I liked stopping in with the other families in town, I got unreasonably excited when I figured out that the next story was centred on Olive. If they ever make a movie from this book, I insist they cast Tyne Daly in the role.

Elizabeth Strout is such a fantastic writer that I almost consider this book to be a guide to my own future. I felt such a kinship with these people, and such insight too into life with grown children.

I recommend it highly to everyone. In fact, I wish I owned a copy so I could lend it out; I’m leaving it on my Amazon wish list even though I’ve already read it. At the very least, all the readers on my Christmas list are getting a copy!

Rating: A

Dance Show Post Of The Week

On By LynnIn TurtleHead8 Comments

Time for your weekly handicapping of the So You Think You Can Dance dancers!

1. Janette. Oh yes, I went there. She may have little training, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping her at all. She anchored the tango this past week — I barely noticed that Brandon was on the stage — and was so cute in the Wade Robson number. Her one potential problem is that as a salsa dancer, her solos are bound to be a little weak. Still, I think she’ll definitely make top 4.

2. Jeanine. Oh yes, I went there too. I predict great things for Jeanine. Her solos have been just quirky enough to set her apart from all the other contemporary dancers out there, and I think she’s a great actress — she really shows her characters in her face. I think residual affection for Phillip in the crowd will help win her votes, too. If she can survive this week — when I predict she will be paired with the weaker Evan — then she’s a shoo-in for the top 4.

3. Ade. The internet is buzzing with talk of how fabulous his solo was from this week. Since Ade got zero coverage during the audition shows, this was the first time we’d ever seen him dance in his own style and…WOW. He’s sweet, he’s bashful, he’s a fantastic partner for the ladies, and with solos like this…he could take it all.

4. Brandon. I watched this past week’s episode at my mom’s house, and she doesn’t like Brandon because she finds him too arrogant. I think that’s totally false, but my mom does tend to reflect the general attitude of America so if my mom doesn’t like you…it’s a problem. Brandon is obviously the best dancer in this competition but that didn’t help Will from Season 4, Danny from Season 3, or Travis from Season 2. Brandon needs to break out his shell a bit more, chat a bit more, and turn in some dazzling solos if he wants to move up the ladder.

5. Melissa. Did you see her solo this week? That woman’s body is ROCK HARD. She is so powerful and in control. I think Melissa is the strongest female dancer in the competition (although, I just realized, we haven’t seen her try hip hop yet), but like Brandon, she doesn’t have a warm enough personality to come across the TV screen. Plus, she has a problem in that most of the remaining men are shorter than her, and won’t be able to perform the fantastic lifts with her that she is so good at.

6. Kayla. She’s growing on me. Her performance in the Mia Michaels addiction number from this past week was SO good. She seems to be slowly building a following, which may mean that she peaks in popularity at just the right time. Since the judges adore her, she’s bound to land all the best choreographers too. Now, if she could just put together a half decent solo, she’d be on her way up.

7. Jason. I expect great things from this kid now that Caitlin is gone and he’ll have a new partner. I predict he’ll be matched with either Janette or Kayla this week, so this is his big chance. He’ll either rock it, and bump himself way up in popularity…or chuff it, and it’s all over.

8. Kupono. Oh, Kupono, how frustrating you are. Sometimes you are so, so brilliant…and sometimes, so, so goofy. I think he’s been helped a lot by being paired with Kayla. I don’t see him making the top 4, especially given his crap solos, but if he works really hard and pulls out something good this week…there is potential there. He’s really a complete wildcard.

9. Randi. Randi is so cute, and clearly a good dancer, but I don’t think she is as great as the other four women in the top 10. She doesn’t have the versatility to pull off a wide variety of dances — almost every style has been described at some point or another as “out of her comfort zone.” She needs to get a much, much bigger comfort zone if she wants to be a professional dancer.

10. Evan. I love Evan’s personal style, but let’s face it, his latin ballroom dances have been weak and his hip hop was pretty awful. Now that they are mixing up the partners, too, he has a problem — he’s shorter than all the other women, which will make for an awkward dance. Can you imagine him doing a tango with Kayla, or maybe a pas-de-deux with Melissa? I didn’t think so.

My couple predictions for this week:
Evan with Jeanine
Jason with Janette
Brandon with Randi
Ade with Kayla
Kupono with Melissa

Two

On By LynnIn TurtleHead7 Comments

Two is running to find me wherever I am in the house, just to tell me, “Me do burp!”

Two is wanting to help. Wanting to stir the muffin mix, tidy the playroom, get the little broom to help Daddy sweep under the table. Two is swelling with pride when you put your own shoes in your cubby.

Two is discovering your sense of humour; suddenly, Daddy’s wearing Mommy’s hat or your teddy bear “eating” your lunch is SO hilarious.

Two is shaking all over with excitement when you hear the Dora theme song.

Two is the look of delight on your face, as you say, “I did it!” after jumping for the first time.

Two is, apparently, eating the heads off markers.

Two is tentatively calling out, “Mommy okaaay?” whenever I stub my toe, or step outside for a minute to take out the garbage, or squeal while watching So You Think You Can Dance.

Two is dancing. It’s all about the dancing.

And the rocks. Two is also about rocks.

Two is the giant hug I get the very second you get out of the bathtub — even though you love the bath, you love being within hugging range even more. I don’t mind getting wet.

Two is the casual way you say, “Sure!” when I offer you a snack, and the way you exclaim, “YES!” when I ask if you’d like to go outside.

Two is refusing to use your booster seat, refusing to wear a bib, refusing to ride in the grocery cart, refusing to allow someone else to hold the spoon. You’re a big girl now.

Two is swinging your arms as hard as you can as you try to “run” to keep up with your brother and sister.

Two is hiding by covering your head with a towel, because if you can’t see them, they can’t see you.

Two is asking, “What’s that?” while pointing to the same picture in the same book a hundred times over, just to make sure I’ll always identify the cow as a cow.

Two is fearlessly climbing to the top of the play structure at the park to go down the big slide…only to be foiled by the extremely scary ladybug crawling on the slide.

Two is eyes wide open at all times, bright and alert, watching and learning, taking everything in.

Two is lying in bed together, early in the morning, just staring at each other. Because to you, a face is still new and fascinating and wonderful; and to me, your face is new and fascinating and wonderful.

Happy second birthday, Little Miss Sunshine…you really are my sunshine.

Handicapping The Choreographers

On By LynnIn TurtleHead4 Comments

You know, driving for six hours in the car one way, and then six hours back, gives you a lot of time to think.

Think about DANCE SHOW, of course!

I know I am crazy insane with this. But here’s a post I wrote during the car ride down, so I figure I may as well type it up and post it. I apologize to those of you who are not reality TV show obsessed. I NEED HELP.

Anyway, in today’s totally obsessive dance show related post, I will handicap the major choreographers on the show. This isn’t to say which ones are the best and which are the worst. Instead, my rankings here indicate how likely it is that a given couple will end up in the bottom three, if they are given a certain choreographer.

1. Mia Michaels. My Mom thinks she’s nutty, but I adore Mia, I think she’s a genius. She’s a master at the SYTYCD format — a strong idea, fully realized in one and a half minutes, and she’s equally amazing when working with a big group or a duo. If you’re a dancer on this show and you score Mia as your choreographer…you’re going to work hard, but you’ll be rewarded with one of the most interesting, memorable, and winning numbers of the night. (See: the Emmy winning park bench routine for Travis and Heidi from Season 2; the legendary door routine for Katee and Twitch from Season 4; this season’s Ode To Derrierre for Evan and Randi.)

2. Tabitha and Napoleon. Sure, they’re a little soft when it comes to true hip-hop, but they’re great at working with the dancers they have been given to highlight their strength. Although their dances might not be as hard-edged as other hip-hop artists, their dances don’t look simple, and like Mia, they usually come up with a killer concept for the short routines. If you have NapTab, you’re golden. (See: Katie and Joshua’s Gulf War number from Season 4; Phillip and Jeanine’s chain routine from this season.)

3. Wade Robson. Wade is probably the most original and brilliant choreographer they have on the show, and all the dancers usually want to work with him. He is fantastic 95% of the time…but then there’s that odd 5%, when he just goes a wee bit too far, and loses relatability. Chances are good though, that a Wade Robson routine will not end up in the bottom three. (See: The Crash Test Dummy number from this season; the Emmy nominated Hummingbird number for Hok and Jamie from Season 3; the newspaper number for Sarah and Jesus from Season 3).

4. Shane Sparks. Regular viewers of this show sorely missed Shane last season when he left for some MTV Crap Dance Crew Something Or Other. His hip-hop routines are so unique, so boom-boom-pow, they look great and have mass appeal. The one thing about Shane, though, is that if you don’t work really, really hard, and find some inner gansta, then you’re in trouble — you absolutely cannot fake your way through one of his routines. So as a dancer, you know you’ve got a great choreographer — but it’s up to you to sell it. (See: The Emmy nominated Transformers routine for Pasha and Lauren in Season 3; the adorable Umbrella number for Ivan and Alison in Season 2.)

5. Jean-Marc Genereaux and his lovely wife, France. I admit it: I love Jean-Marc. He’s the head judge on SYTYCD Canada and he’s so wacky and manic, yet so brilliant. His group routines are my favourites and I think he’s great at working with the dancers he’s been given, and finding clever ideas to make his ballroom routines interesting for the general public. Unfortunately, ballroom will often land you in the bottom three even with a great choreographer and excellent execution, so getting Jean-Marc is no guarantee of top 3. Still, if you draw a ballroom dance, you better hope it comes with Jean-Marc and France. (See: Karla and Vitolio’s quickstep, with the dazzling costume change, from this season; this group number from SYTYCD Canada, which is possibly my favourite dance show performance of all time; Kherington and Twich’s waltz for Jean-Marc’s daughter from last season.)

6. Doriana Sanchez. Used to be disco was a kiss-of-death dance, bottom three for sure. But last season and this, Doriana has kicked it into high gear. She no longer pussyfoots around the dancers and is throwing all kinds of impossible and dangerous stuff at them — with results. The disco numbers from the past two seasons have been dynamic, fast, and chock full of thrilling lifts, all the better to bedazzle the crowd. If you have The Snap, then disco is very close to being a sure thing. (See: Sarah and Neil’s amazing disco number from season 3; Brandon and Janette’s kick-ass high speed dance from this season.)

7. Sonya Tayeh. Sonya’s generally pretty solid, giving her dancers interesting moves to work with an distinctive music and costumes. However, if you can’t get into her characters, it’s all over. You have to be able to strut if you want to rock a Sonya routine. One last thing — her numbers after two seasons are starting to get a little repetitive, too, I find. She needs to step it up if she’s going to dazzle us in the future. (See: Ade and Melissa’s rock number from this season.)

8. Adam Shankman. Adam hasn’t been around as much due to various other movie committments, but he’s still a solid choreographer who creates dynamic and flashy numbers for his dancers. Broadway seems to be one of the harder styles to impress with on the SYTYCD stage, so if you do draw Broadway, your best bet is to land Adam. (See: Donyelle and Benji’s Hairspray number from Season 2.)

9. Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin/Louis van Amstel. Ballroom is hard. It’s tough to impress with really original stuff when you have to stick with a strict format and dictated steps. Tony and Melanie are obviously masters of their craft, and they can really bring the sexy. Louis is hip and fun and bouncy. Their big problem is that they aren’t so good at working with the people they get; they do their choreography and expect the dancers to match it. That’s not a failing — you’d expect your dancers to be able to work with your ideas — but at the same time, it sometimes does not do the dancers any favours, and results in a bottom three ranking. (See: Melissa and Ade’s rhumba from this season; Vitolio and Asuka’s waltz from this season).

10. Chroeographer Mandy Moore. I like Mandy, she seems like a really nice lady. I’m hot and cold on her choreography though; sometimes it clicks, but more often, it does not. I think her contemporary stuff is better than her 80s jazz numbers, but either way, if you pull Mandy, then you better hope she’s on instead of off. (See: Sabra and Neil’s awesome office meeting dance from Season 2; Melissa and Ade’s contemporary number from this season.)

11. Brian Friedman. This guy is a weirdo, there’s no doubt. Whereas Wade and Mia do offbeat but charming, Brian does offbeat but offputting. He does keep things interesting and I’m glad he’s on the show, but unfortunately, America will probably not vote for you when Brian is your choreographer. (See: Max and Kayla’s pop jazz routine from this year.)

12. Tyce DiOrio. Maybe I just don’t get the whole Broadway style, but Tyce’s stuff just seems so derivative. Every number is like an ode to an existing, famous musical — only never quite capturing the magic of the original. He’s had a few high moments but in general, if Tyce is the choreographer, I know I’m not going to like it — and neither will America. (See: Alison and Ivan’s contemporary routine from Season 2; Asuka and Vitolio from this season.)

13. Joey Dowling. See all my comments about Tyce above, only TIMES TEN. Joey is terrible — her numbers have no cohesive idea, they are so SO SO copycat, and she just does not inspire her dancers to greatness in any way. Run, dancers, RUN, from the Joey. (See: Evan and Randi from this season.)

14. Lil C. I love, love, love Lil C as a person. He is my favourite guest judge, because he’s so insightful and thoughtful and says clever and cool and witty things. But krump is SO impossible for any dancer who is not Lil C. I think he’s improving at adapting his style for the dancers he has, and last season’s krump with Twitch and Kherington was the closest I’d ever seen to something I could identify as an actual dance, and not a complete mess. There’s no doubt about it — krump is a hard sell. (See: Lauren and Dominic krump from Season 3.)

Edited to add: I left out Dan Karaty! He hasn’t been on this season, has he? Where did he go? Anyway, I like Dan fair enough. I’d say he fits in at about 8b. Here’s his hip-hop for Anya and Danny from Season 3.

Home Again

On By LynnIn TurtleHead5 Comments

We’re back, and it was actually quite a nice visit to Southern Ontario. The kids were great in the car — Little Miss Sunshine was particularly adorable, the way she’d yell, “TRUCK!” every time a truck went past, and the way she’d tentatively ask for a “Jooce? Bag?” when the other kids were getting a Kool Aid Jammer. Everyone slept and ate pretty well. The older kids gave their grandmothers an unheard-of number of hugs and all the cousins got hand-drawn pictures of themselves playing with Gal Smiley and Captain Jelly Belly. Sweet.

The hardest part was, of course, helping my mother deal with my grandmother’s house. In the end we didn’t do as much as I had hoped because my Mom just wasn’t ready to deal with it. She doesn’t want to give anything to charity and can’t bear to throw anything out, but does not have the space in her own home to absorb a whole other house’s worth of kitchen stuff and bathroom stuff and furniture. I think she would prefer to just leave the whole house completely untouched for a while, say, 10-20 years or so. I absolutely do not blame her and I completely understand — it was very hard for me too to see my Nana’s things everywhere and I just missed her so much, being in her house. But in the end I did convince my mom to do a little work and we got some things done, and I hope that just getting the ball rolling will help move my mother in a positive direction.

I took a few things of my grandmother’s home with me. She had specifically set aside a Royal Doulton figurine for me to inherit, which was nice and everything, but just didn’t say “Nana” to me. I found myself wandering aimlessly through the house, just picking up things that she’d used every day, things I’d seen in her hand, and throwing them in a box. I had little interest in her fine china and other collectibles, but I wanted her kitchen mixing bowls, the spoon from her sugar bowl, the box of matches from her trip to Singapore. It was very sad and affecting but I’m glad I got a chance to see her house and spend some time grieving there.

While I was there I dropped by the bank where SocialButterfly works to say hi, and she introduced me to a friend of hers who works the side counter. This friend was so incredibly rude. She asked if I’d be “cleaning out the house,” and when I said yes, she went into a five minute lecture about how old people are pack rats, and are inconsiderate of the people who will be left to deal with the stuff, and how every one of them should be moved into a nursing home so that they can clean up their own damn mess before dying. I couldn’t get over it — she was actually suggesting to me that it was thoughtless of my grandmother to go and die and leave behind a bunch of junk.

First of all, her personal stuff IS NOT JUNK. And second of all, she was absolutely NOT a pack rat. And third of all, when you get old, LADY, be sure and dump all your most loved items in the trash on your way out the door, because I’m sure no one will care to have YOUR JUNK.

She sucked.

Other than that, though, it was a nice visit and provided some closure. So that’s good.

Handicapping SYTYCD

On By LynnIn TurtleHead5 Comments

We’re into the top 12 on SYTYCD now, and that means I am officially obsessed.

Last year I fought and fought against it, but I found the only way I could get anything done around here is to vomit all my Dance Show thoughts all over this blog. Clear my head, take out the garbage, so to speak.

So, let’s rank the remaining candidates, shall we?

1. Brandon. Is there nothing he can’t do? So far he’s rocked the hip-hop, ballroom, and disco, and we KNOW he can rock the contemporary. I can easily see him pairing with any of the other women, and his solos are going to be awesome. He’s the frontrunner.

2. Janette. She’s a little firecracker and seems able to handle any style despite having no formal training. She’s got The Snap, which is something all dancers dream of having. She’s lucky to have electric chemistry with Brandon; I hope she can do as well with other partners.

3. Melissa. Every movement of hers is definite. She’s in control of every single body part at all times. I love her facial expressions, too. For some reason, I find her a little reserved from the audience, and I worry about the day she draws hip-hop. Still, she’s been nothing but impressive so far.

4. Ade. What’s with the hairpick, dude? Still, I find Ade to be totally charming and modest. I don’t even know what his native style is, because he was never featured before the top 20, but so far, he’s done great. He’s a good partner for Melissa, but also stands out and draws our attention to him, which is a tough job. I’d love to see him do a solo so I can get a better idea of what his real strengths are.

5. Jeanine. What I love most about Jeanine is her attitude — she’s so positive all the time. Also, she should apparently give up this contemporary crap and become a hip hop dancer, because she ROCKS the hip hop, totally keeping up with Phillip. I mean, when Phillip is on stage, and yet my eye is still drawn to Jeanine, that’s saying something. I can’t wait to see her paired with some other dancers.

6. Kayla. This week was the first time I really saw something special there. She’s obviously flexible and strong, but seemed a little…bland. This week she was awesome during the show, although her solo was not that great, so she continues to be kind of a mixed bag. Still, I think she’ll be a solid performer going forward.

7. Jason. I don’t think Jason gets the credit he deserves — the judges are always fawning all over Caitlin but Jason is clearly the stronger dancer in his couple. He’s strong and interesting, and he does a fairly good job at partnering. Good solos, too.

8. Randi. She’s so cute, and despite her fluffy bubbly personality, she’s able to really get into character onstage. I think she’ll be a great match with any of the male partners, but she needs to work on standing out from the crowd a bit more.

9. Evan. Okay, I love Evan, although he hasn’t been as strong as I thought he would be. I love his personal style, but he wasn’t great at Broadway, and I fear the hip hop. Oh my God, can you even imagine Evan and Randi doing krump? Hee hee. Also, Evan has a great click with Randi but he’s in real trouble when they split up the partners, because of his height. I can’t imagine him partnering Melissa or Kayla. So while he might make the top 10, I don’t think he will win.

10. Phillip. Clearly, there are more skilled and more well rounded dancers. But I ADORE the Chbeeb. ADORE. There’s no question that if the voting were based on personal style alone, he would win. As it is, I’d just love to see him make the top 10. He’ll have to really kick it this week at whatever they give him (my prediction: contemporary) to avoid being eliminated on Thursday.

11. Kupono. I don’t know about Kupono. He’s actually danced really well in his routines, and he’s really well matched with Kayla. Plus, he’d probably make a more versatile partner in the top 10 than Evan or Phillip. But his solos totally suck, and he just doesn’t pop when he’s on stage — I’m always watching Kayla. So he’d be my pick to go home this week.

12. Caitlin. I do not understand why the judges love Caitlin so much. I like her personality, but I really feel that her dancing has not been great. She’s the only dancer right now in the competition that I actively want to see go home. She’s all flashy tricks, but doesn’t have the smoothness of Melissa or the great transitions of Janette. She just doesn’t have The Snap, and I don’t buy it when she tries to get into character. She’s the girl who I think should be voted out this week.

That’s it…sorry for the obsessiveness, but I’m afraid I intend to make this a weekly post. Otherwise, I’ll never get the dishes done!

On The Road Again

On By LynnIn TurtleHead2 Comments

We’re off this morning for another long road trip to visit the grandparents. Six hours in the car, and what do I have to look forward to at the other end? NO INTERNET ACCESS.

Hopefully I’ll be able to avoid a panic attack.

On the plus side, I’m getting really good at packing for this trip. This time I left everything until the last minute but managed to just throw the usual stuff in the usual boxes and it was much less work than I thought it would be. DisneyWorld, we’re practically ready for you!

We’ll be back late next week. While we’re away, a friend of mine will be monitoring the Blog Out Loud mail, so if you’ve been hemming and hawing about submitting something, don’t use me being away as an excuse! We only have room for 4-5 more readers so now is the time to commit.

Also, if anyone has anything they’d like to hand out at BOLO (it’s all about the freebies!), then let me know. I’m thinking of putting together a swag bag, if I can get some donations. Just email the usual account (lynnturtlehead at gmail dot com) and my partner in crime will take care of it all.