**********************************

A World of Fragile things

2006-05-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

...my heart...my trust...my own inner sense of calm...

It has been raining for 3 days straight here. The flowers that I planted last Friday are crushed beneath the weight of the raindrops. I can relate. I'm not sad but I keep getting flattened by waves of water. I'm fine & then I'm bawling my eyes out, bolting out of view, trying to purge the stuff once & for all without little eyes watching. It feels like I'm just going thru necessary emotional hoops to get to the otherside once & for all.

A morning like this is probably for the best. THIS morning is also for the best because hopefully tomorrow I can deal with realities & legalities with little inner upheaval. As of tomorrow the last 9 years & 11 months (to the day) have not existed. I begin wiping it from the books just as he wiped us from his heart.

Falling Forever

2006-05-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Choking on my own breath today.

Choking on the conversation that I need to have, today, because I feel like I'll just suffocate completely if I don't get the words out & somehow make him hear me.

Choking on my own stupidity for thinking that I would never be sitting at the bottom of the deep end trying to breath without drowning.

Choking on the reality that just loving me became too much to ask, to heavy a burden to bear.

Choking on passing flashes of good that seem unimaginable now. Things that I surely conjured up for my own comfort.

Choking on the actual comment spoken to me over the phone 2 days ago, "Well I usually go out, with someone else & you watch your kids." My kids. Yes, they are, aren't they. Let's be very clear on that point.

Choking on my really pathetic need to still, in spite of him, handle this in the best way that I can. To follow thru on the bits of help I promised him, not because I care but because I'm good to my word. Even now.

Choking on the reality that again, I was left holding the bag, only to be abandoned with it. Choking back the fact that I did not believe it would really end up this way.

Choking back the tears because I need to just collapse and I cannot until we speak this evening. Choking back the fact that I have always had to be the stronger one no matter the situation.
I can carry myself but every now & then it'd be nice to have a 5 minute respite & to have that be okay.

White knuckle it. Hang on. You can come up for air soon.

The Birthday

2006-05-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

I've been deluged with email this morning asking how last night was. Like spending a few hours sitting on a yo-yo. It just drove home the point that this is NOT the person I adored a few short months ago.

Nothing is even remotely balanced & I am really invisible, even on my birthday.

I sat staring at my dinner consciously aware that this is my last birthday with him.

While I'm At It

2006-05-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

A few from the kids at the park yesterday...

Miss MayaBelle:

Bridget trying to catch up without losing her shorts.

Em's new home if the attitude doesn't improve.

Happy. Happy. Not so much.

The Birthday Atrocity

2006-05-05T05:13:00.000-07:00

John's mother owes him money. Like $600 I guess. Anyway, she sent me a birthday gift. Walked into a flowershop & used (basically) John's money to buy me this artificial flower covered wreath. With a decorative birdhouse attatched. The flowers are falling off, the wreath has jagged edges everywhere & well, wow. John looked at it & says, "Wow. She bypassed REAL flowers to buy THAT thing? And you HATE birds! And you semi hate the color pink!"

Yeah. My cats have had fun gnawing on it though & it doesn't look any worse!

Did I mention it's like, heavier than my toddlers?

Crawl First

2006-05-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

If I haven't answered your email yet, I will today. I can only seem to do things in small doses at least for now. The last 2 days have actually felt a bit better here. We're truly taking baby steps. He seems somewhat better & I'm finding it semi-pointless to stay angry. Justified anger but in the end, it's pointless. I'm just sending bad vibes thru the house at warp speed that the kids are absorbing no matter how much I tell myself that they aren't. Baby steps, try to get along, work on being friends for the kids sake & go from there. Looking at the big picture though, I see it as the kids & I. The plans I make are for us. Including him seems foreign to me. My head is pounding but at least in this moment, that's all that seems to hurt.

Life goes on.

It Could Be Worse Though I'm Not Sure How

2006-05-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

Reality. My marriage is pretty much over. I haven't seen my husband, the man I loved, the one that won me back since his father died. Yes he's taking his meds...but he is a cold, self absorbed shell of a person. Everything that I loved seems to be long gone. Everything that his kids loved is also gone. My family no longer includes him & that seems to be fine with him. He seems to no longer want his life to include us either so I guess it balances out.

All he thinks of is HIS new business, HIS car, HIS contacts, HIS HIS HIS.

This is worse than anything I've ever experienced with him. He says something snapped & he lost part of himself. He doesn't know if he'll ever get it back & better yet, he doesn't know if he cares to. What he lost was his heart.

I flip flop. I'm numb & really ok with killing this off because truly I just need stability & I'd rather be alone than with the wrong person. Then I'm angry, no furious. He has sunk EVERy penny of his dads inherited money into this business- including what was supposed to be used for the kids college funds. I hate him for doing that. I could care less about the money but it was nice to know that there was a cushion for the kids education. I have 3 kids & college is steep.

I'm left wondering what was even real. Was the man that took such good care of me these last 2 years, was he an imposter? Was it fake? I'll never even know & should it matter?

He wants to take me out for my birthday (it's Saturday) & that is just funny. He can't even manage a trip to the park with his kids and I'd want quality time alone with him. Sure. I washed my hands of his business. He cannot help me at all. Cannot watch the kids so that I can work uninterrupted so why the fuck should I help him? He's interviewing assistants today I guess. Sounds like a short list of ex-bartender, twentysomething chicks. Potential fuckbuddies I'm guessing. Although I don't anticipate him keeping anyone very long. Seriously. He is paying next to nothing for the job he wants them to do. One temper tantrum & they'll quit on the spot.

...

2006-04-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Your heart is not open so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so
Freedom comes when you learn to let go
Creation comes when you learn to say no

You were my lesson I had to learn
I was your fortress you had to burn
Pain is a warning that something's wrong
I pray to God that it won't be long
Do ya wanna go higher?

Chorus:

There's nothing left to try
There's no place left to hide
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye

Your heart is not open so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so
You were my lesson I had to learn
I was your fortress

Chorus2:

There's nothing left to lose
There's no more heart to bruise
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye

Learn to say good-bye
I yearn to say good-bye

Once A Week Update plan

2006-04-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

That seems to be all that i can manage these days. Things here, hmmm.

Dicey, then ok, then explosive, then ok. I think we're well on our way to *okay*, anyway.

Didja follow that? Me neither.

Anyway, I'm in one piece & so are the kids. John is in, a few but less than before at least. Em has discovered her career choice- she wants to be the lady in the circus that changes clothes every 60 seconds. No, for real. She freaked out, screeched & jumped up & down nearly falling thru the bleachers at the thought of being that woman. B still seems to be leaning in the direction of becoming a vet. Her day is spent carrying Ruby around wrapped in a blankie like a baby. Speaking of, ruby is growing fast. She always shares my computer chair with me.

I've barely touched my camera in about 2 months. It's pitiful,, the NEW good cam is STILL in its equally new box! Here's a few of the kids though. At the park, obviously.

Miss B:

Miss Em:

One of Maya:

The new business is, well sort of a clusterfuck, sort of coming together really amazing. The one thing that I'm sure of is that it is being pulled together FAST. John decided instead of being onstage he wanted to own a stage & a live entertainment ~~money pit~~ venue was born. We open June 2nd & it has really been a scramble here. I've agreed to help as long as I'm not compromising my writing time. I've done all of the booking & contract stuff with artists. Easy to make contact since I've spent the last decade dealing with agents & managers just to get interviews. So far I've booked Carmen Lundy, The Knack, Missing Persons, Flock of Seagulls, When In Rome (Yes its a big 80's night), Etta James, Olivia d'Abo, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Roomful of Blues, Officially Endorsed cover bands of Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac & Queen as well as local rockers & stuff. The pending pile includes Carlos Mencia, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Royal Crown Revue, Breaking Benjamin, Henry rollins & several more that escape me. I'm also on a personal mission to get Black Eyed Peas in come hell, highwater or both.

My Current Fav Song

Funny & Accurate

2006-04-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Top 100 UN-sexiest men in the world

Ruby

2006-04-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

The newest addition to the family is Ruby.

She's 7 weeks old & Bridget calls her "Lube-ly"

Merci.

2006-04-05T03:32:00.000-07:00

to Jen, Aimee, Jill, Jams, Pip & Ann for the constant wall of support.

Thank you to those of you that I barely know that have also reached out. It means a great deal.

Yes, I Was

2006-04-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Vague, that is. I think I'll keep it that way because I don't even have the energy to recap. I am just physically wiped out (But I'm SKINNY!) and mentally so past the point of burn out I should likely be locked up.

In the meantime, this is for several of you/us that love the uniform.

For Jen

2006-03-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Jukebox~ 1984

2006-03-28T06:58:00.000-08:00

(for Blogcritics)

I'm a self-described music whorelette. I listen to and own a bit of everything. I can pick favorites from most any genre and if I make a mix CD, boy is it mixed. 1984 is one year that really stands out in my mind- because of the great music. I was in seventh grade and nearly every good memory had music at least playing in the backdrop. Remember the frightening Lionel Richie videos that had his jeri-curled self dancing with a bunch of straight faced, brightly dressed, celebrity hopefuls?

Combacks were popular that year. "Jump" and "Panama" were in ~~heavy~~ constant rotation on MTV and Van Halen's David Lee Roth could do no wrong. Tina Turner strutted her still-great legs in "What's Love Got To Do With It" and even The Police resurfaced briefly before splitting.

1984 brought several new voices that sounded familiar. Yes resembled The Police; Rockwell was mistaken for Michael Jackson and so on. I won my very first album (yes, it was vinyl) off the radio that spring. Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA. I didn't even like Springsteen,
I just wanted an excuse to go to the radio station to pick up a prize. Back then my friends and I all convened nightly around the kitchen table listening to our favorite station, eating Middleswarth Bar B Q chips, flipping through magazines and gossiping. The goal was for us all to score a free album and within two weeks our goal was met.

The summer was especially memorable. Cyndi Lauper provided the anthem of course, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and Prince was the man. We practiced dorky cheerleading routines to "Let's Go Crazy" and were mesmerized by the video, "When Doves Cry". Madonna inspired trips to Brooks in the local mall
to buy fluorescent clothes, belts, socks and of course those jelly bracelets. Lots and lots of bracelets. I had to have painter pants like Bananarama wore and a big hairbow to match. We worshipped Duran Duran and fought over who was the cutest band member. I still lean towards Simon even 20 years later.

84' also gave us several really good one-hit-wonders. Ray Parker Jr. was all about Ghostbusting, John Waite wasn't missing anyone at all, The Romantics told me that I talk in my sleep and I felt a lot of "noize" whenever I blasted Quiet Riot.

I'm not even going into Nena and her stupid "99 Red Luft Balloons".

Such simple memories triggered by music even to this day, but they're guaranteed to make me smile every time I look back.

Here's a list of Billboard's Top 100 of 1984, what ones still make you smile?

The Heat Is On

2006-03-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

"We can't suck. We can't suck. The last show was just a fluke..."

Why?

2006-03-25T05:39:00.000-08:00

I don't know. It just amused me.

I Had To Do It

2006-03-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

Emmy & Bridget & Maya. This captures them more than you'd even believe!

50's Night on Idol

2006-03-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

The AI theme weeks continue! This time around the finalists' could only choose from a collection of 50's hits and their mega-star coach was none other than Barry Manilow.

Mandisa Started the show off with a HUGE bang. Her rendition of "I Don't Hurt Anymore" began slowly and ended with an audience fully on its' feet. I can't remember the last time any AI show has opened so strongly. Even Simon Cowell, "Absolutely loved it." Bucky Covington had the misfortune of following Mandisa. His take on the Buddy Holly classic "Oh Boy" was what Simon accurately called a, "So what performance." It wasn't bad by any means, just not very memorable.

Further blowing Covington out of the water was Paris Bennett's "Fever". Impeccable vocals, maturity, poise and dressing the part all came together for Bennett here.
Chris Daughtry did exactly what regular viewers have come to expect- he took a popular song and completely molded it to fit his style.

"I Walk The Line" was simply amazing. It was worlds apart from Johnny Cash's version and yet equally compelling. The depth and emotion in Daughtry's voice made this easily one of the best performances of the night.

Katharine McPhee channeled Ella Fitzgerald in "Come Rain or Come Shine" and it really paid off.

Each week McPhee seems to improve in one way or another. Tonight she showed ease changing from one cord to another and her torchy performance seems a hint of great things to come in weeks ahead. Taylor Hicks returned with his usual energy this week. Clad in a powder blue suit he took on Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away". While it wasn't the most vocally challenging performance tonight, he pulled out the stops to make sure that everyone had a good time.

I'm not sure what it is about Lisa Tucker that leaves me a bit cold. "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" was a good choice for her and her vocals were pretty strong but in the end it just didn't hold up for me at all. At least this week Kevin Covais dropped the arrogance and returned to form as the sweet kid that kind of endeared viewers back during the audition phase. "When I Fall In Love" seemed to be sincere and flowed from his heart. Simon remarked that Covais' fanbase would love it and I must agree.

Elliott Yamin followed with "Teach Me Tonight", probably one of the toughest choices of the evening. He handled the cord changes really well and made this one of his best performances to date. Not an easy task considering the evening was filled with memorable songs. After a bumpy stint last week Kellie Pickler returned with a strong variation of the old Patsy Cline song, "Walking After Midnite". She carried the bluesy, angsty mood off beautifully. Last, but certainly not least was Ace Young with "In The Still of The Night". He jazzed it up, made it a bit more modern and ended with his great falsetto. All in all, Young is unlikely to sit in the bottom three tomorrow night.

Off the top of my head I'd say that once again, Chris Daughtry had the best performance this week. Sitting in the bottom three tomorrow night- I'll predict Lisa Tucker, Bucky Covington and Kevin Covais. Going home? That one is easy, Covington for sure.

Knocking thru The writers Block

2006-03-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

Or something. 2 days of torture here. John's family. My family. My permanent migraine. Writers' block. John's mother HAD to visit yesterday because & I quote,

"I'm having something made for you that I have to get at the flea market."

Swear. To. God.

What was it? Fabric covered tissue box holders- that look like living room furniture. No really, I have a cat covered green mini cuch to put over a box of Kleenex. See...

She had this MADE for ME? The cat looks like Chloe too. The funniest thing was listening to her ramble on about how since she bought 4 she got a 5th box cover free. Don't even want to think about the cost of 4 of them.

We've decided that our vacation is definetly Easter week. One month to whip myself into better shape. That said, I'm on my way out to grab food.

Justice Fails

2006-03-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Let me just take a deep breath before I even start, otherwise this will quickly turn into a full blown rant. Oh how the justice system can fail!

I live in Pennsylvania and over the last few months there has been tons of anticipation over a murder trial. Hugo Selenski was charged with two counts of murder but only because police can't solidly connect him to several others. He has become known as a "probable serial killer" and was even featured on The Abrams Report on MSNBC last week. The preparations for this trial were absolutely insane. Selenski was to be taken to court following a different route each day. Roads were blocked off or closed. Local papers had a field day with the extreme care likening it to a presidential visit- something we seem to have a lot of as well.

Selenski has been linked to all sorts of crimes, lots of things connected to drug activity and so on. He is in his early 30's and the media likes to describe him as "charming". Why? Because this guy plays to reporters, cameras and anyone nearby as well as Ted Bundy likely did. He appears to be having the time of his life, garnering attention that would mortify any sane person. His tactic is brilliant and the man has proven to be the bearer of smarts and a good deal of luck. He escaped from prison back in the fall of 2004 with another inmate. They tied bedsheets together and made it out a window. Selenski pushed the other inmate and that guy is now paralyzed. He was caught immediately while Selenski was on the run for about two days before being captured. Those escape charges were thrown out, why? Because the district attorney's office never filed the paperwork in time!

Okay, you're following me right? This guy makes a complete ass out of everyone here and they didn't deem it important enough to be sure the paperwork was filed. National embarrassment would certainly have gotten my ass in gear.

Back in June of 2003 two bodies were found buried in Selenski's back yard. Today the jury finally reached a verdict. Not guilty on one count of murder. Deadlocked on another count. Guilty for abuse of a corpse. They agree that he burned the bodies in his backyard and buried them, but they couldn't be convinced that he killed the victims. I've followed the trial and I have to say, the prosecution has done a horrible job with this. The entire district attorney's office will hopefully die in an ugly media bath of embarrassment. The disgusting thing is that the more you read, the more you realize that this guy is guilty as the day is long. But he'll be out in 2-4 years, maybe less if he behaves. I'm sure he'll be a star prisoner knowing how soon it'll be before he walks the streets again.

Two years. That's how long I have to uproot my family because I'll be damned if I'm going to raise three kids knowing a serial murderer lives just blocks away!

Stevie Wonder Night on AI

2006-03-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

Stevie Wonder came to town last night on American Idol and as anticipated, not everyone lived up to the difficult song choices.

Ace Young kicked off the show with "Do I Do". I usually really like this guy but this song was just, as Simon would say, "Okay". Ace really stuck to the original melody and that worked against him I think. Last night it became crystal clear that in order to stand out or at least do a music legends' songs a bit of justice, you had to make it your own. Kellie Pickler followed with a truly sleep inducing, "Blame It On The Sun". Again, not bad but it wasn't memorable either. If this was the first time I'd ever seen Pickler I would probably have wondered how on earth she'd made the final 12. She was charming though in her country bumpkin kind of way and will likely survive to see another week.

Elliott Yamin did a very good job with "Knocks Me Off My Feet". He was the most emotional finalist when the time came to meet the great Stevie Wonder and his rendition probably did his mentor proud. It is hard for me to imagine Mandisa blowing any song to bits. "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" was absolutely the perfect choice to showcase her powerful vocal range. She was the first person of the evening to really step up and make a song their own.

I'll admit, Bucky Covington is not a favorite, but I'll also readily admit that I enjoyed seeing him tackle "Superstition". It was simply different and the whole performance suited him. His vocals weren't the best but I think his delivery was still fun to watch. If I were Melissa McGhee my bags would already be packed. She followed Covington with a dicey rendition of "Lately". The judges thought this was her best performance to date in spite of her forgetting the lyrics. I doubt the voters were quite as forgiving.

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was a good song for 16 year old Lisa Tucker to choose. Her vocals got stronger as she went along and she really worked to get the audience involved in her performance. Am I the only one that laughed my head off while Kevin Covais sang "Part Time Lover"? In the past few weeks Covais has made cracks about being a "Gansta" and a "Sex symbol". I thought it was tongue-in-cheek but after last night, I'm wondering if he believes his own hype.

The more I see Katharine McPhee, the more I like her. "Until You Come Back To Me" was really amazing. Simon hit it on the nail when he said McPhee reminds him a bit of Kelly Clarkson. There is a vocal resemblance there and I suspect she'll stick around for several more weeks. Taylor Hicks is another one that wows me each week. His "Living for the City" was fantastic. The vocals were strong, he was having a lot of fun onstage and the guy is just a joy to watch.

Paris Bennett also turned in a hot one with, "All I Do". She has such texture to her voice and a stage presence that most people 20 years her senior still lack. My only beef with her is that I'm not sure that it's fair for her to be in the top 12. She comes from a musical family that already has connections to the music industry. I can't help but believe that she was destined to make it anyway, without AI's help. Maybe someone without existing help should have had this opportunity.

I'm fairly convinced that Chris Daughtry could sing the Declaration of Independence to me & I'd be enamored. Week after week he cranks out something that is not only perfect for him, but he fine-tunes it even more. "Higher Ground" was another fantastic opportunity for him to add his own vocal flavor and that he did.

Watch Wednesday at 9pm to see who gets booted.

Top Ten Reasons To watch American Idol

2006-03-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

This week American Idol will kick things up a notch by moving into the big phase of competition- with only twelve finalists. I could rattle off a bunch of good, logical reasons why you all should tune in but that might be a bit redundant. Instead, I'll give you the top ten reasons that I'll be watching.

10~ The Kevin Covais Adjective Roulette~ Each week during his little fluff introduction piece the producers seem to enjoy attatching words to him that hardly fit. The kid is sweet, but in that nerdy-has-yet-to-hit-puberty kind of way. Hearing him refer to himself as a, "Gangsta" or "Sex symbol" is just plain funny.

9~ Little Girls With Lots O' Soul~ When I say little, I mean petite in stature. Lisa Tucker has already sang in The Lion King and seems to channel the likes of Jennifer Holiday while onstage. Paris Bennett hails from southern musical royalty and has a cool, raspy voice that reminds me of Gladys Knight. Both of these teens prove that power can come in all sizes.

8~ Ace Young and His Sultry Gaze~ Yes he picks songs that suit his voice. Yes he seems like a nice guy. Yes, I too was stunned by his falsetto last week. But it's his intense, fixed eye contact that really makes me weak in the knees.

7~ The Kellie Pickler Saga~ Say it with me because by now you know it as well as I do, "Her father is in jail and mom bailed out on her at a very young age...". Oh how Fox has milked this story for all its' worth in Nielson Ratings. I like her anyway. She seems very real and gracious in a country bumpkin kind of way.

6~ "What Was Up With Paula Abdul Last Night??"~ That is probably the most-asked question every Wednesday morning, isn't it? On any given week fans are trying to figure out if she was drunk, stoned, too sweet, tone deaf and if none of those possibilities apply than you can bet she was a complete fashion victim. Something is always off with her.

5~ Mandisa~ Kind of brave going by only her first name doncha' think? Madonna. Beyonce. Aretha. Chaka. Mandisa? Absolutely. A few weeks ago she wanted to prove that, "Sistas' can rock." I think she threw down the gauntlet the very first week and proved that this sista' can do whatever she sets her mind to.

4~ Chris Daughtry- Family Man~ Aside from the fact that I'm in visual ~~love~~ ~~lust~~- something with this guy, he also just adores his family. His song choices win me each week, his voice is great and he has his priorities in line. Throw in the hotness and he is amongst my top 3 favorites.

3~ The Return of Theme Weeks~ You know, where we get to watch Bucky Covington tackle a show tune or Chris Daughtry disco? Good times to be had by all.

2~ Simon Cowell, of Course!~ 90% of the time I agree with him. He really does just say what a lot of people are sitting there thinking. Is it brutal sometimes? Sure, but so is sitting through a few minutes of a Celine Dion ballad that is out of tune.

Finally, my number one reason to tune into AI...

Because I get to play The Taylor Hicks Drinking Game~ Anytime he shouts something like "Wooo" or "WooHoo" take a drink. When he does a sideways dip, do a shot. Whenever he starts to do that wind-up dance chug whatever is closest. You'll be trashed in a jiff!

The top twelve compete Tuesday at 8pm with the results show airing Wednesday at 9pm on Fox.

Rainy Monday

2006-03-13T05:47:00.000-08:00

It is pouring here. Cats & dogs.

speaking of cats, i had a dream about chloe last night. nothing happened, it was just a single moment of eye contact. One last look at my kitty almost. Kind of sad, kind of comforting all at once.

I'm flip flopping between relief and suckage this morning. Hubby went back to work (relief!), CI sucked horribly last night(suckage!). I mean, it's staying with me because it was just so completely- off. Either the writing was really weak making Goren look like a very watered down version, or this is the beginning of sending him "down that crazy road".

I'm coming up empty this morning as far as even blogging.

Did you know that Cyndi Lauper is hitting the broadway stage?

Does Celine Dion scare you guys too?

Thought so.

Pam's shirt speaks for itself, no?!

So Sad.

2006-03-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Dana Reeves.

Wheat Thins Are A Food group This week

2006-03-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

I swear I've lived on them. Really I have.

The Angel of Death is still tending to other business. As is, Mr. Florence Nightengale. MIL called this morning & of course pissed me off 4 more miles beyond what I'm already feeling. Took the gloves off when she mentioned telling John's uncle (the one that actually called this clusterfuck what it is) that "John is with his family- his father & I are ALL he has."

Mother. Fucking. Worthless. Piece. Of.

You get the picture. I was calm last night, calm this morning when he & I spoke & damnit, she lit a huge fire. I was hoping to be able to be nothing but supportive to him today but now, well. It'll be very hard. I almost pray that something somehow calms me before I have to deal with him next because the simmering level of rage isn't even all devoted to him by any means.

Trying to find a way to stay calm.

The Daily Suckage Report

2006-03-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

How was that for a nice, positive title?

I absolutely loathe thinking about this afternoon. If things go according to plan I have to bring the kids to see my FIL. I don't particularly deal with visiting obviously dying people well myself and I hate having to take the kids there. However, if it were me, I would need to see my grandkids too so I have to do it. The sight of him is going to scare the hell out of them, he is the color of big bird from his eyeballs down.

Good god over the last 5 minutes I went from fine to such a bad migraine I'm seeing floaters.

2006-03-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Chloe hanging out with Maya~ May 2000

The Ladies Tank on AI

2006-02-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

(for Blogcritics)

Well. I might as well start by being honest. This was really not a good show for me this week. Far too many GFB's(Generic Female Ballads) and uninspired performances. After awhile everything started running together in my head and I found myself drifting. Now that I've confessed my initial reaction, let's break it down a bit.

The top ten ladies basically landed in two categories tonite, "eh" and "ok". No one really won me over completely. I'll start with the "eh" performances.

Kinnik Sky busted out with Gretchen Wilson's "Here for the Party", working the crowd well I must say. Unfortunately, this song really doesn't even begin to show off Sky's vocal range and that was something I looked forward to hearing out of her. It was upbeat and fun in the moment, but semi-forgettable after the fact. Melissa McGhee was another one that just didn't dazzle me. Another country song, another lady trying to sell it, but the whole thing fell flat for me.

Heather Cox decided to attempt the impossible and took on a Mariah Carey song, namely "Hero". She held her own I thought, weakly but she held it. The big problem, she is not Mariah Carey, has no where near that kind of voice and so she couldn't possibly live up to the original. Gutsy song selection but it may also be a fatal one for her.

Also landing on the "eh" list, Brenna Gethers. You remember, the high maintenance girl with lots of attitude? Sure you do. Another case of choosing the wrong song this evening. I love Donna Summer and freely admit it. I grew up listening to her and one of her CD's is about 2 feet from me as I type. Brenna just killed "Last Dance" by weak vocals, forced attitude and badly staged dance moves. Killed. It. Please, allow me to pack her bags up because I'm feeling confident that she's a goner. Katharine McPhee was another one that just lost me tonight. No, wait. Her voice and emotion that was poured into her Stevie Wonder song really did give me chills. I really do like her but tonight she seemed so lost in her own song that instead of being pulled in I felt like an intruder.

Landing on my "ok" performance list was Lisa Tucker. She sang "Who's Lovin'You" and it's obvious that R&B is a really good niche for her. This showcased her amazing range but it was low on the performance side. After two slow weeks I'd really like to see her kick it up and have some fun next week. Ayla Brown is another semi-finalist that was packing some vocal heat tonight. She opted to do a Celine Dion ballad that was really perfect for her abilities. The judges were all "pleasantly surprised" but still agree that she needs to be less mechanical in her delivery. She can sing, but I keep wondering if she enjoys singing.

Even little Paris Bennett drew criticism tonight. She sang Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" brilliantly but the song selection seemed a bit odd. The judges encouraged her to embrace her youth and to have fun on stage and hopefully, she'll take heed. Kellie Pickler was the only one that drew positive feedback on both vocals and delivery tonight. "Something To Talk About" was as fun as any performance got and there was a rawness to her voice that I thought worked very well.

Mandisa closed out the evening with Faith Hill's "Cry". Again, not exactly the best song selection, but the power in her voice really brought this one home. I think it's pretty clear already that Mandisa is the biggest risk taker this season. She adds her own flavor and personal vibe to everything which really helps to set her apart from the others.

Fairly uninspiring night but I'm excited about the ten remaining men. They'll sing tomorrow and then the bottom two from each night will be booted on Thursday.

On an 18 Degree Day...

2006-02-28T10:25:00.000-08:00

There are signs of new life in my ravaged flower beds...

My hybrid blue & lavender tulips are starting to pop up.

Liz's Awesome drawings :)

2006-02-28T05:20:00.000-08:00

Bobby & Nicole

Alex & Mikey

Ooops I'm Up Again

2006-02-26T02:46:00.000-08:00

It's 5:30am & I'm up why???

Wide awake, not just awake. I woke crunched in a ball with a cat having shoved me completely off my pillow & hubby half sleeping on me. Had to get out of there.

I have absolutely nothing of value to say either. not enough coffee in my bloodstream yet. I did stumble upon these though. Close your eyes & picture Britney Spears in that red leather suit from her "Ooops" video. Go on...

Now look at her:

At least her shirt conveys what I'm thinking. Before anyone lambasts me about how she just had a baby... I know. I also know how flippin hard it is to lose the last 15-20 pounds of baby weight. I've done it 3 times. And I was Britney-kind-of-huge. I gained 60 pounds with each kid. But this isn't preg weight. It's cheetos, Red Bull & booze.

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I HAVE to shoot something today. I'm still uninspired though. Something with texture though, like this- Miss B.

Uninterrupted Escape

2006-02-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

You read that right! No calls, no interruptions, nobody needed anything last night. Hubby & I actually had a few hours of alone time.

**Shock**

I've also started to realize that I barely drink or care to any more. one martini is about it & the last few times even that hasn't sat well. I would have been just as happy to skip it & spend extra time in my favorite bookstore, coffee in hand. I did that too though. Hubby was lost looking for books on Currie (of all things) & when we met up he looked stunned. I'm a total bookworm & usually I'm reading 3 or 4 books at a time. Somehow last night turned into trashy magazine night- with Newsweek thrown in.

I've gotten a ton of stuff done already today, so much that it's hard to believe it's not even 11:30am. I think this afternoon is VDO time. Velocity of Gary I'm thinking.

Here's Why I Love Kids part 2:

Maybe I'll actually pull out my camera today. It has been a week. Withdrawl symptoms are setting in.

Why I Love Kids~ Part One

2006-02-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

2006-02-23T04:50:00.000-08:00

American Idol. It's easy to see which guys will be cut from the seminfinals, isn't it? I'll just stick with my 3 favs. Ace chose brilliantly with George Michael's "Father Figure". Chris has become a very fast favorite. I love bald men & ones that sing as he does are just really hot. Third, Elliott. He just delivers for me & I like him.

In the "You've GOT to be kidding me!" file- the dude who actually did Copacabana & really believed he was the shit rather than just shitty.

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Did you foreget Valentine's Day or meet someone great the day after? Here's some nifty better-late-than-never card ideas:

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I can't be the only person that wishes Tom Cruises' career would jump the couch for good & that he would go & live as a Monk(or whatever) in a Scientology center. The battle of the $1.99 weekly rags starts it's cycle all over again today

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L&O Fans

2006-02-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

If you're interested in a peek at Dick Wolf's new show Convictions before its March 3rd debut then rush over to itunes before today is over. The pilot episode is available to download just for today & it's free!

I've just finished downloading mine!

Crucify

2006-02-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

2006-02-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

I was an absolutely useless waste of space last night & for once, it was a good thing. Did you catch AI? I know it's only the first week but I already love Mandisa & Lisa Tucker. I think everybody & their estranged sister will love Paris Bennett so I'm casting my loyalty elsewhere. I'm anxious to see the men tonite.

Also while being useless, hubby & I stumbled upon Boston Legal last night. we LOVED it last season but the first few episodes this past fall were just god-awful. Take away characters I like & force feed me a bunch of newbies that I could care less about all the while the writers seem to be in a creative coma. It was depressing to say the least. Last night, oh was I happy to see they've gotten their collective shit together. SMART move focuing on Spader, Shatner & Bergen. VERY smart move finally giving Rene Auberje-ne-sais-quois-jonois something to really sink his teeth into. I'm so happy to have flipped channels & found it last night.

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Yesterday's mail brought a wonderful surprise. Todd at blogcritics beat me to the punch on a Tori Amos review of her new DVD Fade To Red. But as pub houses often do, they sent him TWO review copies & he was kind enough to send me the extra one.

I've loved Tori since her Little earthquakes broke nearly 15 years ago so this is such a cool gift.

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Sasha Cohen leads after the ladies short Olympic program.
Think the magic string has anything to do with it?

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The Ladies "Bring It" on American Idol

2006-02-22T04:07:00.000-08:00

(For BlogCritics)

The Semifinals began with a bang this week on American Idol. Throwing down the gauntlet right out of the gate was Mandisa.
No last name and that's just fine. She has already proven her kind, gracious side in past weeks, winning over even Simon Cowell. Tonight she set out to prove that, Sistas' can rock too." and rock, she did. Her rendition of Heart's "Never" was very strong, easily winning praise from all three judges.

Anyone that has watched Idol these past few weeks knows Kellie Pickler's story. (Dads in jail, mom abandoned her...)She has a sweet kind of likability and unpretentiousness that may carry her further in this competition than her voice alone would. She sounded shaky singing Martina McBride's How Far, but really nailed all of the big notes. She can sing and I'm betting she's going to improve a lot each week,it's just that the ladies field is really stacked with some phenomenal and experienced talent.

I can't quite put my finger on what I dislike about Becky O'Donohue. She is striking, seems nice enough, has picked songs that I like and yet- something just isn't there. I was excited to hear that she was going to do the oldie but goodie, "Because the Night". I love this song and I think the slow build in the beginning was really quite good. Somewhere in the middle it just went from pitchy to weird. Too much vamping at (not for, at) the camera really killed it for me too. As for the judges take, both Randy and Simon thought it was weak, but "better than expected".

Up next was over-achieving Ayla Brown who choice the song "Reflections" off of the Mulan soundtrack. I have 3 little girls so I know my Disney Princess music and this version could have been on the soundtrack. Brown showed minimal emotion which is more than we'd seen from her until now. I think the thing with her is that while she can sing, I'm not convinced that she really wants too. It may just be another notch of achievement too add to her belt.

Boy was I glad to see Paris Bennett take the stage. This 17 year old is clearly a natural performer.
She worked the stage, the audience and the judges while working out a great, raspy "Midnite Train To Georgia". Everyone thought she was great and I'm pretty sure she's in this for the long haul.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said of Stevie Scott. She's classically trained and infused her operatic style into Josh Grobin's "To Where You Are". Did it work here? Not so much. Her fellow competitors made faces and only Paula Abdul seemed to appreciate the effort. I actually found myself questioning whether or not she knows she is likely to go home and purposely did it this way. The girl just got herself a ton of exposure and surely there IS a place for her in theatre.

Brenna Gethers seemed to try and downplay the diva inside just a bit in both song choice and demeanor. Her version of, "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" was a bit wobbly and she seemed a bit unsure of how to be peppy. The judges didn't really buy it either and actually showed displeasure at her toning down her bold image.

I think Heather Cox may have also secured her flight home this week. She opted to perform "When You Tell Me that You Love Me". She fell in love with it when last years finalists' released the song and wanted to give it a go. Bad idea. The very tepid rendition combined with nerves and a hint of a throat problem sent this plummeting.

Melissa McGhee's Faith Hill ballad was a bit off in the very beginning but I think her confidence built pretty quickly. She hasn't gotten the exposure of some of her competitors but I think she's likely to settle in pretty quickly here.

Lisa Tucker. Remember that name. She's only 16 but man, can she sing.
She tackled a Jennifer Holiday tune and simply blew the roof off the place. Huge, seasoned sounding voice, little girl. She's going to be around for a long time. Long past this season of AI.

Kinnik Sky followed with an equally ambitious song- Oleta Adams "Get Here". It was very well done and the judges all praised her effort. The only problem was that she sang right after Lisa Tucker. An act that was nearly impossible to follow.

Sweet, gushy Katharine McPhee closed out the ladies with a strong rendition of "Since I Fell for You". She has the "likability factor" to stick around for quite awhile and she has a great voice. I think the "it" factor just isn't there, yet anyway.

Did you pick up your phone to vote? Do you have a clear favorite or two yet? Think fast because tonight it's the men's turn to put their best game faces on. Then on Thursday we'll find out which 2 ladies and 2 men will be leaving.

Ugh, here we go again

2006-02-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

Last week I spent cooped up with three sick little kids & by the weekend thank god, they were better. Today, the bottom fell out again. All 3 have fevers, sore throats & feel too crappy to bother fighting over Disney Princesses.

Crap. Utter crap.

someone asked me what I thought the worst part of the ice dancing was. Not this.

Or this...

Or even THIS & this was pretty bad!

This is it, the worst part of the ENTIRE figure skating olympic competition
**drumroll**

The HEADGEAR!

Gotta Love Trashy Mags

2006-02-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

See that! Nicole Richie DOES eat!

All Good Things Must End- Preferrably Before they go Down In A Flaming Pile of Shit

2006-02-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Change sucks. Then again it is a blessing. I flipflop given the situation, time of day, mood I'm in. I'm dealing with creative changes right now and so here I sit in a brand new space. This is ~~good~~ ~~bad~~ something. I guess I really have grown more as a writer than I'd ever imagined. I had a hard time fathoming walking away from a creative project that you really loved, until now. Now, I get it. I'd rather leave everything behind then see it completely compromised. Now, I get it.

2006-02-21T03:55:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the U.S. broke a 30 year dry spell yesterday? Congrats to ice dancers' Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto! They won the silver medal and lived up to the enormous pressure & handled the media attention beautifully!

ice dancing; it requires unbelievable timing, perfect coordination and staggering athleticism, while balancing on sharpened blades slightly more than an eighth-inch wide. The original dance portion, when numerous couples fell, left audiences both aghast and uproarious, but it also demonstrated the degree of difficulty in the sport. While it may look easy, thanks to the waving fabric, it’s actually really, really hard to suspend a woman in midair with one arm, while whirling on blades at 30 miles an hour. Here's some cool thumbs from the competition (click to enlarge)

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Don't you love those parenting moments that just leave you absolutely speechless? I reprimanded my 3 year old for something yesterday & had to repeat myself to get her attention. She looks at her 6 year old sister & says,

"Look, Maya, it's the WICKED WITCH!" Then turns back to me & flashes a toothy grin. What do you say then??

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New York Magazine is focusing on Self-Improvement & "Remaking" your life. You & I hear that & think maybe exercise, quit the smokes, cut back on the SouR Apple Martini consumption. Maybe something even as silly as being nicer to one another. What does a celeb's list of self improvement/media weekly rag headline grabbing tactics include?

Some of the more recent headline grabbers:

1. Dramatically embellish your public persona
2. Shoot your friend in the face
3. Make as many sex tapes as possible
4. Be Gay
5. Adopt an Ethiopian lovechild
6. Convert to Scientology
7. Cut your hair like Mick Mars and get on the Cobrasnake
8. Regularly go into rehab
9. Grow a moustache
10. Stop eating
11. Fuck someone in Maroon 5
12. Get a STD test

The Original Dance Spins Out of Control

2006-02-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

(For BlogCritics)

What a dramatic night for the dancers! I have never seen a dance competition where more than one team falls let alone the splatfest that existed during the Original Dance. It wasn't just trips over toe picks and little stumbles that plagued these dancers, but horrific tumbles out of dance lifts! Here's a look at how it all went down (no pun intended).

In 16th place sits the relatively new American team of Jamie Silverstein and Ryan O'Meara. Jamie recently returned to the ice after a four year absence, teaming with Ryan only in the last year.

She spent her time away getting healthy (she's an outspoken advocate for eating disorder recovery) and focusing on her studies. They had a good showing with a Salsa-Rhumba-Cha Cha medley. While their footwork is still rather easy, the lifts and spins are quite wonderful to watch. Silverstein has always been a natural-born performer and this dance really capitalized on that.

The U.S.'s husband and wife team of Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukov are currently in 14th place after the Original dance.

Their Mambo Kings Medley was sort of stiff. They had a slip on a step sequence but even without that something would have been lacking. Perhaps it's the simple fact that neither of these two appears comfortable performing and Latin Rhythms require a performance.

Canada's Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe have been skating hand in hand for twenty years now. They train in the states alongside of Belbin and Agosto under the direction of noted coach, Igor Sphilband. Currently ranked 12th, this team's Tito Puente and Juan Gabriel medley was well executed.

Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski who represent Israel are having a rough competition. They took a bad fall in the compulsory dance and now find themselves struggling to catch up. They are trained by Olympic Champion Evgeny Platov and World Champion Alexandr Zhulin and usually find themselves near the top of the field.

They did make a huge leap back up to 6th place after the original dance but the performance itself was kind of bizarre. Galit's white feather tiered skirt added a level of whimsy that just really doesn't belong in a Rhumba. It was distracting and on one of the lifts it completely blocked her positioning. It's a shame because aside from breakneck speed, the lifts are usually what this team does best.

One of the most powerful teams around is Albania's Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski. They skated an intricate midline footwork sequence and had strong, fluid lifts. Just when I thought I was looking at a top three finish, they blew their dance spin. Completely blew it. She went into it with too much force and he just couldn't catch her free leg in spite of a few attempts. The team finished the Original Dance in 5th place.

Lithuania's Margarita Drobiazko and her husband Povilas Vanagas are competing in their fifth Olympics. They actually retired in 2002 and spent a few years performing in ice shows. They decided to come back to compete this year after skating diehards encouraged the leap of faith. This team has been a longtime favorite of mine. They are passionate, excellent technicians, choreograph their own programs and are simply a joy to watch. You want them to do well and they were, until Rita hit her toepick. Down they both went, breaking the flow of what was up until that point, a fantastic performance. A mandatory deduction has left them sitting in 8th place, likely out of medal contention.

They were followed by an extremely cautious looking Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov of the Ukraine.

They are ranked third, but the Original Dance that they skated was very tight. Instead of performing their samba/rhumba medley, they looked like they were thinking all the way through it. That really affected their presentation.

My heart just broke for Canada's Marie-France Dubreil and Patrice Lauzon. They attacked their dance like no other couple before them.

Their speed never slowed, the footwork sequences were powerful, the lifts were fully extended. Then came the last ten seconds of the programs. The very last element was a rotational lift. She was in a split position hanging onto his arm as they spun - until she lost her grip and went spinning out of control before hitting the ice on her right hip. It obviously hurt and after slowly leaving the ice, Patrice carried his partner to await their marks. The mandatory deduction dumped them into 7th place and whether or not she can even skate the Free Dance on Monday is questionable.

On Friday the home country team of Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio won the Compulsory Dance. Tonite a fall on a simple rotational lift dropped them into 10th place. She really fought for every minute of the dance but Maurizio looked nervous from the start. It's kind of a sad finish for them. They retired back in 2002 and began training again last fall in order to skate in the Olympics their country hosted. She came back from having a baby with the hopes of a medal finish. That just won't happen for them now.

Hands down, the very best team of the night was Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto who train in Michigan.

If you missed their skate, it really is your loss. Instead of a bunch of choppy music cuts they only changed tempos once. Their rhumba was slow and absolutely exquisite. Just when you wanted to see them pick up the pace, they did. They jammed footwork, 2 lifts and a fantastic rotational spin into the last portion of the program much to the audience's delight. Everything they did was in unison and about as close to perfect as it gets. They jumped from 6th place all the way up to 2nd.

After two teams falling in a row, Russia's Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostamarov took the ice and skated like the World Champions that they are. They were fluid, had great unison and hit their elements quite well.

In other words, they were nice, very good even - but not too exciting. Navka and Kostamarov find themselves leading after the Original Dance portion was completed. Will they hang onto first place and win Gold tomorrow night? I'm going to guess that they will. I'm also seeing Belbin and Agosto walking away with the silver. Bronze? That's anybody's guess!

The Twists & Twizzles of Ice Dance

2006-02-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

(For Blog Critics)

How much do you really know about the sport of ice dance? I think in the U.S. it's primarily thought of as, "Oh, that's where they all wear really awful costumes and nobody jumps." The truth is, there are no jumps, some of the costumes are tacky and in the past, judging has been exceedingly corrupt. So why on earth should you watch? Ask the Europeans. If you attend a figure skating competition overseas, ice dance is a headlining event. It is quite literally, ballroom dance taken from the floor and put directly onto the ice.

Believe it or not, ice dance is actually the most difficult of all skating disciplines. There are no explosive jumps but the partners skate intertwined in each others' arms more often than not. The arm holds are very complicated and the close proximiny alone makes it very easy for someone to get spiked, sliced - or to lose a finger completely. Pair skaters do the really big overhead lifts that look incredibly hard and always garner a huge audience response. It is awesome to see live, as I have on many occasions. Dance lifts are different and believe it or not, they are a hell of a lot harder. The man cannot lift his arms above his shoulders while lifting the woman, for starters. When pair skaters do a lift it takes a moment of brute force to get her up and then centrifical force takes over and holds the woman there. She's nearly weightless if a lift is rotational. It's all about a burst of strength while the woman finds her center point of balance and holds it. In ice dance is all about the transitions. The man's job of lifting requires incredible strength because there is nothing helping him to keep her airborne. Think of holding a small child at the armpits directly out in front of you. How long does it take before you need to put them down? Now add 100 pounds, extra speed and an awkward position for both partners. Extremely difficult yet it is always so smooth that it looks simplistic.

I won't even try to explain the over-abundance of gaudy costumes. Dance can often resemble either Halloween or Mardi Gras depending on the color combos. What I will tell you is that it is often representative of the athletes' home country. In other words, if it's festive in Albanian culture, that's what the Albanians are going to skate in, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Perhaps the best thing to happen to ice dance since the last Olympic Games is a brand new judging system. One that makes fixed placements pretty much an impossibility. Each phase of the competition has required elements. The skaters get scored on how well each of those elements is executed. It's a points system. The judges enter points for each element and the computer tallies it. But not all of the judges' scores will count. The computer throws out random scores so they cannot premeditate a winning team. As a fan of ice dance for over a decade and as someone that spent years covering the sport in depth, this thrills me to no end.

There are three different phases to each and every Olympic Dance competition. If you watched the coverage last Friday night then you saw the Compulsory Dance. This is the portion that will truly bore most people to tears. Each season a couple trains three set compulsories and before each event the judges choose one of the three to be contested. This time around the Ravensberg Waltz was selected. What ensues is 24 couples who use the same exact piece of music and identical waltz steps for most of the dance. The only room for creativity is in the very beginning and at the end. Those brief seconds the teams can show a bit of uniqueness, otherwise it is all about comparing one team against another. A trained eye watches this dance very closely. Judges watch for preciseness in the steps, deep, soft knees, symmetry, considerable speed and effortless flow.

Next up is the Original Dance (seen Sunday evening for most of you). something that is a whole lot more entertaining for us and fun for the dancers. This year's set dance is "Latin Rhythms" and the skaters can choose their own music and choreography. This is where their personalities start to shine. Latin Rhythms includes, Rhumba, Samba, Mambo, Cha Cha, Salsa, and many couples will do a few different tempos to show off their versatility.

What do the judges look for? Well, dance spins are all about timing. If a spin is off, it simply doesn't happen at all. A good spin should have a smooth entry and skaters should transition to one foot really quickly. Rotation should be fast and the body lines should always be excellent. In other words, if they blow it everyone can tell.

Footwork sequences may be done side to side but most often the partners are intertwined in one another's arms. That takes complete control and they have to be really aware of timing and the others body position at all times. A good sequence speeds down the ice, balance is never shaky, both dancers should be completely confident of the steps. Simply put, it should look so easy that you want to get up and try it yourself.

Dance lifts are also included in the Original Dance. Judges watch for flowing entries, seamless transitions from one position to another and then a gentle exit. Every position needs to be fully extended. Think of it as a moving photograph - if you kept freeze-framing the lift it should always look stunning.

The last part of a dance competition is what is known as the Free Dance. That is precisely what it sounds like, each team can pick whatever music to suit whatever dance they choose. Choreography is completely up to them. This is always the best part because you'll see everything from Interpretive Dance to Ballroom to Ballet over the course of a few hours. Each dance is filled with choreography, spins, footwork and dance lifts and it should show the team at its very best.

So, now that you have an idea of the sport itself, who should you watch for? Well, there are a lot of great teams and because of the scoring system now any of the top 6 teams after the compulsories can EASILY win the gold medal. Less than 2 full points separate those teams and when the Original Dance is skated, standings often completely flip. Leading after the Compulsory Dance was the Italian team of
Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margalio.
A home country advantage? Not at all. They lucked out because the Waltz that was skated places the difficult footwork on the woman and Fusar-Poli has always been much stronger than her partner in this area. What Margalio is, is an excellent partner so this worked well for them in the first dance. Reigning World Champions, Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov

are an extremely close second. This couple (trained by her husband Alexandr Zhulin, a former World Chapion and twice olympic Medalist himself) is favored to win here. They are strong, dramatic and are trained with an old Bolshi feel.

Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon
represent Canada and have been around for a very long time. They are a very athletic team with powerful lifts and great speed. To offset that they often choose very romantic styles as their free dance. Watch for them because they just might land on the podium. The young American team of Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto
have gotten a lot of press coming into these games. They are about ten years younger than most of the other competitors and have been medaling at Internationals for the last 2 years. They are currently ranked second in the world and in all honesty, they may be the U.S.'s best hope for a medal in all of the skating events. Yes, they are that good and if you miss them you really might regret it.

Now that you've had a crash course in the art of ice dance, be sure to tune in! Even though you may have missed both the Compulsory and Original Dances, the Free Dance still airs Monday night. It's always the best part!