Big Brother-Jeff's Got the Wizard Power

After missing several episodes of Big Brother while on vacation, it's easy to catch up on all the high school drama. Russel is still hateful, Chima is still the diva-B, Jordan is still naive, Natalie is still skankie, Kevin is still a queen, Lydia still has tats, Jesse is still a meathead and Jeff is still in charge. He's either really dumb or really smart as he uses the coup d'etat (he didn't even know how to say it), therefore, I really didn't think he understood the power. But apparently so, as he had the guts to use it to over throw Chima's two nominees, Russel and Lydia. I was slightly torn that I wanted Russel, the snake to go. But Jeff's taking over and putting Jesse and Natalie up against each other has to be one of the smartest, boldest moves ever the in Big Brother house. That was absolutely brilliant. I was hoping the house would be smart and vote out Natalie, because lord help the house when Chima and Natalie get together, they are going to create havoc. If Jesse would have stayed, at least he plays with some integrity. Natalie and Chima are the pit bulls of the house. It's a good thing for Jeff that Michelle won HOH, now at least he has a chance to stay if wimpy Michelle isn't brain washed by Chima and Natalie. And what was up with Jesse's interview with Julie, yes Jesse you are bitter just admit it, you got played at that's that! Didn't Julie look great in that polka dot outfit, even if she did look like a birthday balloon.-Single D

The Bachelorette-Jillian Picks

I was gone for the finale, so I got the spoiler in the grocery store splashed across a mag that Ed was already cheating on Jillian. No matter, I knew it was going to be good, but I was so mad that I didn't know the "After the Rose" was the following night and I didn't get to see it. I knew it was going to be Ed, the big goofy I'm back dude. I knew it wouldn't be Kiptyn, although Jillian was foolish not to pick him, marrying him promised a life of luxury and all the good things money can buy, but then it's not about money, right? Kiptyn just wasn't whole heartedly into it. He just seemed so nonchalant about the whole thing. I knew Reid was going to come back, but if he was trying to woo her back, shouldn't he tried to dress a little bit better. He had that rumpled disheveled look like he just stepped off the red eye. Jillian looked like she was torn there for about one second and maybe played an enee, menee, minee, moe thing in her brain, but it was too sudden and she had already had her life planned as Mrs. Ed. Too bad, Reid was definitely my pick, hey Reid call me! After she and Ed said their I love you's, my daughter said, that was so romantic and mocked wiped a tear from her eye. Ya, well see how long that one is going to last. Oh hey, the place where they Jillian stayed, the Hapuna Prince on the big island, is absolutely fantastic along with it's sister property, the Mauna Kea is the place to stay in Hawaii. Good choice!

Rumor has it that the producers are already thinking about offering the next Bachelor to either, Kiptyn, Reid or Jake. My bet is on Jake, Kiptyn is too independent to do it again, Reid too shy, but Jake, Mr. Perfect, the women would be lining up for him! Can't wait!-Single D

European Summer Vacation Part 3

In the previous post were the things I hate about traveling and being in Europe, but there are a few things that I absolutely love, that when I come home after bemoaning that I hate being there, that I'm always tired, that my feet hurt and that I'm spending way too much money, somehow the trip becomes romanticized in my mind and I forget all the trouble it is to travel. Curious, it's like birthing a child or so I've heard, you never remember the pain, you only remember the good stuff as one gazes fondly at the vacation pictures, well that's what traveling in Europe is like. My favorite city this trip, London. I have been there many times and London just keeps getting better and better. I can remember when we first went there many years ago when it was a foodie waste land. Now great food can be had at the pubs and even at Gatwick-eat the fish n chips at the food place on the second level. I love the thought of high tea, all those scones and cakes, yum! My memory failed me this time, in that I thought Fortnum and Mason was right across the street from my favorite department store, Harrod's but it is actually in Green Park. This time we had tea at the Richleoux. It was a nice break for my feets. Tea and scones with Devonshire cream, heavenly. I love the Dutch double salty licorice. Ya I know, my mother liked licorice and I like licorice, the saltier the better. I love the European architecture, the magnificent cathedrals, the quaint towns, the sidewalk cafes, and the great coffee. I love the chocolate, pastries, cookies along with the fantastic cheese and meat stores. Yup, I'm a foodie. I love the breakfast buffet that comes with the hotel rooms. I love how you can be in one country in the morning and by lunch in another. I love how on the tube there is a guy playing his accordion or how one can be shopping and all of a sudden the sound of the most beautiful church bells will ring. But mostly, I love how I feel when I get home after an exhausting trip, grateful to live in America, it's a privilege that we take for granted each and every day. God Bless America!-Single D

European Summer Vacation Part 2

We have been to Europe many times and I came back from this trip stating that if I never went back to Europe I wouldn't miss it. I hate the long plane rides as I stated before in the previous post. I hate that I can't get use to the time change, hey, nine hours is a lot to get used to. And the older I get, I know, the harder it becomes for me. It used to be that it would normally take about a day and a half. We would land, get to the hotel, sleep a bit and then wake up for a nice dinner and then take to bed and the next day I'd feel refreshed. Not this trip. This time it took me nearly 6 days to adjust. The hotel in Brussels was kind enough to let us check in early, although I did make a stink that the room was dirty and the carpet was soiled. A call down to the front desk and they have us move to another room, right when the roll away was coming through the room door. The next room was much better, but lacked the robe and the chocolate covered strawberries. Never mind, I brought my own light wrap and who needs strawberries, they were just attracting flies in the other room. The front desk said they would deliver robes which they never did, I guess they already had had it with the American tourist in room 749. Gee I only alienated them in less than 30 minutes! Well, heck they had signs in the room that stated 100% satisfaction guaranteed, but that's another story. Yes, I had jet lag for 6 days, my sister in law said that I should take a good sleeping pill, which we forgot to bring.

I hate paying for toilets. Sure Mr. Clean at the airport is really clean, but come on 1 euro to pee? Pretty soon it will be charged on whether you have to pee or poop, 1 euro pee, 2 euro poop!

I hate foreigners or in this case natives that hate our American guts. Like the time in Germany, when I approached a worker in a train booth to ask for directions. He was wearing sunglasses so I couldn't tell if his eyes were open or shut. Uh, hello, excuse me. In a heavy Sssgerman accent he said, "First! We say Good Morning, then, we ask the question and then we say Good Day!" Well, excuseeeee ME!

When we were in Rome a few years back, my sister in law was buying water in a small store. When she came out she said the man said the word "puta" to her or something like that. "What does that mean?" she queries. "Puta" I say incredulously? I march back into the store and then in my best Spanish influenced Italian, tell the sour Italian man that I know what that word means, and promptly tell him "a pox on both your houses"! I quote Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It was the only thing I could think of at the time.

I hate being sweaty all the time and feeling like grime at the end of a twelve hour day of sight seeing. I hate it when my dogs swell up like giant sausages and blisters the size of Mount Edna erupt on my toes.

I hate the stink, but I do have to say, Europe has gotten better in terms of their bathrooms, more sanitary and better toilet paper. I hate paying for water in restaurants, but here too, they are becoming more Americanized and some places do give free tap water even with a little ice!

I hate paying $7.00 for a coke (Paris), ask before you order and never, ever give in when the waiter tries to rip you off by charging you for something you didn't order! That happened to us in Ostende Belgium a beach resort. The restaurants are crazy expensive and a rip off. We ate at one place, Andy ordered a nice roasted chicken, my daughter a hamburger (more like a sausage burger, they like pork there) and I ordered the safe pork kebab which was 10 euros. When the bill came, he charged me 17 euros for it. I said I didn't order the large one. He then in a heavy French accent said, then why didn't say it wasn't the big one that you ordered. I told him, I didn't know the one given to me was the BIG one! He finally backed down and said the words, "well it's my fault". Your darn right it's your fault! I didn't want to say, that I didn't even like that terribly dry kebab thingy anyway!

But mostly I hate, hate, hate it when I take bad summer vacation pictures!-Single D

Summer Vacation-2009

This year we had the opportunity to take our daughter to see some of Europe's famous landmarks, before myself and husband become too infirmed to travel. According to my daughter, we're practically ancient. Doesn't help that I always ask her when she goes to her friend's house if I look older than her friend's mother. To which she mostly replies yes, but there is that one time when she says I look younger. Ah ha! So I do look younger than some of the other mothers!

As I get older, I have less and less tolerance for traveling. Especially less tolerance for the airplane ride that seems to last an eternity in coach. Going there is not so bad, since you have the trip to look forward to, but coming home, during the last 2 hours of the 13 hour trip, I was practically pitching a fit, wanting to scream and jump out of the plane, not to mention that we had another 4 hour plane ride to look forward to once we landed. I had no tolerance for the French lady sitting in front of me, when only 10 minutes after take off she reclines her seat all the way into my lap nearly knocking down my water bottle. I fumed and stewed until I couldn't take it any more. I'm always a courteous passenger and never recline my seat all the way especially on a 13 hour plane ride. Nothing like trying to eat food out of a tray with a seat in your face. After about 2 hours, my daughter decided she needed to go to the bathroom, so I grabbed really hard on the seat back and pulled it down viciously. The French lady looked at me with contempt, to which I answered her unspoken glaring comment with the reply, "that it is really hard to get out of the seat because it is so narrow because someone has their seat all the way back!" If before she didn't speak any English, she knew what I was saying and promptly adjusted her seat forward and there she remained for the remainder of the flight, not even getting up to go to the bathroom or eat for 13 hours. She must have the kidneys the size of a large bathtub. From then on, I was very careful not to disturb the nice French lady. Careful Madison, don't grab the seat when making your way to the bathroom!

Coming back home is always easier to adjust to the jet lag, because you're flying during the day and once at home, I force myself to go to bed at a normal time. Going to Europe on the other hand is much harder, since I don't have the comfort of my bed and had to sleep sitting up. My mother used to sleep sitting up in her bed, something about her herniated ulcer. Me, I need, I crave comfort. Who can sleep in coach? I don't care if they give you a sleep mask and ear plugs. Where's my down pillow and sleep number bed? It's no wonder it took me 6 days to overcome my jet lag in Europe, I didn't sleep a wink on the plane!-Single D