So sad.

Maybe I'm just upset right now but I think this trade was completely lame. We just traded one of the best players in Red Sox history for 50 cents on the dollar. The Sox will not make it to the playoffs and you can mark it.  He didn't even get a proper goodbye.

To all you fans that are cheering this, I think you're pretty lame too. We use players in Boston and laugh with them until they prove they're not perfect and we run them out of town. Whatever. I really liked Manny and he was one of the reasons I started watching baseball. And I think he legitimately loved the fans in Boston. We're going to miss more than his bat. 

When the above picture was taken, he came down to the restaurant I worked out, got his car valeted with us, then went to another restaurant. Whatever, a Manny being Manny moment right? I anxiously waited and hoped he would come back, but I got distracted on a super busy night. 

At one point, in the midst of the madness, I looked up and Manny was standing right next to me, leaning against the counter. I was shocked but composed myself to say, "Hey Manny!" he smiled and said "Hey" back. I told him I was at the game last night and he was great and he told me thank you and that he was tired today. I told him, "You're a good guy Manny" and he responded thank you again, then was swept off by fans.

I had, by an amazing coincidence, brought my camera to work that night and was hoping for any break in the action so I could go outside and take a picture with him. Forty-five minutes later, I figured I was out of luck.

I wasn't. Manny was still outside. I ran out, came right up to him, and said, "Manny, can I have a picture?" He said, "Sure!" and threw his arm around me. He stayed for another 10 or so minutes taking pictures and signing autographs. He never got anything to eat anywhere, as far as I know. Why did he even come down there? Who knows. But he made a lot of fans happy that night. 

Boston fans run so hot and cold, you know? That night, we were loving him. Today we're sick of him. Through it all he never stopped hitting. Last night's joke about being traded straight up for Brett Favre showed me he still had humor to the last moment. More than I can say for the Red Sox.

I'm sure Jason Bay will bring us a lot of laughs over the next few years. Right?

Help me waste my life away

I'm currently auditioning spots on my google reader. See left for my interests (pretty broad). Any suggestions?

Injury Report: Day 1

NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. -- One day after attempting a radical workout technique, the Werschaible Bridegrooms have reported that starting bench warmer Emily Werchadlo will be out 2-3 days with a calf.

Werchadlo, against her doctor's orders and common sense, entered Bridegrooms camp with a jump rope in her hand and attempted the childlike exercise several times over the course of the day.

"I feel good," Werchadlo said at the time. "This is so easy!"

Pressed if she was sure she wanted to try this, considering her advanced age and wide-open window where onlookers could observe and giggle, Werchadlo grabbed her 'rope and said, "Watch this!" then fell into a heap on the ground.

Doctors' have prescribed extreme bedrest for Werchadlo, while admitting that's probably why she received the injury in the first place. They estimate she should be back in time for her July 25, 2009 nuptials, but Werchadlo says she will push the envelope.

"Ain't nobody gonna take my prideeeee, ain't no body gonna hollllddd meeee down, oh no, I gotsta keep on moooooovin'," she sang, while her future husband, Jeff, Bridegroom starting QB, looked on in obvious embarrassment. 

This was easier when I was a kid.

So as loyal followers of my blog know by now -- hi mom! -- I have been trying to lose weight for my impending nuptials. The overall goal is 25-30 pounds. Since May, Jeff and I have gone to the gym nearly every day (I'd say 75-80% of the days). We stay for at least a half an hour (usually 45 minutes). I do somewhere from 30  minutes to 45 minutes of cardio, and some crunches. Every once in a while, I'll do some weight machines. And while I can absolutely feel my legs toning up, I've only lost 5 pounds.

There's a diet factor too -- I've been trying to watch what I eat better, but that will always be a struggle.

I feel like the main culprit in my slow weight loss is my inactivity during weekdays. Working from home, you're not given a lot of opportunities to get up and walk around. My job relies on me being by the computer for my ENTIRE shift. Therefore, I've struggled to find ways to exercise during the day:

• I can't see myself doing a workout video. When I was in college I had my ex-boyfriend buy me the Billy Blanks Tai-Bo series on VHS. (Yikes, I already sound dated). I think I watched it like four times. I always felt like I was doing it wrong.
  
• Crunches. Sound easy enough. But I'll get bored and I don't feel like I'd be motivated to do 5-minute sessions of crunches during the day.
• The most common suggestion I've gotten is, "Take a walk during your lunch break." Well, I don't have a lunch break. We haven't exactly worked out the break situation at my job now. Right now, I'm getting like 20 minutes at 3 o'clock and I use that to go get a coffee (milk only, thanks).

So I was still stuck seeking an alternate solution. Well, I think I found it. The other day I had Jeff take a stroll to Target during his lunch break (HE can walk on HIS lunch break) and buy me a ... jump rope.

I thought -- it's perfect! I can still be by the computer, I don't have to leave the house, it's definitely something that will get my heart pumping, it's great.

Well, I took it for two test drives this morning and I have this to report:  I'm not as young as I used to be.

Wasn't jump roping easier when you were a kid? I could rock a jump rope or a Skip-it for hours. Well, I was huffing after a minute straight of 'roping (nevermind feeling like a doofus in my living room which has a wide open window facing out). But, my lack of dexterity and embarrassment aside -- I think it's a winner. My heart rate definitely gets up. I'm sweating after 30 seconds. My calves and thighs are burning -- in a good way.

I'm going to try and do this for five minutes, every hour, which will add 30-45 minutes of increased heart rate on top of our nightly workouts. According to a few calorie counters I've consulted, you burn around 350 calories per half hour of jump roping. That should make a difference right? 

Stay tuned.

Things that are making it hard for me to work

1. Jeff home today. Love having him home from work. It gets lonely and boring here all day alone during the day and he has a nice face. What can I say?

2. Episodes of 30 Rock on DVD. Could be the funniest show ever? Still sits under Seinfeld, Extras, The Office (British) in my book, but is pretty damn good. (By the way, have you downloaded those Ricky Gervais podcasts yet? What are you waiting for???)

Jeff + 30 Rock + Brett Favre Day 164 = Slooooow day of work :)

Weekend in Review: Pats, poker and my tomato

In my probable last weekend of freedom for a while (football season is starting, meaning I'll have to work weekends), Jeff and I tried to make the most of it.

But first -- Jeff decided on Saturday he would go meet a few friends for a basketball game. Despite me PLEADING with him to eat something and bring some water, he ignored me. He's very stubborn when he's annoyed (traffic). When I came back to pick him up, he was redder than I've ever seen him. Good thing I had just bought a cold bottle of water for him (he drank it in 30 seconds) and a sandwich. But he spent the rest of the day in various stages of moaning, laying down, napping. When will he learn the universal truth: I am always right.

Sunday was much better. We decided we would check out Pats training camp in Foxboro. We went down at 8 a.m. for practice, which is open to the public and totally free (= perfect). It was fun watching the team practice, even if they weren't really hitting each other. 

Sports Nerdz.

Oh hi, Tom Brady. Remember me? (Video is still up on that -- fast forward to the 4:25 mark and you can hear my pre-teen voice squeak out a question. The most exciting and nerve-wracking few hours of my life.) 

We got a little bit lost on the way back from camp, which gave me a perfect excuse to take a detour to Tiffany. I've been wanting to check out what the matching wedding band is for my ring (i.e. how much $$ I will have to put away to get it). Well, I found it, and it's beautiful, and way over my budget, but I'm hoping I can save the cash to buy it. (I feel like people look to wedding bands as a place to save money, but I'm wearing it the rest of my life, I want it to be something I really love).

After lunch at the Cheesecake factory, Jeff and I headed home to clean for the arrival of my other two favorite guys in the world, Justin and Andrew, for poker night. It was the first time I'd played since our weekly ritual in  San Diego, and it was a good time. Justin ended up out $20 on a $5 game, he's a glutton for punishment. I ended up head's up with Andrew, who took me down when I drastically misplayed the final hand. The boys stayed over and Andrew froze us all out by turning down the AC. All in all -- good times with my favorite people.

Poker Sharks.

Sorry I had to knock you out baby.

Where, oh where did all these chips go?

Orange ones worth $1?

Getting ready for poker night with my three favorite guys.

Here's one.

Oh, and necessary poker rations. 

His answer.

Memba when I asked if Jeff was excited as me for our negative one year anniversary (as Sabrina so eloquently put it.) Well, when he got home I rushed him back out the door (I was hungry!) and as I walked to the car, I imitated my walk down the aisle. He told me to, "Just get in the car." Whatever, he's a guy right?

Then he told me to open the glove compartment... 

(It says, Woman: "It says here that today's hottest trend is lugging around an oversized vintage bag." Man: "Then I must really be in style." The "We will get there" is Jeff.)

You can read this, except for the part I've blurred (hey, some stuff is just for us.)

So of course I immediately teared up a little and asked him, "How long have you been planning this, like a month?"

After Red Robin (all jokes until the food comes, then its nom-nom time), then a trip to Borders (me: Wedding Magazines, him: music section), and of course ice cream, we headed home where I tried to get him to Photobooth with me. This is seriously the best pic we got:

Some others:

And back when I first tried to get him to Photobooth back in the day...

So, yeah, I'd say he is pretty excited to marry me. :)

ONE YEAR!

It's only been two months since we got engaged ... boy that one-year mark came fast!

What we have done: Venue (Easton's Beach Rotunda, Newport), Caterer (Russell Morin's), Photographer (Agnieskza Wormus), Tuxes (Carl Anthony Tuxedo -- we know we'll go there, I worked there in HS, just don't know what style yet), Officiant (Pastor Kiesling -- Bethany Lutheran, pastor growing up), Invites (My MOH Katie-- an artist! will design)

What we're trying to get done soon: DJ (meeting with Music Mixers), Florist (meeting with Florals by Semia), Dress (Running of the Brides -- August 22!!!); Save the Dates/Engagement pics (so excited!! Must. Lose. Weight.)

What I'm already too tired to think about: Videographer (Want? Don't want?), Decor (DIY?).

I am very happy and excited, and I can't believe two months are already behind me. One year from today I'll be Mrs. S! 

The question is: Jeff, excited as me? Huh, buddy? :)

Ridiculous news item of the day

A Rhode Islander in the White House? That's nutty!

Some things I'm laughing at while I should be working

Jeff has just recently gotten into collecting full-length records. Considering how this has gone so far, you may see our home on an episode of 'Clean House' sometime soon. He has close to 300 records already, helped in part to his mother, his life-long enabler. Anyway, she found a listing on craigslist for "free records" the only stipulation that they "find a good home." I don't know if we qualify for a good home, or even a home for that matter, but regardless, she picked them up. Now they're sitting in a pile in our second bedroom.

Jeff has also been scavenging yard sales for records. He's not looking for pristine condition, in fact most of them are not.

He's got some classic stuff in there, but then he's got his pile of ones he plans to give away or sell. Um... anyone interested?

First off, we have the "Edgar Winter Group" offering "They only come out at night." To my surprise, Edgar Winter has an extensive wikipedia entry. Unfortunately, the second item is "Relationship with the Church of Scientology," which includes this nugget:

Edgar is a Scientologist. He has appeared in at least seven issues of the Church of Scientology magazine 'Celebrity' between 1995 and 2005, which list the Scientology courses that he has completed.[1]
Edgar also produced, arranged, and performed on the album Mission Earth (1986). This album's words and music were written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. L. Ron Hubbard supposedly left detailed instructions and audio tapes for the musicians and producers to follow when making the album.[2] Edgar described Mission Earth as "both a return to rock’s primal roots and yet highly experimental".

L. Rob Hubbard rock god? You decide.

Then we have Millie Jackson's "Feelin' Bitchy." Turns out, Millie also has an extensive wikipedia page which tells me that, "In 2007, 1977 album Feelin' Bitchy was reissued with positive reviews." Maybe these albums will be top sellers. Any takers?

Lastly, this video I cam across (ironically) on a wedding message board. Either you find wedding message boards useful, or stupid, or a little bit of both.  Either way, this is funny -- and true.

Today's the day

That job I've been doing for the past two month: it launches today.

If you go to the ESPN.com - NFL page you will see this icon. For my Pats fans friends, don't fret: it may seem like there's been little coverage given to the AFC East, but that's simply because the AFC East blogger doesn't start until Monday. The rest of the divisional blogs are up and running.

Oh, and if you see a mistake, lemme know alright? We (me and two other guys) have to edit up to 100 posts a day, which is a lot. And sometimes we miss things.

By the way: does my job rock? Yeah, I think it does.

Weekend in Review: Dark Knight, Meg's wedding goodness and adventures on the Mohawk

Phew. What a weekend. I think Jeff, Katie and I packed as much into a 48 hour period as humanly possible.

First was the drive... to New York in preparation for the weekend. Despite the fact that I KNEW I would have to get up early for Meg's shower I decided that we would drive straight to the Albany movie theater and see the Black Knight. Forty-five minutes early for the 11:30 showing... we would be in good shape right?

Wrong.

We walked over to the ticket taker and saw there was one looooong line and one shorter one. I *hoped* the long one was for the 11:00 showing and the other for the 11:30, that we were going to. Wrong again. Immediately irritated, I was regretting the decision to see the movie (I didn't want to see a movie I had been waiting for months to see in the front row.) The other challenge was ducking around movie goers who had seen the movie and were pulling a Seinfeld on me: revealing key plot points while exiting the theater. Blast! Months of avoiding spoilers semi-ruined! (Nothing too major.)

My initial disappointment lifted -- despite the long line and one showing, the movie theater actually had multiple theaters open and we got fantastic seats.

***Dark Knight Spoilers Begin Here***

Wow. FINALLY a movie that lived up to its great expectations. The opening sequence was the most disjointed of the movie (What was Cillian Murphy doing there exactly?), but it just got better from there on.

Despite the hype, I still wasn't sure how well Heath Ledger would play the Joker. After his first scene in the basement with the mobsters I found myself thinking, "I can't wait for his next scene." It was that good. I was blown away. Credit great writing and fantastic makeup and costume, but lay the brunt of it on Ledger. He found a way to make the Joker more than a ... joke, and turned him into a complex villain (Top 5 of all time?). As his scenes progressed, my amazement turned into sadness. We won't ever get to see this genius again. 

Let's not forget the job Aaron Eckhart did as Harvey Dent/Two Face. Did anyone else think he was amazing? I particularly loved the scene where he is interrogating one of the Joker's team, flipping the coin over and over again. 

Keeping on the acting theme, I didn't think Christian Bale pulled it off quite like "Batman Begins." The husky Batman voice got a little ridiculous at some points, Katie pointed out she couldn't really understand him. And I prefer Katie Holmes to Maggie Gylenhall. Otherwise, the acting was A+.

But oy! was this movie creepy, led by Ledger's frightening Joker. 

Things that surprised me:

• I didn't expect them to kill off Rachel. And I love plot twists I don't see coming. Just the way they worked that scene. You know what ... Maggie did do a pretty good job, especially there. I expected Batman to show up to save the day, and he didn't. Fantastic writing.
• I didn't expect that Two Face's plot line would both begin and end here. I thought it would be akin to the end of "Batman Begins" where they cliffhung (?) the Joker plotline. I would have liked to set that happen, but oh well.

It felt like the movie could end eight times. It was long, but I found myself thinking "I know this is long, but we've waited three years and I feel like I'm getting my money's worth."

Final Grade: A

****End of Spoilers***

So from the movie we drove to Jeff's parents house (unoccupied for the weekend). Between starting some laundry and scavenging for snacks, I didn't get to bed until 4. And by "get to bed" I mean "slept for two hours." Terrible.

We woke up and parted with Jeff, as Katie and I were off to Meg's wedding shower! Being the only non-family members was a little awkward at first, but Meg's family is so nice (not that I'm surprised.) Meg showed up to her shower looking brilliant as usual. When I first met Meg (as my freshman year college roommate) she had a blue hoodie, some jeans and sneaks. Now, she is always dressed like a movie star. I am so happy for her.

Note to self: stop talking while people are taking pictures of you.

Later we went over to Meg's mom's house. Did I mention Meg grew up on a farm? Complete with a creek, hay barns, hills for hiking and an apple orchard. Amazing. Too bad it started pouring rain and we didn't get to explore that much.

Later we headed over to Meg's aunt house for more party, food and present opening. Oh, and me and Katie as the only two adults in the pool. We rock.

After we bid adieu to Meg we headed back to Albany to meet up with Jeff and his friend Mike (groomsman) to watch some MMA fights (yeah, not my first choice.)

The next morning was the big finale: tubing with Jeff's sister, her boyfriend Rob and his niece Angel. I think these pictures tell the story. (Katie and Jeff did the majority of the tubing. I told the group, "I don't mind when Jeff acts like he's 16 again, as long as he is at the end of a long rope, 20 feet away.)

Katie and Jeff on the verge of a major wipeout.

Me and a 10-year-old: having fun at 2 miles per hour.

I'm going to send this pic to "Gay Watersports Monthly."

I love that he finds so much joy in such little things :)

I sort of love this band

They're called "Me My Head" but they used to be called "The Moths." Jeff found them and put some songs on a CD for me. They're unsigned and have like 2,000 friends on Myspace, and I'm never into random bands like this, but I think they're awesome. Also check out "Valentine."

Business cards are in!

Boss.

Project Runway Season 5 Premiere Live (kinda) Blog!

In the interest of full disclosure, I've seen this once before I've written this blog. I was able to fit in Project Runway and the gym in one sweaty, fierce hour. But let's be honest... did you really think I wasn't going to watch the show again when it repeated an hour later? (Right now my mom is sighing, "Oh Emily, get a life" -- yes my mother would really say that ;) But I like to write, so I am still going to write this pretending I don't already know what happens.

I didn't get to experience PR round 1 with Jeff as he wimped out and played B-ball. But he sure is excited this time around ... wait, where is he? Get out of the shower! Finally a show we can both relate to on an emotional level and you think showering is more important? As if!

Onto the live blog!

10:59: Watching the end of Shear Genuis, which is one step above unwatchable in my book. Notice I said one step. Hey, it's a slow summer.

11:00: The first designer we meet is Terrell's chest. Oh, I mean, Terrell the former model, current designer for Saudi royals. That's quite the gig. I edit blogs for royal pain in the asses. Bada-bing! I'll be here all night.

11:01: "I have a ridiculous obsession with tanning." Moments later Blayne reveals he's from Seattle. Well, then I can't really blame you. But you work at a coffee shop? How did you get on this show? Not impressed.

11:02: Jerry Tam. I like this guy right off. "I'm on the forefront of being a big name in the industry." Yeah, um, so am I. To borrow a line from fellow designer Kelli, "I'm like if the designers from K-Mart and Dick's Sporting Goods had a baby."

11:04: Joe, this season's token straight guy. He makes sure we know he's straight by mentioning his daughters right off the bat. And growing a goatee. I forsee an elimination in Episode 8. 

11:05: Is there some sort of rule that the designers have to stand 20 feet away from Hiedi? Tim gives a rousing rooftop speech, complete with two fist pumps. I think that's the first time his wrist has seen daylight since 2001. (By the way, is Tim Gunn Red Sox owner John Henry's gay brother? Consider with the picture on the right.)

11:07: Kenley. Faux-retro or genuine? We'll wait to see. 

11:10: It's only 10 minutes in and Jeff already has a least favorite contestant: Suede. It keeps in line with Jeff's general dislike of all people named after non-waterproof fabrics. (Edit: Reading over this Jeff says, "Plus, you didn't even mention that he has a denim vest with his name spelled out in rhinestones. Can I get one for Christmas?" A sentence I never thought I'd hear him utter...)

11:11: OMG. It's Austin Scarlett, wearing less makeup than usual. So excited to see him back. There's not nearly enough Austin Scarlett on TV. The first challenge will be a throw-back to Season 1's first challenge: make a garment from materials found at a grocery store. Although there are a a few challenges I'd like to see again (wedding dress anyone?), I don't know if this was it.

11:12: "I'm a mom, so I know a supermarket when I see one," says Korto.  Wow. Um. Good thing you're a mom ...

11:12: Making a dress out of garbage bags, Stella? Um, hello, did you see Season 1? Why would you ever try to re-create the look that got the first ever contestant eliminated. I'm amazed that people on reality shows are so stupid when it comes to general show knowledge. This ranks up there with the contestants on America's Next Top Model being late coming back from their go-sees and being eliminated. Oh boy, I've lost my last male reader right there.

11:19: I for one was hoping Joe was making a "Fusilli Jerry." You know, because he's silly! Anyone? Anyone?

11:19: I see Daniel's plastic cup dress and I'm immediately thinking "winner." It looks cool, challenging and chic. I'm channeling my inner Michael Kors right now. 

11:21: Stella is coming off her heavy dose of qualudes and realizing making a dress out of trash bags is "garbage." Somebody give this girl some caffine. Stellllllllaaaaa!

11:23: Tim's making his rounds. He likes Daniel's dress, no surprise. He also likes Kelli's dress, although I'm not a fan, I think she'll be "in." Jeff says: "I like her." Also no surprise. Jeff typically gravitates towards the best looking designer. I think it helps him forget what kind of show he's watching.

11:25: Jerry is realizing he's sh*t out of luck. I'm a little worried for my initial favorite. His shower curtain/tablecloth combo isn't impressing Tim. And if it doesn't impress Tim, it's definitely not going to impress Nee-nah Gah-sea-ah.

11:32: "I really feel like I'm going to make a fool of myself," says Stella. Too late. "If I'm eliminated first, I'll be the biggest jackass in the nation," she adds. Again, too late.

11:34: "I have to hand stich the crotch area," says Blayne. I'm not a model (No, really) but those have to be the scariest words for them to ever hear, right? Other than, "Congratulations, you get to meet Tyra Banks!"

11:38: Jeff's asleep. Congrats to those who chose the 30 minute over! You get a free Del's lemonade on me. 

11:40: Runway show time. Prizes are the same as the last time, for the most part. I learn that Austin Scarlett is the creative director for Kenneth Pool and I'm genuinely happy for him.

11:41: Her dress got overlooked, but Emily's lace table cloth, bouncy-ball dress is one of my favorites. She should be here until close to the end.

11:42: Sorry, Korto. I don't like kale on my plate and I definitely don't like it around my neck. Why take such a throw away vegetable and use it for the garment? It's clear none of these designers will top Austin's corn husk dress from the first time around.

11:44: Will the following designers please step forward ... Daniel, Jerry, Korto, Stella, Kelli, Blayne. Pretty much as expected. My money's on Daniel to win and Stella to be OUD.

11:45: Oh Jerry. This looks terrible. It looks like she's wearing a maxi pad. Michael Kors calls it "Bridal Nurse." What does that even mean? Heidi says "Hospital plummer." I'm guessing these aren't good things.

11:49: Kelli's dress is kind of cool I guess, but I don't feel comfortable with the emphasis on the chest area. I think that's too easy. "You made something girls would want to wear." I can't even tell you the ways in which I disagree with this statement, but then again I'm wearing tear-away snap addidas pants. So ... 

11:52: After an especially biting commentary session from the judges, I'm feeling genuinely bad for whomever gets eliminated first. It's pretty much a total waste of time going on Project Runway, or any reality show for that matter, to be eliminated first. It pretty much means you are the most pathetic of all the contestants. Your 15 minutes of fame will coincide with your utter FAIL. In other words, I'm rooting for Stella to go home. 

11:56: Kelli wins. I have to say I'm surprised. I thought Daniel's keg cup dress would take it. Kelli will be a frontrunner for sure though.

11:57: Down to Jerry and Stella. Boom. Bam. Boom. Bam. "Jerry ... your oud." Wow. I'm kind of surprised. Jerry's was bad, but Stella's was hella bad. One of my early favorite personalities was eliminated early. I'll get over it.

Well that's all. I'm pretty excited about this season, and I don't usually get a favorite until the third or fourth episode so I'm going to have to reserve judgement there. The "This season on Project Runway..." montage is stupid and uniformative: throw in a couple of gasps, a cuss word, a couple of tears, a snarky Tim Gunn comment "It looks like a gay terridactyl  from Jurassic Park" and a snarky Michael Kors comment "Slutty, Slutty, Slutty." It's a wrap. Until next time ... Auf Wiedersehen!

You're Oud ...

What's that you say, Tim? You say it's the season premiere of Project Runway -- Season 5 tonight? You say I should tune in... well I don't mind if I do! 

Project Runway is, for realz, my favorite TV show. Which is so strange since I have no sense of fashion. (Really, it's bad.) I was HOOKED from season 1. What other reality show celebrates kooky, out-of-the-box thinkers with flamboyant personalities as the "norm"? What other reality show will Jeff actually watch with me? (He actually just watches it to hear my Heidi Klum impression:  "Nee-na Gah-sea-ah") He doesn't want to admit he actually likes it. But I know the truth...

My top 5 favorite Project Runway contestants based solely on personality:

5. Christian (Season 4) -- OK he grew on me. Yes, the "fierce" references were over the top, but his snarky digs at the other contestants were fabulous. And, he actually was good.

4. Austin Scarlett (Season 1) -- Christian S. before there was one. "I wanted to swath her in the wind, and the water." Over. The. Top. I also loved his exit speech about how he felt different growing up, but didn't really care now. Or something like that. 

3. Santino (Season 2) -- Totally overlooked contestant. He was the only contestant that season with personality. He was supposed to be who "we loved to hate" but I just loved him. Sorry. 

2. Jay McCarroll (Season 1) -- THE snarkiest contestant in Project Runway history. And its first winner. I liked his style, and even though his win was a little bogus, I was glad for it. Too bad his career hasn't really panned out.

1. Chris (Season 4) -- Loved this guy! His laugh, his jokes. Too bad his designs were hit and miss. I still can't believe he didn't win fan favorite.

No one from season 3 on this list. Didn't really love that season. Liked Michael Knight, but was "off" him by the time the finale came around. (Especially off him when he changed his name to "Mykel") Can't believe Jeffrey won. Whatever. 

Yes, I'm supposed to be working now. Your point?

Wedding dress I am currently loving

Thoughts?

Right now I'm in the stage of browsing thousands of dresses and styles -- well, in the interest of full disclosure, I've been in this stage for about 10 months. I feel good because my taste hasn't changed much over that period of time. The idea of picking out a dress 11 months before you wear it is so stressful. Add on to that the fear that all the dresses I love will look terrible on my body, argh.

That being said, I am super excited for the dress expedition adventure to begin on August 22 -- the Filene's Basement running of the brides!!

You either love the idea, or you hate it, but for me, the idea of getting a designer dress for $600 or less sounds fantastic. The idea of getting my bridesmaids, my mom and my moms friends into Boston at 5 a.m., dressing up in matching 'team' shirts and busting through a group of psychotic brides sounds like so much fun and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

The more research I've done into this event (held twice a year in Boston, this year at the Hynes Convention Center, 2,500 designer dresses marked down), the more I think it will be a blast. From what I've seen 90% of the people that go have fun, regardless of whether they find a dress or not. I hope I can find a dress, maybe the one above? If not, I'll have to choke out twice as much money to get it. Here's hoping...

Can't wait.

This is the trailer for Ricky Gervais' new movie, Ghost Town. He didn't write this one, but I'm still excited for it because Gervais is pretty much funny in/on anything. (did you download those podcasts yet???)

Next year he comes out with 'This side of the Truth' which he did write, and stars in with Jennifer Garner. SO. EXCITED. It's already getting great reviews.

*****

Cons to living with your fiance: His rampant snoring that keeps you up until midnight and later on a Sunday

Pros: Everything else :)

OK a few more

I can't resist, they're so bad ... 

This one is actually already in my mother's closet ... left over from when she played "Mustafa" in a Summerville stage production of "The Lion King."

I didn't know the "four layers" I would be dealing with would be the four hanging beneath my mother's waist. Do you think we can have one red velvet layer, and one in lemon?

From the Mother of the Bride: Comic Book Collection. This one inspired by Mrs. Spiderman 3.

Warning: if my mom tries to give you an apple wearing this dress during my wedding, don't take it!

With this one, my mom can alleviate my concerns about seagulls disturbing our ceremony.

Mother of Frankenstein

Woosh. As hideous and odious as many bridal gowns I have happened upon are... they don't even hold a candle to the utter atrociousness of Mother of the Bride dresses. If they say you put your bridesmaids in ugly dresses to detract attention from them and put it on you ... then mother of the brides dresses must be payback for years of nagging on your wardrobe, criticizing your lifestyle choices and annoying you about the wedding. (So they say, I of course have NO experience in this ... hi mom!)

I want (and my mom wants as well) to look classy and dignified, age appropriate but a little fancy. She doesn't want to look like the first lady, she doesn't want to be bejewelled or be-ruffled, and she doesn't want to look like she's attending the Academy Awards, circa 1978.
 

Also, can we address something right now. Can someone tell my why they have 20-year-old models modeling Mother of the Brides dresses? It doesn't make any sense for normal bridal apparel, but especially not for the MOB dresses. Can anyone answer this? Is this to make women feel bad at all stages of life? Whatever.

Here are some awful choices I've come across:

This looks nice, but can I see something in the color "turd"?

For the mother of the bride who wants to enjoy the wedding... but be out in time to make it to her Olympic figure skating competition.

I told my mom this one was good. She could wear it to my wedding, and then to the following Halloween where she could be "Strawberry Shortcake." Two birds!

This one kills two birds with one stone as well. Instead of giving favors, my mom can read your palm.

I could do this all day. Here's one my mom actually did sort of like, if you think we're being too picky. 

Is this so hard? This was one out of 500 dresses I looked through. The only one I sent to my mom where I wasn't joking. Yikes.

*Snicker*

The Red Sox Music Video. Enjoy.

Gym Shorts

Last night, for the first time in a while, I decided to bring my iPod to the gym. When Jeff and I joined this gym at the beginning of May, I made an amazing discovery: cardio machines with TVs. The greatest thing since Jet Blue. (Where else can we get TVs? School desks? Church? Let's reach for the stars people!) 

So for the past two and a half months, I've been dazed and drooling in the TV (mostly Sox games) while I'm at the gym. I called it "A fitness revolution" but that phrase didn't really catch on. 

But I wanted last night to be different. After a rough day at work (I didn't get yelled at or anything, it was technology issues at the WWL) I wanted to drift off to some tunes on my vintage iPod Mini. (Original line, bought February 2004, still working!)

It's been F-O-R-E-V-E-R since I listened to music at the gym. Back in Cali, I got hooked on listening to podcasts at the gym -- specifically one podcast.

****BIG ASIDE*****

If I can impart one piece of wisdom, if you listen to any of my advice in this space, any recommendations on music, tv, movies, book (er... maybe) or anything, please listen to me here: Download the Ricky Gervais Show podcast. You can buy the entire thing for $20 bucks and that's something like 30 hours of show. (If you want a free sneak preview, their most recent show is up for free, but I suggest you start from the beginning.)

If you like any of the following things, you will like the Ricky Gervais Show: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, The Office, Extras, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, chimpanzees, British slang for 'penis', cobblers, people laughing loudly in your ears or oranges. Seriously. Please. I will reimburse you your funds if you don't like it.

*****END OF ASIDE****

But last night it was all about the music. Considering I had only plugged in my iPod for 45 minutes after months of dormancy, I'm surprised I got so many songs out of the thing before it died. 

I had one of those nice musical interludes where songs bring you back to a time in your life. When we moved to California, I stopped listening to the radio. Listening to the radio in Cali is infuriating -- no station stays clear for more than 2 miles, except for the Spanish stations, who apparently have twice the budget as other channels. Meanwhile, Jeff was working at a job that not only let you listen to music during the day, but allowed you to share music through a big iTunes system, exposing him to a huge variety of music he had never experienced before.

He shared this excitement with me, by making me a new mix CD every few weeks. This is all I listened to in the entire time I was in California. And these were the songs I listened to last night. 

It made me think about how far we've come. And no, I don't mean that sentimentally, rather, I'm thinking how far Jeff's come in terms of musical taste. When we first started dating (back in the fall of '03) his favorite band was Disturbed.

I wish I was joking.

His musical tastes were turrrrible back then. Now they've gotten much better, a long journey that culminated, for me, with him asking Justin to pass on some Reggae last weekend when we were at his house. We've come a long way, love.

Here was the Schaible created track-list from last night:

Till the end of time -- Michael DeVotcka

Ring of Fire -- Social Distortion

Dirty Water -- The Standells

Gold Lion -- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

When the Lights Go Down -- The Arctic Monkeys

Tessie -- The Dropkick Murphys

Angeles -- Elliot Smith

My boyfriend -- Her Space Holiday

Boys of Summer -- The Ataris

Glycerine -- Bush

Soul Meets Body -- Death Cab for Cutie

Wrap Your Love Around Me -- The Village Green

Free Time -- Kenna

Bermuda, Jamaica, Ooooh I wanna take ya..

OK. So most people are excited about their weddings, right? (This is a rhetorical question, of course I'm excited about my wedding.)

But people get tired of wedding talk quickly. Once my two friends who are getting married this September get married, they probably will cut me off. Jeff was tired of talking about it 6 months before we got engaged.

So, let's change the subject. Back to the original question: While most people are excited about their weddings I am excited about... The Honeymoon!

But like all wedding related, stress-filled decisions... this one is baffling me too. So many places to go!

At first, Jeff wanted to go to Europe. Of course, because Jeff always wants the best of everything, regardless of price or affordability. That's why he needs to marry me. I don't want to be a wet blanket, but I don't see any way how we could go to Europe with the state of the dollar. (Oh man, I just bored myself.) I'm sure with what we're spending on a honeymoon, we could conceivably go to Europe, but I want my honeymoon to be relaxing, in the lap of luxury, without worry about pricing everything out. 

So where to? Some places I've considered:

Disneyworld: Pros: I love Disneyworld. Who doesn't? A week of fun, food and amusement parks sounds totally awesome to me. 

Cons:  It will be the middle of summer = oppressively hot. I don't really want to be around a bunch of kids or wait in lines on my honeymoon. Also, Jeff doesn't want to go. Ha!

Verdict: I currently work for the Disney company as a contractor. Hopefully, when my contract is up in two years I will be absorbed into the ESPN family as a regular employee. If and when I do, I get free passes to Disneyworld as well as 30-50% off all hotel rooms. That sounds like a good time to go, so we'll save it for then.

Block Island: Pros: Negligible travel. I hate to fly and don't want to be stressing about that on top of my wedding. I like to think (cheese alert) me and Jeff really fell in love on Block Island when we went on a trip there 3 years ago. It's so beautiful and peaceful there, and with travel fees next to nothing, we could splurge on a great hotel room.

Cons: We've been there before. We could go there today if we wanted. Not "new."

Verdict: This might be a top option depending on the $$ we have left to spend on a honeymoon. I'm not ruling it out.

All-inclusive somewhere in the Caribbean: Specifically looking at Royal Plantation, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Pros: This was voted the best all-inclusive  in the world by tripadvisor and gets great reviews. Wouldn't have to keep track of money since everything (food, drink, housing, as well as some other things) are included. It would be the ultimate, albeit typical, honeymoon... relaxing, eating, etc... in a new place we've never been and likely wouldn't find the time to go back to.

Cons: Longest travel and most expensive. When you spend a lot of money on a vacation the pressure is on for it to be great, or you will be disappointed.

Verdict: It's the top contender so far. When are you ever going to go to the Caribbean aside from your honeymoon? I'm hoping we can find a great travel agent who can get us a deal (any suggestions) and that we have the money left over to make this happen.

Any other ideas I'm missing?

You are NOT the father!

I know that at a certain age and at a certain intelligence level, you may think that watching the Maury show is childish, or beneath you. And that if you watch it you're not better than the people who are on it ... 

But when the title of the show is "I've been tested 34 times ... who is the father of my child's baby?!?!?"

I mean, seriously? You would change the channel?

File under: Working from home is melting my brain. But I love it.

LMFAO

Courtesy of Kissing Suzy Kolber. Possible text messages Brett Favre may have sent. 

Anytimers: Movies I love

I'm not really going to do "features" on my blog, but in the course of my somewhat predictable life there will be topics touched on more than once.

So, "Anytimers" for me are movies that I can find flipping through the channels and stop on, get sucked in and all of a sudden its 2 a.m. and I'm crying over Jenny for the 50th time (we'll get to that one later.)

Last night, it happened again. The culprit? The Birdcage.

Ironically, the first time I saw this movie was in a similar situation. I was up late, couldn't sleep, found it on tv and paused for a bit. Fifteen minutes later I was laughing so hard that my college roommate and sleeping boyfriend were giving me the one-eye open glare. 

I couldn't help it. This movie is hilarious and I'm not afraid to include it in my top-20 of all time (a list for another day.)

So I caught it last night, near the beginning when Val first tells Armand he's getting married. First of all, how good is Robin Williams in this movie? I am a closeted (not pun intended) Robin Williams fan. Funny enough, he's not the flamboyant one in this movie. That's Nathan Lane, who pretty much makes me laugh with every line in this movie. Throw in Gene Hackman as a conservative senator, Dianne West as his clueless wife and Hank Azaria as a flamboyant Guatemalan housemaid and you've got me. In fact, it was on again in the morning and I watched it again.

Some of my favorite quotes:

(As Robin Williams character Armand is trying to teach Nathan Lane's Albert to be straight)

Armand: Al, you old son of a bitch! How ya doin'? How do you feel about that call today? I mean the Dolphins! Fourth-and-three play on their 30 yard line with only 34 seconds to go!
Albert: How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered ... wrong response? 

(As Gene Hackmans character finds out over the phone that the co-founder of The Comission for Moral Order is dead)

Senator Kevin Keeley: Hello, Ben. Ready for what? WHAT?
Louise Keeley: What's the matter, Kevin?
Senator Kevin Keeley: Jackson's dead.
Louise Keeley: Oh my God!
Senator Kevin Keeley: He died in bed? Whose bed? A prostitute?
Louise Keeley: No!
Senator Kevin Keeley: A minor? And black?
Louise Keeley: What?
Senator Kevin Keeley: I don't believe this! I don't FUCKING believe this!

(OK, this one isn't so much funny. But it's one of those classic, 'Pull this quote out and put it on your facebook profile when your feeling angsty' quotes. Nathan Lane's Albert finding out he's been banned from the house while the conservative senator is there)

Albert: Oh yes, another jive, another joke at my expense. You were probably laughing at me with Katherine, too. Well, why not? I'm not young, I'm not new, and everyone laughs at me. I'm quite aware of how ridiculous I am. I've been thinking that the only solution is to go where no one is ridiculous and everyone is equal. Goodbye, Armand. 

Rent it!

Some thoughts while watching Yanks/BoSox

• Rain on the fourth of July? I don't feel like I ever remember that happening. Fourth of July sort of needs to be a sunny occasion, or it doesn't really feel like a holiday. Jeff and I were planning on going to the Pawtucket Red Sox game, but decided against it because of the rain, and because I was heading to RI the next day for Justin's b-b-q, and lord knows I can't afford the gas to drive to RI twice in two days. (side rant: So sad what this economy has become. $4 for gas. Just think of that. I remember when I thought $2.55, just a few years ago, was ridiculous. Thank god I work from home.)

So instead, Jeff and I went to a local fireworks display occurring during a county fair here in Small Town, Massachusetts. The fireworks were nice, but the fog sort of dampened the "spectacle" of fireworks. That and the screaming children on the yo-yo ride. Call me a wet blanket if you like, but there is NO WAY I am letting my child on a carnival ride. I was terrified for these children and this ride creaked and cranked. (Side note #2: while looking for a pic of a similar looking ride, I came across this one -- ironically (?) linked up to a story about 24 people being injured on this ride. Photo credit: Jeff White, Frogtown.org) Overall Fourth of July 2008 rating: 5 out of 10. Yes, I'm ranking my holidays now.

• Now the fifth of July was better. After much pleading and convincing, my boy Hefe (aka Justin) held a b-b-q at his lovely Cranston abode. Of course, it was still gray and raining, but that didn't stop me from enjoying Pat's chili cheese dip, Justin's grilled honey b-b-q wings and an entire bottle of wine. Er, small tip. If you don't drink alot anymore -- me -- don't drink a whole bottle of wine if you want to have a fun day with your friends. I literally had to take two naps in the 12 hours I was there. Yeah, I'm a fun party girl.

But I had a good time, nonetheless. I got to talk to Justin, Pat and Ryan about my wedding and they all seemed genuinely excited.I got to ask Justin what I've been wanting to ask him for more than a month now: to make a speech at the wedding. I knew I wanted him to do this as soon as I got engaged. I knew I wasn't doing the male bridesmaid thing, but I knew I wanted him (and Andrew) to have a special part in my wedding day as two of my closest and longest friends. Justin doing the speech was just obvious. He knows me best, has a great sense of humor and will probably make me cry. Before I left for San Diego, Justin wrote me a beautiful letter telling me,"I am very excited for you and know if anything in life is guaranteed, it's that you will succeed beyond anyone I know. I want you to know that there is always someone who supports you and believes in you." Come on, isn't this the guy who you want to toast you at your wedding?

Anywhoo, I'm really excited he accepted the challenge (?) and I know he'll do a great job. He's seemed genuinely excited about our wedding. (See above for my fav pic of me and Justin. Yes, I was rocking the LiLo peace sign. Deal.)

The b-b-q was a blast, meeting Justin's friends, watching Pat resurrect "The Flying Tostido" (don't ask) and playing "not for alcoholic use" Beer Pong. Too bad I was exhausted at 6 p.m.

• It's a )@($* travesty of Major League Baseball and Boston fans that Jason Veritek is on the All-Star team. He is so garbage. Everyone who knows me knows I have disliked 'Tek since '03 and I've taken a whole lot of flak for it over the years. Look, I've never denied that he is probably fantastic with the pitching staff, but he has choked in big situations at the plate over and over and over, and he's become such a liability. Stick a fork in him. It makes Boston fans look bad that he made the team.

• I've seen a few movies lately, and I'll give you a quick opinion before I wrap this up.

Get Smart: I was worried this wouldn't be funny, that it would exhaust the punch lines in the commercials, and it would just be stupid. Fortunately, it wasn't. Unfortunately, it still wasn't that good. I pretty much think Steve Carell is funny all the time, and the Rock was surprisingly good. A few more well-crafted jokes and a slightly more believeable plot and this would have been more than just average for me. (That part where he throws the phone at the Borat guy will crack me up for the rest of time, though)

Wall-E: OK, I'm not going to lie. I went into the theater wanting to like this movie. I couldn't believe Jeff agreed to see a "kids" movie with me. Of course, I loved it. I love that Disney/Pixar is back to making the movies with the hidden (well, not really hidden) message aimed at children, even if the majority of the kids in the theater couldn't pay attention through the whole thing, reminding me why I shouldn't go see kids movies at 1 p.m. on a Sunday. 

I'm such a sucker for a thoughtful, heartfelt, cute movie like this. And, as Jeff has learned, the fun of imitating Wall-E's voice never ends ;)

The Great Debaters: OK, so this was a rental. Yeesh, it was a little over the top. I'm all for feel-gooders (see above), but the whole movie just seemed a little too convenient for something set in the 1930s. If you ever see it you'll know what I mean. The whole country sitting around a radio listening to a college debate? Er, doubtful. It just didn't feel right for something set so long ago -- if it had been the 1960s, it would have felt more realistic. But our country -- Texas in particular -- was way too backwards in the 30s than this movie depicted. Oh well. Forrest and Denzel delivered as usual which brought me to this thought: Would you rather see a movie with Denzel Washington and Forrest Whitaker than a movie with Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino? Not making this a race thing, just a "great actor" thing. I would rather, based on the last decade and a half of work, see the latter Oscar winners than the former. Thoughts?

What Dreams May Come: Jeff wanted to rent this. I'm always game for a religious movie. Love to think about things in a different way. (The best religious movie of all time: The Last Temptation of Christ. You will either love it or hate it, but you'll certainly feel changed after watching it.) WDMC was ... interesting. Man dies, wife kills herself and he tries to get her out of hell. Interesting concept. I won't spoil the ending for people who might want to see it, but it disappoints. I can recommend it though, it might get you thinking.