Photo Obsessed

Ever since I started reading Ann Althouse and The Other Side of the Ocean, two of my favorite blogs, I have been photo obsessed. Ann and Nina post such beautiful photographs of the places they have been and the foods that they eat, that they have inspired me to try my hand at photography. I started by purchasing a digital camera when my sister Jeri and her husband Ron came to visit at the end of July. I'm gradually getting the hang of using the camera in a technical sense, aesthetics are developing more slowly. The thing I dislike the most about my particular camera is that it doesn't have a viewfinder separate from the screen on the back of the camera. When taking pictures in sun, out of doors, it's difficult to see what I'm shooting and I can't really see to review whether I got the shot I was going for...if that makes sense.

Monday our little sightseeing posse set out for Gettysburg. I can almost hear the groans of my two readers. "Gettysburg again? You just went there!" It is true that I did just go there, in fact, Monday's visit made it my fourth in the last year. What can I say? It is a very interesting place with fabulous views and historical significance. There is a lot to see and do and with familiarity the enjoyment just increases.

For Allison, my fifteen year old niece, it was her third visit. She wasn't terribly excited about the site on her first visit, but then she watched the dvd of the movie, Gettysburg and she became a Gettysburg buff. Watching Buford look out from the cupola of the Seminary toward McPherson's Ridge while he talked passionately, almost desperately about the lovely ground. Seeing the men of the 20th Maine when they realize they must stand to the last man or the army will be flanked. Experiencing the frustration of Longstreet as he tries to convince Lee to withdraw and then the futile agony of Pickett's Charge. Movies have distorted and ruined history in many cases, but sometimes--it can make the abstract seem real and reconnect us with past events. I highly recommend seeing the movie Gettysburg before a visit to Gettysburg. It managed to inspire a teenager--she's the reason we went back again this week.

At her request, we visited the Jennie Wade Museum for the first time. Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed during the battle of Gettysburg. She was in the kitchen preparing biscuits for the Union soliders when a bullet came through the door and killed her instantly. Amazingly, her mother finished fixing the biscuits for the soldiers after they helped the family evacuate to the cellar.

Jennie Wade's statue holding bread and water which she provided to the Union soldiers.

After touring the museum, we traced the last two-thirds of the battleground tour. Karen and Allison, in their previous visit, didn't get to spend much time at the end of the tour so we wanted to hit the spots they had missed. Allison was determined to get up close and personal with Devil's Den--a huge collection of rocks which was a focal point of the battle and a hideout for sharpshooters.

Then we drove through the Spangler's Spring section of the battlefield. We discovered the Indiana Memorial. Most of my family is from Indiana and we looked and looked for Indiana's Memorial while Ron and Jeri were here. with no success. I'm happy to say the two Memorials we found were well-done.

The Indiana Memorials on Culp's Hill

Design Star Challenge 3

In this week's episode of Design Star the designers finally got to work on their own. This was a problem for some. Hee Hee. Having company, I don't have time to work out a full-fledged recap but here are my quick-takes impressions from the episode.

Temple--proof that you do not need a "degree" to be a design star. She did a FABULOUS job. I actually thought her room was the winning design. She had a sleek, minimalistic, elegant room. The gray paint on the walls was inspired. The four chain license plate surrounds as art--very pleasing aesthetically. The best thing in the room? The shiny grill displayed above the sofa and the doohickeys that she attached to the front of the sofa.

Vanessa--proof that big talk often masks little talent. Her room was horrible. I feel for her because she had next to nothing to work with in that she had to shop in the beauty supply store. Seems like she could have done something better than hot glue makeup stuff all over some boards for art, however. I particularly enjoyed the way she pouted everytime someone else got a compliment after her own dismal review. I think part of the reason Vanessa went home today was because she led the judges to believe, in the first challenge, that the credit for the design in the bedrooms was all hers. She was declared winner and the expectations were high for her after that. She was disappointing in challenge two, and crashed and burned in this one. Buh-bye.

Teran--proof that lines from the Princess Bride come in handy. He kept using this word--"Victorian" to describe his big blue room with gold circles and modern accessories. I do not think that means what he thinks that means. His room was nearly empty, possibly because he kept spending his time giving Teman advice. Note to Teran--take the tags off your accessories next time.

David--proof that fish bowls are versatile. David's design was judged to be the winner. He did do some very cool things in the room. The orange wall with a positive/negative design of squares was striking. The square geometry of the walls contrasted well with the circular theme of the rug and the art over the sofa and the sculptures. The fishbowl sculpture was very sharp. It sparkled in the room with the lighting. The dog chew sculpture very creative. I disliked intensively his "rug" made of animal bedding which I didn't think was practical. His design was more comprehensive than Temple's, ultimately, so I understand why the judges gave him the win. He rocks as an artist.

Donna--proof that people who like things on a slant can't help themselves. Ignoring what she was told about positioning furniture on a slant in a small space being a bad idea--Donna positioned her sofa on a slant. I really hate slant-y furniture. Overall, not the worst of the designs but not even close to the best. I thought it was an insult to Temple and Alice who performed with excellence to be dismissed from the room at the same time as Donna. Setting various automotive filters around the room isn't particularly creative or original either. Lucky to get through to the next round again.

Alice--proof that nice people can keep trekking in a reality competition. Alice shopped in the camping store and made inspired use of the fabrics she found there. I loved her color palette--admittedly, green is my favorite. I loved that she de-constructed the shelves to make shadow boxes and so did the judges. Very solid performance, overall.

Teman--proof that you can lose sight of the big picture. Teman spent so much time taping his back wall in order to give the room color that he hardly spent any time on the rest of the room. It was unfortunate, because he started out with a coverlet for the couch which was wonderful and graphic and could have been the focal point for the room. Instead he created this bizarre taped wall that ate all his time and competed with the coverlet. I really believed that Teman might make it through when it came down to between Teran and him. I wonder if they got rid of Teran just because they didn't want the two people who shopped at the beauty store to be eliminated? That would have revealed the challenge to be unfairly weighted against the beauty shop people. I hate to see conspiracy theories everywhere, but the beauty shop people didn't have access to near the supplies that the others did, particularly fabrics. In the end Teman's how was cancelled and Teran will now compete for the both of them. I felt the twins' pain, though, because I know in that situation while they both wanted to stay, they each knew their twin would have to go to make it happen. It's tough when you are rooting for two people at the same time. Singles don't have that conflict.

Tym--proof that you can run out of ideas for using a catch phrase in your blog because I can't think of what Tym is proof. Tym chose not to use his money for paint and used dog food bags for art and to add color. Paint would have been an improvement. He made interesting use of de-constructed animal cages but some elements of the room were wierd--ie, the dog leash hanging from the wall like a "hamster noose" as Vern Yip put it.

Next week, two more eliminations and another group challenge--something to do with a kitchen remodel. Sounds like Temple might have a rough time of it. I'm rooting for Alice or David to win at this point, with Temple doing respectably well.

Fort McHenry or Oh, Say Can You See?

The entrance to the park

Fort McHenry is a notable historic site because during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key viewed the ginormous flag which still flew over the fort after a night of bombardment by the British with relief and was inspired to compose our national anthem.

The Star-Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key, 1814

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand

Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;

Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land

Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Personally--I was clueless about the verses after the first. I've tried singing them but the tune is so connected with the words in my mind that without music to look at while singing, I found I couldn't sing the other verses accurately.

The flag at the fort is a replica--but it's the same size: gi-normous or in more technical terms--42 feet by 30 feet--waving from the original flagpole.

On summer afternoon's re-enactors demonstrate soldier-y skills, such as marching and loading cannon (pretend) etc. Their heavy uniforms must be murderous to wear in the heat. They are very friendly and happy to pose for photos, however.

My niece Allison, and my twin Judy touring the earthworks. Allison is trying to pull off her Paris Hilton impersonation with her big, white sunglasses. Meanwhile, I told Judy--never carry a pink purse and wear a pink hat with an orangy-red shirt again. Eww. The fort is a star-shape with a pentagon interior. Totally cool looking and the views of the water are spectacular.

Here are Allison, Karen, and Judy in front of the statue erected to honor Major George Armistead the commander of Fort McHenry during the British Bombardment in 1814. He was the uncle of the Armistead who later served on the Union side of the Civil War and was killed at Gettysburg. The second Armistead figures prominently in the movie, Gettysburg.

More Company & Sightseeing

Judy (my twin) told me on the way to the airport this morning that the people in her office asked her where she was going for vacation. I love her answer. She informed the curious, "I don't go on vacation anymore, I'm a destination." Thus, the difference between living in Baltimore versus east central Illinois is described.

We were on the way to the airport to pick up our latest company--Karen and Allison at that time she shared this gem. Karen (our oldest sister) and Ally (our youngest niece) are making the seventh family visit here. Yea!

After catching up on family news for an hour or two, we are now off to the first of many historic spots. This afternoon we'll be visiting Fort McHenry. Don't know much about Fort McHenry? Neither do we, but I expect I'll have photos to post and information to pass along at the end of the day.

Btw, do you know what a gleek is?

Michael Flatley

Remember the late '90's dancing sensation? You know, Irish dancing?? Riverdance? Lord of the Dance? Ringing any bells? Tapping any toes?

How 'bout now?

I came to learn about Michael Flatley when my mother channel hopped (that's tv speak in our family for using the remote to run the channels) her way to a PBS station one evening and happened across Riverdance with Michael Flatley. It was love at first sight for her. She became obsessed with him and the show. She watched him daily and nightly, toes wiggling and tapping, as she leaned forward in her chair. She was housebound, battling Lymphoma, so there was plenty of time in her routine to watch Michael dance. I'd say she had a crush. She wore her videotape down to a nub. Everyone who visited was forced to sit through the show--she would fast forward through the singing bits of Riverdance, being a bit deaf, in order to get to the good parts--that is, Michael dancing. When we discovered Lord of the Dance, well, the excitement that caused was a somewhat unnerving.

Being a loving and considerate daughter (ahem) I got the idea that we could see this dance sensation in person--maybe even meet him back stage if we could. A quick trip to TicketMaster and I was all set with three tickets to see Lord of the Dance in Columbus Ohio. That was a short three hour drive from my mother's home in central Indiana. Sadly, she never felt well enough to make the trip. Judy and I went. My niece **Emily** used the ticket that would have been for my mom. She enjoyed hearing about the show-- and we had great seats-- but I've always regretted that her window of wellness closed that little bit too soon for her to enjoy the show in person.

I happened to be browsing on Amazon the other day and discovered a DVD of a seemingly new show by Michael Flatley. New to me anyway--I haven't exactly kept up with his career. I didn't know he still had one. I felt a little surge of excitement, though, and quickly hit the button to order it. My mother died in August of 1998, and this year I think I'll watch Michael strut his Celtic Tiger stuff and raise a glass in her memory.

By the way--that picture of Michael Flatley at the top of this entry? It's identical to the poster I bought at the Columbus show. I had that poster framed and it hangs, big as life, in the entryway to my apartment. Seriously. The workings of my mind are a mystery to me, as well.

UPDATE: My niece Emily wrote to alert me that SHE was the niece that used Gramma's ticket to see LOTD in Ohio, not Andrea. Thank goodness for the accuracy of youthful memory. In my own pitiful defense, I have seen the show three different times. Stuff runs together. I'm old-ish... I'm kind of embarrassed about this, can you tell? I guess I should call Andrea and find out if she even ever went to LOTD at all. At least if she went to it once, I won't think I'm completely senile. Maybe.

Surprised by Poetry

In my youth, (lo, those many years ago) I enjoyed poetry so much that I collected my favorite poems in a spiral bound notebook. I have been pondering about whatever happened to my notebook since I began blogging because I thought the poems would be very bloggable. I couldn't imagine that I would have thrown it away, it was quite a project in its day. As time went by, and I didn't stumble across it, I kept wondering if in a fit of madness I had tossed it--as you sometimes do when you go on a super-organizing cleaning jag. Happily, I found it today while unpacking boxes of books onto my new bookcases. Here is a gem from Stephen Crane:

The Wayfarer

The wayfarer,
Perceiving the pathway to truth,
Was struck with astonishment.
It was thickly grown with weeds.
“Ha”, he said,
“I see that no one has passed here
In a long time.”
Later he saw that each weed
Was a singular knife.
“Well, “ he mumbled at last,
“Doubtless there are other roads.”

Design Star Recap #2

Designed to Sell

This is a show that is getting better and better. I can’t emphasize enough its similarity to Project Runway. In this episode, the nine designers are split into three teams of three and given $2000.00 dollars (each team) to revamp a room in a Long Island tutor style home. That is a generous budget compared to the show Designed to Sell. This home has been on the market for eight months and desperately needs an intervention in order to sell. The three rooms are Kitchen, Living Room and Master Bedroom. I don’t remember how it was decided which team would get what room. (It’s been two days!)

The designers each opened a paint can and the three designers with a star on their paint can lid are made the team captains. Donna, Joseph, and Tym get stars. The team captains chose their teams, playground style. The designers were chosen in this order: David, Vanessa, Teran, Teman, Alice, and Temple. Donna makes a production out of her pick by giving a speech telling Teran how much she enjoyed working with him on the last challenge. He thinks he has been picked—but, oops…she was just trying to say she liked him but wanted David. (I cannot hide it…I do not like Donna.) The edit immediately shows Donna making a snarky remark about Temple being difficult. I do not know what she is basing this on—Ramona was the horror story in the last episode, not Temple.

Team Kitchen consisted of Donna, David, and Temple. The kitchen is a horror show with weird yellow wallpaper covered with teacups. The floor is a very rustic and assertive rust tile. The counters are black granite and the cupboards are a dark cherry. There is an ornate breakfast set of wrought iron.

The team plan in the kitchen was to tone it down. They elected to paint the wallpaper (I hate that) and chose a color called latte. Temple suggested antique-ing the cupboards to lighten their shade. Temple threw out many many, many ideas that were ignored and disregarded by Donna. She and Temple clashed right away. I can’t speak to whether or not Temple’s ideas were good or bad but at least she had ideas. Donna seems to have no design philosophy except mediocrity. While Temple and David worked in the kitchen, Donna shopped. She made five separate trips back and forth to the store in one day, as Temple pointed out in their big argument. She and Temple fought about how little Donna did in the room. Donna was indignant. She shopped! She managed to cattily taunt Temple for her beauty queen background. Apparently Temple prances around acting like a beauty queen in Donna World. Frankly, that’s the pot calling the kettle copper, because they are both dressed to the nines and wear heels.

Team Master Bedroom consisted of Tym, Teran and Teman. As a twin, I was annoyed that Tym chose both Teran and Teman. He made some remark about wanting to see them working together or something, but they deserved to be picked because of some positive quality about themselves not because they are a side show of similarity.

The master bedroom has a horrible mural all over the walls and ugly carpet on the floor. The bed is set up in the middle of the room. The team plan was to redo the floor and walls and reset the room so that the furniture isn’t plopped into the middle of the room. Team Master Bedroom got very lucky, because the mural was overwhelmingly horrible and just painting over it made a huge difference. That said, the team had time management issues. Tym was gone most of the day—getting wood? It appeared that Teran and Teman had to do the bulk of the labor. They didn’t finish priming the room in the first day which put them behind. They pulled up carpet and made their own wooden floor which had to be polyurethaned in 15 minutes. (I have NO idea how to spell that word, thank goodness for spell check!) Other than the time problem, this team agreed on most things and got along well which was a nice change.

Team Living Room consisted of Joseph, Vanessa and Alice. Joseph picked Vanessa because he thought as the winner of the previous challenge she would be an asset. Unfortunately, Vanessa isn’t a team player and isn’t really capable of following another person’s lead. She also is a liar, but more about that later.

The plan for the living room was to make the space work better. The long narrow room had a blah sectional, which the team said was too big for the space and some other oddly placed seating areas but overall the space is awkward. None of the furniture matched. For reasons known only to them, the team wanted to make the challenge MORE challenging by using only half of their budget. Stooopid. They cut the sectional down (can a sectional be too big for a big room? I question that) and recovered it. There was some disagreement about the fabric. Vanessa insisted on a gold lame which she contrasted with burgundy brocade. When Alice didn’t agree with her choice of fabric, she hauled Joseph out to the store. He rolled over and agreed with Vanessa, who very smugly told the camera that she knew she was right about the fabric. There is a lengthy crisis for this team involving the painting of a table which was supposed to be left alone according to the contract with the homeowners. Everyone is upset. Vanessa cries in the bathroom. They got the paint off the table without any injury to the piece. At first, everyone took responsibility for the mistake but gradually, Vanessa began to try to distance herself from blame. It was smarmy.

In the judging—

Team Kitchen spent $1500.00 of their $2000.00 budget. Donna claimed that their design strategy was “simple, rustic”. They wanted to tone down the room. They painted and bought new breakfast furniture. They changed the accessories. Cynthia Rowley said that while they staged the room very nicely, they didn’t change the design very much. Vern Yip thought that the big problem was the floor didn’t change much. Even though the judges didn’t rave with joy, they didn’t bash the room either—still Temple and Donna elected to argue like three year olds in front of the judges. Their behavior was bizarre and I think they both effectively lost the HGTV job in that moment. Don’t forget—these people are trying to get a design show--if we don’t like them, in the end, we won’t watch them. I’m figuring the producers know this.

Team Master Bedroom spent an unknown amount of money. They probably flashed it on the screen but I didn’t notice it. The judges all agree they made a major improvement in the room. They win kudos for the floor that they put down. Vern Yip thought they could have done more with color…painting the fireplace wall a slightly darker shade. If that’s the worst they say, Team MB will take it.

Team Living Room spent $1057.00 of their $2000.00. The judges felt the room looked emptier than before and that they ruined the couch. The new upholstery was not a hit. They complimented the addition of drapes to the room. They focused on the “eating” area of the room. The team salvaged the wrought iron breakfast set that the kitchen team discarded and put it at one end of the living room. They decorated the wall with three plates. Those three plates came under a lot of fire from the judges. They are too small for the space and they made Vern want to play connect the dots. Vanessa, again, shot her mouth off. She interrupted the judges. She could not control herself AND she used bad grammar. “Him and I” was the notable way she began one sentence. When the story of the table that was painted but shouldn’t have been came out—Vanessa defended herself saying “I’ve been a designer seven years and I’ve never done that.” Okay—you’ve never done it BEFORE—but you did do it this time so what’s your point? When Vanessa was criticized for the plates, she immediately said, “The plates weren’t my idea!” in a loud whisper. Okay—what’s with the whisper? Is it because she was interrupting the judges again? Or did she think that the rest of her team wouldn’t hear her throw them under the bus if she whispered?

The Decision—

Team Master Bedroom won the challenge. Team Kitchen had been ‘good enough’. (Although they told Donna her work was mediocre and she had barely scraped through to another round.) It was clear that Team Living Room lost the challenge and one of them would go home. Alice made a tearful speech about how they succeeded in the challenge in two of the three areas—they stayed under budget and they got along. She commented on how Team Kitchen fought the whole time. She felt they all should go since they acted as a team. She did make a remark about Vanessa telling Joseph where to put the plates so that the judges would know that Vanessa was involved in the debacle of the plates. Cynthia Rowley appeared moved by her comments. Alice was told that her work on the team was solid (she was against the fabrics Vanessa chose, remember) and she left the room. It came down to Joseph of the big sideburns and Vanessa motor mouth. Joseph went home, I think, because as team captain he had greater responsibility. Also, Vanessa because of her previous win, had earned some credit with the judges which allowed her to survive this round.

After the judging, the designers gathered in the green room. When Vanessa returned, she approached Alice. Alice was cold to her and Vanessa wondered why, apparently. Alice told her that she was mad at her for her comment about the plates not being her idea. They had agreed before the judging that they would represent everything to the judges as joint/group decisions. Vanessa denied that she tried to squirm out of that deal with her comment about the plates. Temple and Donna began fighting again. There was annoying weeping, as Temple said, “I don’t want to be portrayed this way.” I was thinking—then girl—SHUT UP! They can’t show you saying things that you don’t say, after all.

Next week—individual challenges. I’m looking forward to this because the weaker designers have been able to skate on the ideas of the stronger designers with the team challenges.

Design Star Recap

I have now watched the first episode of Design Star, the new reality show on HGTV, twice. The second time was even better than the first. Ten designers of varying backgrounds are competing for their own design show on HGTV. As you can imagine, this would be a HUGE career move for the winner. Clive, the English guy, from Designed to Sell is the host. Vern Yip, from Trading Spaces is one of the judges. I don't know if the judges panel will be the same each show or not. Cynthia Rowley and the executive editor of In Style magazine were also judges for episode one. Those are pretty impressive judges for a new show. The show definitely has a Project Runway feel--I'm sure if I wasn't so lazy and I looked into the production company I would find some connection to PR. At the judging, for example, Clive called out a set of five designers whose designs had been judged good enough to continue. The next set represented the "best and the worst" of the designers. That's dialogue straight from PR.

The first task the ten designers had was to use $7500.00 to decorate the NY townhouse that they are staying in for the duration. They could work individually or in teams. The designers were given 24 hours to complete the task. This time frame did not include sleep time, so the work proceeded for two days and one partial day.

The designers wasted FOUR hours right from the get-go with a lot of talk that went absolutely nowhere. Donna--an older lady (mid-40's) who is a designer/flight attendant volunteered to handle the money. She made no attempt to organize a plan for how to spend the money, nor was there any evidence of a group discussion about funds allocations. That seems like Designer 101. Some of these people are professionals with their own design businesses. Shouldn't they know about budgeting? Does one allocate identical money for all rooms? Rooms with different purposes require different funding, don't they? People came up to Donna and asked for money and she gave them what they asked for. I think that was asking for trouble. Eventually, the designers broke into teams to cover the four spaces: the parlor/entry hall/no purpose room, the patio, the bedrooms, and the family room.

Team Parlor/Entry Hall/No Purpose Room consisted of Donna and Teman. This narrow odd shaped room was a difficult job to handle. It did have some lovely architectural features, for example, the staircase and some pillars. It was located directly in front of the family room, and one could see from this room into the family room. During day one work time, Donna and Teman took off with the bulk of the cash to purchase furniture for their room. They left the Patio team high and dry for the entire first day because Donna gave them no money before she and Teman left the house. Meanwhile, Donna and Teman bought whatever they wanted while shopping. It doesn't seem to have occurred to them to go for used furniture. They discussed that they were spending a lot of money and they would probably have to defend it, even as they spent the money. Their room ended up eating $2400 dollars. On what? Well, they bragged about the large leather couch they purchased for $500. There were two tables. A wicker dining chair...lots of crap....I believe the room was known as tchotchkeville to the judges. They covered the staircase with a huge swathe of iridescence teal fabric for some unknown reason. I can't figure out where they spent that much money since the room was largely empty when they finished.

Team Patio consisted of Tym and Joseph. Tym and Joseph covered the chain link fence with light colored wood boards and painted the termination wall, which they build, chartreuse. They spent $1300 dollars on the supplies, mostly wood. They also built two benches and they created a wonderful, warm space at the back of the townhouse. Ramona, inserting herself onto their team without invitation, threw some crap around and did her best to ruin their efforts. Ramona is a self-described 'trash picker artist'. She uses discarded items to create works of art. At least, that's what she CLAIMS. As an example of her talent, she found a discarded upright vacuum on the street. She hauled it to the townhouse and covered it in plaster of paris mix. Thus, it looked like a very white vacuum. She wrote the word DESIGN now the front of the canister. She tried to put her "art" in the family room but that team wasn't having it. Tym and Joseph, apparently, were too wimpy to tell her to kick that piece of junk to the curb and let her put it in the corner of their lovely patio space. Now I don't want to be all nasty about Ramona...but sheesh..a vacuum covered in goo that turns it white ain't art. If she had sculpted the vacuum from stone..or built it with papier mache...anything that required her skills as an artist, I would have respected it more. I still would have thought it was stupid, but I would have respected the talent it took to create it. With this thrown away vacuum, however, all she did was cover it with gunk. A class of kindergarteners could have done that and enjoyed the process greatly. I repeat, that ain't art.

Team Bedrooms consisted of Vanessa, Teran, and David. (If Teran's name sounds familiar, it is not your imagination. Two of the designers are twins, thus, Teman and Teran.) Vanessa took charge of team bedroom right away. While out on her shopping expedition, she spotted an orange and brown pillow with a big daisy on the front. That makes it sound cheesy, but the pillow was very modern and graphic. She was immediately inspired to use the pillow as the inspiration fpr the room designs. From the edit, I can't tell if she actually bought everything and changed the design plan right then or not. She did take a picture of the pillow back to the team and discuss it with them. The team was totally on board with her idea. It is possible she got their okay and then purchased all the bedding. The color scheme for bedroom One was orange and chocolate brown; and the second bedroom was chartreuse/chocolate brown. They used the flower design as an accent in one room, and geometric designs in the second. These rooms were the most pulled together of the house. The budget for the two rooms was $1900.00--really $800 per room. Admittedly, they didn't have to buy any furniture because they had the mattresses and bed bases. They needed bedding for ten beds, as well as, paint and whatever they used to build the headboards though.

Team Family Room consisted of Temple, Alice, and Ramona. They decided right away to get the most bang for their buck by using thrift store purchases. Temple and Alice worked on the room--buying everything and distressing the armoire, painting, etc. while Ramona concerned herself with collecting trash off the street. Ramona had volunteered to paint a mural on the long wall in the room. The group agreed to let her, but only if she gave them a sketch to approve beforehand. The budget for this room was #1900.00 also. For their money, they bought paint, a couch, six chairs, a coffee table, an armoire and a small chest, as well as, accent pieces like candles and stands and pillows etc.

You may be detecting a not so subtle theme in my recap, here--what did Ramona do to screw this room up? She gave the designers (all ten) a choice of two designs. Sketch one was a reclining woman in scanty garments--wearing a sash which said Miss Utah. Funnily, Temple was a Miss Utah in a pageant. (The Miss USA one, I think.) The second sketch was just abstract swirls. The vote was unanimous for sketch two. Temple did not want to be on the wall, and none of the other designers wanted her to be on there either. Guess which one Ramona painted? It was incredibly insulting. She painted her in thigh high hose and high heels. I'm not sure she had a top on other than the sash saying Miss Utah. Admittedly, the mural was abstract--but still--I can only assume Ramona was acting out of passive aggressiveness.

See?

In the judging--Donna came under fire for her incredibly poor money management. Totally deserved, imo. The Parlor was also, as I previously mentioned, referred to as tchotchkeville. That was not a compliment. I'd post a picture of this huge empty weird space but the DS webpage won't let me copy one. I recommend seeing it for yourself. The teal iridescence fabric is not to be missed. It's also amusing that their design concept for the room was supposed to be "fun". Where's the fun?

Patio team got lots of compliments right up until the discussion centered on plaster of paris vacuum. Tym and Joseph got a bit of heat for not telling Ramona to take a hike--which they deserved--they should never have let her ruin their zen space with crap. When Vern Yip dared to suggest to Ramona that a vacuum "sculpture" was not a good choice, she got snippy and said that such a choice was "personal". She was utterly unwilling to recognize that the piece was crap.

Family Room team did a respectable job and while the judges weren't overwhelmingly in love with the room--it didn't totally suck either--until they got to the discussion of the mural of Miss Utah. Ramona claimed that the group voted for that mural. WHAT??? If I had been Temple, I would have been all over that girl for painting that stupid, slutty picture of me. Temple, meanwhile, said nothing. I'm thinking in future episodes maybe people will defend themselves more vigorously. I sense that the designers are trying to take the highroad--which is commendable--but the end result of that was Miss Utah splashed across a wall in the NY townhouse in thigh highs.

The bedroom team got all the compliments of the judges. Vanessa, meanwhile, pretty much took ALL the credit. That girl needs to learn to shut her mouth. I can see where it could get her in trouble in the future. Yes, she was the driving force behind the design. But the process was collaborative. Part of what made the room great was the artwork which David created. Vanessa made a comment "I was lucky because David is an artist." Chick--use the word WE, it always looks better to share the credit. I think Vanessa's aggressive credit-taking may impact her relationships with the other designers if it persists.

So the winner of the episode--Vanessa. The loser? It came down to Donna or Ramona. I thought Donna's money management was a huge black mark against her and her design style is plebian and uninspired. Ramona, however, was just a disaster of trash art, so she went. She left, unbowed, convinced that only she knew real art.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Reality Show Addiction

I don't think of myself as a person without personal resources. I'm a pretty smart chick. I read. I meditate on thoughts of a higher nature. I have a career that combines concern for others with technical expertise and I'm doing pretty well at it, thanks very much. I have many fine and positive qualities, yet I am apparently addicted to reality television. What does this say about me as a person? How do I explain this disconnect? Doesn't the watching of reality television have a whiff of the trailer court about it--at least according to the mainstream media?

In spite of the taint, I love Survivor, Amazing Race, and American Idol. I actually watch Big Brother. (I am slightly ashamed of the last, it is just people stuck in a house together--no talent or skill involved.) In my younger years I even watched The Real World and Road Rules. (shudder) Although I try and try to limit my reality television viewing somehow new shows sneak into the line up. New shows like: Project Runway, Top Chef, Who wants to be a Food Network Star, Who wants to be a Superhero, and Design Star end up in my Tivo series record. The best I can say for myself is that at least America's Top Model, the dancing shows, and those shows with show-mances that foisted Trista and Ryan on the American viewing public have never made it onto my tv screen. Apparently I have some standards. Whew.

For those who don't watch reality television--here's my explanation of the attraction. In the smart and well-done ones (see list above) people are put into situations that bring out their best and worst sides. Under pressure and expected to navigate toward a goal using all their skills, they show us what works and doesn't work in relationships. I enjoy predicting whether their strategies will succeed or fail. I enjoy hashing over the events of the shows with my family and friends. I learn about human nature and I learn about myself while watching reality television. The infinite variety of situations and outcomes make the shows addicting. You can try to guess what will happen, you can shout at the tv to try to advise the participants, but ultimately--what happens, happens and mostly it is real life playing out.

Am I getting the WHOLE picture--heck, no--there is editing involved after all. Is it possible the producers manipulate the situations and the outcomes? Sure, I'm a cynic. I expect them to try to get the most bang for their buck. Whatever it is they are doing, however, they should keep on doing it because it works for me.

Finally....DC

Everyday since my sister and brother in law have arrived, we have "planned" to visit Washington DC. Ron was very interested in seeing the Lewis & Clark exhibition at the Smithsonian and Jeri wanted to walk to the White House. Unfortunately, every day some new reason seemed to crop up which meant we didn't go. We did Gettysburg, then Fairfax, then rested, then Antietam. Mainly though, Judy and I procrastinated the DC part because we consider it 'work' to haul into DC and catch the Metro. We also have all kinds of rules about not going until after rush hour is over in the morning and leaving before rush hour starts in the afternoon. These rules, not surprisingly, limit our time in the capitol. (I told you--we're LAZY. I wasn't kidding.)

Since Ron and Jeri are leaving tomorrow, today was now or never to visit DC. We finally managed to get into the car sometime after 9:30 this morning (a bit of a late start) and headed down I-695. Judy, who always drives, briefly debated betweent I-95 and the Balto-Washington Parkway. She went for the parkway. We had intended to park at New Carrollton Metro center and ride in. Unfortunately things went awry when Judy took the exit for I-495 North. Oops. It's not so easy to fix such a mistake--but hey, let's make lemonade. I've been wanting to try driving to Arlington National Cemetery and parking there before taking the Metro into the Smithsonian stop. I also wanted to visit the Cemetery too, so it all seem serendipitous.

We continue our drive on I-495N...veer off onto the George Washington Parkway, eh voila! We are at Arlington National Cemetery. They have plenty of parking and it is very reasonably priced. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't share that--I don't want too many people to know the trick.

We took the short tourmobile tour of the Cemetery. We stopped at the Tomb of the Unknown and watched the changing of the guard. Very moving and worth standing in the hot sun. If those guards can do, I can do it! Ron really wanted to tour Arlington House, but it was already after 1:00, so we discouraged him and popped onto the Metro to hit the Mall.

The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

First stop, the American History Museum. Did you know that it is closing for two years of renovations?? Last day to see the current exhibits is September 4th. The First Ladies exhibit has already closed as they prepare for construction. We had a pleasant lunch (expensive, I should note) and then went looking for Lewis & Clark. Turns out Lewis & Clark are at the Natural History Museum. (Hello--Andrea that was totally your misinformation!) Judy stayed at the American History Museum to tour the polio exhibit. She read a book about the development of the vaccine and she's really into it. Jeri headed off into the blazing heat of late July in Washington to see the White House, sans hat or sunglasses while wearing a polyester top. (Warned her, she didn't listen.) Ron and I walked to the Natural History Museum to see Lewis & Clark. Well, Ron saw it. I sat on the bench and 'rested'. Lest, dear reader, you think me a cretin for missing the opportunity to see the exhibit. The museum below the St. Louis Arch is dedicated to the Lewis & Clark expedition and I've seen that TWICE. I did walk through when I finally wondered what had happened to Ron and looked at the displays briefly. It was very nice. I took a picture (no flash!) of a buffalo robe.

All four of our party reconnected shortly thereafter to make our way to the Metro and head for home. We were all HOT and TIRED and ready to be done. Jeri even admitted that she thought she was all walked out. I didn't think she could be all walked out so that was kind of a surprise. It was well into rush hour by now and Judy is a bit intense about it so we tried to walk as quickly as we could. Once on the highway, we discovered to our delight that WE were allowed to drive in the HOV lane (High Occupancy Vehicle) for people with more than two people in the car. Yea. We zoomed along with great delight. A more immature person might have made faces at all the single person cars we passed, but I restrained myself and just grinned manically.

We avoided the worst of the traffic by shooting up I-270? it's the road toward Gaithersburg and then bopping off on to highway 27 to 26 and home. Highway 27 was a bit congested and it is a two lane road, but by 26 the traffic was all going in the opposite direction of us, so we'll use that route again. We celebrated our safe arrival home and Ron's birthday, by dinner at Red Lobster. So a good time was had by all.

Antietam

After a day of rest on Monday (I admit it, I'm lazy), we headed for Sharpsburg, Maryland today to see the Antietam Battlefield. The great thing about the National Park Civil War Battlefields is that you can usually purchase or rent auto tour kits in their excellent Visitor's Centers. With an auto tour, you play a CD which describes what you are seeing and gives interesting tidbits of anecdotes while you make the circuit of the battlefield. Today was hot and mostly sunny--I got a sunburn from climbing in and out of my car to take photos. Some of the paths to sites are steep, particularly, down to Burnside Bridge so it's a workout. Antietam is a bit unusual, I believe, because a fair amount of the battlefield is still in private ownership. I can't imagine what it must be like to make your home beside such an historic site, watching thousands of visitors stream by on their car tours.

Antietam, for those who don't know, had the highest casualty rate of any single day of battle in the civil war. There were three main sites to the battle; a cornfield, a sunken road which became known as "The Bloody Lane", and a bridge across Antietam Creek which was thereafter known as "Burnside Bridge". A frustrating thing which I learned about the battle was that the Union forces out-numbered the Confederates by 2 to 1 and Lee's army was trapped between the Union army and the Potomac River. If General George McClellan had pressed the battle, the Civil War might have ended three years earlier, saving countless lives. Oh for a do-over! McClellan was timid, as history now recognizes, and we can't have a do-over. 30,000 of his men were never even committed to the battle. He boasted of it as a great victory, but Lee's army was able to slip away across the Potomac and into Virginia. They survived to fight again and again for three more long years.

The Cornfield

Bloody Lane

Burnside Bridge on Antietam Creek

Fairfax Virginia You say?

Are you wondering what there is to see in Fairfax, Virginia? So were we. Then Ron apprised us of his greatest dream. So on Sunday the ladies of my party graciously allowed the lone male of the party to visit his version of nirvana.

While we shopped at a nearby mall (our version of nirvana), Ron spent three hours here:

He was very, very, very, very, very, very, very happy.

Sharpshooter Ed McGivern's guns are on display at the National Firearms Museum. In an odd coincidence, I had just watched a special about sharpshooters on the History channel. Ed McGivern was featured in it.

An original shooting gallery from Coney Island. I would have liked to have tried to skills, but while it moves and plays music--it's not available for target practice.

Little Round Top Vultures

Today, it is difficult to imagine the carnage that was seen in this part of the battlefield. After all, children clamor over the rocks, jumping from boulder to boulder like mountain goats. Tourists with cameras and bermuda shorts strain to get up the steepish paths. While we were observing the views and reading all the plaques and monuments, my brother in law Ron and I observed two buzzards or vultures perched on a dead tree just beyond the rocks. We strolled closer and closer (carefully on the rocks) to get a better view of the birds. For the benefit of you, dear reader, I risked falling on the uneven rocks. I am very uncoordinated but worst of all--I acquired a TICK on my actual person. Fortunately, Ron was close at hand and removed the little critter with ease--unless you count the difficulty of dealing with my hysteria.
Here is Ron posed before the dead tree, with the little specks of black that are the birds behind him.

They readjust themselves, junior is hungry. I curse the limitations of the zoom on my camera. One cannot properly see the detail of the birds. They are very fluffy.
The mother regurgitates a snack to feed junior, although he looks big enough to fend for himself.Looking toward Cemetery Ridge and Cemetery Hill we see the birds perched on their dead tree (so fitting given the type of birds that they are) beside the monument to the Zoave clad soldiers. Such birds would, sadly, have been present when the battle originally took place, is our grim thought as we turn to leave.

Here is the Zoave statute from the front. Such cool uniforms! I would have been a Zoave just for the fashion statement I think.

Little Round Top

My favorite part of the battlefield at Gettysburg is Little Round Top. Looking down from the rocks the vista is stunning. Eerily, it is identical to the battlefield of 1863, so comparing battlefield photos taken by civil war photographers with my photos today is striking. The picture above is the view from Little Round Top looking southwest. The triangle seen by the intersection of two roads is known as the Slaughter Pen. Just beyong the road you can see the rocks that made up Devil's Den. The field in the foreground was known the Valley of Death.

This picture is the view immediately to the right of the previous. If I lined all three of these photos up it would be a 180 degree scan of the land below Little Round Top. These view is the center, and shows the Valley of Death. A creek running through the area below became known as Bloody Creek because it ran red by the end of the battle.

The view is facing more northwest. The top of the arc of the view from Little Big Top. The statue commemorates a Union officer. He surveyed the land and figured out that the Union was in danger of being outflanked. (I think--I'm too lazy to actually look it up. If you are really interested read a book about the battle or watch Gettysburg the movie which I highly recommend.) In the distance you see Cemetery Ridge and Cemetery Hill.

Oak Hill & the Eternal Light of Peace

Here are Jeri, Judy and Ron in front of the Eternal Light of Peace Memorial located on Oak Hill.
The battle resumed in the afternoon of July 1st and Confederate Generals: Rodes, Iverson, O'Neal and Daniel attacked the Union 1 Corp. Initially, these attacks went badly for the Confederates. The Union XI Corps took up position which should have improved the Union performance but things went awry and the Union began to withdraw to Cemetery Hill.

These are some of the fields across which the Union began to retreat...er..withdraw.

Gettysburg Continued--McPherson Ridge

This is the view from McPherson Ridge looking toward the Seminary. The spire of the Seminary is faintly visible in the center of the treeline. Remember the battle of Gettysburg took place over July 1, 2, & 3rd so the conditions the battle would have been just like these. McPherson Ridge was held by the Union commanders: Buford, Meredith, and Cutler. They defended against the Confederate advance from the west by Heth, Davis and Archer. Union 1 Corps reinforced Buford and were able to turn back the Confederate advance for the moment...

McPherson's Barn

It seems so bucolic, doesn't it?

Gettysburg

After picking up my sister Jeri and her husband Ron up at the airport, (no media at the BWI, unfortunately) we decided to drive to Gettysburg. Our visitors were not immensely excited about this plan being ambivalent about whether they really wanted to see the battlefield. Judy and I have been to the battlefield three times, however, and we enjoy each and every visit so we steamrolled them. We began by touring the National Cemetery. It was at the dedication ceremony for this cemetery that Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg address.

Here is the monument commemorating the Gettysburg Address. The text of the address is inscribed on the bronze plaques on either side. Abraham Lincoln's still resound so many years later:

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate-we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion-that we here higly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this earth.


There are many men and women buried within this National Cemetary, from many different wars. The headstones provide a stark commentary about the cost of war.





No sightseeing tour is complete without the obligatory posed pictures. Here is Jeri in front of a cannon (Ron could tell you what kind. I cannot. Is this a guy thing?) Ron is posed in front of the Soldier's Memorial, which is too tall for the shot.






















The final picture is the memorial to Major General John Reynolds. He was the highest ranking Union officer killed in the battle. It was he who alert Meade to the confederate advance. He was killed early in the fighting while leading the Iron Brigade at McPherson Ridge.

Although Jeri and Ron weren't wildly excited to go to Gettysburg, they did enjoy themselves. Tomorrow more pictures from the battlefield. (Yes, I have a new digital camera!)

So I'm waiting...

... for a new chair that we purchased to arrive. I have a four hour window of possible delivery time--8-12. I haven't been awake before 8:00 am in some weeks. I'm feeling a bit disoriented. Anyway--back in May, my sister and I bought new living room furniture. It's all red. A red couch and two different red chairs with circles. The couch and my chair were delivered right away. We've been waiting on the second chair because we picked a different fabric. The furniture we already have POPS in my bland living room. I love it. Here's the style of my chair--the fabric isn't exactly the same as mine, but it's close. It's a recliner and I've taken some wonderful naps in it already.

Posting about my recent purchases isn't exactly where I intended my blog to go when I decided to start blogging, but as I have learned, all experiences are fodder for the blog. Considering how rarely I get comments on my blog, you might not think that I feel any pressure to blog. I do though. I know I go to my favorite blogs several times a day hoping for updates. I'm disappointed if nothing new is on offer. Maybe someone feels that way about my blog. If so, I've let them down terribly in the aftermath of my car accident. ( Sorry!) So blog topics are a constant consideration, I can't blog about television I've watched and books I've read exclusively, right?

I have company coming tomorrow. I'll be picking my sister and her husband up at BWI tomorrow morning. (That should be fun--I wonder if there will be media there, waiting for Lebanon evacuees?) I'm happy that they're coming and I'm planning to post pictures to all the touristy things we will be doing in DC/Maryland. The agenda isn't perfectly set so I don't know what all that will include. Well, I know my brother in law wants to go to the NRA museum in Fairfax, Virginia. Yikes. Who knew they even had a museum? Maybe there's a outlet mall nearby...

**UPDATE**
The chair arrived at 10:00 am. It is more orange than red like the other chair and couch but it all goes together great. The legs of the chair and ottoman are identical to the couch, which is cool considering they were mix n match from different manufacturers.

Project Runway-The Miss USA episode..

Last night's episode of PR was excellent. As an example of how far the series has come, Vera Wang was one of the judges. Wow. She was an excellent choice to judge an episode of evening gowns given her design talent and history. And she'll be judging again next week. Yea! Contrast Vera with the 'I've never heard of them" designers from season one-- we've come a long way, baby.

Meanwhile, some observations--last night's episode certainly showed that Angela is annoying. She doesn't "sketch". Apparently the fact that she doesn't sketch meant that during the 30 minute time period for sketching, it was perfectly okay for her to harass Kayne while he was trying to sketch. For a brief moment I feared that Kayne--the guy with the most experience and understanding of designing pageant-wear-- might not make the cut because Angela distracted him during that key time because she wouldn't stop trying to convince him to pick her as a partner. I was dee-lighted that Kayne picked Robert, snubbing Angela. It was a great pairing for Kayne.

Kayne won, and deservedly so. He understood that pageant-wear requires sequins and sexiness. Almost everyone made a pretty dress (although the color palates were waaay boring) but only two dresses had any glitz. Miss Universe pageant has a much higher sexiness quotient than say, Miss America. Also, Kayne took a risk on color--I always thought the "earth tones" idea was hooey. Typically, you don't see brown on the stage in a pageant as Malan now knows. The neckline was the dress' best selling point, which unfortunately you can't see very well in the picture above.

I loved the design Laura showed and was glad she was picked as a team leader. For some reason, I imagined the dress completed in a midnight blue. Just an hallucination, I guess, because the sketch was always colorless. Laura and Michael executed the dress perfectly. The dress fit the model like a glove and was glitz and glamour to the max. Unfortunately, they made it in white. Didn't Miss USA specifically say no white? Because it doesn't look good on stage?? I think they could have won if they'd just used another color.

As for the Vincent/Angela mess. I WISH we could have seen the runway talk in it's entirety. I know, that would be ridiculously long but I would have loved hearing the whole argument. In the edited version, Angela said next to nothing while Vincent made numerous remarks about what hell he had been through with Angela. Considering that Vincent kept telling people that Angela would knife him in the back in a second, it was ironic that all the really nasty stuff came out of his mouth. While Angela annoyed me in the episode, I hardly think Vincent was innocent. He wouldn't give her anything to do. He ignored her input (weak though it was) and he acted superior to her throughout the task.

As for the other teams--while most made fairly attractive dresses they didn't have any pop. Boring colors, no sparkle, not sexy--Uli, Keith and Jeffrey all created dresses that didn't emphasize Miss USAs fabulous figure. Jeffrey's reminded me of a red carpet dress and was a wrinkled mess. Keith and Uli went for layers of chiffon. They demonstrated no understanding of what a pageant-dress needs to be.

So, why did Malan go instead of Angela? I have to say that PR surprised me by aufing Malan. I thought Angela would be the one to go because Malan is such a character he makes good television. I forgot that Angela is annoying, though, see Santino effect from season 2. In the end I think it came down to this--Angela was annoying, negative and not a team player but her personality flaws didn't ruin Vincent's dress. Malan's dress was ugly and unfinished. The hem wasn't completed and there were threads hanging off the bottom. Poor construction got Zulema kicked off, too, if I remember correctly.

I didn't really believe the story Malan told about his mother dissing his early design efforts. It seem manufactured. His weeping in the end and his admission of feeling shame were heart-rending though, weren't they? I felt sorry for him and I hope this show leads to some opportunities for him.

Teva Sandals

When thinking about shoe or sandal-wear, I am interested in comfort and style. It's a sad fact that if your feet hurt because of uncomfortable shoes, generally, your misery index is pretty high. All you can think about is your feet and the pain. For my slop around shoes in the summer, for the last few years, I have wore Birkenstocks. I do like my Birkies but no one in their right mind would claim that they are attractive and they do require a break-in period. I have nice feet (if I do say so myself) and not even my feet are displayed to their best in a Birkie. That said, they are very easy to wear once broken in.

Last month while shopping in Hunt Valley at a DSW, I found my new favorite sandal made by Teva. It's a flip flip so you can just slide your feet in and go. There's no break in period because the straps are a soft fabric and your feet have a wonderful cushion to absorb the shock of walking. I love these flip flops so much that my sister and I have acquired eight pairs. Isn't internet shopping wonderful? They come in a ton of different colors combinations! Here are some examples of the styles we've purchased:

I'm just saying...

I was browsing the internet the other day when I happened upon this article about some questions that the president of CBS faced about it's programming decisions. Specifically, the idea that viewers will turn off of serialized television shows because networks cancel the shows without wrapping up the storylines, which then alienates viewers. The president of CBS' reaction was mystification at the suggestion, which frankly mystifies me! Hello! I think that is a concern that networks should take seriously.

Let's take Invasion as an example. (I know, it wasn't a CBS show...that's not my point.) Did NBC ever explain the mystery of the show? Did they satisfy their viewers at the end of the one and only season? I don't know...I bugged out. The show was struggling and networks don't have the guts to stay with shows that struggle. I could see the writing on the wall--why would I allow myself to be left hanging? So, I do make decisions about whether or not to watch shows based on whether or not I think they are going to make it to a second season. I don't want to be betrayed as a viewer anymore.

For that matter, I'm still holding a grudge about the crappy endings of some long running shows to which I was loyal. Anybody remember how horrible the finale of Quantum Leap was? Poor Sam is still out there leaping from lifetime to lifetime. All because they wanted to leave the show open for a theatrical offering. (When did that movie ever get made? Oh yeah--never.) What about the awful finale of Roseanne when Roseanne was allowed to kill off Dan? Wow--that was a crummy way to reward viewer loyalty which hung with the show in a lousy last season. I also haven't forgotten the bizarro world that Twins Peaks decended into when it's creativity raced ahead of good story telling and it petered out with a whimper. Did we ever find out who killed Laura? Was there a girl named Laura? Who can remember. I'm just saying--networks need to be getting viewers on their side, not alienating them into cable-world.

Meanwhile, PSYCH, the new show on USA is awesome. I highly recommend it. I love Dule Hill and was thrilled to see him in a new show so quickly. But more, it's clever with wonderful characters and the dialogue is smart and witty. I still trust USA because look at their history with other shows like Monk, I'm pretty confident that I can commit to Psych.

Summer Reading

I've been reading constantly since my summer vacation began. It's what I do in the summer. A complete listing of the books I've gone through is unlikely to fall from my typing fingers since it would include dozens of books at this point. The more I blog, the less I could read, which is not a desirable outcome to me. Anyway-- I am recommending Mary Jo Putney's Guardian series; A Kiss of Fate, Stolen Magic, and A Marriage Spell. The first two are set in the Georgian period and the third is a Regency. They are "alternate" historicals. They present historical facts as they were (okay, with some slight adjustments in dates), but the books include magic as part of the universe. I read them out of order, which did not inhibit my enjoyment. I like romance and paranormal elements in a story so these books were right up my alley. Mary Jo Putney is a favorite author of mine as well, although I have gotten out of the habit of buying everything she writes as soon as it comes out. This is not a reflection on her, but rather just one of those things.

Project Runway Season 3

I just finished watching the Road to the Runway and the first episode of Project Runway Season 3. Ahhh, now I remember why I enjoyed season 2 so much!. PR is the best reality television on television. This season's cast looks like a very diverse group, well represented with rural and urban types, experienced and inexperienced designers. Happily, some divas and some more normal types as well. Now that the template of the show is familiar to me, I didn't find it difficult to predict who would go home today. Girl who went home doesn't stand out in my memory, obviously, since I can't remember her name. She couldn't effectively use an industrial sewing machine so I'm perfectly happy to not have to watch her struggle to construct garments by hand because of her lack of practical experience. It seems that Jeffrey is the new Santino--big vision, needs lots of talk to explain his design, not attractive to look at (I mean his dress although his little head and big neck with the tattoos is rather different), deconstructed with wierd elements (hem higher in the back? I thought that just meant your butt was too big for your clothes), well you get my drift. Is he a better Santino? That's why I'll be tuning in next week.

Here's Jeffrey's "vision":



















My prediction for episode winner was wrong--I thought it would be Michael with his dress made of coffee filters. He made a cute dress and was extremely creative with his materials.

This is what Michael made:
























Three designers that I think showed talent and originality and I predict will go far: Angela, Laura, and Kayne.

The World War II Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

These photos were all taken with a cell phone--Andrea's to be specific--but they turned out pretty well.

Visiting Washington D.C.

My niece Andrea just visited for a week with her extremely cute son, Connor. We had a great time visiting the National Aquarium of Baltimore and Washington D.C. It is a little difficult to sightsee with a toddler and all the necessary equipment--strollers, diaper bags, toys, etc. We found that DC is not well set up for strollers. Using the metro is do-able but when you use the elevators to get in and out, then you lose any distance advantage that the escalators give you. For example, at the Smithsonian stop the elevator won't take you to that great exit on the Mall so you have to walk farther. Since DC is a walker's marathon that can wear you out a bit. Here are some pictures of the monuments we viewed. We walked the circuit, as I call it, from the Washington Monument down to the Lincoln and back again. It's a journey for the hearty or is that hardy? We were lucky the day was cool and overcast, otherwise I might have collapsed.

The Washington Monument