Just Me, Myself and I

Last weekend Dustin had a boy's night (and day really, considering the events started at about 2pm) so I was left to fend for myself...No plans, no responsibilities, no partner.

So I took myself on a date. As an extrovert who relishes companionship at almost every opportunity, I don't often spend an entire day alone. I don't often want to spend an entire day alone. But for some reason, on this particular day I was actually excited about some quality time with just me. I could go where I like, do as I pleased, and answer to no one (alright, so it's not shockingly different from my regular married life, but now I could be selfish without the guilt!

It was a beautiful day out, and the world was my oyster, so what did myself and I decide to do? Go shopping of course! (nice weather is overrated...deals are not!) Also- I woke up that morning with a strange urge to make my Halloween costume. Immediately. Now that it was only me and myself, there was no judgement regarding the seasonal appropriateness of the plan; I was my sole cohort in my costume mission. So off I went!


I offered to drive, which myself thought was a lovely treat. I rolled down the windows, I cranked the radio and we rocked out. (a little one-part harmony anyone?) Shortly I rolled the windows back up (with no whining from my car companion) because I am a wee-baby girl who gets cold, and also my hair looked cute and there's no sense ruining that, especially if I want to look good for myself.


First stop- Target...because it, in my opinion, gives Disney World a run for its money in the "Happiest Place on Earth" race. Though I had a goal in mind, once in the big red bulls eye, I allowed-nay-encouraged- myself to stroll, and peruse every single aisle. No rack left unturned! No category ignored! So what did I have in my cart at the end? A package of Command Adhesive hooks...That I needed to buy for work. Not a great start to a girl's day of freedom.

But I was undaunted. Back in the car for more jamming, and three more stops on the shop 'til I drop "Tour de PA". I hit up Goodwill and Plato's Closet for more costume inspiration, and finally, the mall. Here I happily trekked from one end to the other, losing track of my primary goal, but managing to pick up some "necessities" at Forever 21 and American Eagle (at least I was there to help me carry all the bags). The final destination: Jo Ann fabrics. This was an ideal destination for my day alone, as it is a close second to Target in several key categories, including: "biggest time suck", and "place Dustin has the least patience for". Though we were four hours into the journey I was still game for some craft browsing. Once I stepped through the automatic doors, it was all a bit of a blur...all I know is I reemerged an hour later, fifty dollars lighter, with three bags of patterns, fabric, trim and a zipper. I am still not quite sure what I got myself into...

So as my day alone drew to a close, I realized I had yet to satisfy the most basic date requirement: eating! With only myself as a companion, I was free to pursue the culinary craving of my choosing. My choice? A freshly made batch of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and a Vanilla Coke Zero. After all, nothing is too good for me.

After a busy day of shopping and "cooking", I started to set up my costume workshop...but maybe I got a little distracted by a DVR'd episode of Project Runway. And maybe around 7:45 I got sleepy and had to take a small nap. And maybe that's a really lame date. But I didn't care. I had a lovely time, and myself would have to agree.

Crossfit 1, Dustin 0

So I'm like most people, in that I talk a lot about working out, but don't do a lot of working out. I suppose there's a fraction of the population that doesn't just talk, but actually does work out. Show offs.

I've had stretches of time where I've worked out quite a bit. You might remember this post. That was a great time for me because I was working out with a great guy named Sean. He used to be a personal trainer and would really push me to work out harder every time we worked out. Sadly, Sean moved a little bit further away, I got lazy, and our schedules made it a little harder for us to get together regularly, so I quit. Sean is still going strong.

So then I joined another gym. It's pretty close to our house and it has a program that somehow scams your insurance company so that you get personal training for pretty cheap. I went a for a couple of weeks and even tried going before work. Eventually, I stopped going. I hate working out by myself, and I was intimidated by the personal training thing. It's been months since I've been back. The next time I go, it's to cancel that membership.

Our friend Rachel has been raving about her gym called Crossfit Pittsburgh. After she had her third beautiful baby, Rachel decided to go all out and lose the baby weight (and then some)Crossfit is kind of like a gym franchise. You have to be Crossfit certified in order to open a Crossfit gym. It's basically personal training, but in a class like setting.

You say, "Dustin, if it's a class, it's not really personal training."

True, but it's cool because there's some one running the class pushing you to work out your hardest.

"So it's like aerobics? What's so hard about that?"

It's NOTHING like aerobics. A long time ago (seriously...12 years ago) I played high school football. (I know I know... it was a small town, no cuts...but I was actually good enough to get on the field) Football workouts were tough. Lots of weights, and miles upon miles of running. Now I know I am not in the shape I was back then (round is a shape), but this workout was HARD.

Allow me to explain:

Stage 1:

2 Minutes of Sit ups, no rest then 2 minutes of Jump Rope (Double unders if you can)
no rest
90 seconds sit ups, no rest, 90 seconds jump rope
no rest
60 seconds sit up, no rest, 60 seconds jump rope
no rest
30 seconds sit ups, no rest, 30 seconds jump rope

In case you're counting, that's ten minutes straight going as hard as you can on sit ups and jumping rope.

Stage 2:

There are 4 stations for this stage. For each station, you complete 8 sets. Each set is 20 seconds long. For each set, you do the exercise as hard as you can for the full 20 seconds, then take a 10 second break. After all 8 sets are complete, you move to the next station.

Station 1:
Station 2:
Station 3:
Station 4:

I made it through Station 1, got very dizzy, and then sat through stations 2 and 3. After I cooled down a bit, I decided to go for station 4, the line jump. It's a pretty easy concept. All you have to do is jump side to side over a line. Well, it becomes more difficult when both of your calves cramp up. Which happened to me! Awesome.

By the way, there was a woman there who was at least 60 years old. She did both stages and all exercises. Yeah, I felt like a man.

I'm going to go all out this week and go to as many classes as I can. I'll keep you posted! Wish me luck!

Busy Bee

Wanna see what I've been up to for the last few weeks? (it's clearly not blogging...)

Necklace fun! It's been craft central around here (who needs a dining room when you can have an 7ft project table?!) We all know I love some bold jewelry, but I don't exactly have the budget for weekly J.Crew sprees, so it's been fun to try making some of my own. I've been playing around with various materials I have laying around, and some new stuff I've never worked with. I don't want to brag, but I think they've turned out pretty cute!

Clockwise from top left: wooden circle bead necklace-pattern from Martha Stewart Living, yard sale chain with white organza ribbon, patterned chiffon with cotton ball (really!) beads, felt and vintage button collar.

UPDATE: Bowden's Got Talent

I know that many of you are on the edge of your seats wondering what we did in the talent show.

Did we sing a duet?

Did we perform a Young Life skit?

Did Dustin play the banjo?

Um... no. We did none of the above. We bailed. Don't judge us, it was the right thing to do.

When we initially went to Claire's house and heard that she was having trouble signing acts to the talent show, we figured that there would be exactly six people there. So after a lot of talk and planning, we decided to go with a Young Life skit.

The yo-yo.

The what?

The yo-yo.

The what?

The yo-yo.

Ooooohhhhh.

We practiced... we argued a little... we didn't speak to each other for a bit... we argued again, and then we practiced some more. We were confident in what we could do, it's desired comedic affect, and it's commitment to actual "talent." Certainly, no one could confuse us with someone with real talent. It would just be fun and hopefully funny for all.

As we walked to Claire's house, Courtney started to panic.

"Oh my gosh...what if this is horrible? I don't want to go now. My stomach hurts. Let's not do this"

Too late. We were already seen by a neighbor. No choice but to press on. As we got closer to Claire's house it became apparent that this event was REALLY kid centered. As in, there were more kids than adults. It kind of looked like this:

Well... it kind of looked like that, minus Arnold's awesomeness. Once we saw that the average age was 8.48 years old, we decided that there was no way we were going to perform. Our host, Liz (Claire's mom) encouraged us to show off our talent, but understood that it was really a kid thing and said we didn't have to perform at all.

So instead, we met a bunch of our lovely neighbors. It was pretty cool. Prior to the event, we only knew our neighbors on either side of us and the ones directly across from us. So it was nice to meet some more people on the block. It made the neighborhood seem smaller to me and more like a community. We were invited to spend Halloween with our new friends, and I think we might take them up on it!

We also met a few kids. Specifically, we met Anya and her sister Mara. After brief introductions, Anya was our new best friend. As in, Courtney said hello and then 5 minutes later Anya was hugging her... unprovoked. Anya and I played the "give me five, way up high, way down low, you're to slow" game so many times that I thought we might perform it in the talent show together. (I let her win 4 out of 5 times just to keep it real)

All in all, I had fun. The talent show was a riot! Performances included:

A duet from the musical Wicked.
A choreographed dance... sort of like this.
Some Tang Soo Do forms.
A lip sync from High School Musical.
and
Irish Folk Dancing.

Clearly, we were out of our league and we made a good choice in not taking part in the show. Claire was our host and she was down right hilarious. She introduced everybody, and when they were finished she would say things like "wasn't she great?!" "Give her a hand one more time!" "I can't bend like that, I would break my back!"

Awesome. Hilarious! I'm still totally convinced that I am not ready for kids yet, but also convinced that when I am, they will be a lot of fun!

So that's it. I'm sure some of you wanted to see video of Courtney and me performing Mr. Big's "To Be With You", but you can go here to get your fix instead.

A Treasury of Terms

This weekend, on my way to return one book to the library, I stumbled upon a garage sale and found another book that just had to become part of my permanent collection:

It's a "Junior Thesaurus", and though you can see it's not in perfect condition, it is from 1967. And at only 25 cents, it was a steal!

The art is beautiful (or shall I say: pretty, handsome, fair, lovely, graceful, gorgeous, exquisite!) Every page has the cutest little illustrations and charming typography. Though we're a good decade away from having any "junior readers" for this "junior thesaurus", I've always wanted a book themed nursery (with a mix of vintage stories, retro illustrations and new favorites), so I couldn't pass this up.

For each word (there are 300 included) there is a definition, examples of how to use it, and suggestions for alternatives. It's a really special piece; a stunning example of the joys of literature, graphic design and history, all wrapped up in a funky green cover. I don't just love it...I downright ADORE it.

"Whoever learns to use words well can use them

as precisely as a surgeon uses a scalpel,

as delicately as a musician uses a violin.

And as powerfully as a warrior ever used a sword."

-In Other Words...

Bowdens' Got Talent

A few weeks ago, we received a special letter in the mail: An invitation to our neighborhood talent show. It sounded a bit strange (do other neighborhoods do this?) but we thought it could be a fun adventure. We kicked around ideas and hemmed and hawed about joining, until finally yesterday, though we had yet to formula an actual "act", we decided to bite the bullet and at least go sign up.

So we walked down the street to the Director's house, joking about our possible talents and speculating about the nature of the event. Feeling slightly silly, but game for some fun, we knocked on the door. We were greeted by a young boy, who was none-too-amused to have his evening interrupted. Expecting to find his mother, we asked, "Is Claire home?"
"No." he said gruffly and promptly ran away.
An adult overheard the exchange, and rushed to meet us (chastising his attitude on her way). She greeted us warmly, and we expressed our excitement to join in the fun.
"Oh great!" she replied, "Claire will be so excited." (Ummm, wait...aren't you Claire? My thoughts swirled...) "She's my nine year old daughter. She's out at a girl scout meeting right now."
She's WHAT?! If I could have melted into the sidewalk and flowed back to my end of the street I would have. But there was no turning back. We smiled nervously and asked how many other acts they had lined up.
"Oh, not that many. The neighbors are being kind of shy with their talent! But Claire will be performing, and so will some of her friends...Oh, and a girl I know used to be a dancer, so I've asked her to come even though she doesn't live in the neighborhood. And we'll be getting a boom box and a microphone, so we should be all set if you need anything."
It was getting worse by the minute, but she was so sweet and enthusiastic that we could hardly bail now. I think she sensed our sheepishness at this point (especially after I asked hopefully if she would be performing.) so she continued her pitch, explaining that it would be a great chance for people in the neighborhood to get to know each other, relax, laugh and have some fun. Oh, and that there would be plenty of wine. And just like that, we were in.

But there's still that pesky problem of us not having a talent, per se. We've discussed our old standby: singing a duet, with Dustin playing the guitar, and me on the tambourine. Or we thought it might be good to aim high and finally debut the banjo or the keyboard that we've previously only practiced alone. Or it could be fun to break out a Young Life bit (playing "dueling banjos" using flashlights up our noses?). Or maybe there's an awesome idea we haven't thought of yet.....

So that's where you come in, faithful readers. Leave your best ideas in the comments section (or make up for quality of plans with quantity!) . Anything goes...it just has to be under ten minutes...and of course, feasible by me and the mister. OH- and the performance date is next Sunday. So time is of the essence. We won't let you down!

And the envelope please....

It's here America!! 3,500 screaming fans are ready for the Season 5 Finale at the PACKED Kodak theater (ok ok, I'll find a new bit for tonight...even if they don't.)

Let's waste no time- First up is a performance by the Top 20 (I assume that's who it is...it's a crap ton of them, I can tell you that) Song: Brand New Day from The Wiz
It's a rehash of a previous routine (I sense a lot of that is on the way)...culminating in the introduction of the top four. Based on applause alone for this part alone, I predict the win is for Jeanine. We'll know in two short hours (ugh).

For those of you into stats (*cough*my husband*cough*) there were 21.6 million votes last night. And for those of you into prizes (*cough*me*cough*)- The winner receives $250,000 and their picture on the cover of Dance Spirit Magazine. (THE Dance Spirit Magazine!)

Seven "judges" tonight: Lil C, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe (the rest of the choreographers are in the audience...not sure why Nappy Tab didn't get a spot on the panel- they were good enough to judge auditions!)

Recap of the auditions (where it all began!). This just showed how quickly I forget people. Pretty much anyone they showed that didn't make the top four I was like "Oh yeah...they were on the show." Good luck with your dance careers folks!

Tonight, instead of new dances (heaven forbid), the judges choose their favorite routines from this season. (And in keeping with the low level conspiracy that is SYTYCD, I think I should point out that it's really less "picking their favorites" and more "saying whatever the producers told them to" in order to show range of styles, performers and choreographers. Otherwise it would be all contemporary by Mia and Wade danced by Jeanine with Jason Mraz in the background. Obviously.)

Adam's pick: Hip Hop by Nappy Tab
Dancers: Jeanine and Phillip. Song: Mad by Ne-yo
Love it. The part where they curl up at the end is just too cute (is Jason watching in the wings ready to punch Phil for touching his girl?)

Nigel's pick: Argentine Tango by some people whose names I won't try to type.
Dancers: Jeanette and Brandon. Song: Libertango from Forever Tango
To me, it wasn't as good as last time, but either way it is a travesty that she was kicked off the show before the finals. I suppose I can blame myself for not voting for her. Or for anyone, ever. Oh well.

Debbie's pick: Waltz by Louis van Amstel
Dancers: Asuka and Vitolio. Together again at last, am I right? Song: Dreams are More Precious by Enya. I refuse to comment on these two. Moving on!.

Mary's pick: Contemporary by Travis Wahl
Dancers: Jeanine and Jason. Song: If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz.
No one can forget the kiss they shared last time. Cat thinks they're going to do it again tonight. I think they're going to do it again tonight.

They cheer for their favorite of the top four again: Again, clear margin for Jeanine. Why don't you just tell me already!

Mia's pick: Samba by Louis van Amstel
Dancers: Max and Kayla. Song: Jum Bah Day by House of Gypsies
I always kind of thought Kayla looked like a slutty bird. This routine (and costume) explained why.

Now it's time for a promo for Fame disguised as a surprise outing for the finalists. The movie looks great but Kherington really needs some eyebrow work if she's going to be a Hollywood star.

Debbie gets another pick? We're gonna be here all night. Hip Hop+Samba by Demetri+Napoleon Dancers: Top 16. Song: I know you want me (Calle Ocho) by Pittbull
Some people will be watching this for the first time because they covered their eyes the first time around (you know who you are). I think Debbie said it best, "Child, Shut up, Flashdance!Child. Throw some water on it, get me some water!"

Special guest star:
SYTYCD Australia Winner Talia Fowler
Choreographed by Sonya Tayek. Song: Shot You Down by Audio Bullys.
Cool routine. Very quirky and Sonya-y. At the very least I love her taste in music.

Lil C's pick: Jai Ho by ummm, that Indian choreographer? (I know, I know, I'm so prejudice. But maybe tell him to learn something other than Bollywood and I'll stop stereotyping!)
Dancers: Caitlin and Jason. Song: Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire
Again- not as great as last time. I feel like the contestants are mailing it in a bit. They know there's nothing on the line anymore, so they aren't approaching it with the same passion. (oh, and I don't even know how many "word of the day" references 'C tried to jam into his introduction. I really just want to punch him in the mouth.)

FINALLY it's time to get down to business. 4th place announcement....
I think Evan is the first to go, based on the fact he's already dressed to collect free food at the soup kitchen. Hello unemployment!
Nope. It's KAYLA! Surprised? I supposed that's what you get for turning a beaded yarmulke into a bra top. (seriously what's with the outfits this week? Pull it together.)

Adam's 2nd pick: Contemporary by Mia Michaels.
Dancers: Randi and Evan. Song Koop Island blues Koop featuring Ane Brune
I know it's not every one's favorite....BUTT...I loved it! (see what I did there?)

Mary's 2nd pick: Paso doble by Louis van Amstel
Dancers: Jeanine and Br...Wait, I'm not typing all this again. We just saw this yesterday! What is this, Best Week Ever?

Time for 3rd Place. You can't pick them as a favorite and then send one home can you? No sir, you cannot. We'll see ya Evan. (on the tour!-plug, plug-tour plug go!)

Nigel's pick: Contemporary by Mia Michaels.
Dancers: Kayla and Kupono. Song: Gravity by Sarah Bareilles
One of my favorites this season. Seeing it again, I was struck by how touching and sensitive the song is for such a serious subject. That Mia is deep I tell you. Awww, and then everyone cried. Just brilliant.

Special guest stars: Rage Boyz Crew
Choreographed by Tiffany Burton. Song: Feel It by Colby O'Donis and Mauli B.
I mean, I love Will Smith's son as much as anyone, but someone tell him to work on his lip synching skills, huh? I don't care if he is five. Oh, my mistake- apparently he's "theven" and needs to work on his back handspring skills.

Tyce's pick: Disco by Doriana Sanchez.
Dancers: Jeannette and Brandon. Song: Love is Really My Game by Brainstorm.
I'm pretty sure Tyce said he used to "whack" to this when he was twelve. Aw, inappropriate!

Mia's 2nd pick: Contemporary by Tyce Diorio
Dancers: Melissa and Ade. Song: This Woman's Work by Maxwell
we knew someone would pick this, but it really was a powerful and beautiful piece. Plus- the person it was choreographed for is now cancer free. And THEN they showed Christina Applegate and someone at the Bowden household teared up...and I'm not talking about myself....

Special Performance:
Broadway by Mia Michaels.
Dancers: Top 8. Song: One from A Chorus Line
It's "special" because the judges come out a the end and perform with the contestants. It's pretty fun to see them up there, and they ham it up and have a good time. But then the bowing milked it for FAR more than it's worth. You take a couple steps, tip your hat to the audience and expect a standing ovation? I don't think so, Katie Homes.

Time to face the music....it's down to Brandon and Jeanine. (or, the two with the thick necks, as Stella so accurately put it). Brandon was somehow misinformed, as he seems dressed for date at the mall food court but again, anytime he wears pant AND a shirt, it's pretty much a win. I'm not sure who's standing next to him. It sort of looks like Jeanine, but her bellybutton's not showing, so I can't be sure.

Results time......
America's Favorite Dancer is Jeanine!
Good for her. She's clearly surprised (probably mostly due to the lack of confetti....it's really kind of anti-climactic with out that.) WAIT! They pulled through with it at the end. NOW we have a winner. Congratulations Jeanine!!

Thanks for a great season sisters and fans. Chat it up, and then we'll see you again (very very) soon!

Can't spell "Finale" without K-O-D-A-K!

It's FINALE TIME!!!!! (I will apologize in advance, for there will be a lot of capitals for emPHAsis. And parentheticals. It's what I do.)

Tonight's show is from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood (same location as the American Idol finale for those of you into reality trivia.) with 3,000 people in the audience. (finale drinking game starts now....every time they mention the theater. You won't make it through the first five minutes, let alone two hours) Impressive crowd but someone please tell me what you can see from the third balcony up? Is that deely thing an actual cat? And where's that screechy train noise coming from?!?

Top four dancers are....(just in case you missed it...) Jeanine, Evan, Kayla, Brandon
And the judgiz (Yay- she actually said it!) are: Adam Shankman, Mary and Nigel.

Top four perform:
Choreographers- Wade and Amanda Robson (Yessssss!!)
Concept is football jocks and cheerleaders. I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict this won't be Evan's strongest showing. Can he make his trademark "I'm sorry I'm just so gosh-darn adorable" shrug face while throwing a football? Doubtful.
Song is Boys boys boys by Lady Gaga (who has to be a millionaire based on the royalties from this series alone!) I can't hate on Wade, but I'm just not sure this was up to the level I was expecting for the finale. Toni Basil would be proud though.

*Commercial break*
Preview of season 6- (but first: did you know we're at the Kodak theater? Crazy!!) New season looks awesome, because of course it does.

Jeanine and Evan
Choreographer: Sonya Tayek (Yes!!)
Song: Heartbreakers by MSTRKRFT ft John Legend
I actually forgot to look at Evan for the first minute or two. Mostly because I was trying to figure out which one of my mid-90's barbies was going naked in order to provide Jeanine's outfit. Adam is ambitious with the comments right out of the gate, making a long comment arc about a "bunch of nevers" and a confusing "molehill that became the mountain" reference. Not sure he's all there sometimes. Mary mentions the stage is enormous...really? I hadn't noticed! And Nigel gives Evan a small pep talk. I think it will be very clear very soon that Evan is in over his head at this point. But aw shucks, I like him anyway.

*Commercial break*
Kodak Theater you guys...in Hollywood! I know right?

Tonight, all of the contestants will sit down for an interview with Cat. Hopefully they can keep it together, because if she interviewed me it would probably go something like:
Cat: Are you excited to--
Courtney: OMG I love you Love you LOVE YOU!!! Can I touch your hair? Did I mention I love you? Can we be best friends? Can I try on your shoes? Say "Judgiz"!giggle...OMG *swoon**faint*

Brandon
Interview: Is he in a pageant? He's just so happy and grateful and he's grown so much etc. etc. etc. Also- he wants maps for children, such as the Iraq.
Song: Dies Irae by Karl Jenkins
We get it. You're artsy and hardcore. No need for all the fierce opera. (but for real he's probably the best dancer here. Only not probably. But he probably won't get my vote. Only still not probably). Judges criticize his board shorts, but I'm just glad he showed up in clothes this time. Mary cries, and Nigel makes some surfing metaphor (is there any end to his hip-ness?! Or mine for saying "hip"?)

*Commercial break*
Welcome back. To THE KODAK!!

Kayla and Brandon
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio (Yes!)
Song: Bye Bye Life from All that Jazz
Took it to a more "showy place". With Tyce, that's saying something. Dance is like Season 3's Boardroom piece meets Chicago, with a strangely peppy Sesame Street song spin. (not sure why, but I can totally picture the Muppet band rocking out to this. Just me?) It's a pretty great dance, and I'll forgive unsynchronized turns after about the 18th rotation. All I have to say is "bye bye love"?? More like hello hello to the FINALE!!! Oh wait...we're already there. Crap. Adam is "stoked" (furthering my suspicions he might be hiding a doobie under that desk).
Nigel references his heart attack?? Between that and comments about his ex-wife, I think I've had enough of his "relating through personal tragedy" style of judging.

*Commercial break*
Wait...where are we? I'm confused...she's not telling me! But look at all the PEOPLE! There must be thousands!

Jeanine
In the interview Jeanine asks the question and gets sassed. You tell her Cat! (Cat also says "what the folk?"and "Smooch-a-rama-roonie". Did you know I love her?)

We see some requisite dance class photo of Jeanine, and we also get to see her mom, which puts any questions about the origins of her horse-teeth-frowny-smile to rest.

Song: Por Una Cabeza The Tango Project
Alright, who sneaked into Jeanine's dressing room and chomped the sides off of all her costumes? Well, it is shark week I guess. Adam says "Man" and "dude" enough that I'm starting to seriously question his sobriety.

*Commercial break*
Hype up the tour (top 10...which actually means top 12!) No mention of the theatre. C'mon Cat- now's no time to quit!

Evan and Brandon
Pop Jazz routine by choreographer Laurieann Gibson (what's with the gigantic headphones? Is she a dj? Are her ears cold? Has anyone seen her baseball?!?)
Song: Nasty by Janet Jackson
The boys are in a battle to win. Whatever was her inspiration (I mean, besides the Michael Jackson Bad video)? I like that they put Evan in a white tank, and Brandon in a black one...just to make it clear. Kept hoping there might be an actual knife fight. They traded pirouettes instead. It was a little too Zoolander walk off for me....you know Brandon wanted to magically take off his underwear at the end. Adam says couldn't get rid of Evan's natural sweetness (and continues the subtle racism saying something about how Brandon is always dirty and nasty) and then Mary gets in Evan's BIZ-ness, asking what's the nastiest thing he's ever done (The grandparents in the audience could use Laurieann's headgear at this point). Then Cat gets pleasure from Evan's face. Yikes! Creepiness aside, the unanimous opinion is that Brandon just out danced Evan.

*Commercial break*
We're back. And they've really dropped the ball on the theatre shout outs. Good thing they're plugging season six or we'd have nothing to latch on to....except the DANCING.

Kayla and Jeanine
Contemporary with Mia Michaels
Song: The Four Sections IV: The Full Orchestra by Steve Reich
Dance travels across the stage, signifying the journey they've been on. They literally and metaphorically shed layers along the way. I'm glad they told me they were going to take of some layers because for a minute I thought Kayla pooped tulle. How embarrassing. Then there was a total Cosby show moment when the music picked up in the middle and they pranced with their skirts flying- was dying for Rudy to come out with her bangles. The dance was absolutely gorgeous though- by far my favorite of the night. Though the camera work did seem a little biased towards Jeanine. This show is on Fox after all...not exactly "fair and balanced"...

*Commercial break*
Finally, she reminds me where we are. I'd be lost without you Cat.

Evan
Interview:
He predictably gets a little weepy over his journey and his brother. But then he informs us he will be both "dropping the hammer" and "bringing the thunder" in his solo....
Song: The best is yet to come by Micheal Buble.
Based on his dancing, maybe he meant ball peen hammer? Or silent thunder? Wait...that's not a thing. Nigel keeps it real. Do we want to go Easter egg hunting and put this precious baby chick in our basket? Yes. But do we want to vote for him to win a dance competition? Personally, no.

*Commercial break*
Kodak Schmodak.

Evan and Kayla

Jive by choreographers Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin (apparently "The Quickest Jive Ever." Do they not say this every time we do a jive or a disco? I'm starting to think they might be exaggerating a little. Or that "fast" is what you say when you have nothing nice to say about a routine.)
Song: T.R.O.U.B.L.E. Travis Tritt
Kayla did a million and a half flips and turns. But her neck looked stiff and it turns out she's bad at humping. I can honestly say I didn't see that coming. And-she actually looked a bit chubby in her outfit, which I didn't realize was even possible. Adam says it didn't reach out to him, and I agree. Mary thinks they danced it safe and in their own worlds, and basically articulates my thoughts better than I ever could. Sad.

*Commercial break*
Kodak Theater in Hollywood! CHEER won't you?!

Kayla
Interview: Dancing since she was two...Proud grandparents...Great reviews...She's not just a dancer-She's a performer. Blah blah. For white lightening, she's not exactly electrifying.
Song: Sweet Dreams (are Made of This) by The Eurythmics.
Before tonight I would have said that Kayla could be a lock, but she really fell off the radar for me. Seemed like she peaked a while ago, and now she couldn't exactly go up from there. (Nigel pretty much says this- she's just fantastic day in day out. Perfection gets tedious.) But there isn't any denying that she is truly an incredible dancer.

*Commercial break*
Starts with a K and rhymes with Wodak......

Jeanine and Brandon
Paso Doble by Choreographer Louis van Amstel
Song: Tetsujin from The Matrix Revolution Soundtrack
Could this possibly compete with the Paso Doble that Evan and that adorable round elf girl did earlier this season? Ummm, yes. And then some. I could have used some doves and some slow motion bullets though. I mean, it is the finale. Adam says "you totally shredded" which solidifies his role as the gay Broadway stoner. Mary finally screams. YES SHE DOES. 3,000 people have been waiting all night for that. Then Nigel gets even creepier than before (wasn't sure it was possible...) which I won't rehash. (Not hash, Adam.)

And that's IT!
Judge's Predictions:
Adam- Predicts all of them. And none of them. Cat insults his manhood.
Mary- Is just glad it's out of her hands.
Nigel- Chooses Brandon or Jeanine.

Way to live up to your name JUDGES! My forecast: Jeanine. It's a girl's year. chalk it up.
So what do you guys think? Love it? Left wanting more? Have a favorite? Let's hear it.

And don't forget to join us tomorrow for the finale LIVE from the....Oh nevermind. You already know.

A love story

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Last night our flight home from Newark was delayed.

While I sighed sleepily, Dustin offered to get me something to drink.

He returned with my second favorite soda (my favorite wasn't available, he informed me) and a deck of "I love NY" cards. He challenged me to a game of Rummy. (a favorite vacation activity for me, not so much for him).

He knows my favorite things, he knows I adore surprise gifts, he knows me.

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(P.s. He beat me in Rummy. By a lot. But I love him anyway.)