APOOO » Thinking Out Loud

Thursday Thirteen, Things to Do in the Month of October

APOOO — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:32:32 +0000

Happy October!
Okay, so most of ya’ll know that I’m missing summer fiercely and really hate winter. Yeah, I know I live in PA and have for the last 23 years so shoot me and put me out of my misery…lol. But…if it doesn’t get too chilly and Indian Summer is in the air…October/early fall is doable in Central Pennsylvania.

So, I got to thinking about what sort of things you can do here in October…or almost anywhere and here’s my list.

OctoberFest (although I haven’t been to one in ages)
Leaves Turning Tour (New England is so pretty this time of year…20 years ago we visited New England states for our honeymoon and it was really wonderful staying at various bed and breakfasts and bicycling miles each day enjoying the fresh air and the foliage.)
BonFires (My daughter wanted to have one today but the rain has cancelled that event; hopefully she’ll get to do one soon and enjoy homemade s’mores with friends.)
Hayrides (fun to do with young, school age kids)
Corn Mazes (fun events with the family…just don’t get lost and call 911)
Make Candy Apples (As a kid we used to make candy and caramel apples in the Fall…you can make them anytime, but my association is the Fall.)
Antique Auto Show (If you like cars and old ones then you definitely should check out the Hershey or Carlisle auto shows…they happen the first two weekends of October…if you missed them this year don’t fret…they’ll be back next year.)
Haunted Houses (Coming to a neighborhood near you soon…check the weekend section of your local newspaper or go online to find a location near you.)
High School, College and NFL football games (What else is there to do on Friday nights…well for me there’s the gym and going out to dinner with husband…but I loved high school games when my son was playing and I will make at least one game this year to watch my daughter cheer; College Football — I miss son not playing this year. He decided he no longer wanted to play football and getting a good education is more important. I’m proud of him; Thank God there wasn’t a lock out this year because what would fans do without football?!?!)
Hot Air Balloon Ride (if you haven’t done one…what are you waiting on…give it a whirl…it’s a great way to get a cool view of your city or town.)
HersheyPark (Take your pick HersheyPark in the Dark or Creatures of the Night or both)
Reading (A good mystery, horror, suspense or thriller should do you real good and scare the heck out of you…lol.)
Halloween (Whether you go trick or treating or throw a party have a spooky good time.)

Thursday Thirteen, Things to Do in the Month of October is a post from: APOOO

Friday Fill-Ins, October 15, 2011

APOOO — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:46:55 +0000

And…here we go!

1. It’s easy to have more energy when I’m working out and eating healthier.

2. To Bermuda we go in the Spring, my darling.

3. Once upon a time, there was life called BC (before children…lol) but my life has been enriched because of them. However, I’m also looking forward to the empty nest syndrome and NO MORE DEPENDENTS one day.

4. No more cars for kids, car insurance for kids, tuition payments for kids, or kids living at home… Yas and Rick lived happily ever after in a warm, tropical climate on an island called Bermuda… LOL … the end.

5. What is the last good book you read (I just finished Boundaries by Elizabeth Nunez…it was a very engaging read; I rate it 3.5 stars and would boost to 4 stars for amazon.)

6. I want to pay off my home mortgage sooner than later.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to going to the gym and then to dinner with hubby, tomorrow my plans include gym/reading, working on Chapter Directory, hanging out with friends in the evening and Sunday, I want to go to church, gym/read, cook dinner, relax!

To play along click on the “Friday Fill-Ins” image up top.

Friday Fill-Ins, October 15, 2011 is a post from: APOOO

Thirteen Topics That Are Off-Limit

APOOO — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:40:01 +0000

Thirteen Topics That Are Off-Limit

Over the years I’ve learned that you can’t share everything with everyone…provided below is a list of topics that I don’t discuss with everyone. In today’s cyberspace climate, where it seems any and everything goes, we must be careful not to share all things because somethings can come back to bite us in the butt. Be friendly…but not overly friendly. Some things go without saying…others we might need a reminder that it’s not okay to discuss them with any ‘ole person.

Politics
Religion
Husband/Significant Other
Kids
Pro Life/Pro Choice
Getting Married–hmmm not everyone wants to get married…or sometimes Mr./Mrs Right hasn’t come along yet.
Starting a Family–not everyone wants to have kids…and that’s okay.
Weight
Family Recipes…hehe some of them have secret ingredients like milk and butter.
Work
Church (and the Church Folks because you never know who might be related to whom)
Salary–hmmm can I say none of your business?
The Help–the book or the movie

What’s on your list?

To learn more about the Thursday Thirteen, or to play along yourself, Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

Thirteen Topics That Are Off-Limit is a post from: APOOO

Dancing With the Stars–Fall 2010

APOOO — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:48:30 +0000

Dancing With the Stars–Fall 2010

New season, new celebrities (and some not so).

I haven’t been following it very much this season because there are several so-called celebs that I don’t particularly care to watch. I’m actually waiting for all of them to go home before I start watching…so far at least one has been sent home; three more to go. Although, I must say, one of them might make it to the final three she seems to have some skills.

However, I am cheering for Rick Fox, Jennifer Grey and Kyle Massey aka Corey (you know from That’s So Raven…lol). I also like Florence Henderson…just because…but we know that she will not win.

What about you…who do you want to win the gold?

Dancing With the Stars–Fall 2010 is a post from: APOOO

Dancing With the Stars–March 29th 2010

APOOO — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:01:23 +0000

Just turned on Dancing With the Stars–saw the tale end of Shannon Doughtery’s routine. Was she the first? How did she do?

Shannon and Mark–20 (out of 30 points)

Evan and Anna–24

Niecy Nash and Louie–21

Jake and Chelsie–20

Buzz and Ashly–12 (yes it was that slow)

Nicole and Maks–28

Pam–22

Chad and Cheryl–16 (ouch)

Kate and Tony–15

Dancing With the Stars–March 29th 2010 is a post from: APOOO

Dancing With the Stars (DWTS)–Spring 2010 Season

APOOO — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:57:11 +0000

March 22, 2010 SEASON PREMIERE of Dancing With the Stars (DWTS)

This evening we will watch this Season’s Celebrities perform for the first time. Their dance of choice will be the Cha Cha or Viennese Waltz. We will be graced (maybe not) with performances by:

Buzz Aldrin (Former Astronaut–he’s dancing with Ashly Costa–is she new?)

Pamela Anderson (Baywatch Babe…hmm she exudes sex appeal but can she dance?)

Erin Andrews(ESPN Host)

Shannen Doherty (Former Actress of Beverly Hills 90210, Charm and a host of other stuff. I wonder if she will last longer than her ex/Anthony Hamilton…well that shouldn’t be too hard to do since he was the first one booted.)

Kate Gosselin (What no Jon)

Chad “OchoCinco” Johnson (I can’t believe he changed his name to OchoCinco…NFL Star; dancing with Cheryl Former Two Star DWTS Champ)

Evan Lysacek (Figure Skating Champion–he should go far)

Niecy Nash

Jake Pavelka (really…the Bachelor)

Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Doll and she’s paired with Derek sounds like it’s going to be another HOT romance for him…lol)

Aiden Turner (Soap Star…I think he was on AMC)

And we have a new co-host this year–Brooke Burke winner of Season Seven.

So who are you cheering for this year?

Dancing With the Stars (DWTS)–Spring 2010 Season is a post from: APOOO

Dancing With the Stars–Finale

APOOO — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:55:25 +0000

Time for Dancing With the Stars!

Alright it’s down to Mya, Kelly and Donnie.

Who are you routing for?

Only saw the score for Kelly’s first dance–27.

Up now…Mya and Dmitry dancing the Paso Dobly. They nailed it. Bruno stood up for Mya…she’s getting a 10 from him. Lyn said her Paso was up there with Mel B. Carrie Anne said she was HOT. Predicted Score: 29 Actual Score 30…alright now that’s what I’m talking about.

Now for Donny and Kim dancing the ChaCha. CarrieAnne asked him where did the hips come from…Len said ding-down that was a beautiful ChaCha…Bruno said he is a credit to his profession and he’s a star…but hmmm he didn’t say anything about the dance tho.’ Both CarrieAnne and Len pointed out that there was a slight problem/error with his hand. As usual, he was very theatrical for me. Predicted Score: 27.

The MEGAMix–Group dance routine scores:

Mya/Dmytri–30

Donny/Kim–28

Kelly/Louis–26

Second Routines–Free Style:

Kelly/Louis–hmmm she had a bad fall but she got back up. Predicted Score: 24 Actual Score: 24

Mya/Dmitry: They’re going with Dmytri’s FreeStyle…okay it was very safe. CarrieAnne said high energy, fun but not outstanding. CarrieAnne didn’t believe it showcased her. Len didn’t feel it went anywhere…he was expecting something to happen. Bruno said he was expecting something a little more spectacular but it wasn’t bad. Predicted Score: 27 Actual Score: 27.

Donny and Kym…I felt like I was watching a Las Vega show. And thank God for make-up…Kym. Len thought he did well. Bruno said he was the master. CarrieAnne said ‘welcome to the Hall of Fame of FreeStyle.’ Predicted Score: 30 Actual Score: 30

Final Scores for this evening:

Mya/Dmitry: 87

Donny/Kym: 85

Kelly/Louis: 76

That’s it for this evening folks…join us for tomorrow’s finale.

Dancing With the Stars–Finale is a post from: APOOO

Dancing With the Stars (Season Nine) Featuring Susan Boyle

APOOO — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:27:30 +0000

Hey it’s time for Dancing With the Stars? Who’s watching this week? I just saw a teaser that Susan Boyle is going to be on this week? I can’t fathom her dancing (lol) so I wonder what she’s going to sing. Grab your favorite beverage and snack and come hang out with APOOO as we spend a new week chatting about Dancing With the Stars.

Okay I’ve missed a couple of weeks…so who’s left? I know Mya (the singer) is and I’m still rooting for her.

PS Anyone miss Michael Irvin?

Aaron and Karina–Karina’s foot came off the floor and the dance wasn’t very fluid for me. Something was missing for me by this point in the competition I expect him to be further along. Predicted Score: 21 Actual Score: 23 Judges scored higher than I did.

Next up Joanna and Derrick doing the Quickstep. She knows that Mya is the one she has to beat. Hmmm but we need to vote for Mya if we think she’s the best. Joanna and Derrick have a lot of energy together…they looked like they were having fun. Carrie Anne said they had a some mistakes. Lyn said she went wrong and didn’t have the standard for the quarter final. Bruno said she looked like she was running away from the scene of the crime and that it was not one of her best performances. Predicted Score: 23 Actual Score: 23

Dancing the Foxtrot Kelly Osborne and Louis. So far it seems like a very safe Foxtrot. Len thought her routine was very good…just a little issue with the footwork. Bruno said she sustained the performance and as long as she’s focused she does really well. CarrieAnne said she has a secret weapon but if she’s going to continue she needs to work on spots, returns and a little bit of range of motion. Predicted Score: 24 Actual Score: 25. Wow, Bruno gave her a nine.

Up next Donny and Kym dancing the Viennese Waltz. Donny is such an actor…he’s so theatrical…lol. The dance just didn’t work for me…too much fluff. Bruno said it was like watching a Lifetime movie…I AGREE! CarrieAnne found it mesmerizing there was something very magical about it. Len said there was improvement in his posture but it was very artsy fartsy to him. I’m with Len…lol. Predicted Score: 24 Actual Score: 26 WOW

Okay I missed Mya and Dmytri’s first dance but it was good to hear that they’re at the top of the leader board.

Next up is the Latin Round

Mya and Dmytri will be dancing a 70s Samba…hmmm she’s trying to channel Diana Ross, Cher, Donna Summers. I think she can do it but not sure it will be as good as her Quickstep which was a 29! Hmmm their 70s Samba was different. CarrieAnne said I believe it…I believe you want to win this competition…it was beyond belief. Len said you’re absolutely on fire…you have produced tonight two dances of the highest standards with no gimmicks. Bruno said he loves bad girls…and she does a mean Samba…he’s standing…she’s getting a 10. Go Mya. Predicted Score: 29 (I never know with Len…so I’m being conservative). Actual Score: 30 YGG that’s what I’m talking about.

Aaron and Karina dancing a 90s Samba. Len said he gave out and performed it and sold it and he really really worked his sockes off. Bruno said he was a success. CarrieAnne said he is truly a great performance and he’s smoothed out all the edges. Predicted Score: 27 Actual Score: 27

Dancing a futuristic Paso Dobley Joanna and Derek. Their costumes are so weird. Predicted Score: Not sure I got distracted so I didn’t see their routine. How was it? Actual Score: 29

Kelly and Louis doing the Jive (I think). Len thought she did a good job. Bruno said don’t be afraid go for it. Whew they’re laying it on thick with her. CarrieAnne siad definitely one of her best performances but a few little turns she sort of got stuck and had a few little mishaps. Predicted Score: 26 Actual Score: 26

Kym and Donny dancing the Paso Dobly 80s style. Okay…so…whew I’m just so glad it’s over. Len said it’s the most crazy, bizarre he’s ever seen but he liked it. Bruno said that had more something than a drag queen convention. CarrieAnne said it was hysterical but it was a little odd…past the edge…and she couldn’t see all of his lines because of his costume. Predicted Score: 25 Actual Score: 24

Well that’s it for this evening folks…THE END. Hope to see you next week.

Dancing With the Stars (Season Nine) Featuring Susan Boyle is a post from: APOOO

Dancing With the Stars/Season Nine–Michael Jackson Tribute

APOOO — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:52:10 +0000

Dancing With the Stars this evening…anyone planning to watch? If so, come hang out with APOOO this evening where we will be discussing who’s doing what, who looks going and who needs to go home this week. LOL. Hope you can join us at 8PM EST. Cyber drinks and appetizers will be served. Also tomorrow night DWTS will be doing a Michael Jackson Tribute.

In the meantime, if you’re watching DWTS this season, which dancers are you cheering for? Can I get a what-what for Mya? Or maybe you’re partial to Donny Osmond? Or is it someone else? Come on speak up and let me know who you’re routing for. Anyone care to place a friendly wager on who’s going home this week…lol. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

First up-Alec and Natalie dancing the Paso Dobly to American Women. Starting out Natlalie looks very stiff to me…she’s not very fluid…and very robotic…maybe it’s the song. So…Lyn said she’s a very technical dancer but she needs to get a bit more chemistry with her partner and she needs more aggressiveness. Bruno said she needs to bring more to it. CarrieAnne said that she needs to remember to go out past her body. American Woman really wasn’t a good tune to dance to. Predicted Score: 24; Actual Score:22.

Aaron Carter and Karina are doing the Argentine Tango this night; he’s got to overcome being in the bottom two last week. Karina looks like she’s doing a lot of leading this week. Oksy so what did the judges say…oh was that LaToya Jackson? Bruno said he switched on the managtism; CarrieAnne said it excellent, he was grounded, dramatic and centered. Lyn said the last couple of weeks he was like a little boy lost in the wilderness–this week ‘you’ve come back to me.’…LOL hmmm Lyn liked his performance this week. Predicted Score: 27; Actual Score: 24.

Michael and Anna…gosh they dogged him last week. Will he bring it this week with the Paso Dobly? I don’t know I’m just not feeling the connection with him and Anna could that be part of the problem? Well Michael gave a performance tonight. CarrieAnne said favorite dance so far FINALLY. Lyn said your posture was good and he was expressive. Bruno said keep that nickel in your ‘butt’ because it’s working for you. Predicted Score: 23: Actual Score: 21. What they only gave him 21?!?!

Mya and Dmitrywill perform the Argentine Tango tonight. Mya reminds me of my assistant Brandi…there’s a slight resemblance. I don’t care what Lyn says I’m just biased toward Mya…I love her. Great performance. Lyn said he liked their dance on the small stage. Bruno said it was precise with sophistication…but she needs to hold her emotional connection. CarrieAnne said she moved so well but was slightly lacking was the emotion…said the reason she was distance was lacking. Predicted Score: 24; Actual Score: 27 AWESOME…and very surprising given their critique.

Mark and Lacey doing the Paso Dobly–Mark says he’s still in the middle of the pack…he’s need to know what to do to get out front. Very dramatic intro. Bruno said Mark is turning into a pistol, red devil who’s going to sprout horns. CarrieAnne said tonight he’s in his power…very exciting…nice to see. Lyn said he had passion, performance and power. Predicted Score: 25; Actual Score: 26. His highest score so far.

Donnie and Kym dancing the Argentine Tango. CarrieAnne said the Argentine Tango loves him…he was so darn sexy! Lyn loved the intensity of the dance…it was truly his best dance. Bruno said it’s Bonanza time. Bruno was truly over the edge…I don’t even know what he said…lol. Predicted Score: 27; Actual Score: 29. WOW…I can’t believe it either.

Louie and Chelsie doing the Paso Doubly. Cute performance; just hard for me to take him serious…lol. Bruno says he needs to start to dance and not just step through. CarrieAnne said she really likes the way he partners her. Missed what Lyn said. Actual Score: 22; their best score yet…Lyn even gave them an 8.

Melissa and Mark dancing the Argentine Tango. Can she prove she’s not a one-week wonder? Hmmm I’m not feeling this dance with her…I don’;t take away sexy. Bruno said she lost her steps quite a few times and she looked more grumpy than sexy. CarrieAnne disagreed and said the one thing she definitely nailed was her character; but she had a few stumbles. Lyn said it did lack a little bit of the seduction but what he liked was the music and overall she did very, very well…hmmm were they watching the same dance I was watching. I tend to side with Bruno. Predicted Score: 24; but I think it should be lower. Actual Score: 23.

Kelly and Louis dancing the Paso Doubly to Crazy Train by one of her dad’s song. Should be interesting. She started off looking out of sync and offbeat. She doesn’t appear to be keeping up with him. CarrieAnne said she has to stay in the intensity. Lyn said that she’s got to learn the routine, get into the character of the dance but really good. Bruno said that she’s on it when she’s on it…but she has to stay on it. Predicted Score: 22; Actual Score: 24. WTF?!!

Derrick’s out sick this week; his replacement is Maks with Joanne. Missed their performance; I’m getting tired…lol. Although I guess she stumbled toward the end of the dance. Actual Score: 24. They shock the heck out of me how generous they are with some dancers and how harsh they are with others.

Next up is the group dance; they will be doing the Hustle…loved that dance when it was out 30 years ago. Remember hustling my butt off with a friend…we were having a good ole time…and then something happen…he let go of my hand and I felt myself falling back into a crowd…it was awful and embarrassing…and to this day I still remember it as tho’ it was only yesterday lol. My friend…well I still love him. The Hustle hmmm…was this a dance they were doing? LOL.

Dancing With the Stars/Season Nine–Michael Jackson Tribute is a post from: APOOO

Dancing With the Stars Season Nine

APOOO — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:40:35 +0000

DANCING WITH THE STARS is BACK…join us this evening as we watch and discuss Season Nine. Can’t wait to see everyone and hear your feedback. It’s going to be LIVE and as usual on and popping. Don’t forget it’s BYOB&S (Bring your own bottle and snacks…), otherwise feel free to dive into the virtual appetizers and cocktails that will be served.

Where my girls at? LOL.

Today the men will dance; women will dance tomorrow.

First up is Aaron Carter with Karina and there very first dance is going to be the ChaCha. As usual, Karina is carrying the act. Did they almost fall at the end? Bruno won’t call it first class but it was full of potential and a great start to the show. Bruno said he nearly fell at the end; he needs to control his energy because it’s all over the place. Carrie Ann said little Aaron Carter is all grown up and looking good; she thought it was great. Predicted score: 21 Actual Score: 22.

Dancing the Foxtrot Chuck and Anna. He looks very stiff. Oh gosh he reminds me of Ty from last season…lol. Hmmm no grace or finesse with him…hehe. Bruno said the audience liked them but their Foxtrot was rough. CarrieAnne said that he was smooth but needed some work. Len said great entertainment he smiled the whole way through. Predicted score: 18 Actual score: 16.

Okay so Mark T/Iron Chef America? is up with Lacee. Okay as you can tell I have no idea of who this kung fu/martial arts chef is…lol. However, Lacee says that she believes he has some skills that she can work with. If not, he can always do kung fu fighting…hehe. Okay how stereotypical…they’re doing the ChaCha to Kung Fu Fighting…couldn’t they have picked a better song…ahaha. Seriously when did martial art moves become a part of ballroom dancing…lol. Len said he’s not a fan of gimmicks and that he didn’t want to see kung fu in every dance. Bruno said he lost his timing. Carrie Ann said he had potential. Predicted score: 20 Actual score: 21. They did better than I thought.

Okay so Ashley Hamilton aka son of overly tanned man Georg Hamilton is up next with Edyta. She said he looked like perfect ball room material but it didn’t take long for her to realize that he was going to be a challenge…lol. Oh wow he had a serious accident that affected his left side and that side still hasn’t caught up with his right side…he said he once thought he would never walk again. Their first dance is the foxtrot and he’s getting a lot of catcalls from the audience. I can see him tapping out the steps in his hand…hmmm they seem to be going too slow for the song. I’m glad he didn’t drop Edyta. Carrie Anne said they were okay; Len said his footwork was good but he was rough and not finesse enough. Bruno said he needs to learn how to sell it and that he could take notes from his dad. Predicted Score: 16 Actual Score: 15. Ouch!

Donny and Kym. I missed there introduction. Donny looks very comfortable and as tho’ he was born to do this. Who did he just kiss…was that his wife or a fan> I see Marie…:) All the judges thought he was theatrical but he needs to be a little more ballroom. Predicted Score: 23 Actual Score: 20. Hmmm I overshot on their score…lol. Anyway Donny and Kym are going to work on the posture bar.

Okay so next up is Louie Vito/snowball champion and Chelsie…let’s see what they’re working with. He’s only 5’5″ and they’re going to attempt the Foxtrot for their first dance. Hmmm…he’s a snowboarder…I don’t see him as a dancer at all…lol. Seems very teeny boopish but it works for both of them because they’re so young. Hmmm what dance were they doing again…lol. CarrieAnne said he obviously hasn’t danced before but he make a respectable effort. Len said a part from the little stumble his technic was very good. Bruno said that if he carries on he’s going to be really, really good. Predicted score: 22 Actual score: 19 Okay they’re judging harder than I am this evening…lol.

Michael Irvin teams up with the new dancer–Anna. Said he’s doing the show because of Jerry Rice. And he only needs to get a 22 on his Chachat to beat Jerry’s 21. LOL. He’s not bad. Len said it wasn’t a great first dance. Bruno said he has a great presence and he’s a crowd pleaser but the ChaCha was out. CarrieAnne said they needed more content but they need to push a little harder. But he had more moves than Jerry Rice. Predicted Score: 19 Actual Score: 13…OUCH…I don’t even think he was that bad. That’s awful…I’m going to have to vote for him to keep him on the show…ain’t no way he was worst than Ashley Hamilton, Mark or Chuck.

Cheryl is in trouble…they matched her with Tom DeLay…oh gosh…it’s horrible watching him in practice. He looks very feminine and uncoordinated. Cheryl doesn’t seem like she’s going to even try with him; she looks frustrated. He should stick with politics and leave the ballroom dancing to those who can. Okay he’s doing the Cha-cha…the Republicans are going to keep him around just to make a statement and if he continues to look like this every week I’m gong to be pissed. Although he appears to be trying. Bruno said he’s crazier than Sarah Palin…the little chacha he did wasn’t too bad; the rest he wasn’t sure. CarrieAnne said it was surreal; and he was good for the senior citizen crowd. Len said his actual chacha wasn’t bad but he could eliminate all that other stuff. Predicted score: 16 Actual score: 16 and ain’t no way in hail he was better than Michael Irvin. That’s just jacked up.

Dancing With the Stars Season Nine is a post from: APOOO

APOOO » Thinking Out Loud

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