Crazy 4 TV

Curses, Foiled Again!

2009-01-26T05:21:00.001-08:00

It seems like every time I make big plans to get things done, something gets in the way. Do you ever feel that way?

I have been working very hard to declutter my house and, as part of that goal, keep my laundry done. To that end, I spent Sunday morning gathering and sorting all the dirty clothes. I got the first load started and sat down to enjoy my recorded episode of Smallville.

A few minutes into the show, I heard what sounded like water splashing on the floor. I ran into the laundry room to find that the washer drain was overflowing onto the floor. I stopped the washer and ran to the backyard to find Phone Guy. As I passed the kitchen sink, I noticed that it was full of soapy water. Nice.

Phone Guy determined that there was a clog in the drain (duh!) somewhere passed the laundry room and proceeded to work on it, and (after only one trip to The Home Depot) got it unclogged. Thank goodness I married a handy man! I’m sure having the plumber out on Sunday wouldn’t have been cheap.

Of course, the clog-induced delay put a crimp in my plans to get all of the laundry done. I still have 3 or 4 loads to do. But I guess since I also had a sick kid all day yesterday, I’ll be home from work with him and free to spend time doing laundry today. Oh joy!

The Bright Spot of my Day

2009-01-22T17:52:00.000-08:00

I am babysitting my neighbor’s kids. They are extremely loud, terribly bossy, crazy wild, and absolutely precious 3 and 4 year olds. My heart melts every time one of their tiny voices says, “Look at me Mama Debbie” or “See what I got Mama Debbie.”

After such a disappointing, depressing day, they are making me smile…a lot.

Prejudice – It’s Not Just for White People Anymore

2009-01-22T16:35:00.001-08:00

Our school district has been realigned for next year. The Pleaser’s two best friends live in different areas than we do and the three boys are districted to three different schools according to the new plan. They were given the option to stay in their current school for next year and The Pleaser insisted on the transfer because he assumed his other friends would do the same. This means we won’t have bus service and I’ll have to resume the Mom Taxi next year. But I’m willing to do that for him so he can stay with his friends. I’ve already filled out the paperwork and sent it in.

Today he told me one of the boys (his very best friend) has decided not to transfer because there are “too many Blacks and Mexicans” in the current school. Now this boy is Mexican. I mean, his parents were born in Mexico and immigrated here. He and his siblings are the first generation of his family not born in Mexico.

They seem like wonderful people. They have 3 children who are all excellent students and, better yet, nice kids. They are very involved with their kids and never miss a school event. My son has spent the night at their house and gone with them to the movies. He’s played video games at their house. I can’t help but wonder how they would feel if I told my son that he couldn’t go to school there because there were too many Mexicans. Would they be offended? Would they allow their son to continue being friends with my son?

Of course I would never do that. We live in a very diverse neighborhood and my kids grew up in a very diverse elementary school and I believe that they are better, more tolerant individuals for it. They each have friends of many different races and religions and I am glad that they don’t see color as a barrier.

The Pleaser is completely devastated that he won’t be in the same school as his very best friend anymore…and I am devastated for him.

It’s the perfect end to an extraordinarily disappointing day.

Disappointed

2009-01-22T12:09:00.001-08:00

(dis-uh-poin-tid)

–adjective

depressed or discouraged by the failure of one's hopes or expectations

That’s how I feel today.

Hitting Mom Homeruns This Weekend

2009-01-11T15:05:00.001-08:00

My mom self-esteem is in the toilet this weekend as I have caused both of my children to cry without the intent to do so.

Friday: The Pleaser called me at 4:37 p.m. He told me he missed his bus and asked if I could come pick him up. He sounded upset and when I asked if he was OK, he said he was but I could tell he was holding back tears. A million terrible thoughts ran through my mind as to why he was so upset as I rushed to the campus to get him. When he got in the car, I asked him what was wrong and through a flood of tears he said, “I lost my jacket.” (Now for the record, this was a $10 or less sweatshirt that he got for Christmas. Not his $40 coat or something of sentimental value.)

OK, he is famous for losing things but I don’t beat him or anything when he does. It doesn’t make me really happy, and he knows that’s why he doesn’t have a cell phone yet. Obviously, though, I have made him feel so bad that he thinks it is tragic when he does misplace something. Guilt set in. The Pleaser left for the weekend his dad a few hours later. The guilt, however, stayed right here with me.

Saturday: My mom asked me if I had seen this story about the man on death row who popped out his eyeball and ate it. I had not seen it but proceeded to read it and commit it to my vast amount of useless knowledge for later use in NTN Trivia.

Last night, Phone Guy, Danger Boy and I decided to go out for pizza before an exciting Saturday night visit to Super Target. On the way, I happened to think about that story and asked Phone Guy if he had seen the article. Apparently, as we talked, Danger Boy listened (There’s a first time for everything). Now I’ve said before, that Danger Boy is ALL BOY. He is usually not squeamish (except for the whole cockroach incident) and he loves to get dirty, revels in bodily functions and is just, overall, a disgusting human being…as he should be. He is a 10 year old boy for Pete’s sake.

Anyway, we arrived at the pizza joint, ordered and sat down. Danger Boy was very quiet while we waited for the food, which is unusual for him, but I didn’t think much about it. When the pizza arrived, I pulled a slice for him and put it on his plate and he just sat there staring. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he lost his appetite. I said, “Why?” He burst into tears and told me it was because of the whole eyeball story. He was genuinely freaked out by the whole deal. I eventually calmed him down and he ate. We did our shopping and came home.

It was late when we got back so I immediately told him to get ready for bed. I tucked him in and turned out his light and headed to my room to watch Neil Patrick Harris on SNL. No sooner had the show started when I heard a knock on my door. Danger Boy couldn’t sleep because he was freaked out and he BEGGED us to let him sleep with us. I told him no way, that he needed to go back to his own bed. I got him settled, turned on his radio as a distraction and headed back to bed. He was up and down all night. I could hear him going to the bathroom, opening his door (presumably to check for no-eyed boogie man) and at 2:30 am he came back in my room begging again to sleep with me. Once again, I took him back to bed. I don’t know how many more times he was up and down, but it was a long night for everyone.

He came in this morning at 8:30 am and was crying again. He told me he was hungry. I told him to get a snack. He said, “but I’m lonely” and proceeded to bawl. And because I feel guilty for ever bringing up the eyeball eater, I got up and consoled him and made him some breakfast.

I’m not so sure the whole “eyeball ordeal” is over though. I can tell something is still on his mind. I may have another long night ahead of me.

Jeans – Now with 100% More Rotten Egg Scent!

2009-01-07T06:48:00.001-08:00

I hate buying Jeans, probably because they don’t make jeans to fit Weebles, but I finally had to break down and buy some because my last pair gave up the ghost.

I actually found some jeans that fit really well. I tried them on in the store but since they didn’t have the colors I wanted, I came home and ordered them on the web. I bought 3 pairs in 3 different shades of blue.

I wore the lighter pair first and I was satisfied with the fit so I decided to open up the darker pairs and wash them. One pair had an odd kind of burnt smell, which I chalked up to the dye. No biggie…or so I thought.

I washed them and threw them in the dryer, then left the house to go pick up Danger Boy at school. I came home to the foulest rotten egg stench I have ever smelled. I thought there was a sewer leak. Seriously.

When I took the clothes out of the dryer later I realized that it was those jeans stinking and now the entire load smelled of sulphur. Back into the wash they went, only to reek all over the house again when they started heating up in the dryer.

That pair of jeans STILL smells of rotten eggs after 3 washings. It’s not so bad after they have been out of the dryer but they stink up the whole house every time I dry them.

Anyone know of a cure for rotten egg scented pants?

Interesting Choice of Names

2009-01-06T18:39:00.001-08:00

Squirt Wipe & Go Car Wash
Originally uploaded by DigitalHowie

This is an actual car wash not far from where I work. I pass it every time I go to lunch at Taco Bueno and it never fails to make me snicker.

I found the photo on Flickr because I forget to take my camera every time I go by there, so big thanks to Digital Howie.

Mom’s Day Off

2009-01-04T19:46:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I just need the day off. After two weeks of Christmas vacation, my kids and I have had just a bit too much togetherness.

My parents wanted my kids to spend the night last night and given that we all needed a break, I jumped at the chance to spend a few hours in the grown-up world. Since Phone Guy (aka Christmas Light Guy) decided he needed my help pulling down some lights, they ended up taking my kids about noon yesterday and they kept them until about 5pm today.

So after a few hours of pulling down lights, we came home and cleaned up and headed off to visit a friend of ours. I spent the evening participating in adult conversations without having to excuse myself to break up a fight, console an injured child, or get somebody a snack. We also went out for dinner and I never once had to correct anyone for belching or farting at the table, not eating their food or interrupting me while I was talking. I know…amazing, right? Especially since Phone Guy was with me.

We got up early this morning and went for breakfast, then headed out and spent the entire day shopping Christmas clearance sales. We had so much fun and it was really enjoyable to shop without the kids complaining the whole time or asking if they can have every toy they see.

It was sheer heaven.

After we picked them up and got back to the house, Danger Boy climbed in my lap (he is 10 mind you) and snuggled with me for a while.

There was a little heaven in that too.

Does your Google Reader Ever Overwhelm You?

2009-01-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

I went a few days without reading and I have all of these thousands of unread posts. I feel guilty if I mark them all read when I didn’t really read them (as if someone would know and smack my knuckles). Then again, most of them I could go without reading and still live a fruitful and complete life.

It’s such a dilemma.

On the Way Down

2009-01-02T09:43:00.001-08:00

So I wrote a couple of months ago about my cholesterol being up. Well I am happy to report that as of my last doctor visit, my cholesterol has gone down…a little.

I still have some work to do, but here are the numbers:

3 months ago:
Total: 221
LDL: 144

Last checkup:
Total: 204 (Not too bad if the LDL wasn't so high)
LDL: 133 (he would like it to be in the 70's but def. under 100)

I’ll take that. I go back in March so we’ll see if I can get it down further before then.

Sidenote: After hearing numbers from some of my friends and family, I have decided I am very proud of my slightly high numbers. Tee Hee.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T09:33:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am still alive, though you couldn’t really tell from this site, eh?

So I hope you had a nice start to the new year. Exciting woman that I am, I spent my NYE with the usual Raspberry Ginger Ale, junk food and my family. The boys and I played on our new Wii while Phone Guy napped. He woke up about 11:30, just in time to ring in the new year with us and then go back to bed. We are the quintessential party animals.

Speaking of the Wii, it is my new best friend. I have enjoyed many hours of Wii Fit, Wii Sports and Guitar Hero Aerosmith over the last week or so. I beat Guitar Hero on Easy, and I’m about halfway through on Medium now. So I was feeling like Cheap Trick might call me any minute to join them on a reunion tour or something. Well Guitar Hero gave me the smackdown yesterday when I tried out a duet with The Pleaser, him on Easy and me on Hard. I was booed off the stage.

I realized I am NOT a Guitar Hero. Yet.

Getting Healthy

2008-11-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

So last time I stopped in to make a post, it was because I was trying to make a "healthy lifestyle change." I'm still on track, even moreso than I expected. As it turns out, Phone Guy has had to make some big changes as well.

When I saw the doctor, I made him an appointment. So about 2 weeks after I went in, he went and had a checkup. His blood sugar was very high, as was his cholesterol. The doctor didn't give him the chance to work on his before putting him on 4 different medicines. He is working hard to control the diabetes and by doing so, hopefully controlling his cholesterol.

What is more worrisome to me is that his billirubin and iron levels were too high. This is indicative of a genetic disorder called hemochromatosis. If he has this, the only way to treat it is by bloodletting. Yeah, not fun. He goes back to the doctor next week, so hopefully we will know more then.

I'm anxious for him to find out something definite and start getting treatments so he will be feeling better. He's been sluggish and tired for about 10 months now. Getting the diabetes under control has helped but I hope that he'll be back to his old self soon.

I go back to the doctor in about two weeks myself. I hope I'll have good news about my cholesterol. Keep your fingers crossed.

Lifestyle Changes

2008-08-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I visited my doctor last week and had some bloodwork done. My cholesterol is way too high and in addition to that, I have gained back almost all of the weight that I lost 2 years ago.

My doctor sat me down and explained to me that I needed to make some serious changes for my health. I have a history of heart disease and diabetes in my family so I really need to take care of myself.

My biggest obstacle in all of this is my family. The Pleaser is an extremely picky eater and Phone Guy eats the most unhealthy diet you have ever seen. He thinks three of the four food groups are Bacon, Salt, Cheese. In the 10 years since Phone Guy and I got married I have gained sooooo much weight. He doesn't seem to mind...but it's unhealthy and I feel so bad about myself because of it.

My report from the doctor must have scared Phone Guy though because he has really been trying to help me eat better. We shopped for groceries together yesterday and chose some alternative foods like ground turkey instead of ground beef. He said he's willing to do this and support me the best he can.

I also got some great support from my best friend. She is also trying to lose some weight, though hers is post-baby weight. She and I have made a standing date to walk together twice a week and she has offered up her ear and shoulder for anytime I need some support.

I have 3 months before I go back to the doctor and I want to stun him with how well I have done. I need to do this for me and for my family. I can't stand the thought of not being around for my boys as they grow up and have their own families.

Here's to a new me!

We Survived the First Week of School! Yay!

2008-08-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

I just cannot tell you how glad I am to be back on a schedule. The kids are in school. I'm back to working my 3 days of week. All is right in the world.

Danger Boy started fourth grade. He had a good week. He likes his teacher so far and he only missed one on his first spelling test (which is outstanding for him!). I am cautiously optimistic that we will have another good year.

The Pleaser started 7th grade. That means a new school for him. His first week was OK but he already has one teacher that he loves, one he cannot stand and a couple that he thinks he can just barely tolerate. He's also got an older kid in band with him who has been bullying him a little. I don't think the band director will put up with it for long though. The Pleaser isn't ready for me to say anything. He's afraid it will just make him more of a target. But I won't let it continue long. The band director is kind of a hard-ass so I think if I bring it to his attention, he will take care of it...and fast.

Also new for us this year...The Pleaser is riding the bus to school. I was really worried about it because I have heard horror stories, but the first week was uneventful so I remain cautiously optimistic about that as well. I'm still picking him up and he prefers it that way but the bus fits our morning schedule so I hope it continues to be an uneventful ride.

Now in 9 months or so, I'll be saying, "Isn't school out yet?" But for now, I'm going to revel in the scheduled life I am leading.

2008 Fall TV Premiere Dates

2008-08-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the 2008-2009 TV Season Fall Premiere Schedule. I've bolded what I'll be watching:

Monday, Sept. 1
8 p.m. — “Prison Break,” Fox (2 hours)
8 p.m. — “Gossip Girl,” The CW
9 p.m. — “One Tree Hill,” The CW

Tuesday, Sept. 2
8 p.m. — “90210,” The CW (2 hours)

Wednesday, Sept. 3
8 p.m. — “Bones,“ Fox (2 hours)
8 p.m. — “America’s Next Top Model,” The CW (2 hours)

Thursday, Sept. 4
8 p.m. — “Moment of Truth,“ Fox (2 hours)

Friday, Sept. 5
8 p.m. — “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Fox (2 hours)

Saturday, Sept. 6
8 p.m. — “Cops,” Fox
9 p.m. — “America’s Most Wanted,“ Fox

Monday, Sept. 8
8 p.m. — “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” Fox

Tuesday, Sept. 9
8 p.m. — “Fringe,” Fox (2 hours) *
9 p.m. — “Privileged,” The CW *

Wedesday, Sept. 10
9 p.m. — ‘Til Death,” Fox
9:30 p.m. — “Do Not Disturb,” Fox *

Thursday, Sept. 11
9 p.m. — “Kitchen Nightmares,” Fox

Friday, Sept. 2
8 p.m. — “America’s Toughest Jobs,” NBC (2 hours) *

Friday, Sept. 12
9 p.m. — “Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” Fox

Tuesday, Sept. 16
8 p.m. — “House,“ Fox

Thursday, Sept. 18
8 p.m. — “Survivor,” CBS
8 p.m. — “Smallville,” The CW
9 p.m. — “Supernatural,” The CW

Friday, Sept. 19
10 p.m. — “20/20,″ ABC

Monday, Sept. 22
8 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars,” ABC (2 hours)
8 p.m. — “The Big Bang Theory,“ CBS
8:30 p.m. — “How I Met Your Mother,” CBS
9 p.m. — “Heroes,“ NBC (2 hours)
9 p.m. — “Two and a Half Men,“ CBS
9:30 p.m. — “Worst Week,“ CBS *
10 p.m. — “Boston Legal,” ABC
10 p.m. — “CSI: Miami,“ CBS

Tuesday, Sept. 23
8 p.m. — “Opportunity Knocks,” ABC *
8 p.m. — “NCIS,” CBS
9 p.m. — “The Mentalist,” CBS *
10 p.m. — “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC
10 p.m. — “Without a Trace,” CBS

Wednesday, Sept. 24
8 p.m. — “Knight Rider,” NBC *
8 p.m. — “The New Adventures of the Old Christine,” CBS
8:30 p.m. — “Project Gary,” CBS *
9 p.m. — “Criminal Minds,“ CBS
10 p.m. — “Lipstick Jungle,” NBC
10: p.m. — “CSI: NY,” CBS

Thursday, Sept. 25
8 p.m. — “My Name Is Earl,” NBC (1 hour)
8 p.m. — “Ugly Betty,” ABC
9 p.m. — “The Office,” NBC (1 hour)
9 p.m. — “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC (2 hours)
10 p.m. — “ER,” NBC

Saturday, Sept. 27
8 p.m. — “Crimetime Saturday,” CBS
10 p.m. — “48 Hours Mystery,“ CBS

Sunday, Sept. 28
7:p.m. — “60 Minutes,“ CBS
7 p.m. — “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” ABC (2 hours)
8 p.m. — “The Amazing Race,” CBS
8 p.m. — “The Simpsons,” Fox
8:30 p.m. — “King of the Hill,” Fox
9 p.m. — “Desperate Housewives,” ABC
9 p.m. — “Cold Case,” CBS
9 p.m. — “Family Guy,” Fox
9:30 p.m. — “American Dad,” Fox
10 p.m. — “Brothers & Sisters,” ABC
10 p.m. — “The Unit,” CBS

Monday, Sept. 29
8 p.m. — “Chuck,” NBC
10 p.m. — “My Own Worst Enemy,” NBC *

Wednesday, Oct. 1
8 p.m. — “Pushing Daisies,” ABC
9 p.m. — “Private Practice,” ABC
10 p.m. — “Dirty Sexy Money,” ABC

Friday, Oct. 3
8 p.m. — “Ghost Whisperer,” CBS
8 p.m. — “Everybody Hates Chris,“ The CW
8 p.m. — “Wife Swap,“ ABC
9 p.m. — “Supernanny,“ ABC
8:30 p.m. — “The Game,“ The CW
9 p.m. — “The Ex List,“ CBS *
9 p.m. — “America’s Next Top Model” repeats, The CW
10 p.m. — “Numb3rs,“ CBS
10 p.m. — “Life,” NBC

Sunday, Oct. 5
7 p.m. — “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC

Monday, Oct. 6
9:30 p.m. — “Samantha Who?,” ABC

Thursday, Oct. 9
9 p.m. — “CSI,” CBS
9:30 p.m. — “Kath & Kim,” NBC *
10 p.m. — “Eleventh Hour,“ CBS *
10 p.m. — “Life on Mars,“ ABC *

Tuesday, Oct. 14
10 p.m. — “Eli Stone,” ABC

Friday, Oct. 17
9 p.m. — “Crusoe,“ NBC (2 hours) *

Wednesday, Oct. 29
9 p.m. — “Stylista,” The CW *

Thursday, Oct. 30
8:30 p.m. — “30 Rock,” NBC

Premiering Early 2009: 24, Lost and Reaper

Irrational Fears

2008-07-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

Danger Boy is your typical boy. He likes to get dirty, has to be constantly reminded about personal hygiene, doesn't really care for showers and he plays with bugs. Ladybugs, rolie polie's, beetles, butterflies - he has always seemed to like them all. Until today.

This hot, dry time of year always drives a few cockroaches into the house. I'm sure they are seeking water. I hate them as much as the next gal, but they don't scare me. Annoy me, YES! But they don't scare me.

So today, as Danger Boy was getting his gear ready for Karate, he starts screaming and runs down the hall because he saw a roach in his room. I was annoyed by his behavior and told him to get back in his room and get his gear so we could go. He absolutely refused, which made me even madder. So good mom that I am, I forced him down the hall and into his room and he proceeded to have the biggest near panic attack, crying episode I have ever seen. I thought I was going to have to call the psychiatric hospital to come get him. It was absolutely insane. And it was just ticking me off. I guess I should have felt compassion for him, and if it had been a spider or a hornet or a snake, I probably would have. Hell, I might have joined him. But as it was, a harmless (though disgusting) cockroach, it annoyed me to no end.

Phone Guy found the creature and disposed of it. I finally got him to calm down and get his gear and we headed to class. We no sooner than got started down the road when his headband brushed against his neck and he freaked out in the car....and I mean FREAKED OUT! I went on to Karate and he was fine there but as soon as we got home, I asked him to take a shower and he was walking on tiptoes through the house because he was afraid one would get on his feet. He didn't want to go in the bathroom because he was afraid there was one in there. He was completely looney toons about it. Even at bedtime he was still talking about them and looking nervously around the room at the walls and ceiling.

I guess I'm wrong to be annoyed and I should comfort him and coddle him but it just makes no sense to me. Do your kids have irrational fears like that? Did they come on suddenly? Am I a loser mom for being annoyed? (Wait, don't answer that last one...)

My Poor, Neglected Blog

2008-07-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Here I am again, after 3 months of neglecting my poor blog. It's starting to think I don't love it anymore, and that's completely not the case. So what's been happening for the last 3 months that caused my poor baby to feel so left out?

In neatly bulleted form, here we go...

In May of every year, I am in charge of putting together (at the last minute of course) the yearbook for Danger Boy's school. It is the mother of all jobs. Don't get me wrong...I love doing it. It's just a very big undertaking for one person and unfortunately I am very bad about asking for help.
May also brings the end of school. Something going on every day for weeks. Field trips, awards ceremonies, parties, etc. So there's that.
By the way, I need to mention that Danger Boy won Most Improved Student for the ENTIRE YEAR and he also made 100% on his standardized state math test. Thankyouverymuch! He has come a long way baby!!
And since I'm bragging, here's another bullet for The Pleaser. He was selected for the Honor Band at the Middle School he will be attending next year. They don't take many 7th graders so it's a big honor (guess that's why they call it Honor Band).
I have great kids. (It just needed it's own bullet point I think)
So after May, June came and summer vacation for the kids. That means they go to work with me every day. And when I say every day, I mean 5 days a week and several Saturdays. We are short-handed and I can sure use the money since Phone Guy's business has been so slow lately, so it's off to work I go. (Hi Ho, Hi Ho)
June also brought Karate. Yes, the boys are learning some Kung Fu Fighting so they can ~~kick the crap out of each other~~ defend themselves and gain self-confidence. I think it will be good for Danger Boys motor skills and The Pleaser's self-esteem. And it won't hurt him to learn some Bruce Lee moves since he'll probably be riding the bus to school next year.
I closed my ebay store and started my own website for my toy store. It was quite an undertaking. It took me about 3 days to type up all the listings and get them in the new store. And I have to spend quite a lot of time advertising things myself, since I don't have the advantage of ebay's marketing. Then again, I don't have the fees and BS to put up with either. If you care to take a gander at the new site, it's at www. pastimesandplaythings.com
Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing. The Pleaser has started to eat. I mean, he always ate. Only peanut butter and chicken nuggets and maybe a piece of cheese pizza or a taco with no meat for 12 whole years, but he ate. It started with pepperoni pizza. Then he asked for meat on his taco. Two days ago he asked for a salami and cheese sandwich. Then he ate a bacon, egg and cheese toaster from Sonic. I guess I always knew he would start eating eventually, I just didn't think it would all happen in the same week.

So here we are more than halfway through July. I'm not going to promise I'll update more often because I don't like being a liar. I'll just say that I hope to stop in now and again and chat some more.

It's a Good Day - New TV Tonight

2008-04-24T05:00:00.001-07:00

Thursdays used to be my favorite day of the week. Until the strike.

When the TV writers went on strike, I seriously went into a mild (OK, major) depression every Thursday night. You must understand that I watch every show that airs on Thursday. OK, yes, that's a minor exaggeration. I don't watch anything on CBS. But that's only because my DVR can only record 2 shows at once.

A few of my shows have come back. LOST started up for a while (then took a few weeks off *sniff*). Smallville has been new (on and off) for a few weeks and Reaper took up residence on Thursday nights for a short time. ER came back a couple of weeks ago. The Office and My Name is Earl had new shows. Slowly, I have been coming out of my depression.

But tonight. Tonight I get a full night of new TV in every time slot. I am so excited! I'll get Smallville then switch over to Grey's Anatomy (oh how i've missed you, George) which will be followed for the first time ever by LOST. And I'll still have all that other stuff on my DVR to watch this weekend.

Thank you programming gods!!

The boys are taking early baths and going to their rooms to read (It's good for them!). Nobody better even speak to me come primetime tonight.

Proud Mom, meet Angry Mom

2008-04-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

Danger Boy has not had a stellar educational run, as of yet. He has ADHD and some yet undefined learning disabilities that make school very difficult for him even though he is labeled as "gifted and talented."

In third grade, he has had an outstanding teacher (who I wish we could take with us for the rest of his school career). I seriously love this woman and would kidnap her and hold her hostage in my house if I had the room. Lucky for her we are so crowded and cluttered, eh?

So anyway, she told me I would be getting a note. Notes aren't usually good things for us so as soon as I picked up Danger Boy at school, I asked for the note and read it. It turns out it is awesome news! DB is getting an award at an assembly on Friday for the Most Improved Student!! I tell you, I was so proud I could have popped when I read that. But I remained calm. The letter said he wouldn't be informed of the honor until the ceremony, so I folded the letter back up, stuck it in the envelope and placed it back in his backpack.

That was my first mistake...

When we got home, my mom called. I talked to her for a very short time and, as I was telling her about the honor, remembered the note in his backpack. Now keep in mind that DB never opens his backpack until I remind him multiple times that he needs to do homework, so I wasn't really worried at all. I walked back to his room and what did I find laying in the floor? Bingo - the letter, laying open and obviously read in the floor.

Here comes my second mistake...

I proceeded to get angry and yell. I told him how that letter was meant for me and had my name on it and how you aren't supposed to read other people's mail and how he had ruined his surprise.

After calming down, I realized I had never told him how proud I was of his award. Instead of making lemonade with those lemons and celebrating the honor, I yelled at him and made him feel bad. I was having major mom guilt...and, you know, I was probably most mad because I wouldn't get to see his surprise. Selfish, I know.

So I called Danger Boy in and told him how proud I was and what an honor he was getting and really tried to make it better. I reminded him not to open notes intended for me ever again, but I tried to make my pride in his achievement overshadow all the rest. He started bawling. Yeah, that made me feel better.

Al and Miles Say Goodbye to Smallville

2008-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, I will admit this news kinda floored me. (Enough to make me come to my poor, neglected blog to post it!)

Al Gough and Miles Millar have called it quits as the showrunners for Smallville. Al and Miles created the show 7 years ago and have stood at the helm since then. It will be strange to think of the show without them but they have decided to move on and, really, this could be a good thing for Smallville. Over the last 4 years the storylines have seemed to go nowhere. I've enjoyed this season more than the last 2 or 3 but I think some fresh perspective might be good for the show.

Executive Producers Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will take over as showrunners next season. It's still strange to think that Al and Miles won't be running things but I guess we'll see how things go.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Yay for Something New!!

2008-01-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

As a big fan of The Terminator movies, I was a little reluctant to watch this show. Honestly, if the strike hadn't happened, I probably would have skipped it. But I have to tell you I was pleasantly surprised.

I really liked Thomas Dekker as John Connor. He's, thankfully, not nearly as creepy as Edward Furlong from T2, and he's believable as the scared teen, unsure of his ability to fulfill his certain destiny. Lena Headley makes a good Sarah Connor, although she can't compare to the kick-ass Linda Hamilton from T2. Summer Glau stars as the "good" terminator, sent back to protect John. We don't yet know what model she is, or what her capabilities are. Rounding out the cast is James Ellison, played by Richard T. Jones, who is an FBI agent pursuing the Connors.

The show takes place between T2 and T3 and it seemed to stay very true to the Terminator storyline. We even saw characters from the movies like Enrique Salceda and Tarissa Dyson.

If the show continues to be as good as the first two episodes, I will be adding this one to my must-watch list.

This List of Winners Will Be More Exciting Than the Actual Golden Globes

2008-01-15T06:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, talk about a bore...the Golden Globe awards were simply awful. I didn't watch but a few minutes but that was enough. No glitz, no glamour, no excitement, no drama - just a simple reading of a list. Ho and Hum. And who was the genius who let Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell in there? I thought they (specifically Billy Bush) were awful!

If you're interested, here is the list of the winners:

MOTION PICTURES:
Motion Picture, Drama: "Atonement."
Actress, Drama: Julie Christie, "Away From Her."
Actor, Drama: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."
Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Sweeney Todd."
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie En Rose."
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd."
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There."
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."
Director: Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."
Screenplay: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Foreign Language: "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," France and U.S.
Animated Film: "Ratatouille."
Original Score: Dario Marianelli, "Atonement."
Original Song: "Guaranteed" from "Into the Wild."

TELEVISION:
Series, Drama: "Mad Men," AMC.
Actress, Drama: Glenn Close, "Damages."
Actor, Drama: Jon Hamm, "Mad Men."
Series, Musical or Comedy: "Extras," HBO.
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Actor, Musical or Comedy: David Duchovny, "Californication."
Miniseries or Movie: "Longford," HBO.
Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Queen Latifah, "Life Support."
Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Jim Broadbent, "Longford."
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Samantha Morton, "Longford."
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jeremy Piven, "Entourage."

People's Choice Winners

2008-01-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure you've heard, the WGA has refused to allow participation in this season's awards shows. The Golden Globe ceremony has been cancelled due to the Writers Strike and instead the awards will be announced via press conference on January 13.

The People's Choice Awards had to rethink their ceremony as well and elected to tape the show for later broadcast rather than show it live. Awards were delivered to winners on set and many gave pre-recorded acceptance speeches. Several of the actors voiced support for the WGA in their speeches. Joaquin Phoenix actually did his thank you via cue cards, without speaking a word. They read, "I'm speechless without the writers. Seriously. But in my own quiet way, I want to thank the millions of fans that voted for me for favorite leading man."

Here's the complete list of winners:

TV
Female TV star: Katherine Heigl
Male TV star: Patrick Dempsey
Talk show host: Ellen DeGeneres
Scene stealer: Chandra Wilson
TV drama: "House"
TV comedy: "Two and a Half Men"
Reality show: "Dancing With the Stars"
Game show: "Deal or No Deal"
Sci-fi show: "Stargate Atlantis"
Animated TV show: "The Simpsons"
Female movie star: Reese Witherspoon
Male movie star: Johnny Depp
Leading lady: Drew Barrymore
Leading man: Joaquin Phoenix

MOVIES
Female action star: Keira Knightley
Male action star: Matt Damon
On-screen match-up: George Clooney and Brad Pitt
Movie: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Movie drama: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
Movie comedy: "Knocked Up"
Action movie: "The Bourne Ultimatum"
Family movie: "Shrek the Third"
"Threequel": "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Independent movie: "Becoming Jane"

MUSIC
Female singer: Gwen Stefani
Male singer: Justin Timberlake
Group: Rascal Flatts
Pop song: Justin Timberlake, "What Goes Around ... Comes Around"
Rock song: Daughtry, "Home"
Country song: Rascal Flatts, "Stand"
Hip-hop song: Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, "Give it to Me"
R&B song: Rhianna, "Shut Up & Drive"
Song from a soundtrack: "You Can't Stop the Beat" from "Hairspray"
Reunion tour: The Police

COMEDY
Funny male: Robin Williams
Funny female: Ellen DeGeneres

Looks like Grey's Anatomy seriously cleaned up in the TV acting categories.

If You're Finished with my Brain, I'd Kindly Like it Back

2008-01-09T06:33:00.001-08:00

I know I am a mom and I am supposed to think for my kids, but I thought after 8 or 10 or 12 years they might start doing a little thinking for themselves. No dice.

Last Night The Pleaser had a Whiz Quiz tournament (yes, he is very smart) and I had given him one task when I dropped him at school: Find out what time we need to be there and where we need to go. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

I picked him up from school and, as we drove away, asked him if he had that information. He said, "I have a schedule." I drive away so proud, thinking "My kid is so super-awesome." Boy was I wrong (well he is awesome, just not at that moment).

When we got home, I look at the schedule. It is a schedule, but only a schedule of the upcoming tournaments. It doesn't tell me if we meet at his school or go to the tourney school. It doesn't tell me what time he needs to be there, if I am supposed to take him or if he is riding a bus. I kinda need to know these things. I'm sure he was either told or given a handout at one point but that information never seems to get to me (like last year when I found out about the out-of-town Science Olympiad at 3pm the day before the 8am start of the competition). He said he thought the coach told them to be there at 4:45 so I made the executive mom decision that we would go to the tournament school and that turned out to be the right thing to do, thankfully.

Danger Boy was lacking brain function yesterday as well. When I picked him up, he very snottily said to me, "Mom, you need to send me a jacket every day. I didn't get to go to recess today because I didn't have one." I said, "What season is it?" He replied, "Winter." I said, "When you walked outside, did you not notice it was cold?" He said, "I did, but you didn't tell me to get my jacket." I guess it is against the law for him to wear a jacket unless I tell him to put it on?

I don't understand?? Have I done too much thinking for them in their lives. Have I not taught them to think for themselves? Do I chalk it up to the fact that they are just kids. Or is the bigger problem the fact that they are boys?

Wait, I think I know the answer. Phone Guy, don't forget to put on clean underwear.

The DVR That Ate Doctor Who

2008-01-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve, I made my cheese dip, popped open some Raspberry Ginger Ale (yes I'm a party animal) and plopped down in front of the TV with my boys for a marathon of Seasons 1 and 2 of Doctor Who. I was so psyched. I had watched some of the eppys from Season 1, but I wanted to watch them all, in order, and get ready for Season 3.

So I pulled up my DVR menu and scrolled down to the D's and found all 2 episodes of Doctor Who. Wait? 2 episodes? Yes, 2 episodes. It seems my TV addiction is so bad that I had maxxed out the memory on the DVR and as it was recording all those Rankin-Bass Christmas specials from ABC Family, it was deleting the beloved Doctor.

I guess I have 2 choices: Clean off the DVR or see if I can sweet talk the satellite company into giving me a bigger one. I think I'll try the latter first.

As for Doctor Who, I may now be forced to purchase the DVDs. How terrible! ;)

Happy New Year

2008-01-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time, hasn't it? Yeah well, I got involved in doing some freelance writing and I will confess I was in a bit over my head. I kept up with it, but barely and it left no time for my baby here.

It looks like that writing may be coming to an end. At the very least, the job will be cut to 1/3 of what I was doing. That means it's time to dust off Crazy 4 TV and get back to talking about all of my favorite shows and my life in general.

What?! The writers are on strike! There is no new TV to talk about?! You're kidding me! (OK, of course I already knew that...I was just messin' with ya!) ;)

It's not a total loss...yet. We still have LOST starting up in a few weeks. There's one more Grey's Anatomy and 3 more ER's left. Plus there's also a lot of gossip out there and we can always review the writers' YouTube videos if we get bored.

So hang with me and we'll get this puppy back on track. It's good to be home!

Well Premiere Week is History...

2007-10-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

What I watched...and what I thought:

How I Met Your Mother - Legendary
Heroes - Rocked!
Chuck - Cute but corny. I'll give it a chance.
Back to You - Hilarity
Bionic Woman - Kicks Ass
Life - Best new show I've seen
Private Practice - Lame (but giving it another chance)
Reaper - My new fave
Grey's - Is Back
ER - Lukewarm
Smallville - Chloe Yay! Lana Boo.

Weigh in - what is your new favorite. How did the old faves fare?

I Want My Old Nyquil

2007-09-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

Why did Vick's have to jack around with my Nyquil? When the meth addicts started giving pseudoephedrine a bad name, Vick's went pansy on us and pulled the good stuff out of Nyquil. It was the only thing that would help me rest when I had a cold, and now it's different. It doesn't do anything to help me out. I haven't slept in 2 days.

Stupid meth heads.

So the Emmy's...

2007-09-17T14:19:00.001-07:00

Yeah. As usual, most of my favorites didn't win. That's why I don't make predictions. I was happy about Terry O'Quinn & Katherine Heigl's wins but the rest...eh.

Here's the rundown of the major awards, in case you missed it:

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
JEREMY PIVEN as Ari Gold - Entourage (HBO)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
TERRY O’QUINN as John Locke - LOST (ABC)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
JAIME PRESSLY as Joy Turner - My Name is Earl (NBC)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
KATHERINE HEIGL as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens - Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
RICKY GERVAIS as Andy Millman - Extras (HBO)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
SALLY FIELD as Nora Walker - Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
AMERICA FERRERA as Betty Suarez - Ugly Betty (ABC)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
JAMES SPADER as Alan Shore - Boston Legal (ABC)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
30 ROCK (NBC)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
THE SOPRANOS (HBO)

My DVD Players Have Quit Working!

2007-09-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Both of my DVD players have gone caput. The one in the bedroom started acting goofy last week and today the one in the living room quit too. AAAAAHHHHHH! Is there a conspiracy to keep me from watching my new Grey's Anatomy DVD? And what about that NBC Preview DVD I just got from Blockbuster? Oh yeah, and that Blades of Glory that was due 2 days ago and I haven't watched yet?

I am faced with 2 choices: Steal a player from one of my boys or buy a new one. If I steal one from the kids, they will just be bugging me to watch their DVDs in the living room so I might as well shell out the bucks for a new one.

Anybody know of a good sale?

UGH...

Alright Already

2007-09-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering this blog for a few days, trying to decide what I'm going to do here. Of course, I'm going to keep bringing the TV love, but I think I'm going a little more personal with this blog, too.

So officially, today, this blog becomes the blog about MY favorite shows and MY life (which basically revolves around my favorite shows anyway).

Speaking of my favorite shows, I got my Heroes DVD last week. If you haven't seen the unaired pilot, go now to get your DVD! It is AWESOME!! It also has 50 deleted scenes. Yes, FIFTY! I still haven't made it through all of them.

I ordered my Grey's Anatomy DVD yesterday and it's ready for me to pick up at Best Buy, so I'll report back when I've eyed the special features on that one. I elected for Best Buy because they were offering a free bonus DVD and, if you know me, you know I'm a sucker for free stuff.

One more week until Smallville comes to DVD and then my wallet is safe until December when LOST hits stores.

What a month!

2007-08-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to stop by and say "Hello" and let you know that I'm still alive and will begin updating again very soon.

My life over the last month has been a roller coaster and it seems I haven't had much time to do anything.

My grandpa passed away on July 28, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 84, and had lived a full, long life, but it was still hard to say good-bye. I spent the two weeks after his death helping my grandma and mom with things like phone calls to social security, filing life insurance claims and getting thank you's done. In addition to all of that, I had been swamped at work with all the quarterly things that have to be done.

Then last week, just when I thought things would settle down a bit, my father-in-law called. He was frantic because my sister-in-law had just called to say she was having an emergency c-section. She was due on December 1st, so this was shocking news, of course. It seems she had HELLP syndrome, and was very grave. They took the baby to save her life and brought him by air ambulance to the area where DH and I live (they are about 2 hours away). So we rushed to the hospital to be there when the baby got there. We stayed off and on for several days until sister-in-law was feeling better and could get out to visit the baby.

She is doing so much better and baby Andrew is hanging tough. If you are the praying type and can spare a prayer for him and his family, it would be much appreciated. He is one week old tomorrow, but only would be only 25 1/2 weeks gestational age. He has a long, hard road ahead of him, but I feel good about his chances. The doctors and nurses who are caring for him seem to be the best.

So maybe the turmoil around here will settle down eventually...The boys head back to school next week and the new TV season is fast approaching. I'm looking forward to fall.

Fall Premiere Dates!!

2007-08-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here are the dates for the 2007-2008 fall television premieres, as reported by TV Squad. This list includes all premieres that have been announced to date (new shows are in bold).

Thursday, August 30th

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX)

Saturday, September 8th

Cops (FOX)

America's Most Wanted (FOX)

Tuesday, September 11th

The Biggest Loser (NBC)

Thursday, September 13th

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (FOX)

Friday, September 14th

NASHVILLE (FOX)

Saturday, September 15th

MADtv (FOX)

Talkshow with Spike Feresten (FOX)

Monday, September 17th

Deal or no Deal (NBC)

Prison Break (FOX)

K-VILLE (FOX)

Tuesday, September 18th

Beauty and the Geek (CW)

Wednesday, September 19th

KID NATION (CBS)

America's Next Top Model (CW)

BACK TO YOU (FOX)

Til' Death (FOX)

Bones (FOX)

Thursday, September 20th

Survivor:China (CBS)

Friday, September 21st

Friday Night Smackdown (CW)

Sunday, September 23rd

60 Minutes (CBS)

Cold Case (CBS)

Shark (CBS)

The Simpsons (FOX)

King of the Hill (FOX)

Family Guy (FOX)

CW NOW (CW)

ONLINE NATION (CW)

Monday, September 24th

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)

The Bachelor (ABC)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)

Two and a Half Men (CBS)

Rules of Engagement (CBS)

CSI:Miami (CBS)

CHUCK (NBC)

Heroes (NBC)

JOURNEYMAN (NBC)

Tuesday, September 25th

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)

NCIS (CBS)

The Unit (CBS)

NEW AMSTERDAM (FOX)

House (FOX)

CANE (CBS)

REAPER (CW)

The Singing Bee (NBC)

Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

Wednesday, September 26th

Dancing With the Stars (ABC) - first results show at 'special' day and time

PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC)

DIRTY SEXY MONEY (ABC)

Criminal Minds (CBS)

CSI:NY (CBS)

GOSSIP GIRL (CW)

Deal or no Deal (NBC)

BIONIC WOMAN (NBC)

LIFE (NBC)

Thursday, September 27th

Ugly Betty (ABC)

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

BIG SHOTS (ABC)

CSI (CBS)

Without a Trace (CBS)

Smallville (CW)

My Name is Earl (NBC)

The Office (NBC)

ER (NBC)

Friday, September 28th

Ghost Whisperer (CBS)

MOONLIGHT (CBS)

Numb3rs (CBS)

Deal or no Deal (NBC) - in new time slot

Las Vegas (NBC)

Saturday, September 29th

48 Hours Mysteries (CBS)

Sunday, September 30th

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

American Dad (FOX)

Monday, October 1st

Everybody Hates Chris (CW)

ALIENS IN AMERICA (CW)

Girlfriends (CW)

The Game (CW)

Tuesday, October 2nd

CAVEMEN (ABC)

CARPOOLERS (ABC)

Dancing With the Stars Results Show (ABC) - Regular time-slot premiere

Wednesday, October 3rd

PUSHING DAISIES (ABC)

Thursday, October 4th

Supernatural (CW)

30 Rock (NBC)

Friday, October 5th

Friday Night Lights (NBC)

Sunday, October 7th

America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)

LIFE IS WILD (CW)

Friday, October 12th

20/20 (ABC)

WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB (ABC)

Men In Trees (ABC)

Monday, October 15th

Samantha Who? (ABC)

Thursday, October 18th

VIVA LAUGHLIN (CBS) - preview

Sunday, October 21st

VIVA LAUGHLIN (CBS) - Time slot premiere

Thursday, October 25th

Scrubs (NBC)

Tuesday, November 27th

CASHMERE MAFIA (ABC) - premiere after Dancing with the Stars

Tuesday, December 4th

CASHMERE MAFIA (ABC) -- Regular time slot premiere

Boston Legal's premiere date hasn't been announced yet.

Wife Swap, Notes From The Underbelly, October Road and 24 will return in early 2008. LOST will return in February of 2008.

Julianna Marguiles will star in Canterbury's Law on FOX in early 2008. The Sarah Conner Chronicles also comes to FOX in January. The new Amy Sherman-Palladino show The Return Of Jezebel James will premiere on FOX in the spring.

Harold Perrineau to get LOST again

2007-07-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

ABC exec Stephen McPherson was elusive but after being pressed by reporters at Comic Con, he finally revealed that Harold Perrineau has officially rejoined the LOST cast for season four.

So we might actually find out what happened to Michael and Walt after they took off on that boat. And will we see Walt again other than in strange visions? I'm guessing if we do, the writers will have some explaining to do. Like Walt had some radical growth hormone therapy conducted on him by The Others. Have you seen that kid lately? He's had quite a growth spurt since we last saw him on the Island.

'Heroes' Sylar to play Spock in the new Star Trek flick

2007-07-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yahoo news is reporting that J.J. Abrams has cast Zachary Quinto (our beloved villain, Sylar, from Heroes) as a young Spock in his upcoming Star Trek film. Older Spock will be played by none other than Leonard Nimoy himself. They announced the casting at Comic-Con.

As of yet, the young Captain Kirk has not been cast and J.J. says he's trying to find a way to get William Shatner involved in the project. As well he should, I say. How can you have a Star Trek without Shatner? (I have secret dork love for Mr. Bill.)

Drew Carey taking over 'The Price is Right'

2007-07-23T21:18:00.001-07:00

They've found Bob Barker's replacement and it's Drew Carey. I love Drew and I think he'll do an awesome job. He'll definitely bring a different style to the show but he's a great comedian and a talented improvisationalist, so he should do fine.

You can read more about it on Yahoo news.

Emmy Nominations are in!!

2007-07-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

My thoughts...LOST is missing from Best Drama, but Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn get well-deserved nods in the Best Supporting Actor category. And Masi Oka for Heroes. Yay! Lots of Grey's names in the Best Supporting Actress category. I have to root for Chandra Wilson as she is fabulous in her role! Steve Carrell competes with Ricky Gervais in Best Actor in a Comedy. Brilliant! So glad to see Neil Patrick Harris nominated for his role as Barney in How I Met Your Mother. He is legendary in that role. :D That's all I am going to ramble on about for now. Here are the major nominees. To see the rest, visit http://www.emmys.tv

DRAMA SERIES
Boston Legal
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
House
The Sopranos

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
Hugh Laurie, House
Denis Leary, Rescue Me
James Spader, Boston Legal
Kiefer Sutherland, 24

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Minnie Driver, The Riches
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Michael Emerson, Lost
Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos
T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy
Terry O'Quinn, Lost
Masi Oka, Heroes
William Shatner, Boston Legal

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Aida Turturro, The Sopranos
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Tim Daly, The Sopranos
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
John Goodman, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip
David Morse, House
Eli Wallach, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip
Forest Whitaker, ER

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kate Burton, Grey's Anatomy
Leslie Caron, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Marcia Gay Harden, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Elizabeth Reaser, Grey's Anatomy
Jean Smart, 24

COMEDY SERIES
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Rainn Wilson, The Office

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men
Jenna Fischer, The Office
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Beau Bridges, My Name Is Earl
Martin Landau, Entourage
Sir Ian McKellen, Extras
Giovanni Ribisi, My Name Is Earl
Stanley Tucci, Monk

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Dixie Carter, Desperate Housewives
Salma Hayek, Ugly Betty
Judith Light, Ugly Betty
Laurie Metcalf, Desperate Housewives
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock

REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Night With Conan O?Brien
Late Show With David Letterman
Real Time With Bill Maher

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner
The Kennedy Center Honors: A National Celebration Of The Performing Arts
Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed
Tony Bennett: An American Classic
A Tribute To James Taylor (Great Performances)
Wanda Sykes: Sick And Tired

MINISERIES
Broken Trail
Prime Suspect: The Final Act
The Starter Wife

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
Inside The Twin Towers
Longford
The Ron Clark Story
Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Jim Broadbent, Longford
Robert Duvall, Broken Trail
William H. Macy, Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From The Stories Of Stephen King
Matthew Perry , The Ron Clark Story
Tom Selleck, Jesse Stone: Sea Change

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Queen Latifah , Life Support
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act
Mary-Louise Parker, The Robber Bride
Gena Rowlands, What If God Were The Sun

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Edward Asner, The Christmas Card
Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trail
Joe Mantegna, The Starter Wife
Aidan Quinn, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
August Schellenberg, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Toni Collette, Tsunami, The Aftermath
Judy Davis, The Starter Wife
Samantha Morton, Longford
Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
Greta Scacchi, Broken Trail

REALITY PROGRAM
Antiques Roadshow
Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
Penn & Teller: Bull----!

www.451press.com - blogs on every topic

Isaiah found another job

2007-07-17T13:36:00.001-07:00

Well, that was fast. Isaiah Washington has signed to star in 5 episodes of the new Bionic Woman for NBC. I had this one on my list to watch next fall but this turns me off a little. I guess I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

NBC may also be developing a "non-action" series with Washington.

"He's a wonderful actor and a great performer, and he became available," said NBC's new chief programmer, Ben Silverman, who was installed as the network's co-chairman of entertainment in late May with Marc Graboff.

Graboff called the decision to cast Washington in one of NBC's most high-profile new series "a second chance," saying he was confident the actor had "learned his lessons about the way he acts around his fellow actors and the public."

"He knows he came this close to losing his career," Graboff added.

You can read more about it at Yahoo News.

www.451press.com - blogs on every topic

Farscape & Galactica Fans, Good News

2007-07-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

For my friend Jenn, I had to blog about this. :)

Sci-Fi is reviving "Farscape," which originally ran from 1999 to 2003, as a 10-part series on SciFi.com. "Farscape" is one of three new broadband-only series being introduced by the Sci-Fi network.

"Farscape" star Ben Browder and producer Andrew Prowse are also developing a six-hour miniseries for Sci-Fi inspired by "The Odyssey," titled "Going Homer."

Sci-Fi is extending its "Battlestar Galactica" franchise with a series of "minisodes," each just a few minutes long, set to unspool in October, leading up to a full-length special episode, "Razor," on November 24. The minisodes, which depict the original Cylon war, will be packaged with a DVD release of "Razor" and be made available on SciFi.com after their on-air run.

www.451press.com - blogs on every topic

Heaven Help Us All - Tori Spelling is a Minister

2007-07-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks it's true. Tori Spelling is now an ordained minister.

"I am now officially ordained," Spelling, 34, writes on her MySpace blog. "Yep, that's right – Reverend Tori Spelling! I did it last week online and my official certificate is in the mail."

She even officiated a ceremony at Chateau La Rue, the bed and breakfast she runs with husband Dean McDermott for their Oxygen reality show Tori & Dean Inn Love.

www.451press.com - blogs on every topic

Eva Longoria and Tony Parker Tie the Knot

2007-07-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's official, Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria and San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker got married over the weekend...twice. They were married in France so, by law, they had to marry in a civil ceremony before their church wedding. Thursday they went before a judge, but the main event was Saturday. They joined countless couples in celebrating 7/7/07 - presumably the luckiest day of the century. We'll see if that luck holds true for this celebrity couple! If anyone needs luck in marriage, it's celebrities.

www.451press.com - blogs on every topic

TV Guide's list of the Top 30 Cult Shows of all time

2007-07-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

TV Guide has put together their list of the Top 30 Cult Shows of All Time. See if you agree. Heroes is noticeably absent.

30 - Strangers with Candy (1999-2000)
29 - Abolutely Fabulous (1994-2003)
28 - Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
27 - H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1971)
26 - Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1975-1978)
25 - Firefly (2002-2003)
24 - Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
23 - Dark Shadows (1966-1971)
22 - Doctor Who (1963-present)
21 - Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)

20 - The Avengers (1966-1969)
19 - Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
18 - Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
17 - Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990)
16 - Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
15 - Family Guy (1999-present)
14 - Battlestar Galactica (2003-present)
13 - Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989-1999)
12 - Jericho (2006-present)

10 - Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)
9 - Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
8 - The Simpsons (1989-present))
7 - The Prisoner (1967-1968)
6 - Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969-1974)
5 - Lost (2004-present)
4 - Farscape (1999-2003)
3 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
2 - The X-Files (1993-2002)
1 - Star Trek (1966-1969)

For blogs on every topic, check out 451 Press.

Sneak Peek at Grey's Anatomy Season 3 DVD

2007-07-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Releasing on Septemember 11, the Grey's Anatomy Season 3 DVD will include 7 discs and loads of special features. So far, the rumored special features include:

Four Un-cut, Extended Episodes
A One-on-One with Ellen Pompeo
"Making Rounds with Patrick Dempsey" - Join McDreamy on the race track for his favorite hobby
"Good Medicine" - Cast and crew share their favorite scenes
"Prescription for Success" - A look at how a new character is created
Audio Commentaries

Ellen and Patrick were noticably absent from the special features on the Season 2 DVD, so it will be nice to see them on this set. This is another must-have for my collection. Pre-order it from Amazon.com for yours today!

Blogs on every topic - www.451press.com

Grey's spinoff already doing the cast-shuffle

2007-07-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

I actually liked Merrin Dungey, but I already liked her from The King of Queens. I don't think it's a good sign if they're moving things around before they get started. From Access Hollywood:

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 29, 2007) -- A single episode has yet to air (well, at least not on its own), but that hasn't stopped producers of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off from shuffling the cast.

According to TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello, Kate Walsh's "Private Practice" co-star Merrin Dungey (pictured, middle) has been shown the door in favor of Audra McDonald in the role of Dr. Naomi Bennet. McDonald, although not well-known in Hollywood, is a 4-time Tony winner, currently starring in the revival of "110 In The Shade." She starred opposite P.Diddy in last year's Broadway revival of "A Raisin In The Sun."

ABC confirmed the news with Access Hollywood when contacted.

The decision was reportedly made for creative reasons. Earlier this month, there were rumblings some of the actors didn't "pop" with the audience, Ausiello reports.

All indications suggest Dr. Bennet will be an integral part of the cast as Addison Montgomery's confidante and the ex-wife of Taye Diggs' character.

McDonald's credits include "Kidnapped" and "The Bedford Diaries," where she played Professor Carla Bonatelle.

According to Ausiello, no further casting changes are expected to be made before the show begins production next month.

www.451press.com - blogs on every topic

Is the Green Arrow coming back to Smallville?

2007-07-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Looks like it! Justin Hartley's official website has the following info posted:

Hartley Does Double Duty For The CW
Justin Hartley joins the cast of CW's mid-season replacement series, "Eight Days A Week" opposite Christina Milan and Mario Lopez produced by Sean Hayes. Hartley, who will play the role of 'Ben,' will also continue his role on as the 'Green Arrow'/Oliver Queen' on CW's "SMALLVILLE." Congratulations Justin!

Let's hope it's true! He was the best new character to come to Smallville in a long time.

www.451press.com

LOST's Matthew Fox to Star in 'Speed Racer' Movie

2007-06-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so psyched about this. I love Speed Racer. In fact, as a child, I had a crush on Speed Racer. I know you're thinking, Speed Racer is a Cartoon. So what? Speed was awesome and handsome and such a great guy.

So anyway, the Wackowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame), are making a live-action version of the classic cartoon and, as I understand it, are remaining impossibly faithful to the look and story of the original. Foxxy will be starring as the mysterious Racer X.

The film began shooting this month and is expected to keep Matthew Fox busy right up to the beginning of shooting for LOST Season Four.

Check out this video featuring an unveiling of the right-on-the-money Mach 5 and snippets of cast interviews:

Nod to The Tail Section for the story.

Smallville Season 6 DVD Cover Art

2007-06-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

This wasn't available when I posted about the DVD before, but I thought it was worth another post. Clark is looking all grown up and very foxxy here (as well he should since Tom Welling recently celebrated his 30th birthday). You also get a little sexy Lex and, unfortunately, a little Lana in the background.

This will make a nice addition to my collection!

Nods to Kryptonsite and Amazon.com!

Ex-'Grey's' star cites racism for firing

2007-06-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

Did I call it, or did I call it? I said he would scream racism if given the chance. I have two words for Isaiah Washington: Shut Up!

Here's the story from Yahoo News:

LOS ANGELES - "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington said racism was a factor in his firing from the hit ABC series after he twice used an anti-gay slur.

Washington, who initially used the epithet during an onset clash with a co-star, told Newsweek magazine that "someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me."

He tried to make amends by expressing remorse and volunteering to enter a counseling program to understand how the confrontation got out of hand, he told Newsweek.

"My mistake was believing that I would get the support from my network and all of my cast mates across the board. My mistake was believing I could correct a wrong with honesty and sincerity," he said in the interview posted online Thursday.

"My mistake was thinking black people get second chances. I was wrong on all fronts," he said. His unwillingness to act like a submissive black at work was part of the problem, Washington said.

"Well, it didn't help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn't a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn't speak like I'd just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime," he said.

"I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that `some people' were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I'm a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn't go around saying `Yessah, massa sir' and `No sir, massa' to everyone?
"It's nuts when your presence alone can just scare people, and that made me a prime candidate to take the heat in a dysfunctional family," he said.

ABC declined comment Thursday. In its one public statement regarding Washington, issued in January, the network said his actions were "unacceptable."

Washington, who used the slur against co-star T.R. Knight during a confrontation with Patrick Dempsey, repeated the word backstage at the Golden Globes in January in denying the first incident. A public apology to Knight and others followed.

ABC renews 'According to Jim' after all

2007-06-28T06:48:00.001-07:00

I am happy to report that ABC has given a last-minute reprieve to one of the only family-friendly sitcoms left on TV. "According to Jim" is one of the few programs that I feel I can sit with my kids and watch. I remember when I was a kid, sitting and watching prime-time with my parents and you just can't do that today. These days, the networks feel pressured to push the limits with shows like "2 1/2 Men" in order to compete with cable. I love "2 1/2 Men" as much as the next guy but it's definitely not suitable for little guys. To find anything safe for the kids, you have to put them in front of the Disney Channel, and let's face it, most of what they show is not at all appealing to people over 12. So I give kudos to ABC for bringing it back!

You can read more about "Jim's" repreive here.

Grey's + TV Land = Classic Parody

2007-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is from last year's TV Land awards, but if you're a TV fan, it's a must-watch. It's chocked full of classic tv doctors with a little surprise at the end. So if you haven't seen it (or even if you have), take a minute and watch it. It's sure to give you a chuckle:

Need a Heroes Fix?

2007-06-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Go to NBC.com and watch some behind-the-scenes "webisodes". There are 4 up right now: Stunts, Wardrobe, The Score and Visual Effects. OK, I know it's not the same as a real episode but I'll take what I can get over the hiatus.

And good news - the cast is back at work filming new episodes! Come on September!!

No LOST DVD until December 11?

2007-06-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

That's what Amazon.com says anyway. Why so long? If it's not coming back until February, I am going to need the DVD to pass some time. I think they're just yanking my chain and it will come out by September. I'm clinging to that hope anyway. :)

Rumor is that it will have 3 bonus discs with extra features including something for fans to "pass the time" with. Ooooh. I can't wait to find out what it is!

So Isaiah Washington...yeah

2007-06-10T05:52:00.001-07:00

So he didn't get renewed. Is anyone really surprised? He's probably lucky the network let him finish out the contract he had. Networks don't put up with that crap.

Personally, I don't think what he said was worth getting fired over if it was a one-time thing said out of frustration. Everybody has a bad day. However, I think the way he handled it was out of line.

I also think if the situation had been reversed, and someone had used a derogatory remark toward him, he would have been the one screaming and throwing a fit about getting that person fired. I think T.R. Knight handled things very professionally and I have a lot of respect for him. Isaiah lost my respect after the Golden Globes.

I won't miss him. I'll look forward to some new doctors on Grey's this season to freshen up the storylines.

Animated Avatars from this past TV Season

2007-06-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

These animated avatars are some of my favorites from this last TV Season.

Smallville

Heroes

and LOST

Can't wait for Heroes on DVD

2007-05-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

I was just reading at Herosite.net that the Heroes Season 1 DVD comes out August 28. I cannot wait! It sounds like this set is going to have some great special features too!

Audio Commentaries

73-minute Original Pilot with optional commentary

50 Deleted Scenes

Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes on The Making Of Heroes, Special Effects, Stunts, Tim Sale, and The Score

And on the HD version there is even more (alas I don't have HD TV yet!):

"Minder Reader" (game I suppose)

Character Connections

Picture-in-Picture

Genetic Abilities

Helix Revealed

I am so ready to rewatch this season already. I wish it was coming out sooner so I could rewatch all summer long. :)

Too much money, too few brains

2007-05-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you're tired of hearing about Lindsay Lohan. Yeah.

Still one of my all-time faves - Moonlighting

2007-05-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

I spent my day yesterday doing laundry. It's not my favorite chore by far so I grabbed the Moonlighting Season 3 DVD set and finished watching it as I sorted, folded and hung up the clothes.

Moonlighting is probably my all-time favorite show. When I was a teen, I never missed a Tuesday night. I remember my French teacher was a big fan too and every Tuesday morning when I walked into her class, we'd look at each other and say, "It's Moonlighting night!". Of course, the 3rd season was filled with turmoil...cast fighting, Bruce Willis' broken collar bone, Cybill Shepherd's pregnancy and other production delays...which led to rerun after frustrating rerun.

The DVD lets you forget about all that though (except when they remind you in classic tongue-in-cheek Moonlighting fashion) and watch all 15 episodes from start to finish with no reruns! There are some classics - Atomic Shakespeare, Big Man on Mulberry Street, Mark Harmon as Sam Crawford (I had forgotten how totally hot he was back then!) and of course, I Am Curious...Maddie where David & Maddie finally get together. There is also a great interview with Glenn Caron, Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd all in the same room! Greatness!

So I recommend you pick up or rent all of the Moonlighting DVD's. It's a great, timeless story - if you can get past the shoulder pads and 80's hair. Check it out!

Smallville Season 6 on DVD September 11!

2007-05-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

DVD was what brought me to Smallville in the first place. I watched a few episodes during the summer hiatus after season 1 and I thought they were awesome. I ran out and bought the DVD as soon as it was available and was able to see the story from the beginning. I was hooked! I now own all 5 seasons and can't wait to get season 6!

Season 6 had it's share of Lana's hospital visits and Clark's whining but we also got some awesome moments like the Justice League, lots of Green Arrow-ness and a spectacular finale (even if there is no way Lana really blew up!)

According to Kryptonsite the DVD, which comes out September 11, will include some extras:

Ultimate Fan featurette - Fans sent in videos and some were chosen to be interviewed on the actual DVD set, which also includes interviews with cast and crew talking about their experiences with the fandom.

Green Arrow documentary - Justin Hartley made his Green debut this year. This DVD extra has interviews with people who have made their own mark on the world's greatest emerald archer, including Kevin Smith, Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, and more.

There is some mention of deleted scenes being included in the press release posted on TV Shows on DVD as well.

You can pre-order your copy at Amazon.com today!

Can I survive summer hiatus?

2007-05-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

So this past Wednesday marked the end of the TV season for me. The last of my shows ended for the summer, leaving me feeling empty. What will I do weeknights for the next four months!? How will I go on without my stories every week? I seem to manage every year. Maybe my house will be a little cleaner. Maybe my kids will feel a little more loved. Maybe my husband will get some quality time. Maybe I'll do all those projects I've been putting off. Yeah.

Or...I could watch the entire season of The Office that's been sitting on my DVR all year. And I could rewatch the breathtaking LOST season finale a few more times. And I could scour the internet looking for start dates of my favorite shows and hints to what next season will entail. And I could spend lots more time making avatars to post on here.

I think I'll survive the summer after all.

Ping, Ping, Ping

2007-05-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

LOST Icons - "Through the Looking Glass"

2007-05-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few from the LOST Season Finale, "Through the Looking Glass". I'm still working on some more...

Heroes - "How to Stop an Exploding Man"

2007-05-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

Heroes Awesome Season Finale - "How to Stop an Exploding Man"!

LOST Icons - Season 3

2007-05-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have lots of LOST icons from Season 3. These are from several different episodes. I know we have some from "Tricia Tanaka is Dead", "Flashes Before Your Eyes", "I Do", "The Man from Tallahassee" and maybe a few others. Here they are:

Heroes Icons - Season 1 Misc.

2007-05-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

An array of Heroes icons from Season 1. This show has got to be the best all-around on TV right now!

Grey's Anatomy Icons - Great Expectations

2007-05-24T16:10:00.001-07:00

A couple more from "Great Expectations" - the marriage proposals!

Grey's Anatomy Icons - Some Kind of Miracle

2007-05-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be posting some of my older icons to start out. Here are some from the Grey's Anatomy episode "Some Kind of Miracle". The Denny & Izzie ones are some of my all-time favorites!

Welcome!

2007-05-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

I started making icons & avatars for myself and for some friends just for fun. I decided to start this blog as a place to showcase them and keep them organized. I thought it would be a fun way to share them. I might throw some random thoughts out there as well. I hope you will stop by and visit often. Make sure you check out the links to my favorite places while you're here, too.