The Buddy Walk

Last Saturday, we attended our first Down Syndrome Buddy Walk for my nephew, Mitchell. What an event! There was a carnival (with awesome prizes - Mitchell got a big Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal and Katie got a Ty Beanie Baby -- at the FISH POND!!!) and then, there was the Walk. Team Mitch Man was happy to be there to support our favorite guy.

Me and Mitch Man (ignore my stupid bent glasses -- it was bright and I needed something!)

Katie "helping" her cousin

Very patient boy waiting for his "U" face paint

Much happier with the whole get-up

Grandma Paula and the awesome Fish Pond prize

Mitchell and his B.F.F., Tommy

Katie and the Alta Hawk (boo!)

Baby brother Jack slept through the whole thing

Mitchell loved hearing everyone cheer "Mitch Man! Mitch Man!" as we entered the starting line

Mitchell and his Uncle Aaron

Jude's Thursday Dish #47

Lunch, er breakfast, rush today! Utah Family magazine is FINALLY going glossy. No more newsprint! Which after 15 years and my 4 years of employment is VERY cool. But, my boss made the decision 2 weeks before deadline. All our ads need to be resized, editorial streamlined, etc. Since we all wear many hats there, as most of you know, I also sell on top of my editorial duties. We all sell. That's what happens when you work for a small business. So, everything needs to be done tomorrow, so I can proof layout on Monday and we go to print! Look for us conference weekend! We're also going to be having City Weekly add us to 400 of their high profile, public drop-off locations around SLC. I hope we'll be hard to miss.

So, here's some quick Dish today:

- LOVED "The Office" premiere. That episode was CLASSIC "Office" with Michael being extremely awkward. I love contained episodes where everyone is involved. I hope they keep it up. Last season felt very "Jump the Sharky" near the end. Watch season 1 & 2 episodes and you'll see what I mean.

- Speaking of old "Office" eps, I'm so happy that KJZZ is doing re-runs from 10 - 11 p.m. each night. I've exhausted "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Sex and the City" on TBS. I think I've seen every episode of SATC a half dozen times by now. I need something new. I can't watch news at 10 p.m. It freaks me out and I can't sleep, so sitcoms are the way to go!

- "Parks & Rec" was so funny. If you didn't see Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope singing "Poker Face" drunk, then you missed out.

- I promised I'd tame the "Glee" references, but can I just say? "Single Ladies" last night killed!

- The Emmy's were much better than last year. Liked having the different genres be awarded all together, the stage was awesome, the P.C. guy doing random trivia -- very funny. Could definitely leave out the mini-series genre -- make them go to the "Schmemmy's" (Creative Arts Emmy's) as Kathy Griffin would call them. Thoughts on winners:

* Although I adore Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock, I was really hoping someone else would win just to mix it up.

* Same goes for "The Amazing Race" - love the show (it premieres this Sunday!) and I realize it's terribly difficult to produce, but yawn... let someone else win.

* Annoyed that Toni Collette beat out all those other great ladies. Same goes for Jon Cryer and that stupid "Malcolm in the Middle" guy for beating my hubby-in-another-life Jon Hamm.

* THRILLED (I actually shouted out loud) that Michael Emerson finally got the kudo's he deserved for playing Benry on "Lost". He was so gracious and perfect in his speech. Too bad that's all the love "Lost" got.

* Also SO happy that Kristin Chenowith (aka the Original Glinda from "Wicked") won for "Pushing Daisies". I miss that show. I'm just happy Kristin will be on "Glee" next week. Oops, another reference.

* I thought the glasses thing for the best supporting actress nominees was really cute, even with pole-up-her-butt Vanessa Williams pretending she refused to do it. But better still was Sarah Silverman's stache. Genius. I hate her, but that was REALLY funny.

* I really liked Neil Patrick Harris. Hosting gigs are brutal. No one is ever happy. Way to go, Doogie!

That's it for this week!

Jude's Thursday Dish #46

First matter of business, I've forgiven John. But enough of that, there is a LOT to dish on. It's been a busy Pop Culture Week.

1. ORY MAINE!!!! That would be Patrick Swayze. Again, someone who I totally grew up with died prematurely. It's so strange. My best friends Leslie, Anne-Katherine, and I were OBSESSED with the mini-series "North and South" parts 1 & 2 (part 3 sucked, and Patrick Swayze wasn't in it). This show was his big break. He was 30 when he started it and even though he had appeared as secondary characters in other films, this is what put him on the map and led him to "Dirty Dancing." He played Ory Maine, the Maine character - ha ha. It was just a Civil War soap, but he was actually really good in it. The dialogue could be cheesy "I'm worried about the children, the ones you ain't giving me!" (said by Justin, played by David Carradine -- another person who died too young, but I can't say I'm really sorry about him). There was this sex scene between Leslie Anne Down and Patrick Swayze that by today's standards isn't anything worse than you'd see on a daytime soap. But back then, it was kind of racy (think how "Thornbirds" was when that came out). We SO loved it. Even now we're older, we still talk about it and A-K and I even had a marathon, but FFed through it (each part was 24 hours! long). Leslie and I are discussing another one to memorialize our Ory. There's my favorite Patrick Swayze memory. It really is sad. I love that he was married and devoted to the same woman for like 30 years, which is unheard of in Hollywood. RIP, Patrick.

2. Okay, so yes... Kanye is an idiot. What he did to Taylor Swift was obnoxious and classless. He was obviously drunk or on something. Taylor handled the situation like a real pro for being only 19. BUT, I think the media crucifixion of him is out of control. Honestly, how many times does the guy need to apologize? Don't make a bigger deal out of it than it was. Let those two work it out. This goes back to my earlier post about forced apologies. I swear, let people apologize if they mean it, not because they are guilted into it! He may be truly sorry, but as we know, celebrities/politicians, etc. HAVE to apologize or they are run out on a rail. This is what bugs me about our uber-politically correct society. I'm not saying we should be allowed to run around and behave badly without consequences or apologizing when we've offended, but our society is so L.T.B.O. that there's 0 freedom of speech! Anyway, I'm on a tangent. I will say that I thought it was HILARIOUS that President Obama called him a "jackass" off the record and ABC's Terry Moran Tweeted it. Again, he/ABC was forced to apologize, but I'm just cynical enough to think that ABC was probably thrilled he did it, just for the publicity -- maybe TOLD him to and said, "We'll apologize later." Maybe that's how I should start behaving. Do stupid things and think, "I'll just say sorry later" like when you think, "Oh, I'll sin and repent later!"

3. When I heard Jessica Simpson's little pup got taken by a coyote, I got all teary! Not that I like JS at all, but how awful is that! It's Meryl Streep "the dingo ate my baby" all over again. Since I've totally become one of those "my dog is my baby" people, it really made me sad. I opened my fat mouth yesterday and started telling the story to my S.I.L. Libby (talk about someone who is a "my dog is my baby" person) and Katie overheard me. She burst into tears, ran to her room screaming and slammed the door. She was furious with me for telling her that and cried for 15 minutes. Call child protective services.

4. I promise for all you non-"Gleekers" out there, I won't talk about "Glee" every week. I just have to do a quick follow-up. Last night's episode was great. I feel like it's moving into it's groove. Not so over-the-top (they've established that) and a little less satire. Not saying that won't happen, in the future, but it seems like they are making it a little more real. Fortunately last night, Terry (the wife) wasn't as obnoxious as earlier episodes. I like the complicated quadrangle. Loved seeing Mercedes get to shine. I absolutely love that Will is stuck in the late 80's/early 90's. That's so my generation. He's into disco revival and his songs of choice were "This is how we do it", "Poison" and my 90's guilty pleasure, "I Wanna Sex You Up." The latter just made me smile. The "Acafellas" were hilarious with the addition of the Cougar lover kid and that creepy ex-teacher. Josh Groban has some acting chops. Love Victor Garber. I hope people stick with this show because not every episode can have a "Don't Stop Believin'" moment. However, I understand if people feel it's too sexual. It's definitely not for young teens. Fortunately, last night was a lot tamer than last week. It was on par for primetime TV. But I understand if it's too much for some viewers. There... I promise, that's it for now (maybe).

5. What do they call NBC's comedy line-up now? It's not Must See TV, but Comedy Night Done Right? Anyway, who cares?!!! It's the return of "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation." I gushed about "P&R" in an early post ( was going to link to it, but I don't have the patience right now to find it). If you haven't seen it, you should definitely DVR it and give it a chance. Remember, 5 episode trial before you dump it. I'm looking forward to the "SNL Weekend Update" (I heard Tina Fey might make a Sarah Palin appearance) and I'm going to try out Joel McHale's new comedy "Community." Just bummed that "30 Rock" doesn't start until something like mid-October.

Quick bits:

- The Emmys are on Sunday. I heart them! Can't wait to see "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" sweep all the competition. But, I would love a little surprise. Benry MUST win from "Lost"

- Pictures of Chris Brown doing his community service makes me giggle. What a D.B.

- Not going to support Leno hogging up the 9 p.m. time slot that could go to cool shows.

- I casually pop in to "The Biggest Loser". Didn't it premiere this week? Should I watch?

- Katie and I watched "The Princess Diaries: 2" for the first time last weekend. Chris Pine ("Star Trek" hottie) was in it. Kind of fun to see him before he was famous. And with brown hair.

- Michael Douglas is going to play Liberace in an upcoming movie with Matt Damon as his lover. I'm just not seeing it. MD just doesn't have a lot of range; he's really going to have to sell me on that idea.

- John is devouring "The Lost Symbol" and I'm impatiently waiting for him to finish. Anyone reading it?

That's it for this week!

Replying to Comments

I'm totally cracking up on the comments left from the White Trash! pet peeve post. But I have a question. How do you reply to someone who's left you a comment? If I comment on MY comments, you won't see it, right? Do I have to go to your blog and leave a comment? So confused!

Quickly, a new pet peeve to add to my list. When your husband says he's going to get gas in the car the night before and you jump in the car the next morning, late to take your daughter to school, and realize the car is COMPLETELY on empty. Your daughter is freaking out in the car you're going to run out of gas and you stall in the school parking lot. You barely make it up to the Maverick, but since you need a new cell phone and you haven't replaced it yet, and you don't have a purse because you were ONLY taking your kid to school, you have to dig up 50 cents and call said husband on the public phone. He drives up, ANNOYED WITH YOU (Hello?) for making him late to work. You swipe his debit card and when you hand it back to him before you start pumping, your sale is cancelled. Oh, and he's already driven off! Then, you have to dig up 50 more cents, call him and make him come back.

Obviously, that's not a pet peeve. Just the crappy thing that happened to me this morning. John is SO on my list.

White Trash!

I can't say this without thinking of Mister formerly of 101.9, The End. He and Chunga were on a remote at Disneyland and Mister saw Paris Hilton walking by. He screamed "White Trash!" at her and mortified Chunga. Later, they had Mister record it and they would play it all the time. It totally amuses me.

Anyway, I've mostly been blogging about Pop Culture and our summer activities. I realized it's been a LONG time since I vented about pet peeves. I mean, what's a blog without a pet peeve rant once in a while? So, this is kind of weird, but one of my biggest pet peeves is White Trash.

I consider myself a really tolerant person. I try to be really accepting. I'm a little L.T.B.O. (looking to be offended) when people use slurs or make inappropriate jokes. I credit this to my completely irreverent brother, Dave, who I swear, does this just to get a rise out of me. Since no one is without prejudice, I know I fall short sometimes. I have a really hard time tolerating people who know better, but make bad choices. It's easier for me understand someone who perhaps doesn't have the knowledge or experience then for someone who's had it all, but thrown it away. But I digress. The other thing I can't tolerate is White Trash. I know, I know. That's a slur and I shouldn't use it, but really... how else can you describe it? Anyway, this isn't about being of lower financial or economic status. I mean, I am fully aware I'm probably one big accident, one financial tragedy or one layoff (me or John) away from that. What drives me crazy is the lower social or cultural behavior that seems to accompany some of these people. Just because you don't have money doesn't mean you have to act like it. These are the people that wear their lower class on their sleeve. And most do it with pride. The neighbors across the street fall into this category. They seem happy as clams not working all day, sitting on their porch in their living room furniture, smoking and BBQ-ing. The girl will come out in what looks like a bra with fabric flowing down her midriff, but when I look closer it's actually some kind of weird bustier shirt that looks like it was shredded. Aaah, I love the Sugarhood.

Why is it that when you go on a family outing to a place that costs a pretty penny (i.e. Lagoon, water park, concerts, events, etc.), there are always a lot of white trash there? I'm sure this is coming off really judgmental, but I'm talking about these groups of people who really don't seem like they have jobs, let alone the money to pay for an expensive activity. This has been on my mind this summer with several things we've attended. And I'm saying this because I, for one, rarely spend on things like this because I have a lot of trade through work. When I have to pay for a family outing that's pricey, I struggle a lot because honestly, I don't have a lot of extra income to pay for it. Example: Lagoon. We haven't been in a couple of years and the last time, we got to go for free. This summer, my friend Leslie and I decided to take advantage of a Stake Lagoon Day and took her two kids and my Katie. Even with the discount passes, the whole experience was a fortune. But what shocked me more were all these W.T. people there buying a ton of food and dropping money to play games. And I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but these people seriously didn't look like they had the money. I've seen this a lot lately. I understand when you go somewhere like Disneyland, because let's face it -- all kinds of families, no matter what their income -- will make a vacation work even if they don't have the money. But maybe I'm totally off base. It's just really curious to me.

I googled to see what the difference was between White Trash and Redneck. First of all, white trash was coined in the 1800's and was a very derogative term. I guess ultimately while White Trash and Rednecks live in the same places and look the same, in the South, Rednecks are more fun loving, happy, religious and productive. White Trash are more hateful -- some would support the KKK, trespass on people's property to hunt, void of religion, etc. A Redneck is happy to be called such, White Trash would want to kill you for saying it. Since we don't really have Rednecks in SLC, I think we basically make a blanket classification as people being White Trash.

Does this bug anyone else? And if not, what is one of your similar pet peeves?

Jude's Thursday Dish #45 (Leftovers)

If my blog was really a meal I served up and I kept giving my family leftovers, they'd rebel. Hopefully, my blog audience is a little more forgiving. Yesterday was crazy busy, but here we go...

1. I usually hate this "saying", and feel it's inappropriate, but it's the only way to describe how I felt when hearing this news. Ellen as the new judge on Idol? WTF? I love Ellen, but this is TERRIBLE news. The show doesn't need a comedienne and music lover as a judge. It either needs to stay with 3 judges or they should find someone who has some real expertise. I prefer 3 judges. The judges table was way too crowded last season. The show isn't about them; it's about the singers. The more antics and screen time the judges get; the less time the singers get. It's been REALLY bad the last couple of years and I'm afraid it's only going to get worse. The only bright side of this news is since Ellen is new judge, you know she'll care a lot and take it seriously unlike phoning-it-in-bored-to-tears-making-too-much-money-to-care Simon.

2. Happy to have new TV to watch this week! Stayed up Wednesday night until 1 a.m. watching "Glee" and "America's Next Top Model." I've been exhausted ever since. That totally makes me feel old. I was really entertained by "Glee", but like the conversations I had with people on Facebook, the 2nd episode was a bit polarizing. It was obvious it's going to be a show with much more broad comedy, stereotypical characters, and unfortunately -- true to the creator's style (the same dude who did "Nip/Tuck"), it's racy. I know it's not going to be everyone's taste and to be honest, I'm not sure how much of that I can take. Still, I'm on board for now and looking forward to the rest of the season. The thing I love best about it is the music. The actors need to work on their lipsyncing abilities, but they all do their own singing. It's just SO fun to watch and I love seeing something totally different on TV.

Speaking of polarizing, I love Tyra Banks. People seem to love or hate her. I think she's great and she cracks me up. She was SO over the top on the season premiere of "ANTM" with her stupid French accent. But that's what I like about her. However, I love that she really tries to show that every woman is beautiful and for being a super model, can actually relate to people. Her current season is featuring petite models and it was kind of heartwarming to see how excited the girls were to get this once in a lifetime chance. On top of that, she came out on her show without her extensions. True, her hair didn't look that bad, but I think it takes guts in that industry. Like when she wore her swimsuit and told the tabloids to "kiss her fat a--" or when she had everyone wear a swimsuit with their weight on it on her show. Anyway, excited about the new season.

Quick bits:

- This isn't really Entertainment Dish, but it was very entertaining. When Joe Wilson yelled out "You lie!" during President Obama's speech, I totally laughed. Nancy Pelosi looked like she was going to murder him. That said, I am SOOO sick of the divisiveness and the drama between Democrats/Republicans. I know this isn't realistic and it's too simplistic, but seriously, "Can't we all just get along?"

- I kind of pity that Jon Gosselin guy. I only caught that show a couple of times, but Kate was a beast to him. He totally had verbal turrets during that interview though. I can't believe he said he "detested" her or that he loved his new girlfriend more than he ever loved her. Um, dude? Your 8 kids could see this one day. It would be wise to keep your mouth shut. He obviously doesn't have the best judgement because he's considering doing a "Divorced Dad's Club" with Lindsay Lohan's dad and Kevin Federline. Yikes.

- We On Demand-ed "Race to Witch Mountain" last weekend and watched it with Katie. She was totally traumatized. It was a little intense, but mind you -- Katie is super sheltered with what she watches and can't handle ANYTHING scary. She cries in ever movie as soon as they have a conflict, even if it's a small one. Anyway, she was mad at me after and said, "You need to pick our movies better." Katie's critique aside, it was kinda lame and I don't really recommend it. It'll bore parents, I think.

- We saw "The Scarlet Pimpernel" at Hale Center Theater on Saturday. It was AWESOME. I never had seen it before, except for that cheesy movie with Jane Seymour. I'm thinking I might need to give the movie another try though, because I totally dug the story. The play is pretty much sold out, but they have some openings during their matinees. I DEFINITELY recommend you go see it if you haven't yet.

- I HATE they are making a 4th Pirates movie. The title has been announced as "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." I'm saying this now. I will NOT see this movie. The 3rd one was SO painful. (But another movie who's title has been announced that I AM excited about is "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.") I wish Pirates would just stop. I know I've said this before, but I am SOOO anti 2 types of sequels: any more than 3 -- and 3 are only allowed if it's a series. Or if it's planned out, which leads to an exception because Harry Potter is fine. The other type is completely unnecessary sequels of movies that haven't been out for YEARS. Next year, we're going to get "Beverly Hills Cop 4" and "Wall Street 2" for two examples. "Beverly Hills Cop 4" meets both offending types. And a movie that has tired itself out, "Shrek Forever After" sequel coming out next year or "Spider Man 4" in 2011. Unnecessary sequels will include: "Little Fockers" (Meet the Parents) and "Hairspray 2", although I'm kind of looking forward to the latter. Sequels in 2010 that I am excited about "Sex and the City 2", "Toy Story 3", "Iron Man 2" and of course, "Deathly Hallows part 1" in November.

That's it for this week!

Jude's Thursday Dish #44

I need to start cleaning my house, but I've been messing around on the computer for an hour. Here's my dish and then I'm REALLY getting started. No pictures or videos today. Gotta get going...

1. We doubled with friends, Marcy and Brandon, on Saturday. We saw the movie "(500) Days of Summer." So good! A very fresh take on the romantic comedy with some real laugh out loud moments. If I had seen this in my 20's, it would have really resonated with my dating life. Now, it's fun to watch recalling those memories -- and made me grateful I am NO longer dealing with break-up drama.

2. I'm an official "Gleek" now. I heart the new TV show "Glee." If you're going to add one of the new fall shows to your DVR list, this needs to top it.

This will segue me into my FALL TV schedule. I always compare the new fall season to dating terms. I've got standards for my DVR. Not just anyone gets a coveted spot on the Season Pass list. I'll "casually date" these new shows to see who deserves to get bumped up. I have to make sure if it's lust, infatuation, a passing crush -- or true love. I'm a sucker for word of mouth favor and critic buzz. If I hear a show is really good, I always try it out. This is how I've found some of my favorite shows. I'll give a new show 5 episodes before I decide to dump it. This is serious stuff! My time is precious and I can't watch everything! None of this was possible before I first got Tivo, then upgraded to cable and a DVR that record more than one show. I don't watch daytime TV, so my recorded shows are what I tune in when I need a break during the day or my treadmill TV. I never watch what I consider PG-13 shows around Katie, so most of my TV watching is done after 9 p.m. at night. This is telling why I never really sleep, because I'm watching TV until midnight. The other reason I take this seriously is scripted TV shows aren't like they used to be. You can't really casually watch anything anymore. Everything has continued stories and cliffhangers. Even sitcoms. So, there's Jude's philosophy of Fall TV 101. These are my high-hopes for fall. Check back at the beginning of October to see who made the final cut.

SUNDAYS

Too much on Sundays. Plus, I'm hardly ever home those evenings, so I watch these shows the next couple of days. The only one I dare watch live is "Amazing Race" because like I want Katie catching any of the others!

MAD MEN (8 p.m. AMC) - This is one of the few shows John and I watch together. Instead of renting a movie, we'll watch 2 or 3 episodes in one sitting.

AMAZING RACE (7 p.m. CBS) - Katie loves this show, so we watch it together.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (8 p.m. ABC) - I'm lukewarm on this show as of late, but I haven't had the heart to dump it yet.

BROTHERS & SISTERS (9 p.m. ABC) - B & S was a bit off last year, but it started to pick up steam again near the finale, so I'm giving it another shot

MONDAY

I used to HEART "Gossip Girl" but I decided I want to leave that show on a high note with Blair and Chuck ending up together and the end of high school from season 2. Unless my sis convinces me that it's AMAZING and I'm missing out, "G.G." is retired. I also don't get into "Dancing with the Stars" because that blasted show takes forever and there's so much filler! "Heroes" is dead to both me and John now. I do like "Chuck" and heaven help me, "The Bachelor" so the night might change once those shows pop up as mid-season replacements.

TUESDAY
I think this is going to be my experiment night. I tune in to "Biggest Loser" once in a while, but it's kind of the hey-it's-convenient-let's-hang-out-cause-I'm-bored kind of date. I think I might try out "Melrose Place" or "The Good Wife." The first out of pure curiosity and the second because Big (Chris Noth) is starring in it. Plus, in 2010 -- Tuesday will totally be all about "American Idol" and it's too hard two-timing "Idol."

WEDNESDAY
ABC has some sitcoms that look mildly amusing that I think I'll try out. I am especially interested to see if Courtney Cox's new show "Cougar Town" is any good. NBC's nurse drama "Mercy" looks interesting. But ultimately, the night is reserved for "Glee" of course and "America's Next Top Model." And in January, I don't watch "Idol' result night -- I just go online afterwards and find out who got booted. I have to free up my time for my one and only, true, committed TV love: "Lost." That's almost a "Fatal Attraction" like obsession with me.

THURSDAY
Damn you, Thursday. Best night of TV, worst night for scheduling. I'm almost completely committed to the NBC line-up, except I'm a little sad there's no "Kath & Kim" or "My Name is Earl" anymore. I can NOT miss "The Office," "30 Rock" or "Parks & Recreation." I'll give Chevy Chase's new show "Community" 5 eps to win me over to finish that line-up for me. I used to totally be into "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice", but I'm over both of those shows. From what I'm hearing about "Grey's", it doesn't sound like that show will be improving anytime soon. I am interested in "Flash Forward" on ABC, so if I can squeeze anymore time in - I may check that out. I'm also watching "Project Runway" so that night is PACKED.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Catching up on my overstuffed DVR.

And just some quick Lunch Rush:

-- What kind of stupid message is Chris Brown sending out when he claims he "can't remember" hitting Rihanna on Larry King Live? That's going to be the next great excuse for wife/girl friend beaters out there. Yes, he came out later and said that wasn't true, but you know there are going to be tools out there that only hear the first part and use that as their defense.

-- Speaking of Larry King, remind me NEVER EVER EVER to watch anything about kidnapping and rape again. I watched that interview with the poor victim of that Garrido Kidnapper/Rapist guy on Larry King and I couldn't sleep all night. And I totally know better. This stuff always freaks me out, but I watched against my better judgement.

-- And in that same vein, take that stupid Nancy Grace and Jane Valez-Mitchell of the air! Even if I'm channel surfing, those two make me want to find something sharp and stab it into my eyeball. Seriously!

-- Am I totally out of touch that I have no idea who D.J. AM is? Sure, I've heard who he was hooked-up with (Nicole Ritchie, Mandy Moore, etc.), but what is he famous for exactly? Being a D.J.?

-- Reuben won "Dance Your Ass Off" which was no big surprise. The judges favored him and he lost the most weight. I can't wait for the reunion show on Monday to see who really kept off the weight. I have my doubts on some of them.

-- I was home sick on Sunday night and watched the Daytime Emmy's. So stupid. I used to be totally into daytime soaps. My mom would never let me watch them, so I would sneak and watch "Another World" and "Days of Our Lives" in middle school and high school. When I went away to college, watching soaps, rated R movies, and drinking caffeine were my big rebellions (well, and a few other things that happened later that I won't write here!). I was an art major for one semester at Ricks and my classes were done by 10:30 a.m. I would come home and work on my art projects while my other roommates were still in class, watching soaps from 11 - 4 p.m. That didn't last, but I stuck with a few of my favorite soaps into my early 30's. I think as nighttime TV got better and I got busier, I just grew out of them. Now, I can't even stomach watching them for more than 5 minutes. I'm not saying this as some judgemental snob. If you like Soaps, more power to you! I just find they are unbearable now, especially when there are such better stories in prime time that move faster. Soaps seem so dated to me. Anyway, my point is that I found it really interesting that most of the actors haven't changed at all and neither have the story lines. I could start watching again and not (hardly) miss a beat. I must say though, man... Peter Reckell sure has aged well!

That's it for this week!

Jude's Thursday Dish #43 (Leftovers)

I'm in the middle of deadline, which means EVERYTHING else falls by the wayside. But while I'm waiting for people to send me their stuff, I thought I'd take a minute to share some Thursday Dish leftovers.

-- I feel even more skeevy for watching "Megan Wants a Millionaire" (it's cancelled now, of course) that the contestant wanted for murder killed himself. This may scare me straight from trashy reality shows for good.

-- How can critics hail Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Bastards" as the "Most Fun You'll Have This Summer" when it's about scalping Nazi's during WWII? Yeah, a barrel of fun.

-- Spoilers circulating about an upcoming Pam/Jim wedding on "The Office" and there are even photos. I'm avoiding them like a plague, because seriously... who wants to be spoiled for a 30 minute sitcom? There's not that much to spoil!

-- Seen the new EW cover? "Seinfeld" cast reunited on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." SO Great!

-- Finally watched the end of "Twilight" and can I just say.... YAWN FEST! Although that Robert Pattinson sure is dishy when he doesn't talk.

-- When I'm surfing through the news stations at night, is it just me or do Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity always have these hot blondes discussing politics with them? I think it's totally weird. Where are the average looking Republicans? And who did those girls sleep with to get those gigs?

Everybody have a GREAT weekend. That's it for this week!

"What I Did On My Summer Vacation"

School starts tomorrow! I can't believe I have a 3rd Grader. I gave Katie an assignment to list the stuff she did this summer:

• Saw the play "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" on the last day of school
• Playdates with friends
• Art classes at Camille's
• Discovery Gateway
• Activity Days
• Swimming at Ga Ga and Paula's
  
  
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  "Puppet Camp" at Bad Dog

  
  

  "Where The Wild Things Are" camp at Children's Theater and UMNH

  4th of July parade, breakfast and fireworks

  Lagoon and Lagoon-A-Beach

  Mortimer Family Reunion and Boondocks

  Butlerville Days and 24th of July Fireworks

  Wheeler Farm Camp

  "Flying Wild" camp at Tracy Aviary and UMNH

  Park City with Mom and Dad

  Drive-in movie

  Going to park

  Chalk Art contest in South Jordan

  Camping in Uintahs and hiking at Mirror Lake

On top of all that, John and I finished the bathroom, painted the living room and helped get his mom's house fixed up and up for sale. My sister and bro-in-law welcomed their new son, Jack. And I somehow managed to chauffeur my parents around to all their doctor appointments and still work 25 hours a week on top of all the other not-worthy-to-mention-on-a-blog things going on. Not bad for a crazy, short summer!

Uintahs Camping Trip

Other than Girls Camp, I've probably been camping a handful of times in my life. It was NOT a Mortimer thing to do. The last time I went (again, not to Girls Camp) was the summer of '99 when John and I hadn't even been married a year. It was right after the "Blair Witch Project" came out and I was completely freaked out. It took a whole decade, but I finally agreed to go again with John's family. I would've said no, but Katie was so excited I couldn't disappoint her. We went with John's brother and his wife (Doug & Beck and their kids), John's sister and her husband (Jen & Brandon and their son, Alex) and John's cousin (Cherie and her husband Jonathan -- who entertained the kids by chasing them, Great Man!-- and their 2 boys.) Katie was the only girl... poor thing. She had a blast though.

As for the hating camping thing, it's not that I hate the outdoors. I don't at all. I love hiking and doing the whole nature thing. I love going up to Jackson Hole, Swan Valley or down to Moab and staying somewhere nice, but having outdoor adventures in the day. It's the sleeping in a tent,the no-showering thing and the cleaning up once you get home that I can't stand. I'm such a terrible sleeper anyway, but camping is like pouring salt in my insomnia wound.

I did have fun. Some of the highlights -- the scenery, the food (John's siblings/their spouses go all out and cook great stuff), the cousins playing together, walking the 1.7 miles around Mirror Lake, seeing Mt. Baldy, Dick's Diner in Kamas, hanging out with the adults and seeing John and my bro-in-laws, Doug and Brandon, build a dam in the Provo river than watching John fall into it. The lowlights -- getting 2 - 3 hours of sleep, the rain the last night and packing up in it the next day, the dirt, going in to the "biffy" and literally throwing up on the floor while I sat on the toilet because it smelled so bad, having to clean said throw-up while staying in the nasty bathroom and later doing the squat thing in the woods because I didn't dare ever go back. Too much information, I know, but it's the only way I can REALLY get my point across at how awful that bathroom was.

Oh, and did I mention the lack of sleep? For most things, I'm pretty low maintenance, but when it comes to my sleeping, I'm as high strung as a kite. I looked like a freak, I'm sure. I had my black ski cap, my eye mask, ear plugs AND Bose ear phones so I could listen to my sleep machine. I took my sleeping pill. And still, I could hear John snoring, the kids from the other tents crying, the dog down at the other camp site, people talking around the fire, Katie waking me up every so often to make sure I was still there and of course, the rain. I've got freakin' Spidey senses when I sleep.

Here are some of the best photos from the trip. I did promise everyone we'd join them next year, but I can only commit to one camping trip right now. And I may end up at the Beaver Creek Inn near Kamas at night.

Cobblerest Campsite along the Provo River

Jen brought her Mexican hammock which entertained the kids for hours

Ethan

Katie and Ethan at Mirror Lake

View of Mt. Baldy

More Mirror Lake

Cousins: Henry, Katie, Ethan, Issac and James (not pictured: Alex and Will)

Why Alex was not pictured

Freezing cold Provo River

Dam(n) Beavers!

This picture does not do justice how funny it was when John fell in the river.

Baby Will and John

Final day and we were wet and disgusting. Will, Doug, Ethan, Beck, James, Cherie, Henry, Jonathan, Issac, Jen, Brandon (not pictured: Alex, asleep again!), Katie, me and John