Wow. What a train-wreck show. That shiz was crazy!

I could go into each performance, but really, the only thing anyone is talking about today is PaulaGate.

The night started off rather uneventfully, with Ryan telling us this week's mentor would be none other than Neil Diamond. Love him! (Ooh, David Cook, please sing "Sweet Caroline." Pretty please. No? Bummer. That would have been awesome.)

Ryan said everyone would sing two songs. That's 10 performances in one hour. Too much! Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't take advantage of the two-song format to stretch the show out even more. They do love their extra-long shows. And it's not like anyone would miss "Hell's Kitchen."

Because of the two-songs-per-person format, the show felt extremely rushed. Far from the professionally staged show "Idol" usually puts on, this felt like amateur hour. Honestly, I think my high school put on a more organized talent show back in the ... oh, dates are irrelevant.

And then there was PaulaGate. There are a few theories on what the hell happened: 1) Paula watched the dress rehearsal the night before and so had a good idea of how the contestants would do; 2) the producers feed the judges (or maybe even just Paula) lines of what they're supposed to say, presumably so they can somewhat control which contestants get eliminated or get to stay; 3) Paula's a freakin' looneyhead.

Now, #3 is a given. And #1 doesn't bother me too much. I don't have a problem with judges seeing the performances in dress rehearsals, as long as they don't use that performance as the basis for their critique. They should only judge the actual performance on the night of the show. So if #1 were true, I'd be upset, but it wouldn't make me stop watching the show forever.

However, #2 would. But really, would it be that surprising if it were true? Do we really believe there isn't an inordinate amount of manipulation going on behind the scenes anyway? The producers have their hand in everything. What's to stop them from telling the judges -- or Paula, anyway -- what to say? But if that's the case, she's doing a horrible job of delivering it. She never makes any sense. And if they are feeding her lines, they should fire the illiterate who's telling her what to say.

Whatever the reason, I firmly believe that all the craziness was completely unfair to Jason. Imagine having to perform your song after a judge told you they hated it. "Look, I know you haven't sung it yet, but you're going to suck. But hey, good luck!"

I want them to come on tonight and say that what happened yesterday was a mistake. That even though Jason got the lowest number of votes, they won't vote him off and they'll all get another chance next week. I want that to happen, but it won't, because "Idol" never admits its mistakes.

So I fear for Jason. Well, not enough to vote for him, but I'd hate to see that goofy grin go. Plus, who's gonna eat all those brownies when he's gone?

I have a new obsession: Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch."

I know, how interesting can a TV show about fishing be? Turns out, pretty darn interesting. I'm totally and completely obsessed. Thanks to a marathon viewing, I watched hours and hours of it this weekend.

I love how the captains have superstitions -- like biting the head off a herring before the first day of the season (gross!) -- and they take them very seriously. And I mean very. One captain considered turning around and heading back when he realized no one had eaten the ritual Cup-a-Soup before they lowered the first pot.

It's also interesting to see how the men interact with each other when it's just guys on a boat (or is it a ship?) in the open sea, with no women around for miles and nautical miles.

My favorite captain is Sig "I want my crab count and I want it NOW!" Hansen:



I have to admit that I do have a little bit of a crush on him, bad haircut and all. I'm sure I'd get used to the fish smell, right?

"Hallelujah, hallelujah, halleloooo ... ooh ooh ooh ... ooh ooh jah!"

Jason made it (he wasn't even in the bottom two!), and boy did that kid me laugh. From his yawning backstage when Ryan said "Find out which of the remaining four contestants will be in the bottom two," to his "choo choo" arm gesture when Randy said his performance the night before was a train wreck, to his screaming "yeah!" then slowly backing up when Ryan said Carly was going to perform her song again. He was soooo stoned. At least, I hope he was, or his behavior is really, truly crazy.

But I digress. Jason, Brooke and David Cook are safe (yay!). Archie is, too (yawn). Syesha barely made it (whatevs). And Carly's a goner (sad, but not very).

And how about that Leona Lewis, eh? I really like that tune, and that girl can sing! Hey, maybe Simon really does know his stuff after all ...

Oh, Jason. Sweet, little, dreadlocked Jason. I'm going to miss you.

That was painful last night, huh? I was rooting for him, I really was. You know I love him. But man, even I can admit that was bad. He did get the best line of the night -- "I didn't know it was a cat singing it" -- but that was pretty much the high point for him.

I think Syesha did really well, though, turning in her best performance yet. Same goes for Carly. I'm not her biggest fan, but she finally showed some personality and actually looked she might be having fun.

I wish I could say the same for Brooke. Gosh dang it. I loves me some Brooke, but it was just so painful to watch. She wasn't horrible. Ok, yes, she was. I felt so bad for her. I don't think she'll go home this week -- that honor belongs to Jason -- but her downward spiral in the last few weeks has made me fear for her sanity. Doesn't she look so fragile? She's totally losing it before our eyes. I'm hoping, though, that it might ultimately help her get past this week, with people voting for her out of pity. One holds on to whatever hope one can find.

The person I wish people would stop voting for is Archie. Now, now -- don't look at me like I just clubbed a baby seal. Yes, he's got a nice, pure voice. Yes, he's sweet and all that. But come on, would you really buy his album? Really? You'd cough up some of that money you've been saving up to buy a Venti Triple Mocha Latte to hear Archie sing what essentially amounts to a second-rate Clay Aiken tune? I didn't think so.

We all know Cook's gonna take the whole thing anyway.

As for tonight's results, I see Syesha, Jason and Brooke in the bottom three, with Jason going home. It pains me to say it, but I fear it might be true.

You know how there are days when things are going great? You had a good night's sleep, you woke up without any back pain, you weighed yourself and were not disgusted by the number staring back at you? Those days are wonderful. So wonderful you just know the other shoe is gonna drop.

Well, the shoe dropped, and it made a whole hell of a lot of noise.

I went to my house this weekend, to say hi to my tenants and get this month's rent. My tenants are great -- they're responsible, they don't bug me all the time, and they're just genuinely nice people. I don't really have any problem with them at all. I like them a lot.

And then this morning, they dropped a bomb on me. There's mold in the house. And not just in one little corner -- it's like all over. It's in the closet of their little girl's bedroom, there's some in the bathroom, some seems to be spreading to the living room. And the walls in the bedroom are obviously water-damaged. They're going to have to be torn down and replaced, no doubt. I'm going to call a mold remediator today, and I should likely call a roofer, too, to see if there's a problem with the roof (which, by the way, is only three years old...). Needless to say, this is going to cost me a buttload. And I have a big butt.

So yeah, whenever you have those days where you think, "My, isn't the sun especially warm and bright today?" or "Mmm, these pancakes taste especially delicious today," just hope that other shoe doesn't drop. Because if you're like me, you'll find yourself being hit on the head with a steel-toed work boot.

Sigh.

Not only am I rarely wrong, but I don't admit it even when I am. But today, my friends, I have no problem admitting I was wrong about Carly getting voted off, and that's because Miss Kristy Lee Cook is out. Gone, baby, gone!

I should feel bad for being happy she's gone, because all she -- all any of the contestants -- are trying to do is live out their dream. Do we really have cause to hate her? Is she a horrible person? Did she kill a kitten? Is she feasting off the blood of live bats? Unlikely. She just wasn't the best singer, that's all. But props to her for trying for it and continuing week after week, even when it was completely apparent she had not a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

I do fear for Brooke, though. She's been in the bottom two twice already, and I'm worried next week might do her in. And, to be honest, she's starting to grate on my nerves a little -- don't worry, Grey, not a lot ... just a smidge, a teaspoon's worth, if you will.

Oh, and Diego, do I need to point out that Jason was not even in the bottom three? Take that!

Wow. I never thought I'd say this -- never in a million, billion, googillion years thought I would say this: I am now a fan of David Cook.

There, I said it. It was a little hard to get out, but I said it. I am now in David's corner -- if still a little reluctantly.

Let's face it, the guys blew the girls out of the water last night. True, the girls had to put up with the inevitable Mariah comparison, but not one of them even come close to David's performance -- or even Jason's, for that matter. (All you Castro haters, don't even...)

I'm hoping Kristy Lee goes home tonight, but it'll probably be Carly. Syesha should be safe, since Mariah music is her thing and she sang it well. But Carly, poor Carly -- she's like the human punching bag for this show. No matter what she does or sings to please the judges, they just keep knocking her down. If she doesn't go this week, she definitely will soon.

I'm more worried about Brooke, though. Her performance was so tentative this week. For once, I agreed with Randy (dawg!) -- when she faltered toward the end, she sped up on the piano and that threw her completely off. The end did seem rushed. I really like Brooke, though, so I hope she stays for at least another week. I mean, how much would it suck to miss your sister's wedding by just one week? I hope Brooke fans stepped up and voted for her. Keep the "sunshine ray" (as Carly would call her) on and get rid of the lesser Cook, will ya?

Either way, I guess we'll find out tonight. Think good thoughts, Jason Castro and David Cook fans ... think lots of good thoughts.

I know, I know, I haven't posted in over a week. Between work, school and getting through one painful leg day after another, I haven't had much time to do anything; ergo, I have no stories for you.

I do want to say, though, how much I abhor "American Idol." It's not that I'm surprised by its crass commercialization (really, is that a shock to anyone?). It's not even that I'm annoyed at their group performance of "Shout to the Lord" (imagine the backlash had one of the singers not wanted to participate: "What? You hate Jesus?!?"). What really, really got my panties in a bunch -- and not in a good way -- was Ryan Seacrest.

I've always had the suspicion that Seacrest didn't really give two sh*ts about those kids, that he'd sell them out for a stick of butter and two packs of Camel Lights. But he sunk to an all-new low last night: "Last year, we didn't eliminate anyone during Idol Gives Back week. This year..." he said, giving the contestants one last flicker of hope -- "...we say goodbye to Michael Johns."

What an ass! (Seacrest, not Johns.) And you know he enjoys it.

I know I'm getting too worked up over this. It's just a TV show, for crissakes. I know that. But all its cheesiness and craptasticness is not the contestants' fault. It's the show that's one big walking commercial for Coke and Ford. It's the show's producers who come up with those stupid themes, edit the clip packages and make the contestants do the group singalongs. The singers are just trying to live their dream and make it as musicians. Hey, if I could sing, I would have totally tried out for Idol in my 20s (which would have been, ahem, last year...). Last night just got to me, and not just because I had Johns in the office pool to take the whole thing. I can pretty much be sure I won't be winning that pool.

And for those who would say, "Why don't you just not watch it?" I'd say, you're right. So I won't be watching it anymore ... right after this season's over. Go Jason Castro!

Maria Diarrhea's Moviewatch:

It was a slow weekend in terms of movie-watching, thanks to my stupid sciatica kicking in. But I think I paid close-enough attention to these films to rate them:

"We Own the Night": Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg (sans the Funky Bunch) star in this tale of two brothers who, naturally, are on different sides of the law. Wahlberg is good as the cop, but Phoenix really shines as the "criminal." I put "criminal" in quotes because he never really does anything illegal, besides smoke some pot. Oooooh, watch out for him! Anyhoo, it's a good-enough film, but not something you absolutely have to see.

"Dan in Real Life": Now this one you really should see. It's such a nice movie. Steve Carrell is great as a widowed dad who has given up on finding love, then starts to fall in love with a woman (Juliette Binoche) who just happens to be the new girlfriend of his brother (Dane Cook). It's a little convoluted, and I didn't really buy Binoche as Cook's girlfriend, but the script and performances make up for the lapse in storyline. I have to admit, though, that I have a tough time separating Steve Carrell from his "The Office" character. Everything he does is so Michael Scott-ish. It's not a bad thing; I'm just sayin'.

I also caught "8 MM" on TV. It stars Nicolas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix. Cage's character is a detective who's hired to find out whether a "snuff" film found in a deceased politician's safe is the real thing -- as in, was the person in the film really killed, or was it all just for show? It's an interesting premise, but the movie turns out to be pure crap -- just an excuse to show sexual deviants doing sexually deviant stuff. (Yes, I know I sound like a prude. Trust me, I'm not -- this movie is just that crappy.) Anyway, it's an older movie (Oh, lord ... now even I'm considering '90s movies old -- what does that make me?!?). Well, I don't know why I even bothered watching it, except that it was on HBO and there was absolutely nothing else on TV. There's nothing remotely interesting about this movie. I don't particularly like Cage to begin with, but I do like Joaquin Phoenix and thought I'd give it a looky-loo. Really, the movie stunk. No need to see this if you haven't already.

And that's this week's edition of Maria Diarrhea's Moviewatch. Stay tuned next week for (I hope) "There Will Be Blood" and "Into the Wild." I might also see "The Kite Runner," though that's iffy because I read the book and don't want to ruin that memory of it. We'll see. I'm sure you'll be waiting with bated breath.

I love a good book, even more than I love a good movie. There's just something about the time you invest in a book. And when it turns out to be great, it's so much more satisfying. It's as if you had a part in creating it, rather than just sitting your butt down in front of a screen for a couple of hours and watching what someone else made. Not that there's anything wrong with that ...

I've read some really good books lately, the most recent being "The Innocent Man," by John Grisham. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Great? Grisham?" Well, I happen to like Grisham's books anyway, but all you high-brow literati take note: This particular book is not a novel, but a non-fiction account of a man who spent 17 years in bars -- many of them on Death Row -- for a murder he didn't commit. Oh, all you cynics out there, hush. They eventually got the right guy, so pfft.

Anyway, I'm all booked out. I can't think of anything that's out right now that I haven't read or want to read, so I'm looking for ideas. I came upon this Web site, Goodreads, that lets friends share their thoughts on their favorite (and not so favorite) books. You rate a book from one to five stars; you also have the option of writing a review if you want. It's a pretty neat site. If you check it out and you like it, let me know and I'll add you to my friends list so we can share thoughts on the books we're reading. Up next on my list is "The Time Traveler's Wife." I hadn't heard of it until I went on the site, but it looks really interesting and it's gotten generally good reviews.

So if you're into books, take a gander at Goodreads. And if you want to connect with me on the site, let me know. I'm always on the lookout for my new favorite book. Though, I have to say, "Wicked" is going to be pretty tough to beat...

Okey dokey, here are the pictures from my trip. I tried to explain as much as I could in the captions.

London pics

Hope you enjoy!

I'm back from London! I had a great time and saw lots and lots of the things you go to London to see -- Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, etc. I'll post the pics in a few days, but first let me tell you about my little adventure getting there and back.

So a couple of days before my trip, my back started to hurt. I have sciatica, but as long as I stretch regularly, I can usually keep the pain at bay. Even then, it's painful but not unbearable. Usually.

I don't know if it was the stress of flying or what, but I was in full-on pain. By the day of the flight, I could barely even walk. When I went to put my sneakers on to go to the airport, I couldn't even lift my leg enough to put my sneaker on. I felt awful. If it was going to be like this in London, what was the point of even going? I had a little breakdown, I must admit. The timing just seemed to work against me. But after a little self-pity and crying jag, I decided to go on the trip, leg be damned. Oh, and I also took lots and lots of pain pills.

Thank goodness we decided to get premium seats on the way there. The premium area was almost empty, and Neets and I were able to get our own rows. The seats were really comfortable and they reclined enough that I was able to lay back and let the pills kick in. I slept the entire flight there. Man, if you can do that, it's awesome. You literally close your eyes and wake up in another country. If only all trips could be like that.

Anyway, when we landed in London, my leg was starting to feel a little better. I continued to take the pills the entire time there, just to keep it under control, but thankfully, after that little burp of a start, I was able to walk around London and enjoy the sites. And are there sites to see! We stayed in the Trafalgar Square area, and so we walked around there and checked out the stores. We also visited Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Oxford, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Harrod's, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Hyde Park, St. James Park and the Princess Diana Memorial. Phew! I'm tired just listing all those things; imagine visiting all of those places ... in four days!

But that wasn't as exhausting as the trip back. First, we had to wait at the airport for an extra four hours because our flight was delayed. That's four hours we could have instead spent in London, but hey, what can you do? But then there was the woman sitting next to me who apparently had tuberculosis or some other awful disease. She coughed and coughed and coughed without ever once covering her mouth. Gross. And her daughter, who was sitting next to her, was also sick and apparently also didn't know she should cover her mouth. She also didn't seem to notice that it would be kinda rude to put her bare feet across her mother's lap and have them be right next to me. And then, I had to take the vegetarian meal, which was disgusting, because the chicken meal had mushrooms in it. Why do the British love their mushrooms so? It's such a hit-or-miss food, why do they put it in everything? There are plenty of people who don't each mushrooms. I can't be the only one, right?

But that, my friends, was not even the worst of it. Having the flight land at midnight instead of 8 p.m. was sucky, as was tuberculosis lady and gross food. But the absolute worst was getting detained by Homeland Security for over an hour because there's someone with the same name as you with an arrest warrant out for them. That, my dear, sweet friends, really sucks. Because once you're in the detention room, you can't use your cell phone, you can't communicate with the people who are there to pick you up, you can't pick up your luggage -- you pretty much can't do anything until you're told you're clear. And that can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. In fact, they can hold you for up to 24 hours if they need/want to. It's great being an American citizen, what will all the rights and freedoms we have, eh?

But let's not focus on the negative. The vacation itself was great. I saw so much beautiful architecture and learned so much about the country's history. And two big thumbs up to Neets, a fantastic tour guide! She'd been there several times before and knew what we should see and what we could skip, and how to get around to all the places. Thanks, Neets!

Before I head off to London, let me leave you with a very special episode of Maria Diarrhea's Moviewatch:

"War": Stars Jet Li and Jason Statham (hot, hot, hot!). About the plot: Um, the movie has Jason Statham in it? That's about all I remember. I'm certain the people watching this movie -- and by people, I mean me -- don't really care about plot with a flick like this. Something about honoring somebody and killing someone else. Whatev. It's got Jason Statham.

"Gone Baby Gone": This was Ben Affleck's directorial debut, and it's excellent. It's about two Boston detectives who investigate a little girl's kidnapping, but that's just the general plot. The genius is in the dialogue and acting. Hello, Ed Harris! Long time no see. Morgan Freeman, although he doesn't have a lot of screen time, is also very good and definitely leaves an impression. He's so darn cool! I also love Titus Welliver, though I found his character's handlebar mustache distracting. And Amy Ryan, who plays the kidnapped girl's mom, was completely deserving of the Oscar nomination she got for this role. Really, there's nothing bad I can say about this movie. It's a definite yes.

"Good Luck Chuck": Don't judge me, but I loved this movie. There were several laugh-out-loud scenes, and although I'm not a huge Dane Cook fan, I enjoyed him in this movie. It's not a "go rent this now" movie, but if it happens to come on HBO or something, go ahead and watch it. It's entertaining.

"Mystic River": I thought this would be totally boring, given Clint Eastwood directed it (and Clint does love his looong movies), but I'm glad to say I was wrong. It was completely riveting, and Sean Penn and Tim Robbins give amazing performances. Now this is one that, if you haven't seen yet, you should run out and rent.

Well, that's it for this edition of Maria Diarrhea's Moviewatch. Wish me fun in London!

Only five more days to London! This is going to be the slowest five days of my life.

So here's the hotel we're staying at:



Doesn't it just look lovely?

It's located right by Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus, and not too far from Westminster Abbey. Now, I'm not actually sure what those things are, but I've watched enough movies that take place in London to know they're important landmarks. I just hope I don't fall into the River Thames -- because you just know that's something that would happen to me. Hey, but maybe some hot London dude that just happens to be walking by will jump in and save me. Hm, I'm starting to see some possibilities.

Um, back to reality...

We're also doing a day trip to Stonehenge:



I think I'm most excited about that part of the trip. Normally, I'd be most excited about the food, but this is England, so that's not really a priority. I mean, how many fish and chips can one girl eat?

So my mom's birthday party went out without a hitch last weekend. I got her a calendar will all our pics on it, which she loved. I'm also hoping to kidnap her this weekend and take her to AC. Gotta get some gambling in before she leaves for Spain again. Yes, I've been complaining about having her around, but now that she's almost gone, I'm starting to miss her already.

Doesn't she look great for 61? (Shhh, don't tell her I told you...)



And, of course, the kids gotta do their hammy picture thing.

The devilish David:



And the clever Claudia:



Hey, if I win at AC tomorrow, I'll make sure to take a picture of me screaming as they hand me the million-dollar check. Hey, a girl can dream ...

Woo hoo! Go Javier Bardem! Way to represent us Spaniards!

I agreed with most of the winners, especially Bardem -- but that's mostly because he's one of the only nominated performances I actually saw... I always say I'm going to watch all the nominees, but never quite make it. But I did get to knock one off my list this weekend: "Michael Clayton" (see review below). I thought Tilda Swinson was very good, but enough to win the Oscar? I probably would have gone with Cate Blanchett, not because I saw the movie but just based on her past performances. Also, Tilda seems a little, well, strange, doesn't she? She has an alien look to her. No, that shouldn't reflect on her acting abilities. I'm just sayin'. And this is my blog, so I'm entitled to it. So there.

Anyway, here's the latest Maria Diarrhea Moviewatch:

"Michael Clayton": Great acting, great script, great directing, so-so movie. Maybe I expected a little more action or -- crazy idea for a movie about lawyers -- some courtroom drama. I hate to say this, because I love George Clooney, but this was boring. For a psychological "thriller," it was missing all the thrills. But did I mention George Clooney was in it?

"Little Children": You know how there are movies you want to watch but don't actually want to sit and watch them? This was one of those movies. It just looked so Boring with a capital B. It turned out to be the exact opposite. In fact, two days after watching it, I find myself still thinking about it, wondering what happened to those characters. To me, that's the mark of a great movie -- one that makes you want to know more, to follow the lives of the characters as if they were real. Kate Winslet is amazing, as usual. She really is one of the most talented actresses around. And Patrick Wilson -- what a revelation! I'd never seen him before, but now I want -- need -- to see everything he's in. It didn't hurt that you see him naked ... several times. What a nice ass. Ok, now I sound like a perv. But seriously, it's a gem of a movie. Rent it. Do it, do it.

"Notes on a Scandal": Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench. Even if the plot weren't there (which it is) and the acting wasn't there (which it is), it would be worth it to see these two actresses go toe to toe. It's like a cage match of great acting! They are both superb, and the storyline is quite interesting. And bonus points for Cate for making what could have been an unappealing role seem real. Actually, the same goes for Judi Dench. (Sorry, she's a dame -- I can't refer to her by just her first name. I think it's illegal or something.)

I don't have Venereal Disease.

Now that I have your attention, let me give you a brief update on my hand. Besides the aforementioned VD, I also do not have gout, Lyme disease, lupus and about 17 other things the doctor tested me for. In fact, my bloodwork came through clear. Great, right? Yeah, except we still don't know what the heck is up with my hand.

I feel a little like a patient on "House," but we're now just going to try stuff until it sticks. First up is medication to treat arthritis. Actually, it's primarily used to treat cholitis, but also helps with arthritis. Why cholitis? Isn't that some sort of intestinal issue? Yes, yes it is. But in rare cases (uh, that would be me), cholitis can cause localized arthritis six months to a year before the cholitis would present itself. Look, at some point, I gotta take the leap of faith and trust the guy with the white coat and medical degree, because I just don't get it.

Anyways, this medication has a couple of side effects. One is anorexia (fingers crossed!). Another is orange skin. Great. I should totally hook up with that blue dude.



If nothing else, we'd make the ultimate Mets fan.

Well, it's only day three of the pills, and no orange skin or anorexia yet, but I'm holding out hope.

Maria Diarrhea's Moviewatch:

"The Game Plan": Two words: The. Rock. Was there ever a finer specimen of a man? And is there anything he can't do? He can wrestle, he can (sorta) act, and, as we find out in this movie, he can sing. Granted, there's not much else to this movie, so if you're a guy, you can -- and probably will -- skip it. But ladies, even if you're not into the "famous, egotistical, non-kid-loving man finds out he has a daughter he never knew about" movies, this is kinda cute. And it's got The Rock. So come on, what more do you want? Rent it. Rent it now. And make sure you have a steady stream of tissues for the drool.

"3:10 to Yuma": I've been wanting to see this, like, forever, and I was not disappointed. I'm not a huge Russell Crowe fan -- as in, Russell Crowe the person; I'm ok with the actor -- but he's fantastic in this movie. It's saying something that he's just as good as Christian Bale, one of my favorite actors. I wish they would just make movies together all the time. I'll have more of "The Christian and Russell Show," please. And it's a really good movie, to boot. Without giving anything away, let me just say that it also has the perfect ending. Actually, I couldn't find fault with any part of this movie -- everything was just spot on. On a side note, though, I have to say that I would totally not do well living in Wild West times. A frontier lady I'm not. I mean, gosh, did they ever take a bath? Gross. Not even The Rock would look hot.

Do you ever feel like you just want to make a major change in your life, but you're (a) scared to do anything, or (b) not even sure what it is you want to do?

I feel that way right now. I want to change several aspects of my life, but I'm not entirely sure to what. I'd like a new job -- something that doesn't involve constant deadlines or managing staff -- but I'm scared to start something new, or worried that I'm not going to make as much as I do now. Actually, I would like an entirely new career. I was thinking about teaching, but I'd have to go back to school to get certified, it would involve an entirely new skillset, yada yada yada. There's always some excuse.

I've been thinking about moving away, too. But there's a bunch of stuff holding me back there, too.

I'm not someone who likes change, so it's hard to embrace it, even if it would be a positive step forward. But I think I'm at the point where I need big change to happen. I need a new career. I need new surroundings. I need a new life, pretty much. Now the question is, how do I go about getting one, and what should go first?

I know I can't be the only one who's ever experienced this, so if you are -- or were -- in the same boat, let me know what you did ... or didn't do. I'm open to all ideas, even the stupid ones. ;-)

I'm going to London! Woo hoo!

Neets told me about a great deal Virgin Atlantic is having on round-trip tickets to London, so we decided to just take a few days and go. The whole trip is only $450 -- on premium class! -- so I just couldn't say no to that.

We're going in mid-March. I'm so excited, I'm already packing my bags! :-)