DWTS Nite 2 Part 2

Simone & Sasha
Cha Cha
It always helps when they dance to a great song. The routine had a lot of energy but I thought it was low on cha cha content. The tricks were fun, but flips and splits aren't usually a part of cha cha. I think Sasha choreographed more side-by-side dancing because Simone wasn't comfortable dancing sexy with him. I still enjoyed it. It was spicy and exciting.
Bruno: "smoldering"
Carrie Ann: "out of sync"
Len liked it (rather surprising in my opinion)
Scores: 7, 7, 7, 8

Chris & Whitney
Jazz
Um....
He says he can dance, even though he has rods in his back. But that wasn't really dancing. Once again, it was a comedy routine. Or was it? I'm confused. Was it intentionally bad dancing again, or am I being harsh when he was actually trying? I honestly don't know. I guess there was a smidge of improvement. But if it was intentionally bad again, don't look hurt and upset when you get 5's.
Yay for the fun song. Boo for the extra dancers!
I guess the judges felt they needed to be encouraging.
Carrie Ann is inspired by him.
Even Len liked it! (????)
Bruno said he enjoyed it.
Scores: 6, 5, 6, 5

Normani & Val
Oh my goodness, they just got off a flight from Japan! And after the show they leave for China! That's quite an insane schedule!
They danced a great cha cha! Lots of content, lots of partnering, and the crowd added energy to the performance. I wish the stage had been bigger though; the dance felt a bit restricted at times. Still, a very solid routine. They have strong chemistry and she looked stunning in her yellow dress.
Julianne: "rock star"
Bruno: "jet set"
Carrie Ann: "dancing with a star - star quality"
Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8

Rashad & Emma
Viennese Waltz
Last week was not a fluke! Rashad is a contender!
That was a strong, sexy, Viennese Waltz. Rashad had very good partnering skills and a good frame. He was the man on that floor; Emma was not leading him, or doing all the work in the routine. They covered the dance floor, and the performance had a lovely, lyrical quality. I was very impressed. These two have chemistry out the wazoo!
Julianne: "so hot - you are the man!"
Bruno: "steamy - 50 shades of Viennese Waltz"
Len: "flow and movement - flat footed - but I liked it"
Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8

Mr T & Kym
Paso Doble
You can tell he's trying. The paso likely suits his ability more than any other dance. Kym did most of the work but he had some partnering skills in there. It wasn't much of an improvement from last week, but some is better than none.
Bruno: "You needed big moves"
Carrie Ann: "You hit every step"
Len: "I salute you"
Julianne: "intensity and focus"
Scores: 6, 5, 6, 5

David & Lindsay
Cha Cha
The song was "Bust a Move," which was so fun. Once they finally got to the dance floor, the routine wasn't half bad. There was at least a little cha cha in there. It was entertaining. But it was also a hot mess. And there were extra dancers. :( A cute ending to Latin week, but not a strong finish.
Carrie Ann was disappointed.
Len: "pigeon-toed"
Julianne: "charisma"
Bruno: "put on a show"
Scores: 7, 6, 7, 7 (Okay, this time I agree with Len. That dance did not deserve 7's)

The elimination was very rushed. Charo & Keo and Chris & Whitney were in the bottom. Chris & Whitney went home. I wish it had been Charo. Hopefully next week.

Normani & Val and Rashad & Emma tied for the high score of the night with 32.

My favorite routines:
Nancy & Artem
Heather & Alan
Normani & Val
Rashad & Emma

Thanks for reading dance fans!
librarianintx

DWTS Recap Nite 2 Part 1

It was Latin Nite, but they didn't make as big a deal about that as they usually do.

Nancy & Artem
Cha Cha
Artem is so excited to have a contender!
I loved their pink outfits!
I thought it was a crisp, tight, sharp, proper cha cha, although she lost her balance at the end of the routine. It could have been down and dirtier, but I enjoyed it. She looks so happy!
Oops, Artem had some kind of wardrobe malfunction at the end. Why didn't they let us see it?! :)
The judges were not as happy with the dance as I was.
Julianne: "missed a step - it threw you off"
Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7

Erika & Gleb
Foxtrot
"I don't need you to like me; I need you to make me look good" Erika to Gleb. Okay. That will make for a strong partnership. Not.
It was good in places; it was rough in places. There was a stumble or two. It was a sexy dance. But I just have a hard time rooting for her. I know I should just be critiquing the routine, but I'm an emotional person. Personality plays into it for me.
The judges liked the dance better than I did.
Julianne liked her confidence and liked the routine.
Bruno said she had good lines.
Len: "a little past romantic"
Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7

Charo & Keo
Paso Doble
Okay, she looks amazing! And it seemed like once again, this dance would be in her wheelhouse. But she struggled a lot with her costume. Her dancing just didn't quite match with the intensity of the music. Given her age, she did pretty well, but overall, the routine didn't live up to the build up that was presented in the pre-dance video package. I was also surprised at how short the performance was.
She was also exceedingly annoying during and after the judges' critiques: yelling, running around, screaming, arguing, insulting Bruno. I guess it was supposed to be funny, but I just felt sorry for Tom and Keo. Poor Keo. He deserves combat pay this season. What does DWTS have against him? His partner last season, Jodie Sweetin, was a decent dancer, but not a contender. Every other season Keo has been given terrible partners.
Scores: 6, 6, 7, 6

Nick & Peta
Foxtrot
Another short routine.
I thought in the beginning Peta made him look pretty good. But overall I wasn't impressed with his frame or his partnering skills. The dance looked messy. But I think there's still potential here. He needs some of Erika's confidence - and a meditation lesson or something. He did look very dapper at least.
Carrie Ann: "breathe and relax!"
Len: "too hectic - no control"
Julianne: "less is more - simplify"
Bruno: "too skippy"
Scores: 7, 5, 7, 6 (I thought Len's score was too low. It wasn't THAT bad.)

Heather & Maks
Jive
Ooops, Maks is injured. Here comes Alan to the rescue!
The hip hop / extra dancers interlude in the middle of the routine was unnecessary. This was a fantastic dance: fun, flirty, sexy, high energy, but not over the top. Heather and Alan had mad chemistry, and Heather showed lots of personality. She looked young and exuberant. I loved it!
Carrie Ann also loved it.
Len didn't like the hip hop part (no surprise there)
Julianne thought it was hesitant.
Scores: 8, 6, 8, 8 (Len is an a$$. That dance did NOT deserve a 6!)

Bonner & Sharna
Viennese Waltz
Bonner said this dance ties in to his roots of the Texas two step...um...okay...
Another short routine!
But it was lovely and definitely romantic. I saw a big improvement from last week. Bonner was tender and his partnering skills and frame were quite good. I liked it. The music fit well with the dance too, even though it was a country song.
Julianne: "great execution"
Bruno: "sweet and touching"
Carrie Ann: "elegant and refined"
Scores: 8, 6, 8, 7 (What is Len's problem tonight?!?!)

End of Part 1

Week Two of Sugar Journal

From Sunday, March 19th - Sunday, March 26th:
It wasn't a great week, sugar-wise, but it could have been worse.
On the plus side:
I only had one serving of juice.
I only had one serving of Gatorade

On the minus side:
I had low sugar cookies five of the seven days.
I had a serving of something called "brownie brittle" (14 g of sugar) on Saturday. It is VERY good!

I also had Greek yogurt five of the seven days, but I've already given myself permission to have that.

So yeah, could have done better, but definitely could have been worse. I'm blaming hormones to a certain extent.

I'm starting the week on a bad note, though. I just ate a mini vanilla cupcake. At least it was a mini, and I only ate one. I can at least congratulate myself that I stopped at one. And I didn't eat any of the candy that was set out next to the cupcakes at work.

My willpower sucks. But I'm working on it.

librarianintx

Inspirational Meme on Facebook

The quote says it all.
You always have the ability to save yourself,
to make your life better,
to be your own shelter,
your own salvation.
You have the power.
It is forever within you.

librarianintx

DWTS Recap Nite 1 Part 2

Heather and Maks
Viennese Waltz
Yup, he's still arrogant.
This was a very fast Viennese Waltz. And it was a very strong Viennese Waltz. I thought her yellow dress looked beautiful on her, and they make a striking couple. Their technique was better than Nancy and Artem, but I preferred Nancy and Artem's dance. It had more artistry, more expression, more soul. It made me feel more than Heather and Mak's routine. I liked this, but my expectations were higher.
Carrie Ann: "beautiful lines, but you're hiding your personality"
Julianne: "grace and youthful exuberance"
Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7

David and Lindsay
Quickstep
He is the first baseball player on DWTS!
The song was cute and I liked the baseball theme. I love his personality, and I adore Lindsay, but this dance was just okay for me. The judges liked it more than I did. I don't have much to say about it. It was good, but not great. The theme is what made it memorable for me.
Carrie Ann: "one of my favorite dances"
Len: "not a home run, but you got to first base"
Scores: 7, 7, 7. 7

Erika and Gleb
Salsa
She's a singer in addition to being on the "Real Housewives".
That was a salsa? Um...okay. I didn't see a lot of salsa content. I also didn't see a lot of chemistry. It was over the top, and I'm not sure how popular this dance...or she...will be with the fans. I'm all for female empowerment and a strong, confident woman, but her personality is off-putting. I found it hard to root for her. There's confidence and then there's arrogance. She doesn't have an endearing personality.
Len: "flair and confidence but too raunchy"
Bruno: "caligula's palace"
Scores: 6, 6, 6, 6

Rasha and Emma
Cha Cha
There it is!
There's the DWTS performance that will be on repeat for me!
OMG, Emma might FINALLY have a contender!!
Hands down, this was the performance of the night, and most definitely the song of the night for me. I adore Bruno Mars, and that song is made to dance to! It was a super fun, sparkly, AND proper cha cha. I loved everything about it! Dance of the night for me!
Tom: "solid gold!" (Hell, yes!)
Julianne: "best dance of the night!" (Oh, yeah!)
Bruno: "revelation of the night - star quality" (Agreed, but he came across as surprised that his dance was so well-received. He was endearing, not arrogant. Take notes, Erika)
Carrie Ann: "you have our attention" (for sure!)
Of course Len had to be a wet blanket, but whatever.
Scores: 8, 7, 8, 8

Mr. T and Kym
Cha Cha
Um...there were a few seconds of cha cha in that number. The rest of the routine looked like a Mr. T workout video.
That was not dancing.
Period.
And there were extra dancers. Ugh!
Carrie Ann: "lots of mistakes"
Len: "T stands for tenacity and trying, but not technique"
Scores: 5, 5, 5, 5

Simone and Sasha
Tango
The song was fast, and so was the tango. It was crisp, tight, and they covered the floor rapidly. Technique-wise, it was the best dance of the night. Simone had a good frame, and definitely showed that she is a strong contender for the mirrorball trophy. She is a powerhouse, and without a doubt the two shortest dancers in the competition will be a dynamic duo.
Julianne: "the whole package"
Carrie Ann: "power couple"
Len: "dance of the night"
Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8

Final thoughts:
Overall, it was an enjoyable first night of the season, and I look forward to the weeks to come. There are some strong dancers this time, especially among the ladies, as I expected. My favorite three of the night, in order:
1) Rashad and Emma
2) Nancy and Artem
3) Simone and Sasha

librarianintx

DWTS Recap Nite 1 Part 1

Here we go, dance fans! :)

The opening was very cute, and I think it gave me some insights on who can dance this season.

Normani and Val
Quickstep
This quickstep was VERY quick! Very energetic. I was worried about her long white dress (which looked GREAT on her, by the way), but thank goodness she didn't fall. I thought it was a very strong first dance. The music was as fast-paced as the dance.
Tom: "high octane start"
Len: "needed more body contact, but first class"
Carrie Ann, Julianne, and Bruno all gave positive comments.
Scores: 7, 6, 7, 7 (Very respectable scores for a first dance. Len usually grades low.)

Nancy and Artem
Viennese Waltz
I love the Viennese Waltz, and I absolutely adored this one! It all worked perfectly for me - the music, the lovely blue costumes, the wonderful flow of movement they had across the stage - everything. Nancy still has that dazzling smile, and she looked positively radiant during the dance. Perhaps it was a tad choppy in places, but I thought it was a dreamy dance. They make a stunning couple.
Julianne agreed that "it was a bit bumpy" but she loved Nancy's arm extensions.
Len: " a pairing with great promise" (I agree!)
Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7

Chris and Whitney
Cha Cha
Okay, I am SO happy that he used his iconic song from "Saturday Night Love." "What is Love" is such a great song. And I totally get that it was intentionally bad dancing. And I guess that's okay for week one. But he can't do intentionally bad dancing every week and expect to stay. The voting public will tire of that I think. It was all comedy for him; only Whitney and the extra dancers (grrr!) were doing the cha cha.
Bruno: "cha cha cha in an alternative universe"
Julianne: "you did your thing. Don't lose that."
Scores: 5, 4, 4, 4
Chris was obviously disappointed in the scores, and I'm sorry, but that irritated me. Did he think he should have received the scores that Normani and Nancy earned? He didn't dance! He jerked his body around and let his partner do the dancing. Comedy is great, but you have to actually dance in order to earn scores.
Rant over.
Let's move on.

Bonner and Sharna
HELLO Bonner!
Yowsa!
Cha Cha
That opening when they met each other on the ranch, or whatever, looked like the beginning of a porno. Not that I've seen that many pornos, of course. But wow, what a set up. Unfortunately, the dance didn't deliver that level of sex appeal that was very evident in the beginning. I mean, he's definitely hot, she's definitely hot, the chemistry is absolutely there, but they were out of sync pretty much the entire dance. His pelvic thrusts were great, but their bodies were not together at the right times. It was a rather sloppy dance, and the lights and annoying extra dancers were distracting. There is absolutely potential here though. Overall I just felt let down. It was a smokin hot introduction with a disappointing outcome.
Len: "work in progress"
Julianne: "a little behind the music"
Bruno: "Sharna, you are in for the ride of a lifetime!"
Scores: 6, 5, 5, 6

Charo and Keo
Salsa
Well, it wasn't fair, really, because salsa is in her wheelhouse. This would be like giving Heather hip hop or pop on the first week. That is what she already knows how to dance, and I would guess that Charo already knows at least some salsa. It was campy, it was predictable, and it was at least a fairly proper salsa. There was virtually no rehearsal footage; why do you think that was? Maybe because she already knows how to dance salsa?
Len: "nailed the performance - need to work on the technique"
Bruno: "caliente!"
Scores: 6, 5, 5, 5
I thought her antics during the judges' critiques and scores was highly annoying. Her screaming into the mike and causing a ruckus got old very quickly for me. Poor Keo. When he is going to get a contender?

Nick and Peta
Cha Cha
I don't watch "The Bachelor," so this is my first time "meeting" Nick. He's funny. And very cute. He gave Bruno a rose and blew him a kiss! I loved that! Overall, it was a strong first dance. He did some recognizable cha cha moves and had good hip action. I also thought his chemistry with Peta was solid. Their connections were a bit choppy a time or two, but better than Bonner and Sharna in my opinion.
Bruno likened him to Justin Timberlake (I totally see that!)
Carrie Ann: "a bit disjointed...calm down"
Scores: 6, 6, 6, 6

End of Part 1 

Spotify

I joined Spotify a few weeks ago, and I love it! For less than a cost of a CD per month I have access to virtually the entire world of music! I can listen to albums, lists of hit singles by a particular artist, I can create my own playlists, or listen to playlists created by others. I can listen to today's hits, or look up the Billboard Hot 100 from a particular year. I can download whatever I want to listen to when I don't have access to streaming wi-fi. So I download playlists and albums to my new 64 gig smart phone, and then I have plenty to listen to when I'm on long rides around the city, or on the bus to Houston.

Having Spotify means that I can listen to many artists that I wouldn't otherwise be able to because I can't afford to buy dozens of CD's. And since I am often a bigger fan of singles than album tracks, I like being able to listen to the hit singles of a particular artist. But having Spotify has also made me listen to album tracks more, because I can afford to now!

Hours spent in transit, exercise time, and household chores are so much better with Spotify!

I'm not a paid spokesperson. I'm simply a satisfied customer. Check out Spotify. It is SO worth the money!

librarianintx

My Thoughts on the DTWS Cast

Tonight's the night, dance fans! Are you ready?

I'm pleased with this season's cast. There is no one I dislike, so that's a bonus. There are only three people I don't know: Bonner Bolton (bull rider), Rashad Jennings (football player), and Erika Jayne (from the Real Housewives series).

I think there are some serious contenders this season, especially among the ladies. I believe Simone Biles (gymnast) and Heather Morris (Glee actress) will compete for the Mirrorball trophy. Nancy Kerrigan (ice skater) and Normandi Kordsi (Fifth Harmony singer) could also do very well. Rashad Jennings could be a contender. Some NFL players have made it all the way to the top, while some have flamed out early. Charo and Chris Kattan could be the comedic contestants, but who knows? Maybe one or both of them will do well. Charo is paired with Keo, and he has been unlucky nearly every season that he's been on the show, so that doesn't give me much hope for Charo's chances. Same with Emma, who is paired with Rashad, so he may not do well.

I'll miss Derek, Mark, Cheryl, and Jenna this season, but I'm happy that Kym and Peta will be back. We'll see what kind of mood Maks is in. He's got arguably the best celebrity partner this season (Heather Morris), so hopefully he won't be pissy and arrogant. Perhaps fatherhood and impending marriage have changed him.

librarianintx

A Week with Much Less Sugar

If you count Monday - Saturday being one week (because I can't remember for sure what I ate and drank a week ago Sunday, then I think I did fairly well with cutting back pretty drastically on sugar. (I do have a bad habit of qualifying, though, don't I?) :)

During that week, I did not have any salad dressing. I only drank one eight ounce bottle of juice. I did not have any Gatorade!

The one sugary thing I'm allowing myself every day if I want it is Greek yogurt. The kind I buy has 8 grams of sugar I think. I ate yogurt twice that week.

Finally, I ate low sugar cookies twice that week, on Friday and Saturday.

I'm pleased with those stats. The hardest part of this routine is what to drink. I'm not a good water drinker, but I'm trying to become one. I know I am chronically dehydrated, so I'm going to be smart about this. If I have to, I will drink juice or Gatorade to make sure I get liquids. I'm also drinking a protein shake on the days that I don't eat low sugar cookies.

I had an appointment with a breast specialist last week, and I asked her about the research into a correlation between  sugar and metastatic breast cancer. She said the correlation is with obesity and breast cancer, not a direct link yet with sugar. But she said cutting back on sugar is good for everyone, and when I told her about the protein drink substitution, she said that's a great idea. She said getting calories from protein rather than sugar is better anyway.

librarianintx

Facebook Meme

On a day like today, when my head is full of worry and doubt and useless rumination, I saw a meme that was exactly what I needed to read. This is the important part:

"Today is not yesterday, so do not look back on what should have been.
Today is not tomorrow, so do not dread the future.
Today is NOW, so be present, alive, hopeful, and productive..."

This should be my mantra.
I was meant to read this today.
Everything happens for a reason.

librarianintx