Eeeeeee! Yay dancing!

I started writing this last night at the end of my work day being all, "You guys, I know you want So You Think You Can Dance blogs but I'm SO BUSY and these first audition shows are SO LONG and I just don’t know if I’m going to be able to do consistent blogs this year, okay?”

And then I fired up the TiVO and the opening shots of dancers came on and I was all, “Eeeeeee! Yay dancing! I LOVE THIS SHOW!” all over again. At which point I proceeded to watch six damn hours of So You Think You Can Dance. I was up until 1 a.m. Yes, I am tired this morning.

As for recapping, I thought about taking notes but decided I’d rather just watch & enjoy, so that’s what I did. I don't typically recap the audition shows anyway, if you recall. I mean, why a person would spend even a second of their "15 Minutes" dancing like an elephant just to get chewed out by Nigel Lythgoe is BEYOND me, but whatever. I don’t care for the manipulative biography packages terribly much, nor do I enjoy watching some jackass get all pissy when they’re cut or critiqued. People, for God’s sake, you watch the show, right? You’ve seen the caliber of dancer on here, and yet you think you’re good enough to go through? To the point that you’re going to get all tantrumy about it? No. I don't need to see your meltdown, honey. Dance well, or get the hell off my TV.

So yeah, no, those jerks don't get covered in my blog. Here’s what I will say about the first six hours:

I love seeing good dancers come back, especially some of those who made it to the final rounds in Vegas before being cut from the Top 20. I’ve seen recaps where people have referred to them as “Season 4 Rejects,” but with at least four of them, I’ve seen serious improvement, and the fact that these dancers can take a rejection and turn it into something fabulous on stage is inspiring. That guy Brandon, who moved Mary to tears, was dazzling. Quiet or not, I want to see more of him on the show. Natalie was also sensational, and all those goofy adjectives that Sonia & Mary were using—organic, sincere—were spot-on. I also loved Evan, the Gene Kelly guy, as well as that tapper Bianca. Season 4 rejects or not, I’d love to see them on the show.

There were some new dancers that I’m very excited about as well. Not as excited as Nigel was, I’m sure, to see so many tiny blond 18-year-old contemporary dancers flit across the stage in front of him. At a certain point Mac was like, “How many is that, now?” And I was like, “Not enough for Nigel.”

Speaking of the judges I would like to invite them to get over themselves before the season goes much further. Maybe they should take a note or two.
Nigel: Anyone who watches the show knows that you’re shockingly homophobic for a man who works in the dance industry, but you can’t keep trying to pass it off as legitimate critique. If you’re struggling to find a way of saying a dancer isn’t “masculine” enough without being a dick, maybe that’s a hint that what you’re really trying to say is, “I don’t like how gay you look,” and is therefore a comment you should keep to yourself.
Mary: I’d love to hear a little more originality in your critiques rather than the same words over and over again. Also, backhanded compliments are actually insults. They’re fairly easy to spot and it doesn’t make you seem nicer just because you tried to veil them with insincerity. I respect you more when you just speak honestly.
Tasty Oreo: OH MY GOD honey put a sock in it!! I like a bitchy queen as much as the next person, but enough already! Yes, there are some delusional jackasses on that stage wasting your time, but calling them out so extensively doesn’t teach them anything and only makes YOU look like an asshole.
Sonya: An orgasm every time a good dancer takes the stage? Actually, it bugs Nigel so much that it kind of tickles me, so knock yourself out. But maybe a few less drugs before judging next time, okay?
Lil C: I love you. Sometimes I wonder if you’re reading critiques that someone fed you? Like, it doesn’t seem totally real, but maybe that’s the whole “unreality of reality TV” messing with my head. Even so, I love you.
Adam: Even though the whole bit went on for too long, I really appreciate that you got up and danced for us. You showed us what the natural, instinctive carriage of a dancer looks like, even when he’s goofing around, and it helped convince me that you know your stuff. And your critiques are generally spot-on for me, I just feel like they would carry more weight if you were a little less full of yourself. You’re a famous director with some hit movies; you didn’t solve world hunger or anything.
Mia: If you stopped taking this all way too seriously you wouldn’t be you, and that would be tragic. Don’t change a thing, you fabulous, intensely scary diva, you. MWAH.

Finally, a note to our favorite host Cat Deeley: Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, please stop drinking the blood of kittens in order to stay so freaking beautiful, darling, and sweet. Surely no human can maintain that consistent level of sincerity and kindness, nor that perfect hair, without some kind of sinister ritual to make it work. Right? I am consistently delighted by you without fault, and it’s starting to make me worry. So maybe a little less kitten and your hair can go in a ponytail and you can be a little crabby for a couple seconds? I won’t hold it against you.

Next week: Vegas. I’m rather excited to see what happens, aren’t you?

when geeks & jocks interact

I've been dining out on this story for months, so it's only right that I finally record it here.

I've been seeing a personal trainer for a few months to help me out with some weight training and general accountability ("If you pay him, you will get your over-scheduled ass to the gym"). His name is Troy, and he used to play Division 1 football for UCLA until he broke his back. Today he's a web designer and personal trainer and kind of the quintessential Popular Jock--handsome, easy-going, way into football. I figured out early on in our trainer/trainee relationship that we didn't have much in common. In fact, were I not paying him to help sculpt my arms, shoulders & abs into the toned limbs I now possess (ha), we would never have met, never hang out. We have very little in common, aside from a shared desire to turn my fat into muscle.

Anyway, one day we were in the weight room and I was lifting free weights while he was regaling me with one of his stories from the Good Old Days of college football. I'm listening and trying to follow along--I'm not really a football fan, so a lot of his story is new information to me. Anyway, he's telling me his football story, and about halfway through, he asks me in what I presume to be a very weird question, and this is what went down.

Him: "You know what the Red Shirts are?"

Me (confused): ".... You mean from Star Trek?"

Him (more confused): "...No. From football."

Both of us, looking at each other, totally confused: " . . . . . ?"

This is what happens when geeks & jocks interact. You can become friends, but you might not always speak the same language.

It's a weird world

Last update April 3. My goodness.

I've started to wonder if my life is really happening if I'm not posting about it on Twitter/Facebook. I just spent 45 minutes reading all my people's updates on Facebook from the weekend (300+ people, 3 days worth of updates) and actually felt bad that I didn't post something for Mother's Day. I called my mom, and sent her a present and a card that showed up ON TIME for once. Is it enough if I didn't post it on Facebook too? It's a weird world we live in these days.

I haven't been blogging in months mostly because I've been very short on time. Also because as I've been sitting here trying to compose my thoughts, I forget what I was going to write just as soon as it pops into my head. Let's assume it was brilliant, shall we?

This past weekend we celebrated the 2-year anniversary of our company, Click Communications. When Mac and I started this gig, it was just the two of us and our one client. Today we still have that client, as well as two others, as well as 6 full-time employees, 3 part-time contractors, and 2 advisory board members. Our press list, and the strength of the relationships that go with it, has more than doubled. I feel anxious sharing our success because I constantly feel, every second, that there's still SO MUCH MORE TO DO. Do more! Be better! But we'll get there, and in the meantime, I feel very lucky and grateful to see our hard work pay off this way. There are many hard-working people in our country right now who are not enjoying as much success, and we will not take this for granted.

We celebrated with a party here at the house on Saturday, a day that started with coffee and watching Friday's Dollhouse finale. [Sidebar: Friday we were discussing Dollhouse with our friends, and I said to Mac, "Remember that episode that got all surreal and rapey?" His response: "You mean all of them?" I'm intrigued by this show, but he's not wrong, and it bums me out. I love a Joss Project, but I'd prefer to see his next one with a little less rape. Is that too much to ask from the guy who's all, "I'll quit writing strong female characters when everyone keeps asking me WHY I write strong female characters"? I think not.] The party was a fabulous success, which I say myself because I know we could not have pulled it off without Mac's sister, our dear friends visiting from Seattle, and our rock star staff helping set it up and make everything go smoothly. The night ended with me getting a face full of veggie burger juice, which made me very cranky, and also made me realize A) throwing a party for 10+ hours after two weeks of Work Insanity is Exhausting, and B) sobering up and cleaning while your friends are still drunk & partying is no fun. I think the solution is maybe to stay drunk? A theory to test at the next party, perhaps.

In other news, Captain Awesome has a gimpy leg from jumping on the fence trying to catch squirrels/our neighbors and has been limping around for a week. I thought it would heal on its own but it hasn't, and it just breaks my heart and I'm taking him to the vet today. Both of our dogs have been extra cuddly and clingy lately, I think because of our recent Hawaii trip. I would take them with us if I could. Penny would love chasing geckos.

Now that I'm thinking of taking Captain to the vet, I'm reminded of preparations I need to make for a meeting tomorrow morning, and all this other work I have to do. I think I'm a little rusty at the blogging, but I think I could fit it back into my life. This took 15 minutes to write, as opposed to the 45 I spent on Facebook, which is supposed to take less time. It's a weird world we live in these days.