Spring and Summer cleaning: some of us slip on the rubber gloves and get up to our elbows in cleaning suds to get our living spaces squeaky clean. Others venture under the seats of their cars in an effort to make it presentable again. And then there are the children of the Internet Era...

We clean out our buddy lists, cell phone address books, and myspace friend lists.

Ah, I feel lighter already ^_^

Hmm... could it be true? Benji draws Heidi??

Fact: Benji is dancing Mambo and Broadway with someone. Buddy said so Sunday night... I can't wait to see if they'll show Buddy's scrolling electronic sign tomorrow night. What a hoot that was when he demonstrated it at the Clubhouse on Sunday night!

Possibility: Benji is dancing with Heidi.

(Ok, Lacey. Now could be a good time for me to know exactly how many people you think are posing as you on the Internet, because I'm seeing a lot...)

Another kudos out to Kristin and Nick for choreographing an impressive and representative Lindy routine! Not bad for only what, two or three days of rehearsals available to the dancers? The styling was there, yay! Please do it again! Please keep Ron Montez AWAY from the Choreographer's Room!!! Break his kneecaps - I really don't care at this point.

As a final note, last week's group routine was B-A-D-A-S-S!!!

Props to Robson for "Ramalama'ing" Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (click here)

Tidbit: When you watch a dance routine on TV over and over enough times to memorize BOTH Benji and Donyelle's parts... I think the obsession may have gone too far....
Can you stop the beat?

Thanks goes out to Vixen fon keeping me posted.

Has anyone claimed Workers Comp, successfully, for a developing bald spot from tearing their hair out, repeatedly? I am getting this bitter feeling that I am being paid WAY less to do what I do than I should be getting paid... Is this what its like with real, salaried jobs? To persistently feel taken for granted and blindsighted into being happy with a meager salary rather than a sum of money that one would be proud and inspired to work for??

I'd think that I was just being whiny if it wasn't for certain happenings, like a girl promoted into a position that is nowhere near the level of effort it takes to
"WORKfascinates me.
I can sit and look at it
for hours and hours." do my job. Within two months of starting her first day at the company. For pretty much the same salary that I was gloriously offered a few weeks beforehand. Did I mention that she hasn't done SH*T since she started her new position and that other people are constantly covering her tasks for her so that it all gets taken care of? Trust me, I am not the only one in the company who has noticed this. Hey! I have a great idea - let's hire someone and give them a raise BEFORE they've proven themselves to be more competent than your desktop pencil sharpener. *the aforementioned competency has yet to reveal itself....* Maybe that is what is chapping my hide. Or maybe it is how I find this odd pattern that since my 'promotion' my paychecks have actually been pretty much the same as they were before - only this time I don't get compensated for any overtime.

FLSA at its finest.... Hence why I have begun to habitually pack up and go home at precisely 4pm every day. "What? Oh no, I'm sorry.. it's 4pm. I can't do anything until 7:30am tomorrow. Signing that FLSA form nixed my overtime potential, you know."

WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

FIRST UP, NATALIE AND MUSA DRAW HIP HOP.
The outcome of their dance is pretty much summed up in Nigel's comment...

"Natalie, for this dance routine you weren't really supposed to DANCE, just act while Musa does all the dancing, so even though I'm judging how good the dancing that you two did as a couple and you didn't dance worth S%*#, great job!! Loved it." Oh... and dancing to Promiscuous Girl? C'mon!! I hear ENOUGH of this song on the radio/TV as it is!

RYAN AND HEIDI:
They lucked out with Cha Cha, and their routine was danced to "Sex Bomb" by Tom Jones - Need I say more (and yes, those of you who remember NYDC 2003 can giggle at that little memory)? Luckily Jean-Marc choreographed intelligently to showcase Heidi's *ahem* assets and to cloak Ryan's weaknesses..... Ryan himself said it:
"My partner is a ballroom superstar [**so I can just stand there and watch her dance the whole time**] so I'm good!"
Ryan did a decent job, though. A few times he rushed his footwork, but during the parts in the choreography that it counted the most he hit it at the right parts and moved himself across the floor. It's hard to take Ryan apart too much, though.... All eyes were on Heidi and her costume, which would probably fit in its entirety into a sandwich baggie. Not that anyone is complaining. If I had a body like that I would be getting myself into a considerable amount of trouble.

IVAN AND ALLISON:
Contemporary. Allison was stunning, loved her movements. Brian was 100% right. As for Ivan, I'm sorry but what is everyone going gaga over? Mary cried like Paula Abdul during American Idol and Ivan still looks like he hasn't hit puberty yet. He's still stuck in the gangly awkward teenage movement-stage and it really doesn't look all that pretty... Has he hit puberty yet???

DMITRY AND ASHLEE:
Dmitry and Ashlee did Pop...*yawn*... Even my consistent desire to tear off Dmitry's shirt myself can't save me from wanting to take a nap during this routine...

TRAVIS AND MARTHA:
Travis and Martha drew Foxtrot, and it was very nice. Jean-Marc does it again. Although, it was distinctly disturbing to see Travis' hair plastered down....

BENJI AND DONYELLE:
Benji and Donyelle danced Broadway. Awesome, of course. Why elaborate? It rocked. Brian finally admits that he is eating his previously uttered concerns that Benji wouldn't go very far and wasn't all that good. That's right, Brian. Eat those words. Chew them up, spit them out, and eat them all over again....

SYTYCD QUOTE OF THE WEEK

SILLY TRAVIS. TEARS ARE FOR BENJI.
I'll make it short but sweet. Travis' quote is priceless. Benji does Broadway and Heidi spices it up with a ChaCha tomorrow on Fox. Oh, and someone makes Mary cry. I think she's channeling Paula Abdul.

Ok. So on to much more amusing things:

I love "Whose Line is it, Anyway," and I love this clip (click):"I'll be the prop!"

I found a post on CraigsList for someone offering up a paperclip in exchange for a crackhouse. Probably wouldn't take a whole year like it took the real guy with the real One Red Paper Clip. If you followed the One Red Paper Clip, you'll be happy to know there is a happy ending (click):What do I get for $10?

I swear to god, If I ever hear this song at a WCS event, I will gouge my eyes out (click):"Jump in my Car"

RON MONTEZ?!?! Are you flipping kidding me? His name isn't even listed in the World Swing Dance Council Points Registry. And that can mean only one of two things. Either he's never earned points, or his heyday was so far back in the Dark Ages that they couldn't remember how many points he could have earned. Or... *GASP*.... he did WCS so long ago that the Points Registry didn't even exist... O_O

Google Sniffing Mission Ensues...

Readers beware: When looking for a place to learn WCS, avoid Arthur Murray dance studios like the Avian Bird Flu/SARS/Plague.

I've been competing frequently in WCS for nearly 6 years and the only time I've ever seen that style of WCS done was on a US Open Anniversary DVD during the 1988-1996 chapters!

How embarrassing!!! If you want to see REAL West Coast Swing, check out the fabulous collection from The Glitterati. Oh my goodness, viewers, West Coast Swing is SO much more than the flopping, stinking mess you saw tonight!!!

And that's my 2 cents in the comment bucket ^_^

If there is anything I can think of that can gauge the amount of crap someone lugs onto an airplane as carryon baggage, it is an airport restroom stall.

Ok, so I’m a big advocate of carryon baggage. We all have those valuables/breakables/intimates/edibles that just cannot be trusted in the hands of the villainous luggage handlers or the pressurized stresses of cargo-bay travel. Limit me to one carryon plus one personal item? Get real. Between my makeup, purse, and laptop bag, I am always over the limit. But how can you limit that? Laptops must be carried on. My purse contents are my lifeline. There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell my makeup is going to survive checked baggage. So for me it’s always those three items.

Seriously now...



"
What is it with me and airplanes??
"

I’m in the Phoenix airport on July 4th, getting ready to fly back to San Diego, and I make a restroom pit stop on the way to the gate. Upon maneuvering my way around the Phoenix Airport’s latest and greatest maze-like invention to give ultimate privacy to restroom occupants without employing the use of an actual door (have you ever felt like you’re getting lost going in one?), I came across an amusing spectacle.

Behold: a woman struggling to get into a stall with so much carryon luggage that she cannot fit herself AND the bags in AND close the door without practically standing on the toilet (or falling in, which honestly would have been much funnier). And this particular lady wasn’t overweight by any means, either.

Wow. And I haven't even gotten on the plane yet!

Has anyone seen that Dairy Queen Blizzard commercial? This guy boards a plane, puts his DQ Blizzard onto his seat, and tries to stuff his carryon bag into the overhead bin. I guess the Blizzard is some sort of irresistible flavor because the guy in the seat next to his Blizzard spies the tasty treat and proceeds to stuff gobs of it into his mouth until the guy realizes that someone is ganking his DQ and makes a dive to stop the guy. Unfortunately, the carryon isn’t secured and it tumbles out of the overhead bin and onto two peoples’ heads across the aisle (thoroughly pissing them off), distracting him from his mission to save the Blizzard. The Hungry Man takes full advantage of this and keeps on shoveling away. It happens all over again a second time, only this time the ladies REALLY get pissed and start beating on him.

During takeoff on my return flight, one of the overhead bins across from my seat flew open and bags started to slowly slide out. It took until the bags were REALLY about to fall out before one of the people sitting right underneath the open bin realized that no one was coming to the rescue so they’d better close it themselves before the stewardesses realize that someone isn’t buckled in. God forbid a passenger isn’t buckled into their seats during takeoff, but never mind if a bag is poised at the ready to fly off the shelf and knock the crap out of a passenger….

I love flying. Really. :)

***Posted July 4th, 2006***

Since I'm still in Phoenix where I've been happily buzzed, tanned, sweaty (110 degrees!!!), and relaxed for the past 4 days and I'd rather be vacationing than blogging, I'll make this short and sweet:

This Wednesday, July 5th, 8pm-10pm on SYTYCD....

West Coast Swing.

That's right. You heard me. West. Coast. Swing.

I'll leave the speculation about the quality of the representation open for debate.

BTW, Phoenix = Best Dance Convention. Ever.

***Update July 5th, 2006***

So, who will be the first to deposit their two cents into the comment bucket and display their true feelings/reactions to seeing the result of a decidedly non-Westie choreographing a dance routine and calling it "West Coast Swing"?