I Run in Heels

Bachelorette Recap: Week 7

Sorry this is late...with the vacation I just never got around to finishing this one. Last Monday night on The Bachelorette involved another night of some pretty surprising twists.  This week was home dates for Jillian and the 5 left standing.

Hometown Date with Reid
The journey begins in Philadelphia, PA. Reid stands with 2 cups of coffee, looking a little more rugged than usual. This greeting starts the pattern that will follow for (I think) each of the greetings...Jillian running towards the guy, squealing. There's some quick shots of him showing her great views of the city, before the moment of truth. The first family introduction.

The house is a classic red-brick colonial (?) with a perfectly manicured lawn. Jillian meets Reid's mom, dad, and 2 older brothers. The family owns a real estate business (which Reid is a part of), and his mom comments: "We would love a designer in the family." Shortly after, she launches into a story about how kids just gravitate towards his son. Hmmm...maybe laying it on a little too thick. Jillian tells her she adores Reid and that he has a warmth about him. His brothers ask why she thinks Reid's still single and then say how he doesn't have a problem finding women but then they just go away. Way to throw him under the bus, guys. All of his family comments on how Reid has to get everyone else's opinion about girls he dates.

Next, the sister-in-laws and Grandma surprise Reid for a 30th birthday celebration. They express shock over seeing him so affectionate with Jillian. Jillian's final commentary is that she fell hard for Reid and his family.

Hometown Date with Michael                                                                                                       The start of this part was hilarious. When Michael walks in the door, his twin brother and his mom start jumping up and down enthusiastically. They greet Jillian with big hugs, and then Michael hatches a little scheme to trick Jillian by switching places with his brother,  except they're super easy to tell apart so that lasted about 1 second. Michael's brother asks how Mike's been getting all the roses. Jillian explains she made a list of non-negotiables with her cousin before the show and #1 was someone who could make her laugh. While mom and Jillian chat in the kitchen, Mike's dad tells him that Jill's the real deal but "it's going be pretty hard if it doesn't work out." Mike gets all serious and tells the camera "there's a good chance I could get my heart flattened."  Awwww. You feel for Michael, especially since it's obvious that's exactly what's going to happen.

They ask Jillian what are 3 things she's most proud of about herself. (1) an ability to laugh at anything (2) that she loves to see the good in everybody, and (3) her work ethic. Mike's sister surprises them by coming all the way from Australia to meet Jillian. The night closes out with everyone dancing around the living room.

Hometown Date with Kiptyn                                                                                                      Jillian tells Kiptyn she's crazy about him and he warns her his family might "bring some heat." As they walk up, she takes in their gorgeous home and in a voice-over worries that she might not fit in with them. She meets his mom, stepdad, sister, brother, and brother's gf. His parents tease her by showing how they've surrounded the hot tub with caution tape (after seeing her on The Bachelor). Then they give her a test to see if she can pick the dad's homemade lasagna vs. another one, and the best wine to go with it. She guesses it right, and then they throw out a little French between the two of them. (They're coming across a bit pretentious). Jill's worried about them seeing her as a hill-billy.

In an interesting convo between Jill and K's mom, his mom tells her she doesn't know if she believes in unconditional love. And then asks her if there's something she would change about herself that would make both her and Kiptyn happier. Jill's reply doesn't totally make sense. She starts talking about how's she always had to work for her happiness. Anyway, it ends with her talking about how she's worried that Kiptyn won't think she's good enough.

Hometown Date with Jesse                                                                                                                Jesse meets Jillian at his family's winery in Carmel, CA, and drives her around on a tractor. It was interesting to hear a little about his parents' background. His dad came over from Eastern Europe as a teenager. I'm not gonna lie. Jesse's brother Jacob is a stone cold fox. (haha I don't know why that phrase just popped into my head from back in the day). Anyway, Jesse who? He loses a bit of his mystique when he opens his mouth, asking Jesse when they're alone: "Do you love this chick? Does she want babies?" 

When Jacob asks Jill what makes her think Jesse's possibly the one, she says his dedication, the business they're in, he's a guy who would want to take care of her but would also let her take care of him. Wait, wait, wait. The business he's in? That phrase alone just sealed the deal for Jesse. He's gone. Jacob loses points again by asking if they've been naked together. Oh Jacob, can't you just sit there and look cute? What's the Abraham Lincoln quote..something like better to be thought a fool and remain silent than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. So true!

The date ends with the family rocking out, Jesse on drums, Jacob on guitar, dad and then Jill on the tambourine, and mom swaying to the music.

Hometown Date with Wes                                                                                                                 

Wes tells her he has a big surprise. His band. And the Wes saga continues. Okay, we get it. You're hear for your music. He tells us "This is like my church right here. You cannot beat that feeling with a bat. There's no drug, no woman, that can beat that feeling when you're on stage."  Too bad we can't phone in our votes and get him kicked off!

Next, we see Jake wheeling his luggage into the hotel, the white knight sweeping in to protect Jillian from "a deceiver."

Then it's back to Wes and the band, singing Jillian's song. Jillian's giddy taking in the performance and comments to the camera that he's the most "incredible and talented guy she's ever dated." (Yeah, incredibly arrogant and talented at pulling the wool over her eyes).

Dramatic music plays as Jake pops by the hotel, assures Jillian he's not there to win her back, and then drops the bomb that Wes is the one with a girlfriend. Her name is Laurel, and Wes had talked about her multiple times. Jill confronts Wes, who of course completely denies it, and then Jake comes in to call him out face to face. Drama, drama, drama.

Jill agrees to still go meet his family, which includes his mom, stepmom, and 3 sisters. His sisters say that "guys are always going to be jealous of him because of what he has going for him." They all gush about him like he hung the moon. His mom tells Jill that he has "a very sensitive heart" and that he's a one-woman kind of guy. Oh brother. If she only knew!

Ed returns!!!

My favorite part of this episode was Ed showing up at the hotel. He couldn't stop thinking about her, he made a huge mistake...I didn't get a chance to recap the episode where he left, but I was so disappointed when he did and elated to see him back! She invites him to that night's rose ceremony.

1st rose: Reid

2nd rose: Kiptyn

3rd rose: Ed (And this is where I start jumping up and down!)

4th rose: Wes (NOOOOOOO! Over Jesse? Over MIchael? Are you kidding me?)

Wow. Poor Jesse. He's upset about Ed just showing up and the age-old complaint of Wes being there for the wrong reasons.

And poor Michael. Saddest line this season: "Oh man. I straight up loved that girl, didn't I?"

Next up, they're off to Spain!

Family Vacation

I have friends who grew up camping. Their garages look like mini-REI's with outdoor equipment tucked in every available nook and cranny. My family, on the other hand, went camping maybe twice in my growing up years. We don't use the words happy and campers in conjunction with each other. We don't rough it.

So my mom approached the topic of staying in a camper quite delicately with my sister:
So I got us Ambien for the trip.
-Ambien?
Yeah for when we stay in Prinsburg.
-We're staying in Prinsburg?
Yeah, in the camper!
-In a camper?!? (the tone of these words was not delight)

Getting ready for bed that night, my mom asked if we'd taken our "vitamins" aka sleeping pills. My sister opted to sleep in the car fearing the infestation of gnats. My dad slept in the basement of an unfinished house, which though pleasant enough during the day, seemed like the setting for a classic horror film at night. And 4 of us crammed into a pint-size camper. Did I mention that we range in height from 5'7 to 6'3?

The mattress pads were comparable in comfort level to sleeping on brick slabs. But that "vitamin" did the trick. I slept like a log, but not before visions of Hurley (from Lost) swimming underwater went through my head. Um Mom? What exactly was in those pills you gave us?

10,000 Lakes

                                 

         Camper on my great-uncle's property                          Inside view

 

This week my family's in Minnesota for vacation. Our 2nd night, we stayed in Prinsburg, MN. My great uncle Donnie has been working on building a house out in the middle of farm lands for the last 10 years. It's a big, beautiful home, but the inside is still in the dry wall stages, so we stayed in the camper and our car. :)

We enjoyed games of chess and Scrabble. At night, we roasted marshmallows over the fire, laughing over stories of my dad as a teenager.

What a great way to start a low-key vacation!

 

Hair Dos and Dids

Permed.
Highlighted.
Crimped.
Curled.
Braided.
Dyed.
Trimmed.
Styled.

The list of things I've had done to my hair could go on and on and on. My grandma was a beautician who had a beauty shop in the basement when my mom was growing up. Later on, she opened up her own salon in downtown Willmar, MN, and had ladies who were clients for 40 years! When my sister and I were little, she would give perm our hair (including our bangs), which we absolutely loved. At one point, I even took matters into my own hands and chopped all of my sister's hair off (resulting in her looking like a little boy) and wreaked havoc on my own hair (which necessitated an emergency haircut that was very mullet-like).

Anyway, that's just a little background to explain why I had a poll asking for your opinion on my hair color. It's so fun to try new styles, colors, cuts! Guys don't know what they're missing. :) I went with a little darker blond, but maybe while I'm on vacation this week I'll talk my relatives into helping me try another color. I'll keep you posted!

#1 NBA Draft Pick Blake Griffin

I'm not usually one to follow NBA draft picks very closely, but this year I'm super excited about Blake Griffin getting drafted to play for the Clippers and Taylor Griffin for the Phoenix Suns! Both of them played ball with my brother at OCS in Edmond, OK, and dominated their division for the years they were there. (You can see Blake playing click here, playing against Jared, the Subway guy, here, and Taylor in action here). Who's ready for some b-ball?

I love this picture of Taylor and my brother this summer (Photo credit: Angela Clark).

Bachelorette Recap Week 6

Tonight's episode takes place on an absolutely breath-taking train ride through the Rockies. The guys are told that the next rose ceremony will bring them down to 5 guys for the hometown dates, when Jillian will go meet each of their families.

One-on-One Date: Jillian picks Robby for the first one-on-one on the train. He mixes her up a fun drink and tells her he's the youngest of 4 and his whole family thinks he'll be the first one married. I think what kills it for him is that he doesn't have direction in life. He says he's "kinda in between jobs right now" and that he's not worried because "love has no age. Love doesn't have a job." Um...love don't pay the bills! Jillian lets him down gently, the train comes to a stop, and the other guys freak out as Robby's luggage is taken off the train. The train pulls away with Jillian standing at the back of it looking sad. Poor Robby! Michael was really distraught over it and had tears streaming down his face. I think he cared more about Robby than Jillian did.

Next scene: Wes tells the camera he's got a hidden agenda...which, as viewers, we know is only hidden from Jillian now. He smirks as he says he's got her wrapped around his little finger and how he'll slip back into "Jillian mode." It's enough to make you sick. Cue Jillian talking about how happy and safe he makes her feel. The show has crafted Wes as the perfect villain. Jillian is blissfully unaware, and meanwhile he just gloats with that smug little grin. Can you tell I'm not a big Wes fan?

Group Date: They all have breakfast together the next morning, and then it's time for the group date. The group is Mike, Kiptyn, Tanner, Wes, and Jake. Reid's giddy about getting the next one-on-one date ("She must like me, if she's saving me for last! She's gotta like me!") The group goes snow-shoeing and of course Tanner indulges his love-o'-feet by helping her put her snow shoes on. They all play hide and seek & Jake sneaks in a hug upon finding her. Meanwhile, Reid is asking the train staff for advice (glasses or no glasses on his date?).

Later that night, Jillian and Jake joke about her meeting his family and how they'd tell embarrassing stories about him. Kiptyn tells her he likes her, and she definitely seems to want more time with him. Michael asks what she wears when she sleeps, tells her what he wears, and then Tanner takes it way too far by pulling down his pants to show what he wears while referring to himself as daddy. There are no words.

Next, there's a shot of Tanner rubbing Jillian's feet and going on and on about how perfect her feet are. I think the only reason he's made it this far is that he's given her info on the other guys, because the foot obsession is creepy enough watching on screen. Michael and Jillian cook s'mores outside. She's worried about his age (25) and lets him know. Plus, there's a lack of romantic connection.

Tanner confesses he's the one who told Jillian about one or more of the guys having girlfriends. Wes gets super defensive, saying how he can't stand tattletales and how he would never do that. Blah. Blah. Blah. Oh Wes, save it! The night ends with Jillian giving a rose to Kiptyn. 

In the morning, Jake approaches Jillian and tells her he hasn't been completely honest. His big announcement? That he hadn't felt that way about anyone since his high school sweetheart. And now for his big reveal (drumroll please)....He really, really likes her. Not so much a surprise, Jake, but glad you could get that off your chest.

One-on-One: Jillian & Reid hit the slopes for some snowboarding lessons. He comments that if he were skiing, he'd be hitting the black diamonds on the other side of the mountain. Instead, he has Jill show him how to snowboard. He fell. A lot. But you gotta give the guy credit for trying. Back at the train, the other guys are calling him neurotic, annoying, and someone who asks too many questions. Such loyalty! 

Reid and Jillian have dinner at a table and chairs carved out of ice surrounded by stunning ice sculptures. Wow! They move inside for some fondue which freaks Reid out (something about the raw meat going into hot oil followed by more raw meat). And she confesses she doesn't wash her fruit. :) He ends up with the rose, in spite of his neurotic tendencies. But seriously, who doesn't like fondue?

Talking with Chris Harrison: The writing's on the wall here. Jillian refers to Jake as perfect again, which obviously isn't what she's looking for. She tells Chris she's concerned about Michael's age and that Tanner should focus more on her and less on the other guys when he's talking with her.

Rose Ceremony: Tanner and Jake get the boot this week. Tanner's tirade includes several censored words. I can understand his being upset that Wes is still on the show. But Tanner has eyes. Surely he could sense that it wasn't gonna happen.

And Jake was even more crushed. He lamented that Jillian had one guy there to sell records, one "flimsy" guy, one young guy...and how nice guys finish last. He worried about her heart getting broken but unfortunately I think his was the only one affected tonight. I know there were a lot of people rooting for Jake, but I didn't see him making top 3. Of course, two of my top 3 picks are gone now: Ed and Robby. And the clips of future shows make it seem like Reid's prospects aren't great.

But the big excitement to look forward to is Jake coming back next week to call Wes out about having a girlfriend!

Click here for more Bachelorette recaps!

Summer Movies

Movies I've Enjoyed So Far This Summer

Up: I saw this in 3D over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you've read any reviews, than you know that whether they praise or knock the film, everyone's going gaga over the montage of the older man and his wife. (One male reviewer said it makes grown men cry). It was, as promised, a very moving scene, but there were touching moments throughout, along with humor and adventure. Pixar does what they do very well.

The Proposal: I liked it. I went it not expecting to be wowed, but Sandra Bullock could make a documentary about paint drying fun to watch. And Ryan Reynolds (married in September to Scarlett Johansson) is quite the looker and very sweet in this. Bullock plays a book editor who makes her assistant (Reynolds) miserable (a little reminiscent of the dynamic between Hugh Grant & Sandra Bullock in "Two Weeks Notice" but less playful). She's Canadian, about to be deported, and coerces him to marry her. They fly to his hometown in Alaska to convince the immigration officials and hilarity (more or less) ensues.

Movies I'm Anticipating

Away We Go: At a recent reunion, a classmate of mine from Wheaton and Fuller mentioned this film he had worked on, and I've been looking forward to its release ever since. I'm a huge fan of The Office, so I'm excited to see John Krasinksi on the big screen, along with Maya Rudolph from SNL. They play a couple expecting their 1st child, who decide to travel across the country and find a place to settle down. Seems like an interesting take on the whole literal journey reflecting a figurative journey motif. IMDB says their journey might help them "discover 'home' on their own terms for the first time."

My Sister's Keeper: This book was written by one of my favorite authors Jodi Piccoult. She deals with current issues in the world with captivating narrative. I am really looking forward to seeing this, especially to see how Cameron Diaz handles the dramatic role. She plays the mother of a girl with leukemia. She and her husband have a second daughter, so they can use her bone marrow to help save their eldest. The younger daughter, played by Abigail Breslin (from "Little Miss Sunshine), decides to hire a lawyer to help emancipate herself, so she can make her own decisions about her body.

Where the Wild Things Are: I wrote about this here already, but I'm still looking forward to it! :)

Happy Father's Day!

My parents read my blog, are Facebook friends of mine, and my dad recently started following me on Twitter, so I think it's only fitting that I wish him Happy Father's Day online.

I had to laugh when I called him earlier, only to find they'd had a "wonderful lunch" at Sam's Club, tasting the samples. :) In all fairness, they did have a lovely French Toast breakfast and are planning to grill out later tonight. But I have to say, I love that my family can have a great time celebrating no matter where they are.

I have so many wonderful childhood memories. My parents have always been my biggest cheerleaders. When I was younger, I competed in spelling bees. I'd get pages and pages of word lists to study ahead of time. One year, my dad made me a tape of him saying each word, pausing so I could spell it out loud, and then spelling it so I could hear the spelling. I can't imagine how long that must have taken him or how tedious it must have been. To me, it's just one of many examples of what an amazing dad I have!

But I also want to celebrate the men who for each of us have served as mentors, encouragers, friends, advisers, and, of course, the source of great laughs. Whether that's a father, a professor, a pastor, a coach, a friend...what a gift!

Busy does not begin to describe it.

Californians call the overcast, cloudy weather we've been having lately June Gloom.

I feel like there should be a term for the graduation-birthday-name your occasion insanity that hits this time of year. (Hmmm...like June Zoom? By June I Run on Fumes? June: Can't Hit My Bed Too Soon?)

Ifeel like I'm in that daze Steve Martin's character experiences in "Father of the Bride" after his daughter's wedding, like "What just happened?"

I just blinked and a month went by.

This picture's comical, because I don't even have time to juggle cooking and ironing. Cooking has become frozen dinners and I'll admit it...fast food. Shooting for the moon there!

And work's been so busy. I've been coordinating group travel, which can be stressful. Fundraising for the trip has somehow ended up with me doing copious amounts of weeding. (It's humbling when a 14-year-old boy has to point out to you the difference between a weed and a non-weed. Yikes).

It's just been an absolute whirlwind. I don't know how my friends with 1, 2, 3+ kids and spouses do it, because I am utterly exhausted with a responsibility of 1.

And with that said, I'm going to bed.

The Gift of Limits

I am reading a book called The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero, and I loved the chapter entitled "Principle 4: Receive the Gift of Limits." In it, he recounts the following tale: "Rabbi Zusya, when he was an old man, said 'In the coming world, they will not ask me: 'Why were you not Moses?' they will ask me, 'Why were you not Zusya?' The true vocation for every human being is, as Kierkegaard said, 'the will be oneself.'" He goes on to talk about how to tell people no, setting boundaries, etc., but he also says that part of setting limits is understanding that we each have unique gifts and the way we do things isn't going to look exactly like how someone else would do them. And that's perfectly okay.

He quotes from Henri Nouwen's Can You Drink the Cup?: "No two lives are the same. We often compare our lives with those of others, trying to decide whether we are better or worse off, but such comparisons do not help us much. We have to live our life, not someone else's. We have to hold our own cup. We have to dare to say: 'This is my life, the life that is given to me, and it is this life that I have to live, as well as I can. My life is unique. Nobody else will ever live it. I have my own history, my own family, my own body, my own character, my own friends, my own way of thinking, speaking, and acting--yes, I have my own life to live. No one else has the same challenge. I am alone, because I am unique. Many people can help me live my life, but after all is said and done, I have to make my own choices about how to live."

It is very freeing to let go of worrying about the perceptions of others, how we match up to them, if we're doing things the way they think they ought to be done. Instead, we can celebrate that our lives and how we live them are utterly unique. Then, the trick is to try to form a community that connects and unifies, without losing this appreciation of the individual.