I Run in Heels

Matt Damon's new movie "The Adjustment Bureau"

Monday night, I attended a screening of Matt Damon's newest film "The Adjustment Bureau," followed by a fascinating panel discussion led by Hugh Hewitt (a lawyer/law professor/broadcast journalist with a nationally syndicated radio show).

The panel consisted of the film's writer/director George Nolfi, who's also known for "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "Ocean's Twelve," along with Sister Rose Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies, Craig Detweiler, Associate Professor of Communication at Pepperdine University, and Rob Johnston, Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Matt Damon plays David Norris, an up-and-coming politician who's running for senate. The movie begins with a great look at the political world, as David goes from interview to interview with many famous people you'll recognize.

Before making a major speech, he meets Elyse (played by Emily Blunt) by apparent chance in a bathroom. And from that point on, there's this tug of war between them being together and forces that keep them apart.

The movie crosses several genres including thriller and romance, which gives it a universal appeal. And while it's very entertaining, it also gets you thinking about free will vs. destiny/fate and the idea of soul mates and whether or not there's one person meant for you. And let's be honest...when is 2 hours of Matt Damon not a good thing?

Two thumbs up from me!

 

 

 

 

Dancing with the Stars: Season 8 Live Taping

Monday marked my 7th visit to the set of Dancing with the Stars. I still enjoy it, but I've gotten a little burnt out with the whole process of waiting in line and clapping and cheering until you feel like your head's going to explode. That being said, it was fun to bring two of the girls from my youth group who hadn't been to a taping before.

We got to sit on the 3rd row for Susan Boyle's beautiful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" with lovely choreography by professional dancers Tony and Chelsea. Next up, three pairs of pros did a medley of ballroom dances, but after that we got moved up to the last row of the balcony. And, as a security guard told me after the show, "the balcony sucks." :)

My friend Gia drove down separately. They started letting people in early. We let some people go ahead of us, but we finally decided we should go inside. I was so anxious about how Gia would get in to the show.

A short time later, there comes Gia around the corner. She wanted to let us know her friend Burrell, pro dancer Tony's life coach, was on his way to get her into the show. Forty-five minutes later, he pulls up in a huge black Rolls Royce, causing the rest of the people in line to absolutely gawk. He got her a VIP wristband and a floor seat, plus she got to meet and get photos with several of the dancers and celebrities afterwards (Derek, Kelly, Max, Kym, etc.) Lucky girl! 

Afterwards, we headed over to The Grove, a great outdoor shopping area, and had dinner at their Farmer's Market (about 40 permanent food booths). My favorite is the creperie! I still love the fact that I live in SoCal and can go to tapings like this on a whim.

 

The Glee Workout

My new Wednesday night routine involves rushing out of my house to get to the gym by 9 pm. I lay claim to one of 3 treadmills in viewing distance of the television #6, plug in my headphones, and stay glued to "Glee" for the next hour. Nothing helps me pick up the pace like a good song and dance routine. One of these days I'm going to burst into song while I run: "Keep HOLDING on!" Last night I was halfway to the gym when I realized I'd forgotten my headphones. Crucial decision: do I hustle home and retrieve them, missing the first 15 min., or suffer through subtitles? Luckily, there was a 3rd option: have my brother bring his. He was already planning to meet me. Problem solved! He proceeded to do sprints ON THE STAIRMASTER beside me. "Uh Seth?...You're making the rest of us look bad." These are the kinds of things that only an older sister will tell you. :) I need to find shows for other days of the week. Trainers are so last year. 2009 is all about the TV as your workout buddy. We'll call it digitraining.

Celebrating Dirty Jobs

"Deskbound, Romancing the Brick", Sarah Kershaw quotes writer Russ Rymer, "I understand the interest in the trade resurgence, which is partly nostalgia and partly a real and visceral issue in people's lives. The nostalgia aspect is evident-we're feeling ephemeral and remembering wistfully a time when we made things. And our less tangible industries-finance and investment banking, say-have disgraced themselves in our eyes, and so we turn to a purportedly more honorable line of work." More and more people are turning in their office keys for hands-on professions. There has been a disconnect between white collar and blue collar jobs for so long, but maybe we're finally moving towards a point where both sectors can be celebrated as equally worthwhile.

Here's Mike Rowe on Ted Talks:

Adam, a film about Asperger's Syndrome

A recent NY Times article entitled Asperger's Syndrome, On Screen and in Life by Neil Admur explores how Asperger's (high-functioning autism) is portrayed in three films currently in the theater or to be released within the year. I saw one of the films entitled "Adam" last night and really enjoyed it. Writer/Director Max Mayer is quoted in the article as saying: "The more I learned about Asperger's, the better metaphor it felt like for the condition of all of us in terms of a desire for connection to other people." Watching the film, you get exactly what he means.

The main character Adam, played by Hugh Dancy, struggles to fit in in the workplace and interact with his attractive new neighbor Beth. Adam tells her he isn't able to tell what other people are thinking, so he has to ask. I think what makes it so relatable is that most of us have trouble guessing exactly what the other person is thinking, especially the opposite sex. Adam is just more extreme in his inability to perceive another's emotions/thoughts and more upfront about it.

The music in this movie is intoxicating, with several of the songs scored specifically for the film by Christopher Lennertz, but also from fabulous artists including:"Gone Away" by Lucy Schwartz, "Someone Else's Life" and "When You Find Me" by Joshua Radin, "Plastic Flowers" by The Hiders, Beautiful Day by Miranda Lee Richards, and Can't Go Back Now by the Weepies (with a video so unique I just had to share it with you).

                 

More Summer Movie Reviews

I have been on a total movie kick lately. I've seen 4 movies in the last couple of weeks. I know this will shock some of you, but I saw them all by myself. This worked out perfectly fine until the last one, District 9. I kept turning my head to either a void a gruesome scene on-screen or gauge the reactions of my fellow movie-goers. I'm sure the guys next to me had some stories to tell about the crazy girl's reactions in the movie. It's not exactly the kind of movie you can watch quietly.

Julie & Julia

I really enjoyed this movie for many reasons. First, there's the modern story line featuring a blogger. What's not to love about that? I could relate to the character Julie Powell's enthusiasm over receiving her first comment from someone she doesn't know. The film follows her progression from an unknown to a literary star in her own right. Of course, you all know by now that the second story line is Meryl Streep portraying the iconic Julia Childs. I loved seeing the behind-closed-doors look at Julia, trying to find direction in her life, flirting with her husband, going from cooking novice to chef extraordinaire, and adjusting to life as an American in Paris.

(500) Days of Summer

Zooey Deschanel just eats up the screen in this film. She is absolutlely radiant, and it's not hard to see why Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character Tom is completley wrecked over her as Summer. I can't see my parents' generation really loving this film, but the 20 and 30-something hipster crowd has been going gaga over it. There's all kinds of new techniques and styles used in the film that give it appeal. Even the general layout of the story line, which jumps back and forth from different days in their relationship, is pretty cool. My only disappointment was I was expecting more of a cute, light-hearted romance and instead it's a bit more realistic, revolving around one person being much more invested in the relationship than the other.

The Time Traveler's Wife

This was another film where the female lead seemed to take over the screen, and the male lead fades more in the background. It's hard to make Eric Bana seem like an afterthought, but even though he was the time traveler, Rachel McAdams was much more interesting in her role as the one left behind each time he traveled. Someone asked me if it was weird that he met her when she was a little girl, and yes it was. There was one scene when he was fighting when they're married, and then he travels back and kisses her 18-year-old self, which seemed very self-serving and manipulative. All in all, it was an interesting film, but not one I'd watch over and over.

District 9

Yes, there's a non-chick flick on the list. This is the ultimate movie for guys. In fact, I don't know if there were many other women in the theater, but there was more than enough testosterone in that room. Perhaps you've gathered from the commercials that the film features aliens who are cordoned off in an area called District 9. What makes the movie absolutely heart-breaking is that it is a depiction of the apartheid. Watching the mistreatment, killing, and abuse of the aliens is devastating in light of the fact that so many humans were and are treated in a similar manner. It was very difficult to watch, fairly violent and gorey in the second half, but I found myself joining in the cheers as the good guys started kicking the bad guys' butts. It was thought-provoking Film, that, believe it or not, had me at the verge of tears more than once. And if it doesn't get you stirred up about social justice issues, I don't know what will.

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!

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!

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Bachelorette Recap: Week 4

 You watched it.

Admit it.

Okay, now that we're all being honest let's get down to business. I was very curious about last night's episode of The Bachelorette, as the commercials hinted at 1 or more of the guys having a girlfriend back at home and the oh-so-popular criticism that they were on the show "for the wrong reasons." 

I missed the 1st 20 minutes, so I'm going to jump in at the 1st group date. Jillian took the guys back to her stomping grounds: Vancouver, Canada! Jillian wanted to give the guys a taste of her homeland with a chance at playing the Olympic sport of curling. I loved how it leveled the playing field, since, as one pointed out, none of them had any knowledge of the sport. Jesse pulled out all the stops and won for the red team (him, Robby, David, Juan, Jake). There were lots of shots of Michael (the dance instructor) hugging on Jillian and he was cute talking about Jillian in his camera interview, although he definitely stands out as a lot younger-acting than the rest of the guys. Reid looked good from the start, but he looks better and better every week. He is quickly becoming my favorite.

The red team got to change and go out on a boat cruise with Jillian. where he pulled Jake (the pilot) aside and questioned whether he was too perfect. She also wanted to chance to see whether David could be a gentleman and he crashed and burned. He made good ole' boy-type remarks about her body that were in poor taste (somewhere in the cat call, car honk vicinity of "compliments" that fall short). Not surprisingly, he wasn't picking up on her discomfort at all and took her comments as a challenge. Oh brother. 

Two-on-One Date: Mark and Mike went with Jillian on a helicopter ride (2nd one this season...that girl really likes her helicopters!). Mike took advantage of his seat in the middle, holding Jillian's hand and making Mark look completely out of place. Next was a dinner with Mike (baseball store owner, I think) really laying on the charm. Mark hardly seemed to be able to get word in edgewise. Then, comes the standard Bachelor/Bachelorette fare: contrasting the person who's really open with the person who's more guarded and isn't going to share all about their lives on a 2nd date. Mike rolled the dice and he lost, because left the night the big winner with a rose. Poor Mike. He does seem like a great guy. And Mark...well hopefully still waters run deep. I think ultimately he got to Jill by sharing a break-up story. After her heart break on the Bachelor, she's a sucker for someone who's gone through some relationship sadness of their own. (Remember she cut Sasha for not having had a broken heart?)

Cocktail Party: We see a teaser that some of the guys might have girlfriends and return from the commercial break to find another cocktail party in progress. Jillian has some cuddle & convo time with Reid, another bonding moment with Wes (while the other watch, disgusted, from inside), time with Ed, and finally Tanner. A couple of the guys had hinted at issues with guys in the house, but Tanner just busted things wide open. He blurted out to Jill that one or more of the guys was in relationships. Of course, J was upset. She closed down the party and left the guys pretty riled up. Michael and Robby were especially upset since they didn't get their 1-on-1 time at the party.

Rose Ceremony: Jillian gives the alleged boyfriends a chance to fess up and no one does. It looks like all of the guys are dying to see Wes called out, but no one says a word. Interestingly, some commercials have hinted at the possibility of Kiptyn being the secret dater and it looks like next week's episode is going to shed light on the subject. 

This is the point in the season where you want to shake Chris Harrison silly. Why couldn't he just give her a heads up: Wes needs to go, David needs to go...

Well, she did pick up on a few things, because David got the boot. Yay!!! Juan, in an ironic twist, was also cut. So the David-Juan drama has come to an end. It's about time. David, of course, blamed his demise on Juan. Typical.

Tanner was sweating it, because he blew the whistle, but he ended up living to see another rose ceremony, so the foot fanatic continues his reign.

Next week: Whistler!

Okay, it's early in the game, but I'm gonna go out on a limb here and make my predictions for the final 3: Reid, Robby, Ed. What's your vote?

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Bachelorette Recap: Week 3

One-on-One Date with Ed: I've gotta be honest. I've liked this guy since Day 1. He's attractive, intelligent, accomplished. Okay, maybe he could up the personality a little bit, but overall he's just got this nice, charming quality about him. And Jillian surprised him with a beautiful helicopter ride over the ocean that ended up on the top of a building downtown L.A. Then they had to rappel sort of down this rope from really high up and then ended up with a dip in the pool. That night they had

Group Date: Twelve of the guys got to go on a Western movie set and act out short scenes. I was cracking up at Tanner P's animal-skin chaps and vest (he said he looked like Flintstone). But the funniest part was while most of the guys got scenes with Jillian (many with kisses), two of the guys had a scene with each other. She said she mostly wanted to see who would be good sports, so this definitely pushed that to the limit, but they did end up just having fun with it.

Of course, Wes the country singer, had to pull her away for some solo time and let her know he didn't like seeing her kissing other guys. I think it's time for him to go.

Robby was cute. He got nervous about the scene with her, but afterward she described it as the most real and later he got the rose for the date.

Juan just seems like a smooth operator with a notebook full of lines he's tailoring to fit the situation.

David's coming across as more and more of a complete jerk. (Sorry David, but it's true). He's got this horrible temper and he's out to get Juan. I'm really hoping he gets cut tonight. When they flashed back to him and the other guys at the house, he was always griping about one thing or another.

Reid is one of the underdogs right now, but I'm totally rooting for him. He's such a solid, stand up guy. He doesn't have to put down the other guys to make himself look good. He's very self-assured, like he's pushing a good product but he's not trying to oversell it.

One-on-One Date with Sasha: Jillian also had a date with Sasha. She took him to a car museum and then they got to cruise around town in a Ferrari, followed by a very nice dinner. He was really open with her about a car accident he was in at 18 and how that had affected his perspective on life. He's likable, but I didn't sense much of a spark between the two of them. He kept referring to his dream girl as a "mythical unicorn" and I think Jillian was very perceptive in seeing he had unattainable standards. She didn't give him a rose and had to send him straight on a bus to LAX, which was pretty brutal.

Oh my gosh. Wes is singing the song he wrote her outside the window. Gag! Not that it's not a romantic gesture, but he is all about furthering his music career and she's just a bonus. He's playing the song a 2nd time, and I want to throw a shoe at the screen. He says he wrote it for her while he's been there, but I'm guessing he's had that one ready to go for months.

Cocktail Party: Reid goes in for the kiss and asks for answers about why he didn't get a rose. She basically says if there had been 2 roses on the group date, he would've gotten the 2nd one. Favorite quotes from the night: "How do I say this without sounding really arrogant? I'm used to being the top dog." (David said this. The answer, David, is that you can't). It sounds arrogant because you are. It is scary how much rage he has. The guy looks like he's about to explore. He even goes so far as to confront Juan, call him out about faking the drinking of a shot, and it just makes you wish Jillian had seen the whole thing to get a clearer picture of what's going down in the house.

Tanner P. is still going on and on about her feet. Wow. He literally said he's "here to suck on some toes." Yuck!!!

When it comes time for the final rose, it's down to Tanner F., Brad, and David, and she picks David. :( This is where you think producers might be pushing a bit of their agenda for which bachelors will cause the most drama and keep the show interesting. Who knows? 

I'm embarrassed to admit I've gotten sucked back into this show after not watching it for several seasons. But I figured I might as well share my opinions as long as I'm watching it. I'd love to hear yours! Who are you rooting for? Who's the bachelor you love to hate? :)

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