I've been a camp counselor and seen kids be very stoic after severe injuries. I didn't break my collarbone, I can't imagine how painful that would be, but I broke my arm and my parents sent me to school the next day with my arm tied up in a baby's blanket. They had no idea it was broken. The school nurse was furious and I still use it as guilt - remember when my arm was broken in four places and you made me wear a baby's blanket to school?

Retail Queen's a he? I thought you were a he, yogi bear until I read the meet market. Boy was I really wrong.

I hope this isn't site-pimping.

For parents dealing with autism, I recommend a magazine, Living Without, and web-site called livingwithout.com. They are about living with allergies (wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, MSG, and others). There are several very interesting articles about the relationship between food sensitivities and autism.

For myself, I'm wheat, dairy and walnut allergic, and find all kinds of work-around recipes using other ingredients. Wheat allergy means no bread (buns), pastries, bagels, pasta, pretzels, most cereals, and an endless list of what I can't eat. I'm used to it, but I really appreciate any work-around I can get, like rice-bran pasta for when I've just got to have spagetti.

Hee! Actually, I'm a bear.

I love that my posts sound all testosteroni! Very cool.

It's Thursday night and there is no Survivor and no TAR. Makes me so mad. I'm going to go out to dinner in protest. To a French restaurant. I'd rather be watching Survivor, but I won't tell my friends that. I'll bury myself in a glass of Bordeaux.

No Yogi it wasn't too much info. Not at all. It's hard being a parent of a special needs child and good to talk to others who have had a similar experience. Little Aussie is mildly autistic, we are very lucky that he can talk, although he has severe language dysfunctions etc. Thousands of dollars of speech therapy helped with that, and he speaks well now. Of course, there have been many many other issues throughout his life, but as he has gotten older he has improved considerably. He is an extremely affectionate and loving child, not to mention being a maths genius.

How's Little Hildy? Hope all is a lot better now.

Hoola I reckon you should milk that broken arm guilt thing for all it's worth!

Sky thanks for that link - I am going to check that out.

BTW Australia Day is on the 26th January, so think of us drinking beer out in the hot sun while throwing some shrimp on the barbie. Ah, a nice long weekend. Australia is known as the "Land of the Long Weekend", we have so many of them.

Sorry to go awol my lovely new found friends!

I have my mother in law over from England so my TWoP visits have been shortened, just enough time to check the Aussie shows.

Australia Day is coming up, my last day of holidays! :( I've been off for 5 weeks, it has been bliss.

I apologise on behalf of day carers everywhere for the terrible care of boo boo (little yogi?) and hildini, we can be diligent and careful as well, and notice when a child has fallen badly or has a sore eye, good grief what a bunch of useles sods!

Hey Raen, nice to have you back. How's the mum-in-law visit going? Enjoy OZ day and the last days of your hollies.

Be strong, yogi!

This sounds like something Grandpa Simpson would have made up, but nope. It's true! I'd love to see the library exhibit:

When Sugar Turns Deadly: The 1919 Boston Molasses Flood

Snort, suctionprints! I was strong! We consumed two bottles of a yummy Cote de Rhone. Hey, it was a long dinner. Plus there were lovely cookies and some peppermint tea to finish.

Yikes! Death by molassas! What a way to go. Kill 'em with sweetness.

I got the best e-mail this morning from my trainer and friend in California. She mentioned that she likes to carry a bandana when she runs, and she loves Survivor, so I gave her a Survivor Drake bandana. On Sunday, she ran in her first marathon and carried my bandana gift over the finish line. She sent a photo and wrote me this note, "Please take note of what I have clutched in my hand! You were with me!" I feel like I accomplished something myself! Hurray!

Enjoy the final days of holiday, raen. I will be thinking of you Aussies as NYC enters into another frigid cold spell. I just ordered another space heater. However, my skin is hopeless - dry, dry, dry. I may just stay in bed with my sweet golden retriever until spring. Or bathe in parafin. But that might hurt...

Have a lovely last fling on your holidays, raen! And Yogi, you are a regular Spartan of gastronomy. If only I had such fortitude.
Little Hildy is just dandy now, thanks for asking. I feel that I should clarify that my daycare provider wasn't at fault in the Great Eyeball Incident, it happened on my watch, and I was quite cavalier about it to be quite honest. I must have been possessed by the Old Scratch. (Get it? Scratch? Yeah, I can't believe my sophisticated sense of humor, either.)

Hildy, you and I are absolutely sisters in this area. I feel that you can hold your own at any table after that goose incident during the holidays. You might actually beat me in the endurance challenges!

As far as eye balls, falls, and broken bones are concerned, well mistakes do happen, even with the best teachers, parents and care givers. Little Yogi was actually at a good private school for special needs children when he fell from the jungle gym and broke his collar bone. They just didn't get it because he never cried. His thresh hold for pain was always unnaturally high after all his medical proceedures and surgeries. I'm pretty sure they never made that mistake again. We all live and learn.

Yogi, do you remember the Cote de Rhone you enjoyed yesterday? The brand that is. I had some two weeks ago that was abosolutely luscious (my wine vocab is yum, box, eck, rich, sweet, dry and lucsious. I could totally write for Gourmet) but failed to note the name. I actually had an amazing glass of cabernet last night with some work folk. Need to remember the name...grrr...

Want to hear my weird story? Our work restroom has a step up, and as I walked out this morning, I took one step down & my ankle collapsed on me. I was on my bone & my foot was not facing the right direction. I shook it off & was ok, but now I'm afraid to stand up from my desk. It was terribly odd & freakish.

Well, if I tell you the name of the Cotes du Rhone, you are going to totally hate me because it is such an excellent one - Chateauneuf du Pape Chateau Vieux Telegraph '98. Oh my heck, what a lovely wine. Thank goodness for business dinners. Are you interested in wines, skagirl? I always pictured you as a cosmo or appletini girl.

That sounds like a nasty fall, Skagirl. You may be over exercising a bit. Be very careful - that's the way I tore all my tendons and ligaments. Are you doing a lot of work on the treadmill and weight lifting? Make sure to stretch out your ankles and feet after you do cardio and also lay off the leg press for a few days, just to be on the safe side.

skagirl have you ever injured your ankle? I sprained mine really bad a few years ago and had all sorts of problems with it (like it collapsing at weird angles) until I did specific exercises for the ankle area - calf raises, toe raises, towel drags, air-writing the alphabet with my foot, balancing on one leg, and putting the side of my foot against a wall and pressing - then doing the same with the other side. And stretching too.

I haven't re-incorporated weights into my routines...I'm really getting my stamina up & then going into a combo of weight & cardio come February 2nd. But yea, it may have been a head rush or just bizarro ankle day...I'll definitely be more careful tomorrow at the gym just in case.

And yogi, I am actually a whiskey, wine & whbeer kind of girl. I'll enjoy an appletini (skamama LOVES them...it's adorable!) or a cosmo once in a while, but generally I drink whiskey at bars & wine with dinner. Or with Survivor. Or on Sundays. I'm trying to record wines I actually like so I can be more selective when I purchase for myself or others instead of "OHH! Pretty/unique/saucy bottle!"

skagirl you should try pilates or yoga. They're great for strengthening and very low impact. They also make for great flexibility and positioning when...oh, wait, totally off topic.

As for wines, spinboy and I particularly like Bordeaux from the Medoc region of France. A good inexpensive merlot is by Meridian (a California vineyard). Less than $10 per bottle, but tastes so good!

Wine is good. Beer is good. Scotch is best.

I'm pretty much all about the wine, although I'll enjoy a nice vodka tonic with a lemon (NOT lime) slice on hot days in the summer.
However, I will confess that I drink my share of Three Buck Chuck. I like nice wine, but on the other hand I'm frugal at times. (and then, at others, not so much.)
So I just read that Captain Kangaroo died. Another childhood icon bites the dust. And as BKB was just noting, for some reason we both thought he was already dead. Must have been another marsupial.

Aw, I loved Captain Kangaroo. *sniff*

RIP.

Skagirl - I hope you talk to a trainer during your work-up. I just started (December) at a club. I was doing the treadmill, and a whole round of weight machines to build up stamina and strength. When I finally got my time with a trainer, he took me off all the weight machines and put me to loooong stretches for flexibility. He said that doing the weights causes the muscles to contract, which is very bad if they are not stretched too. In my case, they're already pretty contracted with stress, and weights were actually harmful. So I put on some meditative music and spend quiet time in long, luxurious stretches. And I have the best stretching trainers in the world with my 3 cats helping me. They show me the true Zen of stretching.

skycatcher so your cats help you stretch? My two dogs do the opposite. There's nothing quite like doing an inverted pose when one dog plops a slimy squeaky toy on the underside of your legs and the other dog decides to lick the inside of your nose.

Unfortunately I can't afford a trainer right now, skycatcher, and am using my learning from past trainers and classes. I'm taking things easy until my body is used to moving again (I've been lax since the summer to say the least). Lots of warming up, cooling down, stretching, and listening to my body, especially given the frigid temps I endure pre- and post-workout walk home. Then, when my muscles say "A-OK" I'll begin re-incorporating weights---I figure a month after I started is a good target, but it's my schedule and nothing that can't be postponed.

I've learned from past yo-yo working out that when I go gung-ho crazy I burn out within 3 weeks. Doing a steady climb to the full package - cardio, weights & eventually classes - is working out well so far and I'm sleeping better, feeling better, and happy with my progress. Heck, I'm looking forward to working out tomorrow! I really think the spastic ankle was a fluke like Hildy said. Hopefully.

Appropos of absolutely nothing, where do you all stand on the subject of keeping in touch with old boy/girlfriends? I had three exes attend my wedding. I realize that's a little over the top, but I like to keep in touch with some of my exes. I've been emailing with one today, hence why the thought popped into my mind.

WOW I read the whole thing! Although I found TwoP many months ago, I had always thought the meet market was for singles matching ya know?

Well it was nice to get to know all of you through your posts. My name is Ricci. It is actually my fiance's Italian name (thus I am a girl). I live in Central (New) Jersey but I hate snow and I am stuck here for at least another winter. I read most of the books mentioned, been to Austrailia and New Zealand and have a really nice little dog. Oh yeah love Survivor the most, then Paradise Hovel, Surreal LIfe, TAR, and AMNTM.

Also, Ska if you are still online, tie your shoe very tightly so your ankle does not swell. Ice and elevate later. Maybe even purchase a nice wrap from the drugstore to wear for the next week. This happens to me too sometimes.

Hey Ricci! We have essentially the exact same taste in television shows. Currently, I am loving Erik whilst I wait for the next installment of Survivor followed by the next installment of TAR. It's a dog's life, I tell ya!

I love Captain Kangaroo, but I must admit look of deep shame that I had thought he already passed as well. I grew up on his sweet show, but my heart will always belong to Fred Rogers. Occasionally, I still put him on the television as an adult. The Land of Make Believe always seemed like my kind of a place.

I'm glad to hear you're not doing the exercise warrior thing, skagirl. The exercises that hoola suggested are perfect. The writing the alphabet with your toe one can be done at your desk or while watching television. It's a good habit to get into. You would be amazed how stiff most people's feet and ankles are. I do the calf raises while I am waiting for the light to change or the subway to come. Little things to promote foot and ankle health - it's a good thing.

Wine is lovely. Bordeaux or California Cab - I like it all. I also enjoy a lovely single malt scotch on occasion. I don't drink often though. I can't handle it as well since I do so much yoga. So when I drink now, I make it good. A real treat.

I had one appletini in my life - at TAR. It almost killed me. Ska mama must be one tough cookie to enjoy that lethal beverage.

I had several old boyfriends at my wedding too, Hildy. They are great guys, and I really loved them. But I have to say, I wasn't able to maintain close relationships with them the way I would have liked. One in particular ended very painfully. We stayed in close touch and saw each other regularly both just the two of us and with Mr. Yogi and other friends for a couple of years. But then an incident occurred and he admitted to me that he had feelings still. Though I had moved on, he hadn't. It was not good. Now I would have to say, I wouldn't be in touch with old boyfriends. It seems like the history makes it a bit dangerous - like playing with fire. And as a bear, I have a healthy respect for fire.

What kind of dog do you have, Ricci? My dog loves to do restorative yoga with me spingirl. When I do supta baddakonasana (lying down, soles of feet together, knees apart, legs in sort of diamond shape) she likes to lay right down in the middle of my legs. Of course, she overlaps, so it's like having a 75lb sandbag on your ankles, but she's good energy. And she does a fabulous down and up dog. It's her specialty!

I had my ankle shut in a car door when I was high school, then decided it was a great idea to have it taped and play in a basketball game the next day. The following day, my leg was black and blue from toes to knee. For some odd reason, my ankle has never really been the same. I sprain it every couple of years in odd ways. My favorite was stepping in the hole where the single missing brick was on a brick walk way. So yes, I'm an idiot in many ways.

I have become a big fan of the martini. Grey Goose. Dry with olives. Must have one soon. And as a Californian, I try to test as many California wines as possible, merely to support the economy, you understand.

And Hildy, I hope it was the very hot ex you were emailing with today.

Ha! I love Erik too Yogi, I can still see the Chips in him. My dog is a miniature greyhound, 12lbs and speedy. Hildy I am planning my wedding Right. Now. and its too small to have exes running around (50 people tops). I wouldn't care if there were, as long as I was the best dressed :)

You are one nutty jock, BKB. Do you even remember if you won the game? Your poor ankle!

Hildy better watch out - it looks like BKB's come round to keep an abreast of your old boyfriend escapades! But if you're in touch by e-mail, wouldn't it be better if he was the best flirt rather than the best looking? For myself, I would want the one who gives me the most compliments. I could use a few - the longer I'm married, the more precious they become. So sad.

Wedding plans, I don't envy you, but I hope the day is all you wish it to be. Is the little greyhound going to be the ring bearer? He sounds adorable. Like Speedy Gonzales. I can't remember what sort of animal Speedy Gonzales was though.

Speedy Gonzales was a mouse.

As for exes and weddings, when spinboy and I got married, one of my exes pretty much invited himself to our wedding, much to spinboy's delight [sarcasm]. So, unless there is really good reason as to why the ex should be invited, I'd vote against it.

I had wanted our dog (only dog at that time) to be involved in the wedding, but he is a pitbull/border collie mix - very excitable and eager to meet people. We decided that trying to pull him off wedding guests wouldn't have been a good idea. So Wicket missed out on the big day.

Hey guys, back from my Australia Day weekend away. Had a great time at the casino, saw a show, had a great meal, lost some dollars and had a lot of fun. Today was just hanging around the hotel, eating, swimming, and being waited on. Bliss! Then back to Sea World for the kids. Walking around, again, under the bloody hot sun. It's a blessed relief when night falls, it cools off to bearable temps, you don't have to squint anymore, or apply sunscreen, or wear a hat. Or turn the air con up as high as it can go. Drove through a frightening thunderstorm to get home, lightning, blinding rain, howling wind etc. We get some severe storms here in summer.

Skagirl I badly damaged my ankle and for a long time afterwards had pain etc, and I started doing Tai Chi - it was amazing the affect it had. I highly recommend Tai Chi for injuries like that. Not to mention relaxation....

Ricci, welcome aboard. It's nice to meet you! Great people in this thread.

Hildy I had a whole table of exes as my wedding, it was hilarious! Luckily, Mr Aussie is not the jealous type at all, so it was no problem. I still keep in touch with nearly all my exes.

Okay, you can call me an idiot. But who, or what, is Captain Kangaroo. Geez, you would think I would have heard of that, living over here, as I do.

Speedy Gonzales, now there's a name I do know. Yippedy, yippedy, yeehah!
Underay, underay! A Mexican mouse.

Counting down the days till my favourite show is back on.

What I would like to know is how it is that BKB failed to notice that her ankle was, you know, still outside the car when she decided to shut the door. Just how many Genny cream ales had been consumed, one wonders?

As for the emailing ex, yes, it was indeed the very hot one. Fortunately, he is also the best flirt, and he also lives very far away, so all is good. And now that I think of it, I pretty much only keep in touch with him and one other these days. Well, there's a third that I'm forced to see at events featuring old college friends, but he doesn't count b/c he sucks. Bah to him, I say.

Captain Kangaroo was the host of a popular children's program that ran for 30 years. My brother used to call him Capn Kackaroo. We loved him. His compatriot was a guy named Mr. Green Jeans. They have both passed on now, and it's sad when one's childhood icons start dying. First Mr. Rogers, now this.
Of course, all our kids' childhood icons are cartoons, so I guess they won't have to worry.

CK was called CK because he had huge pockets in his captain's coat.

Pictures

Thanks for the pictures, Skycatcher. It was great to revisit Mr. Green Jeans, Dancing Bear and Grandfather Clock. I always found it fascinating that Mr. Green Jeans jeans were always green. Where did he buy them (I thought when I was a little girl?) In those days jeans were always blue. Hildy's right, now that all the childhood icons are cartoons, I doubt there is much to wonder about at all. I mean, if you've ever seen an episode of SpoungeBobSquarePants, then you know that question of jean coloration is not longer something to muse over.

Now I remember what Speedy Gonvales looked like! He was a little mouse with a huge sombrero. I knew one of y'all would remember. Didn't he use to say something like Undelay, Undelay, Areba, Reba, Hippa Hippa? As you can see, I speak no spanish whatsoever, so I have no idea how to spell those words or what they mean. I would imagine they have something to do with going really fast.

What the heck is a Genny Cream Ale? Does it have alcohol in it? It sounds kind of icky. I think BKB's present choice of martini sounds far more appealing.

Aussie Girl, it sounds like a lovely holiday. Especially the being waited on part. "I love waiters, you ask them for things, and they bring them to you..." (one of my most oft quoted movie quotes. Can you name that film?) My personal favorite is when the waiters are very good looking. One hotel that I frequent in Southern California has the best looking young men as waiters - right out of central casting. Because I travel alone, they spoil me terribly. One visit, they had a just recieved a bunch of pink roses to put on the trays. When exclaimed with pleasure over the roses, they started bringing me multiple roses every visit to my room. By the time I left, I had dozens of perfect pink roses all over my room brought by handsome young men. Now I ask you, what could be better than handsome young men bringing you pink roses and compliments? - Why, it's the fact that they then left. Yes, heaven is a place filled with handsome men who bring you things and then leave you in peace. Ahhh, yes.

I like your idea of heaven, yogi bear :-).

Ah Yogi, yes, pink roses brought to you by multiple handsome young men! Sounds like something we should all experience every day.

Hildy glad your email ex lives so far away! Does your partner mind that your ex emails? Good for him if he doesn't. I'm lucky in that Mr Aussie (who is an honourary Aussie, given that he was born and raised a septic tank) does not have a jealous bone in his body. I am in touch with nearly all of my exes. It's nice when they compliment you and remember all the good things about your relationship.

Ricci how's the wedding planning going?

There's room for us all there draadje, my friend. I'll put us all up in the Meet Market wing of Hotel Heaven!

That sounds absolutely lovely Yogi! I think perhaps you should give up Yoga and start teaching charm school! Cuz I'm pretty sure most of us would not have ended up with dozens of roses in our room!

How ya doin' Hildy? Hee. That's for implying I would purposefully drink Genny Cream Ale, one of the worse beers ever. The only time I drank that was when my older, and supposedly wiser, brother handed me one. Thankfully I knew even then it was bad. And I was totally sober during the ankle incident (unfortunately). Someone else didn't notice my ankle in the door.

If I ever saw Capt Kangaroo or Mr Green Jeans more than once, I've blocked it out of my mind.

G'Day everyone. (I felt I had to say that since it is Australia day.)

I always imagined Captain Kangaroo to be a person dressed up in a kangaroo suit. He was mentioned in other American shows from time to time.

Last day of holidays then it is back to the Gnome Factory.

Hey Raen Happy Oz Day mate!

Um, Aussiegirl, I must confess that I don't generally mention to my spouse that I've been emailing with Mr. HotEx. He does know that I've kept in touch with him in a very general way, but I see no reason to delve into further detail.

So was Al Pacino hammered last night during his speech at the Golden Globes, or was he just overwhelmed with shock and awe? My money is on the former.
Gotta say, Yogi, I never, ever have gotten a bevy of handsome men to bring me pink roses. You can sign me up for that wing of heaven, too.
And BKB, I apologize for impugning your taste in beers. I forgot, you were probably drinking Mickey's Wide Mouths instead. Or Piels. (These are very bad beers beloved by high school and college students, for those of you who haven't had your taste buds assaulted by them.)

Has skagirl turned into a skapopsicle yet? Enquiring minds, etc, etc.

ETA: Ricci, do you have a dress picked out yet? Yes, I am a total girl at times...

I can't think of anything nicer than a wing of heaven peopled with you fine folks, pink roses, and handsome waiters. Of course we would need to have lots of television too!

Well Hildy, I wasn't going to ask, but I did wonder about that, and since you've told us I'm going to say you know if you are not telling your husband about it, then there is some "charge" associated with these e-mails. I'll say no more.

Al Pacino was either drunk or possibly unhinged. I couldn't follow him at all. It was most strange.

How about poor Nicole Kidman and the dress from hell. Who would have ever guessed Nicole would be falling out of her dress while JLo looked so lovely? JLo wore more clothes last night than I have seen her wear to an awards show in years, and she looked fabulous.

I don't think Jim Carrey is well liked. Was he booed? I think he was.

It seems that actually few loved Love Actually. Overall I enjoyed the film, but I find myself growing more and more aprehensive about going to see anything rated R. I thought that the film was sort of a feel good comedy, and then there is this scene - I felt like I had been assaulted or like a big well of pain had been tapped. I started to weep - I didn't make any noise but tears just started to gush out of my eyes and I couldn't breathe. The theatre was full, so I felt embarrassed to get up, but the people behind me seemed to know I was crying, even though I didn't make any noise. I could sort of feel their distress. So I forced myself to stop as quickly as I could, and they kind of quietly sighed with relief. It's very distressing to realize you are no longer mature enough for R - rated films. There was also a very disturbing scene in Cold Mountain. Though I didn't start weeping, it made me sick. Why is it entertainment now to tap into the worst possible fear and horror? And what's wrong with me that I just don't get any pleasure from it? Am I regressing into adolescence or something?

It is so cold in NYC this morning, I actually thought about mugging a woman for her sleeping bag coat. There are just not enough layers to keep from getting frozen. I'm pretty sure that skagirl is OK, because all the alcohol she probably consumed watching the Golden Globes is keeping her warm and incubated!

Obviously, BKB has always been a discriminating imbiber. I must confess that I did get drunk (and sick) on some cheap beers in my day. Also Boones Farm. Do they still make that? It had flavors as I recall. They were all gross.

How could anyone not see Captain Kangaroo? That's amazing.

Hee, Yogi, I get a mild charge, but the emails are very innocuous; and, as I mentioned, Mr. Hildy does know that I keep in contact with this guy. I just don't mention every time I get an email (Which is really only about once a month.) Nothing torrid here.
What WAS with Nicole Kidman's dress? It was awful, and so was her hair--I don't know whether she was going for the flapper look, but it was a failed attempt. And was I wrong to be secretly hoping that Tom Cruise would win, just so he'd have to go accept an award from his ex?
I didn't see JLo; gave up on the awards. I'll have to go check out the red carpet gallery on Eonline.



I don't think that there's anything wrong with not enjoying fear and horror. I don't, either, which is why you generally find me watching things like Top Hat, or Sense and Sensibility. I cannot abide violence or cruelty, and I choose not to watch it.

Thanks for that Hildy. I'm glad to know someone feels the same way. In fact, I watched To Sir With Love this weekend myself. It's still excellent. Lulu is still sumpthing!



Heh! We tune in for the drama!

Hiccup. I'm cold. That's all I'm saying. It's going to take severe motivation to hit the gym tonight.

It took until this morning to figure out that Nicole Kidman mugged Michelle Kwan for one of her skating outfits. Bleh. And the mismatching headband?
I thought J-Lo fell into a vat of bronzer & then sat under a heat lamp. And while I prefer her in clothes, the peach toga wasn't flattering on her shape and the color....well, left much to be desired.
I'm usually a huge Gwen Steffani fan, but she looked like a Scandanavian stewardess from 1966 with a helmet for hair.
And I'll get blasted but why did Sting have a coat & no shirt? Does he know it's not 1986 and Miami Vice is not nominated?

Also, Diane Keaton, who I know is crazy, was just crazy. Love her but she is a kook.

I thought Uma & Charlize & Queen Latifah were lovely, and my favorite transformation of the night was the absolutely glamourous & sophisticated Christina Ricci. I thought she has really come into her own in the last few years, and it showed. And I loved, loved, loved Jamie Lee Curtis' necklace. She's become so graceful.

Not sure if anyone else watched 8 hours of buildup (I only watched about 5), but what was with the green shoes? There were at least 4 women wearing green heels totally not matching their gowns. And Sofia Coppola surprised me --she didn't rock the Marc Jacobs and the flats made her look so dead. I understand comfort but they looked weird with her bare legs. And could she have been any less excited?

I only looked at the red carpet picks but I agree with skagirl about J-Lo. Her dress looked like the Halloween costume I bought three years ago when I was doing a B-movie thing.



Hah! She normally looks so good.

Kevin Costner's girlfriend and daughter appear to be the same age. And he had one on each arm. That disturbed me more than Nicole Kidman.

Hoola, my roommate was out of the room when Costner walked up to Joan...and it took me a few minutes to remember who was who. However, Joan cracked me up mocking his modest engagement ring. I guess Waterworld really hurt his finances more than we knew.

Maybe Sophia Coppola had the flu? She did look a bit like death warmed over.

Speaking of warmed over, I can not put on another layer of clothes. My skin is growing scales. When is this cold going to end?!?

Gwen's helmet head was a fright. And I love her style. Maybe she and Nicole went shopping together.

I can't find a full length pic of JLo to mock, and I want to see Kevin Costner, too! Any suggestions?

For once I'm sorry I missed Joan. But I'm still upset about Waterworld. I thought that was a good movie. Kevin Costner deserves to deck out his youthful bride in lots of bling, in my opinion.

I think Sting had a shirt on, he just chose to not button it to show off his chest hair. I think Burton started a trend. The only other disaster I can think of is Sara Jessica Parker. Most everyone looked gorgeous, of course. I'm most happy by Brittany Murphy's makeover. She looks very healthy now.

ETA- I was looking at Yahoo photos, but IMDB has a gallery as well. Here's J-Lo's dress. and Which is which?.

Thanks for the links! IMO, Uma looked very nice, Simp and husband = horrendous, don't think Nicole Kidman is very pretty in general but her ribs were atrocious! My secret muppet-love Ryan looked not so hot and I guess I couldn't believe how old some people looked! Kevin's new wife and daughter are pretty close in age, I know because I have in my pile of dumb wedding magazines one with her on the cover and "all the facts."

Edited to add: Well since you asked! Here is my dress, remember though, I am in my 30's and having a small simple wedding. I would love to elope, but the real Ricci is traditional. Susan Wong has an Asian theme throughout her designs and this looks really beautiful in person. Plus, what a deal!The Dress

Hello all.

First off I must admit I went against the direct order of the FAQ and only skimmed the last few pages. (I do not make a habit of this). But to read this entire thread... well, I would never get to introduce myself to you!

I, like Ricci am from NJ. I obviously love Survivor (as well as AR, ANTM, and The Apprentice (I am a Mark Burnet whore)) I am sure I am missing some too.

Some thoughts on recent topics:

I loved Love Actually, but that is mainly cuz I have been in love with Colin Firth ever since first seeing Pride and Prejudice. And I loved the Emma Thompson story line too. However, overall I thought the movie very uneven, and could have done without 2 or 3 of the storylines to see more Emma and more Colin. :)

To Sir with Love and Sense and Sensibility are phenomenal movies. Love them.

Ricci, your dress is fabulous! And you're right, what a deal!

Pistachio - (and I'm only doing this because you're my favorite kind of nut!) You do't have to worry about reading on the "Meet" threads. But don't ever, ever, ever admit you haven't done the required reading. That'll bring a Size 9 down on ya fur shure!

J.Lo's dress - it musta been the angle on TV because while I liked the dress I thought it made her hips look huge. Maybe that belt-thing slipped or something.

Sarah Jessica Parker - can't understand the attention she gets. I don't think she's at all pretty, and her "fashion sense" would embarass Barbie! Haven't ever seen SITC, so I can't snark on her acting.