Top 200 Pop Culture Icons
This weekend, I spent more time than I care to admit watching "VH-1's Top 200 Pop Culture Icons" countdown, but there were so many things blatantly wrong with this list that it was like a bad car accident - I couldn't look away. They should have just named it "Pop Culture Icons of the Past 20 Years," because according to my calculations, nearly half have really only become famous or made their mark since the '80's. And there are some who wouldn't even be on this list if VH-1 had compiled it a year ago (Ben Affleck, this means you.). In general, the list was very short-sighted.

I realize that when any type of "all-time" list is compiled, there is always disgreement and criticism, but I just felt that this list really missed the mark. I tried to find something on VH-1's website about how the list was compiled, but I could only find a brief mention of "our panel of experts," although it didn't name who they were or what they used as the criteria to define a "pop culture icon of all-time." One caveat before you read my rants - I did not watch the entire program, but only saw groups of five or ten here and there throughout the weekend, so I didn't always hear the "rationale" for choosing an icon. That being said, let the review begin:

200-181
I disagreed with most of the choices in this group. "The Rock" at #200, but no Hulk Hogan? There would be no "The Rock" or any other wrestlers you see today on WWE without Hulk Hogan. Judge Judy (#197), but not Judge Wapner? He's the original TV judge. And who could forget Doug Llewylyn? Maybe Russell Crowe (#190) deserves to be on this list because he won an Oscar, but I'm going to say no, mostly because I really don't like him all that much. Dolly Parton (#189) and Joe Namath (#188) were good choices. But Broadway Joe is the only football player on the list. What about the other Joe - Joe Montana, or Brian Piccolo. And, although I'm sure no one wants to admit it, O.J. Simpson belongs on this list. He's become engrained in American Pop Culture in more ways than one. Winona Ryder (#183) probably wouldn't be on this list without the shoplifting incident. Reese Witherspoon (#181) is too new.

180-161
Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing (#180) - an excellent choice to fit my criteria of icon. I don't think Gianni Versace (#172) would have made the list if he hadn't been killed so tragically. #166, Betty Ford, is a questionable choice, but I'll let it go because she's older than 21 and including her showed a little bit of thinking on behalf of the listmakers.

160-141
Ricky Martin at #159 is also questionable. Yes, he did help bring about the current popularity of Latin music, but in reality, he's just a one-hit wonder at this point. Harry Potter (#154) was another good choice for icon status (and I've never even read any of the books). Bob Hope at #152 should have been ranked much, much higher. I'll admit, I never really understood his appeal and sense of humor, which is a generational thing, but give credit where credit is due. I'll agree with Garth Brooks at #150 and I'm glad to see VH-1 include Dolly Parton (#189) and Johnny Cash (#88) as well for the country music category (please note: Shania Twain is not a country act - never has been, never will be). Gwen Stefani (#142) is questionable, but I really think she's one of the coolest people ever and I can't knock a vote for Girl Power.

140-121
James Gandolfini (as Tony Soprano) at #140 - that's the way it's listed, with the character in parens - should really be "The Sopranos," the TV show itself. The icon that has become The Sopranos in our culture is the entire show, not just the character of Tony Soprano. This mistake will be repeated later on. I'm not sure about the inclusion of Molly Ringwald (#139). I'm one of the biggest "Sixteen Candles" fans you will find, but her lack of longevity makes me question her. My bias toward "The Breakfast Club" may be coming into play, too. I think I'm the only thirty-something out there who absolutely hated this movie. I hated it when I first saw it and I've hated every time I've tried to watch it again to see why, but it just doesn't do it for me. Anyway, Dick Clark should be way, way, much, much higher on this list. He would be in my Top 10. How can he not be? He is the epitome of American pop culture for the past 40+ years. And Bob Denver as Gilligan at #122 should really be "Gilligan's Island," the show, a la "The Sopranos." Walk up to anyone on any street in America and ask them to name the seven castaways and it can be done.

120-101
Continuing with the TV mistakes, #120 should be "Sex and the City," not just Sarah Jessica Parker. The show itself is the star and the icon that has made its way into our culture. And now, for the biggest mistake on the entire list, #119 Ben Affleck should ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, not be on this list! What a joke! If this list had been compiled a year ago, he wouldn't even be in the running to make the cut. He's only on this list because he's the soon-to-be Mr. Jennifer Lopez and that's it. As for #117, William Shatner, his listing should have included "Capt. Kirk" in parens, but it didn't. Why not? I don't think he's on the list for T.J. Hooker. Justin Timberlake (#112) is too new for this list, or else Jordan Knight would be on here, too.

100-81
Henry Winkler as "The Fonz" is a good selection, but he would be higher than #99 on my list. And Penny Marshall as "Laverne DeFazio" at #84 should not rank higher than The Fonz. His leather jacket is in the Smithsonian! Exactamundo! Clint Eastwood should also be higher than #90, especially when you look at some of the male leading actors ahead of him on the list (Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise). Stephen King at #97 was the only author to make the list. What about John Grisham or pop culture characters created by authors that have become engrained in our culture by coming to life on the big screen, like James Bond or Hannibal Lechter?

80-61
I can live with Pamela Anderson at #80 (atleast Anna Nicole didn't make the list), but not Susan Lucci at #74. She represents the whole Daytime Soap market on the list, but I don't think it was a good choice. There should have been atleast one show in the rank, like "Days of Our Lives" or "The Young and the Restless," that have been on the air for ages, but no one seemed to consider that.

60-41
Loved Kermit & Miss Piggy as #60. Whenever I catch reruns of "The Muppet Show" as an adult, I can't get over how smart and intelligent the shows are. I'm tempted to buy all of the episodes on DVD. #54 John Wayne also deserves to be ranked much higher in the grand scheme of things, as does Elizabeth Taylor (#49). I question Michael J. Fox at #44. I love him in just about everything he has done and what he stands for. But I have to wonder if this is a pity vote?

40-21
I'll let The Osbournes slide at #40. Even though the ratings have dropped drastically, even if they don't survive another season, I don't think any of us will ever forget them. Katie Couric at #39, along with Barbara Walters back at #89, are curious. I can accept Barbara Wawa, but why Katie and not someone else? Where are the news men? Walter Cronkite, the most trusted man in America, should be on this list. Or atleast Tom Brokaw. James Dean at #26 should be much, much higher as well. In my opinion, he is the true definition of an American pop culture icon and would be in my Top 10. And JFK Jr. at #24 shouldn't be ranked higher than his father (#32) or mother (#47). Also, Tom Hanks at #22 deserves to be higher.

20-1
Now we get to the big boys - and girls. Britney Spears is ranked too hight at #20. In my opinion, she's still bordering on flash-in-the-pan status. Same with J. Lo at #15, even though I love her and she's a great success - so far- in both music and movies. Jerry Seinfeld at #13 needs to be higher, along with the TV show itself. A day rarely goes by that I don't make some kind of "Seinfeld" reference. Tom Cruise is also ranked way too high at #5 - I would flip him with Tom Hanks. And at #3, my choice for #1 - The King, Elvis Presley. Without him, half of the people on this list wouldn't be there. And quite honestly, I'm really undecided about the #1 pick - Oprah Winfrey. Baltimore has always loved Oprah and include her as one of ours, and anyone who known only by their first name has definitely achieved icon status. I wouldn't have her as #1 on my list, but I think she might make my Top 10.

There, are you exhausted yet? I am! But just a few more thoughts on people I thought were missing from the list:
Aaron Spelling - how can his contributions to America television and Pop Culture be overlooked?
David Hasselhoff and Baywatch - the most popular TV show in the world and it's not on this list?
The Beach Boys - they epitomize the American dream of fun in the California sun, surfing, girls and hot cars
Dale Earnhart - the legacy he has left behind in his sport is overwhelming and very obviously overlooked by the listmakers

Okay, I'm finished with my rant. But I'd love to know what you think. Agree or disagree with me? E-mail me and let me know.

Just follow the bouncing ball...
Here are some of my favorite lyrics from songs that are on the radio right now (country radio, that is). The italics are mine.

Dierks Bentley, "What Was I Thinkin'" - catchy tune from this newcomer

When a mountain of a man with a "Born to Kill" tattoo
Tried to cut in, I knocked out his front tooth
We ran outside, hood slidin' like Bo Duke
What was I thinkin'

Find complete lyrics here.

Brad Paisley, "Celebrity" - A great parody on all the reality shows

So let’s hitch up the wagons and head out west
To the land of fun in the sun
We’ll be real world, bachelor, jackass millionaires
Hey, hey Hollywood, here we come

Find complete lyrics here.

Captain Fantastic
Driving in to work this morning, I heard on the radio that Hugh Grant paid $450,000 for himself and 10 people to have dinner with Elton John. I smiled when I heard that because I almost had a similar situation for free. Actually, this is just a celebrity siting story, but it's a good excuse to tell it.

Several years ago, when I worked for another company, we were attending a trade show in Atlanta. Earlier in the day, I was driving through the city with a co-worker, Claudia, and mentioned that I heard on Oprah or something that Elton John kept an apartment in Atlanta, which she thought was interesting versus New York, San Francisco, etc.

Later that night, Claudia and I were with a group of other co-workers and the sales reps from our advertising agency, dining at "Prime" at the Lenox Square Mall. I was at the head of the table and Claudia was at the other end, directly across from me. Next to us was another large group of diners, obviously celebrating a birthday. Another co-worker had even made a comment when we walked in that they looked like "beautiful people."

Later, as the group of "beautiful people" was getting ready to leave, our waiter came over to me, bent his head down and whispered, "If you look over at the group that's leaving, you'll see Mr. Elton John." My head sprang up, I looked over, then looked back at Claudia. The waiter had just told her the same thing. Sure enough, there was Elton John putting on his coat and leaving the restaurant. We had been sitting next to Elton John for two hours and never even realized it! A very fun, cool experience.

Other celebrity sitings I experienced while traveling on business, some more interesting than others:

• Jane Fonda, also in Atlanta, getting off an escalator in the CNN Center. Obviously, on her way to see Ted.
  
• Dan Reeves in Orlando, coming out of the convention center. It was a cardiology convention and this was just after his heart attack/Super Bowl win.
  
• LPGA golfer Laura Davies, in a hotel lobby in Minneapolis. It was my first real celebrity siting and I couldn't wait to call my dad and tell him.
  

And then of course, the celeb-siting of them all - when I was 15 and my sister Vanessa was 13 we were traveling to California with our parents. On the way out there, we had to change planes in Pittsburgh. WWF wrestler Hercules Hernandez walked by us and Vanessa recognized him. (I didn't.) Since we had a layover, we followed him. When he arrived at his gate, there was a whole group of other wrestlers just sitting around waiting for their plane - Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, the Honkytonk Man and others (yes, I'm dating myself). We ran to the nearest news stand and bought a wrestling magazine and were able to get a bunch of autographs.

Ironically, while we were in Los Angeles, we didn't see any celebrities.

Waterbaby
Hayley went swimming for the first time on the Fourth and it was a great experience. I had bought her a Floaties swim seat and she was all decked out in her new glittery bathing suit, plus lots of sunscreen, her hat and sunglasses. We stood on the steps of the pool to get used to the water first and I splashed her arms and legs, then it was into the seat. She loved it! She started kicking her legs right away. No crying or fussing at all. Then, she actually stuck her face in the water and started blowing bubbles. She's a natural! And I was really impressed at how well the Huggies swim diapers work - much better than a regular diaper!



Of course, I took lots of cute pictures, but with the "regular" camera. Now that I have this website, I'll have to start using the digital camera more so I can post photos in a timely manner. I'll have to edit this post with the appropriate photo once I get the roll developed. (edited 8/2/03 to add pictures)

Also, my mom continued the tradition she started with my two sisters and me with my nieces and Hayley - matching 4th of July outfits. Even though it was late in the day and Hayley was worn out from swimming, she cooperated for a picture with my nieces Kaitlyn and Kara.

Good Morning, America
My husband and I are big fans of NBC's Soledad O'Brien and loved watching her on Weekend Today. So we were sad to hear last Sunday that she was leaving. For some reason, I had missed any buzz about her leaving and where she might end up. So I was extremely happy to see the commercials this weekend for the new "American Morning" on CNN with host Soledad O'Brien. Congratulations Soledad!

I only get to see the first 15 or 20 minutes of any of the morning shows since Hayley and I are out the door around 7:15 am, but since my mom was babysitting for us this morning, I didn't have to leave until 7:30 am and could watch the first half hour. The chemistry isn't quite there yet, but I didn't expect it to be on the first day. I watched quite a bit of Bill Hemmer during CNN's early morning war coverage while feeding the baby and I think he and Soledad will make a good team. Just from what I saw this morning, I'm not that fond of Jack Cafferty, but I'm really not that familar with him, so it remains to be seen. I'm looking forward to watch "American Morning" in the coming weeks.

And of course, I was wondering what happened to Paula Zahn - did she get the boot? No, she's moving to primetime on CNN, with a headline show and the forthcoming "American Evening."

She Loves to Laugh, She Loves to Sing...
To echo Pineapple Girl's sentiments, I would buy a new Ford based solely on their use of Journey's "Any Way You Want It" in their summer ad campaign.

A Magazine for Women
A few weeks ago, I purchased a copy of the new Lifetime magazine. I love Lifetime TV - Television for Women - so why wouldn't I like the magazine? Overall, I did like it. The most noticeable and most positive thing that stood out was the type of advertising. Not a size 1 model in sight. Definitely not Cosmo or Glamour. But not frumpy Good Housekeeping-type ads, either. Ads for "Just My Size," Fruit of the Loom "Fit for Me," and Sears Apostrophe business clothes, plus the usual cosmetics and health & beauty aids. I found the content realistic and useful, even the fashion section, and read the entire issue from cover to cover.

However, I did have a problem with one article. The article was titled, "From Welfare Mom to Legal Eagle," and actually, I had more than one problem with the article. First, I think it was trying to do or say too much and the message was lost. It was supposed to be an article about a mother and housewife whose husband left her without any means of supporting herself. She had to go on welfare for a while to support her children, but eventually she succeeded by going back to school, getting a law degree and becoming a family law attorney to help women who were in the same situation as she was. But the article got bogged down in how her ex-husband was a deadbeat dad who didn't pay child support, which obviously made her situation worse, but could have been the topic of a separate article.

But most distracting was that I didn't feel the woman who was featured in the article, Pam Cave, was exactly the best role model to try and illustrate to other women how to succeed as a single mother. In the beginning of the article, when she's first down on her luck, she's described as the mother of three young children and nearly penniless. However, the subhead of the article and all of the photos show her with five children. As you read along, you discover the following:

"Pam and Eric had three kids in three years, but the marriage quickly disintegrated. 'Eric was unfaithful, couldn't keep a job and suffered from depression,' Pam says. In 1989, he moved out. Phillip was two and a half; April one; and Tricia just a couple of months old. Eventually, Eric came back. In 1990, with Pam pregnant again with their fourth child, he moved out for good - and in with another woman."

The next paragraph talks about how Eric stopped paying support after he moved out, then:
"Despite it all, Pam kept trying to help Eric. 'He was my children's father,' she says. 'I couldn't have him sleeping on the street.' (In 1992, she briefly reunited with Eric and conceived a fifth child, Thomas.)"

I'm sorry, but any sympathy I had for this woman went out the door when I read that paragraph. How could she be stupid enough to get pregnant by this guy, not once, but twice, when they were practically destitute and barely able to put food on the table? And when she knew what kind of man he was? He wasn't supporting his first three children - why would he support two more?

I also didn't like the fact that the article's writer just glossed over the fifth child by relegating him to a mention in parentheses. I think that this is a pretty big deal.

Before I get a bunch of e-mails about how unsympathetic or cold-hearted I am, let me just say that I do feel for women in this position. I know there are tens of thousands of deadbeat dads out there who owe millions in child support and they should have to pay in whatever way possible. And I don't think there should be a stigma attached to welfare if it is used the way it was intended - as a temporary solution, not a way of life. And people do make mistakes. But the fact that this specific woman was charmed and conned by her ex-husband, or not smart enough to use some kind of birth control, and had two more children in the midst of a desperate situation is, quite frankly, inexcusable. That's my opinion and I know there are some of you who won't agree with me. But this only happened in the early '90's, not the '60's, where women have choices about education, job training, working outside the home, and control over their own bodies. I think Lifetime Magazine could have found someone else to illustrate the point they were trying to make with this article.

This is why I've never written a review on Amazon...
I just visited a great new blog, thanks to a referral from Natalie at "My Ramblings". If you want to be entertained for a few minutes, visit Amazon World, described as "Highlighting some of the more interesting user reviews found on Amazon.com." It will make you laugh, it will make you cry... and it will make you fear for the future of our youth.

Pictures - Finally!
Well, I'm at home this morning waiting for Sears to arrive with our new dryer (our old one died last Saturday), so I thought I'd try to upload some photos from my home computer.

Here's one of Hayley with her Daddy, eating licorice. She has quite a taste for Strawberry Twizzlers!



Another one, of Hayley in the new walker we bought her Memorial Day weekend.



Now that this is up and running, there will definitely be more to come. And Hayley officially started crawling yesterday - actually going forward for a significant amount of time. Daddy was right - he predicted she'd be crawling by the end of the week. I'll be spending the weekend babyproofing the house!

TV Woes
My Monday night TV-viewing plan for the summer was to watch Everwood instead of Raymond reruns. Two weeks ago, the WB re-aired the pilot and I thought it was excellent - a little quirky with a good blend of humor and drama (thanks to Eliza for the recommendation!). Then it wasn't on the following week because of special programming (back-to-back episodes of 7th Heaven), so I was really looking forward to it this past Monday. Well, my summer-long plan was ruined as the WB decided not to air the reruns in order, but instead to skip ahead 5 months. It took me a few minutes to figure everything out and I was quite disappointed. So I spent the time perusing the new books I received in the mail from BookCloseouts.com instead.

Obviously, the first two episodes of Real World: Paris were not very memorable for me, as I forgot it was on last night and turned on Dateline instead. At 10:20pm, Mark said, "We're missing Real World," and we caught the last few minutes, but it was pretty much meaningless. If I care to, I guess I'll try to catch one of the 15 repeats before next Tuesday.

NOTE: I did upgrade my blogger membership, but alas, the firewall situation at work will not let me upload files, so I'll have to squeeze in some time at home to post some pictures of Hayley, so bear with me.

Oh, Baby

Today was Hayley's 9-month check-up (she'll officially be 9 months tomorrow), which means I can no longer say, "It took 9 months to put this weight on; it will take 9 months to take it back off!"

She weighed 21 lbs., 3 oz. (85th percentile), gaining about a pound a month from her 6-month visit. She measured 28 and 3/8 inches long (77th percentile), adding another 2 inches from the last time. The doctor said she is healthy and happy and right on target developmentally. And no shots this time, so it was a good visit!

She is almost crawling - still scooting backwards and in a circle, but yesterday she made a couple of moves forward before collapsing. Mark and I think she'll be crawling by the end of the week. Also, over the weekend, she finally learned how to sit up from a laying down position. No more crying when she gets stuck on her stomach or back like a stranded turtle! The doctor said girls are usually a little bit slower than boys at motor skills, tending to focus on their verbal skills first. And she does babble like crazy!

The pediatrician group we belong to has 7 doctors in their main office, then they rotate down to the office we go to - a different one each day. Between the hospital, well visits and 2 sick visits, we have now met all 7. I wanted to get a feel for all of them before we started seeing one or two exclusively, plus it seemed like a good idea to meet all of them anyway since you never know who you'll get for a last-minute sick visit. I really liked the doctor we saw today, Dr. M. He was great with Hayley and I didn't feel rushed at all (especially since we were the first appointment of the day). Her 6-month visit back in March was a disaster. We had a late afternoon appointment and the doctor was 45 minutes behind by then because of an emergency. When we finally got in to see her, she had a pediatric resident who was following her around all day and our visit was very rushed. I felt like I didn't have time to ask the questions I usually ask and I was tired and frustrated by the time we left the office. So right now I think we'll rotate between Dr. M and Dr. C, who we met in the hospital when she was born and also saw for two visits, whenever we have to make an appointment.

As soon as I get on the ball here and upgrade my blogger service to the next level, I will post some pictures. I know you're dying to see how cute she is!

On Reading
I have been on a reading frenzy lately. I go in spurts, but right now I'm averaging close to 2 books a week (and with an 8-month old, too!). Some thoughts on a few titles I've just finished - keeping in my that I'm woefully behind in my reading in some subject areas:

Four Blondes by Candace Bushnell (author of Sex and the City) - Was really looking forward to reading this book, but I did not like it at all. The four female main characters were uninteresting, one-dimensional and unlikeable. I felt no connection with the characters and didn't care about what happened to them. (As I went to Amazon to get the link for this book, I saw that it has an average customer rating of only 2 stars, so I'm not the only one.)

The Devil Riding by Valerie Wilson Wesley - This book is the sixth in a series featuring P.I. Tamara Hayle, but the first one I've read. I'm usually incredibly anal about reading series books in order, but I had finished my library books and this one was on my shelf at home and sounded interesting. Overall, it was a light, fast read (a little short for a hard cover). I do feel that I was missing something by not having read the other books in the series - some of the character development that I would have had in my mind as background. Again, why I prefer to read series books in order. But Tamara is a spunky female heroine and I would definitely go back and try the other books in the series.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reasonby Helen Fielding - I said I was behind! I loved this book as much as I loved the first one. I actually laughed out loud several times while reading. Mark and I were in bed, watching TV and reading, and he kept asking me what was so funny. I could completely identify with Bridget, such as getting stuck sitting next to "overly-friendly-gassy-man" on the airplane while Shaz was seated next to the Harrison Ford look-alike. And I think Bridget's spirit is rubbing off on me. Last night I had a dream that Hugh Jackman proposed to me (yes, I know he's from Australia, not England, but you get my point).

Right now, I'm reading In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner, author of the hilarious Good in Bed and one of my favorite new authors and bloggers.

Like Sands Through the Hourglass...

I used to be a huge Days of Our Lives fan (affectionately know as DOOL for all you non-fans). Huge! I have been watching it for as long as I can remember. It made me very popular for one week my sophomore year in college. I was a Peer Counselor and all of the counselors returned to school a week early for training, which was all morning and all afternoon. I had a TV/VCR combo in my dorm room and taped DOOL to watch later. A few other counselors got wind of this and each evening after training was over, quite a few of us would gather to watch. But joining the working world after college was over and the hassle of first taping, then trying to find the time to watch a one-hour daily show every evening got to be too much and I gave up on DOOL (although I still watch the Christmas episode every year when the Hortons hang everyone's name ornament on the Christmas tree.) My older sister Jenn, who goes home to eat lunch everyday at 1pm so she can watch, keeps me vaguely informed.

I got back into it a little bit when I was on maternity leave, then caught another episode this past Friday when I stayed home with Hayley, who was running a fever. A few observations:

• I'm stunned by how slowly the stories and plot lines move in today's fast-paced world. Back when I was on leave, a storyline about Brady and Chloe spending "one night" in the woods in a tent lasted almost two weeks. I usually have a long attention span, but it was difficult at times to stay focused on the show.


• But on the other hand, time does move very quickly when it comes to the ages of children. It seems that children are the same age for a long time, then all of the sudden, they age 10 or 15 years. I'm almost positive Hope had her baby Zack back in August or September, but then this past Friday, he was a toddler.


• This observation is probably a reflection of how old and un-hip I have become in my thirties, but there seems to be a disproportionate number of teenagers/young actors on the show (with the surreal effect of "Kyle" from The Real World joining the cast recently). Even though they've been on the show forever, I don't remember Bo & Hope and Roman & Marlena as "young people." Roman was always a cop and Marlena was always a doctor.

Watched the first episode of The Real World: Paris last night. I'm not into most of the reality shows, but I have watched The Real World from the beginning, with the exception of the last one, Las Vegas, mostly due to the fact that I could rarely make it to 10pm in the first months after Hayley was born. Anyway, I was surprised by the amount of trouble stirred up in the first episode, especially after they got off to such a great start by waiting until everyone arrived to choose rooms instead of the usual first-come, first-serve and predictable arguments that follow.

It seems to me that the last few groups have come on the show looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend, when it used to be that they were just supposed to be roommates and experiencing living in a different city and meeting/living with people from different backgrounds. In my memory, it dates back to RW: Hawaiiand Amaya and Colin and it's gone downhill from there, but maybe it's been there all along. I felt like the Paris cast spent the whole episode analyzing each others attractiveness, date-ability and chances of establishing a relationship. Adam was madly in love with Mallory after the first day, then angry and resentful to everyone else in the house when her feelings weren't reciprocal. I think this shows great intelligence on Mallory's part - what, she's not in love with him and doesn't want to sleep with him after the first day? What is the Real World coming to?

I was also surprised that the producers decided to stick the lone foreigner in with 6 Americans. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I guess I'll have to see how it plays out. I think it would have been better to have a few Europeans and a few Americans if they really wanted to give it an international flavor.

Welcome! A Little Bit About Me...
Welcome to my weblog/online journal! This is a new adventure for me. I've been keeping a "practice" blog in Word for the past year or so, working up the courage to do this for real. So here it is. I have random thoughts on television (which, like most people, I watch way too much of), books (I love to read), sports and just about any thing else. Please send me an e-mail - I'd love to hear from you.

In case you were wondering, the title of my blog comes from the title of a Trisha Yearwood song. I consider this my "Ally McBeal soundtrack playing in my head" song. You can read the lyrics here.

Just a few basics about me:

• My name is Andrea (pronounced like Gabrielle Carteris' character on "90210.") Of course, I've been pronouncing my name like that my whole life, way before that show was ever on the air.


• I'm 31, married to Mark for 4 1/2 years, with a newborn daughter, Hayley (8 months).


• I live in South Central PA, near the Mason-Dixon line, and I'm originally from Maryland.


• I work in PR/Marketing for a manufacturing company. I hope to talk about things other than my job here.


• I love TV and movies and will watch just about anything, although I'm not that into most of the "reality" shows.


• I also love to read, voraciously. I didn't read a single book the entire 3 months I was on maternity leave (I barely had time to read the mail) and was going through major withdrawal. I was finally able to read again when I returned to work and could read on my lunch break. Favorite reading material includes mysteries & thrillers (especially legal thrillers), "chick lit," and Southern fiction (Anne Rivers Siddons is one of my all-time favorite authors).


• I'm a big sports fan, including NFL (Baltimore Ravens & Washington Redskins), college basketball (Duke and Maryland - I know, that doesn't make much sense, but I'll have to explain another time) and NASCAR.


• I'm an obsessive list maker, so I think this format will be great for me!

More to come soon!