That premiere? Rocked. And rolled. Around in bed. A lot. It’s like Dynasty and Dallas and every Jackie Collins book all rolled into one and updated to current plus Peter Krause and individual ringtones. I loved it! It’s totally trashalicious! Plus Peter Krause. My new dirtysexysecretpleasure.

In other news, Private Practice was just eh, which made me even more tentative about putting my faith in Shonda’s once-capable hands again. But I watched Grey’s and…I’m still on the fence. We do, however, get a SHaQ Attack winner this week! More later.

First, some Survivor MAC! I can pretty much sum it up like this. Todd? Hands down you have your head in this game better than anyone. Jean Robert? Dude, I hope you go home before your “I intentionally suck like a sloth as a strategy” strategy has any possible chance of playing out. And for the the love of god, keep your damn shirt on. But mostly, Dave? Don’t be such a passive aggressive condescending ass and feed your people, and maybe, just maybe, you’d win something. I’m not a big Ashley fan, but strength and strategy be damned, I’d love to send you home just because it would feel so damn good. You can roll your eyes and build all the mud brick bbq’s you want at sequester house.

But I don’t get my moment, and Ashley goes home, which, doesn’t break my heart either, but in this case, I think she was just the only one willing to stand up and call Dave out on his crap. She didn’t seem to have any problems with anyone else, and vice versa. Whereas everyone seemed to have issues with Dave. A shame they didn’t have stronger physical guys on their team, or maybe my wish would have come true. Everyone obviously was torn about the vote. But, her leaving probably made all the guys who have to do pixilation for this show very happy at having to do way less overtime in the editing booth. Still, I’m with Sherea (hard to believe I typed that) because so far? Not much fun. And definitely not enough James in this episode! More James!

Now, on to the fun stuff! SHaQ Attack this week asked you to guess which Grey’s character would utter the trademark “Seriously” first. Izzy and Meredith were neck and neck in the polls, but Cristina, George, Alec, and McDreamy all got votes, too.

I had (and have) my serious doubts about Grey’s this season after the strange, dreary, depressing as all hell trip Shonda took us on last year. I think the resounding cry for FUN echoed even in her ears and hopefully she’s listened (and I don’t even care if she said this was her plan all along. Riiiiiiight.) Anyway, my hopes perked up with the opening thirty seconds where we see the new residents get their own grunts. I especially loved Cristina’s “I already hate you, don’t suck up” and Karev’s private smile at ordering them around. Now, on to the rest of the show. Yeah, my love isn’t completely back yet. Shonda still needs to dig deeper to find her happy place. Where the men can all be hot, but the women? Yeah, why are they all so damn miserable all the time? It’s rather…telling, you know? However, McDreamy’s speech to McSteamy? Yeah, a tiny step in the right direction. FINALLY. Loved the “I need a friend” follow up as well. Baby steps….

But, I digress. Who said it first? Well, nobody! So everyone who entered a guess is up for the prize. The winning Blog Babe this week is…Sue Ahn! Woo hoo, Sue!!!

I hope everyone has a great and wonderful weekend. Tune in Monday for a new SHaQ Attack contest and another week of Fall Season MAC. Woot!

Tags: Writing by Donna
9 Comments »

….first elimination night, and there are no surprises yet this season.

We get a run down of the past two nights, then Sabrina and Mark for the encore…and then the announcement of the first batch of couples who are safe.

They put Sabrina/Mark out of their non-misery (because, yeah, she’s annoying, but they so weren’t going home this week) by proclaiming them safe right off the bat, then add Jenny (who was looking a bit stressed there)/Derek to the list. I’m happy for this, because as worried as she is about all this, she does seem to really want to be part of it, and I want to see her come into her own during the process.

We get a quick glimpse of Dolly’s ginormous boobs (boy, and I thought Survivor Ashley’s filled the screen) aaaand, commercial break. (Btw, Tom? Makes his job look way too easy. Because Drew? Can’t even come close. And I love him, but stick to dancing!) Paging Cat Deeley… (Wouldn’t she be ridiculously cute with Tom?)

So, it’s time for Dolly to sing and we get her hit 9-5, which I always love because it just makes you tap your toes and feel perky and I loved that movie (I am SO OLD you guys…) - and a great one-two pro combo punch of Julianne/Mark (remember, they dance together professionally,so SQUEE! I can’t wait for this!) and Cheryl/Derek, because you know, you can’t have too many Houghs. Okay, so she’s not cranking it vocally, but major kudos for NOT lip syncing. And how tiny is she anyway? Teeny that’s how tiny. It’s sort of a shame the boobs are part of her “persona” because she’d be cute as the dickens without em. As it is, they are damn distracting. So…the dancers!

What’s the verdict on Cheryl’s longer, softer hairstyle? I’m okay with it, but maybe I’m in the minority of those who really liked her spiky, sassy look from before. She and Derek are crazy fast and good. And, um….I’m guessing Julianne is no longer embracing all of her LDS tenets, at least not the ones that aren’t too crazy about showing lotsa skin. But she’s so darn cute, and she looks so great, hey, who can blame her?? Not I. I’d be naked in the Safeway every damn day if I looked like her. And I like her Crazy Blondie hair. Not nearly enough couples dancing for me - I want to see more of her and Mark, not more of her and….Cheryl? But fun number!

We get the obligatory audience input segment, which I normally wouldn’t recap, except it produced my favorite line of the season thus far. Regarding Cam, a woman in the audience said that when he smiled, it made her want to “skinny dip in his eyes.” Exactly!

On we go with the next two safe couples from the men’s side. Helio/Julianne make it through in the Duh category. Albert “Blue Steel”/Anna make it through, so my eye candy is partially secured for another week. Always a bonus.

Savion Glover is next and I heart Savion since he was a wee tappin’ tot (because I’m OLD y’all) so I am excited to see him perform. And I love that this is actually going to be an ongoing segment of the results shows, bringing out the best in various genres of dance to perform for us. Makes more sense than having singers, to be honest. If we can have one singer do one song to which we get to see our pros dance, then a dancer perform, I’m all for that arrangement.

Savion was fine, even if the band did overshadow tapping a wee bit a times, but amazing stuff. Loved it! (And the pimpin’ Shrek boots.)

Okay, so here is where we don’t need a second song performance. It’s a DANCE show folks. But….whatever. And the message of the song was a great one. Now, more filler, but it’s not the only-funny-once Kimmel segments. No, we get Kenny Mayne, who I happen to think is deadpan hilarious, so, at least this one time I’m more than willing to enjoy the fluff. And, I’ll admit I laughed at the caveman guy. He should be SO unfunny by now, and yet, I did guffaw. I’m somewhat ashamed of that, but there it is. Never let it be said I don’t share everything in my MAC.

Back to the parts that matter…Maks/Mel move on. As do Cam/Edyta. (Ahhh, my eye candy trifecta is complete.) Tom messes with Jane, then announces her safe. Yay, Jane/Tony. Also safe is Wayne/Cheryl. No one was more surprised (and….maybe a teeny tiny bit disappointed?) than Cheryl. Maybe she’s just overwhelmed with Geezer Choreo 101. I don’t know. But she’s great with him and really patient and supportive. Still, I don’t see him lasting as long as Jerry, George, or John.

Now we find out the Bottom Two, but in a rather convoluted way. I guess we’re getting bottom score from Monday, then bottom from Tuesday. Which? Not entirely fair probably, but since they’re only sending one home it doesn’t really matter. Bottom Score from Monday? Josie/Alec. And no one on the planet is surprised. Poor unfit Josie. But hey, she dated David Blaine and she looks killer in a bikini. I just can’t find myself feeling terribly bad for her. (So I’m old and cranky. My god, I’m turning into Uncle Lenny!! Say it ain’t so!!) And, to further my descent into Lennydom, I have to admit I was okay with watching Cuban squirm at the possibility of being in the Bottom Two. Gratifying moment. Even more gratifying?? I was SURE it was Floyd/Karina, but NO! NO, I say, America feels me on this, people, and I love them for it. They put Cuban in the Bottom Two, first week out. (Sorry, Kym!! It’s not about you!) Did he deserve it based on dance skill? No. But I find I’m not feeling all that fair about it. So, WOOT! And if he goes home before Deceptively Unfit Josie? Oh my. (Honestly, the evil laugh? Not mine. I only thought it.) The only one not thrilled with this turn of events? Floyd. HA!! To Karina’s credit (and we all know I have a history of not being her biggest fan) looked a lot more excited about the chance to work with her challenging partner than Cheryl did with hers.

Going home? Yup, Josie and Alec. Poor Alec did get pretty screwed after going home first round with Paulina last year. I think he has grounds to be a little pissy - getting the supermodel dancing klutz two seasons running. But he did win the first season, so maybe he’ll dig deep and find a little graciousness and come back next year. OKay, a lot of graciousness. And some Fructese. Or Tide. Whatever works. I did like that he tried to convince the audience to throw their votes toward his wife (he and Edyta have been together forever and just recently tied the knot!) And they were sweet in the crowd group hug afterward.

I’m so loving this season! Can’t wait for next week. Tomorrow is Survivor and Grey’s - don’t forget you can still enter to win a fre book this week. See Monday’s post for the details!!

Now I’m off to watch who gets booted from Top Chef this week. Go Dale! Go Casey! Go home Hung! (We’ll see!)

Tags: Writing by Donna
5 Comments »

This? Best. Season. Ever. Have you ever seen so many people really having that much fun on any reality show? Man, this is just too much fun to watch. I like them all. To varying degrees, but they are all trying so hard, and truly in it for the experience, obviously working very hard, yet just having a ball out there. It’s so entertaining for the viewer - relaxing, fun to watch, just a great time. We need more stuff like this.

So, it was Guy’s Night on Dancing With The Stars, and they all brought their A Game. Some were Triple A, some just A, but nobody bluffed it. You could see the hard work, and the exhilaration they each felt when they got through their routines made it that much more entertaining to watch. Yes, even Mark Cuban. (Hey, he did this after just having a hip replaced. Hard not to respect that work ethic, no matter how much of a jerk he can be. Plus, the daddy angle? Yeah, I’m such a sucker…) Hell, even Wayne, the requisite Old Guy, didn’t duffer it, he worked it out.

Okay, first up is Cam Matheson. I don’t watch soaps, so had no idea who he was. But his self deprecating humor won me over. And, yes, he’s also great to look at, tall/dark/handsome (I know, poor us with so much eye candy this season!) with a seriously cute personality. (Seriously!) Not the most natural dancer, but he did give it his all (hubba hubba) and he does have potential. Mostly he was clearly having a wonderful time out there, and he’s a good match height wise for Edyta (finally!) so…fun couple. Not great, but fun to watch. He can stick around. Oh, and Uncle Lenny clearly took his happy pills. He was actually very funny tonight. Dare I say, almost cute. Score? 21

Now we get Karina and boxer Floyd Mayweather. Great match up, because I’m pretty sure she could punch out a lot of people, and wants to on a regular basis. He wasn’t the cutie patootie I got the impression of last night, and for a while, I was worried we were getting Master P Redux, but with a cute smile. Then he got his act together and really brought it. Or, at least he is starting to. He’s still not 100% in this yet, but he definitely attacked the dance. (And Carrie Ann, I can’t say it bothered me that he was tough with Karina. I’m kind of thinking she likes it. ) The judges gave him a bit more critical feedback, but the scoring was fair, and he does have better performances in him. A critical, but right 18.

Next up, hands down my favorite couple of the whole season, cutie Juliane and even cutier patootier Helio Indy Car Racer. My god, how cute were these two? And he’s damn good. But it’s the Cute Quotient that’s just killing me. She can choreograph like no other, and this routine was no exception. I really admire the heck out of someone being so incredibly talented, such a good instructor, as well as a good choreographer at such an incredibly young age. Hats off to you, Blondie Cutie Patootie. And your very adorable partner, too. Judges gushed, and I was very happy to see them single her out for her choreo as well. Scores? A very well earned 25.

Up now is Albert Reed, Super Model, Zoolander Man. I know from reading some other boards that people don’t find him attractive. Really? Because, YAY - more for me!! Is he young? Yes. But I thought he was funny and cute and my god, he isn’t shy, now, is he? It was just fun all over the damn place and I would be perfectly happy to keep him around. It was also interesting seeing Spitfire Anna back. Not sure I’d have paired these two up given all the choices, but no doubt she will keep him in line. I am looking forward to much more of him. (Shirtless. He did promise, right?) Score? 21.

Mark Cuban made me like him just a little bit, for which I will never forgive him. Gah! But he did really work hard and you can see this really means something to him, and for that he has my respect, if not my undying affection. Ever. But I definitely think he earned a spot in next week’s show. Will he win? Nah. But he’ll stick around for a bit, and he’s certainly earning it the hard way, so I’m all for that. Kym is a perfect partner for him. She has patience and definitely his work ethic, plus she’s used to choreo for the oldsters, and he’s better than that, but she’ll be good working with the bum hip. Scores? A respectable (and earned) 21.

Finally, we get Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton. And Poor Cheryl Burke who has to choreo the Fun Older Guy. But she did a great job and he actually did work it, and not just play it all off on charm. Will he go far, no, but he was sincerely worried about this, and my heart went out to him a little bit. I think he acquitted himself quite well, but I don’t see him sticking around a la Jerry or George. But we’ll see. With Cheryl in his corner, anything can happen. Score? 19

So - this was super fun, y’all!! I am looking forward to some Dolly and Savion tomorrow night, and I think Josie Super Model is heading home (and what a bitch face on Alec. Dude, I know it sucks they gave you another dud, but don’t make me not like you. Oh, and shampoo. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Look into it.)

Having seen everyone now, I am torn. I wasn’t expecting to have so many favorites and for so many reasons. There are the clearly good dancers - Sabrina, Helio, Jane, Albert (so what if it’s all in his hips, if Maks is going to get all skinny on us, then I’m fine with Al as a stand in. Or wiggle in. Whatever. Don’t judge!) Dancers who have potential - Jennie, Melanie, Floyd, Cameron, Mark. And there are those who won’t win, but are entertaining as all hell anyway, for a variety of reasons. Marie, Wayne, Josie.

All I know is I enjoyed every single performance. No FF button urges. Yet. And big smiles throughout. The judges being nicer helps. And Drew was even better tonight. Though I think what they really need is someone who can partner and play off Tom better. What is Cat Deeley doing in the SYTYCD off season? Anyone? Bueller?

Discuss!

(And don’t forget to enter this week’s SHaQ Attack contest. It’s a close call between Izzy and Meredith at the moment!) Keep the votes coming in. You have until 9pm EST tomorrow night. See Monday’s post for details.

Happy Hump Day everyone! Albert? Especially you, baby, especially you.

Tags: Writing by Donna
7 Comments »

That? Was a blast! Dancing With the Stars is back and it looks like a ridiculously fun season. Even if I only know a fraction of the celebs they snagged. Who cares? Everyone looks like they’re having a good time and committed to doing their best, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

Okay, boy, I hate to say it, but as excited as I was to see Drew Lachey standing in for New Mom Sam, he…..well, he’s not really all that good winging it, is he folks. Maybe he’ll loosen up. Maybe he’ll make me appreciate Sam Harris more. Who knows.

What I do know is that the band is playing Our Song and it’s time for some dancing! (Btw, I love Harold the Band Director Guy, but is it just me, or when they show his singers, do you always kind of gasp at the freak show element that always seems to hover about them? Who dresses these people? What are they on?)

First up we get a dance number by all of this season’s pros, and we have some new ones this season. It’s wicked fast and exciting! And we get to meet Our Judges, all of whom are back for another season of Sniff n Snark.

Finally, it’s time for the competition to begin. Tonight, the six women will compete, doing either the cha cha cha or the fox trot. We will meet the men romorrow tonight (and hey, this is a pretty good looking group this year. Maks? You’ve got company.)

First up is Jennie Garth, from 90210 fame. She seems so incredibly sweet, girl next door, and she is definitely trying her hardest. She gets Cutie Patootie Juliane’s brother, Derek, equally cute in the patootie department who is a new teacher this year, and I think they look adorable. I’d hate to go first, especially as it’s clear she’s not naturally in her element here, but working really hard. So what do the Producers That Care do to her? They give her Uptown Girl. For a cha cha. Wha?? It was ridiculously horrible music that even a good dancer (see: her instructor) had a hard time making look good. I really think she got royally screwed over on that one and I felt sorry for her. Despite that, she did a decent job and her scores - straight 7’s for 21, reflected that, and were on target. The judges were nice to her, too, which I was glad to see.

Second up? We get a super model I’ve never heard of before, Josie Maran, but then, I’m not a big reader of the SI Swimsuit Edition, so go figure. She actually seems cute and funny, and really wants to do this. Very unfortunately, she is the Kenny Mayne of female dancers. I mean, this chick cannot dance. At. All. Of course, she gets poor Alec Mazo, who, if he washed his hair regularly, would be a hottie in my book, and won the first season, but since then has had horrible luck in partners. His luck will not change this season, I don’t care how hard he works with her to get her strong. He did, however, have the funniest line of the night. He tells his partner that she looks really good, but is “deceptively unfit.” HA! But it’s so incredibly true. Girl is WEAK. But they get decent music for him to literally drag her around to. The judges are kindly harsh, but man, it’s hard to find anything nice to say. She’s really not good. She gets 6, 5, 5 - for 16, which is actually kind.

Third up, we get another chick who, not only have I never heard of her, I’ve never heard of her group. (Singing group? Dancing group? Television group? I have no idea.) Her name is Sabrina and she’s from the Cheetah Girls, who, if she is any indication, are Super Energizer Bunnies on Crack. My god, this girl is Wound. Up. Another thing this girl is, is a ringer. She’s a rap singer/dancer (I think) who can dance quite well, thank you. Just never did ballroom before. But dance training, to some degree, is dance training. She has another one of the new instructors, Mark Ballas, who I actually like quite a bit in all his dorkstarryness. He’s got some cuteness. Plus he seemed to feed off her energy well. (And, I just heard he is Julianne’s pro partner and I bet they are the super cuteness! So, we like him.) They even put some rap dance moves in their cha cha (which almost gives Uncle Lenny a heart attack, but which I secretly loved.) I did love Lenny cracking on Wayne Newton that he didn’t want to see any of that rap nonsense from him tomorrow night. HA! Lenny has a sense of humor! Who knew? Anyway, they hit the dance floor like an explosion of energy and sound and speed and dang!! You couldn’t help but just sit there and goggle. And feel really exhausted. But she’s good, and he choreo’d well for them, and I like him. So, by default, I was all into watching them. But I can’t say I love her. I do respect her work ethic and the way she attacks the dance floor though. Girl sold that one well into next week. Dang. They get a well deserved 26 and are most definitely the Couple To Beat.

Next up we get Poor Marie Osmond, who is only Poor because she has to follow that volcanic eruption, and really, who could? A shame Sabrina and Mark weren’t last instead of third. But what Marie lacks in dance skills (it’s a long list, y’all) she makes up for quite well with showmanship. And she’s funny. I liked her. But then, I’m from “her generation.” Sue me. I was happy to see she did well, and she scored well, too. A very decent (and kind) 21. Oh, and she has cutie patootie Jonathan as her partner and I think they are beyond the perfect fit. He always gets a great performance from his partner and choreo’s really well for their strengths and weaknesses. Go Jonny and Marie!

Scary Spice Girl, Mel B is next and she’s partnered with (SQUEE!!!) Maks!! Okay, is it me, or does Maks look really…..lean? I mean, he’s just not bringing the same Big Guy Mojo he has in the past. Plus, they saddled him with Laila last season, who matched him muscle for attitude. And this year he gets much the same in Mel. (Who I liked.) I think they are a great pair in terms of temperament, but I don’t see any chemistry there. He and Laila managed to find it, though, so I have hope. They do a very decent cha cha, and Mel’s stage training shows, too, but I wasn’t all ooh and ahh over them. 24 for them.

Last of the night is Dr Quinn, aka Jane Seymour, who looks a good twenty years younger than her 56 years of age. I hope I look that good….ever. She gets Tony and the fox trot and is just wonderfully lovely in a very Julie Andrews kind of way. The judges gush and I enjoy her, and I think she’s safe this week. It will be interesting to see how she tackles the sexier, faster numbers though. They get a 24 as well.

All in all, a good night. The judges, I think, were on point. Tom was in fine form. Drew….is cute. Ill leave it at that. And we get a peek into the guys side of things and they look like a lot of fun!! I don’t know most of them, but who cares! (Is it just me, or is Floyd Merriweather a serious little boxing cutie patootie?? I think he’s going to be great fun to watch.) I think they are all ready to rumble and tonight is going to be wonderful. Yes, even Wayne Newton. The only one I can’t say I’m all that attracted to caring about is Mark Cuban, but this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. He is an incredibly young billionaire and I give him all the kudos for tackling something he wants to do for the hell of it, so publicly, because he can. Aaaaand, I hope he falls on his ass. But that’s just me.

So, join me tomorrow for all the MAN MAC you can stand!!

In the meantime…who were your faves? Who would you like to see conquer the odds? Who would you send home?

Don’t forget to enter this week’s SHaQ Attack contest. Seriously! See Monday’s post for all the details.

Tags: Writing by Donna
12 Comments »

Yay, Saturday was the first official day of Fall!! Woo hoo, Fall! And the weekend was great - the Mountaineers crushed East Carolina, the Steelers took it to the 49ers, and my son won his opening lacrosse game against last year’s runner up state champs. In overtime. He scored. Truly…could it get better than that?

Why yes, in fact it can! Because?

The Fall Season is back, the Fall Season is back!! (It takes so little to make me happy. Which would be sad really, except I’m too happy to care.) And you know what that means! Tomorrow? The MAC is BACK! Woo hoo!! I’ll have all the Dancing With the Stars MAC you can stand, so set your TiVo’s, DVR’s, VCR’s and whatever other letter combos you might own and join in the Blog Babe MACfest discussion tomorrow.

Who will we love? Who will we hate? Will Uncle Lenny be nice? Will Bruno ever make any sense? And how great will it be to have Tom back but no Samantha? (Who became a mom yesterday - congratulations, Sam! I hope she enjoys a realllllllly lengthy, lovely maternity leave. Bond with the little cutie. Maybe give up the hosting gig altogether….just an idea.)

Of course, we’re also having a SHaQ Attack Contest this week! This time, in honor of it being Season Premiere week, we’re going to guess who will be the first character on Grey’s this season to say “seriously.” Send your guesses in an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Seriously!” in the subject line. And if Shonda doesn’t make anyone say it in the season opener, everyone who guesses anybody will be in the running for the prize. Winner announced Friday morning. For a complete cast list, check the show out on abc.com. (Hey, occasionally I have to make you guys work for this or you’ll get spoiled. Seriously!) You have until Thursday night, 9pm EST to get your votes in.

Good luck!

Tags: Writing by Donna
3 Comments »

Survivor China? More like Whiner China. Dang, where did they find this bunch? And I thought Amber was bad.

So, in the opening segment, we already don’t like Courtney Stefani. Could she, like, be any more, like, disrespectful? We get pretentious Jean Robert who really needs to keep a shirt on until at least week 2. Of course, we get the adorable cuteness of Todd, but it’s shortlived as we shift to the other tribe, where Wrestler Diva’s boobs and lip rings just sort of seem to be everywhere. Chick can build a shelter though, I’ll give her that. And then there is Sherea, who….um….I’ll just say that this show has been running now for HOW MANY SEASONS? Has she not seen ONE episode of any of them? Survivor is all about the disgusting and the nasty. I’m thinking she will not be a big part of this season. Just a guess. (And please, take Courtney with you. A show of hands for a double elimination the first night?)

Pandas!

Aaaaaand, back to the grind. It’s going to be a tough season of no food, a whole bunch of rain if opening night is any indication. We get Shelter Building 101, and poor Chicken (I know!) just can’t barely stand watching them young fools build such a shoddy lean to. He’s….colorful. He might try giving something useful for people to work with from his apparent fount of knowledge on the subject, instead of ‘just givin’ them his ‘pinion” all the dang time. Is there room on the boat next to Ms. Stefani please?

So….Sherea decides it’s time for, I don’t know, cheerleading practice? Dance Dance Revolution? I couldn’t quite get any of that. I actually agree with the rather sour faced Peih Gee who knows she’s stuck on the Bubblehead Squad but can do nothing about it. She’s like ninety pounds soaking wet, so building a shelter by herself? Probably not happening. And did I mention it rains? Like, a lot?

Back on the Worker Tribe we’re shelter building. Heck, I’m surprised they don’t have an entire village erected already. I mean, have you seen James? He just pushes a tree, and it goes down y’all. Paul Bunyan’s got nothing on James. Damn but he’s a big guy. More Gentle Ben though, which is nice in a grave digger. Oh, and Surfer Dude? He can keep his shirt off all 39 days and I’m perfectly fine with that. Fine, I say. Of course, they have Courtney on their team, so it’s a good thing James can do the work of several people, because I’m not thinking she’s going to, like, jump in, like, at any time and, like, you know, like, help.

And I wasn’t sure I was going to like Church Lady, but when she took Big James under her wing and tried to help him with the social game? Yeah, she scored some points there. And don’t worry James, you’re already loved. What a sweetie.

So, stranding them with the clothes on their back, then having torrential downpours the first night, followed by blistering heat? Yeah, you get a bunch of Survivors who immediately get nice and intimate all wearing their skivvies. That’s one way to get past the stranger barrier. Of course, it doesn’t keep us from having to look at their half naked, soaking wet selves. Okay, so Aaron and James in their boxer briefs aren’t such a bad deal, but otherwise i spend too much time looking through parted fingers. (Lunch Lady? Wow, Tim Gunn would so not approve of your look. And I’m not talking about the mullet. That I could live with.) Not such a great idea, Probst. Too much, way too soon.

Way.

Immunity Challenge Time - Damn, Big J is big and agile. His team wins the challenge, sending the Bobbleheads back to figure out who is going home. ::raising hand rather enthusiastically:: Oh! Oh, oh! Can I make a suggestion? But do they listen to me? Of course not. In the end, Chicken goes home. Not that he played the game right at all in the limited time he was there, but he was so sincerely disappointed to go, and his exit speech was a really sweet one…I felt bad for him. Especially when there are others in the game who could have gone sooner. (Yes, Sherea, I’m looking at you.)

Next week? More rain. More mud. No food. Good times.

I haven’t watched the Very Last Comic yet, but I hear through the grape vine there might be a nice surprise waiting for me when I do. Yay, viewers!

And on Top Chef, Sara takes her leave on some undercooked chicken, which leaves Hung, Casey, Dale, and Brian as the final four. I’m okay with that. Go Casey!

Now for this week’s winner of the advance reading copy of The Black Sheep & The Hidden Beauty. Everyone wave your sundae spoons at Blog Babe Thuy! Woo hoo!!! Congratulations - hope you enjoy it!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! See you Monday for a new SHaQ Attack contest.

(And don’t forget to head over to Novel Thoughts to see the winner of the book giveaway there - click on the link in Tuesday’s blog.)

Tags: Writing by Donna
11 Comments »

Tonight we return to MAC-worthy tv. Well, I hope. See what summer tv and winning Donatos have done to me? I’m so jaded and cynical now….)

Things have to improve, right? (And, really, after Evil Dick winning half a mil, they really have nowhere else to go but up.) So tune in tomorrow for all the peachy Survivor MAC you can stand, along with some Top Chef and Last Comic Finale MAC (though I’m finding it hard to care about that last one…it’s sitting on my DVR, not particularly calling to me.)

AND! We’ll announce which Happening Blog Babe wins the advance reading copy of The Black Sheep & The Hidden Beauty! It’s not too late to enter - see Monday’s post for details.

Thank you for all the nice comments and emails about KittyCooper. She is the cuteness!

Happy TGIF-eve!

Tags: Writing by Donna
4 Comments »

So how did it get to be fall already?

Okay, deadline hell aside, I am kind of excited about it. I mean, I can sleep with the windows open, it’s football season (What a weekend we had!! WOOT!) the leaves are about the change, which means me and my MINI can have some fun in the Blue Ridge mountains here shortly, and we’ll be back to regular MAC’n on here soon. What’s not to love?

Speaking of my wee car, it’s about to undergo a few….moderations. First, I should explain that the tags on my little British import say ELO KTTY (which must be said in your best British accent) and there might be a wee Hello Kitty decal on the rear window. So when I rallied this past weekend with my MINI Cooper car club, I realized that alllllllll the other wee cars had names. Alas, mine did not. (I know! It’s so sad.) Well, the fellow members immediately took care of this tragic oversight by christening my MINI the KittyCooper.

So it only made sense that when a fellow member just happened to mention he did aftermarket vinyl/decal work, that we go one step further and put a Kitty on the white roof of my car. Yes….the KittyCooper has indeed been born. Her bow will even match the color of my nightfire red car. It’s ridiculous how cute this is going to be.

I will, of course, keep you updated, complete with pictures when her little transformation is complete.

Here is the “before” pic….

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Monday’s blog for all the details on how to win an advance reading copy of my upcoming release, The Black Sheep & The Hidden Beauty!

Tags: Writing by Donna
6 Comments »

Oh yeah, that’s right. We’re in Reality Show Purgatory until Thursday, when FINALLY the Fall Season starts with Survivor. I never thought I’d be this happy to see Jeff Probst again.

In the mean time, we can have fun by giving away free stuff! Check out yesterday’s blog to learn how to enter this week’s contest to win an advance reading copy of The Black Sheep & The Hidden Beauty. Be the first blog babe on your block to own one!

Also, I am guest blogging today over at Novel Thoughts . I’m not sure when my blog entry will go up as they are very kindly posting it for me, but check in and see what’s happening…and you could be in the running to win a copy of the first Black Sheep book! Score!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

PS…the blog post is up on Novel Thoughts now…so head on over and leave your thoughts on the blog subject. You could win a free book!

Tags: Writing by Donna
No Comments »

This week’s SHaQ Attack contest prize is an advance copy of my January book, The Black Sheep & The Hidden Beauty. Woo hoo!! (This is second in the Men of Trinity Inc series…The Black Sheep & The Princess is on the shelves now.)

To enter this week, just send me an email saying “I want a Black Sheep of my own!” to donna@donnakauffman.com. I will draw one name from the entries and announce the lucky winner on Friday. Good luck!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
11 Comments »