Lady Love

Lady love is in the air at McKinnley High and the Glee club helps Santana find acceptance with her sexual identity. It's all about Santana, and as much as she resists. she is shown the glee club's support support by dedicating an entire weeks lesson of music to her. This is lead by none other than "fetus face" himself, Finn.

Finn saves Santana from certain suspension, after slapping him across the face for outing her in public, then bribes her into getting the Trouble Tones and the New Directions to come to a "summit" two weeks before sectionals. Meanwhile Brittnay is bribing the student body with Pixie Styx for votes in the Student Body President race with Kurt. "But they are so delicious, " a sugar high Principal Figgins exclaims. Everyone is certain she will be crowned the winner and Kurt actually contemplates cheating by stuffing the ballot box to ensure the win which will be a "brass ring" resume piece essential for acceptance to NYADA.

Sue, interestingly enough, confesses that she is not gay, in her journal writings, even though people mistake her for a lesbian. She plots to get a guy so that she can show the voters that she is not a "friend of Ellen's", and gets out her little black book. Her secret Weapon? Cooter Mankins, Coach Bieste's new object of affection.

Blaine and Kurt dedicate the first song of the week to Santana and sing, Pink's "F**king Perfect"and it might just have been that if it were only Blaine singing. Sorry I love Chris Colfer, and I loved his asymmetrical sweater, but Blaine is a freaking rock star here and YES! I want some more of that, please. Then Puck knocks out a sexy,"I'm the Only One" to the glee club and sings almost entirely to Shelby, who is clearly not pleased with this performance. Quinn seated in font of Shelby, picks up on this sexual tension immediately and questions Puck about it after, in the hallway. She then tries to use her sexuality to seduce him by offering herself, to which he turns her down and even insults her.

Finn tells Santana that she means something to him and that he cares about what happens to her, and I'm thinking "cut the bi*ch loose" after the way she had insulted and humiliated him in the past few weeks, but he ends up singing her a classic girl anthem, turned ballad, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Finn sounds great and Artie and the boys take this version to a whole new level. I really like this unique take on this song and it seemingly broke down the wall between Santana and Finn.

While Sue seems to have stolen Cooter from Coach Bieste, the show stealer and My Download Pick of The Week is, "I Kissed A Girl and I Liked It". This Glee cast ensemble pug the swagger back in Santana's step and showcased all of the talent this show has to offer. It was fun, it was naughty, it was sexy and it worked. The boys really seemed to like it too.

Kurt gets called into Figgins office where he is told that although he won the election by 119 votes, there were more ballots than seniors and that they think he cheated. Kurt admits to thinking about cheating, but swears that he did not do it. He did not cheat. Unless he can prove that he did not stuff the ballot box, Kurt will be suspended and Brittnay is named Class President.

Puck gets a call during class, which he rudely takes and leaves class citing a "family emergency". Shelby is at the hospital, distraught because Beth had fallen, causing her tooth to go through her lip. Puck demands that she see a plastic surgeon and a ridiculously helpless Shelby is seemingly grateful for Puck's assistance. We all know what that means...and of course, it happens. Shelby has post-coital regret and decides to throw Puck out before it goes any further. Puck is pissed off so he goes to the next best place, Quinn's house. After anger sex and some pillow talk Puck tells Quinn that he slept with Shelby. He tells her to keep it a secret. Like that's going to happen...

Santana tells her Abuelita, you know, the one that "raised" Santana on insults, that she is gay, and for the first time in a while I see Santana relax and come out of her nasty shell. But, her abuela is horrified, preferring Santana kept it a secret and she bans her from her home and her life forever. She sings a montage to "Constant Craving" with both Shelby and Kurt craving for their own resolutions.

The episode ended with some big wins and losses.
Burt won the Congress election.
Brittnay won the Class President election.
Santana lost her grandmother and
Rachel admitted to stuffing the ballot box for Kurt and is now suspended for one week, and lost for sectionals.

What's going to happen at sectionals now?

In The Black

We have lots of magazine subscriptions for the holidays!

It turned out to be a very Black Friday this year. I can report a brisk return to holiday shopping and so far, I'm encouraged. Better than expected, and I'm happy to report that it seems to be trending all over the country. According to today's news, the reports are in and this could be a very merry Christmas for retailers. Wall Street is also happy. The Dow rallied 291 points yesterday and consumer confidence seems to be growing.

Much of this weekend's hype was created specifically by the media and the retailers to create a shopping frenzy, and it worked because sales are up. "Black Friday sales were unbelievably good-really solid," said John Herman of Boston-based State Street Global Markets.
Shoppers were bombarded with Black Friday images and ads on most all media outlets, begging some to ask the question, "am I missing out on something?"

The common denominator in all this is discounts. In order to survive, retailers must be competitive and offer substantial discounts to their customers. And we did. For me, this translated into more volume than last year. With American Express sponsored and advertised Small Business Saturday immediately following Black Friday, the weekend turned into a Black Business windfall for small retailers.

Yesterday's Cyber Monday's numbers are not in yet, but early projections speculate sales increasing form last year by 15% and this could all bode well for the economy to start out the 2012 New Year.

I'm hoping to ride this wave of consumer confidence. Keep shopping America, and keep shopping local.

Khaos

Ok, so I'll admit it, I watched it last night.

I was curious and I wanted to see for myself. Sort of, because what I really saw was what the powers that be wanted me to see. After watching the premiere episode of the highly touted, "Kourtney and Kim Take New York" I know one thing for sure, the whole marriage was doomed before it even started.

The entire thing takes place immediately after the honeymoon, and Kourtney, her 2 yr old son Mason, her boyfriend Scott and Kim and Kris all move into a palatial, two story hotel room in New York City. I am immediately thinking this is a bad set up which is all for ratings. Big mistake, as Kim and Kris, just married, have never lived together before and now they need to adjust to 3 other people too?

The Kardashians are not your average other people.

Immediately Kourtney is determined to push Kim's, opinionated, loud, pushy new husband to the limit with her lifestyle choices. I almost side with him when he comes home to find his wife and four of her closest friends practicing "naked yoga" with a rasta, dread wearing, naked man teaching yoga in the middle of his living room. Kim chastises him for being rude, but I think he has a valid point here.

I don't side with him on other issues. I don't like the way he man-handles his wife and I don't like how he puts her down to try and maintain his alpha status. BUT, this living arrangement is so ridiculous, I gotta give the guy props for moving out to focus on his "training" by episode's end. He wasn't drinking the "Kardashian Kool Aid" for sure, and it became evident that all things Kim and Kourtney take precedence over everything and everyone. Like it or not.

I'm not really seeing the villian they are making Kris Humphries out to be, but according to sources, this season of "Kourtney and Kim take New York" will reveal why she couldn't take one more day with him.

I'm curious.

And in the court of right and wrong, I'm wondering who will win this battle.

Happy Turkey Day!

I'm going off grid today bloggers. I got a lot of cans to open.

I'll see you on the flip side of Thanksgiving. Best wishes to you and yours.

Who Knew Cameron Was A Kansas City Fan?

I'm a little behind schedule bloggers, because I got home last night at 1:00 am after Monday Night Football at Gillette Stadium. Sitting behind me was the guy from ABC's Modern Family, Eric Stonestreet. I don't watch Modern Family but I read enough rag magazines to know who he is and to know he is hilarious on the show.

He's absolutely adorable, and I kept turning around and staring at him (I know, soo rude) because I wasn't quite sure if it was him or not. He was slightly unshaven and I might not have even known who he was if weren't for people taking pictures of him.

Anyway, that's not really what I wanted to tell you. This morning I was working out a bit later than usual and I caught the Rachel Rae show. Today she had her "Thanks-give-away" show spectacular and she was giving away lots of great stuff. Oh yeah, she was giving away designer cookie baskets, Sears gift certificates, Dyson vacuums, watches, Kindle's, bikes, designer cookware and lots more. It got me to thinking about how all the talk show hosts today all vying to create the next "Oprah's Favorite Things" show frenzy with crazy giveaways. Ellen has her "12 days of Give Away" and Dr. Phil and Nate Burkus have been know to stow some goodies underneath the audience seats.

It's like a sweepstakes to become the next heir to the talk show taping Gods, and here's the thing...I WANT IN!!

How do I get tickets to Rachel Rae's "Thanks-give-away" show next year? I am a huge Rachel Rae fan and a true-blue magazine subscriber to Rachel Rae Everyday Magazine. (I don't throw them away and I file them by month). Count me in for the next one!

And Ellen? I guess if I had to I could fly out to LA to see my niece, nephew and his lovely wife next year and see a live taping of Ellen's "12 days of Giveaway". You certainly wouldn't have to twist my arm.

Who wants to come next year? Cmon, it will be fun and we'd have a whole year to plan it. New York or LA? Who's coming? Let's DO it together bloggers!

Talking Turkey

Ahhh, Thanksgiving.

It's that wonderful American tradition that is still held some what sacred. It's the only holiday that is completely, 100%, all about the food. Thanksgiving is a great feast.

Some observations:

• Stuffing seems to be the emotional favorite, second only to the turkey itself.


• There are those who prefer to eat out and those who prefer to stay home. I prefer to stay home.


• Cranberry sauce is in two categories: homemade and jelly. I always have to serve both because some like it jelly style, straight out of a can, and some will only eat the homemade kind with whole cranberries.


• Apple Cider. It's the only time I drink it and it is always a staple on my thanksgiving table.


• There's always one who's not speaking to so and so, and you have to be careful not to seat them next to each other or get in the middle of it for that matter.


• Thanksgiving is also synonymous with football.


• Is it legal to begin drinking on Thanksgiving day at 12 noon? It is a holiday after all.


• It's hilarious, it seems like the entire town I live in closes up shop around 3pm on Wednesday. People are either traveling or cooking, but no one is out and about after that.


• Is it legal to begin drinking wine on Thanksgiving morning at 10 am? It is a holiday after all. And I'm gonna need it to get through this one.

What are your observations bloggers?

Friday Funny

A few days after Christmas, a mother was working in the kitchen listening to her young son playing with his new electric train in the living room. She heard the train stop and her son said, "All of you sons of bitches who want off, get the hell off now, cause this is the last stop! And all of you sons of bitches who are getting on, get your asses in the train, cause we're going down the tracks."

The mother went nuts and told her son, "We don't use that kind of language in this house. Now I want you to go to your room and you are to stay there for TWO HOURS. When you come out, you may play with your train, but I want you to use nice language."

Two hours later, the son comes out of the bedroom and resumes playing with his train. Soon the train stopped and the mother heard her son say, "All passengers who are disembarking from the train, please remember to take all of your belongings with you. We thank you for riding with us today and hope your trip was a pleasant one. We hope you will ride with us again soon." She hears the little boy continue, "For those of you just boarding, we ask you to stow all of your hand luggage under your seat. Remember, there is no smoking on the train. We hope you will have a pleasant and relaxing journey with us today."

As the mother began to smile, the child added, "For those of you who are pissed off about the TWO HOUR delay, please see the bitch in the kitchen."

Too Good To Be True?

One of the perks of Candy's Daily Dandy is that occasionally someone will ask me to try their product for FREE and then tell you guys what I think. Sometime I bite at the offer and sometimes I don't. But when the people over at Vapor4Life asked me to try their e-cigarette, I practically jumped at the chance.

An ex-smoker for years, and even more recently, I had seen these electronic cigarettes and had wondered what these things were all about. Smoking safely? Sounds like an oxymoron to say the least. After a brief email exchange, I was told to go to the website and choose my "Nicotine Strength" and my desired"Flavor".

Hmmm, this posed a interesting conundrum for me. Because I have successfully kicked the habit, I am no longer addicted to nicotine and I have no desire to become addicted to nicotine again. When I logged on to the website, I was overjoyed to learn that I could choose zero nicotine strength and I then went on to choose apple cinnamon for my flavor. As promised, the little package arrived on my desk in a few days.

So what is it exactly? V4L.com describes their product as such:

"An e-cigarette is a battery powered device that vaporizes a liquid solution to create an alternative to smoking. The V4L e-cigarette is a two piece system consisting of a re-chargeable battery and cartomizer. The cartomizer is a cartridge with a coil built in that heats up a solution, which contains nicotine and flavoring. "

My battery is a chic, black, longish, cigarette looking thing with a fab gem stone at the end that illuminates purple when you inhale the vapor. My cartomizer is a pinkish red, short "filter" looking piece that screws onto the top of my black battery. I couldn't wait to try this sucker out. My battery needed to be charged before usage, and when you attach the battery to the charger and plug it into the outlet, a small light illuminates red until your battery is fully charged. I then attached the cartomizer and took my first inhale from the device.

It wasn't what I had expected at all, and at first I was disappointed. I think I half expected it to taste like a apple cinnamon-y Marlboro Light. Maybe, I thought, I might have made a mistake by not getting some nicotine. But I continued to play with my e-cigarette. Soon I was pulling good "vapor hits" and even blowing smoke rings! All of a sudden, it became somewhat soothing and satisfying and I felt like I had found my groove with this device. Who needs nicotine?

The research on e-cigarettes is all positive, as found in an article by the United Health Organization who concluded “In the short time that electronic cigarettes have become popular, the number of people who have been able to quit smoking and stay cigarette free have risen by an estimated 300%. No other methodology has proven so successful in such a short period of time.” There are also studies that claim that nicotine can be as harmful to your health as caffeine.

I have to say that owning this little device is quite advantageous for someone like me who is orally fixated, (Heff and Bama insert joke here). It quite possibly keeps me from reaching for a sugary treat, and satisfies that occasional urge to smoke that seemingly never goes away. It's cool and fun and I'm thinking it will make a great gift for that person you want to help kick the habit. I think the initial $70 to $100 dollars for a starter kit are well worth it for your health.

Thanks V4L! I highly recommend this product!

Back To Basics

Glee finally got it right last night.

It was back to the basic reason that I love the show, in that last night's episode was all about the music. So instead of telling you who did what and why, I'm going to tell you about the musical mash-up melodies that made last night's episode so great!

Right from the get go-the show opened with Puck's slammin' rendition of the Van Halen classic, "Hot For Teacher". His latest obsession, Shelby, being the object of this student's desire but, hold on...Blaine and Mike Chang singing and dancing backup??? Can you say HOT for back up? I mean is there anything that Blaine (Darren Chriss) can't do? This was just smokin hot on all aspects, with Puck playing front man and Finn holding court on the drums.

Shelby and Shue then tried to bring together the competing Glee clubs by presenting a united front. They performed a mash up of "Just You and I/You and I". How genius of producers to mix up current Lady Gaga mega hit, "You and I" and the Crystal Gayle/Eddie Rabbit cult favorite, "Just You and I". Shue and Shelby worked the mash up accompanied by guitar and Shelby showcased her pitch perfect vocals on the Gaga song. This number has something for everyone, but the Glee clubbers are not so convinced.

So much at odds are the two competing clubs that they decide a dodge ball showdown is the way to settle this score. Finn and Santana have a seemingly simmering rivalry and the entire dodge ball game is showcased to a fitting mash up of"Hit Me With Your Best Shot/One Way Or Another". Pat Benetar and Blondie, sung lead by both Santana and Finn, was a power packed montage of face slammin, body flying, world rocking dodge ball that was at times, hilariously fun. Of course, it's always funny until someone gets hurt. A victorious Santana finishes off Finn then, she and the Troubletones take it too far when they gang up on the new kid and he ends up with a bloody nose. Santana got some anger issues, that's for sure.

The Mash-Off begins with the New Directions rendition of the Hall and Oates 80's classics "You Make My Dreams Come True/I Can't Go For That". The costumes were great with some of the guys sporting neon t-shirts with Miami Vice Blazers and others rocking cheezy moustaches ala Oates. It was an 80's spectacle with big hair and lots of sparkle that was a lot of fun to watch. Especially if you grew up in the 80's like I did.

BUT was it good enough to win the great McKinnley Mash-Off?

Sorry, but the Troubletones brought the house down with, my Download Pick Of The Week, "Rumor Has It/Someone Like You". Sexy, sultry, Adele mash up lead by Santana and Mercedes, had not only relevance (cuz who doesn't love Adele right now), but with Santana's character struggling with her sexuality, it gave this number a hauntingly engaging element that was emotionally palpable.

I will say that the episode ended on a sour note when Santana viciously attacked Finn and slapped him across the face for "outing" her in public. I'm sorry, but if Finn doesn't punch her in the face I'm going to. Really? She keeps attacking him with a venom filled tongue, so what does she expect? I would have flattened that bit*h out 3 episodes ago. Just sayin.

Anyway, I got the music in me today because last night was a virtual playground for my iPod.
Keep the mash up's coming Glee, and we'll keep coming back for more.

Today I'm Channeling Sofia Vergara

And it's not why you think.

I just finished up, literally,(cuz I was too lazy to do it last night) cooking a Latin inspired dish for Frack's theatre company to enjoy tonite at their upcoming high school's show rehearsal. It's a spicy, sumptuous, salsa inspired dish that is always a crowd favorite. I've been making this dish for years, and as the recipe in the book, "America's Best Loved Community Recipes" says:

"Marcie Benne and her friends often have small dinner parties and pot lucks, and Marie usually brings her specialty, Enchiladas Con Pollo. She tells us that this is a dish she can serve confidently. "They will always be delicious."

I am living proof that true to her word, they always are! Today I decided to share this little gem with you, so that you can unleash your inner Sofia Vergara too.

Enchiladas Con Pollo from "America's Best Loved Community Recipes"


This is the finished product for tonite

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (8 ounces)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (10 ounces)

1/3 cup chopped tomatoes

1/3 chopped black olives

1/4 cup chopped green chili peppers

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 16 ounce jars taco sauce or salsa (3 1/2 cups)

10 6 to 7 inch flour or corn tortillas

Chopped black olives (optional)

Chopped tomatoes (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3 quart rectangular baking dish.

2. In a large bowl , stir together 1 cup of the cheese, the chicken, tomatoes, olives, chili peppers and onion. Add 1 cup of the taco sauce or salsa and mix well.

3.Place the remaining taco sauce in a shallow dish.(like a pie plate) Dip the tortillas in the sauce, one at a time, covering each side with salsa.

4. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up, on a cutting board, and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. (this will be very messy but keep going) Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas.

5. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the enchiladas and return to the oven, about 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped olives and chopped tomato, if desired. Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

Spice up your life and enjoy!

I Really Don't Discriminate When I Am Buying Product

So Frack had his math tutor last Wednesday night and I had an hour to kill before I had to pick him up at the library. An hour to kill and Candy unleashed can be a very dangerous thing, indeed. The library is very close to a local CVS so I figured I would go grab a few things like toothpaste and such and effectively kill the hour. Sounds innocent enough, right?

This particular CVS drugstore is open 24 hours and is very large. It has a new area that looks to be it's first foray into the high end cosmetics and skin care market. Of course, I am immediately drawn to the isle, after all I, have an hour to kill. Research and development, I like to call it, and I throw myself into looking at everything. There were lots of brand names that I didn't recognize and I got busy, reading and touching and smelling. Before I knew it, I had about six or seven products in my cart and I was really excited about them.

Lord knows I don't need a GOSH DARN thing, but I just can't help myself. I am a JUNKIE.

Anyway, one of the products I bought is a great product, on the cheap, that I want to share with you. It's by a company called Roc. Roc has a great line of skincare products that claim to be effective. Reasonably priced, and I mean a quarter of the department store brands, these Roc products consistently receive positive reviews on the makeup sites like MakeupAlley.com. The buzz on Roc is you can get a good, inexpensive, anti-aging product at your local drugstore.

I bought the Roc Daily Resurfacing Discs and I am in love with them. At $10.99, these pre-moistened cleansing pads are two-sided. One side is soft and foams up beautifully to gently remove dirt and makeup. This side also works great to remove eye makeup effectively. The other side has a slightly rough, buffing texture that also foams up and sloughs away dead skin cells. I use them at night because I really feel like I am cleaning off the grime of my day and these pads actually re-texturize your skin's surface and give dull skin a fabulous glow. I also love the convenience of the plastic tub, with the flip top for easy access.

Fellas, these will make great prep before shaving. Not only will they cleanse and tone, but the buff side will cause hair follicles on your face to rise to optimise your daily shave. Dare I say it? I actually feel like this products possibly cleanses my face better than my pricey foaming cleansers. Next time you are in your local drugstore, give them a try. I like them so much I am going to buy them for Frick. It's hard to get a 17 year-old to understand that taking care of your skin is important at any age. I think she will love the easy access to these pre-moistened, self foaming pads. Maybe now I can get her to remove her eye make up before bed because she hardly has to do a thing but rinse!

And as soon as Frack's whisker's come in, I'll buy him some too which could be a lot sooner than later.

I just noticed for the first time this weekend that his voice is changing...

For My Dad, The Walking Man and Every Other Brave Soldier In The World

Happy Veterans Day!!

May your weekend be filled with the joy of freedom that our soldiers fight so valiantly to provide for us.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I Was Just Thinking....

What the hell is wrong with this world?

My morning paper is filled with tawdry and tragic tales of sex crimes. Are people really that stupid? Lets talk first about legendary Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno. While the facts on this case seem solid, the details are wherein the devil lies. Literally. What a horrid mess of details. Coach Paterno's former assistant, Jerry Sandusky has been charged with 8 counts of sexual molestation with boys in 15 years.

In 2002, Mike Queary, came to Paterno to report seeing Sandusky in the showers with a 10 year old boy. At that time Patreno took the matter to athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz. All three of them are jobless today and dishonestly discharged from their respective careers. At 84, this legendary role model disgraced his name by taking a play directly from the Catholic church's play book; shut up and make it go away. Maybe Bernard Law and Joe Paterno can now become Penn pals, complete pun intended.

Then there's Cain. Herman Cain has taken a play directly out of the Bill Clinton playbook and is playing the adamant denial game. Now this is a little something I know about. Liars always believe their own lies. After a while they are so convinced of their innocence that they will go to great lengths to convince you and themselves of it. But it never pans out and karma is a bitch who will never let you forget. One woman interviewed in the Boston Herald said, "Herman Cain is a sociopath. You can catch them doing something on video and they'll deny they were even on the planet." My point exactly. And this guy want to run for President? These are not adulterous charges, these are titilating and scandalous charges by multiple women.

Then there's this doosey: A woman in Attleboro, MA stands accused of forcing her 10 year-old daughter, crying, to stand naked in front of her computer web cam so a "photographer" could measure her body type for a bikini shoot. Seems this 41 year-old mother was shopping around for a modeling gig for herself on the internet when she received a Facebook message from a man claiming to be from a Florida photography firm. She then sent pictures of her naked breasts to him and told him about her 10 year-old daughter.

"John" then told her he had a client who wanted to do a bikini shoot with a mother and daughter. The planned a Skype conversation with "John", who explained that his camera was broken, which is why the mother and daughter couldn't see him. The mother then had her crying daughter strip naked and pose in front of the camera for about 15 minutes. "John" was arrested in Iowa after the mother's sister tipped off police. She told authorities that "John" had offered the mother $20,000.00 for her and her daughter to come to Florida for the shoot.

I'll say it again, are people really that stupid? What the hell is wrong with this world? Sex and scandal and stupidity.

That's a daily trifecta that has no winners.

Tony And Maria's First Time

Do you remember your first time? I do and I think that would make for a great blog post at another time. This blog post is about Glee's episode last night entitled "The First Time". McKinnley High's Glee clubbers, Rachel and Blaine are starring in the school's production of, "West Side Story". While rehearsing, Artie notes that the two leads lack a certain passion that comes with having experienced the "most basic primal experience", sex. He questions that without having had sex, could they convince an audience of their connection on stage.Rachel being Rachel, decides this form of character study is worth pursuing. Blaine, decides that he and Kurt should not rush to have sex and that they should both be ready when it happens.

As a viewer, I'm watching all of this with great anticipation but as a parent of two high school students, I'm thinking and wondering if my children are having these conversations also. I know I thought about these things, talked about these things, and experimented with these things in high school. Why wouldn't they? And now here it is, played out by their peers on TV. This episode, for me now takes on a whole new meaning and will be a catalyst for an open conversation with my kids. Thanks Glee.

Blaine returns to Dalton Academy in time to find my Download Pick Of The Week, Billy Joel's, "Uptown Girl" by his old group the Warblers. They embrace him with open arms and beg for his return and Blaine meets Sebastian, the new Warbler hottie. Sebastian is not shy and he openly flirts with Blaine, telling him he now believes the hype about Blaine's legend at Dalton. This is played out accompanied to a TV mash up of sorts, with Rachel and Santana performing, "A Boy Like That" from West Side Story. Sebastian asks to see Blaine again. They meet for coffee and Kurt comes in surprised to see his guy talking to Sebastian. Blaine invites him into the conversation and Sebastian offers up some fake ID's and an invitation to do some underage drinking at the gay club on the other side of town. Kurt, seemingly a bit jealous, accepts Sebastian's offer. Apparently Burt taught him that you keep your friends close and your enemy's closer.

Rachel and Finn decide to use Finn's house for their first time destination, seeing that Burt and Carol are campaigning around the district for Burt. When things start getting heated, Finn stops to question why Rachel decided that now is their time? Why is she offering herself to him now? After a mumbo jumbo of excuses, Rachel blurts out that she needs to "get it over with" before opening night and Finn puts the brakes on that pronto. He's not interested in competeing with her ambition for a little something something...

Rachel then holds an emergency meeting of the Celibacy Club and asks the girls for their opinion. Quinn tells her to wait. That obviously (Beth) unprotected sex can have extreme consequences, and that it changes everything. Santana tells her that she should wait because Finn is terrible in bed and Tina gives us a look into what the teenaged "First Time" experience should be when two people are consenting and in love and want to make it special and memorable. She makes it sound so wonderful that I am almost swept away by the touching and poignant way she described her "absolutely perfect" experience. I said almost because the mother in me jumps out and reminds me that the girl and her moving story has a direct effect on my very own kids. I'm so having that conversation with them. Thanks again Glee. Rachel is clearly swayed by Tina's story.

Kurt and Blaine have their own near-sex experience, when they meet Sebastian at the gay bar and Blaine gets a little tipsy; er, um, I mean drunk. He accosts Kurt in the parking lot and tells him he wants to do it right there in the parking lot, in the back seat of the car. Kurt is not amused and being sober he finds nothing sexy about this offer of Blaine's affections. They fight and Blaine then walks home form the bar leaving Kurt alone with his thoughts.

On a story line side note, Coach Bieste has the hots for Cooter Mankins, the college scout who's coming to look at her team. Finn gets excited at the prospect of possibly playing college ball, and Artie plays matchmaker for Bieste and the Cooter successfully. Sadly it is not all happily ever after for everyone. Bieste gets her man, but Finn is passed over and is heartbroken that his life will at best be average. Rachel then tells Finn that he is special and she proves it to him by giving him something that "no one will ever get again", her virginity. Simultaneously, Blaine and Kurt also cross over into their first time experience.

While I thought the story line was handled with truth and candor, I couldn't keep the mother in me from rearing her head. Arguably, the first teen, gay couple to have sex on TV was handled with care and compassion, and ditto for Rachel and Finn.

Call me crazy, but I couldn't help but feel like I'm never going away for the weekend with my husband and leave my teens home alone.

Sex and underage drinking and fake id's? Nothing good can come of it.

Thanks Glee.

Tweedle Dum Dums

Yesterday I told you about all things Frick, so today I'm going tell you a story about Frack.

So, we get home from NYC Sunday night and Frack and his grandfather arrive home from the Pats/Giants debacle, along with my bestest and oldest friend in the world, Danny, at just about the same time. Frack jumps right to his homework. He's got an algebra test the next day and since I received a not-so-glowing email from his math teacher two days earlier, Frack knows his ass is grass and I'm the lawn mower if he doesn't up his game.

My Guy, Danny and I go sit in the family room to chat while Frack is studying in the kitchen. We were having a grand old time bitching about the sucky Patriots game and such, discussing this and that and about two hours breezes by. My Guy announces that he is going off to bed, says his good nights and leaves us girls to it. About 15 minutes later, I hear Frack's voice in the kitchen meekly say, "mom.." I provide the usual response, a slightly annoyed ,"ya" cuz I'm thinking he wants me to get him a drink or something. God forbid he rises the 5 yards over to the fridge to get it himself.

"can you come ere?" he says.

After a deep breath in, cuz I'm tired, I get up and go to the kitchen with Danny right behind me. What I find there literally broke a mother's heart. My son is sitting in front of his notebook with papers scattered about with a look of pain on his face that cut right through me. He looked at me and said, "Mom, I'm so screwed. I can't figure any of this out."

Now I know he's screwed because math is not a resume piece of mine and I pull my stomach off the floor, which has just dropped down there with this realization. I quickly look at Danny, hoping for some math mojo, and she announces, "I used to be really good at Algebra. It used to be my best subject," then she adds, "but I couldn't do it now. No way." Frick, math student extraordinaire, and My Guy are asleep and I was, of course, ABSENT that day, so Frack is as he said; screwed.

But the look on my kid's face sprung me right to action. Tweedle Dum 1, me, takes the iPad in my hand and asks, "Can't we Google this?" Tweedle Dum 2, Danny, says, "yeah, just type 'solve' and then plug in the equation." This leads us to a million different places all of which we find a whole lot of nothing. Frack is now arguing with Tweedle Dum 1, me, whoes trying to help him, that he's never going to figure this out and let's just forget it. Tweedle Dum 2, Danny, is now reading the results, clicking and we stumble upon this site called mathops.com. It's got the order of operations for quadratic equations right there and Frack begrudgingly looks at it. And looks at it. And looks at it some more.

Then the most amazing thing happened. It was TRULY like a light bulb went off in his head and the moment was quite memorable. "Wait a second," he said. "I think I get it." Frack then clears the table and starts working on the blank practice test. The teacher had given them the correct answers to the practice test but not the order of operations to get there, and Frack starts rattling off the correct answers in succession. The Tweedle Dum Dum's are high fiving each other like crazy after every correct answer and the energy in Frack changed instantaneously to that of serious student. Danny left for home and I stayed up with Frack for a bit longer. He got stumped a few more times but he then found a site on youtube called your. teacher.com with 3-5 minute video tutorials on every math problem you could imagine.

I was so proud of him and he used these wonderful resources to breakthrough his mental block. These videos are how HE learns and it was like a magic math elixir. Frack got an email from his math teacher last night announcing his B+ on his math test and a congrats on stepping up his effort like she knew he could. I told him I couldn't be prouder. We all learned something valuable, the Tweedle Dum Dum's included.

I told Frack that being smart isn't always about knowing all the answers.

A smart man know where to look to find the answers.

Candy And Corey's Excellent Adventure

So New York City was a great trip and like all great trips it was over before we knew it. Frick, My Guy and I headed out to the Big Apple early Saturday morning and after a GPS snafu that landed us in Brooklyn, (we input New York, New York instead of Manhattan) we made it to our destination an hour off schedule. This, of course, killed any opportunity for an afternoon matinee, so My Guy bribed Frick and I with some Benjamin's and the promise of a few hours to kill spending them in Times Square.


And who did I have the wonderful pleasure of meeting whilst there???

None other than my blogger buddy Corey James, aka, Mad Texter!! We had been texting each other on the ride in, Corey offering his moral support for us ending up in Brooklyn.


"Crooklyn?! Boy did you make a wrong turn. Enjoy the added tour and try to get yourself on the FDR on the Eastside."


Upon arrival at the W Hotel Times Square, WHICH TOTALLY SUCKED, (can you say dirty bathroom?I'm so disappointed) Frick and I wasted no time getting out with the cash burning a hole in our pockets. First stop? Forever 21. Remember, I was with Frick and Forever 21 is a 17 year old girl's dream destination. Not so much for me, but this trip was all about her, anyway. Corey James met us there, and I knew him from the moment I saw his handsome face descending the huge escalators in the center of the store. We bonded immediately and the three of us corralled about the tacky hookers dream store together.


I think Corey was in shock, to be honest, that cheap, tacky fashions could be all the rage for teenage girls, but as he surveyed the premises and the hundreds of young girls around, I think he understood that we weren't kidding. We even checked out the cheap guy fashions at Forever 21 and believe it or not, we each found something to buy! Then it was off to the mother ship.

That, of course being the Sephora in Times Square. Corey, being a true Candy friend, knew that Sephora would be on my list of shopping destinations.

CANDY: "We are in Times Square. Would it be possible to meet there somewhere?"
COREY:"I'll be there in 15. I'm sure you're going to Sephora first!"

CANDY: "You know me! Hahahahaha! Love it!"

We fought the freaks and tourists in the street, and Corey showed us how to navigate our way through a crowded New York sidewalk, and we made it into Sephora. Frick became completely enamoured by the new magnetic nail polish and decided to give herself a manicure right there. Corey and I touched, smelled, played and tried almost everything in the store. I, of course, spent almost my entire Benjamin on MAKE UP...Seriously I have issues. (do they have a product rehab program?) but I managed to buy a new Urban Decay Eye Shadow Palette that is all neutrals and to die for.

Corey bought some FAB Fresh Lemon Sugar roll on fragrance, on my recommendation, and Frick wanted just about nothing. We left there and sent Frick to Starbucks for Chai Tea Latte's and Corey James fell in love with this new beverage. I showed him how to download emoji free on to his iPhone and now when we text we can use cute ;) little icons instead of words. We spent a few more minutes together and then it was off to dinner for us. We begrudgingly said goodbye to Corey and hurried up to our shitty hotel room just in time to freshen up and leave for dinner.

Yesterday was all about Frick. We arrived at NYU early, had a nice lunch and walked a very nervous young lady into her audition. After about 2 hours Frick came out smiling, but said couldn't gage anything because her auditioner gave her no feedback whatsoever. She said she thought it went well, but in the interview afterward, she wondered if she rambled a bit on one question. And it wasn't like this was the most important audition she had ever been to. It's not like she didn't obsess about it the whole 4 hour ride home wondering if her responses to his questions were good enough., quick enough, and memorable enough. She felt like she was left there on audition island all by herself and I had to talk my little actor off the ledge. She did great and I know this because she had a huge smile on her face when she came down after, but the not knowing was wreaking havoc with her psyche.

Welcome to the rest of your life baby. This is one of those life lessons that I couldn't teach her. She had to learn for herself.

In life we don't always have someone there to reassure us of a job well done. We just have to believe in ourselves enough to know.

A Bit Of This, A Dash Of That

Tying up the loose ends today on a whirlwind, (literally) of a week:

• I'm thinking of submitting a recipe to Emeril Lagasse's "Eye of the Pie" contest. I have an age old recipe for an Italian pie that is so good it will make your toes curl. I guess you have to submit a video and a picture of the finished product. That would mean I would need some time to do that and that's a complete joke at this point. I have good intentions though.

• I'm leaving for NYC tomorrow at the crack of dawn. Let's just say that Frick has some important college matters to attend to on Sunday. Keep your fingers crossed, please. Mad Texter, are we getting together for a meet and greet??? Email me.

• Did you see that video of the family judge beating his disabled daughter? I walked out of the room and I will NOT watch it. I think it's twisted and extremely troubling. Feel free to discuss.

• It's the disaster that won't go away. Kim K's divorce continues to score headlines. Let's just call this the "Kardashian Damage Control Tour". News Flash: not as many people care as the Kardahsian's may think.

• Mac Cosmetics launches a campaign designed around my girl, Miss Piggy! Two of my most favorite things: makeup and Miss Piggy. Beginning November 14th, Mac unveils Miss Piggy's very own 3 piece limited edition kit. The collection contains gorgeous light pink eyeshadow, black eyeliner and fabulous false eyelashes. Everything a girl needs to create a dramatic Hollywood eye. I can hardly wait to score mine.

• And last, please let the weather Gods take mercy on us here in MA. Word has it the storm is responsible for 8 deaths with the latest being a 85 year old woman found wrapped in a blanket in her heat less home. Already this morning we lost power, momentarily, THREE times. A cruel joke, indeed.

Have a great weekend bloggers. Stay warm and say a prayer for my little Thespian this week end!!

How Do You Feel When You Score A Deal?

So one thing I learned through this entire storm drama is that you tend to appreciate the little things in life a lot more. You know, like when you check your email after a day or two and you find that you really don't mind all that annoying spam like you normally would. You may even actually open some of the six thousand discount offers you get in your inbox, because you can. I started thinking about the art of scoring a deal and the millions of websites out there where you can buy goods, products and services at deeply discounted prices.

Even Good Morning America has jumped on the discount bandwagon with their popular weekly segment called "Secret Steals and Deals" . Viewers can go to the GMA website and score promo code for coupons with deals up to 50% off selected goods and services. You've all seen the Living Social commercials that continuously and simultaneously offer lifestyle discounts within your community and city. Today you can shop on the cheap from the comfort of your home and score better deals by being a member of an exclusive offer group than actually "pounding the pavement" looking for a deal.

So today, I'm polling you bloggers to find out if you are excited about being able to find a reliable, reputable plumber to fix your clogged sink at a discount and a chic new haircut from the local " it "guy at half the price or if you just think the whole thing is a complete waste of time and inbox space. Tell me about your experiences with these new group discount sites and what you think about the future how we are offered consumer discounts.

Is all the hype worth it?

Back In Business

Just got the power back, literally moments ago...

I'll come back when I thaw out with a proper blog post.

Five Hundred Twenty-five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes,

Five hundred twenty-five thousand Moments so dear.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes

How do you measure, measure a year?"

If you're Kim Kardashian you don't measure it in love, you measure it in money. It only lasted 72 days. 72 days was too long for Kimmy to be out of the spotlight so she created another bombshell to drop on the world. No biggie,. cuz life goes on in the Kardashian clan like nothing ever happened. Onto the next big thing.

"In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights

In cups of coffee

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes

How do you measure

A year in the life?"

A loaf of bread lasts longer in my freezer than their marriage lasted. I have mold in my refrigerator older than 72 days, (not really, but you get my point) and it takes far more than 10 weeks/72 days to shoot an entire season of "Keeping up with the Kardashians". That, being the same "brand" they fought so diligently to protect. Now the experts are predicting that the public will feel "duped" by the sham that was their "over the top", lavish $10 million dollar wedding.

Sources have reported that between the wedding, the ring, and the deal with People Magazine and Us Weekly for the photos, Kimmy pocketed over $18 million for the entire scam. A mere $250,000.00 per day of their doomed union. Not a bad gig.

How about love? How about love?

How about love?

Measure in love Seasons of love.

Kim's not letting a minor divorce keep her down. She is already back to business hosting parties in NYC, going to Australia to launch her new handbag line then landing in Atlanta for her first major acting gig in Tyler Perry's appropriately titled move, "The Marriage Councelor". For Kim Kardashian every season is a season of loving herself.

And who said she is unlucky in love?