TV and other stuff

Remember a few months ago when I was all determined to blog regularly again? Yeah, well, things kind of got away from me. So I'm just going to blog about a few things that have been rattling around in my head for a few months.

1. Is anyone else totally disgusted with what has happened with Dancing with the Stars? Remember a few years ago when it was a fun family show with B-list celebrities that were trying to boost their careers, and only a few of the professional dancers ever got a bit scandalous with their costumes? (I'm looking at you, Karina Smirnoff and Julianne Hough.) And Tom Bergeron would shoot the breeze with the camera in between dances, and Bruno had a teensy bit of scruples with his comments and their sexual overtones? I admit I still watch the show, but boy howdy has it changed. For one thing, there are the dances in between the celebrities' numbers. They call them the "troupe," but that's just a fancy name for "kind-of-trashy-almost-exotic dancers." They wear next to nothing and everything is ultra suggestive and sexy. Not cute or fun. Trashy. And my heart broke more than a little a few weeks ago when Julianne Hough, who is now a regular judge on the show, did a special number with all the male dancers, and ended up in what I hesitate to call a costume, because what it really was was a nude body sock with tiny, strategically placed scraps of red lace. Gross. Bruno's comments are outright raunchy now, and you can see the discomfort on the pros' faces as well as their partners' faces. Also gross. I am watching it anyway because Carlton from The Fresh Prince is on there. And he's fantastic. The celebrities' dances haven't actually changed that much. They're still fun, although the female pros have gotten more revealing in the costume department, like everyone else in the show. Len has taken a few weeks off to judge in England, but maybe he's trying to break off from the show. He seems like a traditional old chap that sees it as a real ballroom competition, and I'm guessing this isn't what he signed up for.

2.  I made it into a wind ensemble a few months ago. I had forgotten how exhilarating it is to be in a room full of musicians, all working for the same goal. I had also forgotten how exhausting it is to sit through a 2-hour rehearsal. I'm pretty sure it wasn't that hard for me 15 years ago when I was doing it at BYU. The first rehearsal back in September just about finished me. I was sweating profusely, my contacts had fused to my eyes due to lack of blinking, and my right arm was starting to go numb. I've gotten more in shape now, rehearsal wise, and I'm enjoying rehearsals more and more. And earlier this week, I played in my first concert in almost 12 years. It was fantastic. There's something amazing about being blasted by 20 brass instruments from the back, feeling the floor vibrate with the bassoons and bass clarinets as they hit a low note, and feeling your fingers fly over the keys, followed by enthusiastic applause. I have found my people.

3.  Tomorrow is my son's last soccer game of the season. I'm super glad about that. I'm always relieved when soccer season is over. Does that make me a bad mom? I don't think it does. I think it means we can finally go on a family bike ride on Saturday mornings. I'm just grateful that I only have one kid who wants to do soccer. And by want I mean he asked me to sign him up back in May, and now he tells me before every practice and game that he doesn't want to go. Another reason to celebrate after tomorrow morning. November is sports free (besides BYU football, of course), and I think it's going to be good.

That's it. My brain is now empty. I'm going to go take a shower so I can go meet up with my old Wind Symphony friends from BYU. More of my people.