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Great blog and those are great comparisons.  I’m trying so hard to write some of that magic into my WIP but it’s not like you can go out and buy it.  Total respect for you ladies that make it look so easy.

I missed the first week but I caught the whole show last night.  I was really happy to see Billy Ray redeem himself.  I think there are more mediocre performers this year and less God-awful ones like in previous years.  There are also a few that I am really looking forward to watching their improvement as the show continues.

I’d say parenting is something worth working hard for.  Heaven knows it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done and the price is too high not to give it everything you’ve got.  Even when everything you’ve got feels like it’s got up and went. *g*

My daughter and I love the show.  I like all the couples, but I like seeing someone like Billy Ray redeem him/herself after a bad week.  There are a few people that are awkward, but they are trying so hard! 

Great comparisons, Liz!  And I definitely agree with Terrio on parenting.  And part of that challenge is not allowing yourself to be so overwhelmed by parenting that you can also work toward something else that’s important to you.  Not that I’ve gotten there yet.

Ooohhh - I do!  I (& all my sisters) love DWTS!  We love watching the professionals.  Fave couples to watch:

Ali and Max - I think they’re hot because she’s got this great athletic build and yet still maintains such feminine sensuality on the floor and he obviously is such a flirt & a ladies man --- I think they sizzle on the dance floor together!
Edyta and her partner - He’s adorable but of course, I want to be Edyta, well at least have a body like hers if I’m ever reincarnated, haha!
Joey and his partner - got the fast moves and charm.

I don’t watch the show, Liz (cept I did catch the adorable Emmet, Emit, Emett?....@#$!), but I loved the writing advice. 

You should totally teach a class at Nationals.  (Hint, hint)

Also, how are the home improvements going?  Got before, during and after pictures?

We don’t like it when you’re absent.

And what’s the latest with your finger?

I even had my husband and son watching last night. Agree that Billy Ray was about a million percent better last night than last week. That poor guy was painful to watch then.

Laila and Maks are my faves, too, midwestgal. (And not just because her dad is from my hometown. *G*) She had so much confidence and ease of motion last night. And she looks SO much like her dad when she smiles.

Thank you for missing me, J.  I’ve done a few workshops at National in the past, but I’m always too disorganized to pitch one. I’ve always been on panels where someone else has done the work. I do love doing the Novels-in-Progress thing every year for Green River Writers, though.  Hmmm…

The home improvement is coming, slowly but surely. We have a FAB new kitchen floor (Pergo Something Mahogany), and the countertop guys came and measured for our new granite (black with streaks of cinnamon and taupe). They also tore out the ugly old backsplash and fixed the drywall, so now we can paint. We’ve removed the cabinet doors to start painting those, as well (taupe), and I want to do the walls (cinnamon) this weekend. We also got new canvas shades for the windows, new table and chairs and new rugs. (We were still using our decades-old Swedish-type stuff we got at Conran’s--remember them?)

We hope to have everything done by mid-April, when my son has a bunch of friends over for a birthday slumber party. We shall see…

Oh, yeah. The finger’s doing great. Though now that the weather’s warm, my son keeps asking me to come out and shoot hoops with him, and I just KNOW I’m gonna hurt myself with that…

And yes, I’ll definitely post pics of the kitchen when it’s done.

I’m not a DWTS watcher...I’m an Idol watcher.  I expect it’s something of the same obsession.  Having attempted the performing arts direction (voice, flute, dance...) I can only bow down to the people on the stage that have braved the derision and compliments that come with the life.  It ain’t easy.  My nerves got the better of me, so I retired from that world and turned to writing.

Which is worth working hard for...because it’s my passion.  That is what is worth working for...that thing in your life that you hold above all else.  Whether it be your children, your job or a hobby, if it fills your days with positive hopes and dreams, it’s worth bleeding a little for.

My husband?  I’m fortunate in that our relationship comes easy, but if it didn’t...I’d be fighting tooth and nail for him

I agree with Terrio, parenting is tops!

I love DWTS! It’s actually the only TV show I watch, although I may have to catch a few of the Bachelor

I laugh out loud through the whole show and just knowing how very difficult this is for these celebreties makes it more entertaining.

Sorry, Barbie and Ken have to go (bless their hearts). They really rub the wrong way for me.

Kudos to Paulina and Leeza!
Love Love Apolo and his darling little partner.

Yeay, I’m a fan

I just love dancing. I’m going with Top 3: Billy Ray, Ali & Paulina.

Liz, do you ever watch the competions on PBS, they’re hosted, now, by Marilu Henner(prior hostesses have been Juliette Prowse, Sandy Duncan & Barbara Eden).  My Mom and I watch them every year because it’s beautiful seeing the couples, the coordination and how in tuned they are to one another. I just love how the public goes all out their bling, tuxs and gowns.

Bettysbounce, my mom LOVES “Idol” and almost got me hooked on it. I do check it from time to time, but I’m more of a dancin’ girl than I am singin’. 

Tami, I don’t know what it is about Ken, but he totally gives me the creeps.  Oog.

Elsie, I do watch the competitions when they’re on. Love them.  I even talked the dh into taking ballroom dancing in one of those adult ed programs at a local high school. Even dancing in the cafeteria, it was soooooo fun and romantic. I’d love to do it again. (And what great exercise!)

You guys are right about parenting taking a lot of work, but being totally worth it. In fact, I think the hardest lesson I’m trying to teach my almost 13-year-old right now is that if you REALLY want to achieve something, you have to put in the extra effort. He always wants to do “just enough” on any project, and it always looks like crap.

Great blog, Liz! I don’t watch DWTS, but I love the ballroom dancing on PBS, so I totally get the comparisons.

How about one more:
You can’t dance all the time. Sometimes you have to take a break and go for a drive. Or watch a movie. Or make those nutty brownies with the caramel in the middle.

Okay, scratch taht last one. But you know what I mean.

Liz, my son just had a great lesson.  He’s exactly the same way, always just doing enough to get by.  Barely. 

He was part of a team that took a project to a regional science fair this weekend.  He came home feeling like everyone else’s project is better (apparently his usual feeling) but when he heard they had won an honorable mention - he was on cloud nine!  He couldn’t wait to show everyone his medal.  I’m hoping that knowing how good it feels to do a good job will carry over to other things.  Of course, he made the comment that “now I’m as smart as my (younger) sister,” which unfortunately tells you some of the dynamics in my household.

They’ll probably all shock us one day and do great.

My 3 favorite DWTS teams are Apollo, Joey and Laila, in no particular order.

Whats worth working hard to achieve?
Great parenting, Happiness, and trust.

When this first started last week I thought Heather might get a few pity votes because of her leg, and to be quite honest I didn’t really care whether she did well because I was just so tired of hearing about her divorce from Paul McCartney, but after watching her stellar performance last night, I feel quite a bit of admiration for her.

As for a favorite team--I’d have to say Apollo and his partner.

I loved the blog, Liz, even though I have never watched Dancing with the Stars.

Frankly, the very words “ballroom dancing” make me shudder since they evoke memories of junior high dance classes that our parents forced us to take--the sweaty palms, the self-consciousness about my size-nine feet, and the utter humiliation of dancing the dreadful box step with a guy named Alfred whose nose reached my boobs. He was so distracted that he lost count and stumbled over his feet and mine; the class giggled, and I longed to be as flat-chested as my little sister.

I do love the ice-dance competitions though. Does that count?

I watch DWTS, though I’m not as into it this year as other seasons. I like Laila and Joey though. Barbie and Ken actually unnerve me, don’t know why that is lol

Hi Liz,

Last year, my hubby and daughter were addicted to DWTS.  So it was inevitable that I would end up watching some.  I thought Mario and Emmet were so cute.  Mario’s dimples and Emmet was a teddy bear.

I have not watched any so far this season.  Been into the basketball when I can (GO BUCKEYES!) and trying to get my house spotless since I have to go under the knife here shortly and I don’t want to come home to a messy house. I’ll probably catch some of the shows during my recovery.

Trying to make each day count is worth the effort.  I can’t believe how easy is to just “write off” a whole day.  I don’t want to do that anymore.

  Janga that’s adorable and hilarious!!!  Ah - such mem’ries we keep from childhood.  I love watching the PBS Ballroom specials too (when I remember to tune in) --- which reminds me to go check out PBS programming to make sure I don’t miss it.

Like Prue, we’ve been in the b-ball mode here, too (DH is a Vandy grad), so we’ve hit the dancers spotty.. good wishes to you, Prudence on your upcoming med.

I’d say marriage is the thing that requires the effort. Some days I’m so not in the mood for compromise, and no surprise, those are the ‘fighting’ days..

Liz, my guy turns 13 on Easter, and I’m not sure I’m going to survive the whole pre-teen/teen thing. I have a 10 and 8 yr. old waiting in the wings, and I have to put in with Carolyn and the effort thing. This is report card week, and I can feel my teeth start to grind right now.  You give me hope that they will find their way, in the end.

Laila Ali--yes!
Paulina--yes!
Apollo Ohno--oh, yeah, yum!!!

I love DWTS. I watched it last season, too. Mario, anyone? I hope these dancers get more proficient as the weeks progress.

I like to watch the dancing and see how famous people, who do so many things so well, can be just like me with two left feet when it comes to dancing, AKA moving the body to music.

I also love to giggle over the ridiculous costumes of the women. I remember one from the finale last year. I completely missed the dancing, because I was afraid that her dress might fal off completely.

Janga: You do bring back fond (natch) memories of the boob-shelf that I hated as a teen.

I’ve watched DWTS the past two seasons and am watching this season too.  My favorites this year are Laila and Apollo.  Great teams and so much potential.

Great post Liz We have DWTS in NZ (actually, it is just about to start), but I was spoilt by watching the original show - Strictly Come Dancing - in the UK. I’m not sure what the US judges are like but in UK they are ALL professional ballroom judges and they mark (and comment) accordingly. Mostly the criticism is constructive, and I like seeing the dancers take it on board. In NZ the judges just don’t give that constructive criticism (maybe because they aren’t professional judges?), and it honestly feels like kind of a let down.

I take a dance class twice a week, although not ballroom (modern ballet) and I really admire the time and dedication - blood, sweat and tears - that each dancer puts into making their performace the best that it can be.

Is it just me that would love to be in a series of DWTS?

orannia

You know it’s funny...My husband was so upset that he’d be gone when DWTS started.  The man who doesn’t dance...wouldn’t even THINK about trying...my big bad tough Marine.  He LOVES the show.  I’m one of those “if there’s nothing better on” kind of people.

Janga, that’s the best!!!!

Liz, your kitchen sounds delicious.  I wanna see pics.

Billie, Heather blew me away with that mambo last night. She was incredible.

Poor Janga! For us, it was square dancing in gym class.  :::Shudder:::

Prudence! Did I miss something in my absence? I’ll be thinking good healing thoughts for your recovery.  You take care.

We’ve been in basketball mode here, as well, even though my Cards got knocked out pretty quickly. My son’s so proud that he named the final four correctly. I didn’t even come close.

Ms. Mary, we delivered within a week of each other.    Gonna be interesting for a while…

Keira, that’s my favorite part--watching everyone get better as the season progresses.

Orannia, I honestly don’t know what the judges’ credentials are.  I should go over to ABC.com and poke around.  I would LOVE to be on DWTS. I think they need a romance writer. That would just be so perfect.  (Said the woman who never leaves the dance floor at the Harlequin party every year at National. Hah.)

Ms Mary, thank you.

Liz, nothing too serious, nothing that surgery can’t fix.  Thanks for the good thoughts.

My son is a couple months behind yours. But I’ve already been thru 3 older boys, now in their 20’s.  I can say with confidence that teenage boys are easier to deal with than teenage girls.  Feel blessed.

I have been watching it, but I don’t have a favorite yet.

I admit I only started to watch last season because I wanted to see Jerry Springer.  It was just so hard to stop watching him. lol

I watched DWTS last season. I have to admit to an unholy obsession with Emmitt Smith ever since seeing him dance. Wow. I was totally blown away. In fact, I CAN’T watch this season because he’s not on there! It’s like when you finish the perfect romance and you don’t want to start the next one because you’re still savoring that HEA…

I thought you made great comparisons too. My favorite so far is Joey and Kym with Laila and Maxsim next. I was all ready to vote Billy Ray and he was most improved but will never make it and neither will Leeza lol.

Even though I don’t watch t.v. much DWTS wouldn’t be a show I’d like.  I never could get into the whole ballroom dancing, hip swigning, wrist bending, head throwing, silly costume thing!

I’m glad you enjoy it so much though.  I also like the comparison you made with writing.  I think your words could be applied to anything you have a passion for in life.  Yes, parenting is one, so is making a happy marriage.

I’m so with you in your concern about your son doing just enough to get by.  My eldest will be turning 12 years old on April 11th.  He’s so very bright that thing come really easy to him. 

The thing I keep reminding him is that, as he move up in grades and looks ahead toward college, it’s important to apply himself in order to do the best he possibly can.  If he becomes overconfident in his ability to cruise through assignments, there will come a time when he’ll stumble on a really hard course and he won’t have the discipline or work ethics to struggle his way through.

Funny enough, my verification word goes very well with the dancing theme.  It’s movement37!!

Froggie, that’s great advice you’re giving your son and while he is still young enough to assimilate it and can practice it before the big one comes later on in life.

I just got home from my ballroom dancing class when I read this post.  How perfect!  I don’t actually have a TV, but I have been watching “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Dancing with the Stars” on youtube to get an idea of different dances look like. So far “Strictly Come Dancing” has a bit of an edge b/c I find it distracting to watch the dancing and think the whole time “that’s Leeza Gibbons” or “that’s A.C. Slater from Saved by the Bell.”
I would have to add, like dancing, in writing there is no point in getting jealous of someone else’s talent or ability.  Dancing comes easier to my fiance than me (how embarrassing). Last night though we seemed to get down the basic steps of the tango far better than everything in the last classes.  I need to keep working at it, just like writing.  We were only taking the lessons to be able to dance at our wedding, but I would love to keep going.  It is hard work, but it can also be a lot of fun.

Thank you for your thoughts on learning from Dancing with the Stars.

My entire family loves DWTS (except for my husband) and it’s fun to compare notes with my mom, my grandmother and my siblings. Right now my favorites are Joey, Laila and Apollo.

I’ve been watching the last 3 seasons of dancing with the stars and I admit to having a huge obsession. I was eagerly awaiting the announcements of who would be in season 4 and now I make sure I’m home every night so i can watch it. So far my favorites are Apolo Ohno, Clyde Drexler because he’s so cute when he dances, and Joey. I actually love all the stars this season, so its kind of hard to pick. But those are the ones I’m prefering right now.

we have the aussie version on at the moment and I don’t know about this scoring bit - one of the fellows that was really good but didn’t score enough points had to leave and this almost pathetic fellow is still there, puzzling indeed.