Don't Forget To Play the Jake the Bachelor Game

If you're worried that this season is going to be a bore, join us in play the Jake-the-Bachelor game. Click on this link to my post where you can find the scorecard. Print it out for you and your friends. Add up the points and let me know what your numbers are. Add your own bonus point happenings.

We need your help to make this season interesting (and to keep me up past my normal 10 PM bedtime).

http://bachelorlove.blogspot.com/2009/11/getting-ready-for-jake.html

Pictures from Get Married Shoot

Here are two pics of the Get Married episode shoot in advance (well ok, really it's one pic and one is just a more focused view of me in a shocked expression):

The second is me with Stacie F, the hostess and CEO of the show. She is far more fashionable than I am - and we didn't plan to wear a similar color.

I look pretty surprised, and I have no idea why. Stacie had a horrible case of strept throat when this episode was filmed. She could barely speak and was coughing the entire day - poor thing!

4 Days Until We're on Get Married's Season Premiere!

In case you haven't set your DVRs/Tivos, no time like the present! Last night, after babysitting my 2 twin nephews, I woke up from a 2 hour nap to find a couple of voicemail messages from friends telling me that they saw the season promo of Get Married on the WE network and I was on it for three seconds. I had to watch two episodes of David Tutera's "My Fair Wedding" before I saw a commercial with the promo.

Here is a quick clip of my portion of it below. So tape or watch Get Married on the WE network, Saturday January 2nd at 9:30 AM ET/PT - you'll see me and the Fiance.

Watch The Fiance and Me on Get Married TV!

Wedding planning is in full swing these days, with the wedding less than 3 months away. I recently had the opportunity to participate in the filming of the season premiere of Get Married which will be shown on its new network, WE TV (same network as Platinum Weddings and Bridezillas), January 2nd at 9:30 AM. This is the Saturday after New Year's Eve. This season will feature one bride on each show and discuss various bridal trends and ideas. Stacie Francombe, who also happens to be a big fan of this blog, will be wonderful as the new hostess of Get Married, replacing DeAnna Pappas.

Click here for a preview of the season (and a 3 second clip of me saying, "Oh my G-d! It is beautiful!"):

http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?v=g5869001

The 25 Bachelorettes...Who's Your Favorite?

The best part of ABC announcing the 25 women pursuing Jake the Bachelor is that we get to judge them purely based on 3 characteristics: age, looks and stated career.

Be sure to take a good luck and make your own assessments based purely on superficial facts: http://www.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor/bachelorette-announcement/ThemeGallery/358252

After taking a very quick look at all of these ladies, I think the top one to watch is Shella. First off, cool name. Second, she's model gorgeous. Third, she's a commercial pilot. That's her picture, above. Doesn't it speak a thousand words? The other ladies are also extremely attractive, but they have occupations such as "model," "spokesperson," and "fit model." Which really means "Getting paid for my looks." At least Shella could get paid for her looks, but instead is getting paid for her profession. Nicely done, Shella.

Let's see if she gets past the first round. Jake may be an "opposites attract" kinda guy, meaning that he will have no interest in dating a supermodel pilot. Who knows. I'm hoping it works out for him and that there is plenty of drama.

Don't forget to get your game sheet ready for the Jake the Bachelor game. The season premiere is only a couple of weeks away!! What better gift to give your loved ones than the free gift of following this blog and a Jake the Bachelor score sheet for the holidays? At least it will be something to look forward to once the holiday season is over.

Congrats to Melissa Rycroft on her wedding to Tye

Well, she did it. Melissa Rycroft, formerly jilted fiance to Jason the Bachelor turned Dancing with the Stars competitor turned new bride to her new fiance, Tye, is officially married!

This is a bit dated on the news front, but if you're dying to see the dress that Melissa wore, here is the picture of it on the left.

The rest of the dresses for the wedding also came from Alfred: the bridesmaid dresses, flower girls and mother of the bride/groom dresses as well. Sounds like they may have gotten a deal on this perhaps? Good for her!

More blogging later. Me and The Fiance are off to the gym after 9 inches of snow kept us trapped in the apartment for the past 24 hours.

More, later.

Tuesday Musings

It's frrrrrrrreeezing out there, Bachelor fans!! Who knew that winter could come on this strong before Christmas. All the more reason to stay inside and do some holiday shopping online.

Some interesting updates on Jakey P that I recently found out: (1) for all of you who can't wait, Chris the Host announced that the ladies pursuing Jake this season will be featured in an upcoming issue of OK Magazine. If that isn't a reliable source, I don't know what is. Should we take bets as to who will win (blondes vs. brunettes vs. redheads?). I see Jake going after the blondes but ending up with a brunette for some reason. In the recent promotion on ABC, I just saw a wave of blonde wavy hair-dos. I guess we'll just have to wait. If any of you are brave enough to buy the OK Magazine, be sure to send me your opinion on the ladies.

(2) It if you think Jake's crying on last season was just a little too dramatic, you're not alone. As it turns out, Jake has a dabbled in the acting arena. Hard to tell, I know. But check this out:

Buddy TV discovered that Jake Pevelka played a young version of Chuck Norris' character in an episode of Walker: Texas Ranger. The episode in the excerpt below aired on February 13, 1999. Mind you, this is definitely the country boy version of the Danny Zuko drag racing scene in Grease, minus the Pink Ladies, but the drama is certainly as palpable.

There's Something About Mary Delgado...

Ahh, or there used to be. Byron, former Bachelor and professional bass fisherman, announced this week that him and Mary are dunzo. That's kind of sad, yet predicatable as we have heard way too much drama out of this couple. First off, she was arrested after getting really drunk and beating him one night. Doesn't sound like a lover's paradise to me. Second, I think there was another incident involving the police or some sort of violence between the two of them later on. Chris Harrison predicted they would get married, so I guess he got it wrong.

So let's think. Are there any bachelors or bachelorettes that have gone the distance? I think that adorable Sarah girl and Charlie the Bachelor are still together. They broke up for a while, but now they have patched things up. Then there's Jason and Molly, Jillian and Ed and well, I think that's it. Ahhh, well there you have it. Another Bachelor couple down the tubes. What can you do??

http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/bachelor-couple-byron-velvick-mary-delgado-split-2009212

Countdowns

28 + 31 + 28 + 13. That’s how many days left until our wedding. That’s a little over 3 months away, and with no band contract, no florist, and none of those details worked out that better organized brides would have done 8 months ago (cute little boxes with ribbons with a retro, yet modern monogrammed themed in carefully thought out wedding colors that match everything from the napkins to the invitations to the nail polish on the bridesmaids), we have our work cut out for us. My poor Fiance – every day, I have been sending him lists of things to do, and then at night, when we have a few minutes to ourselves, we go over the list and I give him about 5 new things to do the next time. People keep asking me if they can help, but there’s not really that many one off things at this point that one can delegate to a family member or friend. And the thing that cracks me up most, is that this is a smaller wedding. Just family and a handful of our close, mutual friends. Isn’t it supposed to be easier?

28+4. That’s how many days left until the season premiere of The Bachelor. Have you guys checked out the new Jake game? It will hopefully keep you awake during the season.
28+2. That’s how many days left until the season premiere of Get Married – featuring The Fiance and me! Set your DVRs – it’s Saturday, January 2nd at 9:30 AM on WE TV.

Melissa Finds Her Wedding Gown: Why is this News?

Melissa Rycroft, former contestant on The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars, found her wedding dress. I have no idea why this is newsworthy, but apparently People.com likes to report on this sort of stuff. Melissa said that she bought an Alfred Angelo dress. After People published this news, readers wrote in bashing Melissa for choosing such a low budget dress. Really, People Readers? Why do you care what kind of dress she buys? I wonder if Melissa received offers from any designers to create her dress. Either way, I am happy for her. I wonder if Melissa, Tye, Jason and Molly will all honeymoon together. http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2009/12/02/melissa-rycroft-chooses-alfred-angelo-for-her-wedding-dress/

Getting Ready for Jake...

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! I hope you are all full with turkey and getting into the holiday shopping season ahead. The Fiance and I are in full swing with wedding planning, work and getting ready for the next season of The Bachelor (January 4th, 2010!).

So lately, mostly to pass the time on my 90 minute commute to work (and 90 minutes home to The Fiance), I have been thinking of ways to make this upcoming season of Jake on The Bachelor more interesting. Once, while sandwiched in between two of the most annoying 22 year old traders talking about their weekend of “hot ass,” I thought – hmmm, what would ABC do to hype up their kind of cheesy, extremely wholesome, I drink milk instead of beer kind of Bachelor, Jake. We know there are plenty of ways to draw attention to an otherwise boring episode of The Bachelor. Here’s a list of what ABC will most definitely come up with this season, since all signs point to a somewhat less than exciting adventure ahead for Boy Scout Jake.

1. Plenty of ab shots. You know good ole Jake is probably at the gym at this very moment. While you are reading this. With a trainer. Crunches, push ups, long jogs. Perhaps tomorrow he will be running the beaches of Malibu, shirtless and oiled up – ready for the cameras to catch every muscle in his body as it glistens against the body oil they have lubed him up with. Really, it will be like watching a work of art in motion. Jake is definitely easy on the eyes. It’s once he starts talking that kind of irks me. But, yes, I am still trying to keep an open mind. It’s just bothersome that this guy is getting paid to look good, eat well and work out. We should all get paid to do just that.

2. Hot, Crazy women. To draw in the male viewers, ABC will definitely need to bolster its roster of women pursuing Jake. There will surely be a couple that are models/aspiring actresses posing as “Pharmaceutical Sales Reps” and “Bartenders.” With any luck, there will be at least 5-8 women that are absolutely insane. They will form allies and start badmouthing each other as soon as they can wake up in the morning and put on enough makeup to feel ok in front of the cameras. This is usually my favorite part of the show. There will also be no lack of bikini and hot tub scenes. This has practically become a requirement of every episode.

3. The Pilot in Jake. You know ABC is going to play up Jake’s sexy side - meaning, the fact that he’s a pilot, is good looking and thinks of himself as the perfect gentleman. This has already been proven in the cheesy teasers for the season that ABC has already put out: "On the wings of love??" Come on, that makes me cringe! We’re going to see a bunch of “Awww gosh” moments from Jake. He’s the “nice guy” who always finishes last, remember? We’re supposed to root for him and hope he hits a homerun in the bottom of the ninth with two outs in the World Series. He’s the All-American, good looking, smart, professional guy who got his heart broken last season. He was honorable in coming back to warn Jillian about Wes – or was he? That’s what ABC will tell you to think.

4. Chris Harrison funny moments. I like Chris. But to keep this season interesting, he’s going to have to up his game a little bit. No more, “Ladies. Jake. This is the last rose…” moments or “Should you choose to forego your individual rooms, you are invited to stay together as a couple in our fantasy suite” cards being handed out on the fantasy overnight dates. We need originality. Something to spice it up. Let’s see what you got, Chris.

5. Shocking Moments. Oh ABC, we’re already on to you. We know you’re going to tease us with glimpses into the season of “crazy stalkers” and “crying fits.” Perhaps an ambulance or two and oh yes, wait for it, wait for it – Jake in tears! You know it’s coming. We’re better than that, ABC. All we really want is a wonderful, powerful romance. All encompassing, long lasting love. Something along the passion we see between Bella, Edward and Jake in the Twilight series. Can you deliver this, ABC??

With all of this said, I have developed a game for all of you Bachelor followers out there (if there are any left). It’s a “if all else fails and the season really sucks” way to stay alert and remain interested throughout the show and season when it may seem impossible.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, I will watch the show to see how many times each of the above mentioned activities take place. There will be a certain amount of points allotted per each instance (for things we like to see, there will be positive points). For things we hated seeing and want to discourage, we will assign negative points. Then we will add up the points (the negatives against the positives) and keep this tally going episode to episode. At the end of the season, we will see whether this season will land in the positives (did ABC do their job??) or in the negatives (why do I watch this show?). Along the way, I will ask you, the viewers, to comment on anything you liked or hated, or anything I may have forgotten. I have left you a column to keep track of any of these events.

Points shall be assigned as followed (click on the chart below to view on larger screen, then click on it again to make it bigger):

To make it even more interesting, there will be a window of 20 points (10 positive, and 10 negative) for the BEST of the BEST comments that you, the viewers, come up with as well. These could be for things like “I can’t stand the way Jake talks out of the side of his mouth” – negative 2! It can also include things like, “Kelly Bachelorette snuck into Jake’s room after he came back from an overnight date with Betsy Bachelorette. How sneaky, Kelly – plus 3!”

Alright, Bachelor fans. There you have it. I hope this will keep you somewhat interested in the show. Let’s start counting down the days until the premiere. Woo hooo!!!

Our Upcoming Gig on Get Married!!!!

With almost 4 months to go until our upcoming wedding (small destination wedding in Puerto Rico next March), The Fiance and I were presented with a unique opportunity: Get Married's third season of its TV show premieres on January 2nd at 9:30 AM on a new network (the WE) (www.getmarried.com), and they wanted a NYC bride to shoot their first segment. We had to submit a 2-3 minute video to Get Married on my bridal style and personality. Considering that I have absolutely no bridal style (who has time for these things?), I thought our chances for getting chosen were slim to none.

The Fiance and I had about 24 hours to plan what we would shoot (we don't have a video camera, so we ended up using the built in camera on my MacBook) as the deadline was tight. He called me during the day to run some ideas by me. Mind you these ranged from me jumping out of our closet dressed in a She-Wolf outfit and dancing to Shakira's latest ridiculous song to me pretending to be cursing at a hockey game on TV while The Fiance tries to go over every tiny detail of our wedding with me (in other words, role reversal of the typical bride and groom). But after getting home from a long day at work at 7 PM, hitting the gym and knowing my bedtime was 10:30 PM at the absolute latest, we had about 15 minutes to film, edit and figure out how to send a movie to Get Married. Not much to work with.

With a gigantic pile of laundry as the background and my outfit turning out to be my workout clothes from the gym (no time for a wardrobe change), The Fiance and I danced to the Hava Nagileh - the salsa version. We thought this was very appropriate for a Jewish wedding in Puerto Rico. Mind you - there was no advanced coordination - we just went for it, improv style. One day when I am feeling bolder, I might actually post the link to this video, but it's still a little embarrassing to think about.

We submitted the video (requesting that they don't make fun of us) and a couple days later, I got a call from Get Married: they wanted to use us!!

So tomorrow I am going to work (with make-up, so that one of my co-workers that knows how to apply make-up can help me out) and then leaving an hour early to greet the Get Married crew back at our apartment. Tomorrow night's segment is them just asking me and The Fiance questions about how we met, how we got engaged, etc. I went grocery shopping last night to pick up some goodies for the crew. How cool is that? I've never had a crew to entertain before, so I wasn't sure what to get - but like the video, I winged it.

On Tuesday, I am taking the entire day off to shoot with Get Married's new hostess (and founder and CEO, Stacie Francombe). This part will be about bridal trends and style. Stacie has replaced DeAnna Pappas and Colin Cowie as the new hostess of the show. I think she will be wonderful - she's smart, pretty and speaks well. I met her in person about a year ago and felt like she could have been one of my friends. I am looking forward to participating in the first shoot (and hope it all works out). I have the morning today to figure out my outfits for these two days. YIKES!!! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I'll need one for tomorrow night and a different one for the all day shoot on Tuesday.

I am not so secretly hoping that Get Married will come to PR and decorate my wedding - because if I have to rely on myself for this (or The Fiance), I am not sure there will be time to get this done. Do we REALLY need flowers? Do we REALLY need favors? Do we REALLY need chair covers? I am sure the hard core bridal types out there would be appalled at these questions, but I am severely lacking that gene which makes me worry about my "wedding colors" and all the small details required to pull something like this off. YIKES!!

Ok, so I will let you know how the next two days go and then send out a reminder so you can all set your DVRs for Jan 2nd, 9:30 AM on the WE to see how it all unfolds.

Happy 102nd Birthday, to Grandma Lillian!!

Today, Grandma Lillian turns 102! We are having a party for her at my aunt's apartment this afternoon and this should be exciting, assuming my grandmother shows up before 5 PM (the party is scheduled for 1 PM). In my family, it is best to factor in at least 4 hours of tardiness for any scheduled family event. This is mostly due to the fact that Lillian will not show up to her own party without a fully made up face and a trip to her "beauty parlor" as she calls it. And who can argue with that when you're 102? Not me.

So yes, this is my father's mother. My other grandmother, Evelyn, passed away in April at age 101. I just hope some of their longevity has been passed on to me. I will post pictures of today's event. Here's one from last year's 101 birthday for Grandma Lil. Let me ask you, does this look like a 101 year old woman??

Fall Happenings

Wow. So there's been way too much Bachelor/Bachelorette gossip taking place over the last several weeks. A normal person may think better than to get all excited about some of this stuff, but let's face it - if you are as obsessed with this show as I am, how normal can you be?

A brief recap of some of the more interesting happenings:

1. Our former nice Jewish boy turned villain who dumped the nice girl for the other girl on national TV even though she knew about it before hand as it was staged - apparently decided to appease all the nay-sayers, I mean, take a leap of faith - and propose to Molly Malaney. Where did he plan to propose to her? Did he decide to fly off to Hawaii or go to some romantic boutique hotel in Seattle somewhere or perhaps to some totally new spot all together where they had never been? Nope. He took her all the way to New Zealand, the site of where he broke her heart into 5 billion pieces to remind her of that special time in her life. I mean, come on, Jason - yes you wanted to replace the bad memories with the good. But if I got dumped and humiliated on national TV by someone who had chosen another girl over me and proposed to her, and then for some reason decided I could forgive that guy, date him, and accept a marriage proposal from him - by no means would I want to accept that marriage proposal in the same place he proposed to someone else. Just a little too unoriginal. But that's me. Molly seems far more open minded and forgiving than I ever could be.

Now to their credit, I'd say the cameras are about 70% off them right now and focused on a combination of whether Ed and Jillian will actually work out now that she has moved to Chicago (but let's face it, this is kind of old news already as well), Jake being the new Bachelor (don't worry - I am in the process of devising a Bachelor game to get us through the season for all of those "Jake is just too nice/too cheesy/too boring to be a good Bachelor" types). So the fact that Molly and Jason are still living this happily ever after life with Tye, especially now that Molly has moved to Seattle, there seems to be some staying power (at least for now). You will also notice that Molly's hair is darker than when we saw her on the show. I am not sure what this means except that she's going for a new look - perhaps wanting to look a little more like Jason and Tye. For more scoop check out: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/10/21/all-about-bachelor-jason-mollys-engagement/

2. Did you guys see this hilarious spoof on the Juan/Wes controversy last season? It's very funny, and while bordering on animal cruelty, it's made up for by nailing David the Jerk's personality and Chris the Host's mannerisms. Worth the 2 minutes: http://www.take180.com/s/11r4id

3. Former Bachelorette, DeAnna Pappas, has also recently made headlines with her full

bloom romance, declared love and intentions to one day marry Stephen Stagliano, twin brother of former beloved Bachelor competitor, Mike Stagliano - who pursued and got his heart broken by Jillian Harris. Funny enough, her new best friend Holly Durst (competitor on the Bachelor season with British Matt and former girlfriend of Jesse Cszinscak after him and DeAnna ended their engagement) is currently dating Mike Stagliano. Holly and Mike introduced DeAnna to Stephen. How fun must those double dates be? In her latest post on the Blogger Brides section of the Get Married website, DeAnna confesses in strong detail - her love for Stephen. I think they kept it on the DL for a while (she referred to him as "her golf coach") - but now it's full steam ahead with the relationship (and the press).

Here's the link if you want to know more: http://www.getmarried.com/bloggerbrides/index.php?page=blog&blog_id=93850

It was also announced on Friday that DeAnna is out of a job now that Get Married is going a new direction for its third season. Kind of stinks to declare your love for your new boy and lose your job all in one week, but I guess that's life. At least now if she gets engaged, she'll know where to go to for the help in planning! Get Married has grown tremendously over the last year - and now not only has a TV show and website - but a magazine that comes out 4 times a year. Impressive! More on that - for my next post. Some interesting things in the works.

4. It's not too late to apply for the next Bachelorette - there are open casting calls or you can send in your info online: http://thebachelor.warnerbros.com/web/castingdisplay/cd.jsp

Mind you, there's more of a chance of you finding your love once you have broken up with the star of the show or at the reunions of all of the Bachelors/Bachelorettes, but - that's ok!

Also, check back more frequently now - as I have figured out a way to squeeze some more time into this blog despite my 3 hours of daily commuting. (Net books are the coolest things ever and go well on the train even when squeezed between two suit wearing types who probably think I'm insane for drafting blog posts about The Bachelor. Whatever).

Happy Sunday!

Jason and Molly are Engaged!!!

Check it out - the couple that everybody thought would never make it - is officially engaged. Jason took Molly back to New Zealand, aka, the scene of the crime, where he chose Melissa Rycroft over her. I guess he's trying to rewind the clock and make the right choice. In any event, you can only say - kudos to them for taking the time to learn about each other in the real world and see if it can work. Now the next test: will they actually be able to live in the same city and make it work?

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/10/21/jason-mesnick-and-molly-malaney-are-engaged/

By Golly, It's Jake!

ABC announced that its next Bachelor will be Jake Pavelka, the good looking, kind of dorky, kind of boring pilot from last season. As you may recall, Jake came back last season after getting the boot from Jillian, only to warn her that Wes had a girlfriend and was only on the show for his singing career. He then cried over a railing (perhaps this is a pre-requisite for all future Bachelors?).

So let's evaluate the pluses and minuses of having Jake as our next Bachelor. Here we go:

Plus:
1. He's definitely good looking
2. Solid abdominal work
3. Killer smile and eyes
4. Nice boy persona
5. A pilot - a professional. Definitely a plus
6. He's got the whole "I got my heart broken by Jillian" thing going for him which they are sure to rehash at least 16 times in the first 3 episodes of his season
7. He definitely will have the "middle America" crowd voting for him. My guess is that his popularity will be high in the midwest and the South. The tri-state area and California were mostly rooting for Reid. Kiptyn's mother scared everyone.
8. We'll get to see whether "nice guys finish first"

Minus:
1. He's kind of a dork - once you get past his good looks, there wasn't anything really so thrilling about him
2. He talks out of the side of his mouth
3. He was very into bad mouthing the other dudes in the house, which although he was under a lot of pressure, was not a very attractive quality
4. He needs a little bit of an edge - perhaps we'll learn more about him and see it
5. He describes himself as the "black sheep" of the family. Not sure why a pilot could ever be seen that way, and perhaps he has some deep insecurities for no reason that will make him less appealing.

Put the pluses against the minuses, and let's add in the fact that ABC is going to pimp out Jake for all he's worth - this means TONS of gratuitous camera shots of him working out, how Jillian crushed his heart in half after their steamy hot date of country music, and how it's taken every ounce of strength for him to bounce back in time to date 25 new hot ladies. My guess is that even if Jake's not entertaining, seeing how he handles the spotlight will be.

As always, I will root for him and root for love. If he really is a nice guy, who doesn't want to see a happy ending for him? So, congratulations to Jake and all of you Jake fans. I can't jump on the bandwagon just yet.

But come January 4th, we'll be ready to judge. I hope to hear all of your comments as well.
So tell us, are you excited about Jake being the next Bachelor? Are you annoyed? Disappointed? Doing cartwheels? Kicking yourself because you didn't apply to be on the show?

Let's hear it!

So so so Sorry

I want to apologize for my absence on this blog over the last several weeks. It's not that I'm lazy, and hey, in all honesty - it's not like I disappeared mid-season during The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. That would just be rude.

Let me give you a brief recap of what my life has been like for the past 5 weeks and then we'll discuss the latest, hopefully not true rumors that Jake is the next Bachelor.

So I started this new job, which requires me to get up every morning at 6 AM, leave my apartment by 6:55 AM, and not arrive to my actual work destination until 8:25 AM. This means I have give or take a 90 minute commute each morning. Once I get to work, which has been pretty good so far, I am swamped - like with any new job, there is a ton to learn, and you want to make sure that everything is done with accuracy, professionalism and thoughtfulness. So then at the end of the day, after I have worked for about 9-10 straight hours, I start my commute home, where I get off at 125th Street at Harlem (which, frankly, is a bit scary despite all the rumors that Harlem is getting to be better neighborhood). Once I have gotten home, motivated to do some form of physical exercise, eaten dinner, showered, layed out my clothes for the next day and made my lunch - it is easily 9 PM. This gives me exactly 1 hour to either a) watch TV, b) talk to The Fiance about his day c) make a phone call or two (because it's life threatening to try to make a call on my train ride out to Stamford, CT - you should see the dirty looks thrown around to people using their cell phones) d) work on some creative writing or e) pay my bills before I go to bed. I live an exciting life, what can I say? Oh and let's not forget - I am also planning a wedding!

Looks like we have a date: next March 13, 2010 - it will be a small destination wedding and we couldn't be more excited. Of course, now the debate is what should The Fiance wear??!! I've already done away with the thought of tuxedos - since this will be a tropical destination, and forcing The Fiance to wear a penguin suit in that heat is just cruel. Also, since it's a smaller wedding, why the need to be so formal? That said, he looks killer in a dark suit, so maybe we can come up with something.

Speaking of weddings, has anybody seen the new Get Married magazine? (http://www.getmarried.com/) They launched it a week or so ago (first it was a TV show and a website) - now it is magazine. Because of my videochat hosting gig, they sent me a copy and I have to say, I was very impressed. Look for the January 2010 issue, because I am hopefully going to get to write a personal essay for it.

This past week was the worst of all because I caught a nasty cold. There is nothing worse than waking up at 6 AM with a 100 degree fever, phlegm coming out of everywhere, and needing to commute 90 minutes where you will be spending the next 9-10 hours working. Except maybe doing it 3 days in a row. Why didn't I stay home? The office doesn't want to get sick too - you say? I hear you. But, I'm a newbie. And I have my own office (thankfully!) so it's not like I'm hacking on other people's faces. I need to save those precious days off for my wedding/honeymoon and I haven't accumulated enough time to start asking for days off yet. Plus, I wanted to show that I'm a bit tough and am not staying home due to the sniffles. If I had swine flu, I guess I'd stay home. I am getting a regular flu shot next week. My first one ever. I hate shots! Work is giving them out, so I figure that it couldn't really be more convenient. So I'm sitting here at 9:30 AM on a Saturday and now that my mind and body get up at 6 AM, I can't sleep past 8 anymore, so here I am writing my first blog post in a while.

I finally got to catch up on my TV shows last night. Did anyone watch Pam and Jim's wedding on The Office? Seriously one of the best episodes ever. The Fiance and I were cracking up almost the entire time. We've also started watching Flash Forward, which is supposed to be like the new Lost. Also, very intriguing show that we like so far. Thank goodness Dexter is back. I've missed him and all the creativity of that show. It's so great to see him as a family man. Go Dex! Gossip Girl is absolutely hilarious - I watch it more to see the outfits they're wearing than the actual plot -because let's face it, the plot is completely moronic. We watched the Curb Your Enthusiasm Seinfeld episode which was pretty funny. Also Mad Men is back, which if you aren't watching it - you should get on the bandwagon. It's very clever and you've never seen anyone more perfect than Betty Draper. Don Draper is quite a dish. Not as dishy as The Fiance, but fun to watch nonetheless.

Ok, so let's get back to business. All of these rumors that Jake Pavelka will be the next Bachelor... hmmm. He definitely appeals to main stream America. All American blonde haired, blue eyed, fit dude, a pilot, and he came back to warn Jillian about evil Wes- ahhh so noble. They had fireworks on their first date, but unfortunately it never got better than that first date, and despite many attempts to rekindle the flame, Jake was sent packing. I am sure there are plenty of women that would swoon over a good guy Jake. My problem is that once he started feeling insecure about the other guys on the show, he seems like kind of a wuss. Not an evil wuss, just kind of dorky. I'm not sure once people get to know him, that they would find him very edgy or appealing. As he repeatedly said over and over, "He's one of the nice guys." Of course, perhaps if we saw him in his element - flying airplanes, helping old ladies across the street, taking a run shirtless on the beach - we could learn to re fall in love with Jake, like we all did on his first date with Jillian.

On the other hand - I know you Jewish ladies out there were in love with Reid. You loved his quirkiness and thought he'd be a great prospect to bring home to your families. Ehhh, I'm still not over how bitter he was after Jillian dumped him. And I think one of the other Bachelors called him "annoying." If there's any truth to that, I don't want to watch an annoying person.

Kiptyn would probably be the other logical choice. He's another - all around, All American kind of dude with LOTS of money as we witnessed in his hometown visits. He seemed a bit unemotional to me. And let's not forget about his scary mother and how elitist they were with making Jillian taste test things.

That might leave us with Michael Stag - but he's dating Holly Durst, the former Bachelorette contestant who was recently dating Jesse Czcinscak (former fiance of DeAnna Pappas). I am on Twitter way too much reading their updates.

So will it be an independent? Have they given Jake a makeover and some more edginess? Maybe getting dumped has toughened him up a bit? We'll just have to wait until next Tuesday. Chris Harrison is coming to Dancing with the Stars to announce the next Bachelor then.

Til my next post, I will be thinking of all of you. Please don't be mad that I've disappeared. I will try to be better about it. It's nothing personal...

First Week of Work, Holy Commute!!

I started my new job this week. I kind of feel like a freshman with a wedgie around the building...meaning, I don't really know where to sit in the cafeteria, not really sure who is going to be my friend and who I should steer clear from. I'm the new kid. I also forgot that I have to pretend to be a lawyer again, and therefore, snap back into corporate life mode. No more daydreaming about wedding planning (which is coming along VERY slowly at this point). There's also no more afternoon naps with The Fiance where we can be lazy. I am up at 6 AM and out the door by 6:58 AM. I catch the subway to a train and 90 minutes later, I am at work. This applies for the way back too (in reverse). It's a VERY long day. I'm debating getting one of those netbooks so I can blog on the train ride, but who wants to pay an extra $60/month just for the AT&T wireless service? Not me. I'm the cheapest person I know.

The Fiance is off at his friend's place, getting ready for football. I have never seen anybody more excited for the Redskins to come back. I have already been told that Sunday is reserved for football - there is a huge game against the Giants. I guess I should brace myself.

Thanks for all of your patience in my lack of blogging. I will try to be better (and will definitely be better if I get the netbook). I'm still trying to figure out what all of those people in NYC who are just walking around shopping and eating in outdoor cares do for a living. Maybe they have trust funds. Maybe they are unemployed. Maybe they are in between jobs. Maybe they are bloggers. It's not fair. I need to find away to pay the bills and hang out at outdoor cafes.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (and yes, I do participate in the lottery).

I hope the rest of your summers went well and you have fun plans for the fall.

Bachelor All Stars...Coming this January

Somebody must be actually reading my blog. I suggested back in the day that the producers of the Bachelor send all of the castoffs of the previous seasons' shows and send them all away together on a cruise and film it. Guess what they are doing...

http://www.examiner.com/x-11850-Bachelorette-Examiner~y2009m9d9-Bachelor-scoop-Jesse-Csinsak-and-other-castoffs-to-appear-on-Bachelor-All-Stars-filming-in-January

Jillian and Ed on Ellen Today

Ahh, for those who missed it, Jillian and Ed are still going strong - and they made an appearance on Ellen. They packed up Jillian's stuff this past weekend and she is still moving to Chicago next week. Holy cow! This is definitely going to be a real test. If they have gotten past the last month or so of the madness, that is one thing, but the living together will be another big thing.

Is it me, or did Ed seem to be pouring it on a bit thick over his feelings for Jillian, while she was a bit more reserved? I wonder if she's still a bit pissed about learning of his little "bachelor" ways during the show. The point they made about how when each of them signed up to be on the show as contestants, neither thought they would actually be THE ONE chosen by the respective Bachelor or Bachelorette was interesting - so the fact that Ed was off making out/sex-texting with the two other ladies seems to have been forgiven. Then I think about how strange it was that Jillian was hot tubbing it with Reid one night, making out with Kiptyn another, proposed to by Reid moments before Ed, and was kind of confused about it all. So maybe it is all fair in love and war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZE2vYUUQo

The Bachelor starts January 4th!!

According to Chris Harrison's Tweet last week, the next season of The Bachelor begins January 4th. Quite a long lull in between shows, but this will give them time to get in Dancing with the Stars and do a big promo build up over the holiday season for the show. It will also start at the time when it's freezing and snowy and people have nothing better to do than sit in their apartments and watch TV.  Also, did you know that most break-ups happen in the first week of January (right after the holidays?).  I guess people stay together through Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwaanza, etc. and then when all is said in done, they want to start off the new year on their own.

The Bachelor has not been selected yet, but I think they are close. We should probably hear in the next couple of weeks.

That's the latest!!  I can't believe it's September 1st.  Where has the summer gone??

Latest Ed News: Say It Isn't So!

The NY Daily News is reporting that Ed's emails to the two other women he was apparently seeing while with Jillian claimed he wasn't attracted to Jillian. Jillian claims she was on the loop on this. I wonder how he explained it to her. http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/25/2009-08-25_emails_reveal_bachelorette_fiance_ed_swiderski_was_not_in_any_way_attracted_to_j.html

Maybe it went something like this:

"Uh, Jillian, we need to talk. You know how you're the Bachelorette and have 30 guys after you? Well, there were these two women that I told that I love them, miss them and have no interest in you. I hope you can forgive me. Let's go adopt a dog together and get married."

Hmmm. Couldn't have been as easy as that. But she DID keep Wes around for way longer than she should have.

I know, we're all so over this by now. Oh well. How are you all doing this summer, btw? I am on vacation until Sept 8th, when I start my new job, so sorry it's been a bit slow on the postings lately. Things will pick up in the next week or so on this blog. See you then.

Ed's on His Best Behavior!

NBC Chicago reports that Ed was back in Chicago this weekend, hanging with his boys. They went out to hit the clubs, but Ed kept his hands to himself. That's one plus in his column. Rumor has it, the two are adopting a dog together when Jillian moves in with him in September.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Man-Handling-No-More-54419397.html

They're Still Together...For Now

According to today's article, Jillian and Ed are still going strong. They've escaped to Vancouver and are riding jet skis together. No doubt it must be difficult to endure what these two are trying to overcome.

Speaking of escaping, the Fiance and I are off to Chicago tomorrow for a weekend trip. Have I mentioned that I am starting a new job in a couple of weeks? I'm officially on vacation. Haven't had this much time off since college. Hooray!

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/08/jillian-harris-i-still-love-ed-swiderski/

Ed's Castmates: Jealous or Just Plain Truth?

Looks like Reid, Michael Stags, the evil Wes and Jesse are all saying that Ed was less than a boy scout. Two of them even claim that he had a girlfriend while on the show. From the interviews Jillian and Ed have given about this - it sounds like he has come clean to her about some shenanigans that have gone on. As to whether any of it continued after they were engaged - that is the question.

Reid, Wes and Jesse - their opinions are kind of taken with a grain of salt. I don't trust Wes at all. Jesse seemed a bit bitter on the reunion show, and you know Reid hated Ed from the start. That leaves us with the honest Michael Stag whose opinion I trust. I would hate to see Jillian defending Ed to the end, only to have it come out that he's a filthy liar. Poor Jillian. I hope she can figure out the truth: http://www.usmagazine.com/news/castmates-ed-talked-about-having-a-girlfriend-on-bachelorette-set-2009118

Jillian and Ed Clear the Air...

You may have already seen this, but it's Ed and Jillian directly defending themselves about the allegations - including the allegation that he slept with another woman 8 days after he was got engaged to Jillian.

See for yourselves whether you believe him. Might take: they are still obviously very much in love. I'm not doubting that something actually went on with Ed and these girls during the season of The Bachelor, but I am not convinced he cheated on Jillian after he proposed.

http://www.examiner.com/x-12254-Newark-Reality-TV-Examiner~y2009m8d11-Bachelorette-Host-Chris-Harrison-weighs-in-on-Ed-Swiderskis-exgirlfriends-cheating-claims

Let's Take Another Look Here...

So Ed is rumored to be a three timing, cheating, scum of the earth, jerk. The two women who have recently come out to accuse Ed of having sex with them (one of whom, claims Ed slept with her 8 days AFTER his proposal to Jillian) have caused a lot of drama in what last week was a happily ever after for our girl Jillian.

According to one article, Jillian has already gotten the full story on these girls from Ed. Ed told her about the text messaging, the phone calls, etc. Don't forget - Ed made the decision to actually leave the show. He wouldn't have left the show he realized he was head over heels in love at that point. Fast forward to when he comes back, he is in it to win it. I definitely saw a change in him at that point.

Let's also remember that our girl Jillian was doing some pretty crazy things with other men days (even hours and moments) before getting engaged. Let us not forget:

1. She was in a hot tub with Reid, sans clothing, days before getting engaged to Reid.
2. She could not stop making out with Kiptyn the day before she got engaged.
3. She had an overnight date with Kiptyn and who knows what went on there
4. She went into hot tubs with Kiptyn as well
5. Moments before she accepted Ed's proposal, she was freaking out about Reid's proposal. It definitely confused her and she admitted that Reid's feelings on the matter were not "crazy" - that she definitely has a connection with him. If Chris H hadn't talked her through it, I wonder how much longer Jillian would have been confused.

Now let me ask you this: If you were Ed, and your future fiance had done and of 1-5 above within 72 hours of you geting engaged to her, would this perhaps bother you???

Well, so in this situation, Ed is having other relationships with other girls. The only real question then, is did Ed cheat on Jillian after they got engaged? And also - did he lie to Jillian about anything that he had done with these girls while he was professing his love for her?

Personally, I think this whole process is such a crazy journey, that I wouldn't be surprised if they could both just forgive each other and move on. Look at Molly and Jason - he embarrassed and broke her heart in front of millions of people. Not only that - he chose another woman and got engaged to her. The fact that they have lasted this long proves that forgiveness is possible.
The circumstances of this show are like none other.

Here's the article: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/05/2009-08-05_the_bachelorettes_jillian_harris_not_worried_about_cheating_claims_against_fianc.html

True Blood Co-Stars and Lovers Get Engaged!!

For all of you True Blood fanatics (I just can't get enough of this ridiculous show), the big news is that Sookie Stackhouse and her vampire love Bill Compton are getting hitched in real life!!

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/05/2009-08-05_true_blood_costars_anna_paquin_and_stephen_moyer_engaged_to_be_married.html

Maybe the Fiance and I can honeymoon with them and see if he bites her and drinks her blood in real life.

Say It Isn't So: Ed CHEATING???

Us Weekly is reporting that our beloved Ed actually had 2 girlfriends behind Jillian's back. Now maybe he did prior to the show, but that doesn't mean he is/was cheating on our girl, Jillian.

I guess it will all come out soon enough. Emails and text messages are smoking guns, unfortunately. I wonder if the truth will come out. Poor Jillian. She shouldn't have to go through this! Reid and Kiptyn are probably pretty steamed about this.

I heard from Mike Steinberg that he had dinner out in Chicago with Ed and Jillian a few days ago. He says their the real deal and that they'll last. Let's hope so.

I will admit that I used to be a subscriber to US Magazine - it was a step above some other trashy celeb magazines - though not as reliable as People Magazine. Anyhow - here's the link to the horrid story. My guess is that Ed may have been involved with these girls before he left for the show, but I have no doubt that he is committed to Jillian now (at least I hope so).

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/bachelorette-winner-cheated-with-two-different-women-200958

Former Bachelor Gets Engaged...

Remember Aaron Buerge? He was the second Bachelor ever and ended up picking that nice girl Helene something, who was from Jersey and kind of like a "girl next door" type. They broke up a long time ago, but Aaron has finally seemed to met his match:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20295430,00.html

After the Final Rose

It's After the Final Rose.

Melissa Rycroft makes an appearance. She's got much longer hair and thinner eyebrows since we saw her last. They replay the awful dumping by Jason Mesnick of Melissa (just so we can feel aggravated and awkward one more time). Chris basically asks of Melissa what everyone in the universe knows already: she got a call from Dancing with the Stars days after the Jason fiasco. Then she got engaged to her boyfriend, Ty. Is it me or did Melissa look MUCH better on the last After the Final Rose when she got dumped? Maybe it's her hair that I don't like. Ehhh, she's still a beautiful girl and agrees that Jason really did make the right choice (what else is she supposed to say?).

More depression commercials on now... what is up with these? I just asked the Fiance if he's ever had suicidal thoughts (which is one of the possible side effects of a medication for depression). There really must be a depressed group of people who watch this show.

Ok, back to the show. Kiptyn is brought out. Wow, he's really cute, and seems immediately smiley. The mostly female audience goes wild. They replay last night's rejection, which is kind of tough to watch. Kiptyn describes how tough getting rejected was. They bring Jillian out and she's got longer, darker hair and is wearing a cute little white dress. Kiptyn asks what he could have done differently. Jillian says he didn't do anything wrong - there were some times that she was fishing. Jillian gets emotional and tears up at hearing Kiptyn talk about his emotions. He says he holds no ill will for her and hopes that he'll find his own true love. Kiptyn seems very calm and collected. He is able to articulate his feelings. You can tell he really liked Jillian, but he doesn't seem head over heels anymore. Maybe that's just his personality. I wonder if he'd make a boring bachelor.

Side note: if this show was pre-taped a couple of days ago, then wouldn't the entire audience already know what the ending was ahead of the airing of the finale? I wonder if they made them sign a confidentiality agreement. But you know at least one of them had to of leaked the news. Or maybe they had them all on lock down.

We're back and it's Reid's turn. His hair is still really messy and Alfalfa-like, with a large spike in the back sticking up. The woman are going nuts in the audience. They replay his moment of coming back to tell Jillian that he loves her and to propose. Then they show his limo ride after where he's really upset and looks like he had a bottle with him in the back seat. We learn that Reid bought his own ring (which he sadly/sweetly says, "was not the greatest ring in the world"). Jillian had no idea that Reid was coming and Reid thought that Jillian was going to accept the proposal and he feels like a piece of his life is missing. So sad. I like Reid. He'd make a much more interesting Bachelor than Kiptyn and he definitely seems heartbroken - even more so than the Kipper.

They bring Jillian out and Reid asks whether there was a part of her that wanted to say "yes." Jillian immediately gets emotional and completely avoids the question by saying that she feels really bad. Chris H, the always subtle host, asks Reid if he still loves Jillian. He says yes. So sad. Reid asks her if he had told her earlier that he was in love, whether that would have changed anything. Jillian says that she was so in love with Ed, and she's been so happy the last couple of months, she knows she made the right decision. Reid seems to get a bit testy by saying he's got "lots of questions" including one about the fantasy suite. You can tell that Reid is not into Ed or at least not into Ed and Jillian. One audience member asks whether Reid is dating again and whether he'd like to go on a date with her. Both and Reid at the same exact time said, "How old are you?" Even though she looked like she was 10, at least Reid knows there are other people out there.

They bring Ed out and he looks so happy, so good! He looks totally relaxed and they are practically glowing. They replay the whole proposal and a woman in the audience is crying! This cracks me up. A woman in the audience asks him about his mankini shorts. Jillian says she loves them. Another audience member asks whether they are having any problems in the bedroom. Who on earth asks that? Luckily, we're all relieved to learn that they are ok. Ed and Jillian probably kiss about 50 times during their interview. They show some never before seen footage when the two of them were in Spain. A Spanish man tells them that if they walk under some arch, they will be married. They go under it. Yippee!!

We also learn that the two of them plan to marry within 12 months and that Jillian is moving to Chicago starting in September. Interestingly, ABC does not give them a gift, like they normally do for happy couples. Maybe they think it's a jinx.

So there we have it. Another season come and gone. But this time will we see a lasting happy couple? I sure hope so. Clearly - Jillian and Ed look extremely happy together. That leaves us with the potential next Bachelors being Kiptyn, Reid, Jake or Michael Stag (and his twin). I didn't like Reid's bitterness toward the results/Jillian on tonight's show. I know he was still upset and hurt, but still, he could have handled himself better. He basically said that Jillian seems happy (though he can't understand why) and she made her choice. He shouldn't have brought up the fantasy suite comment, but I guess that's what bitterness does do a person.

ABC did not announce who the next Bachelor is - they are probably waiting to see what the general feedback on each of the remaining men is. As long as it's not Dave, I think it'll be a good choice.

So that's all for now. Keep checking back here for updates. Our podcasts will continue as well - and discuss all the Bachelor gossip, our wedding plans (and gripes), and basically anything else that comes up. Hope you'll keep us posted on your whereabouts as well. Til next season, Bachelor fans...have a good night and a great rest of the summer!!

In Case You Missed Last Night's Show...

The ratings from last night's finale were so good, that ABC is re-airing the finale tonight followed by the After the Final Rose. 11.5 million viewers in the last half hour of show! Not bad.

There's also a rumor on Twitter that Michael Stagliano is interested/having a fling with Holly Durst, former girlfriend of Jesse Csczinak, former fiance of DeAnna Pappas, former Bachelorette. They met in Vegas at a reunion of everybody. If that's true, he won't be the next Bachelor :(

The Reid BandWagon

Ahhh, it hasn't even been 24 hours since last night's finale, and I have been flooded with emails, phone calls, texts and even a couple of in-person visits at work from individuals (mostly Jewish women), irate that Jillian did not pick Reid. Let's discuss this a little.


I like Reid. He seemed like a good guy. He was just quirky enough to be real, had a nice family, a good job, seemed to really have some strong chemistry with Jillian and was able to finally verbalize to her how he felt. I happen to like Ed, but for those that don't, they think that he was a bit dull, that his job would always take priority, that he kind of looked rabbit-ish (I'm quoting from one of my readers), and that he never should have left Jillian in the first place. I think ultimately, in the end, Jillian had 3 wonderful options to go with. I'm not sure it would have been a HUGE mistake to pick any of them. When it comes down to it, Jillian had to pick the person with whom she felt the most chemistry - for long term. There was never doubt to me that Ed was that person. She lit up like a firefly whenever he was around. He was very clear on how he felt about her once he came back. He was going to propose, he was in love with her, he wanted to grow old with her. That's what Jillian came on the show looking for, and that is what she got.


Now for all of those women who are upset that Reid's marriage proposal was not accepted, think about this: What if she had said yes right away? That would have been too creepy considering the day before she was making out with Kiptyn, and at that very moment she was waiting for Prince Charming Ed to come and propose to her. Now what if she had said that she needed to think about it, and put off her decision until After the Final Rose. This would have been way too annoying a result for the audience. People would have scoffed at this decision, calling Jillian a flake, and saying that if Reid could throw off her decision that easily, then maybe her feelings for Ed weren't real. I think we all saw what validated our general favorable opinion of Jillian: she was head over heels for Ed, and while momentarily disrupted by Reid, she stayed the course of her feelings. She's sensible, consistent and mature (minus the Wes thing, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt).

The other thing that was kind of strange was Reid's appearance when he actually showed up. He was in sneakers, an untucked shirt, a suit jacket that did not match the pants and hair that was all over the place. He was sweating like crazy and was not exactly articulate. Where did he come from? And what kind of strings did he have to pull to get there? Did this involve getting dressed in the dark and running a marathon before he arrived? Poor, sweaty Reid! The trip from Philly to Hawaii must have been a bitch to get through, but not nearly as long as the plane flight home as a twice rejectee of Jillian's!

Reid will be fine. He will go home, where he is definitely loved by his family, return to his job and be hit on by lady after lady in the Philadelphia area. I have no doubt that his rejection last night might actually raise the real estate market activity in the Philadelphia area. Everyone will want to use Reid's family's services. He will find a nice, quirky lady and he will not hestitate to tell her how he feels.

As for Kiptyn, he will be fine too. I'm sure his mother has his next 50 dates lined up for him (clearly she'll be taking a commission). He finally received his first taste of rejection. I'm glad Jillian did not let him propose (I'm sure she knew it was a possibility, and one situation she wanted to avoid - especially after all of the heat that DeAnna Pappas received for allowing Jason Mesnick to propose and stay on his knee for a bit before she rejected him in favor of Jesse). Kiptyn is a great guy too, and it looks like he may be the next bachelor (although a lot of fans are calling out for Mike Stagliano and his brother to be joint-bachelors. That would be a hoot. They would totally swap clothing/dates during the beginning rounds, and play pranks in frat style on the ladies. It would definitely be a more entertaining Bachelor than what we've seen in a while. Kiptyn always seems a little stiff to me, and his chemistry was not as free-flowing and natural as Jillian had with other guys. Even when he was confessing that he wanted her to live with him in San Diego, I didn't really feel like he truly believed it - it felt more of what he thought he should say to get the girl.

Ed, on the other hand, tried so hard to memorize his speech, was very open and honest about how he felt about Jillian from the start, and even had the smarts to fly his parents in to meet Jillian (or was that ABC offering?) and get Jillian's dad's thoughts on a proposal. All of these rumors that Ed had a girlfriend or two back at home - even if they were somewhat true before he left, I doubt hold any water at this point. The boy is head over heels.

Now I say this and I have no idea if Jillian is going to come on tonight's show and pull a Jason Mesnick (i.e., dump Ed and confess to Reid/Kiptyn (you choose) and declare she's in love with him). Now THAT would be an interesting twist. Though we haven't heard any rumors to this effect and since rumors are always true, I guess it's not happening. I really hope that Jillian and Ed are the next Trista and Ryan. I would love to watch their wedding on TV. I hope that I'm invited. This will never happen.

In case you were wondering about Jillian's rock from last night: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/28/the-bachelorette-all-about-jillians-ring/ - holy $60,000 ring, that I am sure Microsoft, I mean Ed, did not pay for. ABC got engaged!

Also, if you are interested in any of the jewelry (besides the Neil Lane bling) that Jills was wearing on last night's show, check out this site: www.stelladot.com/jenniferatterman On her final Hawaii date w/ Kippy she's wearing the turquoise sea drop earrings (only $29) and that night the Kelly Cuff in Black.

Finale: 2.5 Proposals, 2 rejections and 1 Fiance!!! It's ED!!!!!

We made it, Bachelorette Fans!!! Congrats on sticking in there long enough to make it to tonight's finale. I left work an hour early to mentally prepare for tonight. The Fiance is back to watch with me. Hooray!

We start out at the Big Island of Hawaii at the Westin. We get a brief recap of the season (yawn...let's get to the good stuff). Jillian first has a date with Ed. Initially they sit down and Ed reassures her that his fantasy suite issues (which we still are not very clear on) are a thing of the past. They go to meet Glen and Peggy, Jillian's parents. Cousin Tory and Grandma Marjorie are also there.

Ed explains to the family that he used to be married to his job. That he left and came back. Ed has gorgeous green eyes that I don't think I noticed before. Peggy starts drilling Ed with tough questions to which he gives satisfactory responses. Jillian privately tells her mother that she is not worried about Ed's feelings for her. She seems very relaxed and calm. Ed says straight out that he wants to propose to Jillian. Ed asks Jillian's father what he thinks should he propose to her and the dad says he'd be thrilled. Ed and Glen put on some grass skirts and coconut boobs and do some hula dancing with the girls. It looks like the family meet and greet has gone successfully.

It's the next day and it's Kiptyn. He greets her in nasty turquoise plaid. Where on earth did he get this shirt? At a cattle ranch? He's still very cute though, so that's ok. Jillian is wearing a yellow top on both of her dates and looks very happy and tan. Kipper and Jilly just make out. He brings her back to the house to meet the whole family. Kiptyn says he's a "work hard, play hard" kind of guy. When Jillian lists the things she likes about Kiptyn, it sounds like she's selling him. "He's cute, he is close with his family, he volunteers..." Maybe he should hire her after the show is over to be his PR rep. The mom thinks that his personality is much more like Jillian.

The dad asks Kippy whether he's in love with Jillian. Why he can't simply just answer "yes," he Hdoes say that down the road, he can see having a life, marrying and having children with Jillian. But it doesn't sound like he is actually in love currently. Kiptyn said he would never propose unless he was 100% sure. After the meet and greet, Jillian and Kiptyn kiss and make-out some more.

Once again, there are two remaining contestants and the bachelor/rette is confused. Shocker. Jillian seeks feedback from her family. Her father tells Jillian that Ed asked permission to marry Jillian. Dad is kinda leaning toward Ed and Mom is kinda on Kippy's side. I think Tory could be the next Bachelorette. She's hot and seems nice. The kind of person you want as your friend. Jillian pulls Tory aside to get some girlfriend advice - she confesses to Tory that her night with Ed was not so hot. Why do we keep hearing about this? It's totally to confuse us that she's not absolutely head over heals for him.

Ed says he wants to "seal the deal" with Jillian. She picks him up in a red jeep and takes him to a helicopter. This must be some kind of record for the amount of helicopter rides in one season. In his sweaty, 70s style tank top, the two start making out. They land in a jungle area and walk to a waterfall in the middle of a rainforest. They start making out in the middle of the jungle. At one angle, it looks like her hair is on fire, until I realize there is a lit torch behind them. Phew, I was worried the shocking ending would be that Jillian had second degree burns!! There is a nice little setup of lunch in front of them. They start making out again and Ed calls Jillian beautiful and a "genius" for keeping him around. These two could be in a prison and think it was romantic. They go into the waterfalls area and swim and kiss. There's a lot of pressure for them to be passionate.

Later that night with Ed, we learn (thank goodness) that the sexual chemistry is back on. OH YEAH. Cheesy enough - ABC then pans to the volcano exploding. How poetic.

Next we're up to Kiptyn's date and Jillian and him take a motor boat ride to a private beach in Hawaii. They make a little picnic on a surfboard. Jillian goes on and on about how perfect Kiptyn is. She's either buttering us up for her picking him or is campaigning for his candidacy to be the next Bachelor. They hang out on a surfboard in the ocean and just hug and make out. Personally, I would have gotten seasick, 20 minutes into this surfboard hanging, but that's just me.

It's nighttime and Jillian's greets Kiptyn in a strapless purple dress. Kiptyn tries to explain to her as Jillian just gazes into his eyes that he'd be really hurt if he lost her. He says he knows he's moved a little slower but now he's full steam ahead. He basically tells her that he's ready for it all: love, marriage, children, etc. Kiptyn tells Jillian that he's falling in love with her and that he would like for her to come live with him in San Diego. As they lie in bed with glasses of wine, kissing and staring at each other, I say to the Fiance, "I don't know. Maybe she does pick Kiptyn afterall. I mean really - there are no doubts about him."

The Fiance's response: "Don't kid yourself. It's Ed all the way."

It's the morning of the big day. Jillian wakes up and thinks about her two remaining men. She says she worried that on the last day she wouldn't know who to choose - but she says that she knows. We see Kiptyn going ring shopping and then out of nowhere he's going for a jog on the beach in an equally ugly pair of plaid khaki shorts (who runs in long khaki shorts?). His chest is glistening in the sun and he's tanner and hotter than ever. Now I know he doesn't win. This is all part of the hoopla to make him the next Bachelor. Would NOT be surprised if this is announced tomorrow night.

Next Ed goes into Neil Lane and picks a winner. Both guys are talking about how devastated they'll be if Jillian doesn't pick them. We see Kiptyn shirtless from like 30 different angles.

Jillian gets dressed in a beautiful strapless, sweetheart neckline white gown. She's already got the dress - they should just get married. Everybody is in a limo, on their way to find out what the hell is going on. Both men say that they want to spend the rest of their lives with her.

Jillian arrives at a gorgeous house and walks across a wooden platform over the pool, awaiting her men. I can't believe they would wait for this moment to reintroduce Reid. I mean - come on, isn't there a cut-off for letting him come back? I like Reid, but how on earth does he stand a chance right now?

The first limo pulls up and Kiptyn in a navy suit comes out of the limo. OH NO. It's not KIPPER!!! KIPPER will be the next BACHELOR!! HOLY COW!! HOLY COW!!!! I wonder if he'll just drown himself in the pool once she rejects him. When he greets her, he does all of the talking. He's clearly nervous and he doesn't stop talking. I wonder if he's supposed to do the talking. Kiptyn says: I love you and I want to spend this life with you.

Jillian then starts talking - since she met him, he has been the one that she's been looking for. She tells him that she's fallen in love with somebody else. Kiptyn says that it hurts a lot, that he loves her and wants her to be happy. His last words, "You're an incredible woman and Ed is a lucky man." As they walk out, I wonder if he's going to push Jillian in the pool. I also wonder what he was doing futzing around with his coat - probably wondering if he still had the ring. Kiptyn is teary eyed in the limo, but the ever articulate Kiptyn is still campaigning to be the Next Bachelor. He said he would have pulled out the ring, but she started talking. He was waiting for her to finish so he could propose, but she dumped him. Hate when that happens!! At least she didn't have to hear him propose and then reject him AND a proposal. Kiptyn gets his first ever heartbreak. Congratulations!! This will be a good thing for you in the long run.

The Fiance says he should have shaved.

Now that Kiptyn is out of the way, Jillian can focus on Ed. Ahhh, but not so soon. A red minivan arrives and Reid steps out with his sneakers on. So she's expecting her future husband Ed to show up and out comes REID?? Ahhh, that's a tough position to be in. Reid shows up and declares that he's going to tell her everything and then he's going to propose to her. HOLY SHIT!!!! (Sorry, it just slipped out).

He marches up and hugs Jillian. Then he tells her that he was an idiot. So he comes back to tell her that he loves her (moments before she could possibly get engaged to another guy!!). Jillian says letting him go was the toughest thing she ever had to do. He gets down on one knee and holy cow - PROPOSES!!! They are locked in an embrace for a while, then she says she will think about this. She goes inside to think and meanwhile, Reid stands where Jillian just stood waiting for Ed. How awesome would it be if Ed came in and saw Reid there instead of Jillian?? Maybe Ed would propose to Reid (or vice versa). Amazing that she had three guys willing to propose to her in one day. That must be really overwhelming!!! He is sweating like crazy (so am I!) and she leaves to go think. The Fiance thinks that Reid could have dressed a little nicer. Probably, but he also had to schelp from Philly back to Hawaii - quite a journey this guy came to propose!

Meanwhile, Ed is still on his way there. Ring in hand. Chris the Host steps in and basically tells Jillian who to choose. Good job, Chris! Is this the first time in Bachelorette history that he's made the decision for the Bachelorette? Jillian tells Reid that she has truly fallen in love with Ed. She just hugs him and apologizes. She goes to walk him out. Not to worry, I am sure that the entire Philadelphia JDate population will be looking for a real estate agent after tonight's episode, begging for the chance to meet him. I really hope that Ed doesn't pull up while they are hugging. She mumbles more apologies into his ear and cries her goodbyes. I have no idea what she is saying, but it seems sincere.

Is anybody else going to come back to propose? Perhaps Dave? Jake? Michael Stag? I wouldn't be surprised at this point. That was really rough to spring that on her right after she rejected Kip. I wonder why they didn't give him a chance to talk with her before the actual final part of the show. Perhaps if she had 24 hours to think it through and if Chris Harrison hadn't given her the pep talk he had with her, the results could have been different. But I guess ABC needs to deliver their shocking ending - and so here it is.

After she gets rid of Reid, she goes back to her spot and says, "Ed better not F-in disappoint me!" Hilarious. She says she's 100% sure she made the right decision.

As he's about to show up - Jillian calls him her best friend and that she's 100% madly in love with him. Ed gets out and says he's nervous, he's scared, and he just wants to be with her. Ed gives her a whole speech about everything he loves about her, and he says that before he can go further, he needs to know that she loves him. She then lets him have it. She's in love. She's wanted to tell him for so long. Ed then gets down on one knee and proposes. She happily accepts and then we get a cool video montage of the two of them together. It's a good thing he came back!!!

Congrats to Jillian and Ed!!!! I think the Fiance got choked up. I did too. I'm happy for them. I am sure Kiptyn and Reid will have no problem finding their happy ending too. Good luck to them.

This has been a long and adventurous journey. Jillian started with 30 men and ended with 3 proposals. I started with a Boyfriend and ended with a Fiance. Certainly, our lives will never be the same. Thanks so much for joining us in the journey. I will comment a bit on tomorrow's show and then we'll be in the off season. I hope you will continue to check in to this blog for more updates about this crazy show, and other shows I watch, updates on our wedding planning and hopefully - some published writing from me in the near future (fingers crossed!). Happy rest of the summer to all of you. Please leave your comments here. Were you surprised? Do you approve of her decision? Let's hear it!!

It All Comes Down to Tonight's FINALE!!!

Some are rooting for Ed, others hope that Reid gets another chance and almost everyone thinks that Kiptyn will be the next bachelor and has no chance of winning this thing. Hmmmm.

I just hope that Jillian picks someone - because why else have we given up our Monday nights for the past 3 months to learn that she chooses herself??

Here's an article posted yesterday re: the remaining suitors: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/26/the-bachelorette-jillian-sees-potential-both-finalists/

Who do you think takes it?? Do you think she is engaged?