Recap time...

"Back to LA"

First of all in response to last week -- Frenchie no go for the ber

I love that MTV is giving the song info. bonus pts guys but I'm not loving that its never the songs that I want to know

I love Whit she's so mature

HA HA they added cubes to Bolthouse while Hiedi was in Colorado yeah right

Spencer reminds me of a blonde Bo Behenna...sorry Bowen

"I hate dating"??? who hates dating

loving the clip in Whit's hair

"your basically making a deal with the devil but the good news is you get a new one(life)" hmmm RUN WHITNEY

"we're both like full on single..yaaay -- I say that every night

Ohhh hey personal trainer

Brody has friends in Paris -- good one Brody

Frankie Frankie Frankie always trying to make it work

awwww Lo

no I don't want Whit to leave

"An Unexpected Friend"

loving the scarf and glasses Lauren

STEPHANIE PRATT ohhh snap

All of these people look stressed Whit RUN RUN

Whitney looks like a deer in headlights

"Everybody wears black" of course they do if their selling their souls to the devil

"We usually stop working at 3 in the morning"...uh no RUN

I swear I saw a rat tale on one of those ladies Whit was doing the fitting with

Feist how I love thee

oh no PRATT incoming

well looky at that apology

GO WHIT

oh snap here comes that paint

I can't handle Hiedi's new look...can't handle it

So I quit smoking oh congratulations -- I say that to my friends all the time

I want to wear the band around my head like shePRATTS

OPERATION BREAKUP

As I'm sure all of you saw Andy(25) is engaged to swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker(20). Andy clearly kept this under the raps because the pic above is the ONLY pic of them together. Now he got his rep to get her number after he saw her in a mag.

Really Andy really?? Is this because your BFF Fish is engaged?? UGH I'm flustered. Now starts OPERATION BREAKUP. I mean I've never objected at a wedding but this might be the first. Thank goodness I still have chocolate bunny to drown my sorrows in!

Thoughts of Notes

- Am I the only one who sheds tears as she watches "Cops"?

- I love "How I Met Your Mother"

- I would like to Zorb

- Tennis up! I've got a Tennis Coach. Get ready Wimbledon!

- Coggin and I are moving into a 3 bedroom apartment. 

- Some people are just strange.

- If you haven't seen the commercial for the Horton Hears a Who pancakes at IHOP, you won't believe your eyes.

- I had more to say but I don't remember what.

- Oh, If Ber comes near you and stretches out her arms as if she is about to embrace you then crosses them in front of her torso as if she's embracing air, just humor her. She's picked this up but I am sure it will pass. She is calling it the virtual hug.

Zorbing...

Have any of you heard of this...apparently its the new thing to do. I can't imagine rolling down a hill inside a big plastic ball. I need to see this in person.

Sphereing is the practice of humans traveling in a sphere, generally made of transparent plastic, usually for fun.
Sphereing is generally performed on a gentle slope, allowing the rider to roll downhill, but sphereing can also be done on a level surface, permitting more rider control, as well as on water. In the absence of hills, at least one vendor has begun constructing metal ramps[1]. Most spheres are constructed for a single rider, but some hold two or three. The longer runs are approximately half a mile. - thanks wikipedia

The lack of Internet lasted until around 9:30 this morning. When Brad came in, he called BellSouth and was on hold with them for about 25 minutes. At the 24:55 mark, his cell rang so he answered it. At the 25:00 mark, Bellsouth answered. He chose to go with his cell and handed Davy the Bellsouth phone. 

Davy promptly hung up the phone. I won't repeat here what Brad said.

Another 15 minute hold and the Internet was back up and running.

A world with no www

What good is a computer with no Internet? If you have Bellsouth DSL and live in Franklin, Tennessee, you know that your Internet has been out since around 10 this morning. Now Haven Productions is a pretty high-tech company so no Internet is no good.

Today we found ourselves in such a quandary. It pretty much shut us down. And I realized that I don't really need my computer for much else besides being online.

We did have some fantastic conversations. I guess that's what no Internet does: forces you to communicate.

Panino Vs. Panini

A panini (plural) or panino (singular) (pronounced /pəˈniːnoʊ/) is a sandwich made from a small loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta. The loaf is often cut horizontally and filled with salami, ham, meat, cheese or other food, and sometimes served hot. A grilled panino is buttered on the outside and grilled in a press.

The word "panino" [pa'ni:no] is Italian (literally meaning small bread roll), with the plural panini. "Panini" is often used in a singular sense by speakers of English and French, and pluralised catachrestically into "paninis".

--Wikipedia

Well I'm so glad that when I go to Urban Standard and say Panini that they don't give me two sandwiches...I'm not quite sure how I didn't know this with my love for Italians you know.

[WEDNESDAY]
Tomato Bisque
Polish Sausage Soup
Standard Chicken Panino
Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Where is Anne Sullivan when you need her?

Upon driving into the State of Alabama today, I noticed a billboard that I haven't seen before. Apparently, the tourism department has decided to use two "well known" icons of the state to advertise all that the Bam has to offer: the song "Stars Fell on Alabama" (which I've never heard) and the dear Helen Keller (related to one of my best friends, Mariclaire Ingram Putman.)

If you didn't grow up under a rock, you know that Ms. Keller was an amazing woman. Her life has been immortalized by more than 1 movie, most notably "The Miracle Worker." Surely all of us, especially those who grew up in the South, have watched this movie. I remember watching it and being bored to death as a 4th grader as I watched the sister from "Little House on the Prairie" flail her arms around and act like a brat. Of course, Helen wasn't just a brat...she's blind, deaf and dumb! She accomplished a lot in her life, probably more than I ever will with all my sense(s).

Helen deserves a lot of respect. So you can imagine my surprise when I read the billboard inviting people to see all that the state has to offer. On it was a photo of Alabama's favorite daughter with the caption "See what she couldn't."

SEE WHAT SHE COULDN'T???? Really?

I need a vote of our readers. Is this an appropriate billboard? I admit, I laughed heartily and called Helen's distant relative (MCIP) to have a laugh with her when I saw it. But is this not wrong?

I can assure you that Mississippi would never do this to Elvis, Oprah, Faith, Leann, William (Faulkner), etc. etc. etc.

The obsession continues...

Okay I love this article...I love him...I love his hair

http://bellasugar.com/1127764

you too Jonny Boy...

No Amber for Old Men?

The Berge has notoriously had an aversion to older men. Whenever Hannah and I would mention that an older guy was attractive, she would make a Ber noise and turn up her nose.

However, it seems as if the tide has turned. Amber has made a few comments in the past few weeks about finding older guys attracted.

That's right guys. You have a chance now, if you are over 26. Don't be shy. Ask away!

The adventures of Ber and Sass/Wedding Crashers

So our long time friend Anthony (Train) got married this weekend. The Sass and I worked with him at Student Life so some of our buddies were either in the wedding or at it. So the Sass and I are getting ready to leave my house on Saturday, mind you it takes probably about 30 to 40 mins to get where we were going on a typical Saturday afternoon, not this day...We leave an hour early thinking we will have plenty of time and we were supposed to pick someone up. We go to get on the interstate and traffic is not moving. DISASTER. So I have to wait until the next exit get off and drive down a road with tons of stop lights. I know when we get on this road that we are not going to make it. So we call our friends and say go without us we will see you at the reception. I'm distraught am I really going to miss Train's wedding???

The wedding starts at 2 and we get there at 2:05. We decide to go in the lobby because Sass thinks there are steps and we can just sneak in the balcony. We walk in the door and our friends that are in the wedding party are totally dogging us. They go in to walk down the isle and the wedding planner motions for us to come on. We don't really know whats happening at this point we just trust that she knows...after all her name was J LO (swear). So we walk in as we are I glimpse over and see the bride before we walk in the door. The entire bridal party is on the stage faced towards us and evvveryone in the sanctuary turns around to see us walking in the door. We walked in right before the BRIDE!!! So we were like the preshow...Wedding Crashers if you will. I look over only to see our friend Jeff the photographer for the wedding snapping pics and catching every moment of the shear terror written all over our face.

Three songs that are my jam right now:

Do you know? Enrique Iglesias -- I mean seriously I don't like his songs but this one gosh wiiiinner. He worked a ping pong sound into it...amazing

Superstar Lupe Fiasco -- It really does make me feel like a superstar. I put my big shades on and drive with the sunroof back...nothing better. I mean guys there are cameras snapping in this one...famous

Bleeding Love Leona Lewis -- This song takes me back to my Mariah, Paula and Whitney days. Let me break out the hairbrush and sing along.

It's that time again....

You know it...You love it.

Tennessee, get ready. It's Springtime! That's right. Beautiful skies and great temperatures and.............lots of shirtless drivers and pedestrians.

The phenomenon continues. I have already seen the shirt sleeves creeping up the arms of male drivers in old pick-up trucks and can sleep safely at night knowing those shirts will be gone in the next few weeks.

What does this mean??

Okay so I call a church today to ask for my contact and the lady says she's kind of "under the eight ball" and some other stuff and sends me to the contacts voicemail.

What the heck does "under the eight ball" mean???

Me Mi and I think it means crazy and if so thats pretty funny

I do...

I do I do I do...love Rob and Big.

Today is the 2nd full day of Ber's 26th year. It's going to be a good one, right?

fierce

Okay I may be obsessed with Christian...just a little

Do you know?? DO YOU

I can't stop watching this

Shooting WHAT?!?!?

There's a term passed down from generation to generation in the McDonnell family, well at least from Bob to John and me. Apparently my dad liked to talk about passing gas with all of his little buddies growing up. Since their parents (mothers mostly, dad's love it) probably frowned upon this, they came up with an code word for passing gas...SHOOTING CATS.

I have no clue where this derived from. My dad grew up on a block in Jackson that had 500 kids on it. It was written up in the paper and everything. Kids loving life. I wonder how many other people call farting, shooting cats. I mean if Bob was doing it, others had to have been. They were putting them in jars and torturing the little kids by making them smell them.

Is this a McDonnell thing only?

FIERCE!

Okay let me wipe my tears for the last recap of the season. You might want to read this right after you watch it because thats the order its in.

What happened to the cocky confident Christian?? - Tim

Don't let it mess with your head Christian - Me

I love it when Christian does his model walk

Let's go pick some fierce girls - Christian

I needed fierce tallness and walks for days - Christian

Gorg 5'10 loved - Christians' notes

Whoa poof dress Christian (I'm nervous)

OMG so the shoes for the collection were flawless...I walked around my apartment in those shoes for like a week if I can do it they can do it - Christian

Be really skinny, don't eat - Christian

Okay I keep seeing feathers I'm nervous about Christian's collection

Ohhh last gather round with Tim :(

Did Christian call them Trainy's...I don't know I've heard him say it before and I can't figure it out. Someone help me out here??

I agree Tim they are the best group

Waking up this morning was like nerves...like right when you get up NERVES - Christian

Group hug awwwww

Runway time....

POSH!

Good lord even Rami's models' hair had details

Hiedi I love you but what do you have on?

Michael Corrs and those sunglasses

OMG I'm already crying

Jillian's Collection

Jillian I am loving all these hats and all of these outfits are wearable

ummm maybe not the gold dress looking like a super hero

I LOVED the black and white sweater with the poofy sleeves

Ahhh the short black poofy dress loved it!!

Gosh thats a great collection

How cute is Jillian, why are we not BFF

Rami's Collection

I think I needed to see Rami's in person

I did love the long black dress

I liked Ramis' designs better when he was competing with Chris

I don't know how wearable they were but I mean it just wasn't my taste

Christian's Collection

Ha Ha Christian said whats up everybody

Wheeeew everybody looks fierce - Christian

Wow Christian lots of black

Ha the hat and neck piece...gosh

Loved the red jacket

It was very Christian...I just don't know if I liked it

Wow feather dress...ha ha it makes her booty shake

Of course he posed at the end of the runway...ohhh how I love him

Jillian may not win but she is my pick for sure

Elizabeth Berkley ha I forgot about her...did anyone see that commercial that wasn't DVRing this?

The judges saying bravo...were they plugging the channel???

Aww they liked Jillian's collection

Aww what happened to Christian's fierceness

Posh ha of course she said Christian was major

I agree too much black, but great designs

He made Posh smile...miracle

Brady bunch colors - Rami

Nina is getting on my nerves...Jillian knows who she is

I love it when Hiedi says do we know what we're going to do...do you really think they all just know and agree right there, no way.

For those non DVR people don't you just love Amy Adams, that new movie looks cute

Jillian is out...dang it

Christian is crying...I love this kid

CHRISTIAN WON...CRAP NOW I'M CRYING

OMG I love him

aww Posh wants to wear his clothes

OMG I can't stop crying

Hello did you have a doubt come on what up - Christian

let me tell you i am taking like a VACA i need a breaky break

Christian Siriano Signing Off!

The roof...the roof wait its gone

So today was one of those days at the office where I had the thought...umm why did I come to work today? I have always thought that our office should be on TV...seriously if you have been on ichat with me during office hours your probably constantly entertained. We always joke that our boss is like Michael Scott from the Office saying inappropriate things and sooo dramatic. Here's the story of today...

My boss wheels into the parking lot, parks sideways and has one foot out the door before he stops...he's freaking out. I get to work an hour later and walk in the front door to see a big trash can at the bottom of the step with water dripping. I look confused and one of the guys takes me outside to show me. (Now let me break in here and say we work in a two story building and we are on the top floor. Some may think working in an old building in Homewood would be cool...I beg to differ. We always joke that you will find one of us girls sitting on the toilet in the parking lot because it fell off the side of the building, seriously the walls are rotting). On with the story...So I walk outside only to find our entire roof peeled off the top of the building and just hanging on the side propped on the one story building beside us. Then the air conditioning unit right by my office was sucked through the roof and sitting on a building one over from us. So we have lots of leakage and no AC...but the show must go on.

Just when we think we've had so much drama for the day something else happens. My bosses office and the sales room have windows where you can see the street. So all of the sudden we hear a pop and my boss screams GET AWAY FROM POWER...okay my office is like a closet and I am surrounded by power. I'm thinking this is the end...I'm going to die in this building. We go to the window and a power line hanging across the street got stuck on the top of a fire truck and it snapped and wrapped around the top of the truck. My boss is screaming out of the window "live wire don't get out". Ha. Then two cars wreck right in front of it because their clearly not paying attention. Luckily the wire was not live and we did not die!

We shall see what tomorrow looks like...Here are pics of the roof

UPDATE...long overdue

Sorry ladies and gents this one is waaay overdue -





I’m just wondering…does Chris March wear the same outfit every show?…loving that Hawaiian shirt

Tim's visit with Christian
"How about that don’t play games…and I’m 21 yrs old" - Christian

Did Christian say love your hair to Rami…rewind yah we still don’t know

I’m going to pack Christian in my suitcase next time I go somewhere

"How are you sweetheart" – Tim to Christian

Christian lives in a box

OMG Christians' kid pics were money

Romantic Gothic…yes

Holy cow that neck piece, she’s not going to be able to see Christian

"Aren't these amazing whats wrong with you" – the feather pants

Does Tim use his glasses or are they just for looks..notice the over the glasses look

Tim's visit with Jillian
I L’d Jillian’s APT…I want to be her friend!

Jillian’s collection was so great…I want her to design a jacket for me

Jillian’s dad was killing me

Clairvoyant…yes

Was Jillian showing some undies in one of those baby pics??

Tim's visit with Rami
Of course Rami had a huge studio

Joan of Arc…interesting

Did Tim just say effen coat?

I’m loving Rami’s collection

Tim's visit with Chris
Oh law human hair on a jacket…No Chris NO

THE HAIR…Chris I’m dieing you’ve got to take it off

“you’ve been living in the monkey house” Tim’s response to the hair

Ha ha I think Tim was nervous about meeting Chris’s friend

I can’t handle all those costumes Chris

Excuse me sir your under arrest for being the best designer on PR….ha ha

Tina Diva – Christian to Jillian

Are Jillian and Christian rooming together???

I mean how cute is Jillian…loved the hat

He was like do you want to brush the dress and I’m like mmmmmmk (me too Christian)

Rami I’m loving the blue jacket

Loved all the head pieces in Rami’s designs

I’ll be blunt about it I HATED Chris’s designs…THAT HAIR AHHHHH

Yes Chris it is creepy

Black chrome safety pins are you serious…that is incredible

I mean Rami I LOVED that blue jacket

YES RAMI!!!

Oh gosh I thought they were going to kiss

Christian’s hair is so flat…wheres the party?



Annnd lets end with Chris’s laugh

Boogie Nights

At the commencement of our journey to Memphis, Berge and I stopped at Starbucks because she needed a snack. I asked her to get me a Rice Krispie Treat, because I love them.

She is surprised that they have them at Starbucks. We laugh and go on our merry way. As we are driving on I-40, I see something on my finger. It is kind of marshmallowy and white. I put it in my mouth only to spit it out and realize it was a booger.

Was it mine? Was it Berge's? Was it whoever sold it to her? I don't know but I couldn't think about anything else for the next 5 minutes.

Sorry, Berge. If I seemed distant for a few minutes in the car, that was what I was thinking about. I knew you'd be grossed out by it if I told you right then.

Tourney, New Love, and Nut Dust

As we promised a little update from our journey thus far. We arrived here in Memphis last night and crashed! Today has been quite the day of tennis. First of all...all of our favs lost throughout the week so we came with the attitude of discovering new loves and yes I will get to that. We went to 2 mens semi's, 1 mens doubles, womens final and womens doubles final. Phew...long day.

This was my first time to watch a doubles match in person and might I say I am a fan. So we will watch the mens doubles finals tomorrow as well as the mens final. The new love for me this year is Knowles, lives in the Bahamas uh huh. Erin says he looks like Ian Zering (sp?) from the back, hence the blonde curly hair :). He is in his 30's but I mean I will make the exception if I need to. Here is a pic below (I will try to get an action shot tomorrow):


OHHH and I almost forgot Nut Dust, yes thats right I said Nut Dust. Erin's parents Andy and Gwen or Gwandy if you will came to the tournament as well. Andy ate nuts the whole time and kept getting them out of his jacket pocket. So he decided instead of saying crap or something he would say NUT DUST! Or as a defense mechanism he would say I'm going to sprinkle you with my nut dust out of my pocket. Gwandy will now be on all future tennis trips.

Here are a couple of shots from the day



HIP SHOT (the man standing up beside her was her BFF or should i say new boyfriend)