From the Inside Out

After spending the better part of the day in a dull 6-hour CHL renewal class, Gary and I headed to ALC for the One Life Couple’s dinner this evening. It was a small affair, but we had a great time. Dinner was catered from Macaroni Grill and after-dinner entertainment included a romantic movie quiz and the “Newlywed” game. A big thanks goes out to Angela and Katrina who pulled together this event and made it top notch!!

The room before the crowd arrived

Setting the mood with candles and soft lighting

Angela and Kat — our event directors

Amy, Kris, Deanna, Jami and Chaz

Angela and Tracey

Mark, Misty, Marcella, Derrick and Gary

Me and Gary

Getting ready for the newlywed game

The first group — winners, Jami and Chaz

The second group — winners, Mark and Misty

Forget the bullet-proof vest, buy a hair weave instead. Not only do they enhance your appearance, but they also provide added protection against bullets. Yes, you read that right…bullets.

This week in Kansas City, a 20-year-old woman had an altercation with an ex-boyfriend. As she pulled into a convenience store parking lot, a man flagged her down. He told the woman that her ex-boyfriend still loved her. She told the man that she didn’t feel the same — she had recently ended an 8-month relationship with the boyfriend.

Suddenly, she hears gunshots. Her ex was standing behind the car firing at her (so much for love, huh?).  The back window shattered and she felt something hit her as she sped away from the scene.

“In the back of my head, it was like bam! That’s how it felt. It was hot, you could feel it,” 20-year-old Briana Bonds said.

Police officers found a spent slug tangled in her hair, and say her tightly-woven weave prevented it from penetrating her skull. Unbelievable, yet completely true.

Other than having a headache, the woman walked away uninjured. The two men were taken into custody by the police.

Forget the body armor…

Forget the helmet…

Throw away the bullet proof vest…

All you need is a tight weave.

Call your stylist and schedule an appointment today!

One of the frustrating things about getting involved in a television series is that it eventually ends. The good shows always seem to go out on top — leaving you wanting more stories about the characters you love.

That’s where fan fiction comes into play. Avid fans of televisions shows and budding writers continue the saga by submitting their stories online for other fans to enjoy. From old shows like Remington Steele to current shows like 24, you can find thousands of new stories online.

The quality of stories range from poor to extremely good — so good you find yourself wishing it were a real episode. When you find a writer you like, you can subscribe to that writer and get notifications each time they submit a new story or add a new chapter to an existing story. A good way to find the best writers is to look for stories that have a large number of reviews.

It’s a fun and entertaining way of continuing your favorite stories, even after they are gone from the airwaves. It’s also a neat way to support amateur writers and connect with other fans from your favorite shows.

One of the most comprehensive sites that I’ve found is FanFiction.net. If you’re bored and have some time to read, check it out.

Gary and I registered for the annual Tour Dallas today. On Saturday, April 4th, we’ll join thousands of other cyclists for a 30-mile tour that wraps around Dallas and White Rock Lake before finishing at City Hall Plaza in downtown Dallas.

I’m really excited about participating in this year’s event. I tried to participate in 2007, but a freak sleet storm hit that day and knocked me out of the event (Yes, I’ll admit it. I’m a fair weather cyclist). This year, I’m praying for sunny skies and nice warm temps.

Now I just have to ride regularly on the weekends so I can get accustomed to my new pedals and be in good shape for the ride. I’m fairly comfortable with a 20-mile ride. This one will push me a little, but not too much. It’s an easy ride for Gary, but he’s volunteered to ride with me if I do the 30-mile course — that’s my goal!!

If any of you are interested in joining us, leave a comment or send me an email. It’s not a race so you can ride at your own pace, and shorter routes available (8-mile; 20-mile) if you don’t want to bike the entire 30-mile course. The registration fee is:

• $30 per rider thru March 1, 2009
• $35 per rider thru April 3, 2009
• $40 per rider on April 4, 2009

The fee includes your cost for the ride, refreshments, and a Tour Dallas t-shirt. Compared to other rides, this is really cheap. It’s also a lot of fun. At the finish line, they’ll even have entertainment and free pizza for lunch.

To sign-up and get more details, click the picture below.

In honor of President’s Day, Entertainment Weekly published their list of the Top 10 Presidents. Even though Lincoln was ranked as the No. 1 President in a recent survey conducted by C-Span and by a group of historians, he didn’t make it on this list.

Why?

Well, this list is different. It’s a list of the Top 10 fictional Presidents — the most beloved leaders of the free world from TV and Movies. As I glanced through the list, I agreed with most of their choices. If some of these people weren’t fictional, I would vote for them in a heartbeat:

• 24’s DAVID PALMER: Palmer, played by Dennis Haysbert, is one of the most universally beloved TV Presidents. I was really mad when they killed him during the fifth season. He was charismatic, demonstrated a take-charge attitude, bravely faced outlandish terror attacks, and inspired loyalty among virtually everyone who worked for him and among viewers of all political parties.

  

• ANDREW SHEPHERD in The American President: Andrew Shepherd, played by Michael Douglas, was a widower and one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. The movie portrays the difficulties of dating while trying to run the country, and Shepherd does it with style and grace.

• JOSIAH ”JED” BARTLET on The West Wing: I didn’t watch this show, but I’ve heard good things about Martin Sheen’s performance as the President. According to EW.com, “President Bartlet was a liberal’s dream chief executive: resolute, popular, and always the smartest guy in the room. (Really, who’s the last real-life president who could speak Latin?) Also, forthright and honest.”

• JACK STANTON in Primary Colors: John Travolta’s Stanton is clearly inspired by Bill Clinton. While Clinton is definitely not on the list of my favorite Presidents, I understand why people loved him. His personality and charm were appealing to many. In this movie, Travolta “gets all the Clintonesque gestures and voice inflections just right, but he also gets the contradictions in his character. His Stanton is a Southern governor with strong charisma and populist empathy, as well as weaknesses for fried foods and women. He’s a fascinatingly flawed man whose campaign poses the question of whether a leader’s personal character should matter more than his political ideals.”

• JAMES MARSHALL in Air Force One: Harrison Ford as the President — do I really need to say more? He single-handedly saved the country and his family while aboard AF1. Who wouldn’t vote for him?

  

• MERKIN MUFFLEY in Dr. Strangelove: Never saw this movie, so here’s an excerpt from what EW.com said about it, “President Muffley is a meek and dovish fellow, precisely the wrong person to be in charge during a nuclear war.” Hmm…don’t think I’ll be voting for him anytime soon.

• LAURA ROSLIN on Battlestar Galactica: Laura Roslin plays the role of reluctant President beautifully. She was the Secretary of Education when the world was attacked and destroyed by Cylons. With all other successors dead, she takes the reigns and tries to save humanity from extinction. And you thought your job was stressful!

• BILL MITCHELL/DAVE KOVIC in Dave: Testing the theory that anybody can be president, Dave Kovic fills in for the President when he suffers a stroke. I’d vote for Dave, but not Bill.

• JACKSON EVANS in The Contender: Evans, is a “salty, Lyndon Johnson-esque” President who enjoys bowling in the White House basement and making backroom deals to advance his agenda.

• JAMES DALE in Mars Attacks! He may not be the most effective commander-in-chief, but he’s one of the funniest. After the Martians destroy Congress, he announces, ”I want the people to know that they still have two out of three branches of the government working for them, and that ain’t bad.”