The Playboy Club Premiere!

I know, I know, you're probably getting sick of me talking about it, but I just need to milk my 15 minutes of fame a little longer. (Or really my 5 seconds of fame, but who's counting?)

I asked (forced) friends and family around the country last night to watch "The Playboy Club" on NBC because Mike and I were extras when they filmed the pilot here in March. Since that time, I've been watching extras in movies and TV shows and I've noticed two things: they are almost always blurry or you just see their bodies and no heads, so I didn't have high hopes of seeing us when the show aired. I feared I cut off 7 inches of hair just to be a blurry streak behind the gorgeous Amber Heard.

To my pleasant surprise, about 2 minutes into the premiere, there I was! (Terrible teased hairdo and all.) Did you see it? If not, no worries, I grabbed some pics from online.

1st pic: That's me on the lower right, and yes, the super hot Eddie Cibrian is right behind me. Look, he's checking me out! I can totally tell.

2nd pic: Because I sense Eddie is checking me out, I decide to start writing him a love note on my "Playboy Club" cocktail napkin. 

"Dear Eddie, I know I'm just an extra, but I think we can make this work..."

3rd pic: Here, I've closed my eyes and I'm thinking about Eddie and me walking hand in hand on the beach in Bora Bora. I'm also figuring out how we can break it to LeAnn and Mike gently. 

All-in-all, working on this show was a great experience.  I learned even if you're just an extra and only on screen for a hot second, people think it's pretty darn cool.

Football Horror

In my 1+ year of marriage, I've realized there is one thing that is testing our relationship more than any other: we only have one television set.

Can you believe it? All of you reading this in smaller towns across America are probably spitting your drink out right now for the sheer horror/humor of it. You probably have 5+ TV's in your 4+ bedroom home, so you can easily watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills while your husband watches ESPN Sportscenter. But for all of us living in small one bedroom Chicago apartments, we have to agree on what to watch 365 days a year. It ain't pretty.

Last night, Mike looked at me with a smile on his face and glee in his eyes, and said, "Are you pumped to watch football tonight?"

Um, what? It's Thursday night. I thought I escaped that torture until the weekend.

Nope, come to find out, there's football on nearly everyday of the week during season. I'm not just playing dumb, I truly had no idea. He told me with college football, there are some Thursday night games, Friday night games and Saturday games (all day.) For the NFL, there are games all day Sunday, Sunday night, Monday night, and after college football is over, the occasional Thursday night game.

Um, what?

So what you're telling me is that I only have Tuesdays and Wednesdays for RHOBH, RHONY, The Bachelor, Dancing With the Stars, Extra, Access Hollywood, Jersey Shore and any of the other can't miss shows? I don't think it's possible.

I responded with, "Do you realize I'd be perfectly fine if I never watched another football game in my entire life?" He looked shocked and sad, and I realized it's best I saved that nugget of information until after he put a ring on it.

I said, "Look at it this way. You'd die happy if you never had to step inside a multi-floor Macy's ever again."

I think he gets it now.

September 11, 2001--We Will Never Forget

Courtesy:agilescout.com

10 years ago today, I was working at my first job out of college, as a master control operator at the CBS station in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I was in charge of running all the programming and commercials. Since we were 2 hours behind New York City, we were taking a delayed version of The Early Show. For some reason, I turned around and saw the live feed, showing that the first plane had hit the twin towers. I figured it was big, so I switched to a live feed just before the second plane hit.

Because of my job, I ended up watching all 9/11 coverage for 8 hours a day for several weeks. I cried every day, I even stopped wearing make-up, because it ended up running down my face anyway. I heard stories of the families missing a loved one, children who lost their parents, and husbands and wives who called their spouse one last time to say goodbye. It was brutal. I truly believe I left a big part of my innocence in that control room in 2001, realizing for the first time no day is a guarantee and there are some really bad people out there.

10 years later, it still feels so raw, I'm even crying as I write this. But I want to take a moment to thank all the heroes who emerged that day, who without even a second thought, helped save lives.

To Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, Jeramy Glick and the other heroes on Flight 93, we thank you. With the words "Let's Roll", you fought back and kept the plane from hitting perhaps the U.S. Capitol or The White House. Your bravery and sacrifices likely saved thousands of lives. (Click here to watch a really great story on Mark Bingham.)

To Rick Rescorla, a security worker who helped 2,700 people escape despite being told to stay put, we thank you. You ran back in to save more people when the south tower collapsed. Your sacrifices will not be forgotten.

To the countless number of police officers and firefighters who ran into the burning buildings without a moment's hesitation, we thank you.

9/11 did not break us. It has made us stronger and showed what humanity at its finest looks like. We will never forget.




Ew, shots?

I'm getting ready to start grad school in a couple of weeks, and today I came to two horrific realizations: I've already spent thousands of dollars and have nothing to show for it, and before I start classes, I have to get a ton of shots. Are you kidding me?

Yep, I guess in case I go nuts and start biting people, they need to be protected, therefore, I have to get a tetanus shot. (Side note: I actually did get bitten in kindergarten, but I'm guessing grad students have more mature ways of communicating.) I had my tetanus/diphtheria booster in 1995, but they only last 10 years. Dang.

I also had chicken pox as a kid, probably around 1984, but considering my former family doctor is retired, (probably in Florida probably playing golf right now), I really don't have a way of proving it. (Plus, I don't think I even went to the doctor because what's he going to do other than give me calamine lotion?) I have a small scar on my belly, so I wonder if that will prove it?

I also have to prove I've never had tuberculosis. Considering I pass out nearly every time I get needles, I'm hoping I don't have to have blood work for this one.

Who knew going back-to-school was so intense? I feel like I should be waved from all of this because I'm super health conscious. I think they should know I never touch the bars in the El train and I always use hand sanitizers before I eat. Oh, and at the gym, I always move away from the person coughing on the treadmill (and give them a dirty look.) This makes me healthy, right?