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This episode was telling as far as who Ben values. I don’t want to give anything away before you watch the show, so I will sum it all up with the notes I took as commissioner of the Nashville Fantasy Bachelor League.
Used bleeped curse words: Samantha (7), Lindzi C., Blakeley, Jaclyn
Introduction.
Welcome to the 2012 version of the Bachelor! This season features last year’s runner-up, Ben Flajnik (rhymes with ‘panic’). The show opens with a recap of Ben’s proposal to Ashley H. from last season. They quickly move to his life since then which evidently includes sailboats, pick-up trucks and carrying a piece of wood. Ben sets the mood by tickling the keys, the first time we’ve ever seen him on the piano. David Gray’s “This Year’s Love” plays as Ben prepares for what he predicts will “be a hell of a story.” The story that begins now.
Chapter 1: The Tease.
Host Chris Harrison calls the 25 girls Ben will choose from America’s most eligible bachelorettes. How they are more eligible than other single girls will be discussed in the documentary: “You Were Most Eligible. I Was Mostly Desperate. The Story of Ben Flajnik. Preface by Demi Moore.” Honestly, I bet all the girls do a few of these things: 10 Signs Your Date Was a Contestant on the Bachelor.
Chapter 2: Cream of the Crop.
Meet nine of the girls Ben may fall in love with. Lindzi C. rides horses and was once broken up with via text message. Btw, I love horses. Just saw War Horse and cried like a grown man watching his daughter take her first steps, then goes to war and gets tangled up in barbed wire. Hope that doesn’t spoil the movie, but you gotta see it. Amber T. is a tomboy who shoots guns and has a bad girl / princess quality to her. Kacie B. is from Clarksville, TN and is already a fan favorite. I predict top 3 for her. She’s got southern charm and a smile you can trust. I sorta hope she loses, returns to Tennessee and looks for Nashville’s most eligible bachelor:
"War Horse"
Courtney, a model from California, said she deserves a 2-carat engagement ring. Jamie is a nurse who raised her siblings. London Lyndsie has been all over the world and now finds herself at rock bottom in the bachelorette mansion. Jenna, a blogger from New York, is looking to analyze less and date more. Shawn from Phoenix is the only girl we know of that has a son. Nicki from Texas has been married and divorced but promises the next marriage is forever.
Chapter 3. The Limousines.
The girls arrive prom style and all 25 introduce themselves to Ben, except for Anna who said not a word, walking right by as to pique Ben’s interest. Other standouts were Amber who explained her Bacon last name. She’s the Canadian. Emily is working on her phD. Samantha arrives wearing a sash. Holly from Kentucky is wearing a hat the size of a clydesdale while Lindzi C. rides up on a clydesdale. Amber T. says goodbye then walks around again to give Ben a chance for love at second sight. Shira says she knows everything about wine, then can’t answer Ben’s only question about wine. Sheryl from the great generation introduces her granddaughter Brittney. Jennifer spouts out numbers to impress Ben. Kacie B. wins Ben over in only three syllables, calling him by his full name, Benjamin. But I may or may not be talking about Bachelor Ben.
Chapter 4. The Party Begins.
Ben joins the group inside the mansion and first chats with Rachel and her nose ring. Rachel was a good conversation, however the nose ring didn’t say a word. Rude. Nicki the divorced girl chats with Ben as well. Then Lindzi C. chats with Ben about horses. She did enough to earn the first impression rose. Nice one Lindzi and Levi the Horse. Later Shawn takes Ben to play soccer and Blakeley shows her tattoos.
Blakeley's tattoo, pic 1Blakeley's tattoo, pic 2
Dianna blindfolds Ben and feeds him candy from a crumpled paper bag. Emily the nurse flexes her rap skills by dishing out sick lyrics. Or is it phat lyrics?
Chapter 5: Dramatic Interpretations.
Jenna the blogger confronts Monica for not being in love at first sight. Monica gets her goat so much so that they need an amatuer mediator. Rachel officiates the session. Afterwards, Monica spoons with Blakeley which turns me on and off at the very same time. Kacie B. consoles Jenna.
Chapter 6. A Rose By Any Other Name.
Roses went to Lindzi C. earlier, Jamie, Rachel, Blakeley, Emily, Kacie B., Casey S., Brittney, Erika, Shawn, Nicki (good hugger), Jennifer, Elyse, Samantha, Courtney, Jaclyn, Monica and Jenna. Sent home with no rose to call their own were Amber B., Lyndsie J., Amber T., Dianna, Holly, Shira and Anna.
Chapter 7. The Cliffhanger.
Next week there’s more drama, more crying, and a surprise guest! Based on the clip they showed, it looks like Shawntel N. from Brad Womack’s season of the Bachelor. See this picture then go see… War Horse.
In a recent trip to Phoenix, Arizona I had the pleasure of staying in the Best Western Plus in the nearby city of Scottsdale.This is a classy and upgraded version of the Best Western chain. Before you even step foot in your room, you’ll notice the upgrades, mostly in the details of the wall decor, the professional and friendly staff, and the suite feel of each room. This hotel is in nice location with easy access to great restaurants in the downtown Scottsdale area. The two restaurants we experienced were Majerle’s Sports Grill and Zipps Sports Grill. Majerle’s was hands-down the better of the two, offering great pizza, great burgers, and a sporty atmosphere. Zipps served what tasted like leftover microwave pizza, however the atmosphere was nice. Both had plenty of flat screen televisions to catch the game. That is, if you choose to leave the room, with it’s own large flat screen.There was plenty of closet space, including an iron and ironing board. Again, the drawback for me was there were no robes. I didn’t ask the front desk, so perhaps they were available upon request.The beds were quite nice. The king sized mattresses and multiple pillows were very comfortable and provide a good night sleep. As far as the view, there’s not much to see in the surrounding area so that’s not a reason to book this hotel. Another drawback was the outside room entrance. If you prefer the safety of an inside hallway entrance, this is not the hotel for you.The shower was acceptable. They didn’t try anything fancy (like a rainfall shower), but what they offer is comfortable and effective. Another “plus” to the rooms is the addition of a bathtub. Location might make you a bit uncomfortable, but if you like a hot tub, you will like these rooms.Overall, I give this hotel two thumbs up. The next time you’re in the Phoenix or Scottsdale, Arizona area, consider giving this hotel a try, I think you’ll enjoy it.
10. When you get to your company Christmas party, you hear someone announce, “The fruitcake has arrived!” but you brought cookies.
9. Your most recent Facebook status: “my chesnuts havent roasted on an open fire in months. lol”
8. You haven’t shaved your legs since October because, “Hey, it’s winter, I’ll just wear jeans.”
7. At every white elephant party you attend, you launch into a lengthy diatribe about the plight of the albino elephant. Then you storm out.
Full House
6. Christmas morning consists of waking up, eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes, and watching the Christmas episode of Full House, the one where the Tanners get stuck in an airport terminal. Everyone’s worried Santa won’t find them but then a man shows up who looks like Santa. They all think it’s Uncle Joey but then it turns out it was the real Santa.
5. Christmas lights in your yard have no recognizable pattern, until you see them from the air. It reads “Got A Spouse?”
4. You aren’t currently dating anyone.
3. You volunteer to be Santa at the mall and after kids tell you their wish, you tell them your wish is to meet their mom.
2. Your name is Kobe Bryant.
1. You get fired as Santa at the mall when you walk into Victoria’s Secret confessing to the women it’s not a candy cane in your pocket, and yes, you’re happy to see them.
Out of the Wilderness 