The Bachelor Brad Womack, Episode 3: Brad Gets A Date With Emily and They Roast Marshmallows So Why Doesn’t Brad Just Propose Right Now To Emily and Run Away Together to the Happy Hills of Marriage Because She’s Awesome.

Episode 3 (01/17/2011)

Ashley S. is cute. Shawntel is pretty darn cool. Madison is not a vampire. Who is Kimberly? Michelle’s the one we love to hate. Emily, ohhhh Emily, when Brad gives you the final rose a sigh will be heard across America. From all the men watching this show.

Shawntel N.
Emily

The main characters this week were Shawntel and Emily. But the episode started with a one-on-one date with Ashley S. The date began at Capitol Records where Brad and Ashley recorded their take on Seal’s “Kissed By A Rose”… which was appalling but cute. Later, a private concert by Seal where he sang the same song and another tender ballad, “Secret.” More later, they kiss.

Group date time! This included Lindsay, Chantal O., Alli, Britt, Kimberly, Sarah, Shawntel, Ashley H., Lisa, Stacey, Marissa and Michelle. They go to a Hollywood studio and film scenes for an Action/Adventure movie. Of course here is where Michelle is upset she has to share Brad with the other girls.

Enter main character #1, Shawntel. She impressed Brad with her acting ability and in a moment they had alone, she was able to tell him about her back story. She cried and they seal it with a kiss. Brad gives her a rose before all is said and done.

End of group date, enter main character #2, Emily. She scores a one-on-one date with Brad and eventually opened up about her past. Brad adores her story and tells her so. At the end of their date, Brad offered her a rose and she accepted.

Here is where Michelle is upset she has to share Brad with the other girls.

A couple of surprise shockers, Brad’s therapist in LA shows up to help him. Madison wants to leave the show. Michelle steals Brad away from someone. Here is where Michelle is upset she has to share Brad with the other girls.

In the end, roses went to: Shawntel, Ashley S., Emily, Michelle, Chantal O, Lisa M., Jackie, Ashley H., Marissa, Britt, Alli, Lindsay, Meghan and Stacey.

Sent home: Kimberly, Sarah P. and Madison.

Martin Luther King, Jr. On the Edge

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. I don’t have work today because of Mr. King. Also, I’m white. Can a white person truly grasp what he did for the civil rights movement in the United States? Probably not fully. But I sure as heck do appreciate it. He left a legacy that’s inspiring, dramatic, honorable, Godly and worthy of recognition. I’m most impressed by his ability to lead on a platform that preached service.

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

He was fearless in his speaking. He was inspired in his preaching. He was humble in his leading. What I can learn from him may not be so much about race, but more about how to be a great human being. I can serve. I can do the right thing when I have the opportunity. Most of what he spoke about were those two things, serving and doing the right thing. It’s a shame the way his life ended. I’m sure if he were still alive today, he’d still be forging ahead making this country better. Perhaps in his death, though, the message became that much more powerful.

“If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

So on this day, celebrate the equality we have in the United States. I don’t care if you’re black, white, brown, yellow, red or blue (you’re welcome Na’vi people), we live in a the greatest country in the world. Part of that is due to the accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr.

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

“If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'”

The Bachelor Brad Womack, Episode 2: Energy Suck.

Episode 2 (01/10/2011)

This episode was a doozy! I had no idea Monday night would be filled with so! much! drama! Between this show and the college National Championship between Auburn and Oregon, I could hardly contain myself. I should say, “We could hardly contain ourselves,” but my friend who watched both events with me wishes to remain anonymous. He’ll deny it, but he’s hooked on The Bachelor. I may quote him from time to time because of his insight into the show, the male mindset and his expertise in the… oh, who am I kidding, he just loves Emily.

I’m assuming you’re familiar with the rules of the show, so I won’t bore you with the same info Chris shared. The first date card arrived at the bachelorette mansion and it was for Ashley H. (Dentist from Philly). The clue: “The road to love is a wild ride.” Brad picked her up in a convertible Aston Martin and they eventually ended up on a dark dirt road. They parked and walked by lantern to a dark field. Ashley flipped a switch to discover carnival rides, all for her. She and Brad did all the things people do at carnivals: ate cotton candy, rode the ferris wheel, took photos together, more cotton candy, whirly doo, vomit behind the ticket booth. Oh, they also had a deep conversation about their past, and if it weren’t for Ashley saying “perfact” instead of “perfect” more than once, I would kinda like her.

Meanwhile the second date card arrived. The clue: “Let’s share something from the heart.” Awwwww, every bachelors dream. It might have well said, “Let’s just talk.” This date was for 15 of the 19 remaining girls. Michelle (Hair Stylist from Utah) was included on this date and revealed she’s got some crazy running through her veins. Even if she’s got a heart, it’s pumping crazy juuuuiiiiiice! She wanted the group date to center around her and her 30th birthday. Well, guess what Crazy Juice, there’s 14 other girls so just calm down. Thank goodness there’s the cool, calm, and collected Melissa (Waitress from Lake Worth, FL) to teach and guide young Michelle. Oh wait, Melissa is crazy too. Darn. Just because you look like the lesser-liked older twin of Gwyneth Paltrow (Actress from Los Angeles) doesn’t mean Brad is going to like you, Melissa. So! much! drama! On the date, the group recorded a few Public Service Announcements for the Red Cross. Notable moments from this date: Britt “Me Kiss You Long Time” Billmaier (Food Writer from Washington) kissed Brad… for a long time. Kimberly (Marketing Coordinator from North Carolina) said about Michelle, “It’s her birthday, she can cry if she wants to.” Kimberly, you would cry, too, if it happened to you. Yes! Great follow up by me.

After the PSA’s were finished, they all partook in a rooftop dinner. At one point, Michelle got Brad away from the other girls. She is so strange. She admitted she wanted to dissect Brad and peel his layers. I don’t know if it was because she frightened him or because she threatened to inject him with crazy, but Brad gave her a rose.

The final date card went to Jackie (Artist from NYC). The clue: “Let’s get our love on track.” The date started when Brad picked her up in a Bentley. They arrived at a swanky hotel and put robes on. Have I ever mentioned how much I love hotel robes? Here’s where I mention it, actually. This date was all about pampering Jackie. She got to choose a dress from a large selection and was allowed to wear a beautiful expensive-looking necklace. The Bentley then brought the couple to the Hollywood Bowl for a private dinner, serenaded by the band Train. Dancing. Kissing. Brad offered Jackie the rose, she accepted. Let’s be real, though. In that situation, Screech could’ve offered her a rose and she would’ve accepted. Am I right or am I right, ladies? Of course Zac would’ve swooped in and kissed her before Screech did, like in that episode where Zac swooped in and kissed a girl before Screech did. Don’t act like you don’t remember.

If you’re curious about the songs performed by Train, the first was “If It’s Love” and the second was “Marry Me.”

Just before the rose ceremony, Crazy Juice stole Brad away from the rest of the girls to ask him if he prefers Starbucks or The Coffee Bean. She already has a rose, what was she doing??? And why did she say “stalked” when asking about Brad’s refrigerator contents? She meant “stocked” but that’s not was she saaaaiiiiiid. Girl is crazy.

Somehow Brad escaped and spent time with Emily (Hospital Event Planner from North Carolina). Clearly emerging as the fan favorite, Emily and Brad remind me a lot of Ali and Roberto. Ali was giddy from the very beginning, and Brad admitted he can’t find the right words to say when he’s with Emily. She’ll be on this show a long time. As will Ashley S. (Nanny from NYC) who showed a lot of maturity when she attempted to diffuse the cat fight between Melissa and Raichel (Manscaper from California). Niether of them could let it go and the Needy Juice flowed. Yes, yes… they cried. Melissa confided in Madison (Model from Brooklyn). One thing I’ve learned, never trust a vampire (Model from Brooklyn). I’ve also learned more about what an energy suck is.

Quote of the episode
Melissa: “She’s just like, such an energy suck. I’m sorry, I had onions in my pizza… and I had four slices.”
Brad: “Sounds good.”

In the end, roses went to (Ashley H., Michelle, Jackie, Emily) Shantal O., Sarah P., Alli, Kimberly, Shawntel N., Stacey, Ashley S., Madison, Lisa, Marissa, Meghan, Lindsay and Britt.

Melissa, Raichel and Keltie were sent home without a rose.

Hotel Reviews: The W in Chicago, Illinois

January 2011

If you have the opportunity to visit Chicago, do it. Even at the start of a cold January, the city was great. I’m a warm weather kind of guy, so I need to visit in the summer, as well, but from the food to the sights to the history of the city, I was impressed with all it had to offer. If you’re looking for a good burger, try Kuma’s Corner. Another good restaurant is the Weber Grill Restaurant (little known fact: Weber brand grills began in Chicago). If you’re looking for a great tour, try Chicago Trolley Company. They offer a 15 stop tour on a double decker bus all around Chicago. Ask for Lance Romance to be your tour guide, he’s great. If you’re looking for a great view of the city, try the Sky Deck in the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). You won’t be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a pleasant hotel, I would not recommend the W on Lake Shore Drive, near the Navy Pier.

I arrived on Thursday afternoon to begin a four day work trip in Chicago. After unpacking my gear, I was ready for a short siesta. I went to close the drapes and learned there are none. Only transparent shades that block maybe half the light coming in. There’s no way to make the room completely dark. Overlooking that and still attempting to rest a bit, I climbed in the king size bed and it was comfortable for the most part. I like having a lot of pillows and the bed offered me plenty. Unfortunately, I found a few strands of hair on the bed. I chalked it up as the maid’s and I overlooked that, too. What I couldn’t overlook, or more specifically, overhear was the sound of construction across the street. To me, there’s nothing worse than the shrill clang of hammers hammering, large drills drilling, and big trucks backing up when I’m trying to sleep. Beep beep beep… and on it went. I’ll give the W the benefit of the doubt, since it was out of their control.

After my short nap, it was time to get ready for the events of the evening. What does that mean? A visit to the shower fairy. My room offered a walk-in shower (no door) and a rain-style shower head. While I like the idea of warm water falling all around me, this shower was not that. If warm rain was a great dane, this was a min pin. The water fell in an eight inch radius and the best way I can describe it is this: if your right side was warm, your left side wasn’t. If you’re front was warm, you’re backside wasn’t. It was impossible for your whole body to be comfortable all at the same time because there wasn’t enough water to make it happen. And if you’re like me, I wash my hair and face with a cooler temperature than I wash my body, but with the water coming straight down from above, I either had to duck my head out or keep the water on a cooler temp. Neither idea was enjoyable. There was no bathtub. Free internet was not offered in the rooms, however it was offered in the hotel lobby.

To be fair, there were some attractive things about my stay in the W. My room offered an mp3 plugin to play my iPod through the room stereo, which helped drowned out the sound of construction. They had a complimentary robe for me to get comfortable in, which I did. While showering took some effort, the water was pleasantly hot. And they offer a complimentary service called “Whatever/Whenever.” This service included free rides provided by Acura to anywhere within 5 miles of the hotel. “Whatever/Whenever” also included free movie rentals (using the in-room dvd player). The hotel also extended a free printer service for all your document printing needs.

Good:
mp3 plugin
robe
walk-in shower
“Whatever/Whenever” service
hot water
free printing

Bad:
construction noise
walk-in shower, no door
rain water shower head
free internet only in lobby
no bathtub
no window shades

To sum up, if all you’re looking for is a large bed to sleep in, the W should be just fine. However, if you’re looking for an escape, a place to relax and forget the troubles of “the real world,” the W is not the hotel for you. Too many little frustrations that won’t sit well with you. Thanks for reading and let me know if you agree/disagree or have a different experience at this hotel in Chicago.

Learn Slow But Steadfast

I have no fear of drowning, it’s the breathing that’s taking all this work.
“Work” by Jars of Clay

I was laying in a bed around midnight but before I drifted off to sleep, I said a few little prayers. Those are often times my most honest conversations with the Lord. In fact, there are days I get down on my knees to pray before going to sleep and after the “Amen,” I climb in bed and that’s when the real praying begins. I confess to Him my desires, hoping that Psalm 145:19 is a promise I can count on. I’ve leaned on it in the past and God did not fail me, so I put a lot of hope in that being the case each time I cast my cares on Him. This particular midnight prayer came after attending the Chicago world premiere of “The Dilemma” starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder and Channing Tatum.

Ticket to World Premiere of The Dilemma

There’s a scene in the movie where Vince Vaughn’s character has a honest conversation with God. He says something like this: I know I’m supposed to give you things, but I just can’t give you this.” I was surprised by the emotional scene in a movie that was marketed as a comedy. I could’ve been Vince Vaughn sitting on the bus bench in that scene. He was in the middle of a dilemma (is that surprising?) without a good solution to fix it. When he was at his lowest, he turned to God for help. I loved that. Returning to the hotel afterwards, I watched a little television, then went down for the night. As I prayed, I thought about the things that I’ve given over to the Lord, and the things I haven’t. What I’m holding with an open hand, and what I won’t let go of. I was compelled to raise an open hand as I laid there, to loosen the grip on what I think I have control over. But to open my hand, to let go, is to no longer have control. It’s living out of control.

I didn’t raise my hand that night. I’ve chosen to hold onto the snake that keeps biting me for another day. Maybe the venom won’t kill me. When will I trust Him enough to open a raised hand so he can put bread in it?

How long till suffering makes me steadfast?