Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
Between the bathrobe and the fanny pack is the all important shower. The few minutes I spend there are often accompanied by music. A soundtrack to my shower, if you will. Here’s the current playlist:
“All 4 Love” Color Me Badd
A classic song from the early 90’s. For a entertaining performance of this song on the Arsenio Hall Show, watch the video below. Color Me Badd… a boy band before boy bands were boy bands. Consider them a cross between Boyz II Men and line dancing.
“All Across the Western World” Caedmon’s Call
One of my favorite bands I listened to during college. The band has a heart for people around the world, not just the United States. Some of my favorite songs are about the country and people of India. But they also have gritty, honest lyrics about living a life on the narrow path.
“All These Things That I’ve Done” The Killers
I consider this one of the best songs ever made. I’ve discovered multiple levels of meaning in it, and at times have thought the lyrics were about me. The song has nothing to do with wakeboarding. However in this video, it has everything to do with wakeboarding.
“I’m Scared” Duffy
Of all the songs I have on my computer/iPod/phone this is the only one I will never skip past. I don’t know if it’s her voice or the lyrics, but I must listen to it every time it plays.
“Uprising” Muse
A new favorite of mine. The band performed this song at the 2011 Grammy Awards and since then I’ve heard it on television, at hockey games, and in any situation that requires an adrenaline rush. Great song for the underdog and those fighting against oppression.
“Guiding Light” Muse
My first thought after hearing this song, “Wow.” I won’t lie, I often will listen to the song on repeat while I’m in the car. Four times? Five times? Ten times in a row? It’s not enough to catch the fascinating, compelling details and depth in this song.
“Kiss Your Feet” Delirious?
A fantastic reminder of what’s important. An even more fantastic reminder of WHO’S important. When it comes down to it, we were born for a simple and fulfilling purpose.
“Time for Me to Fly” REO Speedwagon
I’ve been a fan of REO Speedwagon for many years (since the first time I heard “Take It on the Run”). This is a well-written song about a sort of awakening someone has, realizing they’re in an unhealthy relationship and making the choice to move on. Great, great song. It can also be associated with pelicans.
“To Be With You” Mr. Big
Not sure why this is in my playlist other than it’s a song I liked a lot a long time ago. I still don’t know all the lyrics. Let’s be honest, can anyone really go wrong by including a song by Mr. Big? No.
First, thank you so much for reading my recaps. Whether you’ve read since Episode 1 or you randomly came across this to find out who won (Emily) and who’s the next Bachelorette (Ashley H., as revealed on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE), I’m sincerely thankful you chose to click here. Don’t be shy in coming back around. I have posts about everything from The Bachelor recaps to owning a dog to traveling across the country. So, thank you.
If you missed Monday’s season finale, I bet you’ve already discovered who won and who was sent home without a rose. The lovely and classy Emily was the last contestant standing when it was all said and done. I’d like to wish Brad and Emily heartfelt congratulations and hope they beat the odds by staying together, getting married, and actually living happily ever after. They are no different than us because we all deserve more than one chance at finding the person that makes us feel most alive. Whether you are single or not, I do not know, so if you are, don’t give up on chasing someone out of your league. Don’t settle. If finding true love is one of the best decisions a person can make, settling for “good” is one of the worst because it’s not your potential. Don’t settle for what you know you can get. That’s crap. Believe that there’s someone out there better than the dream. Hope for a miracle. Stay positive in the pursuit even when you’re home alone Friday nights. There’s absolutely no reason, not age, not location, not history, not doubt, not mistakes made, no reason to think you’ve missed your chance. The best advice I’ve heard is this…
Don’t worry about finding the right person, be the right person to find.
Genius. So those of you who aren’t married yet, don’t give up. I won’t either. But in the meantime, be good. I should say something to married people, too: I hope you’re with your favorite person in the world and please, please beat the odds. I know this wasn’t really a recap, so click here for a professional and awesome blog about Episode 11.
Initially I wasn’t going to write about anything so personal. There’s a line between being honest with people and sharing too much information, right? For example:
Honest: Today I spent more money than I should of on something I only bought because I’m lonely.
Too Much Information: Today I found an armadillo on the side of the road and ….. well, did you enjoy dinner?
Honest: I was in an argument with a friend of mine, and I was wrong. I need to apologize.
Too Much Information: I was in an argument with a friend of mine because she thinks I need to take showers every day. I need to apologize for ever thinking she can be my friend again.
So yes, there’s an important line to be aware of. Personal hygiene, choice of roadkill dinner, keep that to myself. Noted. But on the way home from work recently I thought about a low point in my life. Those low points just plain suck. They’re not fun. They usually show no signs of being fixed. And if I’m out of it now, I’m barely out of it. Then today it finally made sense: In these low moments, that’s where the foundation is built. You don’t build a house with the roof first. It starts down in the dirt. Even below ground level. It’s messy and sometimes painful. But it’s rock solid and it holds strong.
So please be encouraged the same way I am, that when you feel like you’re at rock bottom, I hope you are. Because it could be part of something bigger happening, and it all starts at the foundation.
Our plane touched down in Las Vegas Thursday early afternoon. Myself and a few colleagues were in town for a 4-day, 3-night stay in The Venetian Hotel. It was not a vacation, but I don’t know how anyone can go to Las Vegas for any reason and not think it’s some variation of a vacation.
My last hotel review was for The W in Chicago, that hotel not earning many points with me, so this hotel had some ground to make up. We left the airport after haggling with Hertz for longer than anybody wanted (I don’t do car rental reviews, but Hertz would get a 1 out of 10 on this trip). The Venetian started gaining points right off the bat, with free parking. A real nice touch when you expect to be spending money for a space to park. We checked in with no problems. The staff were quite helpful. For those needing internet or access to the fitness room, there’s a daily charge for that, but it was less than $20 per day.
I dropped my gear off in my room expecting to give the whole room a once over, but it was so big I didn’t have time to explore. The smallest rooms (what I was in), there are over 600 sq. feet so you’ll never feel cramped in these rooms.
Over the course of the next 4 days, I weighed the pro’s and con’s of the suite, and the attractive parts far outweigh any drawbacks. Let’s start with the most important offering, robes. Two big thumbs up for two complimentary robes: clean, large and soft.
Rooms: The rooms are large, the smallest suite boasting over 600 square feet. Navigating through the hotel can be a bit difficult due to the number of floors, rooms, and the large casino on the main floor. Expect a day or so of getting acclimated to the layout of the casino and hotel stairs and elevators.
Drapes: Yes. Not only did the drapes effectively block outside light, they were powered by a remote control. Very nice when you don’t want to cross into the second room to close them.
Bed: King-size bed with plenty of pillows. Real good.
Shower: Thumbs up. I like the idea of the shower in The W, but for me it just didn’t work. The shower here was simple, but all that was needed. The restroom also featured a separate bathtub, so that’s a bonus.
To sum up, this is a great hotel and I recommend staying here the next time you plan a trip to Las Vegas. Let’s be honest, if you’re coming to Vegas, you’re not coming simply to find a nice hotel, you’re there for the entertainment. Whether it’s gambling, shows, or people watching, the Venetian is in a prime location. It’s across the street from an affordable casino (The Mirage) or you can spend your time and money in the Venetian casino (general higher minimum bets than the Mirage). The Venetian is also host to restaurant row offering lots of good food choices that aren’t over-the-top expensive. There’s also a 24-hour Walgreens located conveniently between The Venetian and The Palazzo Hotel.
If you’ve been to the Venetian and agree/disagree with this review, please feel free to share your feedback. Thanks for reading! For more about The Venetian Hotel Resort & Casino, check out this blog.
“The Bachelor Brad Womack: Women Tell All” episode has more drama than a Las Vegas casino. But a lot less alcohol. I was in Las Vegas recently and went to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. If you remember from the group date in episode 5, this race track is where Brad found out about Emily’s past relationship with Nascar driver Ricky Hendrick. At the track, I didn’t notice any lingering effects from the episode. I only noticed fast cars, cool drivers like Jimmie Johnson, and plenty of Kentucky waterfalls. Click here for 10 signs your date was a contestant on the Bachelor.
Jimmie Johnson in the #48 car in Las Vegas.
“The Women Tell All” is a unique episode in that it’s the first time the girls are “in real life” and can talk about the first 9 episodes of the Bachelor… because they’ve been watching each week just like you and me. But before the show gets started, Chris sets up how things are going to shake out in the next two hours. He starts by tossing to an interview he conducted with Brad. Brad talks about the more notably events of the season including Chantal O.’s slap, Ashley H.’s carnival date, Madison’s fangs, and Shawntel’s funeral directing skills.
Brad about Shawntel asking him to lay on a death bed: “It’s a little awkward. It really was.”
Chris Harrison reveals there will be season 2 of “Bachelor Pad” which includes a cast that throws the craziest parties ever. Then we watch a Bachelor reunion party with lots of familiar faces. Ali and Roberto are there. The tattoo guy Kasey is back and still looking for love. Why hasn’t Kasey found anyone to guard and protect his heart? You mean to tell me his heart has been exposed this whole time? Darn. Maybe Roberto and Ali can help fix it, or just show up to be the example of how winners, win. Winning! Duh! What doesn’t mesh together in my head are the comments from past contestants saying they are all like a big Bachelor family and the some highlights we see of them kissing in the pool or in the mansion. Just call it what it is, “The Bachelor: Sodom and Gomorrah” or “The Bachelor: Kiss and Tell” or “The Bachelor: Kentucky.”
Coming back from a commercial, we are reintroduced to Sarah P., Lisa M., Melissa, Alli, Britt, Marissa, Raichel, Meghan, Stacey, Ashley S., Jackie, Ashley H., Michelle, Madison, and Shawntel N. Over half these girls give some kind of butterfly double hand wave. Weird. The girls reflect on the first night, getting out of the limo and meeting Brad for the first time. Cut to highlights, strictly limited to the backstabbing comments the girls made throughout the season. Back in the “live” studio, Stacey confronts Michelle. Other girls chime in, too. Jackie drops the bomb by telling Michelle she’s not funny. Whoa, Jackie, back off. You can accuse her as a mother, tell her she’s two-faced, even admit you gave her the black eye, but how dare you reject her inner Carrot Top.
Melissa takes the hot seat next to Chris Harrison. They discuss her feud with Raichel. Raichel wins the award for alliteration… friends, frantic, frazzled, freaking everyone out. Jackie pleases the audience by calling Raichel out for blaming Melissa. Ashley S. trumps Jackie with a comment about what kind of behavior guys like and don’t like. The crowd grows tired of clapping. But never tired of these verbal slaps.
Michelle is next to take the hot seat. Chris Harrison gives her a hug. She says she’s suffering from the ugly cry today. She’s unsure what the pretty cry is, though. Michelle fights tears through the interview as the scowling Jackie watches along. The gaggle of girls on stage share their opinions of Michelle, who’s still crying. Michelle explains her sense of humor, and how she’s so misunderstood. Chris Harrison calls her sarcasm a self-defense mechanism. Reminds of Kip learning self-defense in the hilarious movie: Napoleon Dynamite.
Kip trying Rex Kwon Do self-defense.
Stacey attacks Michelle then goes in for the kill. Chris Harrison whips out his man card and tells the girls to shut it so Michelle can regroup and finish the hot seat interview. Are you serious Chris? He just said the hot seat Michelle is sitting on is the hottest seat ever. Is anyone else growing tired of Chris Harrison exclaiming that this next whatever is the most whatever ever? Who does he think we are? Growing up I was told that if you have to keep telling people something is a certain way, it probably isn’t that way. It’s like a joke you have to keep explaining. It’s probably just not funny so it’s not a joke.
Jackie, Stacey and Sarah P. are hounding Michelle, but hey girls, jealousy is much less attractive than you think Michelle is. Bam! You just got consulted. Britt tells it like it is, says Michelle is funny, no one should’ve thought she was really the kind of person she acted to be. After all is said and done with Michelle on the hottest seat ever, she comes off rather normal, don’t you agree? Well, normal for an actress trying to get her name out there. She knew, like we did, that Brichelle just won’t work. It sounds like Michelle but with nasty chest congestion. Brantal or Bremily for the victory.
Ashley S. takes the hot seat next. Is she wearing a silly band? That’s silly.
Ashley S. about Brad saying she wasn’t wife material: “That was such a dagger to my heart. I can’t tell you how bad that comment almost hurt.”
I’m confused. So you’re not telling us what again? I’m going to find out from Chuck Norris if daggers to the heart hurt. Or better yet, I’ll check with his enemies if they hurt or almost hurt.
Chuck Norris.
A tanning bed and a hair makeover later, Ashley H. is next on the hot seat. Let’s see how many words she adds the letter ‘a’ to… secand, upsat, axit, laft, defanse, knaw, yas, mysalf. Ok, that was almost bearable.
Now the man we’ve all been waiting for, Brad takes the stage with Chris Harrison. He wonders who that girl is over there. Haha, I just made you say overwear. Wait… that doesn’t work. Darn. Anyway, the new girl is the new Ashley H. complete with brunette hair, ruby red lips, white teeth and no more “mom hair.”
Brad talks about his relationship with Ashley S., Michelle, and Ashley H. Has Shawntel said a word yet? It’s time for her to say something. She’s the best one there. I wonder if Brad will talk to her. Nope, Chris Harrison tosses to clips of he and Brad at a school in Africa. They donated some kind of solar generator that gives the kids hot water. Amazing. Chris said it right, “A kid is a kid is a kid no matter where you go in the world.”
Brad talks about his relationship with Chantal and Emily. He’s the happiest he’s ever been with those two girls. He won’t say who he proposes to, but he says, “She’s changed my life.” He’s in love and falls more every day. A nice setup for next week’s season finale. Check back here next week for a riveting review of a rose and a rejection. See, I can do alliterations, too. Bam! Winning! Duh!
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Out of the Wilderness 