The Bachelorette Recap episode 3, season 8 – Emily

Posted in Television & Movies, The Bachelor/Bachelorette Recaps by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

I didn’t get a chance to watch this week’s episode of The Bachelorette on Monday but I was still giddy to sit down and watch it all play out – for some reason, I’m really invested in this season and I’m still hopefully optimistic despite Emily seeming like she’s not willing to get too deep, thereby making it difficult to truly connect with anyone. In any case, the dates were super fun.

One-on-One Date: Chris – “Love is a steady climb.”
Out walking the streets of Charlotte, Emily notes feeling unbelievably comfortable with Chris despite his intimidatingly dashing good looks. They climb the wall of a tall building to get to their dinner spot with a view. Mid-climb a storm starts. Thunder. Lightning. Crowd forming below them. Emily freaking out. They make it to the top and feel a huge sense of accomplishment but Chris thinks he missed his moment for a triumphant kiss. I agree.

Later plying Chris with compliments (likely to try to get some in return), Emily says taht he’s a confident, manly man and “if I saw you across a bar, I would not talk to you…I mean, I would be too nervous to talk to you.” Chris gives a little eyebrow raise and makes it pretty darn clear he’d run across the room to talk to her.

But, there’s trouble on the horizon when asked about past relationships and Chris shares his last significant other was his high school sweetheart. She’s not the problem; it’s his age. Emily is clearly saddened to learn that he’s only 25 (a whole year younger than her…gasp!) and now he’s so nervous that he spills out words to prove he’s mature and ready to be a husband and father. Emily says she likes Chris a lot more than she thought she would.

They stroll down the street and happen upon a Luke Bryan (yummy!) concert in downtown Charlotte. Chris really wanted a kiss and out of respect for her asks if he can kiss her at the end of the song and she tells him to go on and give it a try. Looked like it went over pretty well to me but gosh, I sure hate it when they ask for a kiss. Isn’t it proper ruling that if you have to ask it’s probably not okay?

Group Date: Charlie, Alejandro, Stevie, Ryan, Alessandro, Sean, John, Michael, Doug, Jef, tony, and Travis – “Let’s play.”
Emily introduces the guys to her best girlfriends so the girls can grill ’em to weed out the suckers. It seems like they are getting some pretty good info from the guys, including what some of them look like without shirts. We don’t learn until later in the show that Alessandro made an interesting subject. Cheated? Yup. Had a one night stand? Yup. Sean, Doug and Ryan are the friend favorites.

“Sean is a genetic gift to the world.” – Emily’s friend, Wendy getting a little saucy.

Emily blows a whistle and lets a bunch of kids loose in the park (seriously, whose kids are these?). While the guys entertain the kiddos, Ryan saunters over to the gals and somehow manages to mention Emily better not get fat because he’d still love her but maybe wouldn’t love on her as much. Ooh ouch. No brownie points for you.

Later on, Sean gets some alone time with Emily. He sure is shiny! He says he hasn’t dated anyone in a year because he’s really selective and looking for what his parents have. He seems too good to be true in all regards but I don’t know that the family card (aside from being a father to Ricki) really wins over Emily – she doesn’t talk too much about any other family than her daughter.

Doug the dad gives his 10 minute life story, tells Emily his dad had epilepsy, his mom left. He has a sister. They were in and out of foster homes. Emily tears up (too much depth, I think).

“You have bad days so you know when you have good ones.” – Doug, the profound father.

Tony is visibly upset, missing his son while he’s out playing with other people’s kids. After tearing up talking to Emily about his son then breaking down after calling his son,Emily finds him and tells him to go home. In the nicest possible way. But really, get outta here.

Date rose goes to Sean for being true to what he made himself out to be. [super hunky.]

One-on-One Date: Arie – “Love is a wild ride.”
I’m sure that Arie was stoked to hear that phrase on the date card. And I’m also sure he was pretty disappointed to find out they flew all the way to Tennessee to go to Dollywood, a big, southern theme park. They head into a theater to write love songs to each other and surprise, surprise! Dolly is there! She sings a song she’s written just for them. [no, it’s not good in case you were wondering.] They dance horribly. I mean wow, that’s bad. But Emily is all smiles. Dolly and Emily have a little girl talk and then Dolly plays them a love song she wrote for her husband of 46 years. “From here to the moon and back.” You can bet you’ll be hearing that song again sometime this season.

At dinner that night Emily asks Arie more about the girl he dated with two kids (they lived together and it was serious but the relationship didn’t work. Yes, he misses the kids). Arie asks Emily about Brad and why that didn’t work. Moving on quickly, Emily says she likes her own space so she’d be welcoming of Arie’s busy schedule. [read: I want a man to provide for me, but I don’t want him around …maybe why Emily never made the move to live with Brad?]. Emily tries to trick Arie into believing she was sending him home. They make out on the carousel and Emily confesses she’s scared by how much she likes him already and by how much he reminds her of Ricki’s dad. I see a top contender, folks!

Cocktail party
When Emily gets alone time with sad boy Kalon who didn’t get a date this week, he dominates the conversation, repeatedly cuts her off and talks over her. He doesn’t help when he starts in on the “I always believed that my first child would be my own…” speech. And then, the best part comes when Emily tries to partake in the conversation…

“I love it when you talk but I wish you’d let me finish.” – Kalon, getting feisty

“I do like tall, skinny and funny but I do not like tall, skinny and condescending.” -Emily, getting real

Most importantly: I figured out who Kalon looks like. Any guesses?? See below.

I thought the egg spashing scene would be a lot more cathartic. Turns out, no. It wasn’t.

Alessandro confesses he doesn’t have experience with kids and digs a deep hole he can’t crawl out of by informing Emily that becoming a dad and a husband are compromises because he’d be tied down…the conversation went a little like this:

Allessandro: “Yes, being a dad and a husband is a compromise. I can’t travel, I can’t go anywhere….[Emily interjects to make sure she’s understanding correctly] …wha? No. Aah, no no. We’re not having language barrier issues. I’m expressing myself.”

Emily: “And now you’re going home.”

Alessandro: “I’m living like a gypsy king with freedom.”

Emily is upset for all of 30 seconds until Arie consoles her with a big hug and kiss. And now the other guys are fuming. Front-runner competition for sure! Plus, he’s got the whole racing thing on his side…I can see why the guys are freaking out.

Arie may have come in with a kiss and a hug, but Sean comes in as a knight in shining armor, telling Emily that his father taught him how to be an amazing father and that he would feel blessed to have Ricki as a daughter and if they were to get married. Furthermore, he proclaims (without even having met her yet), that if he becomes a stepdad to Ricki, she can call him whatever she’d like but to him, she’d be his daughter. Aww…a little too soon, but sweet.

Roses:
Chris
Sean
Arie
Jef
Charlie
Doug
Michael
Travis
Alejandro
Ryan
John
Kalon
Nate

Stevie goes home. Ryan is a little heartbroken about seeing Emily kissing Arie so he’s ready to get competitive.

Next up: In Bermuda for cliff jumping, fireworks, bonfires, yachts, boats, racing, cliff jumping. Chris and Doug get in a tiff (a two-on-one date, perhaps?), and the guys question Ryan’s integrity.

Who does Kalon look like? Ryan Phillippe. Like Ryan Phillippe in Cruel Intentions, right?

2nd Anniversary in San Fran

Two years ago my best girlfriends and I went to San Francisco for my bachelorette weekend getaway. Minus Sunday morning napping on a couch in the hotel lobby and the nauseating plane ride home, it was all the perfect fun and laughter this bride-to-be could handle. We had champagne in our room with a view of Union Square, got dressed up like flappers and went to Bourbon & Branch in the Tenderloin (no matter we didn’t know they didn’t serve food – we found an awesome pizza place open late!), went out dancing, had a marvelous breakfast downstairs at Sears Fine Food, a delicious dinner at Pinnocchio Trattoria where our waiter and some foreigners called us all “Bella” throughout the evening…oh, it was just lovely!

This past weekend was another such lovely trip to the Frisco Bay. Wedding related, yes, but oh-so-different. Mumbles and I flew to San Fran for our second anniversary and were so lucky to spend quality time with our cousin/friends Ryan & Page and our friend from college, Muki. The weather was gorgeous; so much so in fact that it almost felt like we could manage living there (we couldn’t; I think 75° is cold sometimes plus the wind and my hair? Forgedaboudit.).

We had a delicious lunch outdoors on the patio at Momo’s across the street from AT&T Park, home to the Giants. I had the most delicious Basil Ginger Lemonade and now I crave it every day! Following our lunch, we took a stroll around the ballpark and even got to watch an inning in the outfield from this neat little tucked in space where you can look on through the fence or watch a flat screen tv (very cool that you don’t even have to pay!).

That night our friend Muki picked us up and took us for a drive through the Financial District and to dinner at House of Nanking, a very popular place – so popular that you line up outside on the street to get in and then are seated alongside other diners at tables pushed together. It was intimate, funky and fun, plus the food was delicious!

After dinner Muki played chauffeur and took a drive up to Coit Tower for phenomenal views of the city.

The next morning, Ryan, Page, Mumbles and I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge up a windy mountain road to get to Muir Woods for a glorious hike through redwoods.

Our destination was the Nature Friends Tourist Club for Maifest. They are celebrating their 100 year anniversary and we were happy to join in the festivities with beer, sausages, sauerkraut, pretzels, cabbage, and polka. Hikers, hipsters, and lederhosen all mashed together in one place…too much fun!

Cheers to love, fun adventures, beautiful weather, great friends, and weekend getaways!

Be sure to check out Page’s charming blog, Page on Paper, and tell her how awesome she is. (She is, promise).

The Bachelorette Recap, episode 2 season 8

After last week’s first episode and meeting of the men vying for Emily’s affection, I told you that Ryan was one of my favorites. And what do you know? This week, hunky former football player is up first for a one-on-one date.

One-on-one date: Ryan — “Be my King in the Queen’s city”
If it’s even possible, I swoon even more when Ryan advises the other men: “My pastor always told me, ‘If you treat a woman like a queen she’ll treat you like a king.'” Sigh…

Before their date, Emily tells us that Ryan makes her nervous because he’s so good looking. I agree. But, she also worries that he may be a little bit too much like Brad, and in that sense, she hopes his dashing good looks don’t get in the way of good judgment. Good luck with that, sweetheart.

Emily takes Ryan home to her house, pulls into the driveway and tells Ryan to unload the groceries. Not exactly the helicopter/plane/hot air balloon ride be was hoping for, but we can guess there will plenty of that later on this season.

On their date – a ploy to help Emily see how Ryan might fit into her everyday life and for Ryan to see what it’s like to bake cookies for her daughter’s soccer team, Ryan is put to the test in a floral apron. Emily delcares approval on the batch while the other men sit around and ponder whether Emily will introduce Ryan to Ricki. When Emily and Ryan arrive at Ricki’s soccer game, Emily asks Ryan to wait in the car, as she’s not ready for her daughter to meet any of her suitors yet. Ryan is very humble and says he was honored to be part of her normal day and respects that she asked him to wait in the car. Aww cute.

The second part of their date takes place at one of Emily’s favorite restaurants in Charlotte. A throng of people await Emily’s arrival to the restaurant like red carpet movie screening. Inside, Emily asks Ryan about his girlfriend, which I thought was odd. He quickly corrects her (“ex-girlfriend”) and it didn’t come across correctly but I liked Ryan’s answer about wanting to keep chasing a woman – his point that the chase shouldn’t end just because you end up together was a bit lost on Emily…maybe that’s why things haven’t worked out for her in the past? In any case, she flirtily tells Ryan that if it’s a chase he wants, it’s a chase he’ll get.

“I want a man to come in and be the boss…but we’d both really know I’m in charge.” – Emily, with a sly smile.

They have a cute little banter back and forth about chasing one another. They go outside the restaurant where Gloriana is playing “(Kissed You) Good Night.” Emily says it was a perfect date. No kiss but a cute little dip at the end of the song to go along with that rose on his lapel.

Group date with 13 guys: “Let’s set the stage for love”
It’s always awkward in the beginning when we and Emily don’t know all the guys’ names and here she is welcoming them all to this group date with a receiving line of hugs. The Muppets will be guiding the guys through singing, dancing and comedy for a show to raise money for Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.

Charlie is very insecure because he’s still having speech issues as part of his recovery from the accident. He finds Emily to tell her that he doesn’t feel comfortable and she is supportive and understanding. I gotta say though, he didn’t have to be insecure – everyone was awful. Stevie enjoys the dancing the most (he’s got jazz hands). The comedians weren’t funny. Charlie was smooth but I wonder if now he will only get pity from Emily?

Chris seems to feel that he and Emily already have a strong connection. Emily says one of her favorite things about him is that he’s so good looking. I have a feeling that this season is going to be even more shallow than I thought.

Emily sought out Jef to find out why he’s playing hard to get. He seems really insecure but she thinks he’s cute, and to be honest she seems pretty insecure too, fishing for compliments from everyone.

Kalon aka “Chopper” cuts in on Stevie’s dance lesson and Jazz Hands is pissed. Just moments later Aaron cuts in on Chopper, which he is devastated by because they were having such an amazing conversation, he and Emily, both being falsely humble and batting eyelashes at one another (“you’re so pretty! no, you’re so pretty!”)…ugh, those two together are too much.

Jef gets the date rose for making Emily feel happy and comfortable. Chris [and all of America] is perplexed by this.

One-on-one date: Joe — “Come close to my heart”
They totally should have played “take my breath away” because Joe looks like the wind got knocked out of him when he pulls up in a limo to see Emily standing on a red carpet next to a plane. They fly to West Virginia, Emily’s home state, to go to the Greenbriar. They suit up and dive in.

Kalon says he doesn’t know how he’d feel about being a dad to someone else’s kid and the dads in the house give some words of wisdom to the group. Kalon accuses them of putting being a dad on hold to come on the show. That doesn’t go over well.

Emily knows already that there is a spark missing with Joe. When asked what he wants in 5 years he says to be happy with no regrets about his relationships and career. When she asks what that means he has no answer. Trying to mask the fact that Joe has no clue what he wants except to sleep with a hot chick, she totally freaks him out when she says she wants more kids. A lot more.

“It’s not about five years from now, it’s about fifty years from now.” -Emily

Emily is crying because she’s in this magical place she loves and Joe wrote a beautiful love wish for the love clock that said all the things she wanted to hear but she doesn’t know about him [read: isn’t attracted to him] and so he has to read between the lines and excuse himself. He walks away like it was a business deal, thanking her for the opportunity. And the awkward is amplified when the fireworks go off and she’s standing on the balcony alone.

Sean, Arie and one other guy (Travis?) didn’t get dates this week but my guess is Arie has nothing to worry about.

Cocktail party:

Arie gets alone time and tells Emily he dated a girl that had two kids and she is impressed.
The guys are pissed because Ryan already has a rose and is alone with her. Tony walks in to interrupt and while Ryan acknowledges that Tony deserves time with her, he urges Emily to read a letter he’s writter her. (Umm..can’t she read it later?) It’s painful to see Tony stand there for what had to have been twenty minutes while Emily reads (aloud!) all of the thoughts and dreams and aspirations that Ryan has put to paper. It’s akin to Rachel’s letter to Ross, 18 pages front and back. Too much, buddy.

Roses:
Ryan
Jef
Kalon aka “Chopper”
Arie
Michael
Nate
Sean
Chris
Doug, the Dad
Travis
Tony
John
Alessandro
Charlie
Alejandro
Stevie aka “Jazz Hands”

Going home: Aaron the biology teacher from Long Beach and Kyle also from Long Beach. That’s saying something. Maybe they got a two-fer deal on plane flights back home?

Next week:
Egg drop soup, anyone?
One guy misses his kid, one guy wants a kid, another would compromise for a kid…Plus, roller coasters, Dolly Parton, it looks like Arie and Chris get dates, and a storm is a brewin’!

18May2012

Meet Jane

Posted in For the Home, Thoughts & Stories by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in May I was driving on the freeway on my way home. I was tired. Mumbles was away and we had errands to run later that day. While part of me just wanted to be at home relaxing with Baxter, the part of me controlling the steering wheel decided to make a stop at a local Goodwill store to see if anything caught my eye…maybe something but nothing in particular for BFOTB‘s baby shower. Perusing the store, I found a lovely set of martini glasses (perfect!) and something else I now can’t recall but it’s nonethematter because the real story here is Jane.

This is Jane, right where I found her at a Goodwill store, sitting in the back corner next to the fitting rooms, intimidated by a daunting, head-high organizer stuffed full of bras.

Non-chalantly waltzing my way through the aisles of furniture I might want to pick up on the cheap to paint or refinish (despite the fact that I have no room in our house for any new furniture), I decided to take a gander around the other side of the store just to be sure I hadn’t missed any hidden treasures. And I had. There, quietly sitting beside a wobbly stand-alone shelf of bras, somewhat blocked by a rolling wardrobe organizer in front of a wall full of discarded framed artwork, was Jane. At this point, we hadn’t been formally introduced but she was soft and lovely, with a mid-century retro elegance I was immediately drawn to. Calm but excited I promptly but gently lifted the cushion to inspect – dusty but otherwise clean. Smell? Just the must of solitude, clearly unattended, alone for some time before finding her way here. A match? I thought so. So I sat. Comfortable. Confirmed. My mind, at this point half made up, was only further so decided when I saw her bright price tag sticker on her arm: $24.99. Underappreciated? Well, yes, certainly here. It was all too easy. Still sitting, purse in my lap, claiming my prize, smile on my face, I got out my phone and dialed my mother – surely she’d appreciate this event and help me sort through my racing brain’s conversation, which in the span of 4 seconds went something like this:

“It’s in such good condition! Well, then why is it here? Maybe someone didn’t have room for it anymore. I don’t have room for it anywhere! It’s so retro and chic! Is that person eying my chair? I’d pay hundreds for a chair like this out of a catalog. $24.99? Really? Something must be wrong. I don’t care. I want it.“

I sent my mom a photo of my big find. She gave the advice of a loving, supportive friend (which she is): “You sound like you love it. Get it. It will make you happy. And, as your Grammy would say, ‘It’s too good of a deal to pass up!'” She offered to let me store it in my old room at their house so I immediately asked a store attendant for assistance to purchase and take it home. They put the chair at the front desk where to my bewilderment she received attention from many-a-passing-shoppers. I hastily and happily made my way to the front to join others in line. Arms full of other goods, I noticed the woman in line behind me hefting a floor length ornate mirror. I smiled. Taking my smile as an invitation to talk, she relished in sharing her delight to find such a huge mirror for an amazing price, a perfect fit for her entryway. Knowing her joy and beaming in it, I smiled, congratulated her on her score and in return, she gestured toward my arms and complimented my finds.

“Oh, this isn’t even the best part – I found an amazing chair! It’s right over there,” I exclaimed, gesturing toward my prize. With what I could see was a glaze of tears almost filling her eyes she told me, “that’s my chair – well, it was my mother’s chair – I just dropped it off here a few hours ago.”

The conversation rallied between a solemn appreciation and a delightful enjoyment of this special moment.

“I’m so happy to be meeting you. My mother loved that chair and she would be so happy to see you with it, such a lovely young woman,” she told me.

I assured her of my appreciation for the chair, told her I fancy myself an old soul, and that my husband and I are coming up on our second anniversary, our first year living in our first home. Still smiling, slowly inching forward in line toward the register, she shared that her mother had greatly cared for the chair, and after I mentioned it being in such good condition she informed me that her mother had just had it reupholstered. In fact she had helped pick out the fabric; her mother insisting it stay true to it’s original 1960’s look, and then, sadly, that once back in her mother’s home that the chair had not been sat in, her mother soon passed away.

“May I ask your mother’s name?” I inquired.

“Jane,” she replied with a firm fondness in her voice.

I told her of the coincidence and again of my joy in this moment – having just called my mother to share my good fortune with her. My mother whose middle name is Jane. Brightly, she smiled and laughed.

“My mother would be so happy,” she said.

We waited and chatted just minutes more – I noticed a few people passing by the chair, inquiring of its availability for purchase while the attachment I felt already had me panicked, my heart overflowing with sentimental pride of near possession. I let it go and turned back to Jane’s daughter to say to her genuinely that I was so pleased to have met her, to have learned a bit of her mother’s story, and to have shared a real connection with her that day. When I arrived at my parents’ home just a few miles away, my mom laughed upon seeing the sparkle in my eyes and the chair in her driveway.

“You are such an old soul,” she proclaimed. Not new news. “My family had a sofa just like this when I was growing up, except with a putrid orange color in it.”

Once upstairs, my dad came to investigate.

“Hey, where’d you find the chair?” he asked, somewhat perplexed, as if my mother had been storing this chair somewhere unbeknownst to him since the late 60’s just waiting for the right time to bring it back out again. “I had a couch like that when I was little but there was some blue in it.”

“Her name is Jane,” I told them before sharing bits of the story I had just lived, a memory I already cherished sweetly.

We laughed, the three of us, together in my old room looking at how oddly it did seem to fit right there, matching the decor, proudly at home next to a photo of me with my mother and her mother, in the room I spent some good years growing up in.

Jane in my old bedroom at my parents’ house. Looks like she fits right in next to a photo of me as a child with my beautiful mom and Grammy.

15May2012

The Bachlorette Recap episode 1, season 8 – Emily

Posted in Television & Movies, The Bachelor/Bachelorette Recaps by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

Friends, hello! Welcome to this new season of The Bachelorette! As I’ve said before, I’m really looking forward to this season with Emily because, well, let’s face it, she’s crazy gorgeous and has a darling southern accent which is sure to mean some ridiculously good lookin’ fellas chasing after her. Are you excited about Emily as The Bachelorette? It’s not surprising, seeing as she was such a big fan favorite but it’s also hard to forget the two-faced personality rumors we see swirling the blogosphere and tabloids. And also her lackluster dates with Brad…they weren’t exactly conversation heavy or emotion filled. Well, despite the fact that last night’s episode did not air until 9:30pm (take note Bachelor people: working ladies who love wine tend to adore sleep, especially on Mondays. How about an 8pm timeslot, huh? Mmkay, good talk. Thanks.) I was still eager. So, here we go!

THE BACHELORETTE-Episode 801-(ABC(CRAIG SJODIN) EMILY MAYNARD

Season 8 Bachelorette Emily Maynard (photo cia Craig Sjodin/ABC)

The intro to this season is exactly what you’d expect – Emily looking lovely and polished, doting on daughter Ricki, retelling her tragic story of love lost via plane crash then found via daughter then lost via loneliness after 7pm when said daughter goes to bed, then found on The Bachelor only to be lost again due to a violent temper. Still with me? Perhaps the most entertaining part of all of this for me is that Emily is 26 (wow, that’s still surprising, right?) and has been engaged twice but she still fiercely proclaims that “being engaged is something that’s really special and should be saved for the person you’re going to marry.” [yes, Emily, hence, the meaning of engaged to be married. Where is Chris Harrison when you need him to explain something?]

Chris says this season is unlike any other but so far it’s only different because
a) it’s in Charlotte instead of LA and
b) they’ve never had a single mom Bachelorette. [apparently single dad Jason Mesnick was nothing like this season.]

Here’s what we know about the men from their intro videos, just-out-of-the-limo greetings, and cocktail hour time:

Kalon – for a split second appears to be a James Franco/Jude Law lookalike, a self-proclaimed modern southern gentleman who rightly pisses everyone off when he arrives via helicopter. Even Emily shows a bit of humor throwing in a line about “being blown away” by the guys.
Ryan — former NFL player, mentors kids, has a darling dog.
Tony — He’s a single dad who is super buff and divorced. I think I’ll call him Guipetto. He sells wood and apparently likes fairy tales – he brought a glass Cinderella slipper.
Lerone — lives in LA with a little pup, likes to run. Says Emily being a single mom is the sexiest thing about her, which really creeps me out. (Also, he’s quite apparently one of three token non-caucasian guys thrown in the mix so ABC can avoid further lawsuits about discrimination. Read this article: “Emily Maynard in room full of suitors. The main thing missing? Minorities.“)
David — singer/songwriter (ugh…we see a serenade session coming soon…more wine, please!). To our gathered group, this guy looks like a poor woman’s Jesse Katsopolis.
Charlie — survived an accident but sustained a serious brain injury, has a dog, reevaluating life and looks like a serious contender.
Jef — with one ‘f’, a young Marty McFly-esque skateboarder, CEO/co-founder of People Water (normally I wouldn’t like to a site for self-promotion of a contestant, but it’s a charity so have at it) , from Utah
Arie — sexy race car driver. Ooh. Ouch. Too soon? We findout when he tells Emily to get it all out in the open. She’s touched he thought to bring it up so soon and not long after she’s pondering just how good he’d look behind the wheel.
First out of the limo is Sean with swagger. A saunter, if you will. I don’t have much else for you on that one, sorry.
Doug — charity director from Seattle. He’s a hugger with an 11-year-old boy who wrote Emily a cute little letter. Smooth.
Jackson — a fitness model. Got down on one knee right away and Emily is not impressed. Dude, she’s been engaged twice already…not original. And to further prove he’s an all-around cliche he quotes: “life is not measured by the breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away.” Goodbye, Jackson.
Joe — Field energy advisor from LA. Reminds me of Jesse, the snowboarder that won Deanna’s season. Also looks like he’s had his hair pulled back in a headband for quite some time, like teeny bopper guy on the voice that really bugged me. Or maybe James Van Der Beek.
Kyle – anyone remember anything about this guy?
Chris – brings up God pretty quickly which I think scores points pretty quickly with Emily. Plus, he seems like a romantic, having asked his parents for advice before the show.
Aaron — biology teacher that wants to have chemistry with Emily.
Alessandro — from brazil. Eww.
Stevie — party MC. Double eww.
Granny gets out of the limo. It’s Randy, a marketing manager from Hermosa. Goodbye, Randy.
Nate — A vague “account executive” from LA who Emily thinks is so cute she almost swoons as he walks away.
Brent — wore a name tag to make it easy. Thanks.
John “Wolf” – a data destruction specialist. That sounds hardcore. I hope he goes by Wolf all season, however short a time that may be.
Travis – this guy shows up with an egg. A big one. Dragon egg style like in Harry Potter (which scores points with me and BFOTB). It’s a symbol of Emily and Ricki and how he’s gonna take care of the egg like he would them. You know, like a 7th grade science project.
Michael — Rehab counselor. Looks cute but his hair is long and stringy a la Ashton Kutcher.
Jean-Paul — marine biologist. Who does this guy look like? It’s killing me that I can’t figure it out…
Alejandro — Latin lover from Columbia who wins Emily over with words which she can’t understand.

Roses:

First impression rose: Doug
Chris
Ryan
Kalon
Arie
Charlie
Jef
Nate
Sean
Joe
Kyle
Aaron
Alejandro
John “Wolf”
Alessandro
Michael
Stevie (woof)
Tony
Travis

I can’t remember who he is exactly because I thought he was kidding the first time he said it, but one guy was 41 with 6 kids. He did not get a rose. Clearly.

Highlights from the upcoming season: castles, archery, kilts, kissing, sailing, sightseeing, beaches, Emily tells someone to “get the f&$! out?” (my gosh, I cannot wait to see this episode!), lots of guys crying (gonna need to stock up on wine for that!), Dolly Parton, and of course, lots o’ drama.

We pick Ryan and Arie for the final two. Who are your favorites? Think Engagement #3 is in store for Emily at the end of this season?