So the following is my full recap of my Martha Day! I would have had this up earlier had I not been sidelined with a migraine today. I’m sure I’m leaving some things out by accident, and I know I’m leaving some things out on purpose cause I’m just afraid of Martha 🙂

We arrived at the studio WAY too early, but that gave us time to walk around New York. I was with my friends J and K and new friend R (yes, all women). We walked around NY to kill the time. We did find out that Hugh Jackman was the guest, someone we thought might be based on the the upcoming guests were. We were very excited!

We finally came back to the studio around the time we were told. I was getting a headache at this point, I pop some pills to be safe. I also used Martha’s studio bathroom before the show. I was NOT impressed! As J who also used it commented, not a Martha quality bathroom! It was basically your run of the mill restroom.

We are finally, after a long wait, taken into the studio. Of course we were seated all the way in the back at the top row, the furthest away from Hugh Jackman and also the closest to the hot ass studio lights. I took some quick shots of the studio, but a lot of my photos were coming out horribly orange, probably due to the lights. Let me tell you there were SO many lights, it was insane. At one point I was afraid I was going to pass out, I had taken migraine medicine and we had been sitting in the studio for soooooo long!

The craft and gardening areas

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I knew I didn’t have enough self discipline to keep this going right now. I’m just too stressed about too many things to focus on a really strict diet. The minute J and I went to the restaurant last night I was ordering a burger. The same again in New York since we ended up at a bar and grill for dinner. I’ve decided once again to ATTEMPT the red meat only rule if I’m at a sit down restaurant (which usually is once every 2 weeks, this week has been an exeption with the Martha trip and house guests).

After being in a car a good part of the day with three women who discussed dieting, one recommended the Suzanne Somers “Somersize Program.” It’s less of a diet and more about eating healthier (which I need to do) and eating food/protein/fat in the right combinations so that you lose weight. I looked into it, I think I can do this easily. I’m going to order some books and give it a try. My foot injuries should heal by this weekend, so I should at least be able to get back to the gym, which I know will be the biggest benefit to me. I need to be more active.

Dustin (Determined to look smokin by mid summer)

So I JUST got home from Martha. What a day! Full recap coming soon. The show I’m on airs on Monday, Memorial Day. I don’t know if I’ll be seen though, we were in the TOP row center. Most of the audience taped was the ones more up front. I might be in some of the promos airing through the summer, we’ll see. Also the main guest was 1 1/2 hours LATE! But he was excused, cause it was . . . .

Hugh Jackman! Oh yes, I know you are all jealous lol!

Dustin

So we just finished “TransAmerica,” and I’m writing this as I should be going to bed. Oh well! I’m not sure what to really think about the film. I think everyone on planet earth knows what it’s about, Felicity Huffman’s character Bree is a transsexual about to have an operation. Surprise surprise, she gets a call from someone in jail, a son she never knew she had has been arrested. She’s ordered by her therapist to basically face her past and close that chapter of her life if she wants to be able to have her surgery (the therapist must sign off). She goes into this adventure thinking she can basically dump the kid off with a relative or something, but of course ends up bonding with him and realizing she needs him in her life. I’m not really spoiling much, you see this coming from the beginning.

The one thing J and I didn’t like was the end of the movie. It was an unconventional movie, so I guess you could say the ending was unconventional. I dunno, I expected something else. I’m not going to give it away. I have to say I don’t know if I will be able to watch “Desperate Housewives” in the same way again as I have now seen Lynetta’s breastases and va-jay-jay. It is worth a rent, it’s a good movie. If your a DH fan then seeing Felicity in this role really makes you appreciate her so much more as an actress.

Dustin

I have not eaten meat for almost 2 days now. I want a cheeseburger! I was originally not only going to give up meat this week but also go back on a reduced calorie diet. I decided baby steps were in order, I’ll cut the calories and sodium next week. First I need to survive this week. I can’t beleive I was a vegetarian for seven years and now I’m having issues getting through a week. Some people have asked why not just cut the red meats? Yeah I tried that, I find ways and excuses to cheat. I also find ways to cheat when I decide I’ll only have meat when I go to a sit down restaurant. So for the next two weeks NO meat period. If I can keep it up past the two weeks great!

Headed back to Philly thisafternoon, have to hit school real quick then I am meeting up with J. We are going to find somewhere either in Philly or Jersey for dinner, then back to my place for a sleepover and watching movies. I bought the original “When A Stranger Calls” and rented “TransAmerica” for us to watch. Tomorrow it’s off to see Martha in NYC! Fun fun fun!

Dustin

Tonight I went into Philly to meet up with friends M and R. R is moving back to Canada this week, this was our final outing. She’s finished school and is taking a post-doc in Calgary. I’m going to miss her so much! I hope to visit her up there in the future, preferably during the warm months!

Tonight we had dinner and then went to see the movie Kinky Boots. R had been the one who found out about the movie and wanted to see it months before it was released. The movie is the true story of a guy who inherits his family’s shoe factory in England. The problem is nobody really wants to buy the shoes anymore and the factory is in danger of going under. He has to find a niche, a market to exploit so he chooses boots for women who are men. Yup, he makes boots for drag queens! It had all the cliche things you’d expect, breakdown of stereotypes, the tough guy character who goes from disgust to accepting, the bitchy girlfriend who accepts nothing and no one, the girl in the background who privately loves the guy. Still it was a really cute and fun movie, two thumbs up. If it’s playing in your area I suggest you check it out. Otherwise it will probably be on DVD real soon.

Anyways I’m now off to clean the bathroom, having just cleaned the kitchen. Tomorrow a quick vacuum and swiffering of the house before my guest for the night arrives. Wednesday it’s off to NYC to see Martha!

Dustin

Mike can’t be dead! No they just can’t kill him off! I think the writes of DH have been watching too much Days, Mike and Susan never seem to be able to get together. What was with Kyle’s character running Mike over? I didn’t think they had even met or anything.

I have to say the Matthew/Caleb twist was a very good one, probably the only good thing to come out of the Applewhite’s story.

I think Xao Mai will end up having twins (but not really twins). I think one will be hers and Carlos’ baby (ala the whole double pregnancy with Theresa on Passions).

How dumb are Tom and Lynette? You can’t be made to pay 11 years of back child support for a child you didn’t know you had! Furthermore I would threaten that woman back as an unfit parent. I mean she dumped her kid on the neighbor after a fight and flew half way across the country? I don’t think so!

Dustin

Home from the wedding. It was a very nice, simple ceremony. Unfortunately we were seated at a table with some rather, how shall we say, talkative and colorful people? We were laughing so hard at one point we were crying, and unfortunately it wasn’t a case of us laughing with them. M spit her wine out at one point in the evening after something that was said, what I can’t recall. We stayed for dinner at the reception, missed the cake though. Others were ready to go so we went. I wanted to go as well, I was afraid of being pulled onto the dance floor by a group of girls, one of whom was trying to fix me up with her BFF. Scary!

M and I have plans next weekend for dancing. I’m trying to convince others to go out with us and have a fun Memorial Day weekend. The city will probably be dead because everyone goes to the shore on the weekends in the summer, especially for holidays. We also are planning to go see the new X-men film, which I’m way excited about.

Thanks all for tonight, I’m watching the finale of DH right now 🙂

Dustin

PS I’m pretty sure it is really bad wedding edict to make out with a person on the dance floor when you are not the bride and groom!

So I arrived back in New Jersey today, even though I have to go back to Virginia in about two weeks to have some fillings fixed. Still, it’s good to be back if only for a bit. First up, Percy the new kitty is SO SMALL! Seriously I was concerned that maybe he was taken from the litter too early, but oh well! He is weened. More pictures soon!

The first meeting with the dogs was met with kitty hissing and hiding. Of course he hid under the stove, which is Nikko’s domain. Eventually he came out to play with the dogs. Nikko is a bit more interested in him than Princess. Nikko feels the need to constantly lick the kitten’s face. At least they aren’t trying to eat him or anything.

Tomorrow I have a wedding to go to. *GROAN* I’m so tired right now that the thought of more driving tomorrow is killing me. I could have taken a train, but it’s almost a two mile walk from the station to the country club where everything is happening. It’s also so far out in the Philly burbs that a taxi is problematic. Plus driving gets me home quicker to see the two hour season finale of Desperate Housewives! Set those tivos.

The only other news I have to report is I gained four pounds in Virginia! Oh my God! I ate a lot of, well crap down there. The next week or two I’m going to be detoxing off crap and meat in general. Starting Monday I’m going to try my best to be meat free for at least two weeks (until I return to Virginia again). I’d also hit the gym regularly but I’m waiting for more foot injuries to heal (I’m not sure why I keep injuring my foot, but I do).

Oh I’m going to also attempt to get to the car dealers this week and take the Rav 4 for a test drive, as well try and take another spin in the PT Cruiser (the one with the more powerful engine than the one I already was in). Plus I want the BF to come with me and get his opinion. Everyone is pretty much telling me to get the Rav 4, I guess we’ll have to see if I fall in love with it when I drive it.

Dustin

P.S. I’m pretty sure the house was cleaner when I left it. If I didn’t have a wedding tomorrow I’d clean it, looks like I know what I’m doing on Monday though!

This coming Wednesday, May 24th, I will be attending a taping of “Martha.” Yea! A friend had tickets for the taping in NYC and asked if I wanted to go. Never having attended a taping of any TV show I said sure! I do have to say I enjoy Martha, always have. Her old show used to air at around 2am in the Philly market and those years I suffered from insomnia I would watch her. The new show comes on right before the soaps, so I tend to see bits and pieces of it. I don’t have a clue who the guest is, or when it will air. However I’ll let everyone know. I’m so excited, I get to see Martha Stewart live and in person! With my luck she’ll probably have Mary Cheney on promoting her new book.

Yes, I know some people think she is Satan himself. Martha I mean, not Mary.

Dustin