See also related post on Guilty Pleasures.

Season premiere of The Bachelor.  Or as I like to call it: The One Where He Has To Act Charmed While Twenty-Five Women Embarrass Themselves In A Desperate Attempt To Be Remembered.

Just about every time this chick was on screen, I had to turn away from my TV because I couldn't look directly at her.  It was just so very, very awkward.  And when she got one of the last roses, all I could think of were the poor rose-less women who had to leave knowing that even Wedding Dress Girl got chosen over them.  So much for their self-esteem.

Even though I've already watched Season 3 of Downton Abbey online, I was very excited to tune-in to my local PBS station and watch it tonight on Masterpiece Theater.  Now, instead of streaming it and watching it on my little computer screen, I could go upstairs and watch it in High Def with surround sound.  I've been envisioning this ever since Brad got that big TV.

So, at a few minutes before 8 o'clock, I started doing my Happy Dance.  While my kids rolled their eyes at my unbridled enthusiasm, one member of my family couldn't help but share in my joy.

 Joey literally came running and stood up so I would dance with him.  When I let go of his paws, he stood up again, putting his paws in my hands so we could dance some more. 

Years ago, I dreamed that one day I would have a child who loved to dance and could follow in my dancing footsteps.  This wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but I will take what I can get.

 So, today Brad and I were driving home from Home Depot when "MMM Bop" by Hanson started playing on the car stereo.  No big deal, except that we were listening to my Dino-Pod, which proved I had actually gone to the effort to download and pay for this song.  In the last couple of months.

Yes, Brad mocked me.  Mercilessly.

I tried to explain that "Mmm Bop" is a Guilty Pleasure, which means that I KNOW IT IS STUPID but I still like it.  Like Twilight.  Or The Bachelor.  I was able to come up with all kinds of examples of my Guilty Pleasures.  I was defending myself beautifully.

Until I tried to give examples of Brad's Guilty Pleasures.  

He doesn't really have any.  He doesn't knowingly like stupid stuff (why do I think this is a character flaw?).  I tried to cite his Star Trek obsession, but that doesn't really work.  See, Brad has to think it is stupid in order for it to qualify.  Me thinking it's stupid doesn't count.

Also on my Dino-Pod is a song by another group of three long-haired brothers, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" by the BeeGees.  But, this is most decidedly NOT a Guilty Pleasure.

I actually think these guys are super talented--fashion choices aside.

A little Joey Love.

 Well, it's been an awesome two weeks, but today the kids went back to school and Brad went back to work.

Me?  Well, I attacked the laundry that's been piling up and worked on a bunch of Primary stuff that needed organizing for the big class switch coming up on Sunday.

But once that was done . . .

 I know, I know.  I am turning into a broken record.  But this book rocked my world, and I couldn't NOT say anything about it.  It won the Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction 2012, and all I will say is that it deserved it.  Holy Cow.  Please read it so we can talk about it.

 This afternoon, Pepper got hooked up to this insulin pump for a saline trial.  He gets to wear this for three days so he can decide if he wants to get one for real.  It's really just a formality.  I'm pretty sure we'll have another insulin pump wearer in the family soon.

 It's a holiday, right?  So I can ignore this, right?

Remember this? 

Enough said.

I already love 2013.