The Bachelorette: Week 6 Recap

Week 6

HOLA. Bienvenidos a Barcelona para esta episodio! (Welcome to Barcelona for this episode). We are six weeks into Desiree's journey to find love and this week Spain is the "perfect place to fall in love", as is every other place they have and will visit. Chris meets the boys in a local plaza and hands out the first date card; it's for Drew. Holla.

Drew AKA Jay Gatsby AKA perfect. 

Drew's 1-on-1: Finally. My man Drew gets his well deserved one on one date. Drew meets Desiree in the streets of Barcelona looking gorgeous as always and Desiree reveals that they will be spending the day exploring Spain. Drew couldn't be more pleased and it's obvious that he is so genuinely excited to be here with Des and spend any time possible with her. Love him. Over tapas and wine, Drew reveals some of his family history with Des. His hero is his recovered alcoholic father, and this story really touches Des. She is appreciative of how open Drew is, as if he had a choice. I'm not sure what it is about Drew, but he just radiates on camera. There is just something about this kid, and I'm a fan. Before the two can enjoy their dinner, Drew spontaneously grabs Des by the hand and leads her into a dark alley...(stay tuned)...for a super romantic kiss. Des loves it, oh girl. Of course, she offers him the rose, and he accepts. What happens next is probably one of the smartest plays in Bachelorette history. After securing the rose, Drew decides to bring up the house drama with James. Smart move, homie. He gives her the option of hearing what he has to say, and she chooses to listen. Des seems very appreciative of Drew's information, though obviously hurt. Almost perfect date; I just wish Drew would have held his tongue for a week or two longer.

Group Date: Gooooooooooooooal! Looks like the boys will be facing off in a soccer game this week. Juan Pablo's dream date. As a former pro soccer player, it was clear that Juan Pablo was in his element and loving every second of it. Brooks made a hilarious comment that "Juan Pablo's name is directly translated to 'You have no chance. And I am going after Desiree at this moment in the soccer field.'" Kid has jokes. The boys face off against Desiree and a team of seemingly harmless girls. But to the boy's surprise, a combination of these girls hidden soccer talents and James' terrible goalie skills caused them to lose the game 10-2. I could see all of their egos deflating on the field.

The men ready to play soccer, and James. Terrified
of anything that comes near his overly sculpted body.

It was clear from the moment the group date "cocktail hour" started that the drama with James was going to come up. And quick. It wasn't long before Kasey pulled Des aside to back up Drew's story and the other men confronted James. Though his facial expressions showed surprise at the allegations of him "positioning himself to be the next Bachelor", his excessive cursing, sweating, and rambling said otherwise. Des decides not to give out the group rose and sends all of the men home, expect James. Duh duh duh. She confronts him about everything that has been said and it's clear (to me) that James is a big fat liar and needs to pack his bags, protein, and 'roids, and head home to the Jersey Shore. Despite it being clear to the audience of James' intentions, Desiree gives him the benefit of the doubt and decides that they both need to "sleep on it." Not my favorite choice of hers, but as long as she got rid of him by the end of the episode, I would be pleased.

Zak's 1-on-1: Zak was filled in by the men in the house about the James' situation and he knows that Desiree is probably emotionally exhausted from last night, and makes it a point to put that all aside for the day and just let her smile and be herself. Precious. The two head to a local art studio and sketch a couple of models. We have known from the beginning of the season that Des loves to draw and be artistic, and she is clearly in her element, and Zak loves that about her. He's actually not too bad of an artist himself and impresses both Desiree and me with his sketches. After the first sketch of a man in a trenchcoat, a male model walks in in a robe, drops it, and poses nude for the two. I was dying laughing at this point. Zak's facial expression is priceless, poor guy. He sucks it up though, and that is commendable. Zak and Des draw each other and I have absolutely no words for Zak's drawing of Desiree. She literally falls to the floor dying laughing in one of my favorite moments of the season. Zak ends the excursion by walking into the room in a robe and dramatically dropping it to pose for Desiree in his underwear. Once again, hilarious.

Dinner is perfect, and Zak reveals to the camera that he is in love with Desiree. 100%. Uh oh. I love this guy, I really do, but I have a bad feeling that he is going to end up getting his heart completely broken and I'm not looking forward to watching that. Zak gets the rose and ends the date with another dark alley/cave romantic kiss with Desiree. Boy, the guys have really stepped up their game this week.

Let's just all take a second to appreciate three of the guys
spying on Des and James' intense conversation from
the balcony. Perfect.

Rose Ceremony: Woah woah woah Chris. Why are there only three roses on the plate?! Apparently, three men will be going home tonight. I freaked out a little, because I really only wanted James and Michael G. to go home. Who else would she send home? Not Juan Pablo. He's freaking adorable, hilarious, and really sweet. And definitely not Kasey...well, maybe Kasey. Turns out, this girl decides to keep litigator Michael G (for whatever reason) and send Juan Pablo, Kasey, and James home. Despite James' rather unattractive plea to stay on the show, Des makes the right decision and sends him home. Drew makes the perfect comment that she had a really tough choice tonight sending home two great guys, Juan Pablo and Kasey, but that justice was done in sending home James and that is most important. Agreed.

I refuse to address the preview for the rest of the season because I can't even handle what's going on in it and...well yeah, I just can't. Sorry.

Predictions for Hometowns:

1. Drew
2. Brooks
3. Zak
4. Chris

Michael G. goes home.

The Bachelorette: Week 5 Recap

This week, my family, Morgan, and me are in the Ozark Mountains relaxing and rejuvenating. However, don't think that just because I am surrounded by beautiful scenery, wildlife, and God's great creations, I would miss out on The Bachelorette. No sir. Morgan set her alarm for 7:00 and the entire family proceeded to watch The Bachelorette together in our mountain home living room. This was my my dad's, mom's, and uncle's first time watching the show, and their reactions were perhaps more entertaining than the show itself.

Week 5 

Chris' 1-on-1: This week, Desiree and the men travled to Munich, Germany on their first leg around the world on this "incredible journey to find love." The first 1-on-1 date was for Chris. Desiree had never been to Europe before this trip, so she and Chris spent their date meandering through the streets on Munich, struggling with German, and drinking lots of beer. They found their way to the Rock Hall in the city centre and began to dance to the local music. 

*Camera changes to Bryden at the hotel*. Bryden is clearly still struggling with his feelings for Desiree and in a conversation with James, determines that it would be best for him to head home. He sets out into the streets of Germany (with the camera men) to find Desiree and Chris and inform Des that he has decided to leave. Not your best move, Bryden. I smell producers all over that set up. Regardless, Bryden finds Des, to her and Chris' surprise, and asks to talk to her for a few minutes. By this point, I think that Desiree knows whats coming and she is not surprised when Bryden breaks the news. Although she is not surprised, she is clearly upset, both at the news of his departure, but probably more so at the fact that he flew all the way over to Germany and then immediately decided to leave. Bryden and Des say an incredibly awkward goodbye, sans hugs or any form of affection, and Desiree heads back to her date with Chris. She is determined to "stay positive and not let Bryden affect the rest of her day", as she holds back the tears on camera. Fail. The rest of Chris and Desiree's date goes very smoothly and it is clear that the two have a connection I had not seen on camera prior to this episode. Chris has moved his way up to the front runner position, and I'm a fan. Des and Chris kiss frequently throughout the dinner and cliche private concert, much to my father's displeasure and clear disgust. 

Group Date: Desiree takes seven men on a group date sledding down the most picturesque mountains I have ever seen. The date begins with a yodeling lesson (and a little marriage advice) from a local German. Juan Pablo quickly embraces the situation and turns it into a rather comedic viewing experience. Juan Pablo is growing on me each week, and it's not just because he has an accent and is incredibly good looking. He's flipping hilarious. This group date truly looked like an absolute blast! Following the sledding adventures, the group heads into a private manmade ice castle and begin the rotation of Desiree. Brooks is the first to secure one on one time with Desiree, followed by Mikey. Before Mikey can make his move, Zak pulls a hilarious stunt by yodeling right behind the couple and stealing Desiree away. Desiree genuinely finds this funny and she has no problem leaving Mikey for Zak. Bad sign for Mikey. James has a solid one on one session with Desiree, despite Brooks awkwardly creeping on the two as they shared a kiss. Weird. 

Throughout the course of the group date, it becomes clear that a few of the guys have a problem with James. In overhearing conversations between James and Mikey, Drew reveals that James plans to become the next Bachelor and profit off of the publicity back home. Rude. Desiree is unaware of this new house tension, and remains so throughout the entire episode. ABC is saving that drama for next week, ladies. Brooks secures the group rose in what seemed to be a bit of a lack luster group date, romantically at least. 

Ben and Michael's 2-on-1: Uh oh. The dreaded two on one. Each season, there is one date card that every man prays his name is not on, and that is the 2-on-1. Desiree will take two men on one date; one stays, one goes. It promises to be the most awkward, tension filled date of the season, and this one did not disappoint. Ben had already been quite the source of tension in the house, particularly with Michael. Flashback to week two when Ben stole Desiree away from Michael as he was revealing his diabetic condition to her. There is already too much tension between these two men (boys) before the date even begins. Michael promises to the viewers to reveal Ben as the fraud that he truly is and plans to use his litigation skills to do so. Oh boy. Ben is his usual arrogant self and saunters around the house waiting for the date to begin. 

Desiree, and her perfect humor, fools the boys into thinking that they will be doing the Polar Bear Plunge into the frigid water. Just as she counts to three, she reveals that they will instead be swimming in their own "hot tug." A hot tug is just like a hot tub, but a boat. This would be perfectly romantic if there weren't two guys on this date, but for whatever reason, ABC finds it necessary to put both Desiree and the men through this torture time and time again. The tension between the two men grows as Michael starts throwing not so subtle comments at Ben about his faith and his role as a father. Ben keeps his cool and seems to be taking the hits well until a fastball about his son knocks him out at dinner and he leaves the room to "gather his thoughts." At this point, I would have sent both Michael and Ben home for acting like immature idiots, but Desiree decides to keep Michael around for another week because she can "see a future with him." First bad move of the season, chicka. Despite her (the producer's) poor choice in keeping Michael, Ben is gone which is definitely a plus. What's the saying about not having your cake and eating it too? 

Rose Ceremony: Desiree once again opts for no cocktail party, but also no pool party. It's straight to the rose ceremony. This upsets Drew in particular as he was determined to out James in his one-on-one time with Desiree. However, this could've been his saving grace as the person that outs another man often ends up going home instead. Hold on, Drew! I want you around for a lot longer. Because there was no rose ceremony, it's clear to the viewers that the person she is sending home is Mikey. He is the only one left that she hadn't kissed and it was evident that their "relationship" and connection was not nearly as strong as the other men in the house. He says a curt goodbye and exits stage right. 

The preview for next week shows drama on drama on drama. Be prepared for an obscene amount of man tears, Desiree tears, and perhaps even some Chris Harrison tears. Who knows? That guy gets pretty involved with this show. Hopefully we will get rid of all the snakes in the house next week and the show can refocus on the actual dates and Desiree's search for love. Fingers crossed. 

Top 5:

1. Chris

2. Brooks

3. Drew

4. Zak

5. Juan Pablo 

The Bachelorette: Week 4 Recap

Week 4
Let the traveling begin! Sort of. The Bachelor and Bachelorette are known for having exotic dates all over the world, dates us normal people can't even imagine. This week, the group left the house in California and boarded a plane to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Con: Not exotic and a disappointment for the viewers. Pro: The majority of the guys look like Jersey boys, so they should fit right in. #passtheprotein.

Brad's 1-on-1: Brad gets the first date card, and he is thrilled to have the one-on-one with Des. Duh. However, before the date starts, Zak and Mikey both foreshadow Brad being spent home.The general consensus is that Brad is really sweet, but really quiet and not for Des. Not sure if it's the single dad factor or what, but the boys are convinced Brad is going home, and by the time the date starts, so am I. Poor editing on ABC's part. Brad and Des spend the day on the boardwalk playing carnival games, riding rides, and eating all sorts of delicious deserts. They hang out in a giant sandcastle city on the beach before heading to dinner inside a local lighthouse. During dinner, it looks like Des isn't really feeling the vibes with Brad. The conversation is definitely struggling. Between the long pauses, awkward laughs, and boring dialogue, it's clear that Des is going to send Brad home. (Despite her standard "I'm conflicted" interview). She makes a last ditch effort to keep it alive by suggesting they climb to the top of the lighthouse. During the climb, we have more voiceovers from other guys predicting Brad's demise. And they're right! Brad doesn't get the rose and packs his bags. He had nothing but positive things to say about Des in his exit interview. Brad is a sweet guy, but it was clear that he was not the one. And then there were 12.

Group Date: 

On this week's group date, the men competed in a "Mr. America" pageant. Boy, I knew I was in for a treat as soon as Chris Harrison announced it. And by "treat" I mean me shaking my head more times than I can count and being in a continual state of embarrassment for all the boys. The pageant consisted of the standard interviews, talent show, and swimsuit competition. The men performed in front of a live audience full of screaming women. I probably would've peed my pants I'd be so nervous. There were some very interesting answers during the interview process. We found out that Juan Pablo has a kid too. What. Lots of dads this season. Mikey gets really serious and sentimental with his answer and draws quite the laugh by stating that guys aren't just a piece of meat and are emotional as well. And then proceeds to take his shirt off during the talent portion and do handstand pushups, acting exactly like a "piece of meat." Brooks is rather humorous and keeps a lighthearted attitude throughout the entire competition, even smashing his ukulele on stage. It's hard for me to pick a standout from all of the "talents" because they were all incredibly entertaining. Between baton twirling, men in heels, guitars, hula hoops, tap dancing, and Shakespeare readings, I couldn't figure out where to look. (Just kidding, I was staring at Drew). The swimsuit competition was...interesting. For whatever reason, ABC felt it necessary to put a handful of these guys in speedos. Ew. No one, not even Ryan Gosling, should ever wear a speedo. At the end of it all, it is Kasey that takes the title.

During the remainder of the group date, Ben causes more house drama by stealing Des away from the group and sitting right in front of all of them to talk to her. Zak W. plays Des a song on guitar that he wrote and impressed both Des and me. He had a surprisingly good voice. His performance and sweet personality got him the group rose; I approve.

James' 1-on-1: For James and Des' date, they take a helicopter tour of New Jersey with an American Red Cross volunteer. It's the first helicopter ride of the season, though not in the usual context. They spend their ride looking at all of the damage that Hurricane Sandy did to New Jersey; it is absolutely unbelievable what nature can do. They meet a couple that has lost almost everything due to Hurricane Sandy and grow quite fond of them. The older couple shares that Hurricane Sandy came on the night of their 38th anniversary. Des is touched by their story, and after conferring with James, decides to give their date to these Hurricane Sandy survivors. Bonus points. James and Des hit up a local pizza for dinner and share deep conversation. James is (over)honest and shares that he cheated on a past girlfriend. This makes the situation rather awkward as Des was cheated on. She is disappointed in James' mistake, but she appreciates his honesty and seems to move on from that conversation with an incredible amount of ease. Des and James join the older couple for a private concert by Darius Rucker. (Count 'em, three private concerts this season). Des gives James the rose and the night ends on a positive note.

Cocktail Party and Rose Ceremony:
The main focus of the cocktail party was Bryden. Despite his wonderful first date with Des, he has been lacking some feelings for her since then, and has "fallen behind where [he thinks he should be]." Des makes it clear in her one on one time with Bryden that she wants him here and hopes that he will trust the process and stick around. This gives Bryden enough reassurance to accept the rose she offers him. But barely. The dummy stands there for what feels like an eternity after Des calls his name before walking forward to accept the rose. Zack K. is sent home tonight, and it comes as quite a shock to him. However, he manages to keep his composure in his exit interview and hold back the man tears.

Top 5:

1. Brooks
2. Zak W.
3. Bryden. If he can keep his head in the game (so to speak), I still think he will go pretty far.
4. Drew
5. James (Although, the preview for next week shows some pretty sketchy stuff with him)

The Bachelorette: Week 3 Recap

Week 3
We are already three weeks in everyone. There's no cheesy intros this week, thank goodness. The first date card is given and we start the episode with a group date.

Group Date:

Today, the boys will be competing in a game of dodgeball. This is going to be good I can tell. Let the testosterone fly. As the men are learning dodgeball techniques from some local professionals, Chris Harrison walks in the door. Somethings up. For you Bachelor/ette newbies out there, anytime Chris shows up unexpected, there's a plot twist coming. This one: "winner takes all." The team that wins the match stays for the rest of the date, and the other goes home. This means that half of the men will get more quality time with Des and the other half will go home, cry together, and drink their sorrows away. On cue, and to a terrible theme song, the men walk out in a V formation, short shorts, headbands and all. Just like a scene out of the fantastic movie Dodgeball. Sans the hilarious Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Drew wins the first game for the Blue Team. *Swoon*. But the Red Team makes quick work of winning the second game. It all comes down to the final game. Of course. And Brooks takes a hit. In the finger. He's down and out for the count ladies. Red teams tries to "bring it home for Brooks", but fails. It's Blue, more specifically Zack K., that wins the game...and more time with Des. Just kidding. Des pulls a standard "everyone's a winner" card and lets everyone come to the after party. How boring.

Camera shot switches to overdramatic ER scene with Brooks. Apparently he passed out as they were setting his finger back into place. Man up, dude. Anyways, Des and her slew of men now cheers over their first of many drinks of the night. Brad is the first to open up for night. He has a son, surprise! Des is accepting and so genuine in her appreciation for him sharing his life with her. *Tender moment*. I really do love her. Brooks steps out of the car looking like a hot mess, still in his dodgeball garb. But despite his puppy dog eyes and pity card, its Chris that gets the group rose. I was hoping that Brad would get the rose, but I like Chris equally. (I'm surprising myself and really starting have quite a few favorites this season, despite the terrible season premiere.) Des and Chris walk away into their own private concert. Standard. COME ON, ABC. Give me something new!

Kasey's 1 on 1: Prior to Des and Kasey's date, Des gets a call from Chris Harrison. Once again, the viewers immediately know something is up. It appears that someone in the house has a girlfriend. And that someone is Brian. Despite Des' attempt to coax the information out of him, he continues to respond, "Yeah, I'm definitely here for the right reasons. I'm ready to find love". And then his girlfriend walks through the door, and jaws drop. It's about to go down, ladies and gentleman. Basically, it was a lot of yelling back and forth, including confessions of domestic violence as the girlfriend shouted "Yes, I threw rocks at your face!", before Des made the final call and sent Brian (and his equally crazy girlfriend) home. She means business, boys.

Well, it's finally time for Des and Kasey's date. A few hours and too many man tears later. Looks like Des and Kasey will be dancing on the side of a building in Sunset Blvd. Normal happenings. Well, they looked incredibly uncoordinated, but it did look like fun! Their romantic dinner is quickly interrupted by monsoon-like winds and they jump into the freezing cold pool. Bad idea. The rest of the date goes downhill and it turns into the weirdest date of all time. Thanks, Brian for ruining the whole day. Despite the circumstances, Kasey still walks away with a rose. Des admits on camera that her mood was shaken from earlier today and she wants to give Kasey another chance, since none of this was his fault. So, success...although it was probably one of the most boring one on one dates in the show's history.

Group Date #2: This week, Des opted for two group dates as she felt that this early in the season, she still needed time with all of the guys in order to make good decisions. Solid choice, Des. Looks like the boys will be learning good ole fashioned western stunts today in a clever product placement for the new movie The Lone Ranger. Each of the men perform a combination of stunts and sweep Des off of her feet. Juan Pablo impresses Des the most and gets the extra time. They watch The Lone Ranger in a special private screening and share their first magical kiss. After the movie, Des talks with a few more men and James really steals her heart for the night. He's absolutely precious and is lacking some confidence. Keep in mind, this guy is jacked and rather attractive, but for whatever reason, he's not sure if Des likes him. Turns out, she does. James gets the group date rose. Yay!

Eliminations: Des cancelled the first cocktail party of the season and opted for a pool party instead. I love this girl more and more each week. Prior to the pool party, Ben steals Des away for a 15 minute car ride. Typical. The only main events of the pool party were seeing fifteen men sitting together in a hot tub and Brandon telling Des that he is "falling in love with [her]." You can tell Des is taken aback by this comment, and Brandon ends up going home as Ben secures the final rose of the night. Brandon is shocked as he doesn't get a rose, just hours after he tells Des he is falling in love with her. It was too much too soon, buddy. During his exit interview, he couldn't even cry because he was just "out of tears." No surprise there. He's been crying since he arrived on the very first night.

Top 5:

1. Drew. I'm just obsessed with him and I think his lack of camera time early on in the season is a good indication that he will hang around for a while.
2. Brooks. Still hating the hair. Still loving his personality.
3. Bryden. Des is totally into the military men! And for good reason.
4. James. Des and James seem to have quite a few inside jokes together and enjoy being silly together. A huge part of love, in my opinion.
5. Zak W. I'm still loving Zak; he's flipping hilarious. I'm hoping he gets a one-on-one next week.

The Bachelorette: Week 1 & 2 Recap

Last season, on the Bachelor, Sean Lowe dumped Desiree (Des) Hartsock in one of the most heart wrenching exits the show has ever seen. Des literally begged Sean not to let her go because she was "100% certain that [he] was making a mistake." Despite Des' plea, Sean let her go and went on to propose to Catherine Giudici. (They are still together and planned to have a TV wedding in the near future, yay!) Perhaps the biggest reason why Sean let Des go was her crazy, overprotective, judgmental brother who called Sean a "playboy" on national television. Although Sean tried his very best to hide his anger and frustration with Des' brother, it was evident that the two of them did not see eye-to-eye and that sent Des packing.

Week 1

Des was a fan favorite from the very beginning of the show, so it was no surprise when she was announced as the next Bachelorette. Last week, twenty-five men arrived in limos and did their very best to impress Des in what proved to be probably the most entertaining and definitely the most embarrassing entrances of any season. From Diogo, who arrived as a literal version of Des' "knight in shining armor" to Zak W. who arrived shirtless with the opening line of, "Do you accept these abs?", the entrances were one for the books. In my years watching the show, I have always found the first night to be incredibly awkward. The Bachelorette has to stand and smile at the arriving limos that she can't see into, give out an unnecessary amount of half-hugs, and say "Thank you" to countless genuine, but obligatory "You look beautiful" from her suitors. A few standouts were Kasey the "hashtag guy" who greeted Des with a few hashtags that described her including #marriagematerial and #letthejourney begin. I'm still a tad #onthefence about Kasey, but will give him a fair shot. Magic Nick made Des "disappear" in the cheesiest magic act of all time. Hint: He gets sent home. Ben greeted Des with his son and eventually got the first rose of the night. Or should I say his son did?

Among the attempts to impress Des, we watched the most memorable (and sleazy) bachelor on night one, Jonathan, invite Des not once, but three times, to a "fantasy suite" that he had created somewhere in house. After turning him down politely twice, Desiree said no once again and asked him to leave because he was making her feel very uncomfortable. Go Des! It was clear that Jonathan was not here for the "right reasons." Stay tuned as this becomes a mantra for this season. In an unnecessarily long rose ceremony (as always), Des sends her first handful of guys packing and prepares for her first week of dates. Although I was not particularly blown away by any of the men, my top 5 picks thus far are:

1. Drew. He's gorgeous, rocks a Gatsby hair-do, and completely owns it. Also, but less important, he seems like a genuine guy with a good sense of humor. 
2. Brooks. Despite his lack of air time on the season premiere, he was shown heavily on the "This season on The Bachelorette..." previews which included a one-on-one date that looked like a "destination date", hinting towards him making it pretty far in the season.
3. Bryden. A military vet, Bryden immediately stole my heart. He is a tad more reserved than most of the other guys, but seems to be very respectful and a good listener. Two great qualities in a man. 
4. Zak W. Even after appearing shirtless and coming off as an egocentric guy, Des chose to keep him around for another week. I think they must have had a good conversation or two off camera that led Des to her decision. Let's be honest, Des (along with America) was impressed by his abs and accepted them with open arms. 
5. Juan Pablo. A former Venezuelan pro soccer player, Juan Pablo swept Des off her feet with his soccer skills and indecipherable accent. I predict Des will only keep him around for a few more weeks to serve as eye candy before sending him home. Adios! 

Week 2

It's the first week of dates! Which means, it is also the first week of drama. Buckle up everyone, this season is going to have an unusual amount of man tears. At the beginning of the show, Chris Harrison walks in with his ever-so-perfect timing and sets down the first 1-on-1 date card of the season. It's for Brooks.

Brooks' 1-on-1: When Brooks hears his named called, he looks as happy as a newly adopted puppy and rushes off to get ready for his date. AKA throw on a different shirt and not brush his insanely long hair. Des arrives in a blue Bentley and the two drive off together as the other guys look on enviously. Their first stop: a bridal store. Des tries on numerous wedding dresses and Brooks does the same with tuxes before they each decide on one they like. All as a joke, of course. The two make their way to the Hollywood sign and climb up the side of the giant hill to sit on one of the huge letters. Des claims that the only reason they are allowed to come up here is because Hollywood is celebrating its 90th Anniversary. Yeah, right. You're up there because ABC paid big bucks for you to be. Following their adventure, Des and Brooks have dinner on a bridge with a private concert. Standard Bachelorette date. Not impressed. Aside from his terrible hair, I really like Brooks. Des did too, because she didn't hesitate to give him the rose and go in for their first kiss. Overall, I would say a very successful date and Brooks remains a front-runner.

Group Date: Des invited fourteen men on the first group date of the season to a giant mansion where they would be filming a rap video with Soulja Boy. What. Going into this date, Des knew that it would be embarrassing for both the guys and herself, but she hoped they would all roll with the punches and let loose. The title of their rap was "All The Right Reasons" and it starred Des and all of her bachelors in rare form. The costumes were absolutely hilarious, particularly Brandons skimpy short shorts, but I must admit it was a step up from all of the v-necks that the guys came in wearing. Some of the guys struggled with their lines, and others proved to be true rap stars waiting to be discovered. Just kidding. This was the absolute whitest bunch of guys I have ever seen and Soulja Boy could not keep a straight face he was laughing so hard at them. The video shoot came to a close, thank goodness, and Des and her herd of men headed to their soiree. All of the men fought for Des' time and attention, but in the end, it was Ben who got the group rose, to many of the guys' dismay. By this point, a few of the guys have been rubbed the wrong way by Ben and it is clear that he will prove to be the source of drama in the house this season.

Bryden's 1-on-1: The lucky winner of Date #2, Bryden and Des drive off together on a road trip around California. I'm sorry, but I don't think I would want to spend most of my first date with someone driving. No thanks. Des and Bryden stop at a beach and Ojai for a romantic dinner. Though Bryden seems nervous for most of the date, (at least on camera) he really opens up to Des and shares some tough things about his past. She is blown away and this earns him the rose, taking the pressure off for the night. Well, not quite. The two end up in a hot tub hanging out, just talking, and it is clear that Des is waiting for Bryden to make his move. But he never does. Personally, I read that as a sign that he respects women. +1 point. However, the impatient and bold (you go girl!) Des says, "Just kiss me already." and the two share a wonderful first kiss together. Blah blah blah.


Cocktail Party and Rose Ceremony: This is when it gets real. Real fast. Despite already having a rose and being "safe" for the next week, Ben finds it necessary to interrupt Michael G. during his heartfelt conversation with Desiree about living with Type I Diabetes. Word spreads through the house like wildfire and the guys quickly become angered with Ben. A few confront him directly and he apologizes, sort of. Many of the guys think that he isn't here for the "right reasons", a phrase said way too many times throughout this episode. At some God-awfully late hour of the night I'm sure, Chris Harrison walks in and *clinkity clinks* his glass and the cocktail party is over. It's time for the rose ceremony. Des returns from her deep deliberation and the guys "ooh" and "ahh" at the sight of her in her stunning dress. Yet again. However, I wasn't a huge fan of her dress tonight and decided that if I were ever to become the Bachelorette, I would make everyone wear normal clothes, all the time. Nike shorts and a t-shirt would become the new staple. Anyways, back to Des. She sent three more men home tonight, but one came as quite the surprise to America: Robert. Robert is absolutely gorgeous and America just couldn't figure out why Des would send him home so soon. She later tweeted out to her fans: "Sorry ladies! Robert aka Liam Hemsworth's brother dated my friend before so I couldn't keep him around. #thebachelorette #friendsfirst." Ahhhh. It all makes sense now. I knew I recognized that flawless face.

My Top 5 After Week 2:

1. Brooks
2. Bryden
3. Drew
4. Zak W
5. Ben (unfortunately) 

 More Info About The Show (If You're Curious)

She's Baaack.

♪♫♭Guess who's back? Back again. Schmidty's back. Tell a friend. ♭♫♪

My Spring semester was absolutely crazy busy, and left me with very little time to blog. I also had very little to write about, but I'm back with lots on my mind! So, what did you miss the past six months? Well, let me break it down for you: 

1. I struggled through Financial Accounting (for the second time), but made it out alive and with a passing grade! 
2. I have been "CrossFitting" harder than ever before and have seen some great progress with my strength and endurance. In April, I was awarded the Female Athlete of the Month at Gator CrossFit. I am so blessed to be part of the Gator CrossFit community and look to forward to each and every workout. Well, almost every workout. 
3. On April 11, my roommate and best friend Callie and I attended a Taylor Swift concert in and had the time of our lives. 
4. Over the past two semesters, I have watched eight of my closest friends turn 21 and we have took Gainesville by storm each and every time. On Friday, it will be my birthday, and I will finally be...20. #Junebabyproblems
5. Atop Snowshoe Mountain, on March 9, my beautiful cousin Marie married the man of her dreams in the most picturesque wedding I have ever been in. I didn't meet her husband Brad until the wedding rehearsal, but I immediately felt like I had known him for years. Brad and Marie are truly a match made and heaven and I am so honored to have been a part of their wedding and cannot wait for their future together. 

So that's what you missed. The past six months summed up in a paragraph or two. Of course, I'm probably leaving out more than I realize, but those were the highlights that came to mind. This summer, I am in Gainesville taking Managerial Accounting and Calculus 2 (prayers, please). Despite the courses I'm enrolled in, I expect to have a significant amount of free time these coming months to get back into blogging. My project for the summer will be a weekly Bachelorette recap. The Bachelorette (sister-show to The Bachelor) is a another ridiculous (addicting) dating show on television that occupies me each and every Monday night. Though it won't be comparable to my summer in Rome, I hope it still proves to be entertaining and worth the read. I will be posting on Tuesdays with the recap from the previous night. In addition, I hope to be able to throw in another post every now and then in the mix. I'm so excited to be writing again; thanks for reading and enjoy! 

Writer's Block

As the new year approches, I have been struggling to think of things to write about. Each Monday, I have sat down at my computer and tried to come up with something to post, but as you can see, for the last 4 Mondays I have been unsuccessful. For those of you that have been following me from the very beginning when this blog was "Make Way for Alligators", it has been a year and a half now. Unfortunately, I have written about all of the "timely things" such as New Years Resolutions, Valentine's Day, Christmas, and more. As 2013 rolls around, I would feel weird writing about those same subjects again for much of the content would probably be the same. My daily life in Gainesville is not nearly exciting enough for me to write about, trust me. Being almost entirely consumed by school, I'm afraid that my blog would become much too educational for my liking.

So, here's the plan. I will be taking a hiatus from my weekly blog posting until further notice. I don't expect this to be very long, but I think I need some time let my brain relax. Hopefully after this break I will have come up with and stored away great material to write about for many Mondays to come. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you...which I'm assuming is none. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic start to the year 2013. That is, of course, assuming the Mayans were wrong and we all make it past December 21, 2012.