Acting my age and lessons from Tyra

Since I've been sick, my daily adventures have been non-existent so blog topics have been a bit dry or donated from friends for me to showcase here once I have rested enough to sit up for a bit.

Before we get to tonight's “lesson from Tyra,” I have noticed as I get older that I become more of a baby when I get sick. I like to think it's because my parents doted me on me a lot while I was younger to make sure that I was comfortable, etc. This is not a bad thing, in fact given how sickly I was as a kid and teenager, it made it a lot easier to handle, but now that I live on my own, I find myself acting like a bigger child, especially in the throws of congestion and madness.

For example, I'm ashamed to say that I've done a few of the following things as an adult while being sick:

-- Cried like a baby out of extreme frustration by myself and on the phone to others. Normally I can keep it together pretty well, but the emotions manifest themselves in tears…beyond my control

-- Whimpered on the phone to my dad saying, "I don't feel good! What are you going to do to make this better?"

-- Given the pharmacist "Bambi" eyes to help speed up the process of filling my prescription

-- Shared stories with the elderly women at Jewel-Osco, who are also filling prescriptions, about "aches and pains" in my back, knees, etc. They understand me

-- Dramatically tossed tissues on the floor, hoping they'll magically pick themselves up, only to find that I have to still do that later

-- Mentally willed soup to make itself, only to find out that it doesn't

I'm not proud of these things but I resolve to try and scratch a few of them off the list this year...or next. It'll be part of my 5-year plan.

TV Commentary:
So tonight while resting, America's Next Top Model was on and I cannot resist learning from Tyra how I should stand so that I look more "model" and not so "hoey." Those are lessons that you cannot learn anywhere else.

It's sad that this is the show's 10th cycle and I have watched it slowly slide down the taste and stereotype scale.

ANTM now focuses solely on going for the “shock” value and not for actual quality, if that was ever a goal for the show. Whether it is product placement or a larger budget that has caused this demise, now it’s all about having “those” girls on the show for ratings. On ANTM there is always one girl who has a kid and misses him/her too much, the girl who was abused by her family or an ex-boyfriend or the bumpkin who is just amazed by the bright lights and big city. These women are on there to keep it “real” for us and generate sympathy but when I know what to expect, how am I supposed to feel for these girls? If anything, I just turn it into a game, guessing when each one will cry first and how often. It’s sad, but I still watch it almost every week, so I guess I’m just perpetuating the stereotype.

Plus next week on ANTM is the makeover show, and I l-o-v-e when the girls cry about getting their hair cut off or cut short. It’s enjoyable and fun to laugh along with.