Three years ago I spent Thanksgiving alone. I was living in Manhattan and working a treacherous job at a news station which required me to arrive for work at 2:30am and never sleep. It was also mandatory that I work every and all holidays. The news never stops, people. Since I was living over two hours away from home, this meant I was unable to sneak to mom and dad's for turkey after my shift.
With no family nearby and any neighborhood friends at home with their loved ones, I was all alone in my apartment in the city - exhausted, lonely, bored. I heated up a can of Spaghettios (the Disney Princess ones are my fave), made myself comfy in front of my computer monitor and downloaded a few recent episodes of Ugly Betty. (Working at 2:30am makes staying caught up on TV shows nearly impossible). What better way to cure my loneliness than by sharing Thanksgiving with the Suarez family? They comforted me, made me laugh and erased my self pity. Not every television family has such an affect on its viewers. It takes an outstanding cast with a smart script and characters who feel like your best friends. I ate my Spaghettios, smiled and fell asleep happy (until I had to wake up at the ass crack of dawn to head back to work - but that's besides the point).
Today is a sad day. Today I am reminiscing. Last night was the series finale of this dear show. Ugly Betty is no more. Our heroine moved across the sea to London, Hilda & Co. are off to an apartment in the city, Justin is fabulously gay and out, Daniel resigned as Editor in Chief, Wilhelmina and Claire are getting along and Marc and Amanda are as endearing as ever - Marc finding love and Mandy reuniting with her long lost Tweety Bird-tatted daddy.
I cried my eyes out as I unwillingly said goodbye to all of the above. There is a hole in my heart, a void that was once filled with bright colors, MODE magazine and a loving Mexican family. It will surely take time to get over this loss. If only more of America recognized the brilliance of this series. ABC, you've broken my heart.
Overall, the ending was superb. Mysteries were solved, enemies reconciled, loved ones returned. New York Magazine summed the episode up best:
"After four seasons of struggles, breakups, murders, kidnappings, extortion attempts, and fashion emergencies, the cast of Ugly Betty damn well earned a happy ending — and that's exactly what creator Silvio Horta gave them last night on the series finale. The show has been praised throughout its run for its exploration of gay, immigration, and class issues through a Latino lens, but the last episode got a bit more granular. It was about courage, self-determination, and, above all, happiness. The episode was titled "Hello Goodbye," but it could have been named after perhaps the most iconic Beatles sentiment: "All You Need Is Love."
In the end, Betty didn't end up with Henry, as I had hoped (see earlier post), but I was actually glad. Last week's episode made me realize there was no place for Henry in her life. As she realized (with Daniel's assistance), Henry was bringing her down. She was going in reverse, as opposed to moving on. Makes me question things in my life... which is exactly why I love Betty Suarez so dearly. I might not be short and frumpy with a full set of braces and glasses and a Guadalajara poncho, but gosh darnit, I've never related to a fictional character more. We're the same age, both attempting to figure out what we want from life and working hard to achieve our dreams. If only more people had the strength of Betty - her strive, her kindness, her heart. No one's heart is as big as Betty's.
(*NOTE: The show might not have always been relatable. For instance, Daniel's brother did wake up from a coma as his sister and Wilhelmina did steal sperm from a dead man. I digress...*)
A self proclaimed lover and borderline TV addict, I get attached to plenty of shows. Few, however, have such an impact on my life. I vividly remember the finale of Full House and Boy Meets World. (TGIF was literally my most favorite thing growing up and Corey Matthews was a HUGE part of my adolescent life). The last time a series finale made me sob as hard took place two years ago when THE O.C. ended. The final montage showing Julie Cooper graduating college, Seth and Summer tying the knot, and Ryan saying goodbye to the Cohen's house with a vision of Marissa standing at the end of the driveway where the two first met in that magical first epsiode killed me. I bawled crocodile tears.
Thing is, while I loved the Tanners, Cory and Topanga, the Cohens and the Coopers, I never felt the connection like I do with Betty. I will forever remember her and the impact she has on my life will remain strong through many years to come. Go ahead and laugh at me, but I'm not kidding. I will look to her when I need advice, when I need to remain strong, when I need a friend. I will miss her always.
My favorite part of last night's episode was the very end. After Betty had moved to London for a new job developing a brand new magazine and after she bumped into Daniel (who maybe is totally in love with her - which I support 100%), the show closed with "UGLY BETTY" appearing on screen. Then the UGLY faded and we were left with BETTY in bright red letters over a London background. Yes, BETTY. No need for the UGLY because she is actually the most beautiful person ever - inside and out. Viewers recognize it. Betty's fellow coworkers, friends and family recognize it. I'm glad the show decided to remind us of this in its final moment. That's when the tears really started to fall.
Long live, Betty.
Hate to say I told you so, but...I told you so!
My dream job is to work for O.P.I. designing nail polish colors and corresponding names. My favorite part about getting a manicure and pedicure is not the massage chair or the foot rub or the way my nails look without cuticles when I'm done. No, my favorite part is picking out the color. I don't tend to pick colors based on their shade. Rather, I pick a color based on it's clever, witty name. If I'm interested in pink, but not sure which shade suites my current mood best, I'll choose based on the crafty name. "Pinking of You?" Adorable! "Pink Before You Leap?" Yes, please! "Aphrodite's Pink Nightie?" Put that on my nails right now! My personal favorite O.P.I. color and name is "My Chihuahua Bites."
2. She has been told she smells like a "shrimp diaper." WTF?! I don't know what's more appalling: the fact that someone thinks she smells like a shrimp-filled diaper or the fact that she proudly shares this with the world. Supposedly she wanted to be in a skit on SNL geared toward her shrimp diaper scent. Note to Ke$ha: Smelling like a shrimp diaper is NOT funny and NOT attractive and you should NOT be proud of this. TAKE A SHOWER and use plenty of soap. 
Last night's episode of Vampire Diaries featured several of the most-played songs on my iTunes, thus increasing my love for this show. Phoenix? Check! Paramore? Check! The Virgins? Check! It's as if the music director hacked into my computer, which just goes to prove, I should have that job. I should be the one choosing music for the show. Although, I would have picked a less played Phoenix song. I've heard "1901" so many times it's starting to make my ears bleed. Regardless, vampire (turned alcoholic), Stefan Salvatore certainly has a fantastic taste in music if I do say so myself. With a soundtrack like that, it's no wonder the Mystic Fall's Founder's Ball was such a hit - for both the living and the dead.
Meanwhile, Elena's blood thirsty, alcoholic vampire boyfriend is a hot mess! Last week Elena saved his life by forcing him to drink from her after he was kidnapped, beaten and weakened by a pack of angry vamps. Having lived off squirrel blood for so many years, that taste of human blood has turned him into a monster. (Cue GaGa: That boy is a monster! Ma-ma-ma-monster! That boy is a monster! Ma-ma-ma-monster.) 
2. Based on the very early preview we got (courtesy of Mr. Gunn) of S.A.'s line, looks like we're in store for leather, metallic, alligator skin, zippers, studs - stuff with guts and edge that his opponents sadly lack. His line looks like something GaGa or Glambert would wear. Obviously that makes me a fan. Seth deserves to win Project Runway season 7 because he will go on to design outfits for my mega-star superheroes of the entertainment industry.
4. As I mentioned above, Seth Aaron reminds me a bit of Jeffrey Sebelia. However, Jeffrey was an a**hole. Seth, on the other hand, is not. I don't think the dude has a mean bone in his body. It's a rare designer who stays out of the drama, doesn't pick a fight with his fellow craftsmen and instead appreciates the talent surrounding him in the workroom. You, go, S.A.! He's there to gain recognition, become successful and have fun, man. His good sportsmanship especially stands out when compared to his competition. Emilio is one cocky bastard. When asked by Heidi in front of the other designers and models who he felt his greatest competition was, he said - without hesitation - that he had no competition, that he was going to win. Ugh! Get over ya self, Emilio! As far as 
Go ahead, complain. Convince me it's too soon. Tell me he's not experienced enough, that he doesn't have a right to mentor since he wasn't even last season's winner. I dare you.
Not only do the viewers, judges and top nine contestants need this, but so does Lambert. It's no secret he's been suffering a rough time since his album debuted and he sucked face with his keyboardist at the AMA's. (Big whoop.) His reputation isn't as positive as it should be. Lambert is a one-of-a-kind talent, deserving of super-stardom. I'm convinced everything is going to change once his upcoming single hits the airwaves. "If I Had You" is killer and if it's not the song of summer 2010, shoot me. Regardless, tonight is going to remind America why we first fell in love with him and it's only going to help him regain the popularity he had as runner-up of season eight just one year ago.
Katherine Heigl is set to fill the shoes of author, Janet Evanovich's bounty hunter Jersey trash heroine, Stephanie Plum. The book series - now up to number 15 with "Sizzling 16" to hit shelves this June - tells the adventures of Plum, a divorcee turned lingerie saleswoman turned bounty hunter with a knack for getting into trouble and a constant craving for donuts. Her best friend, Lola, is a 250-pound former prostitute with a thing for fried chicken. Her love life is a hot mess - she bounces back and forth between local Trenton cop, Joe Morelli, a former high school flame who popped her cherry way back when, and fellow bounty hunter/spy/super hot secret agent, Ranger. Plum's sole roommate is a hamster. She never has food in her house, aside from crumbs to feed to her hamster, and therefore, spends most dinners at her parent's house. She and her whack-a-doo, funeral crashing grandmother drive her mother to drink. Her apartment has been broken into, blown up and set on fire numerous times. She's gone through more than a handful of cars for similar reasons. She's a middle-aged, single woman from Jersey with a taste for adventure and a life that's anything but ordinary. It's going to make a killer movie...if done right.
The actress is fully prepared to please fans, having already dyed her blond lockes a dark brown for the role: "[Stephanie Plum] is a very specific kind of girl, so I just wanted to show the legion of fans that I will be your vision of Stephanie Plum. It's important. I hate when my favorite books are made into films and they are just not what you expect." Thanks, Katherine. We appreciate that.
Truth be told, the song is stupid. No woman wants to be compared to takeout. Let's be serious. But, I love it because you're singing it. As does the rest of the country. This gets me to thinking. Where are you? What have you been doing besides making stupid movies with your exes? We prefer you as a musician. Now, please, get off your movie set and into the studio. Start recording, work on some new dance moves, maybe plan a duet with GaGa (just an idea) and release a third solo album already!
