Lucelu

I know what you mean. When I was looking at the structure it does seem more like a showplace than a home-- almost like commercial property like a hotel's public rooms. I can't imagine the army that will be required for it's upkeep because we know Heather isn't doing it. It's the DuBrow's Downton. I usually see these over-large homes and think about all the homeless people-- how many 2-3 bedroom starter homes could be made to house people. California's housing prices are so unbelievably high for just a regular house. I get the same kind of sick feeling in my stomach when I hear or read about political campaign monies (which I think are such a criminal waste of resources-- especially in the case of vanity candidates). In a time when an entire nation is about to lose it's currency- so many people are going to be left with nothing, losing their entire savings and/or security.. and then the vultures will fly in. While I am sure the Dubrow's give to charity, it obviously isn't at any major sacrifice to them. I guess what I am saying is to take off your coat to clothe the naked loses it's meaning a little when you have a chandelier lit closet filled with hundreds of coats. Charity donation is just a box on the list, not an aspiration as the Dubrows are not gunning for sainthood, just sanctimonious superficiiality.

I feel a little cheated. I don't like how they edit those dinners. I feel like we missed a lot. Meghan's "you're not such a big todo" lecture was much longer it seems. The way she addresses all every little dig from the show, I think this is one girl who passive aggressively dishes it out and cannot take even a little bit. Maybe she is Brandi's mini-me. Blaming the dis-invite on the husband? Really? Show me the footage.

No one needs to walk on eggshells around Shannon. However Meghan came on very strong over something really incidental. She could have done that to anybody and they probably would have (maybe not gone upstairs to cry-- which I think she tried to do discreetly and then came down after she regained her composure and declined to discuss it with anyone)-- told Meghan to find another tree to piss on so to speak. She was butthurt over some perceived cellphone slight. Not everyone has to respond to a text from a stranger-- no matter who you are married to. I don't even know if Shannon had any idea who Jim Edmunds is.. I certainly didn't. I'm not into sports and could care less who a professional ball player is. I bet she wanted Shannon's personal guest list-- seeing how she hadn't moved to the OC yet but committed herself to a fundraiser. Shannon likely knew what she wanted and did not want to give it to her and with good reason. Plus she was pissed at her for calling her private cell. Of course the first wife likes Meghan. Meghan is the karma she wished on wifey #2.

I really don't mind the house talk so far. It is sort of interesting in an HGTV kind of way. However, after a season of the building the Debrow house... I think I may end up like I end up after touring the local Parade of Homes... slightly sickened by the ostentation.

Seriously gave her the side eye on that one... Additionally... we've all seen your Berkshire palace Dorinda.. While it is big, it was decorated by a color-blind auction house dealer.

Actually, Shannon seemed fine about it. In her TH she did admit it felt bad to be singled out and left out (as it would for anyone) and she and Vicki were having a good time. She insisted the entire time at the restaurant that she was ok and not upset about not being in Meghan's circle. And she did take Meghan's apology and just explained why she felt upset afterward but M. was spoiling to get back into "Round 2".

When you consider that plastic surgery is cash - no insurance bullshit, it adds up pretty fast. People get financing for planned procedures. Plus he gets free advertising and many dollahs doing these shows which probably covers his overhead costs.

I did not at all look into any negative motivations from Heather this episode. She tried to warn Meghan to not exclude Shannon but Meghan shut her right down. She was respectful and polite to her in her home. They all seem to be walking on eggshells around her and not addressing her bringing this up and making a mountain out of a molehill and perhaps being oversensitive. So she's married to a retired professional sports athelete-- for 4 months -- so what? At the time she called, hadn't it been 2 months? I think Heather gives this chick too much credit. She is not handling anything except her shopping. The person taking care of everything is that cute personal assistant she was referring to as her "pet".

Shannon has her issues, we know from last season she was a hot mess and now we know why and can see now she is holding it together but has a lot of anxiety and stress from the situation with David-- even after the marriage retreat. I'm not really sure what Meghan was after as even after Shannon apologized to her, she decides that is not good enough, not "genuine" and refuses to accept it. Even after digs she makes to Shannon trying to get piss her off and get her going. This woman has no class. You can see in the other womens' faces they are incredulous at her behavior but don't want to get involved. When she finally gets the apology and says "that doesn't sound genuine" both Heather and the blond lady next to her could not believe it. I think if this were Tamra she said this to, she would have thrown her drink at her.

Wow, that Meghen person is a piece of work. She was so rude to Shannon in her home and made it out that Shannon was flipping out? I thought her saying, "I'm done here" telling her why she was doen and walking away was the definition of de-escalation. I love Vicks for sticking by her friend. I really liked the end when everyone met at the bar. That party was so not Lizzy's scene. Everyone still seemed so gracious to Meghen though. Too bad no one gave her the brief on manners.

I like Kristen. She is a beautiful girl. I don't think she is cow. She has respect for herself. We don't see or hear of any of the kind of garbage that Sonja engages in, nor Brandi, nor does she bring up vulgar topics at dinner like Tam. I do enjoy her blog. I like that she has no need to strut around like a yellow bikinied rooster in front of the other women. Another Ho I miss this season is Heather, there has really not been any segments centered on her. But the Ramonja coaster is on vacay and even Bethenny will have to insinuate herself into their shenanigans to get the camera focused on her. The Ramonja coaster is certified TNT RH vacation camera gold and delivers every season. (can we agree to disagree on perceptions of Carole and this chef man and Lu?)

I think it was a hygenist but Because she has no friends to talk to. Have you ever tried to have a conversation while getting your teeth cleaned? The woman is desperate to have a conversation with someone that will "get" her that is not her husband (who insisted on putting her through that torture).

I thought that Meghan was shit stirring. She really felt offended? Seriously? That phone call/misunderstanding is something you laugh off. I would have said instead that "we were destined to be friends. We almost met and had a better acquaintance when I tried to call you in regard to this charity-- so an so referred me to you. You were in the car with the kids and it must have been a bad moment" By the way, what kinds of things have you done with this charity, we must know a bunch of people in common. ...." But that would have been constructive and friendly -- especially after pretty much accusing her of being a jealous wife and that her husband had been flirting with her the first time they didn't meet. Why didn't she email or text her to begin with? LIke "Heather Dubrow said you were a good person to ask about this event... When is a good time to call you and talk about this?" NO, instead she texts her to say my name is such and such... by this time I think Shannon had a lot of other shit she was dealing with and this was not an avenue she wanted to explore. I too would have stood up and said I'm done here, go fishing somewhere else. Who gets so offended about a stupid phone call? Who carries a perceived slight from a total stranger this long and stays aggrieved and demands some kind of apology for nothing? This lady's skin is a bit thin for a third wife. Also I would be pissed if someone was handing out my private cell number to strangers and people who call you asking for money. I even get testy with the Red Cross. If I want to donate blood, I will bring my ass down there. Sometimes charities are pushy with their requests. Generally I pick one I am going to sponsor for the year and concentrate on it. If another keeps calling me, I get really annoyed.

Legally requiring a written declaration of intent to divorce does not preclude a face to face conversation about it. And yes, Bethenny is hanging with Ramona and Sonja, the UES hos. So racetrack. Look, none of these women were raised in the UES, they are from upstate, PA, CT or NJ. Their snobbiness is all adult-acquired behavior and attitude. I don't believe for a minute she did not have aesthetic work done and I don't even care if she did. I just think she is a hypocrite about it. Ramona has reveled in rubbing other HO's faces in their failed relationships. This is where Bethenny has fallen down on the job as far as I am concerned. Ramona also loved to say some horrible things to Luann. She has no respect for people's different lifestyles--so rigid in her thinking, she feels that only her way is the right way. She insults other Ho's children (remember when she called Jill's stepdaughter deformed at her anti-bullying event?). Bethenny's hypersensitivity does not extend to others-- she can dole it out but not take it. She tells Dorinda that calling herself a widow makes her sound Old? really? Then makes fun of the terminology of "late Husband" etc to two widows who may still have some very present feelings of grief? But they are polite. Dorinda seems like a woman who would always treat rude people graciously but then drop their messages in the trash afterwards and not return their calls or respond positively to their invitations. I think this show will be a bit hard for her since she really can't do that. Although she does avoid the bawdy locker room conversations as much as possible. She kind of reminds me of the women my father used to like to date, cultured, independant, intelligent, great taste (to bad his last one was provincial, needy and ignorant-I blame early dementia). I can't imagine her truly bonding with Sonja who is kind of like a combination of Lily Bart, Leona Helmsley, and one of those Girls Gone Wild from Spring Break fame of the Hos.

Wow. That shows no respect for the institution of marriage, the officiate (if it was a priest. minister or rabbi-- the church or the state) or anyone else connected to her sham.... I think it is shameful and I have absolutely no pity for that person. Of all the people who were denied marriage and she makes a mockery of it--she is "real" alright, Real Cold. She deserves all the negative shit she is getting and I support Jason's fight to retain 50% of his custody and the ability to raise Brynne with people who know how to have relationships and where commitments are honored and where you don't just toss people out when your feel their usefulness for your career and personal aspirations has ended. I feel like she committed fraud on him. If I were Heather, Kristen and Dorinda, I would not want to know Bethenny well and keep her at arms length. I really feel sorry for Brynn. Her mother is a narcissist. The old Bethenny would have gravitated more towards Heather, Kristen and Carole. But this Bethenny fits right in with the UES as much as she would like to say things like "our kind of people, really?" and other crude comments about plastic surgery procedures (in which she is kind of a poster child for -- one more nose job and it's a M.Jackson special). She is one of those people who "thinks" they are down to earth but really are picky OCD princesses (much in common with Ramona....). Peddle that Skinny Girl licensing to the moon and back, Beth, but pushing your bitterness on tv is not helping your personal brand.

I think talking about ratings is germane if they are an indicator if a housewife will continue or if there is a question of discontinuing the show. I can only post here about how the show made me as an individual feel and what I felt made it better or worse. If this is going to happen on every season where this one housewife (Bethenny) is the main focus, I will end up tuning out. I invested 3 seasons in these ladies and hung in there with the cast changes and now, when I like the mix, they add Bethenny and she basically sucks all the oxygen in the room. I would characterize her behavior as bipolar if she was ever not miserable and bitchy but I guess histrionic will have to do. I was not in her marriage so cannot speak to it but I have been married with new baby/small children and that change in the marriage dynamic is profound and it does put a lot of stress on a couple and the result is that often people can act like jerks to each other with the sleep deprivation etc. My strategy to handle that stress was to take the long view and if we had times where we tolerated each other, ended up like house buddies for a little while... we did that and then had times where we worked back to what brought us together in the first place-- and that is the point, marriage takes a lot of work, perseverance and forgiveness of little transgressions on the part of both people. There is no "happily ever after" and it is not the job of a spouse to make the other one happy. I feel like 2 years after a vow is made is a very short time to make a decision to hang it up - especially when the birth of a child occurred during that time (oh the hormones!) and on top of that they added the stress of reality tv. One does not enter into marriage lightly-- people need to choose their partners and the parents of their children carefully (don't mate with the cray cray). In my case, before we married, we both had come from divorced homes-- so we knew that once we had a child there was no opt out option, we were going to make it work because in intact marriages, a child is a hope, an investment for the future but in divorced families, the child becomes another bill, and expense and a tool to use against each other-- especially when remarriages happen; even when both parents love that child... there is resentment towards each other in regard to him or her. So barring egregious behavior such as cheating, drug and alcohol addiction, flagrant financial gambling and abuse (physical/emotional); go to therapy, work it out, choose happiness as an individual. I think that doing that would have caused Bethenny a lot less grief and misery. Ultimately, a person has to consider their child is the sum of both parents and to honor the that and see that there are parts of the person you loved when you made that child and find it in yourself to respect them to work together. The person who ultimately suffers from parental enmity is the child and over that child's development, it can negatively affect the relationship between the child and the parent. In no way is my post intended to denigrate anyone on these boards who have divorced as all people have their reasons and different lives and different pressures. I wrote it for a perspective on how the horrible time Bethenny is experiencing is, in a big part, the result of the decisions she has made. She did not have to marry Jason, she did. I don't know why if she truly did not love him. She knew who he was and his family before the wedding. I feel if she did not truly feel committed to the marriage, there should not have been a wedding. She was lucky in that there were no financial pressures as they both made good incomes, they had means for professional help and assistance with childcare to ease the stress of different careers. Considering how much she had to lose, I am kind of gobsmacked at her judgment.

Re Bethenny: Happiness is a choice y'all. Peace out.

That is interesting, I had a totally different impression. It felt like at first Bethenny was bracing for some kind of criticism or complaint and when Carole said it was a sex dream, she completely relaxed and laughed-- seemed relieved.

Yikes. I think the idea of rehabbing your image on a reality show is a big gamble. Usually philanthropy is a more guaranteed avenue for that, just ask Andrew Carnegie (a robber baron who chewed up lives in his meat grinder mines and slums only to have people remember him as the man who donated and funded libraries, hospitals, schools and theaters..). Ultimately, I feel a little annoyed with the show for being so Bethenny-centric and hope the trip is entertaining. If she is on for another season after this I'm not sure I will want to watch it. The constant scenes that are monopolized by her -- ironically on someone who doesn't want attention, have gotten boring. I want to know more about the other girls' lives and activities. I might pick up a different show for my tv potato chip. I did start the BH franchise for the first time this past season and the OC -- which I stopped after it's first season but then picked up last year mid-season. But NY is my state and I watched that first season when we met them, checked out for 2 seasons and picked it back up-- I never saw Scary Island. I've only seen some occasional Atlanta shows and Love Melbourne. So Andy, work your magic and either send Bethenny to BH where she belongs. Put her in Kim's spot (if she can work out the custody...) or give her her own show that I can ignore like I did her other ones.

They did go out of their way and rearrange their schedules, no astonishment required. However, they also have cherubs who want their mommies too and having changed plans to accommodate once already, they were not willing to do it again. They were pretty much resigned to not go if the trip was going to be moved to another date again.

I would love to see Kristen getting the kids together and her husband to do a family portrait shoot. I enjoyed watching the fashion shoot she and Luann were doing for Luann's clothing line for EVine. They both looked "fierce". It was neat. Luann is so not delusional about this, just matter of fact.

When you get very sick, you really do find out who your friends are. Often people will give you lip service but don't show up ("call me if you need anything" instead of saying-- when is your next treatment? do you need a ride? Can I meet you there? I'll bring lunch...). So Daisy telling her what she needed... Melissa can't tell her she offered help and Daisy never called or told her what she needed. I am a nurse and people respond differently to disease and much of it is socialized and cultural in response and expectation and has a lot to do with the family and community you grew up in. I worked in cancer care and some of the infusions for chemo/radiation- it is a long day for people. They are given lots of premeds to prevent side effects and anaphylaxis. Those can make you really tired. That Daisy kept up her makeup and wigs.. that really impressed me. Mostly my patients would lay in bed and wonder if they had the energy to shower that day. I don't hate Demetria. Sometimes I get annoyed with her arrogance. I bet she is an interesting conversationalist but she has a tendency to be judgemental and when someone tells her something she doesn't want to hear, she becomes very arrogant and tries to shut them down and make them feel like dirt instead of dealing with it or apologizing. She seems like one of those people who is never wrong. I am a little concerned that she was willing to let her fiance/husband tell her who she could be friends with and have at her wedding. That man bears some watching for control issues. I do admire her for going after her dream as a writer.

when it comes to Bethenny having to leave early from Turks/Caicos-- no one cares. They just don't want to have to rearrange and reschedule again. I don't think they have to go if the trip is cancelled/rescheduled.

I had the impression that Kristen and Brandy were friends from the modeling days, not necessarily buddies anymore. I can't imagine Brandy's shenanigans and vulgar mouth would be something Kristen would be cool with on a regular basis. Kristen just seems classier than Brandy. (maybe it's the clothes they wear or it could possibly be tv magic) The boobs dresses Brandy wears-- I can't imagine Kristen wearing them. I can only picture Kristen's shocked face saying "who does that?" every other crass awkward moment hanging w/Brandy.

Ramona should wear a tshirt saying "Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Meltdown Impending"