Out: Morning Clouds

Tahoe summers are sublime. It's sunny and 80 degrees almost every day here, there's no humidity, and rain and clouds are almost unheard of.

The weather is a gift; we don't have outrageous air conditioning bills or poor air quality days, and it's nearly always ideal for playing outside, as long as you don't forget your sunscreen. With such predictably gorgeous weather, Tahoe should be the wedding capital of the world.

Still by now, most of the snow has melted from the mountains, the creeks are low, the trails are pretty dusty, and the fire risk is even greater than it was when the Angora Fire destroyed over 200 homes two months ago. So I was delighted when I woke up this past week to the ozone smell of an overnight storm and saw these gorgeous clouds spreading across the sky over the lake. It rained again in the afternoon, and now everything just seems refreshed (not to mention our car is clean for the first time this summer).

Out: Meadow Tree

Inside: We're watching ROCK OF LOVE (God help us)

A and I usually look for the same thing in a TV show: excellent dialog and character development, fast-paced story lines that mix the sweet with the sour, good production values and editing, etc. But every once in a while, A will turn on something that belongs to the craptastic world of music-channel reality TV and, on even rarer occasion, I find myself getting sucked in (it does not please me to admit this, although I'm happy to report that I continue to avoid My Sweet Sixteen like the plague).

Most recently, A turned on an episode of Rock of Love (VH1), which is similar in format to The Bachelor, only with a, ahem, rocking twist. Playing the role of the dubiously famous star is Bret Michaels of Poison. The remainder of the cast includes several women who are vying for the opportunity to be Bret's girlfriend.

I can't really do a like/dislike about this show, because the two are invariably intertwined. Like any reality show with this format, Rock of Love entertains us by humiliating its cast. As the girls compete against each other for Bret's affection (both in a series of scripted challenges and just in a general "look at me!" sort of way while socializing with him), the only real contest is who comes across as the most pathetic (and amusing for us).

But the real entertainer is Bret. His headwear alone is fascinating. It includes a seemingly endless supply of bandannas, as well as several cowboy hats and, for special occasions, bandannas with cowboy hats. The fact that he's never without some kind of coif cover leaves me with no choice but to assume that he's balding - and badly. (Though I have to hand it to him for keeping his bald head, um, under wraps - his bare hair has apparently never been photographed, at least not in recent history. Seriously, Britney Spears could learn a thing or two from this guy. A Google search for "Bret Michaels" and "bald" turns up nearly 30,000 hits, but all are from other people wondering about the status of his hairline. An image search yielded no further evidence, although I'm now in possession of the knowledge that he didn't even remove the bandanna when making a sex tape with Pam Anderson a few years ago. Ew.)

And then there's his demeanor, which is a strange mixture of both sleaze and...sincerity. Of course, there's sheer sexism of the show's concept. The challenges, which determine which girls can handle his rock n' roll lifestyle while looking hot at all times, are a twist on 1950s housekeeping articles instructing women that it is their duty to be pleasing and look pleasing to their husbands at all times. In a particularly groan-worthy moment, Bret gives a girl who he's just eliminated from the competition a hug goodbye...and squeezes her butt.

But misogyny aside, Bret manages to come across as someone who's actually looking for a girlfriend, not groupies. If a girl leaves the room because another girl hurt their feelings (or whatever), he follows them to find out what's wrong. This could be for ratings (the more drama, the better), but he seems genuinely interested in listening to each girl and giving her comfort and perspective on the situation. And rather than eliminating girls who rank the lowest on porn-star hotness, he kicks off those who are most boring (this could also be just for ratings, but I'll still give him credit). As he said in the last elimination ceremony, he's not interested in "mediocrisy." (He said this twice. I thank the editors for keeping both in.)

Inside: We're watching BIG LOVE

Watching HBO's Big Love, it's hard to imagine that there has never been a TV show about polygamists before. True, Mormon fundamentalist polygamists make up only a tiny portion of the American population. But if the "traditional" nuclear family husband+wife+kid+kid equation is fraught with enough drama to sustain TV writers since the fifties, think of the possibilities of husband+wife+wife+wife+kid+kid+kid+kid+kid+kid+kid!

Like: The season 2 finale had some great lines (e.g., "Our husband's dating life is none of our business!"), and demonstrated how much the show's characters have developed since last season. Bill has gone from a nice guy who happens to be a polygamist to a nice guy who happens to be a polygamist with a pretty consistent selfish and stubborn streak. Barb, Nicky and Margene showed their jealousies, desperation and loneliness. And also their alienation; Barb from "normal" society, Nicky from her fundamentalist family and Margene from the other two wives and from potential friendships. And the kids (at least the older two) began to show some cracks from the pressure of their home life.

Dislike: I've never enjoyed the Juniper Creek plot quite as much as the individual challenges and tensions within the Hendrickson family, and the season finale was no exception. I would give a little further analysis here, but once you begin summarizing this side of the show, it ends up sounding like a bad soap opera. (It's not -- even the weirder elements of the show are still superbly scripted and acted.) But given all the problems that the Juniper Creek clan brings to the table, I wonder why the Hendricksons don't just move, or at least keep their distance. The Weber Gaming drama seemed particularly avoidable for Bill -- why not just look for another door to the gaming industry?

Out: Otis at Skunk Harbor

Out: Meadow Lupin

Inside: We're watching RESCUE ME

Each episode of Rescue Me, now in its fourth season, is full of some of the most entertaining dialog on TV (the only show that gives it a run for its money in this department is The Wire, but since their seasons run on opposite ends of the calendar, why make a competition out of it?). A and I missed the first two seasons of this superb show but luckily caught on with season 3 last year (and then promptly caught up with the first two seasons on DVD).

Like: Last night's walk-through a burned knick-knack shop was hilarious (and also an impressive five and a half-minute continuous shot that appeared to be mostly improv). "Elbow! That's what we'll do." Also nicely done: the first shot of Janet in her new office had her handing off some T.P.S. reports (hopefully with cover sheets). Also funny: Shawn's failed attempt to become an alcoholic so that he can attend the Gavin family AA meetings, and Mikey once again ending up on the dark side of semantics. The humor was nicely offset by a good dose of the dramatic--I had to watch the scene where Tommy barely overcomes his fear of heights to rescue a window washer hanging off the side of a high-rise between my fingers.

Dislike: As always, I can't help but feel that Andrea Roth is horribly miscast as Tommy's wife Janet. I have no bones with Roth's acting, she's just too young and attractive to be believed in this role. According to IMDB, she's 10 years younger than Denis Leary (and looks 15), yet their characters were high school sweethearts. She also in no way appears to resemble a woman who has had four children, one very recently, nor a woman who has, by all accounts, lead a very difficult life. Specific to last night's ep, Tommy's topless speech in the station house kitchen was a bit
too preachy.

Inside: Favorite 40 Year Old Virgin Quote of the Day

"You know, I always thought Matt Damon was a Streisand, but I think he's rocking the shit in this one."

Out: Great-Horned Owl Release

I volunteer for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care. On Monday, I got to release this beautiful Great-Horned Owl, one of five that LTWC rehabbed this summer and released.

We took the owls to the Blue Lakes area, which is a perfect area for them -- little traffic, plus the meadows are full of food and surrounded by trees for them to perch in.

Inside: Favorite 40-Year Old Virgin Quote of the Day

"Yep. She was a ho...For sho."

Inside: We're watching DAMAGES

The first episode of Damages started off with a bang, setting up a legal battle between high stakes lawyer Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), who fights (very) dirty for the little guy and a billionaire (Ted Danson), who ripped off his employees to line his own pockets (or did he?); a mystery that will end in murder; and solid amount of enjoyable dialog and twists.

The subsequent episodes have slowed a bit (naturally), but this is still a great watch.

Like: I dig the structure of the show. The majority of each episode covers events beginning six months ago and leading to the present, which is revealed in tiny flashbacks (or flash-forwards? flash-presents?). I love Close and Danson, particularly that their characters are complex in refreshing ways...Patty Hewes is evil, manipulative and consumed with her career, yet has a warm and solid relationship with her husband. By now, we're pretty sure that Arthur Frobisher is guilty of stealing from his employees (or of something else he's even more worried about Katie remembering), but his character is...dare I say it?...kind of....sort of....sympathetic (ack. I said it). When he insists that he didn't do it, I believe him.

Dislike: This week's episode was probably the weakest so far. Tom's personal journey to realize that he doesn't want to work for anyone but Patty (not even himself), while not unnecessary, still didn't require the bulk of an episode.

Out: Wild orchids are awesome*

*This statement does not apply to the Mickey Rourke movie.

Out: Otis on Bridges

At High Meadows and the Upper Truckee River Marsh.

In: We're watching Californication (for now)

We're watching because (a) it comes on after Weeds and (b) experience warrants that HBO/Showtime dramedies deserve the benefit of doubt. But both A and I were unimpressed with the first couple of episodes, so whether we'll keep watching it remains to be seen.

Like: the vomiting on the painting bit (because I have the sense of humor of a nine-year old); that Becca actually seems like multi-dimensional kid; the adults-should-have-public-hair bit (though at one point this felt a bit like a writer on a soapbox to me); and the return of David Duchovney (who I crushed on for most of 1996-1998).

Dislike: God help us, it's yet another male lead character who's well-meaning but doesn't have his shit together. Sigh. What is the fascination with men who can't handle adulthood? Challenge to Hollywood: A male character who is both complex and doesn't have a Peter Pan complex. Also even I, of mid-to-late-nineties Duchovney crush-hood, do not see how a man who does not apparently own a brush or a razor nor anything nearing a George Clooney level of fame could possibly get laid this much. Dear Writer: Perhaps this played realistically for you, but I'd be willing to wager that porn stars generally don't throw (literally) their phone number at unkempt men who are talking to themselves. Oh, and this is a minor point in light of my other issues with Californication, but the main character is a writer struggling with....wait for it...writer's block. Really. Why not a writer struggling with his cynicism, or with being out of place with current pop culture, or with not getting published? Writers can have any number of professional problems. And frankly, whoever's writing this show should be familiar with several of them.

In: Favorite 40-Year Old Virgin Quote of the Day

No! Why...do...that..?

In: we're watching WEEDS

We're two episodes into Season 3 of Weeds (Showtime, Mondays at 10pm). So far this season has been...fine. The first two episodes (which probably should have been combined into a single ep., maybe a one-hour season premiere if editing it wasn't an option) tackled the index of dramas set up by the Season 2 finale. Both episodes were enjoyable--Weeds always is--but I prefer it when there's a little less life-and-death drama and more of the everyday kookiness.

Love: The ever-changing interpretations of the opening theme song. I like some versions more than others, of course, but I appreciate the extra effort so much; the scene with Doug and Dean in the bathroom, getting high on everything and anything available in the medicine cabinet and their manhood measuring contest; Zooey Deschanel's goodbye speech to Shane (I actually loved her character's entire run on the show, but I'm glad she headed into the sunset when she did); Heylia and Nancy's fight; both Nancy and Celia getting what they deserve--Nancy not getting off the hook for once and Doug breaking down and telling Celia to her post-coital face that she is a huge mistake and that he is madly in love with his wife.

Hate: No definitive proof that Peter is dead (actually, I kind of respect the writers for this one, but only if he's really dead. If he's alive and shows up 20 episodes from now Days of Our Lives style, I will not be amused); the whole Nancy-is-a-MILF thing (we get it, promise); and--is it me, or are the writers kind of phoning in Conrad's character right now? I guess that being held at gunpoint is a good reason to act wooden, but I can't help thinking that his character was out of character. Also, I'm worried that the U-Turn drama is. never. going. to. end. I know it's only been an hour and a half total from last year's finale to this week's episode, but that's a lot of time for such a quick and buoyant show to spend on one afternoon.

Out: Goldenbush

Out: Cloudy Day

Out: Stranger in a Strange Land

Out: Happy Little Trees

Out: Anniversary 2007

August 6 was our first anniversary. To celebrate, we headed to Zephyr Cove for a few hours. This differed from one of our average, everyday outings because we left Otis at home. This enabled us to do things that did not involve a tennis ball.

Before all you young girls go rushing out to the salon to get the look I'm sporting in the first photo, I should probably explain that it was a windy day, and I had no brush, comb, nor hair-controlling devices of any kind. But A thinks that this is like the cutest photo ever, which is one more reason I adore him.

In: Flowers

Roses, mums and daises from a bouquet my mom and brother sent for A's and my first anniversary. Me trying out the close-up feature on our digital.

Out: The Sandy

In the summer, A and I take Otis to the beach almost every day. The beach in front of our apartment is closed to dogs (boo), so we take him to a semi-secluded dog beach that's about a 10-minute walk away.

This beach has no name that I'm aware of, but some locals call it "Kite Beach" because it's a popular kite boarding spot. A and I, in our infinite creativity, just call it The Sandy because it has a wider stretch of sand than the beach in front of our apartment.

The Sandy has a pier that Otis loves to jump off of, provided we throw a tennis ball for him to fetch first.

By "loves to jump off of," I mean will completely freak out and jump around you while you're trying to walk down the pier, essentially blocking your path preventing you from throwing the ball that he's so excited to fetch. This makes perfect sense to Otis. In his enthusiasm, he has nearly knocked us off the pier and has succeeded in falling off himself, more than once. Not a graceful site.

It is quite a site when he finally does jump, though -- that gusto translates into him getting several feet of air before he hits the water. I got this shot on August 4, standing out in the water while A threw the ball.