CHALLENGE: America's Next Top Roommate

Wednesday means two things to me: Top Model and blog challenges.

So it was a natural fit that we combine these two weeknight rituals for LeahhatesKris's inaugural America's Next Top Roommate challenge.

Taking a cue from tonight's episode, Kris and I will demonstrate the "action modelling" lessons we picked up from veteran top model Gabrielle Reece. Each roommate must select a "verb" and "adverb" (gold star to Tyra for upping ANTM's educational content) and model the results.

Will camera-shy Leah pull an Anchal and "flee aggressively" in shame?

Or will the judges finally realize "mature model" Kris could break a hip on the runway, and boot him back to the Stettler A&W?

You decide. Who's gonna be on top?

Hot! Hot! Chip!

Despite the headline (and you'll see what I mean by clicking, here) Monday's Hot Chip show was excellent.

So excellent that Toronto was dancing. And not just that typical big-city self-conscious head-bobbing. I think I actually spotted one guy voguing.

I'm not about to give Toronto too much credit, though. Not yet.

The second song in, I distinctly heard a loud shout of "Edmonton!" At first I thought it was just some weird self-important delusion. Then I noticed Cadence Weapon was about three rows behind me. That would probably explain it.

If only there were more Edmontonian hipster celebrities available for export.

Hello Toronto, Goodbye Roommate?

I'm back.

Kris, however, isn't.

I'm not going to trouble the police with his missing-ness. No need to rouse the bloodhounds or dredge the ravines. There's a few extra boxes of raisin bran in the kitchen; he's still lurking somewhere.

But he's scared. Scared of the competition to come.

What's the matter, little Kwis? Aren't you roommate enough?

A contest of spooktacular booportions

As Kris announced earlier today, this week's contest was delayed due to my jet-set adventures in western Canada. I apologize for doing my homework, and I regret I have little to report.

It snowed a lot.

My mom fed me plenty of yummy homecooked meals.

I visited a few Halloween parties full of newspaper kids I didn't know. I felt as though I'd mysteriously transformed into blog pal and old-school Gatewayer, Neal Ozano. But Neal wouldn't have dressed up like Margot Tenenbaum. He would have just hung out at the bar and called everyone dum-dums and bore-o-saurs. Which is to say he's cooler than me.



All this leads me to announce this week's challenge: a costume contest.

Kris suggested it, leading me to believe he'd been spending all those months cooped up in Robards hand-stitching sequins under fluorescent light.

He'd proven himself a considerable opponent. Last year, he wowed the blog-o-sphere with his interpretation of Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby. The competition seemed stiff. That is until this morning when I chatted with Christie, who informed me it was she who conceived the Rosemary costume.

And video evidence would seem to prove Kris is in fact completely helpless without a lady friend to help him navigate his closet--fashion missteps such as purses and red heels, aside.

The poor little fella seems to have wandered out of the apartment in his underpants out of frustration:



A cheap ploy. Your votes will only encourage him.

This one's for the hope chest

My eyes are pink with too much school reading this week. But still, I like to find time for a little recreational magazine skimming, as well.

So, mad props go out this week to blog pal, Tyson who sent me a copy of my new favourite Western Canadian publication: Alberta Husband & Wife.


This month's Sears portrait studio power couple: Rob "Power 92" Christie and Phyllis Diller.

I've been taking notes on the articles that I think I should share in case any of you are contemplating a stale marriage. Some romance tips from the editorial:

"...Wear flowing and sensuous fabrics. A wispy silk skirt or sari for the woman and an open necked silk shirt and tight jeans for the guy. ..."

"...Be playful. Just happen to have a basket of delicious red cherries dipped in chocolate hanging from a lattice or a tree. Hold them by the stem and dangle them for your partner to enjoy the luscious taste and pampering."

"What about the mosquitoes? Yes, they can ruin the moment. We are in Alberta, and we just can't ignore them. I could tell you to put on Deet, but how responsible is that? Kissing your parntner's soft skin and ending up with a toxic chemical in your mouth just takes away the romance. Beside [sic] it stinks and tastes horrible."

Col. Sanders is the dreamiest

In belated weekend news, I reviewed The Killers Friday night.



I mention this only so that I can post the following photo caption:


SOME BIRDIE TOLD ME

Puns!

How many people live in Tori Amos' head?

Always delightful blog pal Christie paid a visit this weekend.

Back when Christie was still acting den-mother of the Little Edmonton crew, she could always be counted on for her savoir faire. She always knew of the hipster-iest night spots, the cutting-edgiest boutiques, the lip-smacking-est cafes.

And though she's since taken up a country life on the Isle of Jersey, Christie's clearly still in-the-know. It seems all she needs to do is listen to the wind on the Jersey moors to pick up on the latest pop-culture zeitgeist. And that wind of hipness is Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights."

Here's what I'm talking about:


And here, here, here, here, here, here and especially here, and also here and here and here...are all the people who know what I'm talking about already.

To think that Saturday night after the Oilers game we were all so out of the loop. Thank goodness Christie was around to educate us Toronto simpletons:

Like a Badly Drawn Boy

Perhaps Madonna will take this as inspiration to swap the unitards for chunky knits.

Badly Drawn Boy at the Mod Club:


And the review: here

Given the subject, MS Paint might've been a more sensible medium than shaky digital video.