Hello, Bachelorette Family,
Are you guys doing ok? I mean, I know I’ve been MIA for the last month or so…let’s just say the days seem to be blurring together indefinitely and finding a few minutes to sit down to blog (my favorite thing!) has been incredibly tough. In any event, here’s a little recap of life here with Stacey B & The Quarantine Gang that’s been consuming us lately:
(1) Toddler Tyler turns 16 months on Wednesday the 16th. He is still not walking and despite the doctors telling us – he’s fine, just HUGE (over 99 percentile for height and weight), I feel enormous guilt for him having no friends here, us not being able to take him out and about to classes, expose him to the world or to have any human interactions outside of facetime other than us. Why WOULD he want to walk? There’s nowhere to go these days! Despite his lack of walking, he finds LOADS of ways to get around – crawling at alarming speeds, climbing stairs, pushing walker toys, holding our hands for a few minutes while he toddles around…in fact, it’s with 100% certainty that if I THINK about blogging, Tyler will try to kill himself either through unsupervised stair climbing, banging on glass doors that could shatter at any minute or throwing himself down into the basement if the door is unintentionally left open. Toddler life is a busy life (more so for the parents, then the toddler himself)
(2) Holiday online shopping. Are you guys physically doing all your shopping in stores or doing it online? I’d say I’m about 90% online and it’s REALLY hard based on what actually shows up. I miss the days of mindlessly entering a mall and going store to store just browsing and holding toys, clothes, etc. to see what would be a good match. Online just isn’t the same. Then there’s the shopping for coworker gifts, teacher gifts, friends’ gifts, etc. I’m happy to report, that I’m nearly done with it all and very relieved. Some of my favorites: a $50 back / neck massager that’s adjustable, plugs into the wall and can be utilized while binge watching TV (and will definitely be used during Bach this week!), shopping locally in our new town to support the small businesses – I’m class mom for Ellie and bought a gift certificate for our teacher to one of the awesome restaurants here on behalf of the class. Also, bought my sister this very handy, fleece lined wool hat that has a snap on fleece lined mask attached to it. Very 2020. How sad that a facemask is on the holiday list of presents to give out this year 🙁
(3) COVID scares. It seemed like in the last month, numerous coworkers and friends have gotten COVID themselves. I knew of distant friends, or friends of friends that had it – but lately it seems to be popping up everywhere. Also, I had my own scare a couple weeks ago. I woke up with a terrible headache (same symptom as my coworker who was diagnosed the same week) and decided to take my temperature later in the day. I had 101 and tried 5 different places before being able to schedule a COVID test that evening in a parking lot. The rapid test was negative and I waited 3+ days for the regular test to come back (also negative) but during that time, it was incredibly stressful. My fever and headache only lasted for 1 day thankfully but the impact it had on everyone around me was traumatic. I had to pull Ellie out of school and notify the very few people we were around about my fever. We canceled our family’s holiday gathering and my mom and sister ended up dropping presents off at our house that we later opened over FaceTime. So stupid, this COVID thing. I am so ready for life to begin again.
(4) Work Work Work. We had an incredibly busy fall season at work (actually all of 2020 has been exceptionally busy), but the last 6-8 weeks have involved long hours and too much thinking. I’m glad to be semi-winding down with a week off for Christmas. I’ve got to come up with some activities here before we all lose our minds being stuck at home with nothing planned.
BACH UPDATE:
We’ve got back to back Monday / Tuesday episodes this week. Last I can recall – Bennett still gives me the eeebie geebies and is the most emotionally unintelligent person ever to be on the show. Note to Bennett: if you’re giving a book to someone on emotional intelligence and expect them to find it a) helpful or b) use it to resolve the 3 out of 4 deficiencies you point out in someone’s intellect / mind space, then YOU ARE a DOUCHE BAG. Can we just vote him off the island? Does Tayshia really find any remotely, non creepy aspect of him? I don’t find him charming or funny in any way.
The men are really showing some intense, dark experiences. I’m wondering whether this information came up during the screening process of the men (which I understand is quite intense) and if so, whether any of the background that came to light would ordinarily be a red flag?
First, we must talk Ben, 29, Army Veteran from Venice, CA. To date, I thought Ben was a very boy scoutish, Greg Brady kinda clean cut Dude. But Tayshia immediately picks out that he’s got “pain” behind his “picture perfect” presentation of himself. At first we learn it’s because his parents expected that out of him. But then we realize it’s much deeper and darker than this…and if I heard him correctly, he’s had multiple suicide attempts in the last couple of years?? I was pretty shocked at this confession. Usually the confessions we hear are that they have an ex girlfriend who turns out to be a current girlfriend, or they have a kid or two or they were previously married? But this is a different kind of piece of information – and I’m wondering how we should feel about the confessions and the actual information itself. First off, is Ben ok? I mean, is he fit to be on the show and I only mean that sincerely – because if he falls in love deeply (which all signs are point to) and then gets rejected at the end, can we feel like he’s going to be ok? His suicide attempts were not that far off in the past – and so has he really had time to deal with his issues? We saw a former Bachelorette contestant, Gia, who took her own life a few years ago – and so I just would like to have some assurance that Ben is fit to be in this type of process, that Tayshia should feel secure if she ends up choosing him or NOT choosing him. I can’t feel very good about this…what do you guys think?
Riley. The whole name change lie detector thing threw me off. I couldn’t quite follow his sad background story other than his father got custody of him and his brother and turned him against his mother? But then he reconciled with his mother but doesn’t speak to his father? How awful and yet he seems to have a sense of maturity and gentlemanliness about him of someone beyond his years.
Zac C, 36, Addiction Specialist. This guy has it bad for Tayshia. And yet all things were going well – and we learn he had a terrible health scare followed by making bad decisions and ending up in jail? I had the feeling drugs were involved too? I mean, are we feeling ok about this guy being in the running for Tayshia too? Are his dark days behind him or can they be triggered somehow?
I’m still all in on Ivan the Aernoautical Engineer – can we just advance him to the final round?
I felt terrible for Eazy after his haunted hotel date with Tayshia. You could see the complete change in Tayshia’s expression the second Eazy used the “L” word. It was like a love slap in her face. She was definitely not there and not getting there any time soon.
Ed. No idea how this 36 year old Health Care Salesman is still in the picture but he needs to go. It’s almost like he slipped in under the radar. Oh wait, he might have gotten the boot already. Good.
Brendan – the Middle Eastern looking Commercial Roofer. I have to admit, this guy did not catch my eye nor did I think he had any real chance of going far, but Tayshia seems to really be into him and his scruffy beard and Boston accent. I don’t know – her taste is a bit out there at times.
OTHER thoughts from BACH LAND:
Tayshia is beautiful and I love how the producers have come up with ridiculously creative dates to do when you can’t leave the hotel. I’m thinking of recreating some of these for me and The Husband over Christmas break.
- Remember the blonde identical twins – Emily & Hailey from Ben Higgins’s season of Bachelor? Well Emily just got engaged over the weekend to her NHL hockey playing boyfriend (who lives in Vegas) and Hailey is overseas pursuing love in Sweden for another international hockey player dude.
- Also Lauren B (Ben Higgins’ ex “winner”) announced she’s pregnant with her first baby after marrying country music star Chris Lane.
- Jade and Tanner are enjoying new baby bliss with baby #3 and is gorgeous like his 2 older siblings
- Tenley Molzahn is also enjoying her new baby girl Rell – who is absolutely adorable and who just turned 12 weeks
Alright, back to the land of never ending days, work, toddler time and suburb life.
I hope you are all doing well. If you get a chance, take a minute and say your HELLOs. I sure do love hearing from each of you. What are you doing to pass your quarantine days?
Talk soon,
Stacey B
Kim says
Hey hey hey! Have missed you so much. I was worried you were sick so am relieved to hear y’all are all healthy. I am in NC and were still going about our daily lives, masked, sanitized and distanced of course. And I am taking tons of COVID fighting vitamins. So I’m going to work every day (in a law firm – the law does not stop for COVID) ?. We go out to dinner, we gather with a few friends in our homes and I’m shopping both in stores and online. Numbers keep going up and I feel like you do – my bubble is getting smaller. Fingers crossed we stay safe and well.
I am loving Tayshia as bachelorette except my definition of integrity and hers differ quite a bit. I think she has s beautiful and has such a great group of guys. I love that they’re not all 23 years old. I love Ivan best but I also love Brendan’s sweetness and I didn’t find him appealing at all at first. Goes to show what editing and personality can do for you.
Anyway, glad you are back. Stay safe and thank you for what you do each week.
Ginny says
Hi, there, Stacey!
I really missed you & like Kim said, I was worried you might be sick. . . . . or I thought you might have decided to pack it in with work & a new baby taking up a lot of your time. Nevertheless, you’re back & I couldn’t be happier!
As far as Tayshia, she is truly beautiful & seems like a nice enough gal. The men, well, not too sure about them. I saw a red flag waving in the distance immediately with Ben & his multiple suicide attempts in the last couple of years, no less. He seems nice enough & they had a good time together, but if I were Tayshia, I would be a bit nervous teaming up with him as, like you said, is he really okay?
Again – another red flag- when it comes to Zac. There’s something about him that is a turnoff, a little too smooth although they certainly have it bad for each other. I just think he could be trouble down the road as he might have been involved in drugs at one time. . . . . or was he & I missed that? Anyway, not my choice for Tayshia!
As far as Brendan, he seems like a nice enough guy, he really is, but I think she would get bored with him as to me he’s just not that interesting. I feel bad saying that, & am really surprised that she singled him out.
I absolutely love LOVE Ivan! He is the greatest guy & would be perfect for her. He’s really in love with her, but not sure Tayshia feels the same. Time will tell.
Hate to say it, but I think Zac is who she’ll pick, & I won’t be happy if she does because I don’t think their relationship will ever last. Time will tell!
Again – so happy you’re back, Stacey, your comments are so entertaining . . . . . almost better than the show, to tell you the truth!