Starting Over 3, 01-17-06 – In The Closet Eating Cupcakesby LauraBelle
I'm beginning to think Lisa1 is going through the childhood stages. She missed out on parenting in her formative years due to the easy-going style of her parents. Now, at forty, she is attempting to grow while in the Starting Over house. She goes through so many different stages, and it appears right now she's going through the rebellious teen years. Rhonda and Dr. Stan are going to have their hands full.
Lisa1 tells Lisa2 that she feels she's romanticizing the relationship with Mr. Internet. Lisa1 fully expected to leave the Starting Over house and go directly to Europe to see him. She even brought her passport and British money with her. Lisa2 listens to all this, not so convinced that Lisa1 is as done with Mr. Internet as she says she is. Lisa1 also says she doesn't want to have kids now, as she doesn't want to be fifty with a ten-year-old.
TJ packs her things, getting ready to graduate. She believes she has learned many skills in the Starting Over house, and has begun to integrate them into her relationships. She's afraid to leave, but on the other hand, feels it's time to "put rubber to the road."
Christina packs up the huge wreath/flower and recently completed paintings and takes them to the Farmer's Market. She works on another painting while she sits there to attract more interest. An older man approaches her and asks how much he'll need to pay her to walk away with the painting she's working on. She asks for $60, but he bargains it down to $50. An older woman asks about a smaller painting, and when Christina asks for $40, the woman says she likes to deal, and walks away with the painting in exchange for $35. This is going pretty well for Christina!
Kim finds Lisa2 on the treadmill and talks to her about her relationships with the other women in the house. She is very much aware that she rambles on too much, she says, yet she still keeps going. Lisa2 says the funny thing is she is known as a talker as well. Funny, though, she can't seem to get a word in edgewise here. Kim has the feeling everyone is talking about how she talks too much. Yet, she keeps going.
Perhaps Kim's ears are ringing, as Jill talks to Allison on the phone, and tells her she likes Lisa2 best. Kim, she says, is a challenge. She mentions Kim's non-stop talking, and also says she finds her somewhat fake. The ringing in Kim's ears doesn't seem to bother her, as we flip back to her and Lisa2, and she's still talking.
Now off the phone, Jill talks to Lisa1 about Mr. Internet. Lisa1 says when they met, it was under some bad energy. Jill begins to think here that Lisa1 hasn't dealt with the seriousness of the situation. Lisa1 maintains it's not the money; he honestly makes her weak in the knees. It sounds to me like she's trying very hard to justify the whole thing. After, saying she just doesn't feel like herself around Mr. Internet, Jill wonders why Lisa1 would want to be someone that makes her feel outside of herself.
Dr. Stan meets with TJ about how life might be different for her after graduation and being in the outside world. TJ is fearful it will be like summer camp where you create all these wonderful relationships, and promise to call each other every day, but never do. Dr. Stan tells her if she makes keeping in contact a priority, it will happen. He ends, saying he is very proud of TJ and the changes she has made.
When Christina arrives back at the house after selling her art at the Farmer's Market, Kim decides she really needs to work on her relationships with her and Jill. She follows Christina into the laundry area, telling her she didn't realize when Christina said she was an escort, that it meant escort in every sense of the word. Christina is very much annoyed. She has too much to do, and Kim is making her uncomfortable. She doesn't believe Kim is being very authentic.
Lisa1 calls Rhonda, telling her that she finally understands Rhonda's words about not having any expectations. If she is honest, she won't be left hanging. She has just been wanting a resolution to the relationship with Mr. Internet. Can we hear about this guy just a little bit more today? She's talking to everyone about him! Rhonda reminds Lisa1 that she has told her before there doesn't have to be a resolution. Rhonda sees through it all, though, and believes Lisa1 is just agreeing with her so that Rhonda will think she really is done with Mr. Internet. Rhonda decides to wait it out to see what develops here. I don't think she'll have to wait long.
Christina meets with Iyanla and excitedly tells her she made $160 at the Farmer's Market today. Not too shabby for someone who just yesterday didn't feel she was ready. Iyanla shows her a set of slate tiles, and written on there is all the things Christina used to be. "Bad Girl", "Liar", "Chip Hustler", "Stripper", etc. Wanting to "erase" that part of her life, Christina and Iyanla literally wipe the slate clean. As they do so, Iyanla reminds Christina that the last time her mother and Jackson saw her, those words had meaning. Christina says she now wants the words to say mature, adult, responsible, capable, honorable, etc. Iyanla tells her to decorate the slate with the new words, and make it a piece of art.
With the third of the original six housemates now about to graduate, Christina knows her time will be soon as well. She tells Iyanla she wants to go home to be with her family, but she has always wanted to live here in LA. Iyanla tells her they will start working on that, and checking into the viability of it.
It must be ex-housemate day, as after Jill talked to Allision, now Lisa1 is talking to Jessica. She tells her about her pretend epiphany about Mr. Internet. She admits to Jessica that she called him last Sunday and told him everything about herself, including her past being molested. She says he was shocked, but listened. She gleamed from that, that if she didn't scare him off, he must really like her.
Kim is still talking Christina's ear off, and they try to figure out where they got off on a bad foot. The decide they had a misunderstanding. Kim says they haven't connected because Christina is always so busy. Christina is somewhat appalled as she is doing work she has to do to make up the $1500 and take her G.E.D. That's why she's busy. Kim says she's just so desperate to fit in. No, really? Christina walks away, and Kim follows her into the dining room to watch her decorate her slate tiles.
For some reason for the first time since she's been there, Kim takes the hint, leaves, and goes out to the patio to talk to Lisa2. She openly talks about Christina, even though she knows Christina is right inside the doorway, working on painting her slate. Kim says she thinks Christina is the more aggressive one, not her. She says Christina keeps coming to her wanting to talk about this stuff. What? I don't know where Kim thinks she is, but she apparently hasn't heard this is a REALITY show. Meaning they deal with things that really happen, not just ideas we conjure up in our head.
Christina overs Kim talking about her and takes great exception. She goes out and tells Kim that she doesn't like overhearing herself talked about. Kim says she wasn't gossiping, just sharing her feelings. Christina says she prefers not being in someone else's conversation. Kim again says it's not gossip, and Christina shoots back if she isn't around, it's gossip. And in this case, she just happened to be within listening distance. Kim says she has heard Christina talk to Lisa2 about her, and wants a better definition on the rules. Christina says she's busy and will brief her on the rules later.
Christina, Lisa2 and Jill all find themselves talking about Kim talking about Christina (confused?), and they decide it's different if you're just venting. And if you are, you should just say you are from the get go to clear up the confusion. I agree that Kim was out of line here, but after this, I can see why she is confused.
Lisa1 talks to Lisa2 while they're driving somewhere at night, and she talks about all her emails to Mr. Internet coming back. She is afraid she scared him off. She also tells her she called him yesterday and left a message. In a really odd moment, Lisa1 says, "My gut tells me he's THE ONE!" She spent the whole day yesterday saying she didn't want to have sex with him, and was bartering for it, and he just never wanted to be married again. Suddenly he's the one. This gets more and more odd.
Jill talks to TJ about Lisa1 and her Mr. Internet fixation. She says Lisa1 has been emailing him five or six times a day. They agree she is like a drug addict in need of a fix. TJ relates it to Jill's cupcake story. If she sneaks off into a closet and eats a cupcake, who will know? She will, and that's why it's still wrong. TJ tells Jill to call Rhonda as Lisa1's accountability partner and sister. Jill agrees to do that if nothing changes soon.
Mitzi the nutritionist from Nestle comes for a visit first thing the next morning. Can I say how odd it is that their nutritionist comes from a company known for its chocolate? That's the kind of nutrition I can handle. She talks to the housemates about the importance of them filling out their food logs. Lisa1 says she has noticed with the log that she isn't in touch with eating unless she is hungry. Mitzi says it's a proven fact that people that keep a food log lose weight and successfully keep it off more often. Lisa2 says keeping the log has made her more conscious of not finishing off her plate even when she's full.
Christina leaves to take the second part of her G.E.D. test. She hugs TJ and Kim on her way out. She believes she is prepared. She goes back to the same school library to take the test.
Kim talks to the other women in the kitchen about filling out a detailed grocery list and keeping it posted on the fridge. Her proposed method is very involved, and Lisa2 says Kim likes to micromanage a bit too much.
Lisa1 talks to TJ in the bathroom about her rebellious behavior lately. She has been breaking the rules like turning on the radio and such. TJ hopes Jill talks to Rhonda about Lisa1's behavior and continued relationship very soon.
Rhonda leads Group today, and being that TJ is graduating, she takes the hot seat. Looking at her steps, she says giving up control was the hardest. Jill says from TJ she learned the reward of intimacy, and that you have to do the work. When she first came to the house, she looked at TJ and thought, "Okay, no." But now she feels TJ will be a friend for life.
TJ's old self-portrait is shown, and it's clear why she wasn't capable of connecting. Lisa1 says looking at it now, there is just so much chaos. The new self-portrait, though, shows TJ balancing the world. Kim notices first thing that in this new version, TJ clearly has open arms and an open heart. It's coming from freedom, not fear.
Jil has a gift for TJ. She took a gorgeous picture of herself and TJ together and put it in the middle, and framed around the outside are several pictures of the other Starting Over women together with TJ. For someone that had a hard time connecting, especially with other women, this has to mean the world to her.
Andy Paige steps in announcing she will be giving TJ a makeover today. Asking the other women for suggestions, Jill says TJ is already well put together, so maybe she just needs some polish and her hair framing her face a little more. Lisa1 wants to see that inner glamour girl come out, but with a softness.
After everyone else leaves group, Jill pulls Rhonda aside and tells her that Lisa is in the closet eating cupcakes. Rhonda immediately knows what Jill is talking about, and seems pleased that Jill wants to help her friend. She says the stuff with Mr. Internet has gone well beyond where Lisa is admitting it is. Rhonda thinks Lisa1 wants to have her cake and eat it too. Wouldn't that be cupcake?
Tomorrow's show will be one not to miss for sure. TJ will be graduating, without a dry eye in the house, I am sure, and it looks like Lisa might be up for a rude awakening. It should be interesting!
What do you think is really going on with Lisa1 and Mr. Internet? You can email me at LauraBelle@realityshack.com
Interested in American Idol? See my blog at Belle's Blog. And play the Idol Go Home game while you're there to win a trip to the Finale!
For a recap of Tuesday's American Idol, see My Kind Of Town, Chicago Is
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