I left a message in Books  test thread regarding my dilemma :)

Update: It's fixed!

See you in September, or sooner if I hear of any interesting news about DWTS Season 17.

Avatar from "The Artwork of Catherine Darling Hostetter" 

In response to RockinRobin39's comment:

Question: The 16th season of “Dancing With the Stars,” in my opinion, has been one of the best, and I have watched all 16. How do they pair the stars and pros up? Do the pros pick the stars they want to dance with, or do the stars pick the pros?

Answer: “I don’t pick my partners,” “DWTS” veteran Mark Ballas said some time ago. “I have no choice. It’s like, you walk in a room, you sit down, the producers hand you a piece of paper with your partner on it, and then you go straight to the studio and you meet them.” The celebrities, for the most part, apparently do not have any say, either; the show just looks for the best combination — and possible chemistry or conflict — in different pairings.

That being said, some of the pairings look as if they were prearranged. Derek Hough, who has paired with four winners on the series, generally seems to get very good partners. His sister Julianne (a two-time winner) was set to leave the series before the spring 2009 season, only to participate with then-boyfriend Chuck Wicks. But, according to People.com, Julianne said that was “DWTS’s” idea: “The show asked me to do it because they had asked Chuck to do it, and they thought it would be cool if we danced together.” And that was Hough’s last competition to date on the show, as she has focused more on music and acting.  http://www.argusleader.com/article/20130605/LIFE/306050044/TV-Q-A-How-do-they-pair-DWTS-couples-?nclick_check=1

This past season was great and I hope ABC revisits the decision to cut it back to one night in the fall.

Somebody's got some explaining to do ... because model Kate Upton and "Dancing with the Stars" pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy ... the most random two people ever ... left a restaurant together Monday night in NYC.

There were reports the two were spotted canoodling inside ... but sources close to both camps tell us, they're not together. Not even close. They're just friends.

Still, how are they even friends? This doesn't make sense.

http://www.tmz.com/2013/06/13/kate-upton-maksim-chmerkovskiy-photo/

Maks is cut pretty good. 

Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Kate Upton Mystery
Solved

http://www.tmz.com/2013/06/19/maksim-chermkovskiy-kate-upton-dating-video/

Thyroid cancer survivor Brooke Burke-Charvet thinks Melissa Etheridge crossed the line when she publicly criticized Angelina Jolie's decision to have a double mastectomy as more "fearful" than "brave."

"I feel like to comment on somebody else's decision and their motivation and to criticize it in any way feels really inappropriate for me," says the Dancing With the Stars host, who underwent a thyroidectomy after being diagnosed with cancer last year.

"And I bite my tongue because Angelina is not a personal friend and I can't speak about her experience, but doing something electively to avoid greats odds that you can have a fatal disease, not only is it brave, but I think it's pretty intelligent." 

(go to link for complete article)  http://www.eonline.com/news/431673/marc_malkin/brooke-burke-charvet-melissa-etheridge-s-angelina-jolie-comments-crossed-the-line?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-celebritynews&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_celebritynews

Two extremely good looking, semi-famous "entertainers" hanging out together one night in NY

Makes perfect sense to me

What's the big mystery?

Hi Ache,  that Maks certainly gets around.  Doesn't seem to stay with any of them very long though.

Hope he makes it back to DWTS in September, not clear how serious that foot injury is.

Hi, Robin

When it's time for Maks to settle down with one girl, he will know it. He hasnt reached that point in life yet apparently (his broken engagement to KS notwithstanding). Good for him. In the meantime, it looks like he is enjoying himself/having fun

He performed in the "side by side" thing this season with Karina, remember? So his foot injury cant be that bad. If I had to bet, I'd say he will be back in September for one final go 'round with the show

Ache, I hope you're right about Maks.  I just don't want him to end up like Michael Caine's character,  from the movie "Alfie"  :) 

Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Reuniting – on Broadway

By Michele Stueven, People Magazine

06/19/2013 at 08:05 AM EDT

    The once-engaged Dancing With The Stars duo Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy will be together again, this time on a New York stage.

They've signed on for a three-week run of Luis Bravo’s show Forever Tango, performing the sensuous dance of lovers at Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre from July 9 through 28.

"It is such an honor to have been given this opportunity to star on Broadway again," Smirnoff said in a statement. " Forever Tango is an incredible production and the Tango is an intense, sensuous dance of passion. Asking Maks to join me was in and of itself intense, so I figured by opening night, it would be explosive!"

The pair, who appeared on Broadway previously in Burn the Floor, became engaged New Year's Day 2009 in Las Vegas and then endured a very public and bitter breakup in October of the same year.

In Forever Tango, they'll join guest vocalist Gilberto Santa Rosa, a five-time Grammy winner, and be done in plenty of time for the fall season of Dancing.

Reunited and it feels so g-o-o-o-d/Reunited cuz they underst-o-o-o-d

Best of luck to Maks and Karina on Broadway. Give us a tango that is full on and flat out!

Looks like Maks' ankle is fine after all, huh?

http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/2013/04/23/dwts-maks-chmerkovskiy-in-excruciating-pain-from-bunions-brother-val-says/

"Maks Chmerkovskiy, who left “Dancing with the Stars” after last season but returned for a guest appearance last week, is in severe pain from bunions, revealed his brother Val Chmerkovskiy."

Who knows if the above is true?   Bunions tend to go with a flat foot type.  They are correctable, but the recovery is long.  They tend to get worse without intervention...they are ugly and painful! 

Is it bunions? Why did I think he needed ankle surgery then? Am I imagining things?

Boy, that is an ugly foot

I heard reports that it was ankle surgery too.  Maybe he needs both!  Bunionectomies and ankle repair?

Hopefully whatever was needed was minor and it's been done already.

 Maks is in excellent condition and will probably heal fast  :)