Vicki Gunvalson’s New Book, The Florida All Girls Trip that Went Horribly Wrong
Vicki Gunvalson: Why Real Housewives of Orange County Need Chill Time From Their Men
Vicki’s New Book “More Than a Housewife”
“There is a 100% chance you are going to pass away, we just don’t know when.”
Vicki Gunvalson, on why it’s a good idea to visit her business website.
Due to the holiday season there’s been a two week gap between new Real Housewives of Orange County episodes. The last episode: Vicki Gunvalson’s “All Girls” trip to Florida which was kind of surprise due to Vicki’s “opinion” of Housewives Gretchen Rossi and Lynne Curtin whom Vicki treated with disdain the entire season four of Real Housewives.
Over 35 DBKP RHOC articles–Real Housewives of Orange County: DBKP Library of Articles
From an interview with Vicki from BackSeatCuddler.com, dated January 27, 2009:
Also, we want to know: Are you friends with these ladies in real life? Or is that something that happens in front of the camera?
I’m not friends with Gretchen and Lynne. I just met them this year. I don’t know them at all. I don’t even have their phone numbers. In hindsight, I wish we would have been mixed with our friends; it would have been a lot easier. Tammy Knickerbocker was friends with Jeanna. And I was friends with Tammy, so we all blended a little easier. There was no catfighting and negativity. And now we bring in all these people that we don’t know, and it’s hard! It’s really hard. So, no, we’re not friends. I’m friends with Jeanna and Tamra, and that’s it. The other two, I have no desire to spend any time with. I only have 24 hours in a day, and I’m going to spend it with people I like.
The Florida trip began on a “sour note” with the arrival of Simon Barney and Slade Smiley-Jim Bellino seems to have gotten a Vicki “pass”-and ended with Tamra Barney on her knees begging Vicki to go on the planned “Sunset Cruise”. Vicki posted on her Bravo blog about the trip and her explanation as why she felt grown-up girls had the right to get away from their men and why hubbie Donn declined.
From Vicki’s Bravo TV Blog:
When we initially planned for the trip to be a “girls” trip, it was planned during the week and I thought really nothing of it that the guys weren’t invited. I had no idea it was going to turn into such a problem with the men. I had just finished a week in West Palm Beach for an insurance conference and thought it would be great to extend it for a few days and have the girls come down to join me in Ft. Lauderdale. Due to the fact it was during the week, Donn was fine with me continuing my stay for a few more days and wasn’t planning on taking time off of work to meet me.
Vicki wrote about the trip, her “gut”, and Simon Barney:
I probably should have listened to my gut and just gone home and not stayed for the few extra days. Simon and I had already had a few conflicts this summer, and I felt very uncomfortable being around him and really didn’t want to see him.
In her next paragraph, Vicki repeated the phrase “just gone home”, this time, in regards to Slade’s unexpected appearance:
Once I saw Slade show up, I felt like I was being punked. It was ridiculous that these men wouldn’t allow their women to go away for three days to enjoy girl time. Again, if I knew ahead of time that it was going to be that way, I would have just gone home and let them have their couples trip.
I seem to recall Vicki did know ahead of time the men, except for the unemployed Slade, were headed to Florida. Even so, I agree with Vicki, it was ridiculous but also more fodder for Bravo TV reality “drama” while an inquiry into to who paid for the men’s plane tickets might provide a clue as the “real” reason why the men tagged along.
Vicki explained why she opted to not go on the Sunset Cruise:
The last night that of the boat yacht trip, I was told that the men were not joining us that they were going to do their own thing and that Slade had gone home because he had court for his youngest son (child support issues) and wasn’t even in Florida any longer. Once I heard that Slade elected to stay the extra night and that Jim and Simon were going on the yacht, I decided it was best for me not to go. I called Donn to get his opinion, and he told me I was doing the right thing.
What Vicki failed to mention: Lynne, who flew in without hubby Frank, went by herself on the cruise, and, that at no point during the trip, or, on her blog did Vicki seem to care Lynne was there, or, make an attempt to hang out with her. Instead, after the bizarre waterworks scene where Tamra got on her knees and begged the tearful Vicki to go on the cruise and Vicki refused, here’s what Vicki wound up doing:
Once of my collegues in the insurance industry and his girlfriend live in Ft. Lauderdale so I called them up and the three of us ended up going to dinner and I had a great time. It ended up being a great night which was comfortable, non confrontational and was the right place for me to be with good friends who support me, love me, and make me feel happy.
In the end, who can really blame Vicki for getting pissed? The trip was supposed be composed of grown-up women who should be capable of spending a few days away from their “grown-up” men. In the case of Alexis Bellino, who has three small kids, you’d think two nannies and husband Jim could hold down the Bellino fort, or in the case of the Bellinos, the Bellino Castle, while Alexis was away?
Even so, the scene in Vicki’s hotel room with Tamra was, in my opinion, bizarrely reminiscent of the relationship between Michael, the narcissistic boss on NBC’s “The Office”, and his sycophantic subordinate Dwight, the “assistant to the Assistant Manager”.
Also on Vicki’s blog, a reference to her newly released book, “More Than a Housewife”:
Well enough of the somberness, I have some great news! My book More than A Housewife launched this week and it’s been a huge success. It’s a book about inspiration, finding your true purpose in life, how I got started in the insurance business and a little bit about me growing up. After seven months of working on it, I’m so proud that it’s actually finished and is perfect timing right before the holidays.
FOX News had more:
“Real Housewives of Orange County” starlet Vicki Gunvalson has been living her life in front of the lens for five seasons now, but she wants you to know that the successful reality show and evolving life insurance business haven’t come without their fair share of challenges.
“I was married nine years and I always thought marriage was until death do you part. When I went and saw a biblical counselor, he asked me about my relationship. He believed marriage was okay to get out of if you had the three A’s, which were abuse, addiction and adultery. I had all three,” Gunvalson told Tarts while promoting her new book “More Than a Housewife.”
She also has the website Morethanahousewifebook.com.
Starting with her childhood and progressing through her business life, she shares her personal insights to recognizing purpose and direction and the actions she took to create a profitable business and a very comfortable lifestyle.
Included in Vicki’s book are many tell-tale insights and experiences while being on the hit Bravo TV show. More Than a Housewife will appeal to men and women that want more out of life, but may not feel the opportunity exists.
“Winners of the race don’t slow down,†is a motto Vicki adheres to as she continues to reach pinnacles that set her personal and business life in upper echelons.
Completing the book with her philosophy on living an inspirational life, Vicki shares some of her observations regarding marriage, kids, retiring and the art of living well.
Back to Vicki’s Bravo TV blog, where ironically, the woman who just published a book on “living an inspired life”, finished her post up referring to death and life insurance which Vicki just happens to sell:
As always, if you are looking for a free quote on life insurance, please visit my website at www.cotoinsurance.com. There are over 85 million people who are not insured for life insurance, please don’t be one of them. There is a 100% chance you are going to pass away, we just don’t know when.
by LBG
