Busy Days...

...Many many chores still to do before I can go to bed this evening!

Just wanted to say that I'm very excited about the American Idol outcome. Let the record show: I WAS WRONG. See? I can say it!

I'm also very excited that my niece will be here tomorrow!! Well, the whole family, but she's the one I know for sure is going to hang out with me...and I can't WAIT! I have much to do around the house between now and then, but I'm excited she'll be here to have some quality aunt/niece bonding time.

I'm also very thankful that my car, which made a trip to the car hospital today, is now fixed. Repair bills aren't my favorite, but I'm so thankful that it was a quick fix and that we found it before it became an un-quick fix. And though I pick on him fiercely, I have the greatest dad, because he took time out of his very busy life to drive my car to the mechanic, wait for it, and bring it back to me so I didn't have to take a half day off work to go do it! Thanks, Dad!

What if it's NOT a Dark and Stormy Night?

I'm starting to understand why Snoopy began his literary masterpieces with the famous line. I sat here and stared at a blank screen for many minutes tonight, trying to determine where to begin with the new project. I thought about going back to note-taking, because that part seemed much easier. But at some point the note-taking must end and the real words must begin.

I managed to find enough words to fill a page in 30 minutes. What has happened to me? I can write faster than that! Not tonight, I can't. Maybe tomorrow the thoughts will flow more freely.

It is the final Idol night - and guess what? I missed most of the show and don't even care. At this point I like Kris, I know I like Kris, and I know (unfortunately for me) Kris is unlikely to win. I did record the show, but I haven't watched it yet. And maybe I won't. I did get home in time to see the last song for each guy and liked Kris better than Adam. (Shocker, huh?)

In other Bekah-land news...

A huge congratulations to my friend Jody, who had writer's dream moment recently. I had tears in my eyes when I read her news, because it is SO BIG! Way to go, Jody!!

Today I said goodbye to a very sweet friend. Not a forever goodbye. Just a moving goodbye. She worked as a temp in our office a couple of years ago and was so wonderful to listen and care and offer love and advice. She just completed her classroom work for her master's degree and is moving back home...which does not happen to be in Indiana. :( Sarah, I will miss you!

I have one tiny scrapbook page I must finish before I'm allowed to go to bed, so I need to sign off and complete that.

Stop the Finale Madness!!

I did not watch American Idol live tonight because I'm also a Biggest Loser fan and its THREE HOUR finale was tonight. I thought it a wiser use of my time to watch it live and catch up on Idol a bit later. So now I catch up....



Danny - I'm not sure I was crazy about the song Paula chose for him, but he gave a great performance with it!!! Obviously I'm a huge Danny fan, so at this point he's not going to do anything to make me mad. I don't think it was his best ever performance, but it was entertaining.



Kris - Has he played the piano before? I remember the guitar but I don't remember the piano. I thought he did a REALLY good job with this song. My favorite part was the smoky sounding end of it. Nice!!! I agree with Randy that he gave a good picture of who he would be as an artist.



Adam - Sigh. I have to admit I liked that one. It still wasn't as good as some of them earlier in the season, but it was better than the last couple of weeks.



Danny - Okay I'm probably a sucker for this song, but I loved it!! I loved the twist he put on it to make it more his style. I loved the way he connected with the song. I rarely agree with Kara, but I'll borrow her "stunning" comment. :) Good luck, Danny!! I hope you make it into the finals!



Kris - Good job, Kris! I think he picked a great song to end on - and I loved seeing that softer side of him again. I'm glad the judges gave him good reviews - I want to see him in those finals!



Adam - Scary Adam was back in that last song. Didn't love it. But of course since he went last again, he'll be fine. Sigh.



It goes without saying that I want a finale of Kris and Danny, but after tonight I think it might be Kris and Adam. :( At least if the judges' comments really do push.....

Rock Night

I'm nervous about Idol tonight. I don't like hard core rock music. But then again...not a huge fan of disco, and I lived through that night. And what is this news of duets??? This could be an interesting night.

Adam: Not surprisingly, scared the hooey out of me. MAN he can give some deadly looks! I guess I don't find the death glare all that entertaining or exciting. I will once again stick to my theory of acknowledging his talent without loving his style. Sorry, Sarah and Christina. I think I'd rather they just talk to him. He looks far less scary then.

Allison: I love her hair!! I think I'd like to skip the growing out phase myself and get straight to the long stuff. I thought she sounded really good - but unfortunately this wasn't my favorite night of her. I thought it was funny that Kara asked if she was nervous - because this was the first night EVER that I didn't think she looked 100% comfortable on that stage. I figured rock would be her week hands down, but I really didn't love it. Still - love Allison!!!

Kris and Danny's Duet: Oh man, could life get any better? These are my top two fave guys - and they're singing together! WOW. That is some pretty sweet harmony! I thought their harmony parts were better than the solo parts - but I'm definitely impressed. First song I've liked tonight.

Kris: Oh I really like his sound tonight. And he has more entertainment factor than I've seen from him up to this point. I loved how he engaged the crowd, and at this point, that's something I really look for. It's not just about how they sound in a recording...they have to do concerts too! Maybe I liked him because he wasn't hard core, and I don't like hard core. I'm scared for him since the judges aren't loving him.

Danny: I gotta admit - I did NOT love the scream at the end. But I did admire him for taking hte gargantuan risk of doing it. He certainly can't be accused of playing it safe!! Definitely not his best night, but I still love Danny.

Adam and Allison's Duet: Also some great harmony!I liked it much better than their individual solos. They were great together!!

Okay - Tsofah and I have already deliberated, and I agree with her thoughts. Not sure if they're doing a bottom 3/bottom 2, whatever...but we think Kris will be one of the bottom 2 (thank you, mean judges) and Allison - with Allison going home.

(note - Tsofah just changed her vote...but I'm horrendously multitasking and don't have time to rethink my position right now. lol.)

How Do I Pick A Bottom 3 From Only 5?

Oh I think tonight is going to be a good one!! Tonight is comment as I go....lovin' this laptop thing!

Kris - I love this song! Yes, a song I actually know. A Christmas miracle. I love the song and I love the way he sang it. I loved how he kicked it up in the middle there. That was fun. I kind of just melt into his songs and forget to pay attention to anything!! I agree with Randy...his personal best. I'm glad at least three of the four were thrilled with it. Simon!!!! Come on!!!

Allison - I love her hair this week. I know it isn't a hair competition, but I like the color and the longer look. MAN she can sing. Do I say that every week? I continue to be amazed at how comfortable she is on that stage and how well she controls her voice. I hope Kara is right - I hope she picks up a ton of fans. She has no business in the bottom 3. And if Simon's comment lands her there....RRRRRRR.

Matt - Well he was good...but I'm scared for him. There were a couple of parts that sounded kind of rough to me, and I'm worried that it wasn't enough in comparison to the two that have already gone. I do NOT understand how Simon loved it more than the other two. I really don't get it. I thought Kris and Allison were much better.

Danny - I just love Danny. I thought his song was fun and spunky - not to mention his great voice! I loved it that Randy was all ready to get him to sign on to a deal right then. I really really really want Danny to get himself a great little career going. I think he's got the package deal and that is important.

Adam - Oh no. Scary Adam is back. This reminds me of that one week early on that was just frightening up one side and down the other. :( Tsofah and I have already talked and agreed that he even had an evil kind of look at one point. Sorry, Christina and Sarah. I know you guys are huge fans. And I can be easily won over when he wears a suit and does the Elvis hair. But this week he skipped the Elvis hair and brought out his scary eyes....so I wasn't a fan.

Bottom 3? Well I only have a bottom 2, and it's Adam and Matt. I think Matt will be in the bottom 3 for sure. Tsofah thinks the other two will be Kris and Allison. I guess I'll go with her because I can't bring myself to make that decision at this point in time.

I Know Disco??????

This was NOT the week I expected to know songs. What does this say about me? Don't answer that. I can't handle the truth.

So it was Disco night on Idol, and I have reached the conclusion that we're at the point in the competition where I love the ones I love no matter what they do (or don't do) and I don't love the ones I don't love no matter what they do (or don't do). So here comes my totally biased recap.

Lil - I'm Every Woman is a song I knew. My first thought about her was WOW, that is a tight outfit - followed by WOW, I don't think she should be wearing it! I didn't think it was all that great - but I am so not a Lil fan, so I don't think I'd like anything she sang, and I'm very sorry about that. I do think Kara hit it right on the head when she said that Lil HAS been every woman - every week - and has never been herself.

Kris - I knew this song too - and I wasn't a big fan of the slow arrangement, but I LOVE Kris, so it was quite alright with me. According to the judges, the arrangement was great - so what do I know? I was a bit disturbed by Paula's analogy of shopping in the ladies' department.

Danny - I just love Danny. I didn't really love the song itself, but I love Danny and I loved it that everyone but Simon loved him. I didn't like Simon's thought that he didn't have star power. 1) yes he did! 2) it's DISCO night!!! It's not really star power night for most!

Allison - I did NOT love the outfit. I thought she might break her neck in those shoes and once again...way too tight on the clothing. But MAN she can sing and like the judges said - no matter what she does, she rocks. Literally.

Adam - I love Adam when he's normal and not screeching and strange. I truly, truly do. He got a little screamy in the middle of the song, but like Allison, I think he is great no matter what. But can he wear the suit every week?

Matt - I happened to like it. Maybe it was because I knew the song - maybe because it was fun after some different, less disco-y sounds. Dunno. But I did like it. Having said that, I'm a little bit afraid for him.

Anoop - I was with Simon on this one. I did not love the outfit and I thought the song was on the down side of "ehhhh." His face after he finished singing said that he knew the end was rough. I am not sure why the rest of the judges loved it SO MUCH.

My bottom 3 would be Lil, Anoop, and Matt. I think Lil will go home - and I WANT Anoop to be the other one to go home. I truly don't know who has more fans between Anoop and Matt. I think it will come down to that.

Movie Night

I'm going to post my Idol thoughts while I watch the Duggars find out that Anna is pregnant. So if random baby words show up in the post, you'll know why.

Tonight was movie night on Idol and I finally knew a couple of songs! But much like last week - the judges and I were listening to very different performances.

Allison - Love her to death, but I didn't like this song. I didn't know it, so maybe it was the curse of not knowing what it was supposed to sound like. I kept wondering if she was off pitch. The judges raved over her, so she must have done okay, and I was glad they gave her a good review because she does deserve to stay.

Anoop - I knew this song and actually kind of like the song. I think it would have been better if he had taken the advice to "rough it up" a bit. As it was, I thought it was just plain rough. I thought it sounded like a cheesy high school talent show. The judges, however, loved it. How?

Adam - I thought he was really really good. Born to be Wild fit him perfectly and I agreed with Paula that he is one of the bravest contestants they've ever had. I love it that he knows who he is and is not afraid to be that performer. Would I go to one of his concerts? Probably not. But I do think he's good at what HE does.

Matt - I didn't like it as much as last week - but I thought the song got better as it went on. Of course the judges thought the start of the song was the best and it got worse. So what do I know? I like it when he plays the piano - he's good at that. I think the judges want him gone, though.

Danny - I love Danny. I love it that he sang a love song. And I love harps. If I had an instrument to pick that I wish I had learned to play - it would be the harp. That was just a side note. The judges didn't love him tonight - so you'll be able to figure out I DID love it!

Kris - I could have listened to him sing all day. I didn't even care that I didn't know the song. Just sing, Kris! I was worried when Randy didn't like it, but maybe Kara's vote of confidence saved him?

Lil - Oh, Lil. I am not a huge fan of the song The Rose, and I thought all the runs and extra words she threw in distracted from it, so I didn't like it at all. I do like her longer hair - I think it makes her look younger. And once again, my vote was for her to stop talking at the end.

Bottom 3? My bottom 3 would be Matt, Lil and Anoop with Anoop going home.

The Judges and I Part Ways

I knew it had to come sometime. Apparently tonight was the night. I must need new ears because on all songs but one, we were obviously listening to different performances.

Danny - This is the one and only time the judges and I agreed. I thought he was amazing. I loved how he started out on the slow soft side of things and ended the song on the fast and fun side. I think he is not only a great singer but a fantastic entertainer and I just love him! GO DANNY!!!!!!

Kris - I was annoyed by the gaggle of girls that surrounded him - because I couldn't see him. I thought the song was cool and fun, but the judges didn't really seem to care for it or his rendition or anything else. I did think Randy had a good point (for everyone, not just for Kris) about remembering to not let the song do the owning. The competition is for the singer, not the song. But I thought he did a better job than they gave him credit for.

Lil - I thought this week was her best look so far. Loved the outfit, loved the hair. I thought (for the first time all season) both fit her very well. I loved the song and thought it fit her better than anything she'd sung so far - and then the judges ripped her apart. I thought it was kind of mean of the camera people to zone in SO CLOSE on her face when she was so close to tears.

Anoop - I didn't even remember that he had overreacted to Kara's comment last week but it was nice of him to apologize. I didn't love the beginning of his song this week - I thought he was reaching for notes throughout - and I thought the whole song was forgettable - and then the judges LOVED IT. I can't win.

Scott - Ooh!! No piano!! I was glad to see him away from it - just for a change of pace, but I did not like him with the guitar - and I agreed with Paula about the acoustic thing. I think he should have just plain worked on the singing. I loved the song, I thought he sounded great - and then of course, the judges didn't like it.

Allison - I did not like the song, but I thought she sounded amazing as she always does. I just thought the song didn't suit her - but then the judges loved it. Sigh. I loved watching Allison's mom react to her critique. CUTE. Did anyone else think the judges were trying to buy her some votes by talking her up a lot? I'm not saying she doesn't deserve the votes; she totally does. But since she's been in the bottom 3 so much, do you think they're trying to bump her out of there so they don't have to worry about using the save?

Matt - WOW. That was a Matt we've not seen for a while and I thought he was amazing. Really great. What cracked me up the most was his video at the beginning. When he talked about being in the church musical Angels Aware? I KNOW THAT ONE!!! And in fact, when they showed the clip, I still remembered the lines. Sad, I'm sure, but true. That musical had some great songs in it. It's how I learned the Ten Commandments and I still sing that song to remember which commandment goes with which number.

Adam - Still scares me a bit - but obviously very good. I will admit I was SHOCKED that Simon gave him a standing ovation. That is unheard of - and I wasn't sure it was quite THAT good - but I was still glad for him. I think he is a great performer.

Bottom 3? Probably Scott - Lil and Anoop? Not sure who will get the boot. If that really is the bottom 3, I have no idea who has the biggest fan base to save them.

The Top Nine

GUESS WHAT!?!?!? A whole week without knowing a single song. Can you even imagine it? (Please note the sarcasm.)

Here are my thoughts from tonight....

Anoop: Sorry. Didn't like it. He talked about increasing the energy of his song - but I sure didn't get an increased energy level out of that. I didn't think it fit him at all - and in fact, he scared me a bit as he sang. I was with Simon. It was a mess.

Megan: I might just have to stop commenting on her entirely because they are always the same. I don't get her sound. I don't get how she's good. Every time she sings, it's painful for me, and I was glad at least the judges agreed so I know I wasn't completely off base. I'm also becoming annoyed with her call for "her fans" to vote for her. No one else talks about their fans.

Danny: The closest I got to knowing a song tonight was having heard of the artist. LOL. I do like Rascal Flatts - or however it's spelled - and I thought he did a really good job. I was surprised the judges liked it as much as they did. I figured they'd find something wrong with it - but hey, who am I to complain? I'm a HUGE Danny fan, so if they're going to call it the best of the night - OKAY BY ME!!! I did agree that this is when the night "really" began.

Allison: How is it that Allison (and Daughtry and David Cook) can make me like rock music when in real life I just don't like it at all? I thought she was amazing (as always) and I'm just blown away by how great she is when she is so stinkin' young! I did not quite understand why so much time was spent picking apart her clothing choices. Yeah they were a little out there, but I've certainly seen worse on others!

Scott: WOW. I could not believe how much better he sounded this week than EVER EVER before!! I thought his voice had a purity to it I'd never heard and I was thrilled for him. Good, good job, Scott! I'd written down that it was his personal best - and then the judges said that very thing!

Matt: I have to admit, I did not love the song and I still don't love him. I wish I did. I wished I really liked his voice, but I just can't get into it - at least not compared to the others around him. I think he pushed it way too far by trying the rock edge. It's not him.

Lil: I do like the hair better this week. I thought she sounded some better than before, but like Matt, I'm just not a Lil fan. I wish I liked her better - and I SO appreciated her not arguing as much this week. But I just don't love her. :(

Adam: He is unarguably good. I didn't like him QUITE as much as last week, but I think this week he hit more on who HE really is. He wasn't so ridiculously out there as he was that one horrible week. He wasn't as charming as last week when he won me over. But I think that middle ground is truly where he belongs, and he is great at what he does.

Kris: I hated it that putting away dishes distracted me from what was apparently the performance of his lifetime. :( I thought it was good - but I didn't realize it was THAT good until they all started gushing. I am also a huge Kris fan, so I'm glad it was so amazing.

Bottom 3? Ummmmm Megan better be in there somewhere. My personal bottom 3 would be Megan, Matt, and Anoop with Megan going home.

Hey I Knew Some Songs!!!

I actually knew three (I think) whole songs tonight! I was so excited! I had to BOOK IT home from church to watch, since the pre-empting (which I am very bitter about and we will not discuss) took place and this got moved to tonight. I am waiting for the show to end so I can go back and watch the first two, but in the meantime, I'll comment on the rest.

Matt: Not too bad. I think maybe better than some of his earlier ones - but I still don't think he's as good as some of the other guys. I think it's good that he went first because had he gone after some of the later ones - might have been rough. The judges called him a front runner but I guess I've not been quite convinced yet.

Kris: Well I think Kris is great and that song was perfect for him. (Incidentally - knew this one too.) Anyway, he's a cutie, he's comfortable in what he wants to sing and I was a huge fan of this one!!

Scott: This is one of the songs I knew! Can't Hurry Love. (Boy isn't THAT the truth. Oh, sorry. I digress.) Anyway, I actually really loved his rendition - but the judges didn't all agree. I was on Kara's side that an up-tempo song from Scott was much needed. This was my favorite one from him so far, but I did not have a lot of company on that opinion from the judges. Was it at this point that Paula crawled under the table? That had me scared for just a minute.

Megan: Okay here's my thing with Megan. She is my Carly of this season. I just can't get into her style and, in fact, she confuses me. The whole time she sang, I thought "Is she even hitting the notes?" but I half expected the judges to praise the daylights out of her performance. I was thrilled to find out I was right and it really was a train wreck. Her voice drivees me nuts. I do think she is stunningly beautiful, but as with Carly - the excessive tattoos paired with an elegant look just doesn't work.

Anoop: I liked last week better from Anoop. I didn't think I liked SO much falsetto from him. Simon cleared it up for me in his comments - Anoop did look kind of bored and asleep while he sang. I thought he did okay as far as the notes and the technicality, but I didn't connect with it at all.

Michael: Church it up? I've never heard a song described that way, but okay. I thought he was better than the judges gave him credit for. I actually liked it better than last week because I could understand the words. Still - I think he's bottom 3 this week. I hope to goodness he survives past Megan, but I'm worried for him.

Lil: This is the first week I've liked her song (maybe because I knew it?). I am a bit worried she's going to get a little Jennifer Hudsonish on me. She has just a bit of attitude and while she managed to keep her opinions to herself a bit more this week than she did last week - I am not sure that the Jennifer side of her is gone.

Adam: Christina, are you ready? I LOVED HIM. He was my favorite performance of the night (assuming the 2 I have yet to watch here in a second don't top his). I was a bit worried the judges would be rough on him for so drastically changing his look - I remember times in the past when they've been upset with people for doing that. But I thought he looked INCREDIBLY handsome all cleaned up and he didn't scare me nearly so much. He can SING. No doubt about that.

Danny: I thought he was very entertaining and engaging - but why didn't he do those lines like he said he was going to? I think he has a lot of good potential not only as a singer but as an entertainer. Some of these people are good singers but their concerts wouldn't be much fun. Can't say that for Danny!

Allison: I didn't like her song until the end when she got so powerful and then she shot straight to second place after Adam. I thought she was amazing - she had NO place in the bottom 3 last time and she better not be there this time.

Bottom 3? Well two of them need to be Michael and Megan. I'm a tiny bit worried for Scott and Anoop too. I want Megan to go home but worry it will be Michael.

The Top Eleven...

...sang tonight. Country night. That's code for my one chance all season to know a song. :) At least until they do Southern Gospel night. Then I'll clean right up on songs. Here's what I thought - can't wait to hear your perspectives. And for those of you who so long to participate in water cooler talk around the cubes in the office...but can't because you didn't watch...you can at least sound informed. :)

Michael - Oh bless his precious little heart, I think he might be in trouble tonight. I didn't know the song - think I might have been able to like the song - but I was totally with Simon. Even with the captions on, I couldn't understand a word he was saying. And I didn't think country was really his thing. Paula said it suited him, but I thought he looked and sounded like he was forcing it to fit. Simon called it clumsy, and I thought that was a good description.

Allison - Just love this girl. I really do hope she stays for a long time. I thought she blended country with her rocker sound really well. Those two don't always blend well and I was nervous for her, but she made it work and once again, I thought she looked very at home on that stage. And hey- she got a "dope" from Randy.

Kris - I had goose bumps before he was out of the first sentence. I l-o-v-e-d it. I think it may have been one of my top two favorite songs of the night. Thank you, Simon, for leaving the issue of his wife out of this one. I got nervous he'd bring that up again since Kris sang a love song. But apparently Simon was too distracted by how GREAT the song was to bring that back into discussion.

Lil - CRACKED me up how Simon kept calling her Little. That was hysterical. This was the first song of the night I knew, and I wish I hadn't...maybe then I would have liked it better. Once again I had to agree with Simon (what is up with all this agreeing with him?). It did sound like she was at a wedding singing a song she didn't like. And I was very annoyed that she kept trying to defend herself...not so much because she wanted to make her point...but because she kept interrupting them. I hate interrupting.

Adam - Well I struggled with him last week because he scared me. But Tammy at my work just loved him to death, and Christina loved him too, so this week I went into his song determined to start over. Um, I think I need to start over again. Parts of it were kind of good, but mostly it reminded me of that sidekick singer in The Wedding Singer. Was his name George? I don't know - it did NOT work for me. However, I think he's got a strong enough fan base to stay, so I'm not going to worry about it.

Scott - I actually agreed with Paula on this one. I like Scott a lot - both his vocal talent and his piano talent are very very good. But I wish he'd ditch the piano too, because he is starting to sound the same every time. The song wasn't bad...wasn't my favorite of the night. I think he was playing it too safe. ALTHOUGH - I did like his comeback line to Paula after she told him the piano was separating him from the audience. He said they could move it closer. Good one!

Alexis - I'm pretty sure Brooke White sang this song last year and though I was a DIEHARD Brooke fan, I think Alexis did this one better. Until she sang that song, I didn't realize how much she looks like Brooke - if she had the long hair to match. I thought she did well, but I agreed with Kara that maybe Before He Cheats would have fit her style better. I think she'll be okay though.

Danny - I was so scared for Danny singing that song. That was pretty risky, I thought. He did a pretty good job of not copying it just the way Carrie did it, but there were some notes that just DID NOT go well. The second half was definitely better than the first.

Anoop - MUCH MUCH MUCH better than last week. I thought he was really good and I was so glad for him that he received great feedback. I was proud of him for listening and applying what they said last week rather than just whining about it. That shows good character. He won some points with me on that one.

Megan - At this point in the night, the judges and I parted ways for good. I hated the dress and I did not like the sound of her voice at all. In some ways I would have preferred the high school talent show Rockin' Robin sound back. Then of course I had to feel bad for feeling that way when I heard she had the flu. Okay, so I'll cut her some slack. But I am still not a fan. :(

Matt - Apparently at this point in the show, I was too frustrated by my not-going-well scrapbook page that I was multi-tasking, because I have little to no impression of the song at all, but the judges totally raved. So I won't even try to figure this one out. The scrapbook page went okay, thought.

Who goes home? Well based on performance, it should be Adam. But I'm going to say Michael.

Bowing to Peer Pressure

I wasn't going to watch Idol this season. But after some complaints along the line of missing out on water cooler talk of it here, I caved and watched the first night. So here are my thoughts. If you hate Idol and all things television (you know who you are) - please come back because I will have other thoughts on other days. PROMISE.

Please note that since I've been so busy watching the Bachelor try to figure out who he really loves and all the Biggest Losers melt away the pounds...I've not seen much of the competition since the early auditions. So most of these people were brand new to me tonight.

Michael Jackson songs? As usual - a category I know little about. So the songs were new for me, too.

Lil - Hey, a song I actually knew! I thought she was a great start to the night - she looked really comfortable on the stage and seemed confident in who she is. I thought she did a good job with the song, although I agreed with Simon that the second half was better than the first. I also agreed with Simon on the outfit - it did not work for me.

Scott - I remember him from auditions and do recall crying over him that very first week. I didn't love the song, but I thought he did a good job singing AND playing it. He played the daylights out of that thing and he'd only just learned it this week!

Danny - I remember him (and also cried over his story) from auditions week. I loved the look, and I really loved how he engaged the crowd. He's a good people person. The song itself was weird, but I thought he did a good job and I want him to stay around for a good long time.

Michael - I liked the song - never would have pegged it for a Michael Jackson song. But I thought he lost the tune in the middle and it seemed to me he was just singing it at the crowd rather than bringing them into it like Danny did. But it was okay.

Jasmine - Given that she's only 17, I thought the song seemed kind of old on her - and the judges thought so too. I love it when I match up with them! I do think she has a great voice, though.

Kris - He is a cutie - and I can't believe he's only been married 5 months and is now away doing this! That's got to be tough. Non-musically related - I thought the judges were way out of line for promoting the cuteness and especially saying he should have hidden the wife for a while. From the look on her face after that comment, I'd say she didn't love it either! But back to singing - he was really fun and connected well with the audience.

Allison - I couldn't believe she is only 16! She has tons of confidence in who she is and in being on that stage. I kinda liked her voice. Why do I always end up really liking the rockers when I don't even like that kind of music?

Anoop - Uh oh, Anoop! I think he could be in trouble tonight. He was a wild card pick, right? And he didn't do an amazing job - although I'm not sure it was as bad as the judges said. I think he could be really good though, so I hope he's got enough to pull him through to next week.

Jorge - I didn't love the song and I didn't love the performance. I think he could be in trouble this week too. I don't remember him from auditions - and I didn't see him in the top 36 - so I don't know if this was an accurate show of his skill...or not.

Megan - She kind of reminds me of Carly from last season. I know the Rockin' Robin song and didn't think she did a great job with it. Simon said she was clumsy and awkward, and I'd agree with that. I was thinking high school talent show.

Adam - And THIS is where I didn't even remotely meet up with the judges. He was better than I thought he was going to be, although I remained a bit scared for most of his song. But I did NOT get why Paula was crying and shaking - and then he was crying back. It kind of exhausted me.

Matt - When I first saw him, I thought - whoa that guy looks like Justin Timberlake! And then the judges mentioned that later, so I'm sure he'll love that constant comparison. I liked the song and the piano with it - good, I thought.

Alexis - Hey, I used to have that hair! The cut, not the color. I didn't like the outfit AT ALL. But, much like Allison, I think she knows who she is as a singer and she did a good job on the stage.

Two go home tomorrow, right? I'd say just based on tonight - Anoop and Jorge.

Things of January...

As I've said before, I love a new year. Everything about it. If every day could be a New Year's Day, I'd get so much done...and yet so little done.

Today was a pretty perfect New Year's Day. Sleeping in...fixing breakfast...which runs into lunch...venturing out only if I feel so inclined...scrapping...TV marathons...cooking dinner...plenty of time to read my Bible and journal...these are the makings of a perfect New Year's Day.

And then before January ends I find myself back in the rushing mode. But for today it feels good to have things under control.

Ringing in the new year (for me) brought a new experience:


This is my first and probably final attempt at pool. From now on the only pool I think I like is the one with the word "swimming" in front of it. Last night I was invited over to Chris and Trudy's house (friends of mine for the last several years) - and Chris took me to the garage to show me his newly created "man cave." The prominent feature was this refurbished pool table, and he insisted that I try it, playing against Trudy's sister, Joy. He assured me she'd just learned to play and really it would be fine. Joy had the win of her pool career. There's just no way to describe how horrible I am at pool. I begged to quit. Chris wouldn't let me. But I think everyone rejoiced when Joy finally won and I could go back in the house and play with the kids.

So with 2008 and non-swimming-pool(s) behind me, I am excited about January.

* New season of The Biggest Loser. I so hope this new season goes back to being inspirational and doesn't have all the Vicky-ish drama of last season.

* New season of The Bachelor. Truth be told, I've about had it with this show. It's getting annoying. But I so wanted Jason to be chosen last time that I just have to watch this one last season and see who he falls in love with! (Will they still be in love by the time the finale airs? THERE is the question.)

* New season of American Idol. Yes, I do plan to do something besides watch TV! But you all know I love this show!! I'm not sure how I'm going to juggle all three new seasons - especially since a couple of them overlap in airing times. But we'll see how it goes.

* Scrapping with my buddies. My scrapping buddies from my previous church were kind enough to extend an invitation for me to join them in their January scrap day, so I'm really excited about that. I miss them!

* Church retreat. The ladies at my new church have a retreat planned, and one of my new friends invited me to go. I'm looking forward to that time of getting away - and getting to know them better. They are fun girls!!

* Smaller case-load! We just hired a new counselor at work - an added position, not a replacement - so this means my group of students gets smaller. I'm sad about losing some of them, but I always love a smaller group because it means I get to spend more time working with the ones I have. The new division starts next week.

* NO SHOVELING! Okay so that's just on my wish list. But it would be so so nice to have a month with no ice and no snow accumulation over an inch!! (I know, I know...move to Arizona.)

I'm sure there's more...but the laundry is almost done drying...and I have a dessert yet to make and some other chores to do.

In the meantime - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Bits for Sunday, June 8

I listen to the radio when I’m at work – Christian music station. I’m sure it will not shock you to know that without the radio station man behind the controls, I’d spend my day listening to David Phelps over and over and over…and then I’d start singing duets with him, and that would be no good for anyone in the office.

Anyway, one of the artists that my station plays is Mandisa. As in the former American Idol contestant. I was skeptical when they played her first single, because I didn’t care for it at all. But the second and third ones have been so beautiful…definitely worth the wait. One of these newer songs is called God Speaking. Part of the lyrics say “Who knows how He’ll get ahold of us? Get our attention to prove He is enough? He’ll do and He’ll use whatever He wants to, to tell us I love you.”

And God definitely uses methods that I’m sure are rather unconventional to get my attention…one of them being TV shows. I realize it is probably questionable to say that reality TV could be a method, but truly, I’ve had some of my biggest breakthrough moments from random things people have said on TV.

Last night I was journaling, and I turned on TV Land to see if they were playing Andy Griffith. (Yes, I’m old before my time in TV show choices.) He wasn’t on yet, but I was too busy writing to change the channel. They were playing She’s Got the Look which is yet another one of their attempts to give reality TV shows to the over forty crowd. This one is about women getting the chance to be a model after 35, when modeling careers tend to die.

It was the first show, and the judging panel sat before all the hopefuls, eliminating those who didn’t make the cut. One of the very last women to make it onto “the board” was a stunningly beautiful woman. (I wouldn’t have classified all of them as stunningly beautiful, but this one was in a league all her own.) The judges told her that they were unsure about keeping her because she was “too perfect.” During the first challenge (which I had missed), she would not allow herself to make a mistake. She couldn’t let a flaw show…she couldn’t be anything less than perfect, and they wanted her to allow imperfection into her life because if she didn’t, the women who saw her wouldn’t be able to relate.

As they gave her this advice, two giant tears rolled down her cheeks. They were right and she knew it.

I remember turning back to my computer, looking at the words I’d just journaled about how I felt like something seemed out of place. I couldn’t pinpoint it. I only knew that something wasn’t right.

And that’s when I felt the little nudge. It was no different than what I’ve been doing in my own heart lately. Please know that in saying this, I’m not saying I’m perfect. I’m well aware I am not. And I seem to be able to admit that to people, but I have a very difficult time admitting that to God.

I pray all the time. It’s a practice I learned very early on and whether or not I feel like it, I pray. But there are times I pray with more abandon than others. Perhaps even with more honesty. And then there are times I don’t say what I’m thinking – because I try to convince myself that if I don’t say it, it isn’t there. I don’t like to think about the questions and confusions. I don’t like to admit I have fears and disappointments.

It’s a crazy practice, I know. I mean, He’s God. He knows everything anyway. But for some reason, I find myself in these phases where if I say all the right things in my prayers – cover everyone else’s emergencies – ask for all the right things – maybe He won’t notice this giant pile of stuff that I’m hiding over in the corner. And maybe if I turn my back, I won’t notice the giant pile of stuff I’m hiding over in the corner.

And while those prayers that I’m so faithfully praying aren’t bad prayers…because I know they do accomplish a purpose…they aren’t accomplishing all they could, because they aren’t what they could be. Aren’t what they should be.

So after seeing that clip last night, I shut down the computer, went for the good old pen and paper journal, and started over. And this time I started uncovering the pile. I didn’t get through the whole thing by any means. But I dug up some of the imperfections and offered them over to God. It wasn’t really fun…but it felt strangely wonderful.

The Bible says “then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” The truth is largely buried in of piles in the corners of lots of hearts. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who prefers to keep covering it up in the hope of looking “put together” to God. But there was a lot of freedom in unearthing the pile…in finding the truth.

When Idol Doesn't Matter...

Yes, I'm excited about the Idol results. Yes, things turned out as they should have.

But they don't always.

I heard this news this morning from my friend Marie. She'd heard it on the radio. Steven Curtis Chapman's little girl was killed when she was hit by a car in their driveway. One of SCC's sons was driving the car. That story contains fifty kinds of pain and grief that I can't even begin to grasp. It absolutely breaks my heart.

Though I didn't blog about it at the time, last week I read this article about Dottie Rambo's death. If you don't follow southern gospel music, you probably haven't heard of her, but she was quite a song writer. I think something like 2500 songs? That's significant. She wrote some of the greats like We Shall Behold Him and He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need. I knew she was over seventy, and I knew that several years ago she'd had health problems, so when I heard the news, my first thought was "Wow, I didn't realize she'd been sick." She wasn't. She was riding in her tour bus to a Mother's Day morning singing engagement in Texas, when high winds caught the bus and it crashed.

So for as excited as I still am for David Cook and his win...I'm reminded that there's much more to life than Idol results.

I'll Admit It...I Cried

I'd been trying to call my parents all evening and couldn't get them. Anytime I can't find them for more than an hour, I panic...they're not young anymore, you know. They could be in a ditch somewhere and I wouldn't know it! So when Mom finally got home to the cell phone she FORGOT to take with her, she found me crying. She wanted to know if I'd been worried...since I was crying. I said, "Well, yes, but I'm crying because he won!" She LAUGHED at me!

I will admit that I was shocked out of my ever lovin' head that David Cook won...and the margin was bigger than I thought it would be. I am SO EXCITED for him. Obviously I don't need to say how much I like him and how great I think he'll be....because I've already said all that.

YOU GO, DAVID COOK. You enjoy that win. You WELL deserve it. And while you're at it, enjoy the Simon apology. In fact, I hope you recorded it and watch it often. :)

Meanwhile, Sarah and I will continue to sing "You are my brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrotherrrrrrrrrr.....best friend forrrrrrrrevvvvvvvvvvvvvvverrrrrrrrrrr."

I'd Like to Disagree with the Judges...

Well the last night of Idol is here (stop cheering, you non-watchers). I'm recognizing in myself the same symptoms I had the finale of season 2, when it was Clay vs. Ruben. I said I didn't care who won, but I lied. In the finale I learned I was a die-hard Clay fan. I was not happy with the results. The only other season I came in disappointed with the winner was Fantasia's season, but I knew going into...the auditions...that I wasn't a Fantasia fan.

So here I've been all season saying yay to both Davids, but I am very aware this evening that I am QUITE for David Cook. I knew I was more a fan of his than I was of David Archuleta...I just didn't realize how fiercely.

I appreciate that they are both nice boys. At least they're going into this evening acting (if not genuinely) kind toward one another.

Round one - here's a shocker. I KNEW BOTH SONGS!!! THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE!!!! I loved David Cook's song. It's in Runaway Bride and that's one of my favorite movies. And he could sing it to me every day of the week and that would be just fine. And as for David Archuleta...well, unfortunately for him, Clay sang the daylights out of that one in the finale, so no one could ever do it as well in my mind. I thought he did a good job with it...but he wasn't Clay. I was sad to see round one going to Archuleta.

Round two - I'm slow to warm up to new songs. I like to be able to sing along (at the very least, in my head) right away, but I loved the one David Cook sang. Very catchy. Simon, it was too a winning moment!! As for David A - well I thought he did as well as David Cook, but I call this round a tie. Sarah, I agree with you - VERY VERY TIRED of the 'you could sing the phone book' comments. I mean I say that too, but they say it about him EVERY WEEK. Come on, people! At least have him sing a dictionary or something.

Round three - Well, I will say that I did agree with Simon that it might have been the wrong song for David Cook to sing on his way out...just because it wasn't some huge, hyped thing. BUT - I more agreed with David himself, who said the competition was about a progression and he wanted to do something new. I think what he did was brave and mature and showed his completion as an artist. Hence the reason I'm voting for him - and I'm actually getting through!!! This is so new for me! The last time I tried to vote was in Clay's season and I never could get through. David Archuleta - Sarah, was this the song he'd done before? See I don't even remember it. Ehh it was okay - I didn't think it was any more (or less) spectacular than David Cook's. I think he was a little over-praised for it.

Here's my bottom line, which I've said for a few weeks now, but I think tonight proved it. They're both amazing vocalists. No question about that. But if I were going to go hear one of them in concert, I'd go hear David Cook. He's more well-rounded. He can carry the in-between songs part. And he should win. But if he doesn't win...then I still think he'll do an amazing job. He'll be the Clay or Daughtry of his season - the one who comes back to do a great job anyway.

Having said all this, I must go. I have more voting to do.

Twenty Nine and Other Stories

Well I'm right at two hours before the big day........I took today off work to bring closure to my decade. I realize some of you will roll your eyes at that, but this is the sort of person I am. I like definite endings and beginnings, so I took today to celebrate the end of what has turned out to be a fantastic decade. I did some journaling about it today - who knew the whole thing had been so much fun?

Last year my birthday was a hurried celebration prior to my last minute flight to Kansas after the tornado. Mom, Dad, and Marie took me to Ivanhoes where I had my first for real strawberry shortcake.

And this was during the work celebration. My hair sure has gotten long in the last year. I hadn't realized how much until I started looking at these pictures!


Well let's see - what else do I have for you? Oh! Happy "I Just Called to Say I Love You" day.
And the zoo story. I had to get permission from Sarah to tell this one, since I'm telling it on her. Sarah (of the fabulous Flour Child Cupcakes) had a birthday this past Saturday and she wanted her party to be at the zoo. So a few carloads of people drove down to the zoo and we wandered around looking at animals and watching the little kids get all excited about everything. One of the babies in our group just turned a year old not long ago. Baby Meredith. She is a pretty stylin' kid - often sporting sunglasses and little bonnets in the great outdoors. We just left one of the first exhibits when Sarah spotted baby Meredith in her cute little hat just grinning over her Dad's shoulder. Sarah said (rather loudly) "OH!!!!!! Look at her cute little bonnet!!!!!!!" Right then, about two dozen Amish people walked by us. Sarah and I dissolved into some pretty heavy giggles. WOOPS! Poor timing but very funny.
And last but not least...IDOL!!!! I so forgot that this was Tuesday - days off work do that to me. I forgot to record it, so I had to rush home in time to watch. Here are my thoughts on the fab final three:
David Archuleta - Round One: I actually thought this was one of his best ever performances. I thought his voice sounded much stronger than normal and I thought he seemed confident and NOT awkward. Round Two: I didn't love it. It seemed hokey - Simon called it awkward and I would agree with that. He was back to the David who is good but doesn't seem quite mature enough to handle tour life. Round Three: I thought he did a very nice job on that one. I didn't think the song choice was as bad as Simon said. I guess maybe I like David better when he's not moving.
Syesha - Round One: I thought she was good, but I wasn't blown away by the song. Maybe if I'd known the song?? Round Two: This was actually my favorite one for her tonight. Her dress was about six inches too short (sorry Phats, I'm sure you loved it) and it was kind of a seductive performance, but I thought she sang well. I was very surprised the judges tore it down as much as they did. Round Three: I thought it was pretty good! I thought overall the judges were too critical of her and I think she could be in trouble because of it.
David Cook - Round One - He did an awesome job, I thought, and I continue to just absolutely love him. Round Two - That was a SHORT song! I agreed with Paula that I was just getting into it about the time it was over. I thought he did a nice job on it though. Round Three - I screamed. SO SO SO GOOD. I also think he should wear that outfit from now on. David for the win, PLEASE!!!!!!!

Twenty Three, Idol, and Make A Book Day

Ahhhh 23. The year I tried so hard to look 33. I think I may have succeeded.

And now that I approach 33 (okay maybe in a few years...) I try so hard to look 23. Why is life always backwards like this???

Twenty three. The year of the blue wedding, the failed hair-highlighting attempts, the adoption of little Kaegan James, and from the looks of the picture, also the year our office was temporarily displaced to the gym while our building underwent a remodel.

Well...another one bites the dust on Idol. Can't say I'm surprised. I would say the choice was the right one.

And Happy Make A Book Day. I've done that a couple of times in my life and thoroughly enjoyed it. I realize this makes some of you question my sanity, but that's okay.

And for now...I think I need a little David Phelps fix, so I think I'll finish my workout to a rousing round of These Are They or whatever is in the DVD player. (If that's what it is...I'm sure it will be the first time THAT has ever been used for a workout.)

AAAHHH! I Forgot My Idol Post!

This is what happens when I try to multi-task too much! I am distracted by my newly acquired sunburn and I forgot to write this part.

* David Cook - Have I mentioned that I just love him? I actually really enjoyed his first song. I thought it was fun and energetic...and I was in a total minority on that, at least where the judges were concerned. I thought his second song was flat out AMAZING. He is wonderful, and though I desperately want him to stay, I know if he goes too early just like Daughtry did, he'll do just fine.

* Syesha - I thought her first song was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing that fun side of her. But as soon as I heard her talk about getting the choreography down that the judges were going to be all over her for imitating. I thought the gown she wore in the second song was beautiful and I thought she did a nice job then too. I agree with the judges - she's getting better and better here at the end.

* Jason - Oh brother. I think Simon could be right - pack your bags, Mr. Castro. The hair was driving me NUTS on the first song and I thought the song itself was horrible. I thought he did better the second time, but comparatively speaking...he didn't perform in the same league tonight.

* David Archuleta - good on both songs, as usual, but I continue to see nothing earth shattering about him, and I still think there's something about him that couldn't hold the charisma he needs right now. I guess I don't want to say he's too young because there are others who are younger and do fine, but he just seems to lack some of the energy and maturity that some of them have. And to hear him sing a love song was just funny to me because he IS so young. But it was a smart move. All his teeny bopper fans will go crazy for him.

I think Jason's the man out. OR if everyone rushes to save him because of what Simon said, it could be Syesha, because I'm still not sure how strong her fan base is. OR it could be a "gasp" moment and be either one of the Davids. How's that for a definite opinion?