American Idol, Top 9

Dear Ryan, 

I don't know what they're paying you, but I will double it (in monopoly money) if you will just put the emphasis on Idol.  Just this once?

Best Regards,

The Banker

Anoop - Caught Up

Heck yeah!  I love me some Usher.  Eek.  Is it me or is he butchering it?  Solid ending, but uh - Anoop.  It's figure.  Not figur.   Oi.  That's annoying.

Holy necklace, Pauler.  Wowie.  Her eyes are looking rough.  I agree wholeheartedly with Simon, sans the headache.

Oh, Ryan - please do not encourage the contestants to talk back to the judges.  Me no likey.

Does anyone else think Fox has stooped to an all new low with this Osborne's show?  Please. Make. It. Stop.

Megan -  I missed the title.  

She's less than a minute into it, and I already disagree with her prediction that the judges are going to "get her".  I certainly don't.    Oh, Megan Megan Megan.

I think the person in the audience meant Megan was the broken record.  Not Kara.  Which, PS - Kara - please accept my humble apology for misspelling your name, oh - about a dozen times in last week's recap.  Will you pretty please forgive me?  Thanks, girl.

Boring, indulgent, monotonous.  Yep, yep and yep.  Simon, we are on the same page tonight, my brotha.

[Totally unrelated, but any Heroes fans out there?  I now see why Niki/Tracey was offed once and for all.  Looks like she took her pretty self to the big screen.  With Beyonce.  Very cool.]

Danny - What Hurts The Most

Dude.  I freaking love this song.  Love. It.  I know he's going to kill it.  Please kill it, Danny. Okay, given his story, how on EARTH is he able to do this without blubbering his fool head off, like I'm trying not to do?  And he nails it. He just sang his guts out.  MAD PROPS, Danny boy.  Dan, Dan the I Got Mad Crazy Singing Skillz Man.

They let Pauler drive?  Scary.

Kara - you nailed it, sister.  He shared his soul with us.  It worked for me.  I remember again why I love him so so much.

Allison - Don't Speak

Another favorite song.  Whew!  Look at that hair.  That would make Gwen proud.  The first verse is blowing me away.  Hmmm...  The ending was a bit anti-climactic for me.  Loved the beginning though. 

Why is no one getting her No Doubt look?  

Oh Simon, it's not nice to laugh when Pauler slurs her words.

Scott - Just The Way You Are

Oh goody, he's singing a song that a boy should sing.  Just him and the piano?  This might be a good move.  I don't mean to be unkind, but is that the best they can do with his hair?  I think they should experiment with the straightener.  Anyone else?    It's very old school Tom Hanks the way it is now.  Okay, I'm done.  The performance?  Eh.  I'm just not in love.  I may have liked it better if his hair had been straight.  Silly, but I think it's true. He didn't give a 3 minute speech, so I'll give him bonus points for that.

Matt - You Found Me

Rough start?  I don't know the song.  That's never good.  Hmm...  I'm not loving it.  And not because I don't know it.  I don't think he's doing too excellent of a job.  I hope the judges (and especially America) disagrees.  I really like him a lot and I want him to stick around for a while. As always - Kara eloquently sums it up.  Agreed.

Oh. Paul. Er. Don. 't St. Op. In the mid. dle. Of your wor. ds.  Sheesh. Spit it out!

Lil - I surrender

Can she pull off Celine?  We shall see.  Love the hair! She looks beautiful.  I'm not loving this performance either.  Woah - things are about to change, me thinks.  Maybe not.  I think her pitch is off.  That's not good.  Hmmm...  I never know if I'm hearing it right.  What will the judges say?  I agree - strange song choice.  Man - she looks gorgeous.  I'm sure Pauler will touch on that.  You can sing heaven's above?  Alrighty.  And I can't believe she didn't say word one about how she looks.

Oh, my mercy - look at the sweet baby hugging Randy!  Precious!!

Adam - Play That Funky Music

The Elvis hair is back.  Eek with the dancing, Adam.  I wonder if that hurts his throat?  Not the dancing.  Wow - Paula just channeled the news lady with that quick and concise description.  I'm impressed.  To back up a bit, I didn't love it, but the boy can sing.  I get that a lot of people don't like him, but you can't say it's because he can't sing.  Well, I guess you could say it, but I might have to flick you on the forehead.

Kris - Ain't No Sunshine

Okay - I think I'm finally seeing what everyone else has been seeing all along.  Wow.  That was HAWT.  Is he the closer?  Yay for Kara and her counting redemption.  Woot woot!

Is anyone else thinking that this show could have been so much better?  They could choose ANY POPULAR SONG from iTunes, and this is the best they could come up with?  I don't get it.

Alright - I gotta say Danny and Kris were my top faves tonight.  Sorry Matt and Adam, you just didn't bring it in my book.  

My bottom three prediction - Anoop, Megan (if there's any justice in the world) and Scott. Though after last week, I'd say anything can happen.

Thanks for tuning in.  For more Idol recaps make sure to check in at BooMama's place.  If it's a giggle you're after, she will not disappoint.

Spiders...

I hate the spiders.  I'd love suggestions for non-toxic ways to get rid of them.  We live out in the middle of no where, so we have an unlimited number of spiders of all shapes and sizes.  It's enough to make me crazy.

Call the Orkin Man, you might say.  Well, I'm also not a fan of poison.  If the Orkin Man sprayed orange juice or Eau de Rose Petals or something, I'd consider it.

So, I'm hoping someone has a suggestion for using something that won't shave years off the lives of my beloved family members.  It's just the spiders I'm interested in murdering.

Thanks for visiting!  If you have a dilemma you need help solving, post it at We Are THAT Family, where this week is a reverse Works for Me Wednesday.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Orange Baked Oatmeal

I've been wanting to participate in this blog carnival for a while.  I love food.  Eating it, making it and sharing.  This is right up my alley.

Orange Baked Oatmeal

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter melted

2 eggs

2 cups milk

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

the zest and juice of 1 orange

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract (you could use 2 tsp. of vanilla if you don't like/have almond)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.  (I use the butter wrapper to grease the pan.)

Melt and cool the butter.

While that's cooling, combine all other ingredients except for oats.

Once butter is cooled, add that to the mixture. 

Add oats.

Pour into 9 X 13.

Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Enjoy!

This is very easy and delicious.  It's great for a brunch or breakfast potluck or even for a family with a brand new little one.  This reheats very nicely!

Thanks for stopping by!  For more great Tummy Tempters visit Blessed With Grace.

If you're a fan of American Idol, check back after the show for my thoughts....

Why I prefer Winter....

I know. I'm crazy. Deal with it.

I do. I love winter. I'd rather be cold any day of the week than hot. Don't get me wrong, if a place existed that was 80 degrees, with low humidity, a gentle breeze and COMPLETELY bug free year round. I would be packing right now.

I hate bugs. Really, a lot. Especially the spiders. *Shudder* Now, if they would stay outside, I probably wouldn't mind them that much. But I take issue with any living creature that moves into my house with out first asking my permission.

I also hate being hot. Unless I'm doing Ashtanga yoga, I'm not tryin' to sweat. I'd rather be bundled beyond recognition than sweating.

So, sweating with the possibility of a bug crawling on me, IN MY OWN HOUSE? Oh, heck no.

American Idol, Top 10

I can't even express how excited I get on American Idol night.

Yay!

Ah, the glory days of Detroit. My how things have changed.

What???? The top 10 came to Detroit? Why was I not informed? That's driving distance, my friends. Unbelievable.

Anyway.

Who will be first up?

Matt - Let's Get It On

YES! I love this song.

Here we go! Oh my word. PhEnOmEnAL. I might have to download that one.

*I'm having a little bit of a hard time concentrating on the performance and blogging at the same time. Plus, although I used to sing, I never knew a lick about the technicalities. So aside from love it or hate, I don't know a whole lot of what else to say.

Kris - How Sweet It Is

He's not my favorite but after last week and everyone raving? I'm paying very close attention. He sings well, he's a cute kid, I agree with Smoky - people who can play and sing are awesome. But. I find this Kris fellow dreadfully boring. Don't hate me, I just do. Bla bla bla, Paula. Bla bla.

Love the bus stop comment, Simon.

Scott - You Can't Hurry Love

Hmm.... I'm predicting that I'm not going to love this. I feel like he chooses the strangest songs. Wow. I'm pleasantly surprised. I feel like he was dead on for pitch, he did interesting things with the song. Okay - am I about to say this? I agree with Paula, the singers being close made it much better. Simon must have heard me. Wrong songs, week after week. The truth is the truth is the truth.

Does he know that he doesn't have to explain himself each week? I don't like it. Please make it stop. Ryan - stop encouraging it. Gah!


HA!!!! Crayons. That's an insult to 6 year olds? Hilarity ensues on American Idol! I think Paula hired a writer.

Megan Joy - For Once In My Life

I think her novelty is wearing off for me. Zoiks, is she horribly off key? Oh no. She's attempting real dancing. I think? Oh, sweet mother of pearl this is a train wreck. I predict that Paula says she's purty, though. YOU HEARD IT HEAR FIRST!!! I swear I typed train wreck while she was STILL SINGING. Randy - you're stealing my material. And hello - can I read Paula's mind or yeah? That's actually a smidgey disturbing.

Hannah Montana The Movie? Heaven help us. How old is she? I'm assuming she'll be old news by the time Chloe would be interested. Please, Jesus.

Anoop - Oooh, Baby Baby

Woah. Based on the clip, I think this is going to be really good. He has such a rich tone to his voice. What a great song choice for him. Nice work, Anoop! I agree with Cara. I feel like I'm just learning what he's capable of.

Michael - Ain't Too Proud To Beg

I don't like this guy. I don't have time to mince words, my ice cream is melting this very moment. My prediction is he sings this again tomorrow. Okay - let me rephrase my first statement after he "Yes, ma'ams" Paula. I really like this guy, I just think he is a mediocre performer, at best.

Does anyone else love Cara? I really like what she brings to the judges table. Unbiased, intelligent, coherent feedback. What a concept.

Dear Anyone Who Is Or Will Be On American Idol, Please don't say the thing about the phone book anymore. Thank you.

Can I get a witness?

Lil - Heat Wave

I think I might be over her. She can sang, no question. Is anyone else bored, though? It is fun to see what she'll do with her hair. I can't wait to hear the judges take on that. I found it boring. (In my best Simon Cowell voice.)

*As an aside - I got the spoon that went down the disposal. It really ruined an otherwise lovely ice cream experience.

Adam - Tracks Of My Tears

Smoky - Tender? Soft? Sweet? Seriously?

Oh dear. What has Adam done with his hair? Did he catch wind of what everyone was saying about the girl haircut? Alright, let me just say this. If he does something that's totally not him and then they dog him for it, I'm going to flip furniture over. The only furniture available is my own, so I won't be setting fire to it.

Can anyone claim he doesn't have a BEAUTIFUL voice? And wouldn't you say his pitch is SPOT ON? And Smoky Robinson stands up. I rest my case. I won't be pulling any muscles with the furniture flipping. Sigh of relief.

One last thing - either he is an Oscar worthy actor or he is very humble. I love how he receives feedback from the judges. I know a lot of people think he's second cousins with you know who, but I just really think he's a great guy. Did anyone else count Cara's words?  It was 8, friend.  Not 6.  Not to worry, math ain't my thang, either.

Danny - Get Ready

Eek. Too much bizarre running around the stage. Oh, no no no with the awkward dancing. Danny. Please just sing. This was beyond corny for me. I agree with Simon. I'm loving his hair. Danny's, not Simon's.

You always know that the closer will blow it out the box.

Allison - Papa Was A Rolling Stone

I can't wrap my brain around the fact that she's 17. What the what? That last note was freaking amazing. That girl is crazy good.  She reminds me of Kelly Clarkson on many levels.

Okay Simon and Paula both need a time out. Honestly.

Motown Night was a smashing success!

Cleaning Out The Dresser - Down and Out

Do you collect socks? I do. I'm not sure why. It might be a sickness.

I also get on undie kicks. I find a certain style of undies, and then I end up buying 20 pair, because I can't stand to wear anything but the new super comfortable style. Good thing I have no interest in Victoria and her obnoxiously priced Secret. I'm more of an Old Navy or TJ Maxx girl when it comes to unmentionables.

The result is a dresser that is busting at the seams.

What works for me when I need to clean out that dresser is the down and out method. Items that I no longer wear, but really don't want to part with go to the bottom drawer. After something lives in the bottom drawer for a while with out being used, I know it's safe to pitch it , donate it or sell it. Out it goes.

Down and out. It works for me.

For more great tips, visit We Are THAT Family.

Hi, Would you kick me please? I can't seem to do it myself....

Do you ever want to undo something so so so so so bad. I do. It usually has to do with:

1. Losing things.
2. Forgetting things.
3. Not thinking something through.

I"m having one of those moments right now. A #2 with a #3 on the side. Oh, and can I super size that, please?

I want to kick myself real real hard.

I made food for Chloe yesterday. A lot of it. I'm transitioning her away from pureed foods to chunky foods and mostly trying to get her ready to start eating with us. To that end, I bought ground beef, ground chicken and ground turkey. I made cinnamon apple chicken (Sounds disgusting, I know, but she loves it . She may have to join Applesauce-a-holics anonymous.) I also made her some turkey and black bean chili. I haven't fed that to her yet, so we'll see how that goes over. If she doesn't like it, I'll just dip it in applesauce and she'll eat it. Neat, huh? I also made her spaghetti. Here are the steps I went through to make the spaghetti.

1.) Brown ground beef.
2.) Chop cooked ground beef in the food processor.
3.) Mix ground beef with pasta sauce.
4.) Cook pasta, which I was actually doing during step 1.
5.) Chop pasta in food processor.
6.) Mix pasta into meat sauce.
7.) Spoon into little dishes to freeze in portion sizes.
8.) Put into freezer.
9.) Once frozen, remove from containers and put into freezer bags.

Except that I dropped the ball on #9. I took it out of the freezer and set it on the counter. Then I watched TV. Then I went to bed.

Then when I got up this morning and saw it on the counter? Yeah - that's when my tummy started hurting and it hasn't stopped since.

I won't even tell you that the meat and sauce were organic and that beside the actually money I may as well have threw away, I wasted a lot of time and energy so I could then waste more time and energy throwing the food away instead of feeding it to my child.

I want to scream.

And I'm not sure why I'm admitting it to the world, except that maybe I'm hoping a confession will make my tummy feel better.

We'll see.

There are two kinds of people in this world...

Those who love coconut, and those who hate coconut.

I'm a lover, not a hater.

Have you seen the new Quaker True Delights granola bars? I had a coupon, so I went for it. The Chocolate Raspberry was out, due to the fact that the universe hates me and steals my joy by making me allergic to chocolate. sigh. My options were cashew something or other and Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. I went for the Coconut.

Sweet Merciful Heavens.

I need more coupons.

I also tried Herbal Essences shampoo for the first time. White Orchid and Coconut. I. Love. It.

So, while I can't eat chocolate or afford fancy salon quality hair products....

Coconut saves the day.

Must Share...

I heart Works for me Wednesday.... I got a little overwhelmed for a while, mostly since I used to try to read through all ~300 posts in one sitting. Not that I read every one, but I scroll through all of them and read any that I think might be beneficial.

It's still really time consuming.

Anywho - I jumped back on the bandwagon this week and boy am I glad I did! I felt compelled to share a couple with you that really jumped out at me.

If you are like me, grocery shopping is in the top 5 of hated tasks. Especially now that I'm try to save lots of money.

I do this by:

Shopping the sales.

Clipping Coupons.

Only shopping once a month. (Occasionally I have to run for a few things, or a sale beckons me...)

Menu Planning. (I try. I normally fail, but I do try.)

Buying store brands.

Okay this list could get really long and I'm getting off the point.

I always have grand ideas, but if I don't write them down or implement them immediately, I forget. I do not heart mommy brain.

Check out this excellent tip that combines many of the grand ideas I've thought to do, but have never done, with my grocery list!

Also - if you love egg salad or deviled eggs, but hate peeling them...  Check out  this tip.  I'm going to give it a try!  I hope it works.

Works for Me Wednesday - The One Thing

I consistently struggle with my To Do list. I make it and don't accomplish everything. I don't make it, and *shocker* I don't accomplish anything. I think about things that I need or want to do, but don't write it down, and if I ever even think about it again, I realize... I won't do that until I write it down somewhere.

I have issues.

This is not new information.

I think I may have found a solution for keeping up on the obvious stuff.

Let's back it up for a second. I should share that we have a rather large house. Not ridiculous, and it's only a 3 bedroom. But the living areas? They're big. It's a serious chore to vacuum just one level of this house. Don't even get me started on the 2.5 baths.

When we first got married we lived in a house that would fit in my car. Okay, since I don't even have a car at the moment that is obviously a shameless exaggeration. But I'm telling ya, it was small. I could clean the whole place in 3 hours and barely bust a sweat. And I mean spit shine, not just pick up...

Bla bla bla. Let me get to the point. (I heard that and you're welcome.)

I've decided to focus on the one thing that has to be done. Who can't accomplish one thing in a day? If I do at least one big thing each day, then eventually - I will be doing very light cleaning everyday. I've also found that when I get in the groove, I get a lot more than just the one thing done.  Something about knowing I only have to do the one thing, makes it so much easier to get started.  I've only been doing it for about a week, but so far - it's working for me!

Looking for more helpful tips?  Visit We are THAT Family for Works for me Wednesday.

Country, ya'll?

Well at least we're getting it out of the way early. My deepest apologies to the country lovers. I'm not one of you. I have had my moments when I've been on the bandwagon, but it's been years... I do love me some Carrie Underwood, though.

I'm also tuning in late since my little bundle of orney is boycotting bedtime.

I'm picking it up with....

Alexis - Jolene

I'm not overly impressed. Maybe because I don't love the song? Well - the judges seem to be underwhelmed, too. And then there's Paula, who PS, should cover those up.

Danny - Jesus, Take the Wheel

What!?!? Heck yes. I'm loving him. I'm loving what he did with it. Slow start though.

Anoop - You Were Always on My Mind

Hmmm.... Not too bad. He really can sing. Wow. The judges are RAVING. Good for you, Noop Dog!

Megan - Walking After Midnight

I know a lot of people don't like her. I really do. Love is too strong a word, but I do like her. I've always been a fan of quirky. I think she did really good. I never would have guessed that she was sick! Not sure on the dress. Eek.

Matt - So Small

Holy Chicken Skin, Batman! (read: goose bumps) Dude. THAT is why he's one of my favorites! Go Matt!!!!! Could we have an idol from the great state of Michigan? ::Beats fist to chest::

Okay. Now for the ultimate in anti-climactic Idol watching. I get to watch the first half on TiVo. We know they always save the best for last, so here's hoping for something good...

Michael - Ain't Going Down Til the Sun Comes Up

How is he doing this? Great Scott! Impressive. I can't wait to hear what the judges say. Oh Simon, boo.

Allison - Patty Loveless - Whatever it's called.

How did I miss that she's 16? I must have known that. Wow. Can I just say, I'm glad they are digging out the dusty ones, because if they were choosing current country, I probably would have gone to bed by now. You know how I feel about not knowing the tunes. Her mom looks like Martha Stewart! And I think it's precious that she kind of cries every week. Awww.

Kris -

All I can think of when I see this guy is how much he looks like Pastor Adam. Weird. He is a very good singer. I liked seeing him without the guitar. Or geetah, as Simon would say.

Lil - Independence Day

This must have been so difficult for her. The verses were painful. Way too out of her element. She can sing, but this wasn't her night. I'm sure she's not a bit surprised by that fact.

Adam - Ring of Fire

First. Someone needs to tell Randy Travis that different does NOT equal wrong, and while nail polish on boys may not be run of the saw mill in Nashville, the boys these days sometimes wear a lot more than just that. Get over it. Okay - now I will un-pause and see if Adam is brilliant this week or not.

Can he work the camera or yeah? Woah, I'm loving this. Okay this kid is crazy good. Make a record right now so I can buy it. Now. This sort of thing is what made me love David Cooke last year. You never knew what you were going to get, but you knew it would be good. Different equals right, for me. I do wonder what Randy is thinking. (Well, ask and you shall receive. He's *still* speechless. Well at least his momma taught him if you don't have anything nice to say... Simon's momma? Not so much.)

**I just watched this again, and I loved it as much the second time. I was also reminded of the Beat Boxin' Boy from a couple of years ago. What was his name? I swore I'd never forget it. I also swore I'd buy his CD, though I didn't. Sadly, by the time they get the album out, I've moved on with my life... What was his name? BLAKE LEWIS! God bless you, google. Anywho - that's what I loved about Blake, too. He did super cool things with songs you'd heard a million times. I did buy his version of Keep Me Hanging On off iTunes.

And one last thing, in defense of Adam (who is in a three way tie for my top fave. Adam/Danny/Matt - thumb wrestle for it boys.) If he had come out getting his twang on they would have massacred him for it. Lil tried it. It blew up in her face. You saw the mushroom cloud. She did a good job, sang well - but it wasn't "her". I say good for you, Adam.

Okay. Enough already.

Scott - Wild Angels

I also wish I could play the piano like that. Gracious. I wish someone would tell Simon and Paulafunkle that this is a "singing competition" and not a fighting competition. If they would hush and get to the point, everyone could sing two songs. Sheesh. That being said, I am a little bored with Scott. It does sound the same every week. I don't know if it's because of the piano or poor song choices.


Well, there it is. Another week gone by. I'm loving this season. I watch A LOT of TV right now. (In my defense, okay I have no defense.) My point - I watch a lot of the TV and I"m super excited about most of the shows I watch - but I start thinking about AI on Friday night and am about to stroke out by the time Tuesday gets here. I'm. Loving. It.

Loving it.

If you'd like to hear what others are saying, check out Boo Mama. She's a hoot.

I'm up way too early....

and resisting the urge to go back to sleep.  I realize it's now almost 7, but I've been up since 4. 

:::UPDATE:::

I thought I'd post my to do list, so I'd have some accountability today.

Quiet Time

Fold and put away diapers - once Chloe is up, I can put them away.

Pick up, dust and vacuum family room - once Chloe is up I can vacuum.

Menu Plan, make grocery list, clip coupons - I hate menu planning, and done and done.

(And PS - I stood up after writing this earlier and promptly went and took a nap.  Awesome self- control, right?)

I think I'm going to stop there.  I'd like to be able to get everything done, and while it doesn't sound like much, menu planning is really hard for me, and let's face it - I have an 11 month old baby who is my #1 priority, so everything is harder than it should be!

Have a great productive day!  Check back.  I'll update when I get things accomplished.

Link to the Lou, my darlin'...

I love Big Mama! I dare you to read this post and not laugh hysterically at least 3 times.

Sweet Juniper is a new favorite.  You must check out this hilarious post!

I've been reading Tu Tu's Bliss  for a while now, and she cracks me up every time I click over there.  Today's post made me laugh out loud and I could easily see myself as the subject of a similar restraining order...

I'm sure there are more giggles to be found, but I have to primp for date night.

Have a great weekend!

What an incredibly strange world we live in....

This could be the freakiest fashion show this is side of a Marilyn Manson concert. How very very creepy.

It starts...

Lil Rounds:  mmmkay...  what did she even sing?  I couldn't take my eyes off her pants.  Yep. 1985 called, and you know what it was about.

Wow.

Scott MacIntyre:  Have I ever heard this song before?  I lose interest quickly when I'm not familiar with the tune.  He sounds good.  It'll be interesting to see what the judges say about song choice. (They agreed with me.  I promise, I said it first.)

Danny Gokey is one of my FaVoRiTeS!  That being said.  I don't know if I was feeling his PYT. And the dancing?  Yeah, I don't know.  Those glasses, though?  Heck yes with the glasses.

Michael Sarver is not one of my favorites.  Is this another song that I've never heard?  I don't get it! Doesn't MJ have, like 1432 #1 songs?  I'm confused.

Jasmine Murray:  Another one of my non-favorites.  But I'm digging her tonight.  Not perfect, but pretty good.  At least I know the darn song.

In unrelated news, I would really love some chocolate right now.

Kris Allen will probably be around awhile...  Due in large part to the cuteness...  I can see the girly girls really liking him.  I'm not terribly impressed.

Allison Iraheta: I really like her a lot.  If I hold her down, will you cut her hair?

Anoop Desai: I have a really hard time taking him seriously.  Not so great with the vocals tonight.  But then, that's what you get for singing Beat It.  Wow - the judges weren't impressed either, and you can tell he's really bummed.  Poor Anoop.

Jorge Nunez can sing.  His eyebrows might take over the world.  Eek.  The judges weren't impressed!

Megan Joy Corkrey: I love her.  Love. Her.  She's different. Some people aren't fans of her strange dance moves, but I think she's cute.  No, she's purty.

Adam Lambert might be tied with Danny for my favorite of the favorites.  I love consistency. He is.

Oh!!!!  I forgot about...

Matt Giraud.  Now I don't know who my favorite is.  Ahhhh! Man that cat can sing.  And he kind of looks like Justin Timberlake.  That can't hurt.

You always know the last number of the night blows everyone out the chair.  I forgot about little Alexis!

Alexis Grace: Wow.  Wow. That girl can blow.

Well, that was fun!

I think I have SAD...

Seriously, I think I might have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I really don't care if I do any of the following things in the winter:

• Clean my house
  
• Take a shower more than about twice a week.  (Yes, I'm disgusting.  Be thankful you don't have to live with me.)
• Get off the couch
• Leave the house

This week as I have been cleaning like a wild banshee, and I'm realizing I suddenly care about the level of filth in this house.  I'm even a little horrified.  I did not feel this way last week.

 After all these years I'm beginning to think there may be a logical explanation for my winter lazies....

Now the real question....  Does the medicine come in grape flavor?

I need to stop adding new blogs to my list...

But how can I, when I come across something like this???

I, Scrapper By Sweet Juniper

I'm heartbroken by the fact that this is reality. Surprised? No. I've been close enough to this injustice to know it is real. My heart hurts for this community and others that have been experiencing this "recession" all along.

There's so much more to the story and so many obvious problems, that no one either can or cares to fix.

Makes me feel very small.

Ever bump a wound....

that you didn't realize was there?

The inner kind?

I used to have a friend that thought it was hilarious to push on a bruise. I use the term friend loosely, here. It hurt. Every time.

It was kind of like that. Except, I had no clue it was there.

It came out of no where. If it had been a blunt object, I would have been out cold. It hit me right between the eyes. I'm talking a David and Goliath aim.

I need some inner healing. Possibly a therapist. What I need most is the confidence that I will never inflict such a wound. I will not.


I will not.

Yay!! A way better day!

You may have heard about my awesome sleeping last night...  Well - that was the kick off for a pretty fantastic day.  If I were to describe it in detail you would probably exclaim, "Wow!  She doesn't get out much!"

And you would be right.

I will say, I took a bath and we got that date night I was irked about last night.

Yay!

I'd say I'm really living up to my end of the  bargain on the randomness...  You were warned.

Not that anyone reads anyway.  Except Jen.  Hi Jen!

Sweet Glorious Sleep!!!!!!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

O, happy day - happy day!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Ha - Laaaay - Lou - Yah!

Did I just sleep from 10 Pm until 7 AM?  Am I dead?  Is it 2005?  

Mother of Pearl, I think I could run a marathon, right now!

Well now, that's just silly.  Marathon?  Yeeeeaaaaah.

But I can definitely take whatever little Miss thang has to throw at me today.  

Of that, I am certain.

Wow. Longest day ever.

Or at least in a long time.

Frank detoured to bring me my favorite, ridiculously overpriced carrot cake and I ate obscene amounts of it and now I feel better.  

I'm tired and should really go to bed before the sugar crash hits.

I'm a little bitter that it's Friday night and we're not on a hot date.

We have the bubonic plague and no one will come near us.

I made lentil soup for the first time and it literally attacked me.  Right after I used the immersion blender on it.  I guess it was fighting back.

Chloe ate a leaf today.  Well, she attempted to.  She choked and it flew out of her mouth.  Neat, huh? 

She refused to take a nap today and proceeded to tap dance on my nerves all day instead.  It was awesome.

I'm going to bed in case she has the urge for an encore at 11.

We almost bought a car today...

One that I really wanted. I don't think it was meant to be. Especially since we left it there.

Man, I would have been riding in style...