Dancing Results

Two were going to be eliminated tonight...

AND STEVE-O WAS SAFE!!!

Holly and Woz left. Which means Steve-O will probably be next week. Because, let's face it, he's not going to offer Gilles and Melissa serious competition.

Dancing Week 4

I'm very excited about this week. The couples are doing the lindy hop (which I've done) and the Argentine tango (I LOVE the tango).

DAG and Kym - lindy hop - This was the perfect dance for DAG. He's so expressive and this is a really big, kicky, fun dance. They were really cute. A couple of his kicks looked like they didn't extend all the way, but the whole thing looked really good. It made me want to dance! Judges' score: 22

Lil Kim and Derek - Argentine tango - Honest question: does she put on that ridiculous baby voice? It's always annoyed me. But they looked good. If people are actually voting for the dance and not the person, she should be safe. Judges' score: 27 Boo. They got the first 10 of the season. It wasn't a 10.

Chuck and Julianne - lindy hop - I have to say, they looked absolutely adorable in their costumes. I love them. He wasn't quite as hoppy and peppy as Julianne, but who is? They were still good. That's a super fast, and super hard dance. Judges' score: 22

Lawrence and Edyta - Argentine tango - Good. It seemed like the dance showed her off more than him, but I think that's the case with this dance. He did some awesome lifts. And it was a good performance. Judges' score: 19

Ty and Chelsie - lindy hop - I was really worried about whether or not he'd be able to loosen up for this dance. But he looked pretty good. Not quite as loose as he should be, but WOW his jumps and lifts were great. He actually looked like he was having fun too. You can still see him anticipating the next move on his face, but he looked really good anyway. Judges' score: 25

Steve and Karina - Argentine tango - They looked pretty decent, but there wasn't the emotion that the judges were looking for. He looked bored more than anything since his smileyness wasn't allowed in the tango. The judges are finally cluing in that he's not great too. Judges' score: 12

Melissa and Tony - lindy hop - I talked to a friend last week and found out she's buying into what ABC wants. She likes Melissa because she feels sorry for her. I'm still not buying into the feeling sorry thing. I'll say she's good, but not because I feel bad for her. They were pretty good, but when she pumped her fists I pictured her with pom poms. It made me laugh. The lifts were great, Tony is awesome. But there were a lot of them, possibly more than necessary... Judges' score: 29 (Second and third 10's of the season, and the highest score of the season.)

Holly and Dmitry - Argentine tango - She's dancing with some injured ribs currently. Another one falls to the strange curse of the show... Dmitry was lookin' hot though. The whole start of the routine on the stool looked like it didn't go so smoothly. She was still too stiff. And looked like she forgot some steps. If she would just loosen up she might be good! It's very frustrating. Judges' score: 16

Steve-O and Lacey - lindy hop - Lacey looks so cute, she rocked a Katy Perry look for the dance. And we all know she's my biggest girl crush. Steve-O looked like he was still holding back a bit at the beginning. It can't be easy to be super bouncy when you're getting over a back injury. But he looked like he was trying, and having fun. Always good. Judges' score: 15 ( I totally spotted Bam's parents and Knoxville in the audience.)

Gilles and Cheryl - Argentine tango - Ohhhh holy crap. I think I have a new crush. They were just... wow. Hubby looked at my face and just said, "What?" It was amazing. I wanted to be Cheryl. And Carrie Ann fanned herself. That's how I feel. Just, wow. Am I right, ladies??? Judges' score: 30 (I so called a perfect score. I told hubby, just ask him.)

Shawn and Mark - lindy hop - Mark's legs move like rubber. They were pretty good. Lots of lifts, flips and such that used Shawn's strengths. Judges' score: 25

There's a double elimination tonight. I think Woz will be in the bottom again. And possibly Steve-O. Besides them, maybe Holly. I'm not sure. You can never tell with the voters.

Hey there!

If you're having a great day and you want to bring yourself down a notch, go here.

It's a blog full of the impossibly attractive Brazilians. Damn those folks for making me feel short and average looking.

T is for...

T is for several things. Tim, Tad and teaching.

Tim is hubby, just in case you haven't been paying attention. I know I usually refer to him as "hubby" but that's just because I think it's cute. I won't get all mushy because I'm sure no one wants to feel their food coming back up while reading something ridiculously romantical. Just thought that he deserved a spot in this post seeing as how he's my HUSBAND and a huge part of my life.

Tad is also a huge part. If I could buy him from his mother, I wouldn't have to have kids. He's that awesome. If I could buy him (ya know, legally and if I could persuade his mom) I totally would. He even looks like he could be mine. He keeps things interesting while he's here. Whether he's making me sing with him at the top of our lungs (while quite possibly scaring neighbors) or he's quoting Cars because he knows every line. Or chasing the ducks. Or any of the other fun things he does here. I love that kid.

And finally we come to teaching. I've said I wanted to be a teacher since second grade, so you could say it's been in my life FOREVER! Now I finally got my credential, but I can't find a job. So for the time being I'm tutoring. Which is pretty close to teaching. And I'm trying to get Tad ready for Kindergarten (hey moms, any reading programs you loved?). So I'm still teaching in a sense. And I know the right job is out there...

Until then, T is also for time... which I've got plenty of.

Ohhh Saturday

Last night was super awesomely fun.

I started the night with my cousin by doing some shopping. We were successful and found an outfit for the wedding she's going to/helping with in a month. She also totally scored on some shoes, which I am still jealous of. Also, randomly ran into a guy we went to church with back in the day. Invited him and his friend to hit the show later, weren't sure if he'd go.

Then we hit Applebee's so we didn't have to drink on an empty stomach. Hubby joined us there. The waiter creeped us out, which gave us all something to laugh about the rest of the night.

Then the club. So. Much. Fun. My brother played in two bands, then Robots played, then my four favorite guys got together to do a Misfits set!! And they totally killed. My brother did the singing, and I should have taken video. He was so amazing! I just love watching all of them. Random church-guy from the mall showed up for a bit. Told me a funny story about my ex (which I won't repeat because I try not to be THAT mean).

But wow I had a serious issue with a girl. She caught our attention because she was dancing during one of my brother's sets. It was the typical dance of a girl who's been drinking too much and wants attention. A little bit of stripper moves, some random gyrations, and something looking like drunk belly-dancing. It was simultaneously entertaining and frightening. She continued this throughout the night, and continued to look more and more wasted. By the end of the show, (I'll just throw this out there) she was a sweaty mess and her hair looked more and more like cheap, nasty extensions (which I don't think they were, and that scares me). But it gets better...

Nick (my brother) is singing the Misfits set and he's on the floor in front of the stage for a bit. Crazy Dancing Wasted Chick is ALL OVER him. Like (TURN AWAY NOW MOM) I thought she was going to try and unzip his pants right there. Kayla (cousin) and I are looking at each other thoroughly disgusted and I'm ready to push her right out of the way (I'm trying to take pics during all this). I controlled myself (which was the second hardest time in my life, I'll tell you about the worst one day) and let her make a fool of herself.

As soon as the set is done she's back on the stage leaning on him and being all gross. My brother is far too nice, especially to girls, and doesn't tell them to back off. I was off to the side asking Scott about this girl and it turns out she's just plain nasty and happens to be nuts about my brother.

Great. A groupie.

I may have called less-than-nice things from the side of the stage. Something on the subject of cooties and telling my brother not to catch them. Everyone that heard was dying. I thought Kayla would pee her pants, and I think Scott and Leon laughed the hardest they've laughed in a while. Even Nick was laughing. Crazy Groupie was too wasted to know what was going on. And left shortly after. Thank God.

We hung out at the house of the Robots afterward for a while. We went to Jack in the Box to get food for my brother. Where we proceeded to listen to the woman in the car in front of us screaming at the drive-thru worker. We didn't know about what. When we got to the window the worker mentioned a fork.

The woman in front of us got crazy over a fork. Yes. She got a spoon instead of a fork and LOST IT. We were thoroughly amused by this.

So yeah, house with the Robots for a bit, then we left. But I cannot WAIT for the next show. Last night's was easily the best of any that I have gone to.

Trailer Time: Childhood Faves Edition

So I mentioned seeing a trailer for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs yesterday. Hubby somehow had no clue what book I was referring to! Well, the theater we went to happens to have a bookstore in the same plaza, so we went there afterward. Because how could I miss the opportunity to share the book with hubby and the kid??? I bought it. Came home and read it to the kid.

Just watched the trailer again. And even though they changed the story a bit, I'm still looking forward to it.





Then there's Where the Wild Things Are. The book has been a favorite of mine FOREVER. And I was really excited when the kid took to it. We even have puppets that he HAS TO HAVE when we read it. I already confessed that the trailer made me a little misty. It's the monsters! They're perfect and I love them!

Of course it looks like they had to add a bit to the story about Max, but that's kind of expected when you look at the length of the book. I can't wait for October...





Looks like my movie season is extending into fall this year...

What a Day!

It was a full day!

Woke up early and read the paper before the kid woke up.
Made waffles. From scratch. With apple topping. And remembered that I hate making waffles.
Took the kid to see Monsters vs. Aliens. So funny. Kid, hubby, and I loved it.
Took the kid to the park for a bit.
Went to dinner at Red Robin, where the kid DEVOURED his mac and cheese.

I was super excited about the previews at the movies. Pixar's Up was on again. And the new Ice Age movie. There was also Land of the Lost (which I'm still looking forward to). PLUS there was a preview for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (only one of my favorite books as a kid!). I was pretty excited for that.

Then tonight I finally watched the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are. I'm not gonna lie, I got a little bit of a chill when I saw the wild things. They look just like the book. And I love them. I'm totally taking the kid. And he even said he'll go dressed as Max.

It was a good day.

I Know...

I've been neglecting the blog. I had stuff to do yesterday, and I had a job fair today. So you totally missed out on Idol.

Admit it, you missed it.

I'm not going to go into detail. I only got to it tonight. So let's keep it simple.

I liked Matt Giraud. A lot.
Kris Allen was good, but didn't grab my attention.
Scott was good, but I think he impresses me more with his piano playing than his voice.
Megan was meh. She had good moments, but I wasn't impressed with the whole performance. I think she ended better than she began.
Anoop disappointed me a little. He was good, but not exciting.
Michael Sarver was good again, but he's kind of reached a plateau for me. I don't feel like he's getting better or anything.
Lil Rounds sounded wonderful of course. And I loved how they styled her - very vintagey glam. Adam cleaned up very well, I expressed my shock to hubby when I saw him. He also did well, and it was good to see him mellow out a bit.
I liked Danny. Great song choice, much more upbeat than most of his other choices.
I loved Allison. I just love her. That's all there is to it. She is such a little rocker.

So the results... I totally didn't watch. I watched the group performance, then skipped all the way to elimination. The group performance (particularly the girls) was painfully obvious in the lip-synching. PAINFULLY obvious.

Matt should not have been in the bottom three. That much irritated me a little bit. But I do think it was time for Michael to go. Like I said, everything was starting to sound the same. Week after week. I like him and all, but I'm not going to cry over him leaving.

Best Thing I Heard This Week

So I was trying on outfits for the job fair tomorrow (found one!) and Tad was kind of shadowing me.

All of a sudden I hear, "Ladies and gentlemen, Tia Ashley!"

Seriously, can he get any cuter? I think I need to take him to the job fair tomorrow so he can introduce me at every district booth.

Lame

American Idol isn't on tonight. I didn't know this until a couple hours ago. So now I sit watching Veggie Tales with the kid. Not that I mind. I kind of love Veggie Tales. Especially Larry.

In other news, wanna know who leaves Dancing tonight?

It's Denise.

I was wrong about the bottom two though. I thought it would be Woz and Denise. But it was actually Holly and Denise. So there's that. Don't know if you'll see a blog besides Idol tomorrow. Just depends. I have laundry to do, a job fair outfit to pick out, a kid to entertain, and church. Plenty to keep me busy.

PS - I'm finally starting to get nervous about the job fair. I don't know why, I'm normally a pretty good interviewer. Just typical nerves.

Dancing Week 3

So I had to set the DVR and I'm only watching it right now. We went to mom's for dinner, I had to give the kid a bath, put clothes away, change the sheets on our bed... But we're good to go now! And this week the stars had to learn the fox-trot or the samba. So let's begin...

Denise and Maksim - samba - Denise's dress looks like a prom dress. Actually her hair looks a little modern prom-ish too. Not quite loving it. She looks like she still isn't clear on what they're doing. The movements aren't very fluid and it's almost painful to watch them tonight. Bruno nailed it when he called it "flat." Judges' score: 16

Chuck and Julianne - fox-trot - I just have to remind everyone that they are possibly the cutest couple out there. And I'm LOVING Julianne's dress tonight. And WOW Chuck looks excellent! I'm impressed. Judges' score: 23

Holly and Dmitry - samba - Holly looks like Samba Barbie tonight. I'm serious, she looks like she just came out of a box. She looks like she may be improving, but she's still stiff a lot of the time. And you can tell when she's concentrating/anticipating the next move too much. She just doesn't look coordinated enough. Judges' score: 17

Steve-O and Lacey - fox-trot - Thank God he's back! And I totally spotted Pontius in the audience! hee hee... He actually looks pretty good considering he's probably still in pain. And he totally had a mess up. But he still tried and looked pretty good. Judges' score: 15

Lawrence and Edyta - samba - This may just be his best dance so far. He's shimmying and totally having fun doing it. He also looks super comfortable, which goes a long way in scoring. Judges' scores: 20

Shawn and Mark - fox-trot - Shawn was struggling in practice with making her movements fluid instead of the sharp movements of gymnastics. And she totally pulled it off in the dance. Mostly. She did have a couple little movements that looked sharp. But she also looked SUPER GOOD! Judges' score: 27

Gilles and Cheryl - samba - Okay, he can seriously shake his butt. They look really good. I can see them getting the top score tonight. And Cheryl may just have a shot at winning another season... Judges' score: 27 (so they're tied with Shawn and Mark)

David and Kym - fox-trot - DAG looks pretty good in the beginning. He's extending his arms well, throwing in some nice kicks, I'm pretty impressed. He didn't look uncomfortable or lost or anything. He looked really good! Judges' score: 24 (wow!)

Woz and Karina - samba - So now Woz pulled his hamstring. Will the curse of this show never end? He looks like he's being a little careful, which is understandable. But he doesn't look as confident as he has the last two weeks and the injury definitely shows in his performance. Judges' score: 10

Melissa and Tony - fox-trot - Of course they look good. Is there anything else you expected me to say? I heart Tony. And Melissa has been good from the start. She even projects well with her expressions. Judges' score: 27 (a third couple tied for first)

Lil Kim and Derek - samba - Her little squeals and screams are grating on my nerves. She makes a lot of faces when she dances, a couple of them are distracting. Her feet and everything look like they should though. I just have an issue with ABC putting an ex-con who flashes her girly bits and sings some naaasty songs. Judges' score: 25

Ty and Chelsie - fox-trot - Ty looks so cute in his little top hat. Chelsie totally slipped though. But Ty didn't flinch. I can see him doing well with the ballroom dances, possibly not as good with the Latin. But he looked good tonight. Carrie Ann totally said it when she told him how impressed she was with how he handled Chelsie's slip. Judges' score: 23

I think the bottom will be Woz and Denise this week. Just a thought, I have no idea really.

S is for...

S is for someday.

There's a lot of things that I'm looking forward to. I think of it today because the kid is here again. He stayed the night after the party yesterday.

I can't wait to have kids someday. It'll still be a while. We've decided that our jobs need to be stable and we want a house. Who wants to decorate a nursery in an apartment? So it will still be a bit before we have any little ones of our own running around.

But I can't wait for it! I know, it's expensive. Kids get sick, kids need diapers, kids can be hard. But hubby and I had a huge part in raising Tad, so I'm feeling pretty good about it. Plus my mom will help me whenever I need it. She's going to be hard to get rid of at some points, I'm sure. You should see her with Tad. She loves being grandma.

I know I'll be mildly depressed when they hit milestones like starting school and such. But I'll survive. And with school comes class parties, and I can make cupcakes! There's just all kinds of things to look forward to. I'm so ready for it all.

Happy Birthday

Here's the most important birthday post this year. It's hubby's birthday! His 30th!

It's kind of funny to me that I'm totally having a hard time deciding what to write. When he wrote about my birthday, he wrote about the first one we celebrated together. But we didn't really do anything for his first birthday that we celebrated. The past couple years I've set my alarm early and gone to get him Starbucks and that's as close as we come to a tradition.

There have been years where we were broke and didn't even get each other gifts. But that didn't matter. This year, he gets a real party. We're getting family together for a barbecue. Of course he gets to choose everything to eat. Which means we're having tri tip. And for dessert he requested cheesecake (made by sissy) and cupcakes (made by me of course).

And let me just tell everyone this. Just because hubby is turning thirty does NOT mean he has grown up in any way. He still laughs at words like "duty" (because even spelled right, it sounds dirty). He sings children's songs with our nephew. Even when our nephew is not around.

But I don't mind. I like his little kid moments. Which is why I picked the picture for this post. Yes, it's a picture from our wedding day. And yes, the guys stopped the ice cream truck while they were waiting to go to the church. And it's so him.

So happy birthday honey. I love you, and I hope today is exactly like you want it to be.

Friday Photo

I think this will be my last official Friday Photo post. I should really post pictures more often anyway, and with it being "scheduled" I feel like it makes me slack off the rest of the week. So there will be more pictures, just not as a regular Friday thing for now.

Anyhow, seeing as how it's the first day of spring (woohoo!!), I thought I would post an appropriate spring time picture. It's Tad gardening with my mom again, but they found a little friend.

Yup, that's a roly poly on his little hand. And I just love the caked on mud on his other hand. Yay for spring and boys and bugs!

Oh My

Happy Friday to me.

found here

Very Important Question

So there's a job fair at my alma mater next week. Obviously I'm going. But that leads to a very important question.

What do I wear?

I honestly have no idea what I'm going to wear. I'm not about to go out and buy a suit because I probably would wear it a total of two or three times in my life. And I definitely don't have the bucks to drop on something important (and expensive) like that. So now I'm faced with the task of going through my closet and trying on at least twenty different outfits over the next week.

Sounds fun, but I'm so not looking forward to it. I just want to pick something perfect on the first try. Wish me luck on that.

Idol Cuts and Other Stuff

Alrighty, finally done being a bum. I went out last night (got little brother-in-law to take me) and got to see a good show and have some drinks with old friends.

So Idol... I don't know if Alexis should have gone home. I think song choice had a big effect on her getting voted off. Sure she showed a softer side, but I don't think enough votes know (or even like) that song. Allison shouldn't have been in the bottom, that's for sure.

But the results show was sweet. All because of Brad Paisley. Hubby and I saw him last summer, after years of wanting (very badly) to. I actually bought the tickets on our wedding day in the midst of getting ready. Then sent them with a card to the house where hubby was getting ready. It was my little wedding present for him. And then the show was on our two month anniversary. Not to mention the fact that our first dance was to a Brad Paisley song, and the last song played at the wedding was by Brad Paisley. You could say we love him a little.

Last night he sang a new song called, "Then." I teared up a little. He just has awesome songs. And to prevent me gushing about the lyrics of just about all of his songs and how much hubby and I laugh that they fit our lives, I'll stop.

Tonight is hubby's last semi-overnight shift for the week. Then he has three days off, which we're using to do party stuff and celebrate a full birthday weekend. I told him we'll do something fun each day for him.

Holy cow, really?

I went to church tonight. Then went to a show with my brother-in-law (hubby is working and would worry if I went out alone).

Then I come home. And Alexis Grace has been voted off American Idol. And Natasha Richardson is dead. How did so much happen in four or five hours?

I need sleep. Shall discuss tomorrow.

American Idol - Top 11

It was Grand Ole Opry night. Which I was a little worried about. I was a bit nervous that someone would butcher Brad Paisley.

Seeing the intro with all these country singers on stage was cool. And Randy Travis was their mentor!!! The old-fashioned part of me really likes him.

Michael Sarver -Ain't Goin' Down Til the Sun Comes Up by Garth Brooks - Okay, he pretty much killed it. This is a seriously fast song. And a classic as far as country goes. I really liked him. Randy didn't think it brought anything new as far as vocals go. Kara missed the "big notes." Haha, LOVE Michael. He said, "Country music's about havin' fun!" Paula enjoyed seeing him have fun. Simon (who is NOT a fan of country in the first place) said he couldn't understand a word he was saying and called it clumsy.

Allison Iraheta - Blame It On Your Heart by Patty Loveless - She rocked it. No question. She totally had fun and she was amazing. Kara thought she could sing the alphabet and sing it well. Paula thought she was amazing, but rambled about trying new sounds. Simon called her "rock-solid verging on precocious." Randy thought it was "dope."

Kris Allen - To Make You Feel My Love by Garth Brooks - He sang without his guitar. I like him with his guitar. It was good, but it didn't stand out to me. Paula called it "honest and pure." Simon thought it was terrific. Randy liked it. Kara echoed everyone else.

Lil Rounds - Independence Day by Martina McBride - Lil said she was going to try and stay faithful to the country sound. She sounded pretty good. And she killed the chorus, but I figured she would. Martina McBride has some power that I figured Lil would match. Randy was unsure about it. Kara liked the chorus better than the verses. Paula said that "everything was going right" for her. Simon implied that it was really forced.

Adam Lambert - Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash - I loved Randy's reaction to Adam and to his song choice. The arrangement of it is different, slightly Middle Eastern sounding. I have to confess... and I'm ashamed to say it... but I liked it. It was nothing like the original (which I love), it was slightly emo, but I loved it all the same. I was glad hubby wasn't here watching with me, because he would hate it and tell me how ridiculous it is that I liked it. Kara thought it was strange, but she liked it. Paula loved it and took way too long to just get to that point. Simon made me die, "I think what Randy [Travis] was saying was, 'What the hell was that?'" He called it indulgent and horrific. Randy compared it to Nine Inch Nails if they did country. I would go more with My Chemical Romance.

Scott MacIntyre - Wild Angels by Martina McBride - He played piano. That always makes his performance even better. He sounded seriously good. I enjoyed him. Paula liked it, but thinks the piano is a bit of a crutch and a barrier to the audience. To which Scott jokingly responded, "We can move it closer." Simon disagreed with Paula about the piano. He also said he hasn't heard much variation in the songs. Randy said he hasn't seen the great vocals he knows he's capable of. Kara summarized everyone and told Scott to "up his game."

Alexis Grace - Jolene by Dolly Parton - Randy Travis loved her. And so did I. I kind of like the song anyway, and was interested to see just how she performed it (there are some seriously high notes to hit). But yeah, I enjoyed her. Randy didn't think it was a great performance. Kara said she "lost her edge." Paula liked it because it showed a different side to her vocals. Simon thought it was okay.

Danny Gokey - Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood - I can't think of Carrie Underwood without thinking of hubby, my brother, and my cousin talking about how hot she is a couple years ago. They sounded like a bunch of smitten little boys. So back to Danny... he was totally nervous and messing up right and left in practice with Randy. As much as I love Danny, I wasn't super impressed until he got to the chorus. I found the verses almost boring. But of course he delivered for the chorus. And I still love him. Kara basically said the same thing I did. Paula loved it and called him "brilliant." She also said that Carrie Underwood would go "not only approve but go out and buy that record." Simon was with Paula on the performance, but had issues with his clothes. What is it with Simon and the clothes this season? Randy was with Kara.

Anoop Desai - You Are Always On My Mind by Willie Nelson - Haha, Randy Travis said, "Heck, that was good." Holy crap. He was good. Like, I could almost crush on him he was so good. I really liked it. Paula said the song and performance "fit him like a glove." Simon said he "just managed to go from zero to hero." It was one of his favorites of the night. Randy said he really showed his vocal skills. Kara said he was the best performance of the night for her.

Megan Joy Corkrey - I Go Walking After Midnight by Patsy Cline - I kind of liked her. She slightly reminded me of Amy Winehouse. She had a couple rough spots that were possibly a result of her being sick. Apparently she has the flu. Randy was impressed. Kara called it the perfect song. Paula thought she was "fantastic." Simon loved her.

Matt Giraud - So Small by Carrie Underwood - He played the piano. And sounded reeeeeally good. I liked him. A lot. Kara loved him and gushed over him. Paula called him an "authentic performer." Simon said he hasn't gotten enough credit for his vocals yet and said he outsang Danny tonight. Randy said it was his favorite performance of the night.

So who was your favorite? I have to go with Allison. Anoop is right behind. But I'm not voting. I don't vote nearly enough times for it to make a difference, so why risk the carpal tunnel?

Dancing Results

Alright, I have the show set to DVR so I can watch Idol right now and skip through all the filler of Dancing results later. But good ol' Comcast has given me the results again.

The bottom two were Woz and Belinda Carlisle. Both couples danced, and Belinda is the first to leave.

Apparently Steve-O was back tonight and is cleared to dance next week. Woohooooo!

Go here for the full article reviewing tonight's results.

**EDIT**

So Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performed. I kind of love them. And the dancers were super fun.

Steve-O is back. Let's hope he doesn't hurt himself again.

Hey, it's a Holiday

Well, technically. How much do you wanna bet that everyone "celebrating" has no idea why? It's become an excuse to go out and drink. Whatev, I'm not going out. I'm not even venting, just making a note of the irony of people going out and drinking to some unknown celebration.

Anyhow, it's Tuesday. I have two students to meet with later. Hubby works overnight again (well, until 2 am, but it's hard sleeping when he's not here!). He's also out fixing a car right now. Hopefully he'll be back before I have to go tutor. It would be nice if I get to see him for more than a half hour today.

To occupy myself last night (when he also worked overnight) I watched Dancing. And made cupcakes. Delicious, from scratch cupcakes. Hubby devoured one this morning and reviewed it by making a pleased drool/moan similar to Homer Simpson. I sent some off to my mom's work so hopefully I can get a review from them. No pics at the moment, but perhaps your Friday photo...

Tonight, it's on to American Idol. I'll DVR the Dancing results, because results shows are mainly filler anyway. The AI blog may just wait until tomorrow to be posted, I'm not sure yet. Now that I'm blogging two shows I may adjust when things are posted.

And if I get bored enough... there may be more cupcakes. This time with Bailey's. Ya know, to celebrate and all.

Dancing Week 2

So Steve-O is out?! Details to come later in the show apparently. For now, the other dancers... (and yes, I'm blogging as I watch tonight)

Holly and Dmitry were up first, dancing a quick step. Holly looks better than she did last week. But still not great. That's really all I have to say about her I guess.

*Is it me, or did the judges numbers get blingier? Did I not notice it before?*

David (DAG) and Kym are up. DAG kills me, saying Bruno needs subtitles. So true sometimes. They're dancing salsa this week (one of my faves). He's pretty animated in the face again, but I'm not finding it distracting. He actually looks pretty good! I'm definitely enjoying him.

Denise and Maks are going to quick step tonight. She doesn't look tranny tonight, so she has that going for her. It looks a little slow for a quick step. Meh. There was something about it that wasn't quite flowing.

Belinda and Jonathan are following. They have salsa tonight. Okay, now I'm seeing where she's lookin' plastic. They started off pretty good, but as it's going on I don't think it looks as good. She looked like she was having fun though, that's always a plus.

Awww, Ty and Chelsea are up next. I love Ty, I really hope he does well tonight. He has the quick step, which I'm having trouble picturing. He actually does look pretty good. It doesn't look like he's having trouble keeping up tonight. I liked it!

Shawn and Mark are doing salsa tonight. And it's really funny to watch Shawn be uncomfortable with the butt-shakin'. Her arms look to stiff sometimes, it's her gymnastics coming out. But they were pretty good. It helps that she's little and stinkin' cute.

So Woz hurt himself, but he's still dancing. Karina's shoes are distracting me, they're not cute. Actually, for an injured old computer guy Woz is looking pretty decent. There were definitely some parts where he wasn't quite keeping up, but they looked cute.

I heart Chuck and Julianne. They're the cutest. He's totally embarrassed doing the salsa and their practices are super cute. Oh I HATE Julianne's pants. Horrible. But aside from the pants, I am loving their dance.

Oooh, Nathan Fillion is in the audience. He makes me *sigh.*

LT and Edyta are up. Edyta is wearing a whole lot of sheer (*fake surprised face*). I'd seriously kill puppies to have her abs. They look good. He's totally better than last week.

Steve-O is out this week, as I mentioned. During dress rehearsal he landed on his mic pack and tweaked his back. I read last week that he had messed up some nerves in his back already (see what drugs will do kids?) so I guess this made it worse? The official rules let us see the dress rehearsal though, and base his scores on that.

Of course watching the dress rehearsal it's pretty obvious he was in pain the whole time. He was super stiff and the camera caught him wincing a couple times. Apparently the hospital hasn't given a full report yet, but nothing is broken at least.

Ugh, Lil Cootie and Derek are up. I find it really hard to not be biased here. She's making a kind of weird face and keeping her mouth open. Other than that she actually looks pretty good though. Unfortunately.

So Melissa and Tony are up and I have a confession. Melissa is cute and all, but I think most of her votes are sympathy votes for getting dumped and I'm just not buying into that. I understand she got dumped, but just about everyone walking this planet has. So there's that. Now onto the dance. i can see her cheerleader moves coming out and it's kind of funny. She has an advantage having done ballet and being a "pro" cheerleader.

And last of the night are Gilles and Cheryl. Last week he did well at being sexy, and now this week he has to be classy. I think I'm kinda crushing on him. And he's totally sporting the Clark Kent glasses tonight to go with their song, Kryptonite! Love it!! Great finish to the night! He even ended the dance with ripping his shirt and jacket open.

Alright, we'll see who leaves tomorrow night. I have to get voting over here.

R is for...

R is for ridiculous. I seem to use the word a lot. Like currently...

This whole Rihanna/Chris Brown mess is ridiculous. First of all, the fact that it happened is sad. Then the amount of other celebrities who came out talking about it are also stupid. Were you there? No? Then go away. Then there's the sad fact that teenagers are seeing this case of abuse and possibly writing it off. My cousins were in LOOOOVE with Chris Brown for a bit, if they still are, hopefully someone has let them know that girls are NOT to be treated that way.

Also ridiculous: people stealing papers from front porches. Really? You're too cheap to subscribe, or even go to Starbucks and buy it for fifty cents?? Well guess what, I like my paper, so I'm going to start booby trapping my porch if it goes missing again.

The weather is also ridiculous right now. It's been perfect and I have no problems with that. But of course, on the day of hubby's birthday, when we're going to have an outdoor barbecue, there's now rain in the forecast. It's still six days away so I can hope for good weather, but still. I don't want to have to worry about renting a tent because there will be too many people to fit into the house. Ugh.

I'll stop there, because "ridiculous" is quickly turning into "rant" and I don't want to go there right now.

Not Fair

Somehow I caught a cold. A killer one. I woke up yesterday thinking it was allergies, but by last night my face hurt and laying down was not working for me at bedtime.

Awesome. So today I've been doing a fat load of nothing. I should be making royal icing, or playing with sugar molds. But not. Hopefully hubby is okay with being in charge of dinner tonight.

Epic Fail

That's me. The math nerd and the baking queen.

And I didn't celebrate Pi Day.

Get it? Because March 14... 3/14... and pi is typically cut off at 3.14...

I totally should have made a pie, but I didn't. I forgot. I'm a loser.

It's Getting Warmer...

And you know what that means? Sandals. This was probably the first year that I didn't wear flip-flops every month. I've been known in the past to wear them in December regardless of the fact that my toes turned into icicles.

But this year I think I need some grown-up sandals. I'll still keep some flip flops because when you're at the beach there really is nothing better for kicking off in the sand. I have tons of heels and wedges, but really, I don't want to walk around on those extra three or four inches every day. So I need some flats. And of course, I'm going to show you some that I love.



Old Navy


Piperlime (too bad the price stinks)

Gap



GoJane.com (these are amazing! And I can afford them!)

*sigh* Well, hopefully I'll have some of them in the budget this year. I can't wait for sandals and painted toenails!!!

Oooh

Found a leak (which I won't share, sorry) that says American Idol is going Grand Ole Opry next week. Yup, the contestants will be singing country. Anyone want to take a guess who will be the worst at it?

Just wanted to share with y'all.

Friday Photo

Oops, sorry. I got caught up emailing my cousin back and forth and discussing cupcakes. I have mucho ideas now for the stuff I'm doing.

Anyhow, I didn't get outside to take the picture. So you get an oldie.




Yup. It's my Tad. See, I bought him that Transformers tent a while back (for less than five bucks, SCORE!) and he likes to sleep in it when he stays here. So that particular night I captured him in his favorite tent, cuddling with Zero (who he LOVES), watching a movie.

That kid rocks.

Hello

You have to wait on the photo today. Because I don't know what I want to post. But now that I said that I have a picture in mind. But I'll have to go take it. And upload it.

In the meantime, do a happy dance for me because...

I'm going to see Dave Matthews Band in August!

Got our tickets today. Going with my mommy because hubby is boring and doesn't enjoy Dave. Jeez...

Trailer Time!

Part of dinner is in the oven. Hubby should be home shortly. And the news is on in the background.

Perfect time for blog-stalking.

Several blogs that I read have posted this trailer this week. So I'm following their lead. I totally want to see 500 Days of Summer when it comes out. Zooey Deschanel is possibly my biggest girl crush (okay, at least top three). And now that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is all grown up... totally adorable. And the trailer references The Smiths (yay!) and Sid and Nancy. Sold.

So enjoy the trailer.

So Very Excited

Y'all know that I loooove baking. And I especially love cupcakes. It's just so fun to decorate lots of little cakes in different ways instead of sticking with one look for one big cake.

Weeeeell... I have totally picked up some paid cupcake gigs!

The first one is a baby shower in a little over two weeks. Yay! So the plan for tomorrow (maybe today) is to play with royal icing to make little decorations. I think I'm more excited about playing with the decorations than anything else. I will of course, post pictures as I make them.

And on a completely unrelated note, my apartment is FREEZING lately. It's very annoying when it's so beautiful outside.

American Idol - Elimination

We go from thirteen to eleven tonight. And thanks to Comcast, I can watch something good (hello Ghost Hunters premiere), instead of suffering through needless filler. So quit reading if you want to see the episode for yourself.

Goodbye Jasmine. And goodbye Jorge. Jasmine was good, but I don't think she was... open enough? I don't think the people voting knew enough about her to genuinely like her. And poor Jorge. He was good, I just don't think he was getting the younger vote (which is really the crowd that matters). My mom, her coworker, and I loved him. But we're all over twenty-five years of age.

Oh, and that twist this season? The judges will get one save. One. For the whole season. But it must be unanimous, and it's only good until it's whittled down to the Top 5. So here's how that works. If they don't agree with who America sends home one week, they can save him/her. But that uses their one save. Plus, it sends two people home the next week. Make sense?

I'll reserve judgement for now. But hubby and I are wondering if it will work. If America really just didn't vote for someone, will it make a difference to keep them around one more week? Maybe, if that saved person gives an AMAZING performance.

As I said, we'll see. So what are your thoughts on the ruling?*



*I don't know why I ask. I'm pretty sure I have a small amount of readers. And only a small portion of those watch the show.

Nothing Here

It's Wednesday.

Hubby is off and made coffee this morning. Always a good way to start the morning, especially since it's been strangely cold in our apartment. Like, seriously cold. I have to sit here with a blanket as I watch television at night. So yay for coffee.

I have a new student to tutor this afternoon. I meet with her at four. And the family only lives about five minutes away. Score! I can live with that!

Then I think I have church tonight. My aunt is going to call me. Their kids' group needs more adults, but not just any adults. They need women. My aunt is the only female adult working with them, but there are four or five men. So since I worked with junior high (and high school) back in the day she asked if I could go help. So we'll see if she calls.

Other than that, I have to bake. I got home late last night so didn't get to make cupcakes. Which led to hubby craving them. So I owe him some today.

And I also need to figure out what my next craft project is going to be. I'm thinking I should try sewing something on the machine next. Now to decide what...

So that's my day/life today. How's yours?

American Idol - Top 13

So we FINALLY reached the real competition. It's about time. It has seriously been dragging this year! Could the show be ready to die? We won't go into that tonight, let's just get into the performances.

Quick note: two are leaving tomorrow. Simon said it was to up the pressure, but actually it's because the finale already has an air date. And in order to have two people go head-to-head there has to be a double elimination at some point. Makes sense to have it be this first one.

Tonight was Michael Jackson night. Not so thrilled with that. Don't the judges frown on people singing his songs? Whatev. Time to start.

Lil Rounds - The Way You Make Me Feel - Came out strong. Obviously comfortable and confident. Good song choice. Randy loved her "spin" on the song. Kara said that she hopes that we get to hear her on the radio one day. Paula called her a force to be reckoned with. And Simon liked it, but called it a lazy song choice.

Scott MacIntyre - Keep the Faith - He played the piano tonight. And killed. You can tell he's so much more comfortable behind the piano. He was SO good. Kara liked the message that his song delivered and that he stays true to himself. Paula said a lot of things. Good things. Simon hated it because nobody knows it. Kind of a lame excuse. But he does still like Scott. Randy thought the performance was safe.

Danny Gokey - P.Y.T. - Looked good, sounded good. Paula danced. Always a good sign. Paula said that he's on his way to the finals. Simon called the vocals brilliant, but the dancing hideous. Randy "loved it all." Kara called him joyous.

Michael Sarver - You Are Not Alone - It sounded good, maybe great. Not quite amazing, but close. But this song was super overplayed when it came out. And I'm old enough to remember that. But he is pretty dang good. Simon said he's not the best singer, but he made up for it with passion and heart. Randy said he was born for this. Kara said that tonight showed her he really can sing. Paula said it was beautiful.

Jasmine Murray - I'll Be There - It's easy to forget she's still in high school. She's REALLY good. I thought there were a few spots that could have been better, but she was seriously good. Randy said it was pretty good. Kara said she sold it and complimented her stage presence. Paula echoed the stage presence, then said that there were some moments that were better than others. Simon thought it was a little bit robotic at times.

Kris Allen - Remember the Time - I actually liked it. I didn't love it, but I definitely liked it. He played his guitar. There was one part in particular that sounded rough to me. He looks really good up there though. Hubby even commented that he looked like he was having fun. Kara was happy to see him with his guitar. Paula called him engaging and "kinda adorable sexy." Simon called the vocals okay and him likable. Randy loved the guitar.

Allison Iraheta - Give In To Me - She's very much the little rocker chick. I liked her. Paula loved her. Simon thought it was a good performance. Randy said she's one to watch. Kara told her to keep being the rocker girl.

Anoop Desai - Beat It - This is the least geeky I've seen him look yet. He's almost cute. I actually really liked him. Which surprised me because I was totally wondering if he could pull this song off. He's so obviously comfortable up there. He killed it. Totally. Paula called the song "untouchable" and thought Anoop's version was karaoke. Simon called it horrible. Randy thought it was the wrong choice. Kara said she felt "disconnected" for the first time.

Jorge Nunez - Never Can Say Goodbye - Honestly, his performance didn't grab my attention. He was good, but I just wasn't as impressed. Maybe it was the song choice. Randy said he wouldn't have chosen this song for him. Kara didn't feel connected again. Paula asked him why he chose that particular song. Simon called it corny and complained about the arrangement.

Megan Joy Corkrey - Rockin' Robin - She shouldn't dance. Her awkward little moves remind me of the dancers in the Austin Powers movies. I don't know if the song was quite right for her. She sounded good, but I don't think it was the right song to show off her voice. It was still pretty fun. Kara wants to see more range. Paula felt disconnected. Simon called it a stupid song choice. Randy questioned the song choice too.

Adam Lambert - Black or White - I just have to say: his strut when he first started was kind of sissyfied. He can rock with the best of them, I will give him that. I felt like he was shouting for most the song. But he was entertaining. Paula called him comfortable and seasoned onstage. She just loves him, let's leave it at that. Simon said it was in a totally different league than all the other performances of the night. Randy called him the most current contestant they have. Kara said she hoped MJ is watching that performance tonight.

Matt Giraud - Human Nature - He played the piano tonight, which seems to help him so much. And it totally did tonight. I think he killed it. He was much more the Matt we saw in Hollywood. Randy liked him. Kara said she hopes to see him for many, many weeks. Paula was blown away. Simon called it solid.

Alexis Grace - Dirty Diana - She's just good. There's nothing bad to say about her. She totally closed the show AWESOMELY. Kara said she was a naughty girl and she liked it. Paula liked her. Simon called it over the top. Randy said it was good, but not great.

Lil was probably the best of the night as far as the biggest crowd pleaser. But I seriously enjoyed Anoop. I'm not voting tonight though. I don't text in nearly enough times to actually make any difference. I'll just criticize the choice of the adolescents that text and dial repeatedly until they develop carpal tunnel at twenty years old.

We shall return with results tomorrow.

THIS is funny

This made me laugh last night, but the link had a picture that some might find offensive. So imagine my happiness when I saw that Comcast (with no bad pics) was reporting the story this morning.

Idol's Top 13 has a little bit of a predicament. The show owns the phone numbers ending in 01 through 12. This is so (duh) each contestant has a number. But it would seem that the number ending in 13 sends you to... phone sex. Same thing if you use 00. I find this hilarious. Those phone sex people are pretty quick, snapping up numbers just outside the ones that a super popular show uses. Just hoping for a wrong number aren't they? So apparently Idol is going to give someone a random number or something. I guess we'll find out for sure tonight.

Here's the link to the full story.

Dancing is BACK!

Yes, one of my favorites, Dancing With the Stars, returned last night. How stoked was I? Very. Of course as soon as the show started, my mom and I had to comment about how Samantha (the co-host) is looking FAR too skinny. She needs to eat a sandwich or three. Or five.

I caught the beginning at my mom's house. Which was a treat because my brother was there. So I got some commentary from him. The two of us cheered (loudly) when they introduced Steve-O and D.A.G.

The first dance was Lil Kim. Poor Derek Hough got partnered with her. My brother made the comment, "Oh, well, now he has herpes." That earned the laughs from the rest of us. Her dancing wasn't bad. I actually hoped she would be awful. Now I just have to hope that the voting public will be disturbed at her music and image away from the show.

Belinda Carlisle was next. She's dancing with... Jonathan. Had to think to remember his name. Mom compared her to Priscilla Presley in the amount of work that they've both had done. She also wasn't great yet, but what do you expect? It's the first week.

LT got partnered with Edyta this season - always a good thing. Edyta does great work with her partners. Sadly they weren't great yet. But I have high hopes for him. The football players just tend to do well. And again, he's partnered with Edyta. That's points in his favor.

I'm so happy I didn't have to wait for the next contestant long... it was time for Steve-O!!! Knoxville and Wee Man were there to watch. Hilarious to me that they have to blur out some of his more... questionable tattoos. I laughed because I know exactly what they are. But his dancing... well, actually not horrible. He was definitely stiff. But you could see that he was at least trying. I'm voting for him tonight. You should do the same.

Gilles Marini was up next. He's partnered with Cheryl, who I kind of love. I guess his "stardom" is the result of being nekkid in the Sex and the City movie. Yay for him. He was actually pretty good. If people vote for him he'll be around for a good while.

And next up was Chuck Wicks with Julianne. They're super cute together. I'm all for them as a couple. Last night they looked like they were going to prom. It was way cute. And Chuck is kind of a goof, which makes them amusing. They had a waltz (my fave) and looked REALLY good. He didn't look totally comfortable and awesome, but good for a first performance.

Now we found out one of the replacements for the two injured stars who dropped out. Holly Madison. Yeah, that Holly Madison of Girls Next Door. She got partnered with a new dancer, Dmitry. He's totally from So You Think You Can Dance. And I heart him more than a little. He makes me sigh. She looked like she was just walking around, he looked GOOOOOD. Is there a way I can vote for Dmitry and not Holly?

And then we found out the other replacement. Melissa from The Bachelor. I didn't get into it this season, so I'm not biased for her. But she didn't dance next.

We got Ty Murray with Chelsea Hightower (also from the other dancing show). He was so stiff in their practice sessions. It was cute. Actually, his dancing reminded me of hubby's. He did pretty decent. He was definitely stiff and nervous, but it was a cute stiff and nervous. I liked him anyway. Because you could tell he was legitimately trying.

Shawn Johnson was up next and she's dancing with Mark Ballas this season. I love Mark! He's just so cute! They're pretty cute together. They had a waltz last night and I think she killed it. Of course being a gymnast is probably a HUGE help. But they were great. She'll be around for a while because I don't think people are over her cuteness from the Olympics.

And next we came to Steve Wozniak. With Karina. Who made me laugh when she said she can make anyone sexy. Good luck with that this season... Hubby wins COMMENT OF THE NIGHT. "He totally looks like the Cowardly Lion!" Epic win. But on to the dancing, he actually didn't suck. He wasn't great, but he didn't suck.

Sadly I realized that David Alan Grier is best known for In Living Color. I did NOT enjoy that show. He has Kym this season. Poor thing can't tell when he's joking or when he's serious. I loved it. Hubby and I were laughing the whole time they were showing the practice sessions. Even his serious face made us laugh throughout the dance. There were a few stumbles, but he actually looked pretty good. He has some good lines.

Finally the show got to Denise Richards. Her particular makeup person should be fired. She looked trannylicious as Perez would say. She lucked out and got Maksim this season. I loooove him. Karina better watch out, I wouldn't put it past Denise to put the moves on him. So on to the dance... Not great. There were some points where she looked like she just decided, "If I look cute maybe they can't tell I'm lost." She was really stiff, or maybe it looked worse because she was with Maks, who is perfect. Haha... they scored a 6-6-6 which hubby called "fitting." Can you tell we're not really fans of Denise in my household?

So Melissa from the Bachelor got proposed to and then dumped on television. Sucks to be her. I can already tell she's going to get some serious pity votes. She lucked out and got Tony. Coolest older dancer on the show. And he totally sang "Moon River" while they were dancing. Love Tony. Love that song. The dance was actually not too bad. She had a short time to practice (two days), but she did well for the short time. The stupid part of all this was the bagging on the dude who was the bachelor. We get it, that's the only reason we know her. Let's get on with life.

No elimination this week. Everyone gets to dance next Monday. Then there's an elimination next Tuesday. Where apparently the bottom two dance for survival. That should be interesting. Tomorrow, we have Idol. See you then.

Happy Birthday

March went from having two birthdays (before I met hubby) to six. Insanity.

But this birthday is one of the original ones. It's my mommy's birthday today! Don't worry Mom, I won't tell them how old you are. That'll be next year. hee hee

Mom and I are too much alike at times. That obviously made for dramatic teenage years and even occasional annoyance now. Thankfully I had some of my dad to balance it so we've made it past everything and are pretty close.

My crafty gene? From mom. My good listener gene? From mom. My laugh, my smile, my profile, my squinty eyes when I smile, my Flintstone feet, my general proportions of my body... all from mom. Oh, and I can't forget the procrastinator gene. That's almost synonymous with the last name Josey (mom's maiden name).

I don't know if there's a defining story about my mom. But I have a recent favorite. When we were getting ready for the wedding, we of course went out together to find a dress for mom. We went to a shop downtown one afternoon and she tried a BUNCH of dresses on. Probably five times as many as I had to try on to find my dress. But it was fun. Then we found one that I LOVED. She put it on and stepped up on the little riser in front of the mirror. It was totally glamorous and probably too much for the wedding, but wow. My mom looked hot. Well, the guy who had been helping us saw her in it and HAD to go get the owner. No one had tried the dress on yet and he couldn't wait for the owner to see it on mom since it looked so perfect. The owner came out and was amazed. Then flat out refused to believe that she was my mom! He couldn't believe she was old enough to have a daughter getting married. Then a random shopper joined our little crowd and gushed. It was the highlight of our day. We still laugh. Mom had a flippin' audience she looked so good.

Then she found another dress. I was bummed at first, but she rocked it. One of hubby's cousins thought she was my stepmom or even a friend, because there was no way she was old enough to be my mom.

So I give you a picture of her from the wedding today. And I sit here crossing my fingers that I look that good when I'm her age. Happy birthday mom. Love you.

Q is for...

Q is for quiet. Which is not a word that describes me. But I'll work with it...

As I said, I am not a quiet person. Which is funny, because as a child I was painfully shy. I would hide under the table when someone rang the doorbell at my grandma's house. But now when I tell people this, the surprise is evident on their face. I have to convince people that yes, there was a time when I didn't like talking.

Now I'm only quiet when I'm moody. Or sick. Or home alone and super into a book. Actually, even then it bugs me if there's absolutely no noise. Even the ticking of a clock is comforting. I just don't do quiet. Quiet is not comfortable.

Does that make me weird?

Nothing Much

Really nothing to say here today. Nothing exciting anyhow.

I did get a shock this morning while reading the paper. The bad kind. A kid got hit crossing some railroad tracks a couple days ago. They finally figured out who he was. I taught him in after school program about four or five years ago. Yeah. One of my former students tried to cross the tracks before the train got to him. I'm sad for him and the family but will NEVER understand where kids get their bright ideas of RUNNING IN FRONT OF A TRAIN. So I went from sad to angry.

Anyhow, I'll just ramble if I continue. I need to go get ready. My sisters are coming over in about an hour so we can go to a couple things.

Maybe I'll have something interesting to say later. I could review Watchmen if I'm really desperate. We did see it yesterday...

Friday Photo

Hello all, and happy Friday! It's time again for another photo. And today, it's a picture of my new haircut.

Yes, ladies and gents, I went and got bangs yesterday. Now that I've had them for more than a few hours I like them. There's always that initial shock where you think, "Holy crap what did I do?" Of course they didn't turn out exactly like the picture I took in, but pretty darn close. I'm just glad they aren't too short. That was my main concern.

So far everyone I saw likes them. Gonna show mom today. Hubby said I look like someone now, but he couldn't place it. Then he did... *sigh* And sadly, with the timing and everything, it looks like I want to be Silk Spectre II from Watchmen. Which just happens to be out today. Want a picture for comparison?

Awesome. But I do still like my hair. Probably won't keep it like this long, because having bangs laying on my forehead will be BRUTAL during the summer. But I'm happy for now.

*And I only WISH I could look that good in thigh high boots*

American Idol - Wildcards

We are FINALLY going to find out the rest of the top twelve. About time. All eight are going to sing, then the judges will pick the ones that will go on. So no voting tonight.

Jesse Langseth started the show with Tell Me Something Good. Good job. But she's still not one of my favorites. It was only alright for Randy. Kara liked her. Paula liked her. Simon admitted that she was last-minute in the judge's choices. He also called the song a little indulgent.

Matt Giraud followed with Who's Loving You by the Jackson 5. MUCH better than his last performance. I want him through. Kara called it a great vocal. Paula thought it was amazing. Simon called it a great song choice, but had to critique what he was wearing. Randy loved it.

Megan Corkrey was next. She sang Black Horse and The Cherry Tree. LOVE that song. She sounded good. She didn't just copy the same sound as the original artist, which is what the judges always have a problem with. I want her to stay. Paula just said she picked the right song. Simon liked her. He called her original and quirky. Randy liked her song choice. Kara said they "need" her on the show.

Von Smith followed Megan. He sang Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word. It didn't wow me. The beginning was underwhelming and wimpy if anything. Simon wasn't crazy about it. Randy didn't enjoy it. Kara thought it was too serious. Paula wasn't really impressed either. I don't see him making it.

Jasmine Murray was up next singing Reflection by Christina Aguilera. I like that song. She was good, but I wouldn't call her great. Definitely better than her last performance. Randy and Kara liked her. Paula did too. All admitted that there were a few problems with notes, but they liked her. Simon tried to speak and then Paula went off on him. I'm tired of them. Simon liked it.

Ricky Braddy sang Superstitious. He was good. Well, better than good I guess. I'd maybe put him through. The girls were surprised by his song, but really enjoyed it. Simon liked his sound, but wanted more of an impression. Randy didn't love the song choice.

Tatiana the Freak was next. She sang Saving All My Love For You. Not a great start. But decent overall. Paula got her laugh going, making me want to kill both of them. She liked her I think. Simon seemed annoyed that she repeated the song. OMG, Tatiana will not SHUT UP while anyone is talking. Randy was iffy. Kara didn't really give an opinion. It was all very confusing and annoying.

Anoop Desai ended the night with My Prerogative. He looked super comfortable and sounded really good. I think he was one of my favorites. He showed a fun side. And Paula was totally rockin' out with him. Simon liked him. Randy liked him even though he repeated a song because he did it better than the first time. Kara said he made her want to get up and dance. Paula loved him and called him relevant.

Jasmine is in. Ricky is out. Megan is in and Tatiana is OUTTTTT!!!! Jesse is out. Von is out. Matt and Anoop were left up together. Matt is through. And SO IS ANOOP! The judges wanted a Top 13 this year. Holy Crap.

And then Ryan goes and ruins it all for me by saying Kanye West is on next week. Ugh. Thanks for taking my excitement for Anoop.

Dancing: The Curse

There has to be a curse on Dancing With the Stars. The injuries and bad things happening to contestants has been occurring more with each season. And now, before this season even starts...

Jewel and Nancy O'Dell have dropped out. Nancy with a torn meniscus and Jewel with fractures in BOTH her legs.

Nice. So what next? Steve-O is going to relapse and start doing drugs again? I shouldn't have said that, I might have jinxed him. But seriously, WTF is going on?!

Lost... and Today's Plans

Ohhhh Lost last night. How I love and hate it right now.

I threw things. At the television. Not heavy things that could do damage, just some crafting supplies. Stupid Sawyer. Stupid Juliet.

There are many more questions and little things, but the Sawyer-Juliet thing is at the front of my mind. Ugh...

So today I have plans... work out, use the education website (that I totally forgot about) to look for a job. I can actually apply online too, so I'll be doing that. And... I'm going to get some hairs cut. Possibly cutting bangs... pics to come tomorrow.

What are you doing today?

American Idol - Third Elimination... and Wildcards Revealed!

I read ahead online, but it's still on as background. Two things before we jump to the results tonight...

1. The group performance was NOT GOOD tonight. I don't know who is choosing these songs, but it sounded like a song from those kids' CDs that are being put out. KidzBop I think? Yeah, it was less than enjoyable.
2. I'm not sure what the point of the "exclusive" clips are during commercial breaks. It's clips from auditions. And guess what? They don't make me want to stick around. Unless you're giving me some Gerard Butler during the commercials, I'm likely to flip around the channels for a bit.

Okay, now that I've complained, let's get to the results. Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds and Jorge Nunez are in. I can deal with those choices.

The wildcard contestants are going to be Von Smith, Jasmine Murray, Ricky Braddy, Megan Corkrey, Tatiana Del Toro (*hurl*), Matt Giraud, Jesse Langseth, and Anoop Desai. Apparently they sing tomorrow night, but I'm not clear on whether or not we get a vote or the judges pick the last three.

Out of that group I want Megan, Matt, and Anoop. But I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow.

Little Things

So a while back I said I would mention little things that make me happy. I have one for you today.

We have our first duckling of the year.

If you haven't been paying attention, our apartment has water everywhere and we have a pond right off our back porch. This morning I heard the "peep peep peep peep" of a baby. And hubby told me he had been spotted.

He's very tiny. And very fluffy. And refuses to come close so I can get a good picture. But he still makes me happy.

American Idol - Last 12

Last group. Let's jump on in.

Von Smith was first. He sang something by Marvin Gaye. I think. Shows you how much I'm paying attention at this point. He did alright. I'm not a huge fan, there's something weird about him. But he did well enough to get votes probably. Randy liked him. Kara did too. Paula did too. Simon said he reminds him of Clay Aiken. I sure wouldn't take it as a compliment...

Taylor Viafanua was second. She sang If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys. Not so good. I mean, mostly good, but there were definitely parts that sounded rough. She didn't make me want to vote for her. Kara wants "more personality." She annoys me. Paula is "perplexed" because apparently she sang the same song during Hollywood week. Simon mocked Kara and pretty much called her forgettable. Randy said about the same thing as the girls.

Alex Wagner-Trugman was third. He's always been awkward, but I've kind of liked him. He sang That's Why They Call It the Blues by Elton John. He was good, but I think I wanted him to be better. Actually, he seemed like he got a little worse as it went on. Not sure he got my vote tonight. Paula called him entertaining. Simon didn't enjoy his singing and called it "a bit stupid." Randy didn't really like it. Kara also said nothing helpful or worthwhile.

Arianna Afsar was next. She sang The Winner Takes It All by Abba. Interesting choice. Honestly, she wasn't so great. I was disappointed. I doubt she'll get in tomorrow. Simon called it a mistake. And awful. Randy wants her to show her youth. Kara called it depressing and it didn't match her personality. Paula told her she had some bright moments, but the song was old-fashioned.

Ju'not Joyner followed. He sang Hey There Delilah by The Plain White Tees. I felt like I heard this song a hundred times during Hollywood week. But his version was good. I liked it. Not enough for me to pick up my phone though. I'm seriously struggling with caring about the show this year... anyway. Randy loved it. Kara liked his "spin" on the song. Paula liked it. Simon said it was better than he'd expected.

Kristen McNamara was up next. She sang Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman. She sounded good. Her singing always throws me because it doesn't match the semi-ditzy air she has about her. Kara liked her, but of course decided to critique song choice. Paula liked her. Simon called it an odd song choice, but a good voice. Randy agreed.

And next we got Nathaniel Marshall. Hubby's fave. Haha... he's such a drama queen. And he totally sang MEATLOAF! I died a little. But he was pretty good, I have to admit. Simon thought it was "verging on excruciating." Randy can't picture what kind of album he would have. Kara wants to see another side of him. Paula likes him, but didn't love the song choice.

Felicia Barton was next. She actually got in because someone got disqualified. She sang No One by Alicia Keys. I don't remember her, but she was good. She hit a couple rough spots, but they were very minor. Paula liked her. Simon liked her, but didn't love her. Randy thought it was "hot." Kara liked her. If I vote I'll vote for her.

Scott MacIntyre was up afterward. He's the blind dude (for lack of a better name). He sang something I didn't catch the name of. I didn't recognize it. He was good. Not wonderful, but good. Randy liked him and said he hit the big notes. Kara loved him because of his passion. Paula said that he's "blessed us" with his gift. Simon wasn't crazy about the song, but Scott is "growing on him." I may vote for him if I vote. Oh wait, he semi-mocked Seacrest by suggesting they high-five. I'll definitely vote for him.

Next up was Kendall Beard. She sang This One's For the Girls by Martina McBride. Not my favorite song. I'm not sure why you would want to do a Martina song. She has a HUGE voice. Kendall did alright thought. Not spectacular. Kara liked her overall. I think. She's really horrible at letting people know what she thinks. Stupid Paula complimented her outfit first (seeing as how this is a fashion show and everything). She liked her. Simon didn't really like it. He called it shrilly towards the end. Randy's issue was that the vocals weren't her best.

Jorge Nunez was next. He sang Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me by Elton John. Or should I say Elton Juan? Haha, was that racist? I was prepared to set fire to him if he butchered it, I love that song. But he actually did pretty good. Like, won-my-vote good. Paula loved him. Simon asked Paula if she "hearts him." He also liked him, to my surprise. Randy liked him. And Kara said he was "born to sing." He was so happy with what they told him that he lapsed into Spanish while he was talking. It was cute.

Last of the night was Lil Rounds. She sang something by Mary J. Blige. I recognized it, just couldn't give you the exact title. It was good, but I really wasn't too impressed. Actually, she seemed to get better as she kept singing. To me anyway. Simon called her brilliant. She was his favorite tonight. Randy loved her. Kara loved her too. Paula did too.

Soooo, who to vote for... well, the judge favorite was Lil Rounds, but she wasn't mine. I loved Scott. And Jorge was good tonight too. But so was Ju'not. Well, crap, that's three boys and only two can possibly get in. But girls? Well, I didn't love any of them. Lil was good, but so was Felicia. I may not vote for a girl tonight at all.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. I may just peek at the interwebz again and skip the actual show. I've had quite enough of the judges and all their useless talk already.

Wanting...

I like flowers. Seeing as how I've never had any property to speak of I have never had the chance to plant any pretty things for myself.

But I have a plan...

See, we have these horrendous spider plants in the front of our apartment. I've hated them since the day we moved in. When we moved in they were incredibly overgrown and ridiculous. So sometime after we moved in I trimmed them back and dug out the few closest to the cement. And I was happy.

For a while. But I'm tired of seeing this every day.

So here's the plan. I'm digging up the spider plants. Every. Last. One. And then I'm planting flowers. There's not much space for the flowers (I'm keeping the big green plants in the background), so I need to decide what I want.

So sorry if I bore you today, but these are some that I like. I have to check their sun needs, and decide just how much I can plant in front.

Ranunculus

Gerbera Daisy (my absolute favorite)

Marguerite Daisy

Those are my three favorite options right now. Seeing as how those are the three whose names I actually know also.

Mom! I'm gonna need your help with this one!

Happy Square Root Day!

Okay, so I may not have mentioned this before, but I like math. I'm good at it, and I actually enjoy it. It's pretty much my specialty as far as tutoring goes. I probably could have gone for my degree in math. Maybe I will at some point (if I ever feel like going to school again).

But online buddy James sent this to me and I felt the need to share. (In case you haven't caught on, the date shows a perfect square: 3x3=9)

Now I'm off to ponder what I can bake to celebrate...

** Not two hours after James sent me the link my dad did. Apparently my nerdiness is common knowledge.**

Monday

I told my mom I wouldn't do a bitter blog, so I won't. But I will let you know that I had SUCH a Monday.

Our school district's hiring freeze includes substitutes. So it's wait and see for me right now. I'm going to another school district tomorrow and hoping that their freeze won't include subs.

It's just discouraging. I finally have my credential and now I can't do a darn thing with it. Not to mention the woman I dealt with at the district office was quite rude and annoying. I tried to tell her a couple things and she just kept interrupting like I didn't understand that I can't be hired right now.

Um, I understand. I just want to know if I can leave these papers with you. But nevermind. Go about your day. Thanks.

So I stopped at Starbucks on the way home. And now I'm blogging from my back porch. Because the wind and clouds are just too perfect for my discouragement right now. I was supposed to bake cookies for hubby, but I'm just not feelin' that right now. Maybe later. I'm contemplating going and demolishing the spider plants out front (more on that tomorrow). Or just running. For the sake of running.

But I'll likely sit here a little longer and let myself have my moment. Then I'll try again tomorrow.

image via icanhascheezburger.com

P is for...

P is for parties. I kind of love them.

Okay, not all of them. I don't like college "parties" where the idea of fun is keg stands and random hook ups. Actually never liked those parties. Even when I was younger.

I'm also not a ginormous fan of kids' parties. Well, I am and I'm not. I love the themes you can pull off, the games, the decorations, the cuteness of (some) children. I don't love brats shrieking because it's not their party. I also don't love large groups of children who can't behave or have parents who let them run around insane.

But I digress, I do love parties. I especially love being in on the planning process. I love finding a theme if necessary or at least an overall "look." I love finding decorations, brainstorming centerpieces, and checking every last detail. I had fun with my wedding, but there was the added pressure of it being MY wedding. I can relax more with other parties.

I wish I had been able to throw a giant party for hubby later this month. But funds don't allow. Plus he's not really a fan of being the center of attention. But I do get to think about my mom's big one next year... that will be fun.

So, anyone having a party? I can totally help...