American Idol Recap - Neil Diamond Week

I was really excited about this week because I loves me some Neil Diamond! He has such a fantastic repertoire that I thought everyone had a good chance. The night turned out to be so-so.

I'm going to comment in the order they performed, scoring each performance then getting the average of the two scores.

Jason - Forever in Blue Jeans - I love this song, although I will confess that for years while growing up I thought the name of the song was "Reverend Blue Jeans"! Anyway, Jason started off a bit shaky but he progressed nicely; it's a good song for him but it was an unexpected choice; he seemed nervous - I'm worried about him. Score: 6

David Cook - I'm Alive - I'd never heard this song, so I don;t know if he changed the arrangement or not but I loved it! He looked and sounded great; excellent song choice; great performance. Score: 10

Brooke - I'm a Believer - Great song, bad performance; she was singing too low for her voice so it was all over the place; she didn't look comfortable, she didn't look pretty - too much makeup; it didn't work for me. Score - 5

David Archuleta - Sweet Caroline - OHMYGOD! WTH? This child has taken a classic song and mangled it! The arrangement didn't "make it his own", it messed up a great song. AND it wasn't even that good a vocal from him. Why are the judges trying so hard to sell us this dorky kid? My knee-jerk score last night was *1*, but since he didn't forget the words or fall down...Score - 3

Syesha - Hello Again - A beautiful, beautiful song and she started it off beautifully. She looked great and sang the song softly and sweetly; sadly about half way through she became possessed by the Whitney/Mariah/Celine poltergeist and she started shrieking what is supposed to be a contemplative song about a relationship gone astray; then she ended it OK. Score - 5

Half Time Commentary - Paula was high as an Afghan kite. She commented on Jason's *second* performance, before it happened. She said it was "forgettable" - DUH! maybe because it never happened! Dumbazz - why does she have a job?

Moving on to Part 2

Jason - September Morn' - Very, very nice; beautiful song and his voice is perfect for it; he's usally cute, but this time he was romantic - made me a little swoony...; he looked beautiful; good performance; may have saved himself but I'm still worried. Score - 8

David Cook - All I Really Need Is You - I don't know this song; I'm not liking this as much as the first one, but it picked up int he middle when it went uptempo; the mellower parts didn't work as well; still good though. Score - 8

Brooke - I Am I Said - one of my favorite Neil Diamond songs; much, much better than the first performance; this is her element; wonderful choice for her; her voice was beautiful and her performance honest; may have saved her. Score - 9

Archuleta - America - OK, I was going to hate the performance of this song, regardless of who sang it - so of course, who sings it? My own personal Sanjaya of course! The song is beyond cheesy and gimmicky and annoying - as is Archuleta; to me it's shameless pandering and I'm not buying it; his voice was better on this one than the first one, but no. Score - 4

Syesha - Thank the Lord for the Night Time - I didn't know this song but she made me like it; perfect song for her; brings out the performer/singer in her as Simon said; she owned the stage, she seemed comfortable, like she was enjoying it; she totally sold the song. Score - 9

Combined Average Score "in no particular order" (ooops, that's another show! BWAHAHAHA!)

Jason - 7

David Cook - 9

Brooke - 7

Archuleta - 3.5

Syesha - 7

Wishes:
My Bottom Two - David Archuleta and Syesha
Who do I want to see leave? - David Archuleta

Predictions:
Their Bottom Two - Jason and Syesha
Who will leave? Syesha

'Toon Tuesday

The Meme of 5

I got this from Dixie...she said I could!

Here's the deal...list five answers for each of the following topics. If you play, let me know...:)

Top Five Rock 'n Roll Hunks

• Joe Perry - Aerosmith
• Jon Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
• Tico Torres - Bon Jovi (drummer)
• Sting - Matchbox 20
• Bruce Springsteen - the Boss himself

Top Five Housework Quirks

• I don't really do housework anymore (is that a quirk or just lucky?)
• I can't stand using powder dishwasher detergent - the chalky sensation ICK!
• I like ironing but I hardly iron anymore
• I don't sort laundry by color - everything goes in cold water
• I can't stand to see gunk on the stove, I have to wipe it up right away

Top Five Items In Your Closet You (Mostly) Can't Live Without

• My Birkenstocks for wearing in the house
• Tank tops - a new addition to my wardrobe since hot flashes have become a part of my life
• Jeans
• Black V-neck tee shirt
• Black flats

Top Five Foods You Wouldn't Want To Live Without

• Eggplant
• Onion Dip
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Babaghanoush
• Red Wine

Top Five Dumb Things You Do

• Forget to take off my watch before I go to bed, so I have to get out of bed and put the watch on my dresser
• Forget to bring in my cell phone when I go to bed. The thing is if I don't see it in the morning I'll forget it - so I have to get out of bed - again! - go out to the living room and get the damned phone
• When using the laptop or PC at home, I forget to log out of Hubby's profile and into mine, so none of my Web stuff is in the history and I actually have to type the entire URL!
• Forget to take my recyclable bags into the market with me
• Keep Netflix movies at home for months at a time without watching them and instead watch movies on cable

Top Five Superpowers You Want To Have

• Invisibility
• Teleportation
• Being able to do stuff with a nose twitch a la "Bewitched"
• The ability to eat anything that I want without any physical ill effects
• To be able to read super-fast

Your turn!

The Lola Shufle - The "One Week From Vacation Edition"

Yes boys and girls, Hubby and I are taking a vacation starting a week from tomorrow. We're going to the lovely Florida Gulf Coast town of Naples, and we're going to see the sunrise shown above. I.CAN'T.WAIT! I so need a vacation and I so need that sunset.

So Lola, give me a shuffle to help me make it through next week...

1. Annie's Song - John Denver
2. It's Not Unusual - Tom Jones (always makes me smile!)
3. Low - Flo Rida featuring T-Pain (I'm sorry I love this song! "Apple bottom jeans and the boots with the fur")
4. Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin (WOO! Blast from the past - One of my dance-like-nobody's-watchin' songs!)
5. Cry! Cry! Cry! - Johnny Cash (great song, his voice is awesome in this one)
6. Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell (the newer version, her voice is amazing, so poignant)
7. My City of Ruins -Bruce Springsteen
8. Slip Slidin' Away - Paul Simon
9. Basket Case - Green Day (Yeah!)
10. The Reason - Hoobastank

Excellent job Lola - everyone have a wonderful weekend!

"Show and Tell" by Al Wilson

Al Wilson , who sang "Show and Tell" in the 70s, died yesterday.

When I was in third grade I fell in love with a boy named Aristides (stop laughing! we called him Artie) and we were on and off *going steady* between 3rd and 8th grade - even after he left my school to go to public school! This was "our song". Thanks Al!

Artie, this one's for you...

Show and Tell (as sung by Al Wilson)
These are the eyes that never knew how to smile
Till you came into my life (do-do-do-do-do)
And these are the arms
That long to lock you inside every day
And every night (do-do-do-do-do)
Girl, and here is the soul of which you've taken control
Can'tcha see I'm tryin' to show love is right
Whoa, oh, oh, oh show and tell
Just a game I play
When I wanna say "I love you"
Girl, so show me and tell me
That you feel the same way too
Say you do, baby
These are the hands
That can't help reaching for you
If you're anywhere in sight(Anywhere in sight)
And these are the lips
That can't help callin' your name
In the middle of the night (Middle of the night)
Whoa, and here is the man
Who needs to know where you stand
Dontcha know I've done all I can, so decide
Whoa, oh, oh, oh show and tell
Just a game I play
When I wanna say "I love you" (I love you)
Girl, so show me and tell me
That you feel the same way too
Say you do, say you do, baby, baby, baby
Ahh, here is the soul
Of which you've taken control
Can't you see I'm tryin' to show love is right
Ooh, girl, show and tell
Just a game I play
When I wanna say "Oh, I love you"
Girl, so show me and tell me
That you feel the same way too
Say you do, say you do, baby
Whoa, oh, oh, oh show and tell
Just a game I play
When I wanna say "Oh, I love you"
Girl, so show me and tell me
That you feel the same way too
Say you do, baby, baby...

American Idol Recap - The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

I had read rumors on "the Internets" that tonight was only going to be music from "Phantom of the Opera" which would have been a train wreck for several of our Idolwannabes. Thankfully they were able to select from the entire songbook, which pretty much has something for everyone. But there were, at least for me, surprises in song choices.

Syesha - "One Rock and Roll Too Many" from "Starlight Express" - she was awesome!; this was by far her best performance; she looked great, owned the stage and her voice was flawless; regardless of what happens she's good to go on Broadway. Score - 9

Jason - "Memory" from "Cats" - Oy vey! Jason, Jason, Jason, what were you thinking? I thought for sure he would do "Any Dream Will Do" from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" - that song was written for him!; anyway, he looked great, and his voice was good, but not strong enough for this iconic song; I'm worried about him. Score - 6

Brooke - "You Must Love Me" from "Evita" (the movie) - Uh oh! she messed up the lyrics and freaked herself out a bit; still I think she came back from it relatively well; a beautiful song and a great choice for her which I hadn't thought of; I thought she would go with "I Don't Know How To Love Him" from "Jesus Christ Superstar", but that would have been a safer choice; she looked beautiful and except for the freakout part she had the perfect emotional tone for the song. Score - 7

David Archuleta - "Think of Me" from "Phantom of the Opera" - I don't know this song; he sang it well but I felt the low notes disappeared; he still has no stage presence whatsoever; the performance was boring; he annoyed me less than usual. Score - 7

Carly - "Jesus Christ Superstar" from "Jesus Christ Superstar" - good choice for her voice; she looked great; it was OK, but I didn't love it. Score - 6

David Cook - "Music of the Night" from "Phantom of the Opera" - WOW! I totally didn't expect this and he was fantastic!; I thought for sure *he* would do "Jesus Christ Superstar"; his voice was excellent in this number; he looked comfortable; he proved he's *not* a one-trick pony who has to *rockerize* everything; I think this was the performance of the night. Score - 10

Wishes:

My Bottom Three - Carly, Brooke, David Archuleta

Who do I want to see leave? - David Archuleta

Predictions:

Their Bottom Three - Carly, Brooke and Jason

Who will leave? Brooke

So, who best performed your "music of the night"?

'Toon Tuesday - Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

From the sublime...

To the ridiculous...

Charlie and Lola

Not too long ago between 10 and 11 a.m. I would DVR The View, now my DVR is recording Charlie and Lola every day at 10:30 a.m. The thing is, "Charlie and Lola" is on the Playhouse Disney channel, whose target audience is pre-schoolers. Despite how the ladies on "The View" behave sometimes, that is quite different than "The View's" demographic. I'll be 45 in July. Do you see the disconnect?

"Charlie and Lola" is adorable. The other day I was watching the show, and Hubby was watching me watch the show, and he told me I was smiling ear to ear! What's up with that? I think it's a the beautiful animation - a combination of cartoons, collage, regular photography, etc., and...the giggling.

Lola is 4 years old, and Charlie is 7 and they and their friends giggle a lot. The program uses real children for the voices - there are few things that make me smile as much as the sound of children giggling, that full-throttle giggle they outgrow all too soon.

I challenge you to go to www.charlieandlola.com watch one of the clips (with the sound turned up) and not smile!

Is it ridiculous that I'm watching this? Probably, but I don't care...I'm just going to go drink my pink milk through my swirly straw and watch my very favoritest show!

The Lola Shuffle - The "I Went to the Opera Edition"

I went to see La Boheme last night and it was wonderful. The music is beautiful, the story a classic and we had great seats!

Lola will not be shuffling up any Puccini today, but let see what she gives us...

1. Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
2. Montuno - Gloria Estefan
3. Oh, Boy - Buddy Holly
4. Paper Doll - The Mills Brothers
5. Mexico - James Taylor
6. Can't Smile Without You - Barry Manilow
7. Back in the USSR - The Beatles
8. The Party's Over - Willie Nelson
9. Wrapped Around Yor Finger - The Police
10. Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show - Neil Diamond

Wow, that was eclectic-er than usual Lola! We spanned 6 decades of music - good job!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

American Idol Recap - Mariah, Mariah, Mariah...They Call the Wind Mariah

I pretty much expected this to be a nightmare. I really don't like Mariah Carey. I'm sorry but I don't like her voice - she shrieks way too much. I also don't like her personality, her *look*, or most of her songs - so a whole night of Mariahness scared me a little. As it turned out I only recognized two of the songs.

Anyway, it's over and now and I'm OK. I just need to make it through her performance during the results show. I will either record the show on DVR and FF through her performance or I'll watch it live and just walk away while she performs.

The performances:

David Archuleta - When You Believe - Never heard the song before; I thought the song was boring and the performance was boring and the child is boring; yes, his voice is fine but he has absolutely no stage presence whatsoever! I'm tired of dumping on this kid, but was he more dorky than usual or was it just me? Score - 5

Carly - Without You - I love the Nilsson version of this song, from the 70s but I *hate* the Mariah version - too screamy; Carly looked good; her voice was good but she seemed tentative; it was OK but I think it could have been better. Score - 7

Syesha - Vanishing - Don't know the song; she looked beautiful; I'm guessing Syesha was in heaven, since she likes the screamy singing and does it quite well and did a whole hella lot of it tonight; the whole thing made my head hurt. Score - 6

Brooke - Hero - This song I know, and don't like it when Mariah belts it; but I loved Brooke's interpretation, it was understated, simple and pretty; Brooke herself looked very pretty as well. Score - 8

Kristy - Forever - Never heard the song; didn't like Kristy's voice tonight; the low notes disappeared and the others were nasally or something; she didn't even look as pretty as she usually does. Score - 6

David Cook - Always Be My Baby - Never heard it before but loved David's performance; I don't know how different it was from the original, but it was pretty rockish, so I'm guessing it was quite different; he looked comfortable and sang the hell out of it. This guy might win this thing. Score - 9

Jason - I Don't Want to Cry - He's my boy; he looked great and sounded great; again, I'd never heard the song, but I liked it by him - it was very pretty and easy. Score - 8

Wishes:

My Bottom Three - Kristy, Syesha and David Archuleta

Who do I want to see leave? David Archuleta


Predictions:

Their Bottom Three - Carly, Syesha and Brooke

Who will leave? Carly

Who were your bottom three? Who do you think should leave? Are you Mariah Carey fans?

'Toon Tuesday

Dinner and a Movie and a Meme

Troy over at Pheasantly Fascinating made up this meme - it includes movies and food - hello? How can I not do this?

So, here's the deal: List the items of a meal you'd serve and use a movie as your theme. Fellow Bloggers guess what what the movie and tell you in your Comments, also letting you know if they're going to play on their Blog.

Here's my menu:

• Sour Dough Bread
• Red Wine
• Dolmades
• Keftedes
• Roast Lamb
• Moussaka
• Baklava, Clove Cookies, Melakouni
• Ellinikos Kafes
• Ouzo
• Bom Bom Yara (to go)

OK - guess in my comments. Also if you want to play - let me know!

Happy Birthday David Cassidy!

OK, fine! He may be turning 58 today - is that possible? - but in my mind's eye he looks like the picture above!

Every year on April 12th, I remember his birthday. That isn't weird is it?

Happy Birthday David Cassidy!

The Lola Shuffle - The "Hubby's Going to the Rush Concert Edition"

Hubby loves Rush - he has seen them in concert 72,000 times. This time he has floor seats - WOO HOO! It's going to be a guy's night out, as he's going with his buddies.

So, do you think Lola will shuffle up a little "Tom Sawyer" maybe? It could happen...

1. Como Abeja al Panal - Juan Luis Guerra - (Great song...beautiful lyrics about a "forbidden love" due to class differences; phenomenal music for sweet, slow dancing which then breaks into a smooth merengue vibe).


2. Que Manera de Quererte - Albita - (Apparently Lola is exploring her Hispanic roots this morning. Another great song, this one celebrating her lover and why she loves him/her...excellent lyrics from the Cuban singer-songwriter/troubador)


3. Time to Pretend - MGMT - (This was the free download from iTunes one week, and it sounded interesting...)


4. Whiskey Girl - Toby Keith


5. 32 Flavors - Ani Difranco - (I just saw her on one of the late night shows, I didn;t know she was still around and performing. I love her!)


6. You and Me Against the World - Helen Reddy - (Don't start Dixie! This is a beautiful, beautiful song that makes me all verklempt - so don't make fun of me dammit! BWAHAHAHAHA)


7. Bye, Bye Baby - The Bay City Rollers - (OHMYGOD - I love this song! In the movie "Love Actually" there's a funeral for a woman in her 30s who asked her husband that this song be played at the service - isn't that awesome?)


8. Move Along - The All-American Rejects


9. Piece of Me - Britney Spears - (I know she's a train wreck, but I still think this is a great song).


10. Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake (Oh what a coinky-dink, Justin right after Britney...sweet tribute to a love past).

Oh look, no Rush! Lola you are such a pain, but I gotta say you did shuffle up some good stuff.

Book Review - "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly

I loved The Book of Lost Things. I had read and heard great reviews from several sources so I was looking forward to reading it.

It was much more violent and gory than I expected, and it's definitely not for kids - not even young teens. In addition to significant violence, there are subtle yet definite allusions to bestiality, cannibalism, extreme violence against children, etc.

I found the writing to be extremely accessible, in part because you are familiar with the stories - sort of. I know I'll never think of Little Red Riding Hood in the same way. The pace lags a little in the middle and I thought the ending was a bit rushed, but the story is so original and so smart that you overlook those minor narrative issues. It has that "makes-you-want-to-keep-reading" quality and was suspenseful, funny and a little scary - all the makings of a great story.

The character development, particularly David's (the protagonist), is fantastic - you clearly see him mature in his actions and reactions. The Crooked Man is a great villain with hints of Rumplestiltskin, Satan and other "tricksters".

I definitely recommend it for adults - not kids.

American Idol Recap - Songs That Inspire You

Once again on the eve of Idol Gives Back, the theme of the show was inspirational songs. Not the most dynamic of themes, but OK.

I have to say it was better than I expected, both in song choices and performances. Remember, the elimination will take place on Thursday this week.

OK, here we go...

Michael - Dream On - Yeah, uh no; totally didn't work for me; it's a good song by Aerosmith but by Aussie Boy, not so much; I didn't like his voice throughout the song, I thought the performance was boring and the high note made my ears bleed; and *what* was up with the outfit? Short-sleeved shirt, a vest and an ascot? OY! Score - 5

Syesha - I Believe - Again, homegirl can sing, but *I believe* I don't really like Fantasia or her song; she seemed comfortable on stage and *she* nailed the high note, but it was a bit boring as well. Score - 6

Jason - Somewhere Over the Rainbow - The performance of the night; triple-loved it and it's not just because he's my season favorite - this performance was uplifting, happy and good; of course he looked adorable and HELLO, he played a ukulele! I have to admit when he said he had chosen this song I was worried, I had never heard this arrangement but Hubby had and said he had liked it - fabulous! I think I'm going to have to download this one from iTunes. Score - 10

Kristy - Anyway - I would have bet money she was going to sing "Amazing grace" or "God Bless America"; instead she chose a beautiful song by Martina McBride and sang it well, although her voice almost disappeared in the low parts; a good choice for her; she looked beautiful; I didn't hate it. Score - 7

David Cook - Innocent - I had never heard this song before and I have to admit, I didn't get it; at first i had trouble understanding the words, but it got better and his voice sounded great; not my favorite of his performances but it was a'ight. Score - 7

Carly - The Show Must Go On - phenomenal song; her voice was powerful; Freddie Mercury is always tough though and IMO it takes guts to even try; Carly sang it well enough; she looked good, it was a good performance but not her best.

Score - 7

David Archuleta - Angels - zzzzzzz, huh, what? Oh, right, Little David; I had never heard the song, it was OK; again his voice was good as usual but not great; the child is boring, I'm sorry but he is - he has no personality, maybe he'll get one when he gets older; now, be honest - raise your hand if you thought he was going to sing "Rainbow Connection" (raising my hand). Score - 6

Brooke - You've Got a Friend - I love that she went with the Carole King arrangement, but was surprised she didn't accompany herself on the piano the way King does; it's a beautiful song and a perfect choice for Brooke's style and persona; she looked pretty and sang well, but her voice also seemed to disappear in the low parts; not her best but good enough. Score - 8

Wishes:

My Bottom Three - Michael, Syesha and David Archuleta

Who do I want to see leave? Michael

Predictions:

Their Bottom Three - Carly, Syesha and Michael

Who will leave? Carly

On a serious note, be sure to donate to Idol Gives Back, they do good, important work.

Do you like poetry?

April is National Poetry Month. There are all sorts of activities for the month at Poets.org.

I'm not a big poetry person, I have to be in the mood for it, and even then I much prefer to see the poem "performed" rather than read it.

However, in honor of Poetry Month, I thought I'd post one of my favorite poems "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. I read this when I was in about 4th or 5th grade and I think this, later reinforced by the original airing of "Roots" , is what taught me about the reality of racism.

Mother to Son

Well, son, I'll tell you:

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

It's had tacks in it,And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor --

Bare.

But all the time

I'se been a-climbin' on,

And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,

And sometimes goin' in the dark

Where there ain't been no light.

So boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Don't you fall now --

For I'se still goin', honey,

I'se still climbin',

And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

What's your favorite poem? If you post it to your Blog to commemorate National Poetry Month, please let me know in my comments.

'Toon Tuesday

7 Things About Me Meme

[I was going through drafts of Blog posts I never posted, and came across this one from back in November. I originally got it from Dixie Peach]

Here are the instructions as posted by Dixie:

• Link to your tagger and post these rules
• Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird
• Tag 3 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them)

Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs

Let's do it!

1. If a Philly Cheesesteak isn't made with Cheez Whiz, I want nothing to do with it - no provolone, no mozzarella and absolutely no Swiss!

2. I don't like the flavor wintergreen. It tastes like Pepto Bismol to me.

3. My favorite regular broadcast network is ABC. I'll watch shows on other networks, but the only non-cable news I watch is ABC.

4. I had a bikini wax done once - that's never happening again.

5. I am currently going through a chewing gum phase. I hadn't chewed gum in forever and now I'm buying Orbit gum in three-packs! My favorite flavor is Mint Mojito.

6. Sometimes when I'm writing (by hand) quickly I'll write a "4" when I mean an "F" or a "2" when I mean an "R". Is that some weird form of dyslexia?

7. I'm not a cake person. If I have cake it has to be spectacular. I prefer pies, cobblers, tortes, mousses, etc.

I'm not tagging anyone...if you want to do it, let me know in my comments, please.

Just Loafing Around

Yep, that pretty much describes this weekend.

Hubby and I woke up at around 10 AM on Saturday, I made a new (to me at least) evil empire coffee (Starbucks) from Guatemala called Casi Cielo (Almost Heaven) and he made frozen waffles. We then began to play what wound up being pretty much a day into late night/early morning World of Warcraft (WoW) session (that's my main charcter Hildalaira up there - on my flying mount). We had a blast. We "quested" on our own. A quest is where you have to go out and perform some sort of task - gather something, kill something, do something, talk to someone, etc. We quested together, we quested with in-game friends.

At some point we stopped for Chinese food (delivered of course) and then continued playing.

At around 1 AM I got sucked into part of The Beverly Hillbillies marathon on TVLand, I watched the three episodes where Granny thought the Civil War was being re-fought.

This morning I made coffee again and we're drinking it as we watch George Stephanopolous' (my ex-boyfriend) show and I Blog. My Blogging was interrupted for Googling several foods from Hubby's childhood. Maybe someone can help - we're looking for some mention of a mayonnaise Hubby's grandmother used to buy in Philadelphia back in the day - it's something like Mrs. Schlaller's (not sure of spelling) - I can't find any reference to it.

Soon we'll order lunch and then I'll get ready for dinner with friends. In between there will probably be more WoWing.

Great, mindless weekend...how was yours?

The Lola Shuffle - "The I Got My Mammogram Done Today" Edition

Yep - not only did the girls got *squozen*, they also got poked and prodded - because I had my first-ever breast ultrasound. Neither were fun. The Bone Density scan, however, was quite pleasant, I think I dozed for a bit while it was going on.

In any case the preliminary boobalicious diagnosis is that everything is fine. We'll know more details, along with the bone density results in a few days - if you can, send out a good thought for me. Thanks!

By the way age-applicable Blogger ladies - are *you* up to date with your mammograms?

OK, Lola - shuffle me an "I did a good thing today" shuffle.

1. That Don't Impress Me Much - Shania Twain
2. Night - Bruce Springsteen
3. When We Dance - Sting
4. Last Dance - Donna Summer (Hmmm...a mini-theme?)
5. I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow - The Soggy Bottom Boys
6. On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe - Bing Crosby
7. A Girl Like You - The Smithereens
8. I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! At the Disco
9. Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac
10. Wishing on a Star - Rose Royce

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Soundtrack for My Life - Music Meme!

I was over at The Geek Inside and read a comment from Seven that mentioned a meme. Of course Sari was the one being tagged, not me - Seven's never heard of me, but I don't care - you know me and memes!

So, here are the instructions per Seven:

1. Open your music library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod, whatever)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question below, type the song that’s playing
5. New question — press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

• opening credits: “Pavement Cracks” by Annie Lennox
• waking up: "Get the Party Started" by Pink (how cool is that?)
• first day at school: "Let Her Cry" by Hootie and the Blowfish (How did they know?)
• falling in love: “Smile” by Tony Bennett
• breaking up: “Sk8r Boi” by Avril Lavigne (!)
• prom: “Check On It” by Beyonce and Slim Thug
• life’s okay: “Hey Jack Kerouac” by 10,000 Maniacs
• mental breakdown: “Brilliant Disguise” by Bruce Springsteen (wow, that's deep and a bit too close for comfort)
• driving (OK, so I don't drive, let's just pretend): “I'm Still Standing” by Elton John
• flashback: “Night and Day” by Frank Sinatra
• getting back together: “These Are the Days” by 10,000 Maniacs
• wedding: “Say You Love Me” by Fleetwood Mac (that worked out well!)
• birth of child (again, not gonna happen, just work with me here): “The More You Ignore Me” by Morrissey (is it wrong I find this funny?)
• final battle: “Sweet Home Chicago” by The Blues Brothers
• death scene: “Cecilia” by Paul Simon
• end credits: “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz

That was fun - weird, but fun. Come on...what's the soundtrack to your life?

If you want to play, let me know in my comments.

American Idol Recap - Hello Dolly!

This could have been a train wreck. Really. Think about it. But it wasn't. IMO, the reason it wasn't is probably because Dolly Parton - in addition to being one of those fabulous women, a great entertainer and seemingly a nice person - is a tremendous song writer. She writes singable songs and it worked (for the most part) on Tuesday night.

Let's get to it...

Brooke - Jolene - A fabulous *story* song and a great choice for Brooke - her voice was perfect for it; she looked pretty and it seemed like she "got" the song; for me it was the best performance of the night. Score - 9

David Cook - Little Sparrow - I was really worried about rocker dude; country music is clearly not his genre, let alone Dolly Parton music! I had never heard the song, it's pretty; he did OK but I didn't love it; I didn't like the high notes. But if this is his worst, he'll be just fine. Score - 6

Ramiele - Do I Ever Cross your Mind? - To answer the question in the song title - yes, you do cross my mind Ramiele - and I get a headache. Another song I had never heard; TOOT, TOOT - CHUGGA, CHUGGA, CHUGGA, CHUGGA - TOOT, TOOT...BAM! *This* was the train wreck I was expecting; she was awful, her voice was uneven, she was boring and her outfit didn't work. She needs to GO! Score - 3

Jason - Travelin' Through - He's back! Perfect song for him and he sang it beautifully; his voice was like velvet; he looked wonderful and comfortable and relaxed; triple love him! Score - 8

Carly - Here You Come Again - I love this song and she sang it well; it was a bit slower than I liked but it was good; her voice is wonderful, but OY VEY the outfit! Simon was right - it was hideous. Score - 7

David Archuleta - Smoky Mountain Memories - Are you sitting down? I'll wait while you sit down. Ready? I didn't hate it. Really. I'm as shocked as you are! I had never heard the song but it was pretty and his voice was wonderful; a good arrangement for him. Don't be too scared though, there was one performance by Sanjaya last year that I liked - this is just a blip on the radar, an anomaly in the space-time continuum - he'll probably go back to annoying the crap out of me next week. Score - 8

Kristy - Coat of Many Colors - Are you still sitting? I liked her performance too! I KNOW! WTF? This is a beautiful, beautiful song and she did it justice; you can tell she felt the song and she totally sold it; I think she looked gorgeous - the Joss Stone long dress and barefoot thing worked for her; her best performance so far. Score - 8

Syesha - I Will Always Love You - You knew *somebody* was gonna do it, and it made sense it should be my hometown girl; she too looked beautiful and I loved her hair; excellent song choice for her; I liked that she combined Dolly's soft version and saved the Whitney belting for the very end; and she nailed that high note! Score - 8

Michael - It's All Wrong But It's All Right - Can we please make it a rule that they tell us the names of the frickin' frackin' songs before they are performed? Is it too much to ask Ryan Dorkcrest to do that? Does he not get paid enough? I had to Google this, and on the *Internets* I found "It's All Wrong But It's All Right", but I would have sworn he was saying "It's so wrong but it's so right". In any case I had never heard the song, but it was a good choice for him; I liked the performance and his voice is right for the song. I still don't *get* him, but it was good. Score - 7

Wishes and Predictions:

Who do I want to see leave? Ramiele - IMO, she was the only one that didn't do well.

Who do I think is going to leave? Ramiele

Seriously this could have been soooo much worse. I'm shocked and awed - but in a good way. What did you think?

'Toon Tuesday