American Idol Weekly Rundown-Part Deux

Here's my take on that god-awful display of girl-talent known as last night:

The Best:

1.Carly Smithson- Irish tattooed-lady sang "Crazy On You" by Heart and belted it well. Unfortunately, the rest of the pack was so mediocre that it didnt take much from her to lead them all. It wasnt her best performance but it was better than the rest.

The Good:

2.Brooke White-This squeaky clean blonde strapped on a guitar and sang "You're So Vain' really well. It was a bit boring and I surely didnt 'love it' like Simon did, but the delivery was impressive.


3. Syesha Macado-I admire her attempt to cover songs that haven't been tried on the show before and songs made popular by men. It's interesting but not always successfull. Last night she performed 'Me and Mrs(Mr)Jones' and though she tried very hard and hit the notes nicely, it wasnt the right song. Nice try, though.

The Bad:

4.Alaina Whitaker-It started off very pretty, the way she sang 'Hopelessly Devoted'. But it got sharp really quick. All the big notes suffered. Plus, she looks too similar to Carrie Underwood to make it very far, I think.

5.Ramiele Malubay-was a front-runner last week. She has a nice voice and the song started off pretty but this disco hit(not sure of the title but I've heard it all my life) was absolutely the wrong one for her. She spent the last 3/4 of the song in the same key, the same note almost, shouting along and not really acting as if she felt it. It was tedious, to say the least.

6.Kristi Lee Cook-Why do people attempt to sing a song when they can't reach all the notes? When she got to the bridge of "Your'e No Good", she didnt even make an attempt at the actual key, substituting it for a montone section that did her no favors. I expected the judges to really tear her to pieces but surprisingly, they liked it. I'm suspecting a pay-off.

7.Alexandrea Lushington-I like her personality. But she just gave up on this song, it seems like. It wasnt a 'singer's' song, first of all, and then after she finished limping her way thru 'If You Need Me Now'-she looked absolutely defeated. It was wierd. I also didnt get the outfit.

8. Asia Epperson-I like the 'hoarseness' of her voice but she didnt use it here, really. Her version of "All By Myself' was half-hearted and weak. I agree with Simon, the song was way too big for her.

The Ugly:

9.Kady Malloy- As she stumbled down the stairs singing "Magic Man", I was baffled. Is this really the girl that just showed us in her 'bio' that she can sing opera (and do it well)? Hard to believe. Because this sucked. She never found the key at all. THis gal needs to take her 'impersonation' skills to Vegas. And was it not wierd that Simon had never heard this song? Maybe he just didnt recognize the way she sang it...heh heh.

10.Amanda Overmeyer- Yikes. What was she thinking? I mean the WHOLE thing was a mistake. The look, the vocals, the 'dancing'. "Carry On My Wayward Son" is not a song meant for a vocal competition.

The American Idol Weekly Rundown

So here we are in the umpteenth season of American Idol. Has the show played out? Probably. But here I am again, sitting every Tuesday and Wenesday night in front my tv, gawking in horror at the 'best in America' as they limp thru the classics and prove to us, yet again, that for the most part- there is a reason they haven't been discovered yet.

So here is my take on last night's show. FOr those of you not in the AI 'know', there are currently twenty contestants. Last week, four left and tomorrow night, four more will leave. Until there is an even 12 to 'wow' the world w/ live performances that are far too extravagant for their own good. Big Name 'guests' will assist in the judging and every show is 'themed' so that the players aren't able to stick to one comfy genre.

Last Night's Theme: The Seventies (and of course, there were very few surprises in the song choices.)

THE BEST:

1.Chikezie-After a heavy handed lounge performance (complete w/ tangerine colored leisure suit) last week, Chikezie came back with a great one. I don't know the Donnie Hathaway song he sang...so sue me. But he did a great job of delivering it and also throwing some levity around, as he teased Simon for not remembering how to pronounce his name. It was great.

THE GOOD:

2.David Archuleta- He was the judge's favorite last night. He sang John Lennon's Imagine and did not butcher it. It was lovely. However I can't help but wonder WHEN is something going to be said about this kid having already WON Star Search when he was 12? We're supposed to believe that he's this seasoned a performer by chance? At least acknowledge the facts here! David Archuleta won Star Search JR at the age of 12 and looked very much like a tiny politician. Youtube it.

3.Jason Castro- I like him. He did a Bee Gees song that wasnt quite right with the guitar accompaniament he offered, but I still like watching/hearing him. Does anybody else think he looks like a young John Travolta with dreads? I can't help but see Vinnie Barbarino when I look at him...only prettier. With perfect teeth.

4.Danny Noriega- The sweetest thing outside of Project Runway, Danny croons into the camera and makes bedroom eyes at the tv audience like a pro. I like his voice and his performance of The Carpenters was pretty good. But it's his skinny jeans and diva attitude that will take him to the top 12.

5.David Hernandez- was really good both weeks, for me. I liked his version of 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' quite a lot. He's definitely comfortable onstage and has no problem stretching his vocals to swing a few votes.

6.David Cook-The other resident 'rocker' did 'Allright Now' and accompanied himself with his guitar. He sang it well and played adequately. While I liked the fact that he mugged his way around the stage like he owned it, and gave props to the band for their help, his confidence (and lack of charisma) will hurt him unless he pulls in the reigns a bit. People do listen to Simon.

THE BAD:

7.Michael Johns- Austrailian Import has a nice rock vocal but keeps choosing the wrong song. Last night he did "You Can Go Your Own Way", by Fleetwood Mac and it was very yawny.

8.Luke Menard- Steeped in musical theater obviously. His version of Killer Queen sounded like it came straight from the live production of High School Musical. On key? Sure. But this ain't Jesus Christ Superstar.


THE UGLY:

10.Robbie Carrico- So boring. 'Hot Blooded' by Foreigner is a catchy track but it is cheesy...so singing it on AI is inevitably going to sound like karaoke. I'm ready to see the back of him...heh heh.

11.Jason Yaegar-You just can't sing 'Without Love' unless you're fortunaate enough to have the doobies backing you up. It was so bad I cringed. The dancing, the cocky smiles at the camera, it was all so...eeeewww.

Tomorow: The girls!

Music Clip of the Week-Bruce Springsteen/ Girls In Their Summer Clothes

I cannot get enough of this song. Love it. Love...it.

New Ebay Shop...Shop-Boom-Boom

I love discovering new shops on Ebay! This one makes me crazy-happy. I bought the sweet dress above yesterday and though I haven't received it yet, I'm confident it will fit due to the meticulous measurements the shop-owner supplies with each pictured item. The dress above reminds me of something from The Sound of Music or something.

Anyway, I love almost all the dresses and seperates the shop has to offer. The prices are also about HALF what other vintage-reproduction sites would charge and the store's feedback is extremely positive. There was a little black playsuit that I wanted to wear to the Viva Las Vegas car show but I lost out on the bid. So when I emailed Melissa to ask about it, my order was held until she had one in my size to send me...and combined shipping. Yay!

http://stores.ebay.com/shop-boom-boom

Music Clip of the Week-Gene Kelly in It's Always Fair Weather

An often overlooked piece of Kelly's work...and sincerely one of his best!

Not sure what the deal is with the french subtitles but the song is called 'I Like Myself'.

"Vacation, All I Ever Wanted..."

Yes, we have decided to blow our tax refund on two vacations this year. One to Disneyworld in October and this one, to Vegas, in April. The ROckabilly Weekender last year was such a blast, we've decided to make the trip again. The Orleans hotel will be our destination again; we loved it there. We're going to take Victor this time as well, since he'll only be seven months old and not weaned yet. The other boys would love it too but unfortunately, we can't afford the airfare for everyone. I'm so excited to witness the car show again, the jive contest, the pool party, the music...it will be just as great as last year, I'm sure, except this time I won't be sporting a pregnant belly and morning sickness.

The other reason we're definitely making the trip is that we are actually in the planning stages of moving to the area. Boulder City Nevada is the place we are going to check out and we have been checking rental property prices for the past two weeks. IT's a nice area, for sure, but not exactly where we wanted to be-what with the proximity to Las Vegas. We wanted to be a bit farther from there. But because of the great job opportunities in Henderson and Las Vegas, it's a good starting point. We could rent there for a year, during which we could scout around in Arizona and Utah for a more ideal location (St. George Utah seems perfect but the job market is bad). Or, after a year is up, we could decide it just isnt for us and come back to Tennessee. I'm really set on trying it though, because I think it will be a great experience for the kids and a chance to see natural wonders we might otherwise not take the time to visit.

Speaking of travel, I was really torn about the idea of Victor riding in my lap on the plane. I know infants under two don't technically NEED a seat but most websites concerning infant airline safety will tell you that buying an extra seat is preferable due to turbulence. It's no big secret that an infant car seat wouldnt be effective in a crash, but the possibility of injury during the flight would make most parents go ahead and spring for the extra seat. Enter the Baby B'air! (
http://www.babybair.com/). It's a vest that the infant wears which allows you, during flight, to thread your own seatbelt to the back of the infant, thus holding him secure during your trip. According to FAA guidelines, the Baby B'Air is still not approved for use during takeoff and landing, but it has been cleared for use while in flight. So I feel so much better about everything and excited to be taking Victor along on our journey.


We're also really excited to have concrete plans for Disney in October. We had originally decided to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, since the kids would be sure to love it, but since we'll have a stroller and lugging it onto the busses isnt that appealing a thought, we have opted instead for the Beach Club Villas which are attatched to EPCOT and withing walking distance of that park, as well as just a short boat ride from the MGM studios. It is a gorgeous resort, w/ the greatest pool I've ever seen, and though it will probably be a bit more crowded than the AK Lodge, it will definitely be more convenient.

Music Clip of the Week-Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Up Above My Head

Yes, I'm ashamed I discovered her in the movie, Amelie. But hey, a late discovery is better than no discovery at all. She just makes me so happy!

Recipe: Pot Roast New Orleans (aka The Best Pot Roast Ever!)

I've made a few changes to this recipe so I honestly can't say where I originally got it. I view it as 'mine' now...heh heh. If you like Pot Roast, I'll venture to say it doesnt get much better than this...mmmmmmmm.


Ingredients:

One 3 to 4 pound chuck roast (chuck roasts are more fatty but more flavorful)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
one large onion, chopped
one clove garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
flour
2c. Canned Tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 and 1/2 cup water
2 beef boullion cubes
4 peeled carrots
a few red potatoes, cut in half if extra large
2 or 3 bay leaves.
______________________

Mix spices and salt together. Rub into roast. Combine oinion, garlic, lemon juice, 1/4 cup oil, and vinegar in a dish. Place roast on top, turn to coat, and marinate for about five hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally. Remove roast from marinade; save marinade. Sprinkle meat w/ flour and brown in remaining 1/4 cup oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. After searing roast, add remaining marinade, tomatoes, water, boullion cubes, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer about 2 and 1/2 hours. Add veggies, continue cooking over low heat about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve w/ crusty bread and salad.

Makes about 8 servings
Calorie count: 555 per serving (gasp! But hey, you can eat healthy the rest of the day)

Music Clip of the Week: The Old Crow Medicine Show

A couple of great video clips from my heroes, The Old Crow Medicine Show:

But I Really Wanted to Be Myrna Loy...Sigh.

Your Score: Katharine Hepburn

You scored 19% grit, 28% wit, 38% flair, and 26% class!

You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men who like strong women.

Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the Classic Leading Man Test.

Link: The Classic Dames Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(gidgetgoes)

Let's Get Together, Yeah Yeah Yeah

Even though it's a little bit of money up front, I've decided to go ahead and renew my membership on Dietwatch.com. Though, at first glance, the 77.00 per year fee might seem to be a bit high, that really only comes to about 1.50 per week-a small price to pay for all you get. Unlike ediets or weighwatchers, Dietwatch does not only cater to those who want to lose weight. It also helps you organize your activities and menu on one easy-to-use page that is ideal for maintaining your weight or keeping track of your progress and fitness goals. Since I thrive on organization and writing things down, this is a perfect set-up for me. Not only does the planner help prevent me from over-indulging, it also motivates me to eat MORE whenever a busy schedule makes it tempting to skip meals. I used this site for a year with good results and without ever taking advantage of their diet plans. And I did maintain my weight somewhat. Right now, I'm on a 'no-restrictions' plan but the cool thing is, if I feel like I want to take advantage of one of their customized diets-I can do so at no additional charge.

There are lots of people using dietwatch. And if you join, you can 'add friends' to find more support and motivation along the way. So what are ya wating for?

'Jine me, friends...Jine Me.'

New Review: Disturbia (2007)

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

Music Clip of the Week: Brandi Carlile , The Story

I am an unashamed fan of this woman's incredible voice! Actually made it a point to buy her cd last weekend which was a worthy purchase indeed. She just moves me, I guess. My favorite pop discovery since The Killers...

New Reviews: Hairspray and POTC: At World's End

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

Victor is Sweet

The last time I dedicated a post to my new son Victor, he was only a few weeks old and had gone from being a perfect newborn to quite a fussy one. Luckily, that stage lasted only a week or so because since then, he has been the PERFECT baby in every way.

At three months, little VW is almost 16 lbs and cuddlier than the smooshiest teddy bear. He LOVES to be held and snuzzled so I do it all the time. I never feel like I'm spoiling him because even when he's not being held, he is perfectly calm and quiet, gazing about him in that little cross-eyed-trying-to-focus way so endearing in babies his age. He still seems to be an old soul with so much wisdom in his eyes and triple chins. The little strawberry-blonde fuzz on top of his head has multiplied and now lays in a little feathery toupee across his scalp. The perfect peaches and cream complexion he was born with is still very evident and his eyes have remained a lovely steel blue. I can't gush about him enough.

During the day, he sits in his swing or car seat cooing and smiling contentedly until he happens to drift off into a brief nap. He doesnt sleep for long periods during the day and even at night, he seems to be very wakeful. But I guess he's getting enough sleep because even then, he doesnt fuss. Still not close to sleeping through the night though. His eating routine is worked out so that when he eats around 9pm, he doesnt eat again until around 1am...and then again at 5. So I just feed him once during the night, while he's in bed with me. He used to drift of comfortably while he was eating but lately, he's been very fidgety when he's laying beside me so I end up putting him back in his carseat by the bed when he's done. I still haven't been able to get him to sleep for any length of time in his crib. But I keep trying. He just seems to really like being somewhat upright when he's sleeping.

The hand-chewing has started. It will be interesting to see if he begins to suck his thumb or his two fingers, like Nathan. None of my kids would take a pacifier which can be a negative or a positive, depending on how you look at it. A pacifier can be taken away eventually; fingers cannot. Nathan, at 3 1/2 yrs, still sucks his two fingers all the time.

Victor has a great love already for his older brothers and his daddy as well. He watches them closely whenever they're in the room and smiles congenially whenever they attempt to entertain him. He does startle easily though, and that will bring on the most pitiful little curled lip and bout of tears that it just breaks the heart! We've noticed over the past week or so that whenever my husband sniffs or coughs, it scares him into a fit! His whole body jumps and he opens his mouth into a little 'o' until his vocals catch up to it and howls ensue. We really don't know what to do about it...Jonathan has attemped to 'mute' his coughs and sniffs somewhat but that doesnt seem to help as the baby even reacts when his daddy is in another room! Ah well.

I took him shopping Sunday and discovered, a little uneasily, that the child is wearing 6-9 month clothing! Looks like I've got a little viking on my hands.

Music Clip of the Week: Scott H. Biram-Hit The Road

I tried doing a monthly feature last year and kept up w/ it somewhat but I figure w/ all these great videos I've been seeing lately, a weekly feature would be more in order this year. We'll see how long I can keep it up.

Scott H Biram was featured in that documentary I mentioned on my last entry, 'Seven Signs' by Col JD Wilkes (of the Legendary Shack Shakers). The performance was the best part of the film, for me, and made me realize again how great he really is. I've been listening to him like crazy lately. Enjoy the Dirty Ol' One Man Band...Oh! and incidentally, the auto accident footage in the video is Scott's own. He was in bad shape for a while and performed some of his shows from a wheelchair...

Out With the Old, In With the Apes

You know you're getting old when you sleep straight thru New Years.

Last night, after a picnic-style meal of Mexican Take-out on the living room rug, the whole family curled up on the couch to await the ball-drop. Jew dropped off by 9:15. Littlun became obnoxious by 9:30 and was banished to bed. My oldest was determined to stay awake but even a Planet of the Apes Marathon on AMC was'nt enough to keep him alert. He was gone by 11pm. And me? I was comfortably settled in my recliner, cuddling the baby, enjoying the misadventures of Taylor and Dr Zaius, when suddenly I woke up! A quick glance at the tv brought me the realization that Taylor had already damned us all to hell and 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes' was in full swing. 12:31am. Yep, I missed the countdown to 2008 entirely. Ah well. From what I understand, things went just fine without me. And I ended up staying awake until 3am, watching the Apes.

I blame it all on a late Sunday night. My husband and I accompanied another couple to Nashville and enjoyed our first real date in months. We ate sushi in Hillsboro Village and saw the premiere of J.D. Wilkes' documentary 'Seven Signs' (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=97701277) which was disturbing and interesting. Then we went to a nice restaurant for dessert and a 'caucasian' (Dude!) before attempting to head home. I say 'attempting' because after leaving the Sunset Grill, I discovered I'd lost my keys...of COURSE I'd lost my keys! We looked at the theater, the restaurant, and were GOING to search the sushi place, only to find that it was closed. Our only course of action was to have our good friends drive us ALL the way home (over an hour away!) and see if I could find my spare set of keys. I didnt find them so they went on home and left me to stew all night, cursing myself and not getting much sleep. As it turns out, my husband was able to go back to Nashville the next day and lo and behold, there were the keys at the sushi place. Upon further examination, it also happens that I left ALL of my spare keys in the glove compartment of the car...aren't I smart?

Anyway, today was a good day. We went into 'town' as a family and ate lunch and then we got one of those new Hot Lattes from Sonic (since Lebanon/Carthage are still without a Starbucks). By the time we got home, it was snowing heavily and my big beautiful Bernice was running around in circles, being hilarious. The snow has since stopped but ball-drop or not, it was a highly satisfactory start to the year.

For Sarah's Little Surprise...

I am posting this very moving little video montage for my friend Sarah who just found out this morning that she is expecting! Here's to unexpected little gifts!

I know you've got dial-up Sarah, but trust me...it's worth it to wait on this one. Dare you not to cry!

For Moose n Muffin...

This video has been circulating the internet like crazy so most of you have probably seen it but I still think it's so funny and cute! And in light of certain karaoke events from the not so distant past, I felt it was fitting.

Holiday in Memphis-The Highlights

Memphis ain't all bad. There are definitely nice things about a visit there. Some of my own highlights about last weekend's visit are listed below:

1. Discovering a New 'Shortcut': We had to leave on Saturday morning instead of Friday night, as originally intended, and since we knew holiday traffic would be horrid, we made it a point to drive thru Gallatin and catch 65 instead of driving I40 the whole way. It knocked a good 45 minutes off the drive and that was a big plus. Also, Victor slept almost the entire time. Easy Peasy.

2. Victor in all his 'fatness' meeting friends and family: Mom hasnt seen Victor since he was born so it was fun to watch her face when she saw him again, in all his fifteen pound splendor! I knew she wouldnt want to put him down...so cuddly and smooshy is he!

3.'Tear It Up' and White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha: On a quick little outting Saturday, my husband and I ran accross a great little clothing/accessory store on Cooper beside the Celtic Crossing. It's called Tear It Up and even though the store is the size of a small bedroom, there are some GREAT items in there. I couldnt resist a super-soft T-Rex (the band) Tee for 19.00. Also, lots of nice retro reproduction shoes and dresses in there, ladies! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to the novelty of Starbucks (we don't have any of those around here, guys) and their seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha which was AMAZING. Starbucks is the one thing that makes me wish I lived in the city...ha!

4.Seeing the new Assembly Hall: No, we didnt get to actually attend the assembly like we planned...sigh. We had to drive in on Sat instead of Friday so that day was gone anyway. And then on Sunday morning we were ten minutes late to the program and there were NO seats! Crazy! And since there was some work being done in the Cafeteria, we couldnt go in there. But we got to see the place anyway, and it is indeed beautiful!

5.Good Food: We have our 'regular' places we like to eat in Memphis but this time, we made two more yummy discoveries. Sunday we ate at the Dixie Cafe for the first time (which we loved...go figure how it's possible I havent' eaten there before) and Sunday night we tried the Blue Fin on Main st. Awesome place...loved the atmosphere, loved the beer, loved the sushi, but most of all loved the...

6.Good Company: So nice to visit w/ old friends...Moose, Monkey, Muffin, all of you guys were a blast! Big brother is always a plus too. I'm so glad we found out about the Karaoke at Alfred's and that practically no one was around to witness our foolishness! You know we have to sing our 'signature song' every time now, don't ya Moose? Oh, and here's the link to the RED lipstick: http://www.besamecosmetics.com/home/?page=home


7.Family : Time spent w/ my parents, niece and nephew, and spiritual family will always be the best part of any little trip. And I enjoyed seeing my brother's new house and forseeing the good times to be had there as well.

We had an easy drive home with almost no traffice, due to the Holiday. It was companionable and smooth. All in all, a lovely little Holiday.