Feature-List Yourself #1

Here is one of the lists from the List Yourself book I mentioned on a prior post.

List the situations that always make you cry:

1. Movies Movies Movies: i.e. To Kill a Mockingbird, Dumbo, It's a Wonderful Life, Dead Poets Society, Spartacus

2. Frustration, feeling out of control

3. Disturbing news items: i.e. The Tsunami footage, anything dealing w/ the torture or murder of children, starving children. Incidentally, I HATE the local news. They seem to love getting morbid, as opposed to just relaying facts like reuters. I've sworn off the evening news.
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4. Seeing my kids sick or in pain

5. Death (friends, pets, family members)

6. Unexpected acts of kindness

7. A bad haircut (actually that's only happened to me once)

8. Music, especially emotionally charged broadway like Les Miserables or Opera like La Boheme

9. Powerful poetry or lyrics i.e. Christian Dedication in the 'songbook', The Children's Hour, Pale September by Fiona Apple, John Doe No. 24 by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Godspeed by Radney Mitchell (or the Dixie Chicks)

10. Watching new ones get baptized at a convention

11. Also, singing with my spiritual brothers and sisters at the conventions and assemblies.

12. Sudden unexpected pain (like stubbing my toe) or a bad stomach virus or cold, basically just feeling bad makes me cry sometimes

So You Think You Can Dance-Top 8

Best Show of the season so far! Amazing night! And may I just say, Tony Basil is the best judge ever...seriously, she needs to be a permanant fixture. Her critique was inciteful, succint, and not over the heads of us lay-people. So kudos to her!

Anyway, on w/ the ranking:

1. Will-His Samba and Hip Hop routines with Courtney were spectacular. Sexy and masculine. His solo was a spot-on, hilarious, phenomenally danced James Brown impression-complete with wig! How could he go wrong?? Still on top, for sure.

2. Courtney-A surprising pick for my number two spot. But she was fantastic last night in both of her routines with will. In the hip-hop, she totally moved me. In the samba she was Cyd Charisse-style sexy. But her solo blew me away! It was so joyful and beautiful. She accomplished more in that thirty seconds than just about anyone else.

3. Twitch-The contemporary routine choreographed by Mia Michaels was my favorite of the season so far. To that overplayed Duffy tune, they portrayed a yin and yang style couple having a-er-confrontation of sorts. Twitch was a cool dude who refused to be ruffled by his crazy girlfriend and the incorporation of the steps and the performance and even the door...fantastic. His broadway routine was absolute perfection. His solo, impressive. He's still doing amazing work, especially to be the most untrained of the contestants.

4. Chelsea-her legs, her legs, her LEGS! Even though she's not the slimmest girl, her grace and poise and freaking sex appeal are unforgettable. In the tango, she was sultry and moved like taffy. In the 2nd routine, she and Josh danced a disco. In my eyes, it seemed heavy and a little sloppy...possibly due to the rediculous ammount of lifts incorporated into the choreography. Can we please do away w/ Doriana Sanchez next season? There have to be better disco choreographers out there! Anyway, of the two-Chelsea stood out to me due to those great legs and the sheer energy she exudes. And again, her solo was just great.

5. Katee-I love her joy , her spirit, her beautiful movement. She is a gifted and natural dancer. The only reason I rank her third of the females is that I don't feel her true personality comes thru as well as Courtney's or Chelsea's. It's tough though. Her contemporary piece, with Twitch, was absolutely brilliant and her broadway was charming-though I agree it should have been a little 'dirtier'. Her solo wasnt as impressive as last week, in my eyes.

6. Josh-This guy is still able to grab every style of dance he is assigned and just 'kill' it. Yeah, his butt is big and he's a powerful guy, but he still exhibits such grace when it is called for, like in that great Argentine Tango that he and Chelsea performed. The disco was not as appealing to me but there is no doubt he was 'there' for her as a partner and he really shone on the 'Travolta' style moves in the middle. His solo was hard hitting and strong, though not quite as impressive as last week's.

7. Mark-Poor Mark. He was fantastic this week in two of his three numbers. The Hip Hop was one of the best of the season...so fun to watch! And he danced it extremely well; I actually noticed him more than Comfort during the performance. His solo was so much better than last week and he utilized the music and his unique birdlike style throughout. Unfortunately, though I felt it was still pretty, the foxtrot was not up to par with the rest of the competitors' routines and therefore, will probably be his downfal.

8. Comfort-she's ridden the wave long enough. Her Hip HOp was phenomenal-a great high note for her to leave on, I feel. The solo was dull and meandering and the foxtrot was not believable from her.

I'm almost certain that my bottom two will also be the country's bottom two.

Edit: Gasp! My top three ended up in the bottom four last night...and my season-long love affair with Will-arguably the best dancer in the show's history-came to an abrupt end when he was ousted from the show! It was a travesty. I almost cried. Anyway, I don't know what America is up to but for the first time, I'm considering picking up the phone and voting next week. Grrrrrr.

So You Think You Can Dance-Top Ten

I fell away from posting a weekly 'rundown' on this show for no particular reason other than a busy summer. It's still my favorite show on tv and the competition is still anybody's game. I am shocked by how evenly matched some of these dancers are, especially when it comes to the men. I'm fairly certain at this points that the winner will be either Will or Twitch. It strongly depends on the next few weeks.

Here is my take on last night's show, ranking the dancers individually now since that is how America votes from this point on:

1. Will-He is far and away the most 'trained' dancer on the show but he caps it off w/ great sex appeal and an actual personality (unlike Danny from last year). Last night he did a 'Broadway' routine and a ballet routine with Katie-both of which were entirely different and equally impressive. The latter was one of the most moving things I've seen on the show. His solo was spectaular and highly acrobatic. I think the competition is his to win.

2. Chelsea-This girl has been my favorite girl since the beginning. She has such passion in her face and such phenomenal technique,no matter what style she is given. That crazy blonde hair only adds to the appeal and her gams are fantastic-like Leslie Caron. Last night she did a jive (the most fun routine of the night) and a contemporary piece with Gev. She outshone him on both. And her solo was brilliant. She holds her own with Anya and Heidi, other great ballroom dancers from seasons past.

3.Katie-I have always thought she had a little less energy than Carrington or Chelsea, though she has been the judge's favorite girl from the beginning. She knocked it out of the park last night. Her broadway and ballet-style routines with Will were two of the night's best and her solo was extremely moving. I loved the fingers. I only rank her below Chelsea due to my personal preference of the latter's dancing style.

4.Twitch-Always the showman, Twitch definitely did shine last night. His Waltz with Comfort was lacking and showed their lack of skill in this particular style, but when she and he were assigned a hard-hitting hip-hop routine later in the program, both of them pulled out all the stops. It was the highlight of both of their time in the competition, in my opinion. In addition, Twitch's solo routine was one of the best memorable of the night. He's fantastic, no doubt.

5.Josh-He has done exceptionally well from the beginning, due partly to his partnership with Katie. But each style he was given was surprisingly well-danced. Last night he danced a Ramba and a Hip-Hop with Courtney. They seemed to mesh well as a couple and their sizes suited one another. He was stoic and strong with the Ramba, sexy and cool with the Hip Hop. And his solo was marvelous, really showcasing his athleticism and soul.

6.Courtney-did a fabulous job last night as well. Her Rumba and Hip Hop routines with Josh were fantastically sexy. She was very evenly partnered, I felt. Her solo was stunning...absolutely beautiful. It was nice to see her dancing alone again after the auditions.

7.Comfort-Not one of my favorites from previous weeks, Comfort came into her own last night, mostly thanks to two opportunities to perform her own style. She didnt do well w/ the Waltz but it wasnt horrible and her hip-hop with twitch was incredible. Also, her solo hip hop was really energetic and fun. She almost didnt come back because she got voted off last week but with Jessica's injury, she won another chance. And proved she deserved it.

8.Gev-Not my favorite but he surpassed some of my favorites this week. He did very well with both his Contemporary routine and his Jive. He is so little that he doesnt make the impact that someone long and lean like Will does, but he does a good job with every style he is given. I was not as impressed w/ his leaps as Mary but I am not a dancer and I only go by what looks good to me. They seemed sloppy. His jive was much more to my taste, though of course it paled in comparison with Chelsea. His solo was a typical breakdancing routine. It was mostly tricks with very little rhythymic movement.

9.Mark-has a great style-almost birdlike in nature. Kind of a cross between hip-hop and jazz and his quirky looks add to the appeal. Though his solo was great, I didnt feel it showed off his style to its best advantage and since his technique isnt as developed as Will's, for instance, he really has to make up for that with charm. The two routines he did with Carrington, the Western Two Step and the Jazz routine, were both only okay. I rank him higher than she however because I still love his style and in the Two-Step, he was the stronger of the two.

10.Kherrington-dissapointed last night. She has always had the most luminous face and such a great technique as well. She is young (19 or so) but her stage presence has always been strong. Last night, she and Mark (one of my favorite guys) had a Western Two-Step, which bombed, and a jazz routine that seemed a little trite in the choreography department . Both looked meandering and lacked energy. She couldnt connect w/ her partner and seemed out of her element...but her solo was still stunning, even if it didnt seem to match the music.

WALL-E-Added to my Pixar Reviews

I added a quick mini-review of this latest Disney masterpiece to my existing Pixar post. For those of you who haven't seen this precious movie-see it! It's easily one of the best.

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

My rating: 10/10

Interesting Stuff and Nonsense

I was alerted to this cool blog a while back and now I'm addicted. A photo 'commentary' on european street fashion...so cool I can't stand it:
http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Anyhoo-the Guided By God's Spirit District Convention was one of the best yet, of course. We had a great time even though it rained off and on the whole time and humidity in Huntsville Al was at 90%. The Huntsville City Park is such a lovely place to hang out during lunch and since we were staying at the Holiday Inn accross from the Convention Center, we took advantage of our close proximity to the park to visit it 'after-hours' as well. I thought it might be a hassle to walk to the site every day but it wasnt bad at all. Jew toted the baby and the kids shared the lunch load and books. I even took my parasol along which was a life-saver during our stroll. Ladies, invest in a pretty parasol if you're going to be out-of-doors. I can't stress the good sense of this enough!

Last night was Johnson's first talk. His reading was in the back school but consisted of fifteen verses in Acts that were replete with long, multi-syllabled city names. He did a great job pronouncing the names correctly and kept a nice audible tone throughout. Daddy gave him a new flat-top for the occasion...so handsome! Afterwards, we made it a point to visit Sonic for treats since it was a special event. He really felt important...heh heh.

In other news, my dog, Mrs Roper, is convincing me repeatedly that she is indestructible. A few days ago, my neighbor hit her with his truck while she chased him down the driveway. She and my Pyrenees Bernice have the worst habit of doing this, despite our efforts to keep them from it. So it was inevitable that one of them was hit. We thought Mrs Roper was a goner; she flopped around pitifully after the fact and couldnt use her back legs at all. I had to carry her to our porch and give her fresh water and food right there. I couldnt take her to the vet right away because Jonathan had two of the car seats so we decided to wait until the next day and see how she was faring. The next morning, she was still pretty perky and didnt seem to be in too much pain, though she still couldnt use her back section at all. I took her to the vet and he diagnosed her with a 'hurt back'. Since there were no broken bones, he gave her a shot of cortisone and some antibiotics along with the positive statement that he wouldnt be a 'bit surprised if she bounced back'. Not 20 minutes after the shot, she was already putting a little weight on her back legs. Looks like she might make it after all.

Murder and Coincidence

So last night as I 'nodded nearly napping' in my trusty brown recliner, I came across some more useless animal info to share. You guys may know this stuff but it was all new to me. Collectuve animal terms are tricky...a pride of lions, a band of gorillas, a yoke of oxen etc. But I had no idea that the technical term for a group of crows was a 'murder'. A murder of crows. When I googled it, incidentally, there were a ton of movies and bands with the name-it's pretty catchy, I'll admit. Other interesting collective animal names: A leash of fox, a storytelling of ravens, an army of frogs, a bale of turtles, a cry of hounds (also a 'mute of houds'-condradictory, no?), a shrewdness of apes, a down of hares, a drift of swine, a kindle of kittens, and a 'labor' of moles. Cool stuff, huh?

Change of subject:
Here is a cool true story that just reeks of coincidence and shows how small a world it is, especially when you are in the truth:

In May, the old man and I were watching House Hunters on HGTV-an episode in Las Vegas where a young professional was moving out of his parents' house to a home of his own. We always watch the episodes that are set in the areas we are considering for our coming relocation. Anyway, this episode was immediately appealing because the guy was probably close to thirty and still lived with his parents-and he owned a successful business designing swimming pools. I told my husband 'He's probably a Witness' and we both laughed. Then we noticed some very familiar looking books on a shelf in his parents' house as he was being interviewed; I was almost certain they were boundvolumes. My husband was still unconvinced. Next, the guy introduces the family dog who happens to be named-'Philea'. I just looked at Jonathan but he smiled and shook his head. The realtors in this episode were 'old family friends' according to our house-hunter and they were all very comfortable on camera and gestured alot. By the end of the show, I was just sure they were all our brothers but again, my husband just told me there was no way I could know for sure.

Anyway, last week I contacted my friends from a neighboring congregation who have aquaintances in Las Vegas and asked if they could put me in touch w/ them so that I could ask some questions about the area. I was given the name of a young brother in the area who owned his own business and who might still live with his parents; my friends weren't sure. They gave me his business phone, which I reverse searched online to see if there was a website. It was a business that designs swimming pools. I immediately thought of the guy on House Hunters and decided to google the guy's name and see if there was a photo of him online. Sure enough, the house-hunting guy and my friends' friend in Vegas are one and the same! I was excited and my husband was wierded out...heh heh.

My Dad-Doing Victor Hugo Proud...

Isnt he handsome? My dad has accomplished his goal and Victor Hugo's 'The Man Who Laughs' is finally available to American readers. This version is a little more friendly to modern readers and slightly abridged. A screenplay is currently being marketed and will be released in book form soon. The novel can be purchased at Amazon, Borders, or Xlibris (the publisher).

In other news, We have adopted a new kitty. His name is Frank. We found him the other day when my oldest son and I were on our way to town. While driving a frequently travelled back road, I almost ran over the wee thing when I rounded a bend and he was in the middle of my lane. I missed him, but turned around to see if he was okay. I stopped because he was still in the road and instead of his running, as I expected him to do, he came right up to me, mewing pitifully. I'm such a softie. I couldnt resist him. My son held him while we drove to the gas station and got a can of cat food since the kitty's ribs were showing and he was very frail. He ate it all up and fell asleep in Johnson's lap. We put him in the basement w/ our other cat, Possum. They didnt like each other much at first but are getting along now.

We have sold the back portion of our property and are in the process of cleaning things up to prepare the house and 6 acres for sale as well. We are still planning to move out west. Not sure if we'll be in Utah, Nevada, or Arizona yet-still doing some research.

So You Think You Can Dance-Weekly Rundown

Well, I think its gonna be another great season! The contestants seem even more talented than prior seasons, with a few definite standouts.

Here's the order I think they should be in based on last night's show. We'll see if I'm right on tonight's results show. Incidentally, I find it comforting to see that the judges get to make the decision on who leaves since they are, after all, the ones with all the experience. Then America gets to decide between the final four. In other words, anyone who isnt good enough will not make it farther than they should (like American Idol).

1.Chelsea H. and Mark, both Contemporary dancers but Mark really stands out for me because his style is so bird-like and unconventional. It was a great move, on Mia Michaels' part, to design a contemporary routine for them that was about an unconventional wedding. It was incredible, my favorite routine of the night. She was like a feather in her white wedding dress and he tossed her around like a cotton ball...it made me tear up.

2.Carrington and Twitch-Twitch is a hip-hop breakdancer and Carrington is a Contemporary Jazz dancer. She is only a senior in high school and I wondered how they would do together since he's quite a bit older. They were dy-no-mite! They did a broadway routine and her gorgeous face and his comedic style really carried across to the audience. It was immaculately done. They will be front-runners down the line.

3.Katie and Josh-Katie is a Contemporary dancer and Josh is a hip-hip breakdancer. THey did a hip-hop routine that was really well executed and smoother than most. It was also kind of moving since it told a story. And they danced the heck out of it. To those of you who know Summer Zack, I'll bet you Katie remind you of her!...hee hee.

4.Will and Jessica-I think Will may be the best dancer in the competion. He and Jessica were both Contemporary dancers that had to do a Tango Last night. It was pretty close to perfect, except for a few little wobbles from her. But she more than made up for it with her commitment to the movements. And they seem to have alot of chemistry.

5.Chelsea and Thayne-Chesea is a Jazz dancer and Thayne is a Contemporary dancer. They did a Cha Cha and it was great. She, especially, is amazing. Her hips, her legs, her smile...she was just on fire. Thayne was the 'prop' he was supposed to be but he was masculine (a stretch for him,I'd wager) and smiled alot. Looked like they both enjoyed themselves.



6.Susie and Marquis-Susie is a Latin dancer and Marquis is a Contemporary dancer. He is phenomenal but during the auditions, she just seemed to kind of be a music-video Shakira style girl. I was shocked how well they did w/ the smoothe waltz they were given. Susie was really impressive, especially when she extended her beautiful legs and arms. Marquis was very elegant. The music was really strange-reminded me of Enya mixed with Evenescence.

7.Comfort and Chris-Chris is a Contemporary Ballet dancer and Comfort is a hip-hop dancer. They did a respectable Jive. Having watched alot of jive in Vegas, the thing I love about it is the loosey goosey style of it. Since neither of these dancers had done it before and the choreography was a little bit difficult, that was hard for them. Comfort was straight-legged and a little stiff throughout. Chris was a little too elegant. But they did a good job regardless and Comfort's personality was great.


8.Raven and Jamie-Raven is a contemporary dancerand Jamie is a West Coast Swing dancer. They were out of their element slightly w/ the hip hop routine they did. Both of them did a great job and it was good...albeit slightly less memorable than some of the other contestants'...I blame that on the routine.

9.Courtney G. and Gev-Courtney is a Lyrical dancer and Gev is a breakdancer. They did a very energetic but kind of sloppy disco. I love her so I hope she makes it through but I haven't been all that impressed with her from the beginning.

10.Courtney and Matt-As a tall couple they had the opportunity to really impress. She is really fun to watch when she dances her own style ,which is Contemporary, and he is a really good Lyrical dancer (which looks alot like ballet to me). But the pop routine was a bit trite, in my eyes. They looked like something out of an eighties episode of Solid Gold. And I do agree that Matt needs to bring a bit more personality across.

Owning Up...

I had a funny idea on the way home from Wal Mart last night. A song came on that I absolutely love (more on that later) and I turned it way up with the windows down and laughed at how absolutely rediculous it was that I knew all the words and how very embarassed I would be if anyone caught me. So here is a post all about the things we are slightly ashamed of doing/wearing/or liking...things that no one would EVER guess.

MUSIC: The song 'Cherry Pie' by Warrant. Yep, I said it. I love that song and I know every sordid word. I have tried to deny it for far too long but who can resist : "I scream, you scream, we all scream for her..."? I also happen to love the band Def Leppard but I refuse to feel ashamed of that. Me and Ernie will defend them to the last (isnt that right Mr Ayres?).

TV: I have seen every single episode of every single season of America's Next Top Model. Now, I have told people this before and can feign nonchalance about my watching it...'hey, I like the photo shoots'. But what no one else knows (including my husband) is how MANY times I've seen each episodes. MTV and VH1 have these 'marathons' of the show and therefore I have seen each episode multiple times. And I can't seem to stop...somebody help me!

MOVIES:I have quite a few 'guilty pleasure' movies on my list. I'm more ashamed of some than others...'Mean Girls' is one. So is 'Deep Blue Sea'. Some movies are so bad, you watch them like you would a train wreck.

CLOTHING: I have a bad problem buying new underwear and socks. I just can't seem to get over it either. So some of my skivvies are sadly worn. And that's an understatement. I wear socks w/ holes in the heel, bras that have visible underwire, and underwear with shot elastic. Don't ask me why I have this problem. I am very particular about every other aspect of my wardrobe and I do enjoy buying pretty underthings. But I don't do it very often. I have a pair of thong underwear that my husband bought me at a Candiria concert a few years ago. They are faded to charcoal gray and the elastic is showing thru at the seams. But I adore them and I still wear them constantly...sigh.

BOOKS: I went thru a romance novel phase as a teen. I tried not to get into the Harlequin ones since they were so trashy but I did fall prey to an author by the named of Katerine Lynn Davis who does these period romances that are all lush and atmospheric. But they're still pretty trashy...and I shake my head when I think back on how raptly they held my attention.

FOOD: When no one is around, I lick my plate. And I relish little debbie cakes just so I can take them apart and eat each individual aspect of it seperately. Swiss cake rolls are the best...I eat off the chocolate, then unroll them painstakingly and lick out the cream. Then I sigh and eat the cake. I also drink pickle juice...sipping it slowly. And when I was pregnant I enjoyed dipping ham in it. Isnt that disgusting?

OTHER: When I put my baby down for a nap, I am overcome by a feeling of freedom so acute that I have to literally run down the hallway. It never fails and I've done this since I had my first child. I think it comes from being slightly unbalanced and I'm okay with that. I also tend to dance when I'm happy...no matter where I am or what the circumstances are. And I also clap alot when I'm excited about something...I've noticed my kids do that too. Finally, I have a mesh sponge I bought from Bath and Body works BEFORE I WAS MARRIED. That's right, the thing is 13 years old at least! It is still perfectly intact and clean. I have no idea how this is possible...the yarn loop that you hang it by is faded to pale lavender but the sponge is still bright purple. I now feel challenged to see how long it will last.


If I think of any other things to confess, I'll do so. I feel lighter somehow.

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

Overheard last night:

Johnson-" I hate the way this dogfood smells. It's a 'down' smell."

Daddy- "A 'down' smell?"

Johnson- "Yeah...It's hard for me to explain. My head thinks in graphs. It's like my head has a graph in it and smells are on the graph. This dogfood is a 'down' smell. Cheese is an 'up' smell."

(No kidding, that was a real conversation. Since he likes cheese, I'm assuming an 'up' smell is a good thing.")

Overheard this morning:

Nathan: "Twinkle twinkle little farts...how I poopie, how I poopie. Davy Jones, Davy Jones, poopie poopie Davy Jones. Twinkle twinkle farty fart...Davy Jones, Davy Jones."

(I'm thinking of turning that last one in to The Wiggles. I'd get monster royalties off that tune!)

Leverets And Crocklets And Kits...Oh My!

I was reading this nondescript baby animal book that I bought for Nathan last night and learned a whole bunch of interesting facs about baby animal names! I felt very sheepish that I did not have any knowledge of this stuff before so I thought I'd share.

We all know a baby bear is a cub and a baby deer is a fawn, right? But did you also know that:

1. Baby baboons, monkeys, orangutans, lemurs and gorillas are called INFANTS.

2. A baby pig is a piglet, yes, but a baby hedgehog is called a HOGLET.

3. Baby wallabies, kangaroos, AND koala bears are called JOEYS.

4. A baby racoon is called a KIT and so is a baby fox. That threw me because I always assumed that since wolves and dogs have PUPS, so did foxes. I mean, they look related to me. And Meercats have KITS too.

5. Otters and hyenas have WHELPS.

6. A baby owl is called an OWLET, but baby cockatiels, parrots, vultures, and penguins are CHICKS. And baby swans are called CYGNETS (I knew that one, by the way).

7. Baby rabbits are called LEVERETS. Who knew?

8. Prairie dogs and seals have PUPS.

9. The offspring of a moose, antelope, hippo, or giraffe is called a CALF.

10. Orcas and balugas also have CALVES but a baby dolphin is called a PUP.

11. A baby alpaca is called a CRIA.

12. Baby turtles, water dragons, pythons, and iguanas are called HATCHLINGS but a baby crocodile is called a CROCKLET.

So Happy...

Things that are making me happy:

1. The above song by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan...a new discovery.

2. Being home after a long weekend away.

3. 13 years of marriage, celebrated in Memphis. Almost 24 hours of no children, responsibilities, or time crunching.

4. Huey's...how I love thee.

5. Hillbilly Casino-just a happy fun band with lots of talent and a great high-kicking, bubble-gum blowing, hair-combing lead singer that makes me smile! I especially enjoyed watching him do his 'ballet-stretches' before the set so as to accomplish the afore-mentioned high-kicks without injury...ha!

6. Comfort Inn, downtown Memphis. Beautiful views, immaculately clean, ultra-comfy beds, big-ol flat plasma tv, garage-parking, and within walking distance of all attractions...for 100.00 less than almost every other hotel around.

7. Maggie Moos Udderly Cream with chocolate chips and cherries mixed in...enjoyed WITH a White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks. HYPER happiness!

8. New slip-on vans...feminine, easy to walk in, and featuring the cutest skull print that defies any who are so crass as to remind me by word or look that I'm in my thirties.

9. Miller Chill...Miller Chill...and one more Miller Chill.

10. Kissing on the sly.

11. IRON MAN!!! Reawakening my dormant love affair with Jeff Bridges and Robert Downey Jr...and how cool was that ending with the song!? 9/10 fo sho!

12. NOT living in Memphis, even though visiting is admittably a fun time.

13. Being reunited with my sweet little Victor James and his welcoming toothless grins...Being clobbered by Nathan in all his bruised, scraped, and insect bitten glory...Johnson's quiet 'hi mama' uttered in irritatingly grownup and noncholant tones. Whatever, I know how happy he is to see me.

14. Family hugs, Caroline's burgers, my dad's graduation-style photo on the back leaf of his book.

15. Barnes and Noble.

16. The spectacular number of fireflies that greeted us on our drive home last night...the heady scent of honeysuckle that fairly assaulted us when we got out of the car.

17. A clean house.

18. Johnson's decision to become an unbaptized publisher AND join the school with absolutely no hinting/coaching from me!

19. New Cellphone...'Samsung Beat' aquired for FREE with new calling plan!

20. The reaffirmation of our love for the desert after slogging around in the oppressive heat and humidity of Memphis for three days. Honeysuckle and fireflies aside, summertime in the south is starting to get on my nerves.

What the....!?

Saw this on my dvr recording of So You Think You Can Dance auditions from last night...all I can say is...?????!! Film quality on youtube was relatively poor...hard to see the phenomenal timing involved...but still.

American Idol Weekly Rundown-Final 2

So the season wraps up at last. The final two were indeed the 'Davids'-Archuleta and Cook. And though the finale is usually somewhat anti-climactic, there were a few surprises, namely in the performances of David Archuleta.

The first round were songs chosen for the contestants by Clive Davis. David Cook performed "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 and it was very good. However, David Archuleta sang 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me' like his life depended on it, and it was was GREAT. His best vocal of the season so far.

Then, the two contestants had to perform songs written for them by competing songwriters across the nation. Evidently, they were given a selection to choose from and both songs were dismally mediocre. However, the difference was that David Cook's song sounded like something from a John Huges film. David Archuleta's sounded like a possible hit and he sang the HECK out of it. His voice was strong and pitch-perfect throughout. Plus, he sang with lots of evident emotion.

Finally, the Davids got to choose their own songs. David Cook chose to perform Collective Soul's 'The World I Know', a tune that could stand some re-working. His rendition was very sympathetic and tender...the best performance he pulled off last night. But then David Archuleta did a long-awaited reprise of 'Imagine', a hit for him earlier in the season, and I believe he nailed the coffin shut for David C. He made a huge impact on the audience and judges alike. Not only was he visibly moved by everyone's reaction, but he completely deserved it.

So the night was a bit of a surprise for me, especially since I expected David Cook to run away with the title. Now, I think it's more likely that, based on last night's show, David Archuleta will triumph. But I still believe that Cook will be the artist w/ the most 'staying power'. Unlike previous seasons, I truly think that both of these guys will be around for a while.

New Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

I took the boys to see this movie yesterday...It's a good'n!

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

New Review: The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

*If you haven't seen this great ol' comedy, read the following review, and pick it up soon!

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

To Jew

Since our 13th wedding anniversary is coming up on the 20th, I thought I'd post a little tribute to my Mr Darcy, Bick Benedict, Ulysses Everett McGill, Brian Crookshank, Jefferson Smith, and Han Solo-all rolled into one well-maintained and devastatingly handsome package.

These two songs received lots and lots of airplay in our home over the past year. One a 'rediscovery' and the other a newfound gem. Enjoy!

The video wasnt available on youtube but here's the link:

'Fourth of July' by X

http://www.vh1classic.com/view/artist/1163/32630/X/4th_of_July/index.jhtml


and
'Barefoot' by The Ray Collins Hot Club

American Idol Semi-Weekly Rundown- Final 3

Okay, so American Idol tends to lose steam towards the end...just the lay of the land. So these reports are a little sporadic lately. I haven't been ultra impressed by anyone recently, especially since Michael Johns and Carly Smithson were prematurely ejected from the competition. However, I'll admit that David Cook has continued to impress. His vocals seem to have improved, even if his song choices aren't always perfect. So in my opinion, he's the lock.

Last night, the three remaining contestants (Syesha Macado-how'd she make it this far exactly?, David Archuleta, and David Cook) had to sing three songs. One judge's choice, one song choice of their own, and one producer's choice -aka 'the sell out'.

David Cook led the pack easily. His rendition of Simon's choice-ROberta Flack's 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' was really really good. Possibly bordering on 'greatness'? That might be a bit much but it definitely shone in comparison to the rest of the night's performances. His 2nd choice, a Switchfoot song, was only okay. The PRoducer's choice was 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' and it was predictably boring. Not much can be done w/ a Dianne Warren song that's already been adequately covered, is there?

Syesha was less-than-standout. She was given an Alisah Keyes song by Randy which was obviously going to be a yawn. Then she attempted to perform a 'cabaret' version of 'Fever' (my favorite karaoke song ever, by the way) using a chair as a prop. Although she sang it well and was very very sexy, it was a bad choice for this pivotal night. Her last song was that Happy Feet song, you know the fun one that plays over the credits at the end? It was a stupid choice and the producer's were obviously trying to get her ousted.

David Archuleta has passed his peak, if you ask me. He had a few memorable moments earlier inthe season (and actually, his 'Love Me Tender' from last week was nice), but I think we're all growing tired of the snoozy ballads. And let's face it, that's David's genre. Last night he performed the judge's choice of Billy Joel's 'And So It Goes' which was very beautiful. One of his best so far. But then he took a couple steps back when he attempted to do an up-tempo Chris Brown song and ended up looking like a nervous schoolboy. Finally, the producer's nailed the coffin shut on his American Idol chances by giving him Dan Fogelburg's 'Longer'-a gorgeous song but totally wrong for this arena.

I think it's safe to say that the Davids will end up in the finale and that David Cook will win by a landslide. He's far more talented than Chris Daughtry after all and we see where that joker's ended up.

My New Toy (giggle)

Time to upgrade! After perusing the dell website I realized that the Inspiron 1525 is now quite affordable...and in my case completely tax deductible. So I took a deep breath and got me one. And just in case there is any doubt who in this family it belongs to, I ordered mine in Flamingo Pink. So there!

New Review: Pixar Revisited-A Critical Opinion And Synopsis of Pixar Films

http://movinpitchers.blogspot.com/2008/01/rediscovering-disneypixar-as-long-as-i.html