American Idol: Week 5

Combining both nights again...

ELTON JOHN!!!!!!!! This is what I've been waiting for, the MENTORS!! And I'm sorry, love him or hate him: Elton John is talented. So imagine my disappointment when I see that they aren't doing it like they usually do...the mentor is supposed to meet them, talk with them, listen to the contestant sing their song, and give them feedback. I don't like this AT ALL.

But they didn't ask me. Ce la vie.

The big question for the evening...can Randy Jackson speak without Jennifer Lopez interrupting him?? Haha!

Scotty is singing some song I've never heard of. The best part of the performance? HE WASN'T HOLDING A MIC!!! Haha!! I was able to focus better since he was playing the guitar. He looked much better doing it that way. He sounded pretty good.

Naima needs to keep up the momemtum from what she started last week if she wants to stay around. Hopefully "I'm Still Standing" will work for her. I don't think this girl's going to win, but I can't help but like her and want her to do well. I think she sounded good, reggae just isn't my kind of music. But I commented to Andrew that it was something we would've heard in The Bahamas. Very authentic sounding, to me. Started off kinda off-kilter, but she brought it home in the end.

We got Bradley Cooper up next, haha. I was NOT surprised to see he picked "Rocket Man" for his song. I think that song will suit him perfectly. Now if only someone would burn that suit while he is sleeping, haha! Paul has kinda grown on me a little bit. I don't know why I like him, he's weird. But he's an awesome kind of weird. He kinda sounded like the group Train for this performance. He sounded good. But that suit...

Pia is singing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" which is a nice BIG SONG. Although she IS singing another ballad. But the girl sounds amazing with ballads. She's got a monster-size voice. This girl is a dark horse, she could come up and win the whole thing. Keep your eye on this one!!

I adore Stefano. He's singing "Tiny Dancer" and I think he will BE AWESOME!!! I want him to come back. I think he was singing some of his words too fast, but he sounded great. I don't know that he did enough to save himself. He should've sang "Your Song" instead, he'd have done that better.

It's "Candle In the Wind" from Lauren. I didn't like it. They all seemed to like it, but it wasn't her best for me. I guess I'm just not with it, because I thought it was kinda bad. But to each their own.

James, James, James...he could have a real moment rocking out to Elton John. Not my favorite Elton John song. I think this kid could've done something much bigger and bolder. So he lit the piano on fire. Who cares? That wasn't what I was wanting. So I was disappointed. I thought he'd pick a different song and turn it totally punk rock.

My little Thia!! Sh'e just precious. And she's doing "Daniel" which is such a great song. Always been one of my favorites. She looked like she was going to cry there at the end, it was a great choice.

Last week's judges save, Casey, has to really step it up this week. He REALLY has to get back to being the guy everyone was excited to see. He's doing "Your Song" and I grimaced when I heard that. Starting off, I'm glad to see that he cleaned up a bit. I WAS SHOCKED THAT HE SOUNDED GOOD! Not that I think he's bad, I DON'T at ALL. But softness isn't his thing. Or, I didn't THINK it was his thing. He sounds amazing. One of his best performances yet. Who knew he had that ace up his sleeve?? I always get big smiles when he sings, bad or good. I just love him. =)

I absolutely HAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE the song Jacob is singing. But the judges have an expression on the show, "you could sing the phone book," and I feel that way about Jacob. I think he nailed it. I think he did amazing. ALMOST made me love the song. And I think Jimmy is nuts, I think that song NEEDS a little drama and emotion. Jacob brought it. ;)

Last...AND LEAST...is Haley (GAG!!). "Benny and the Jets" is another song I don't love. The arraingment was awesome. I still hate her song style. That is all.

RESULTS!!!

Two people going home, crazy. I know how I want this to go, haha. But will it work out that way? FINGERS CROSSED!! The singing together thing is different...

Lauren and Scotty are up...both are safe.

Jacob and Naima are up...and it's Naima in the bottom three. Not a huge shock there.

How did Fantasia win American Idol??? I have never understood.

Thia, Pia, and Haley (GAG!!). We all know where I stand on what I want to happen, haha. Pia is safe (no-brainer) and...I hate America. That was NOT the way it was supposed to go.

Paul, Casey, Stefano, and James...someone is not safe from this group. I'm worried about Stefano. Right off the bat Ryan tells Casey he's safe. James is safe, too. Stefano is safe?? I'm happy, but Paul did better than Stefano.

The two going home are: Thia and Naima. I'm glad Paul's sticking around, even though I love Thia!!

Next week...I think it's going to be The Week I get my wish. It just HAS to be, haha.

Day 23: Kathy Harris

Kathy is the one who told me about this job at Sewell, which has led to me meeting several of the people I have thanked/will be thanking on this Lent blog journey. So that is enough to be grateful for alone, but she has been a great aunt. When Alexis and her boyfriend broke up, and my living situation was again up in the air, Kathy took me in for awhile. We have a lot of the same taste in music. We’re country fans, she took me to my first concert to see Reba. We’ve been to see Tim McGraw several times, as well. I haven’t seen much of Kathy since I met Andrew. That’s sad because we live in the same apartment complex, haha. I’ve been so wrapped up in being in love and then wedding planning…hopefully she knows I still love her! ;)

Kathy, thanks for being there over the years. You were the one who was most excited when I first got an apartment and we went shopping at Target…I still have those dishes and they are my “nice” dishes and I love them so much. We need to get together for a bite to eat, or something, soon!

Day 22: Mandi Ainsworth

Sorry I forgot last night, here's yesterday's blog...

Mandi isn’t someone I’m friends with anymore…we drifted apart beyond even being Facebook friends. But when we WERE friends, we were inseparable. We met at work, I trained her to work at BPG and she took over when I left to go work at corporate. We were like two peas in a pod. We went to Two Rows a lot and flirted with our usual waiter. We were addicted to Jason’s Deli peanut butter cookies, so much so that when we road tripped to Austin to go to her wedding shower, she picked me up with a box of them “for the road” that didn’t even make it halfway, haha. We drove down to Austin to walk with my Aunt Susan in a Susan G. Komen 5K.

Mandi was there for me through fights with my family. I remember one time I had just had a huge fight with my mother, and I just grabbed my purse and drove to Mandi’s. We stood on her balcony smoking her American Spirit-strong-as-crap cigarettes and drinking Shiner while I cried and ranted. Mandi wasn’t just a listener, she told me I should basically tell my mother to “piss off” mostly, haha. Mandi wasn’t someone who dealt with drama. If enough drama went on, she walked away from stuff. So that was her solution for me. But she was a great friend for a time, we always had SO MUCH FUN when we hung out. I’m sad our friendship ended, but we just ended up growing too far apart for the friendship to survive. And that’s alright, sometimes it’s like that in life. I am grateful we were friends, it was great while it lasted.

Day 21: Karla Self

I met Karla through my sister, they are close friends, and Karla used to live across the street from us a few years ago. I ended up babysitting her son Noah, and even babysat for her sweet Haley a time or two, although she was always asleep.

Karla is another person who’s always been there for me when I needed advice or just an ear to talk off about problems with my mother. Knowing both Andrea and I, she knew what was going on and she always made a point to see how it was going and let me vent. She’s such a sweet, compassionate person. Her husband and children are so wonderful, too, they’re such a great family! She helped me to realize I needed to get a budget together to get my horrible finances under control, she showed me how to check my credit score to see what I was facing. She really is the one who got the ball rolling for me with regards to getting out of debt. She pushed me in the right direction, and Andrew helped me cross the finish line. She even helped to give a single mom the gift of Christmas presents for her children one year when I was talking to her about the situation. I wasn’t asking for her help, she just gave it. She’s an amazing lady!!

Karla, you have listened to me so much the last few years, and I always feel blessed that I got a chance to know you and that I can call you my friend. Thank you for all you have done for me, thank you for being the selfless person that you are, thanks for EVERYTHING!!

Day 20: Eric Yearwood

I met Eric at one of the dealerships I used to work out. He was a salesman, and he and I were quick friends, we ended up being really close. We hung out on the weekends constantly, seeing movies and eating at Chili’s or Mr. Gatti’s. At one point I thought I had feelings for him, and I told him so…let me tell you, THAT was embarrassing, haha! But he was really great about it, he didn’t judge me, and we still were friends like we’d always been afterwards. What I thought were romantic feelings were, I know now, just feelings of closeness that I’d never felt with a guy before. He and I got along SO WELL, I absolutely loved being around him. I think of us as kindred spirits, of sorts. He always makes me laugh and we have a blast. We could spend hours at a time talking about the most random things, driving around the city, and quoting movie lines (especially from Tropic Thunder). I love Eric as a friend, he is one of the best men I have ever met. He was a friend to me through a lot of personal things, and I don’t think he knows just how much he kept me sane through the drama in my life with work and personal problems. He’s another person I haven’t seen much, but that is because I met Andrew. Eric and I were both single when we spent our weekends together at the movies a lot. But once I met Andrew, that stopped, and I always am thinking, “I need to call Eric so we can all go out!” and I have only done that a handful of times.

Eric, you’ve been such a great friend to me, and I absolutely adore you! We seriously DO need to all get together, it’s been WAY too long since we met up for dinner and drinks. I am so blessed you were there for me then, and that you and I are still friends, even though “a nutless monkey could do your job.” ;)

American Idol: Week 4, Nights 1 and 2 Combined (Again)

This week we go to Top Ten, and if Haley (GAG!!) makes it through I will seriously reconsider going to see them on the tour. Just sayin'. =)

The theme this week is Motown!!! We should be in for some awesome performances, I'm expecting a lot out of Casey and Jacob...and I'm curious to see what James does, so let's get into it!

Casey is up first, and he's doing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." First off...the hair is not working. I don't know that he sounds that amazing, but I'm smiling anyways because he just is great to watch! I like him. Not his best performance, but this guy isn't going anywhere for a LONG time. So no worries!

My girl Thia has to have a comeback in the eyes of the judges. She picked "Heatwave", so I'm hoping that the judges really like her. I think she sounds great with the faster song. She's smiling and bopping around the stage...she's just adorable!! The judges didn't sound like they really liked it, though.

Jacob is singing a Marvin Gaye song I've never heard. I'm sorry, the voice is so velvety! He's amazing. I don't have enough nice things to say about him. I think he's vocal perfection. =) And I think the fact that he got a hug from Steven Tyler AND a standing ovation goes to show how unique and perfect this man's voice is.

Lauren needs to keep up her momentum from last week, and she's going with "You Keep Me Hanging On" this time. She did good, but I feel like with her voice, there was room for a lot more. It started to all sound the same, and she needed to jump up to a big power-note in there at the end. But oh well. She's alright, I think she did fine.

Stefano picked "Hello" by one of THE best singers, Lionel Richie. If he does it right, he will NAIL IT. I don't think he nailed it, but I think he still did a really good job. The arrangement was awesome! I agree with the judges, he wasn't believable. He sang great, but he didn't look like he was as angsty as the song requires.

Haley (GAG!!) is next. "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" is her song. I think she just sucks. The end.

I'm dying to see how Scotty tackles Motown, haha. He is going to sing "For Once In My Life" and I hope he does okay. I see someone hasn't shown him the cool way to hold a mic yet, hehe. I'm not loving this performance. At all. Cute kid, terrible performance.

I'm loving Pia more and more every week. She's singing a Stevie Wonder song I've never heard of. She sounded amazing, but I wish I'd known the song she sang. Killer notes, though. Wow. She can S-I-N-G.

Bradley Cooper...uh, I mean Paul, is next. Let's hope he doesn't stagger around looking drunk like he did last week, haha. He picked one of the BEST Motown songs, "Tracks of My Tears," and I think the acoustic guitar is AM AWESOME way to change up this song. This is my favorite performance of his. NAILED IT!!

If Naima is going to have a comeback, this will be the week. I want her to comeback. She's singing "Dancing In the Streets" and I reaaaaaaaaaaally want her to do well. She starts off pretty good. I think she did pretty DAMN good. The little African dance thing was really neat and different. I think she rocked it.

Ending with James, I've been DYING to see his performance. He's singing "Living For the City" by Stevie Wonder. Another song I've never heard of. I remember they did Motown another season, and the contestants picked WAY better songs. So this time was slightly disappointing. But, I digress. James is amaznig. The song seems lame. But I like how he's singing it.

Now for the results...I can't believe I made it to Sunday night without watching this, and NO ONE has ruined it for me. It's time for me to FINALLY see if justice will be served here, haha.

The intro thing said something about "expect the unexpected" across the screen, which suggests an upset of some kind? I certainly hope not...

I've never been a Marc Anthony fan, but he was really funny there with the contestants. And Stevie Wonder???? Holy cow, the contestants are SO LUCKY!!! Steven Tyler looked like he didn't know he was going to be there, haha. What a cool birthday surprise!!

Here we go, up first is Scotty, Pia, and Lauren. And they're all safe!

Yay!!! More funny videos, the wrestling stuff was hysterical!

James and Paul are both up, and they both have to be safe...Paul is kinda growing on me and he did really well. The trick to get Hulk Hogan out there was frickin' HILARIOUS!!!!!!! I was scared when Ryan said they were both not safe...

Jacob, Thia, and Stefano...my three favorites. I doubt they are all safe, and I'm scared. Jacob's safe, no shock there. I am thinking maybe Stefano is the one in danger. Then Ryan announces Thia and Stefano BOTH are in danger.

Naima, Haley (GAG!), and Casey are left. It's gotta be Haley (GAG!!) joining them on the stools. She cannot be on the tour. More importantly, Casey has to be safe, and Naima EARNED her spot this week. AND NAIMA IS SAFE! I'm thrilled, she really did well and deserves this. Casey is not safe. And that little skank is. I don't want any of those three to go home.

Um, Jennifer Hudson didn't win American Idol. Ryan's losing his mind, haha. We had to rewind to see if I'd heard that right. I thought he might correct himself after she sang, but he didn't.

The first person to be pulled off the stools is Thia. I thought it would be Casey. Stefano and Casey don't deserve to be sitting there together. Haley (GAG!!) should be in their spot. Casey is the very bottom???? I could see the judges saving him. Lo and behold, the judges don't let him finish singing before they tell him he's SAFE. The save is used so early, so there's no hope from here on out. Everything is final.

And two people should be going home next week. SHE had better be one of them.

Day 19: The Man Who Brought Us Together

Short and sweet on this one…Dr. Neil Warren created a site in 2000 called eHarmony, and is therefore responsible for many happy couples in the world. Andrew and I are one such couple. I’m not the kind of girl that would approach guys, I spent my free time with my group of girlfriends, and I wasn’t meeting anyone in the produce aisle in the grocery store. So eHarmony was THE best option for me, and it took a little time, but I was matched with Andrew. I’m so happy with him, we are so blessed that eHarmony was there.

Thank you, Dr. Warren!! You are our Cupid. =)

Day 18: Jason and Alison Stipp

I haven’t known Jason and Alison very long, but I just adore them! They have two of the most precious children, so Andrew and I are able to get our kid-fix while we wait for our own blessing. What I am most thankful for with them is that we have such a wonderful couple to double-date with. More often than not we end up at The Melting Pot, and we just have so much fun. It’s great because Andrew doesn’t get to see too many of his friends all that often, so it’s a treat for him especially. Plus he and Jason talk about work drama, and that’s good for Andrew. He doesn’t like to tell me about it because he doesn’t like to bring work home like that (even though I do it to him all the time, haha).

All in all, I am so thankful we have these two wonderful people in our life, they are always great to hang out with! I look forward to many more double-dates as time goes on! Plus, Alison, I will be bugging you for baby advice when the time gets here, I’m sure! =)

***I had this already typed out and ready to post on the blog. What's funny is that we went to TMP with Jason and Alison tonight, and she told me how she has been following my blog. So I decided that tonight was the night to post about them. Thank you guys, you both are so much fun to hang out with and we absolutely love our time with you!

Day 17: Teachers

I had some of the best teachers when I was in elementary school. In 4th grade it was Mrs. Loeliger; 6th grade brought me Mrs. Caley, Mrs. Engleson, and Ms. Ryzak; and there was this substitute teacher, Mr. Hamilton, that always sought to inspire us. We never did school work with him, really: we always got to hear fantastic stories while he gave us “busy work”. I can picture him like I just saw him, and I randomly will think of him. He was the guy that told us any of us could be President or a doctor or a firefighter or whatever we wanted to be. He encouraged us all that he could and every child, from the bully to the shy kid, was ecstatic when we came into class and saw him standing there waiting for us.

The other teachers encouraged my writing dream. I was a kid, writing silly stories in my personal binder, and turning in writing exercises. My teachers always made a point to tell me that my writing was really great and that I should pursue a career in it someday if I was passionate. I would let Mrs. Loeliger read my personal stories, and she loved them. Or said she did, I don’t know…I always figured they were just saying that at the time. But then my senior English teacher, Mrs. Clay, told me the same thing. In the years since, it’s meant a lot to me. I have at any given time two or three ideas for books, and I never write them down. It’s mostly fear. I don’t want to put myself out there with something that means this much to me and have anyone criticize me. My most recent idea is a kids’ series about a rambunctious and precocious orange kitty named Dewey that has all sorts of adventures. Haha…what can I say, I use stuff around me to formulate ideas.

In any case, the stories will most likely stay in my head, but their encouragement was always appreciated. Mrs. DeFino in junior high was great, too. She pushed me to join Academic Pentathlon and signed me up for her AP history class in the 8th grade so I could have her a second year in a row. She told me I was smart and I believed her and appreciated her for it. I like that I had some good teachers mixed in there, with all the blah or bad ones. That’s what teachers are supposed to do, encourage and nurture their students. I am grateful for the handful that did that for me…it meant a lot, even if I never follow their advice. Who knows, maybe someday… =)

Day 16: Heartbreaks

There’s a Rascal Flatts song that says everything I feel about past relationships and men that made me cry:

“I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn’t see how every sign pointed straight to you…

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true:
God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you.”

I was the woman who could appreciate Andrew when he was brought into my life because of the lessons in “love” that I learned over the years. I knew what I wanted, I knew what I needed, and I knew what I deserved. And I wasn’t going to settle for less like I’d tried many times before. I may not be the skinniest or prettiest girl out there, but I have a big heart and I deserved love.

I love my husband, and I am grateful daily for him and for our life together. And my past has everything to do with who I am today, so that includes those that broke my heart. So I am thankful today for the tears shed and lessons learned from them, even if I wasn’t at the time. God knew what He was doing. =)

Day 15: Alexis Boots

Oh, Alexis…the craziest person I have ever met, haha. There was a time, not too long after I started at Sewell, when my mother was angry at me for something I didn’t do. It came up in the argument that I could leave if I wanted to. I didn’t argue, I was miserable as hell anyways, so I grabbed some stuff and left. But I had no where to go. My best friend was in Houston going to school and my sister was living in Arizona. I drove around crying and calling a few people from my phone list, but no one was answering. Then I came across a number of a coworker, a sales girl who I had known for about 2 weeks. She was loud and in-your-face at work and didn’t seem like the kind of person I would mesh well with. But she’d insisted I take her number so we could hang out sometime. Feeling down and needing someone to talk to, I called her to vent. A few hours later she had me set up on a mattress in her living room, she lived with her boyfriend (a mutual coworker of ours) and they didn’t hesitate for a second to take me in indefinitely. They didn’t require I pay any bills, but I paid for groceries and stuff here and there. I was there for 6 months, and I have been grateful for Alexis in my life EVERY DAY since then. She turned out to be just as crazy and wild as I thought, but there was so much more to her I wouldn’t have seen had I not called her that night. She has a heart bigger than anyone I’ve ever met, and she’s fiercely loyal. We can go weeks or months at a time without talking and pick up like nothing happened. She’s moved around a lot and I rarely see her, but I always get so giddy when I do. She was my angel years ago when she helped me out, and I love her to death.

She was able to bring out what little crazy/wild side I had when I was around her back in the day. We had a lot of good times. There was one night she and I got TRASHED at a bar about two miles from where we lived (one of those few times since my 21st birthday). She’s a better functioning drunk than I am, and she had to sober up instantly to help me put one foot in front of the other that night. She picked me up off of the concrete in our parking lot after I’d vomited electric blue all over the place, and somehow got me in the apartment, undressed from my clothes, dressed in my pajamas, and onto my mattress all tucked in. Now, I am 5’10” and I’m not a skinny person. Alexis is 5’3”. The fact that she moved around my mostly limp body to do all of this was a feat, haha.

But the thing I’m most thankful for with Alexis was her encouragement of me to join eHarmony. I thought it would make me a loser to resort to meeting someone online, but she started telling me about couples she knew who had met off of there, and she convinced me to give it a shot. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know that I ever would’ve gotten on there. And if I hadn’t gotten on there, I wouldn’t have met Andrew. So I am indebted to her for so much.

Alexis, I adore you. You’ve been such an integral part of my life, and it was you who really made me start to love myself and believe in myself. I always referred to you as my personal cheerleader, there wasn’t a DAY that went by without you telling me half a dozen things that were great about me. You made me hold my chin up high and feel like I was worth something, and there’s no possible way to ever thank you enough for that. I can’t imagine where I would be today had the Lord not brought us together. I love you so much!!!

Day 14: Frank and Ilene Kehoe

Sara has some of the best parents out there! I’ve adored them since the day I met them, some 12 years ago. They’ve always been very welcoming to me and have treated me like an honorary daughter (they do this with Robyn, too). They’re just loving people, and I just love them. I remember when we were all getting our picture taken for pre-prom pictures, we met up at Sara’s house. Then we all walked to an area in the neighborhood where there was a pretty backdrop of water and trees, and took a ton of pictures. We didn’t do a limo for prom, we just drove in a group of cars. As we were pulling away, we saw Sara’s parents walking back to their house with an arm around each other. It was so sweet…her parents have always seemed so happy and loving to each other. It wasn’t something I’d ever really seen, and I always think “I hope my husband and I are that happy and in love when we have been married for that long.” Her parents always were fine with (and often encouraged) slumber parties at their house. They loved having us all over there. We were never too loud, we all have the utmost respect for the Kehoes.

As I was preparing for my wedding day, Sara’s mom was wonderful. She’d e-mail Sara and have her pass on little ideas or things she’d heard about for me. She gave us a few decorations which made their way into a few of the centerpieces we had. She continued the tradition of Sara’s friends sleeping over the night before their wedding. She and Frank showed up earlier than the other guests to help Andrew and the Dudek brothers with the food. During my reception, the Kehoes were often in the kitchen, cleaning up and getting everything packed up and ready to send to our place with Sara. I had been stressing about who was going to help me with things like cleanup and stuff during and after the reception, because I felt bad inviting people and asking them to work, but I knew I couldn’t ask hardly anyone from my family to do it. My honorary parents helped without any complaint or hesitation. I tell Sara all the time that when Andrew and I have kids that we’re adopting her parents as our children’s’ grandparents, haha. They’re just terrific.

Frank and Ilene, you guys have always been so wonderful to me over the years. I love you both dearly!!! Thank you for everything, I’m so blessed to know you both!

Day 13: October 31, 2004

My 21st birthday was great…my Blockbuster family took me to this place downtown called Have A Nice Day Café, and they proceeded to pass drinks in front of me as if they were on a conveyor belt. I drank A LOT. It’s funny, when we first got there, I went to the bathroom while I was still sober, and I wouldn’t touch the seat, I did the tough-to-do-girl-peeing-standing-up thing. By the end of the night, Margaret’s husband Cesar had to come into the women’s restroom to help me out to the car: and I was sitting on the N-A-S-T-Y floor, with my head in a toilet puking. That’s how drunk I was, I wasn’t even concerned about how gross everything was. My cousin Trish drove me home, where she didn’t bother to tell me I shouldn’t puke out of a window when driving down the highway. I had drank several (disgusting) Royal F**ks that night, so I was covered in that oh-so-lovely red color by the time we got home. It was 3 in the morning. Now, Trish is a dwarf, and there was no way she was going to help me into the house. When I opened the car door, I literally fell out onto the grass…where I promptly puked again. She had to call Robert, who was 17 at the time, and he grabbed my shirt at the shoulder with two fingers and guided me into the house to settle me in the bathroom. He took off my shoes and socks, and came back with pajamas. I left my dirty clothes on the floor, which he took care of, and when he led me into my room, he had covered my bed with towels and set out a couple of trashcans. He then told me I owed him one and that I was an idiot, and went back to bed. He was so sweet. =)

I learned a lesson that night: do not drink a lot, it’s absolutely awful during and LONG after. I have only faltered two times since then, one of which has caused me to not ever drink that much again. I don’t like the effects of drinking, so I don’t do it very often. I'm glad I had that experience because I learned early-on that drinking to get drunk isn't a good idea pretty much 100% of the time. I was lucky enough to have a ride home that night. Anytime I start to feel buzzed when I’m (rarely) drinking, I have a flashback of that night six and a half years ago, and I try to slow it down, eat something, or drink some water. Lesson learned. =)

Remember Alex Brown Foundation

Today, March 21st, is National Day of Awareness. R.A.B. (Remembering Alex Brown) wants to raise awareness about the dangers of texting and driving. Some of you may have seen them on an episode of Extreme Home Makeover. If you didn't and haven't heard their story, I strongly urge you to visit their website: www.rememberalexbrownfoundation.org, or follow them on Facebook. Take the pledge online that you will stop texting and driving. I saw a statistic online that said while you're 4x more likely to get in an accident if you drink and drive, you are 8X more likely to get into an accident if you text and drive. There's nothing you need to text that is more important than your life or the lives of others.

Donating to their foundation is another way to help. We did so, and I got a bumper stick for my car (proudly displayed on my back window right now) and we have little thumb bands that are coming in the mail. They are like the LiveStrong bracelets, except they are little orange bands for your thumb, to remind you not to text and drive. I think ALL of us know someone with a cell phone, and at some point they have texted while driving. Maybe you are guilty of that yourself, I can admit that I used to do it. I don't anymore. I took the pledge not to, and I took that very seriously. It's hard to hear about Alex Brown and not imagine how you would feel if that was YOUR child/sister/friend.

So many people think "I've done it before, it won't happen to me, I'm good at it, I'm a good enough driver, I'm still paying attention when I'm texting real quick"...but the truth is that it's dangerous and it's a growing problem.

I hope at least one of you that reads this checks out their website, reads the story, and takes the pledge. I would obviously love ALL of you to do that, but we all go about our day thinking, "I don't have time to go watch that, I know it's a no-no already." But today is a special day. It's a day to raise awareness. Please, PLEASE take a few minutes of your time to read about this. Pass the message on to your loved ones. This could happen to any of us, and we have to do our part to make sure it doesn't.

To the Brown family, your story has touched me deeply, and I am so glad that you are doing everything you can to stop other families from going through what you went through. You changed my bad habit. My husband watched your episode and told me about it, and we made the pledge and donated that night. I've been following you on Facebook and I want you to know I am doing my part to spread your message. God bless you all.

Day 12: Best Coworkers Ever

Blockbuster Video…one of the best and most exhausting jobs I have ever had, and probably will EVER have. I was so blessed to have this job. I graduated from high school in 2002, and I started work in August at the brand new Super Target that had opened near my house. My friend Vicki and I got hired together, and we helped turn the old Montgomery Ward store into a Super Target. So I worked there through Black Friday and into December, decided me and retail weren’t meant to be, and I left. I started the job hunt just after Christmas, and it was brutal. I had 4 months at Super Target under my belt, so I had little to no experience. I got through a few months with babysitting alone, but I had my first car (a PRECIOUS yellow 2003 Volkswagen Beetle) so the car payment needed to be paid. Babysitting was barely cutting it.

My last stop before class one day was at a Blockbuster near my community college. The manager seemed like a complete tool and didn’t sound encouraging about anything. I filled out an application on their little kiosk, talked with him for a few minutes, and then went on my way. A few weeks later they called to say I got the job, and I was thrilled! My two older siblings had worked at Blockbuster and they had seemed to really enjoy it. Plus, I got 5 free movie rentals a week and access to movies before they hit the shelves. What could be better than that???

My coworkers, actually. Shortly after I arrived, the manager left and a new guy, Mike, came in. Then three kids from my old high school were hired, and we were all the Dream Team for a little while. We GENUINELY were like family. We covered without hesitation for each other, and the dynamic was something you just don’t find in many businesses. The assistant managers were LuCinda, Christy, Margaret, and Quan. I adored them. When I wasn’t working or at school, I was quite often up at the store visiting with them and pitching in here and there. I was miserable at home a lot, and they never seemed to be bothered by this 18-year old hanging around. They listened to my boy troubles, family troubles, anything and everything. I was even a bridesmaid in Margaret’s wedding. We all hung out outside of work a lot.

Working alongside Edgar, Stephanie and the high school guys (Eric, Brian, and Andrew) was awesome, we immediately started acting like siblings: joking and laughing constantly while on shift. None of us could be called lazy (except our manager, Mike, haha), we all busted our butts. We had a pretty big store and there was constantly stuff to do. This was MUCH better than Target, my detail-oriented-obsessive-compulsive personality thrived there. If someone offered me a time machine to go back and relive those days, I would. I LOOOOOOVED my job there, as exhausting and draining as it could be. You were constantly moving, there was no standing around looking bored. Towards the end of my time there, a few of the assistant managers started showing me closing duties and giving me slightly more things to do, they knew I liked to stay busy to pass time and they thought I’d maybe one day like to be an assistant manager myself.

Sadly, I was horribly underpaid at Blockbuster, I think almost all of them were. We worked SO FRICKIN’ HARD each and every day, and I was only making $7.10 an hour. I ended up taking on two other part-time jobs while I worked there. Monday through Friday my schedule was working from early in the morning until around 2:00 as a nanny, then driving to Sewell to work from 3:00-7:00, and then off to work at Blockbuster until midnight. Usually two nights I was off from Blockbuster, mostly during the week since I had more time for Blockbuster on weekends and wanted the hours. Saturdays brought a 10-hour day at Sewell, then I’d leave a little after 5:00 to close at Blockbuster (which was 1am on the weekends). Sunday I worked at my church in childcare from 8:30-12:30, then went and worked at Blockbuster. It was during this time that I had my own place for the first time, and I needed all of these jobs to afford my rent, bills, and still have fun money. Being bad at managing money and being exhausted all the time, I had to quit Blockbuster and nannying to work just at Sewell, which meant I moved back home. I hated to leave Blockbuster, but The Gang was already starting to break up and move on to different things. The only one still there to this day is Stephanie, who is also the one I talk to the most still. I have Margaret and LuCinda on Facebook, and Andrew (husband) and I had Andrew (coworker) as a waiter recently at Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill. But other than that, I’ve lost touch with everyone. That’s fine, of course, I always think back on my time at Blockbuster as a fun time. Being right out of high school and trying to decide what I wanted to be, not to mention dealing with friends going away to school and not seeing the same people I used to hang with anymore, was a trying time in my life. And I know that I made it through SOLELY because I had the biggest support system I could’ve hoped for. They each meant so much to me, and still do. We were the most bad-ass Blockbuster around, haha, and I will always be eternally grateful for my Blockbuster family.

Day 11: Jennifer Salter and Brandi Abel

These two special ladies were my coworkers when I spent about 6 months in the accounting office at the Plano dealership I work at. They have both since remained my friends now that we all three are doing different things within Sewell.

Jennifer trained me how to do certain things when I came to Plano, and we spent some time talking about ourselves. I learned that she is a mom like few others. This woman was meant to have kids. She’s so kind and patient and loving, her kids are so lucky to have her as their mother. Her whole face lights up when she talks about her kids, they are everything to her. She’s definitely a role model for me for when I have children. And she learned all about the dysfunctions of my family, and always checks in and asks how things are going. She listens and always says the just right thing, she’s fantastic! We share a love of chocolate, too, haha. She’s been known to come hand me a chocolate when it’s been a particularly rough day. =)

Brandi cracks me up! She’s funny and bubbly and is someone that EVERY SINGLE PERSON that I work with adores. When Brandi is here to relieve me for lunch, it seems like half the dealership makes a special trip by to say hi to her. I usually spend my lunch sitting just outside in the closed off hallway so I can chat with her on my break, since it’s the only time I get to see her. Brandi is a wonderful mother, too, and is another one of those people that was just meant to have kids. She’s just a good person all around, her kids are going to grow up feeling so loved!

Girls, you have listened to me venting on so many things and have always been there and supported me. We’ve sat here, at work, and comforted each other when things just get so bad we needed to step away and cry and be heard. Working at Plano wouldn’t be nearly what it is without you two, and you both know what I’m talking about and that I’m super grateful for everything. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

Day 10: Frank Buswell

American Idol's Pia has me thinking about my grandfather, so he's my Lent blog post for today...

I never got to meet my grandfather on my dad’s side, so Grampa was all I had. Anyone will tell you that when I was a little girl, I was THE grandchild for him. We had a very special relationship. He lived in Arlington, and we only saw him a couple of times a year. But I looked forward to them more than anything. I never felt as loved as I did when my grandfather was over. We were pen pals when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade, we mailed cards and letters to each other. My favorite one was a card with a joke on it, and I never got it when I was a kid, it didn’t make sense. I never asked anyone, though, and I had saved them in a box. I found them when moving to Allen a few years ago, and I remember laughing when I came across that card in particular, because I finally got it…it went like this: “Do you know the difference between toilet paper and the shower curtain?” You open the card and it says: “Aha!! So YOU’RE the one!” Haha…love it. My grandfather was wonderful, and I wish I could’ve spent more time with him. He died while I was working at Blockbuster, when I was around 20. When I was little I always thought that as soon as I got a car I’d go see him more often. But school and work happened, and I never did that…which I regret. The last time I saw him he was in the hospital, and he didn’t recognize me, and after everything that had happened in our history that crushed me. My mother went up to see him several more times after that, but I couldn’t bear to go back and see him like that. I choose to keep my memory of him as it was when I was little.

He loved to tease people, and I didn’t escape that just because I was a kid. When I was in preschool, I apparently came home upset one day and he was there and I was explaining that I’d gone down the slide and a boy had seen my purple Minnie Mouse underwear. There was hardly a time in my life when I’d see him after that when he wouldn’t look at me and go, “So, Jamie, have you showed your underwear to any boys lately?” It always made me laugh…I miss him. So much. I have a picture of him holding me on his lap when I was a kid, and it’s framed in my living room.

Grampa, I love and miss you so much. You may not have been a perfect man, but you were a wonderful grandfather and visits from you made my year. I never told you how much the cards and the underwear joke and all of it meant to me, but hopefully you knew. Thanks for making me feel so special and loved!

Week 3: Night 1 & 2 Combined

The theme this week is Songs From the Year they were born, complete with baby pictures and home videos.

Naima sang "What's Love Got To Do With It?", which is a song that I love so much. I didn't like the way she started, she doesn't sound as good as she did in her first audition and through Hollywood week. I like where she TRIED to go with the song, but I didn't like the way she sounded. She's got the drive and the energy, and I've seen better from her so I know she's got the talent. The fact that Steven liked it shows that HE is this season's Paula, not J-Lo.

Paul chose "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John, which is another song I love. He sounds SO MUCH BETTER this week than I think he's sounded since they ended Hollywood week. That weird, raspy voice really sounded good. I always do find myself wishing he would hit some slightly bigger notes or just hold one for more than a second or two. I think it would up his performance level a few notches. He was sick, but I haven't heard big notes when he wasn't sick...

Thia was singing a song from 1995...I was 12. Some of these kids are so young! She picked "Colors of the Wind", AGAIN a song I love. And I love Thia, I think her tone is perfect for this song. Her voice is so soothing and smooth. I am amazed every time Thia is singing, I think she's truly great. I got goosebumps while she was singing. I do agree with Randy that she is singing a lot of soft songs, but I don't think she was "boring."

I was curious as to what James was going to sing, and "I'll Be There For You" by Bon Jovi is a great pick. Not a song I'm overly fond of, but I like what he did with it. Not his best performance, but the guy is good and everyone knows he can rock it.

Haley (GAG!!) took on "I'm Your Baby Tonight" by Whitney Houston. I still think that her voice is whiny and nasal-y. I don't like her. Just don't. And she's no Whitney, she did a terrible job.

Stefano did "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Simply Red, which is a great song. I thought he sounded a-MAZ-ing!! He did a fantastic job. The only thing I would say is negative is that he didn't really make it current. But after his end note, I didn't really care, haha. I loved how they panned to his mom and she had her hand on her chest and was saying "I love him" to the lady next to her...so cute!

Pia's version of "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was current, with the beat and all of that. I didn't like her big notes in the first part, but she definitely brought it by the middle of the song. I like her a little more every week. And I was touched by her talking about her grandfather (might even influence my Lent post today), it made her more personable. She did a great job.

I thought Scotty's Elvis video footage was really funny!! Totally showed a more likable side (loved that his parents poked fun at his Hollywood song choice, haha). He picked a Travis Tritt song I'd never heard of. He still holds the mic two-handed like a baby who is just learning to hold their own bottle, but the song was okay. Very country. He always sounds the same. But at least I like him a little more after that video.

Karen is someone that I don't think can cut it next to most of the other contestants. Her mom was sweet, though, it was cute to watch. "Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne is a song I have loved since I first heard it (I bought a CD a few years ago JUST for that song). I just didn't think Karen had the power that she needed for the song. Her hair looked silly, too. Plus it bugged me that she said she didn't want people to think of her as just a Spanish singer, that she could "do other things" and yet she still had to throw her Spanish line in there. While she seems like a super sweet girl, she's not going to go much farther.

It's easy to see where Casey gets his goofball-ness, his parents were funny. He sang a Nirvana song, and I think I'm the only person ever who doesn't know a single Nirvana song. I've heard MENTION of the one Casey sang, but never heard it. While he was singing, I thought to myself "clearly I'm not missing anything..." Not my kind of music at all. And I don't like Casey singing this kind of music, he's way better than that...screamfest, I think best describes it.

Lauren's sick, apparently, which is unfortunate because she's overdue for redemption. She took on "I'm the Only One" and it's crucial that she nail it...and I think she pretty much did. She had a real country flair to it, and that made it interesting. That is MILES and MILES better than the last few times we have seen her!! I'm glad she's back!

Could that baby picture of Jacob in the red hat have been any cuter?!?! He picked a FABULOUS song, "Alone" by Heart. Celine Dion has done a great version of this song, even Glee killed this song. So I had high hopes that Jacob would be amazing. The man never lets me down. He's just...I don't have words. I want a CD of songs by him now. I don't care what my sister says, I think this man is a genius. I think Jacob, as well as several other contestants, really benefited from the little video before the performance. This is something we usually get a lot of when they go from 24 to 12 contetsants, on the smaller stage. We haven't gotten a chance to see a lot of behind the scenes stuff about them personally, and that is so key to liking a contestant. We need to see more of these videos, it goes hand-in-hand with their singing talent.

I watched the results show immediately after the performances, so let's jump right in.

We got more little interviews from the contestants...love it!

Jacob, Lauren, and Casey are up first...Jacob is safe (naturally), Lauren's safe (she earned it), and Casey is safe, too, although Ryan got him thinking he was in trouble. =)

Haley (GAG!!) and Paul are up next. I personally think it's obvious which one of these two should be in the bottom three, and I just love being right. Paul's safe, Haley (GAG!!) is in danger.
Lee DeWyze is singing, yay! He was so adorable!! I just love his voice, I wish he was more successful. Maybe he will get there, his album's coming out so hopefully it will be a big hit.

Scotty, Pia, and James are called next. I wouldn't be sorry to see Scotty sit next to Haley (GAG!!). But he's safe. All three are, which is good.

Stefano and Naima...sad to say, but I think Naima deserves to be in the bottom three. Stefano does not. America agreed with me, Stefano is safe. One more person left for the bottom three.

Thia and Karen...it better be Karen. And it is. I think America got the bottom three right.

The Black-Eyed Peas are next...but I'm so over them since the Superbowl. I just don't think they're much good anymore. Fergie looked terrible between the dress, the hair, the lack of makeup, the weird random neon colors...fast forward.

Alright, let's get back to the results. The first person safe is...it's Naima! Wow, I thought she was doomed. Hopefully she comes back stronger next week.

Karen and Haley (GAG!!) are left...and it's Karen who's going home. I don't think the judges are going to save her. She's just not a strong singer, and she showed that by picking Mariah Carey as her last song to show the judges what she has, or rather DOESN'T have.

And she's going home, it's clear Jennifer wanted to save her. But it was just her time.

Ready for next week, we need a MENTOR!!! I'm ready for the celebs to come in and work with everyone.

Day 9: Nela and Paul Moore

When I was 15 (almost 16), a lady called my mother to say she’d been given Andrea’s name as a babysitter. For whatever reason, Andrea wasn’t able to do it, so my mother suggested me to the lady. She seemed hesitant, wanting someone older. She was willing to try me to see how it worked out, though. That was how I came to meet the lady I love as a second mother and the wonderful kid that is as much a brother to me as my biological ones. Nela Moore hired me as a babysitter for her son, Paul, and it was the most rewarding babysitting job I’d ever had. I was there Wednesday nights, sometimes a few extra nights if she needed me. I was a sophomore in high school so she had to pick me up and drive me home every night. It was about a 15-20 minute drive each way, but she never seemed to mind. Paul was 10 when I met him, and we got along so well. We watched movies and cooked macaroni and cheese and listened to pop music (this was during my *NSYNC days, and Paul loved them too!), and laughed like CRAZY. This is a special kid (you’ll always be a kid to me, Paul) and it was just such a special time.

My junior year, Nela flew me out to babysit Paul while she was in Los Angeles, and it was so amazing! Paul and I were confined to the hotel while Nela was working, but that didn’t bother us ONE BIT. This was a very famous hotel, I found out as we explored the entire place. The Westin Bonaventure is one of the most photographed buildings in the world, has been in countless movies and TV shows, and is referred to as a “city within a city”, which we CERTAINLY found to be true. There was a place here that had THE BEST smoothies, and I think Paul and I got at least two everyday. He always got peach, I got strawberry. We spent tons of our money on souvenirs, we rode the outward-facing glass elevators to the top to get pictures (Paul hated this, but he was a good sport), and we just had the time of our lives. When Nela wasn’t working, we got to explore the city a bit. We saw the Walk of Fame and put our hands and feet in the concrete of our favorite stars. We did a bus tour and went to Disneyland. We had SO MUCH FUN. And on top of all of that, Nela still paid me to babysit, the only thing about the whole trip that I paid for was souvenirs and smoothies.

When Nela would drive me home from babysitting, Paul was usually asleep in the backseat. She and I would have very deep conversations about all sorts of things: school, boys, teachers, friends, my hard times with my mother…she always listened and gave me great advice. I’ve always thought of her as a mom, she’s been unbelievably wonderful to me. When they moved to New Mexico not long after the LA trip, I was devastated. But when I graduated from high school, her gift to me was to fly me out for a whole week to spend with her and Paul, and it was so much fun! We ate lunch at High Noon, a restaurant on top of a mountain (I’m not joking, we had to ride an airlift thing to get up there). We drove to Tao and did some fabulous shopping, and we ended up deciding to stay at a nearby bed and breakfast on a whim. We had to stop and buy toiletries and other stuff, we hadn’t packed a thing. I stayed up all night reading books that were in my room, and I watched the sun rise over the mountains outside my window. In the valley right below, there were prairie dogs running around and popping in and out of hundreds of holes. There were probably 50 different animals running around, it was hilarious. Another amazing trip…

Paul and Nela are back in town, now, and I don’t get to see them as often as I like. Work and living on opposite sides of the city get in the way. They met Andrew on Paul’s 21st birthday last year (it amazes me that he’s in his 20’s now, I remember the cute 10-year old with the chili-bowl hair cut and huge, goofy grin) and they loved him. I was so incredibly happy that they were at my wedding, I sat them with family because they are 100% my family. Nela has been there when I needed her most, and Paul has been a friend and brother to me since the day I met him.

I love both of you so very, very much. I am beyond blessed to have you in my life, some of my best memories ever are with the two of you. THANK YOU!!

Day 8: Holly Miller and Zach Dudek

I had met a lot of Andrew’s family before we made the trip up to Indiana in 2009. I had met his older brothers Ryan and Jon as well as his younger brother Jake and Jake’s wife, Jenny. All of them had been wonderful and welcoming and I was excited to meet the rest of the gang.

We stayed with Andrew’s youngest brother, Zach, when we went up there. He and his girlfriend, Holly, were getting ready to have a baby girl. It was late when we got in, but Zach and Holly still stayed up to visit with us for awhile and I adored them immediately. Zach reminded me of my younger brother, Robert, and I recognized a kindred spirit in Holly. We are a lot alike!

The next week consisted of a ton of drama and hurt feelings during a week that was supposed to be wonderful, since Andrew and I got engaged our first full day there. Everything was hectic and chaotic for the most part. But we stayed with Zach and Holly the whole time and often had a ton of down time with just them, and those were my favorite parts of the trip (outside getting engaged, of course!). I’d asked Holly to be a bridesmaid before we left to come back to Texas, that’s how much I instantly liked her!

A year and a half later, we are planning a trip to see them in Atlanta when they move in April. We Skype with them when we can, and we talk on the phone all the time with them. They stayed with us while they were down here for our wedding, and we sadly didn’t get enough time with them. Between wedding prep and all that, we just got caught up in stuff to do, and when they left all four of us were very sad.

Zach, Holly, and little Amelia…you guys are so great, and I hope you know how much I love you guys. What you did for me the first time we stayed with you was so appreciated. Zach, I give you grief more often than not about stuff, but you really have been like a brother to me…hell, I talk to you more than my own brothers, haha! You remind me a lot of Andrew, which makes you A-OK in my book. Holly…your tell-it-like-it-is attitude and silly nature were just what I needed that week, and you’ve been just as awesome ever since. I say to Andrew all the time how much I wished you two lived down here. We talk all the time, but I wish we could just hang out whenever we wanted. And your precious Amelia…Andrew and I just love getting to Skype with you guys so we can see her. We love you all SO MUCH!!!!

I adore all of Andrew’s family, I truly do! Jon, Jake and Jenny, Ryan, Jim and Elaine, and all of the cousins I have met through Facebook (and Lisa, who I met in person, along with her mom Jeanne)…you’re all so great. You all have welcomed me and I’m so happy to be a part of your family!

Day 7: It Could've Ended Tragically...

I really didn’t rebel much as a teenager. I was afraid of my mother's reaction too much, and I watched my sister pushing the envelope with my mother and I did NOT want that to be me. So my hi-jinks with Holly and Stefanie were really all I had, and I had never told my mother about roaming the neighborhoods on foot with Stefanie.

Sometime during my junior year, I started talking to some guys through AOL chat rooms. I ended up meeting two of them in person. The first guy picked me up and dropped me back off at my house after a movie, and the second guy I met at the mall and we walked around talking and he drove me home. As I’ve gotten older and have read the news about girls doing that same thing and never making it home again, and I know that I am lucky to be alive, for which I have only God to thank. I was doing something potentially fatal, and the Lord put two boys in my path that were nice, honest people and I stayed safe. I deserved the grounding I got when my ex-boyfriend told his mom when I mentioned it to him at school months later, and she in turn called MY mother. I was grounded from the computer my entire senior year and I almost wasn’t allowed to go to the prom.

I am almost glad that I have that experience, I feel like I will be better prepared than my mother was (chat rooms were a relatively new thing back then) and will be more vigilant about my kids being online for hours at a time. It’s a scary world out there, and I don’t want my kids doing what I did.

Day 6: Stefanie Torres

Stefanie absolutely ROCKS!!!! I was so, so, SO sad when she moved to Nebraska our 8th grade year, but we spent the end of our 7th grade year and that whole summer being pretty much inseparable. She was my best friend. If I wasn’t at her house, she was at mine…but I was mostly at hers. Holly David had been part of my first rebellion against my mother, and Stefanie was my next partner in crime, haha. Her house was probably a two minute drive from mine, and we CONSTANTLY went for walks around her neighborhood, we walked to the Sub and Soda shop for sandwiches and ice cream, and we walked to Minyard’s. Both of those places were just two blocks from her house. But the catch was that we had to walk along the sidewalk of Jupiter, a main road for that area and one I was always afraid my mom would drive down and see me. I would never have been allowed back to hang out again. She never caught us, thank goodness, and Stefanie and I were constantly outside that summer. We were such stalkers, we looked up the hot guys from Apollo Junior High and walked past their houses if they were close. We giggled and thought we were so cool, haha.

We had nicknames from a group slumber party the night we met. We were all playing Twister, and it was down to her and me. I finally won, and I teasingly referred to her as “Loser” for the rest of the night. Then I scared her by convincing her Tara’s pet hamster/gerbil/whatever had gotten out and was near her sleeping bag, so from then on she was the “Gullible Loser”, and she started calling me “Texas Giant.” We were so dumb, haha. But I didn’t care, and I still don’t. She introduced me to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (I will be eternally grateful), and we jammed out to “Barbie Girl” all the time: she had it on cassette. We clung to each other in absolute terror watching “When A Stranger Calls” and swore we’d never babysit (I later babysat, as I’m sure she did). I remember one time she had her hot neighbor give us a ride to Minyard’s in his Jeep, we sat in the back, not seat belted in (we had to look cool for the older guy)…we’re lucky nothing ever happened to us, haha. Every single memory is a fond one…even the one where we threw her a surprise party when she was leaving. He poodle tried to attack us while we set up, and her Doberman (I miss Roxy…) jumped the 6-foot fence right as we finished the cake and other sweets and we had to chase her through the neighborhood. A couple of us threw up from running with just sugar in our tummies.

Stef, I miss you all the time!! Little things like Ben and Jerry’s or “Barbie Girl” make me think of you. I’m glad we are able to keep in touch through Facebook. You’re one of my favorite people ever, and I’m so thankful you were in my life back then! You helped me get a lot of rebelling out of my system when I needed to!

Day 5: Holly David

When I was in the 6th grade, there was a new girl in class. I didn’t have many friends in elementary school at all, and I assumed this new girl would be scooped up by the popular crowd. She was pretty and thin (the necessary requirements for snobby girls like the ones I went to school with as a kid), so I was sure she wouldn’t be MY friend. But I was wrong. Holly was a great friend to me that year, despite that fact that my mother made it clear this was NOT someone she wanted me to hang out with. Maybe it was because Holly was 12 and allowed to be dropped off by herself at the mall and other things like that. I certainly wasn’t allowed to do that. But I did, that year. Holly had me come over to hang out, and her mom dropped us off at the Galleria to walk around for awhile. It was the most exciting thing I’d ever done up to that point, haha. I didn’t tell my mother; however, I told my nosey little brother. Robert ratted me out one night at dinner, and I was in HUGE trouble. It didn’t stop me from being friends with Holly, though, or stop me from starting to realize my mother might be a TAD bit too strict and that other kids’ mothers weren’t the same way.

Holly and I lost touch with each other in the 7th grade, which was 1996/1997. We ended up in the same school for that year, but had different groups of friends. I didn’t see her again, until Andrew and I went to a bridal show at Robbins Brothers in 2009, and I heard my name being called. It was her, and it was so nice to see her again! We have completely separate lives now (we are friends on Facebook, though), and I haven’t seen her in person since that day. I think about her randomly, though, and she made my 6th grade year the only good year I had in elementary school (especially on the last day of school, when she told Brenton Budd I liked him for me and he came to give me a hug, haha). It was nice to have a real friend, I hadn’t really had one of those. I was so happy to have a friend, I would’ve thanked the Lord if I’d had a relationship with Him back then. I am thanking Him today, though. And thank you, Holly! =)

Day 4: Sara Kehoe

Goose!! My best-good friend!! I tell you what, this chick has seen it ALL with me. I can’t even put our friendship into words, but I’ll try, haha. We met in the eighth grade, in Mrs. Grimes’s Spanish class. I talked to her to avoid talking to my first “boyfriend” after he “cheated” on me (gotta love teenage drama!), but we weren’t really friends then. Just Spanish-class acquaintances and fellow “I hate this class” students. In ninth grade, we both found ourselves in Home Ec with a room full of kids we didn’t know or like very well, so we were relieved to see a friendly face. Thus started a friendship that is one of the best things in my life to this day.

I tend to be a little dramatic at times (no surprise there, right?), and have had a big fight with pretty much every person I’ve ever known. Except Sara. We have disagreed on plenty of things over the years, of course. But we have never really FOUGHT about anything. When we know the other is upset about something, we know that if we give each other a little space that the upset person will come around and it will be discussed calmly. I have always found it strange that we do this, because it’s not something I do with any other person. This year marks 13 years of being friends, and God couldn’t have put a better person in my life for that role. Like I said…there are plenty of things we disagree on. And we very often roll our eyes at each other’s actions/words. But we love each other. Sara is family to me, now and forever. We have shared a love of *NSYNC that will never fully die, we have gone on a road trip just to see a concert, we have danced along with other friends in empty parking lots to music blaring from the car, we got hyper from smoothies at Smoothie Paradise in Richardson Square Mall, we convinced her mom to accept that it was perfectly fine that we were seeing that Madonna and Rupert Everett movie over the Elmo movie our 9th grade year, we have shared frustrations about our jobs and our families, we have kept Target and CiCi’s in business, we have pretended to shop blind at Target (don’t ask, haha), we have had so many inside jokes we can’t even REMEMBER half of them most of the time, we really only like going to The Olive Garden with each other, and she has dibs on my CD collection if I die before she does. She’s been with me through it all. She was the maid of honor at my wedding (a job that required helping me go to the bathroom in my dress at one point, HELLO!!).

Sara, my life certainly wouldn’t have been the same without you. I can be silly around you, we can talk about things like politics and religion and other heated topics without judging each other, and I know you put up with a lot. We made the transition from angsty teens to adults and still remained friends. We may not get to hang out as often as we once did, but I know we both know that doesn’t change anything. I LOVE THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!!!!! =)

I have to make a special mention of the other third of my close circle of friends: Robyn Randall. And her husband, Jordan. Robyn and I were friends through Sara in school, sadly never super close. When she came back after going to college in Oklahoma, though, we’ve become better friends. Robyn and Sara are my best girlfriends, we hang out at CiCi’s and The Melting Pot as often as we can. Robyn introduced me to Stephanie, my FABULOUS hair dresser who has changed my hair-life forever! Robyn was as helpful as anyone else on my wedding day, and her husband videotaped our ceremony and parts of our reception, as well as parts of our wedding shower, at no charge. Andrew and I BOTH are blessed to call them friends, we love them so much!! I’m so glad to have Robyn and Jordan as friends!! Love both so much!!

Day 3: Daniel and Connor Lamb

These two little boys came at such a great time. I was twelve when Daniel was born and fourteen when Connor was born, so I was able to appreciate them in a way I sadly never could appreciate Robert. Those two boys are so unique and wonderful and special to me. Being around them at the age I was, I believe it did a lot to prepare me for babysitting and, in the future, for motherhood. They were so cute as babies, and I never wanted them to grow up. But they have, and they are getting to be so big! Connor will be 13 (a teenager!!) at the end of this month, and Daniel’s getting ready to be 15. They aren’t babies anymore…and it’s wonderful and sad all at the same time. I don’t get to see them very much, but I’m hoping to be able to make more time to see them. I’m getting teary while I type this, actually, I miss them so much!

They have a place in my heart that no one could ever touch. I love them so much and am SO BLESSED that the Lord decided to add them to my family.

Special mention of my other little brother, Robert. We were not friends as kids (he drove me bonkers, as only little brothers can). We have a much better relationship now, even though I see him probably once or twice a year. Our thing is movies…we try to see a movie whenever he is in town, and we love to challenge each other through text messages with movie quotes. Robert (Brother Robert, haha), I love you. And I love the songs you sing when you leave me a HeyTell message. You’re my favorite oldest younger brother ever!!!!! =)

Day 2: Andrea Wood

Andrea is my favorite sister, haha. We are five years apart in age, and growing up we weren’t close. I always kinda worshipped her, though. I remember being pre-teen and calling in to dedicate a song to her on 103.7 back when Valier Smith hosted Love Songs on KVIL. Lord…I was such a sappy kid, haha. The point is I always adored her, even if we weren’t close. Then time passed, as it tends to do, and we were getting older. My sister took me and bought me my first (and only) Bible…it is a beautiful book. Navy blue leather binding, my name engraved in silver on the bottom right corner of the cover, the pages lined in silver. I didn’t appreciate it as much then as I do now, and I don’t know that I’ve ever really thanked her for buying it for me. I am not able to say I’ve read the whole Bible, or even half of it. But I’ve picked it up now and then when I’ve needed the comfort of its words. There is a section in the back with a whole list of readings to flip to if you’re feeling any number of things or needing reassurance of God’s love. My sister’s been sort of an inspiration, religiously. She probably doesn’t know it, but she makes me want to be a better Christian. She talks the talk and almost always walks the walk (she’s not perfect, obviously). =)

She’s also become one of my best friends in the last several years. On a trip to visit her in Arizona when I was 20, she sat me down and really showed me how to do my makeup. I don’t wear makeup very often, but when I do I always get compliments on my use of eyeliner: a feat for which I have my fabulous sister to thank! And it’s something that has always meant a lot to me. She is a person who always encourages me, and is never afraid to point out when I’m overreacting or misinterpreting something. She’s silly as all get-out, and I am so blessed that the Lord made her my sister. There are some things in my life I couldn’t have gotten through without her. If nothing else, no one would have danced at my wedding reception had she not gotten the ball rolling, haha. That song will forever be “our song”. =)

Andrea…thank you. For everything. I love you and am so thankful for you!!

Day 1: Andrew Dudek

All of the people, experiences, and things I will mention over the coming weeks helped shape me into the person I am today. Maybe more importantly they all shaped me into a person who was finally ready, at age 26, to be a person who was completely ready and able to love and be loved. I was the girl who wanted to be married at 22 or 23 and start having kids right away. It was my “timeline”, haha. I felt so discouraged that I wasn’t finding what I was looking for. Hindsight is 20/20, and I feel so blessed that the Lord continued to do things in His time for me, so that I was 110% ready when the time was right. I wouldn’t change a single life experience I’ve had, because where I am today with Andrew is one of the few things in this world that is perfect. He is my love, my rock, and my best friend. He’s changed my life in so many, many ways. He loves me unconditionally and accepts me for who I am. The man is ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT ME. Just yesterday I got home from work to find that he’s paid attention to the fact that I’m obsessed with a few songs on my “Wicked Soundtrack” Pandora station, and he bought me the CD while he was shopping for a laptop. He’s not the “typical” man that doesn’t listen, watches too much TV or plays too many video games, or is constantly staying out late with the guys. He would rather spend time with me than do anything else, and I’m the same way about him. We cannot ever be around each other too much, we are so unbelievably happy together. I can honestly say that I am CONSTANTLY thanking the Lord for Andrew, I feel he and I were truly made for each other. We compliment each other in every single way, and I’m forever in awe of the many ways in which he is truly the other half of my soul. I could gush for hours about how much I love my husband, but I won’t do that.

Andrew, I am so blessed to have you as my husband. I love you more than you will ever know. Jerry Maguire may have made this “line” a joke nowadays, but it’s an expression that is so true and I am not ashamed to use it: you complete me. I cannot wait to continue living this life with you by my side!

I'm changing it up for Lent...

My relationship with God isn’t one that a lot of people would “count”, I guess. I wasn’t raised in a Christian household, I don’t ever remember going to Sunday School. The only time I went to church was on Christmas Eve, with my grandmother, because I loved the Christmas music they mixed in with the service. I didn’t pray as a child. My first real encounter with anything religious was when my mom made me go through Confirmation classes when I was in the 9th grade. It was not a pleasant experience. I was shy and awkward, and the other kids in the class all knew each other and were very elitist. They never made any point to talk to me or get to know me, and I didn’t bother with them. I spent our retreat crying in my room because I wanted to go home. The only thing I got out of Confirmation was the day Father Moore came and talked to our class about God and faith. And I can pinpoint that as the moment I became curious about God. I was still young enough that I kept doing what I was used to: which meant still no church-going. But I started praying, mostly for childish things at the time (please let Trey Lansford notice me, please let me pass this science test, etc). But I always had a prayer for God to “make me happy” with my life; for a lot of reasons I wasn’t happy for the first part of my life…and I so desperately wanted to be.

As time has gone by, people have come into my life that have made an impact on me, whether I knew it at the time or not. I am getting into the habit of going to church every week, it’s still taking some getting used to. Between work and running errands and hanging out with my husband and my friends…it’s something I still need to get better at. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been, and I find myself missing it. Going is a comfort now, not a horrible chore. I have a relationship with God now, and it may not look like it is “supposed” to for others, but it’s special and it’s mine and it’s constantly growing and evolving. I find myself praying for others before praying for myself, a concept I wouldn’t have considered as a selfish teenager. What I DON’T pray for is for God to “make me happy” anymore. Through the people He has brought into my life over the last 10+ years and through the experiences He has given me…I can honestly say that I’m happy. There was no one thing. It was growing up and finding my way to God and having the positive, loving, supportive people He crossed my path with.

And so now, for Lent, I am inspired: not to give up sugar or social media or any number of things I will go right back to in full force once Lent is over, but to reflect back on/thank/acknowledge the people and events I am so blessed to have had in my life. I know most people I mention won’t ever read what I type out in the coming days about them, but that’s okay. It’s not as much about them knowing how they affected my life (although I would love for them to know, of course) as it is about me thanking God for answering my prayer in His wonderfully unexpected way.

I have some catching up to do since I got inspired a little late. I have to catch up on three days worth. By tomorrow it will be four. I'm too tired to do it tonight, so I will post about four people tomorrow. These won't be long blog posts for the most part, so don't worry.

American Idol: Week 2, RESULTS

Casey's in the hospital, apparently...hope he's alright! Their mansion is beautiful, crazy-awesome!!! And that view...great digs!

Liked the tribute to Michael at the beginning, such great songs! But the Ford commercials are not as good as they used to be.

Jacob, Karen, and Stefano are up first. I want both of my boys to go through, but I'm worried about Stefano's performance. Andrew (and I) would like for Karen definitely to be in the bottom three. And we got our wish. Yay Jacob and Stefano!!

Adam Lambert's performing...I like him better since his Idol season ended. I have bought a few songs of his off of iTunes. I think he looks great, but I wasn't really digging the song he was singing.

Next to center-stage is Lauren, Ashthon, and Haley (GAG!!). I know it's too much to hope that Haley (GAG!!) is in the bottom three with Karen, but I'm hoping all the same. Ashthon is my girl, and I know Lauren is much better than she's been the last two weeks. And Ryan was sweet to put Lauren out of her misery, I'm glad she's staying. It's down to the others, and my sister and I are on COMPLETE opposite sides of the fence on this. And in a twist, both girls are in the bottom three, and everyone else on the couch didn't have to endure being called to the stage. I'm THRILLED that the two worst girls are in the bottom three, but I hope Ashthon rises above those WAY worse singers.

What the hell is Puff Daddy Diddy-Diddy-Dum-Dum doing changing his name again? He's such a male diva. And Andrew pointed out that he used to be with J-Lo, can we say AWKWARD?!?!?! Haha!!

Karen is...safe. So it's truly a battle between my sister's girl and my girl. I have a bad feeling about my Ashthon, because it seems like the singer I hate is ALWAYS left around too long. And you win, Andrea. Haley (GAG!!) is safe for now. Good to see America doesn't like her much, hopefully she'll go home VERY soon.

I don't think Ashthon should've sung that same song again. But oh well. The judges aren't going to use the Judges' Save on her, I can tell. There are better singers up there that they need to save that for. Ashthon...I think you're an amazing singer, and I'm sorry you couldn't be in this competition longer. You have a great, powerful voice. You could tell while she was singing that Jennifer was sad-looking because they weren't going to do it. And her sigh said it all.

So. Next week is a new week. We can hopefully weed out Karen and Haley (GAG!!) because I would LOVE to go see this tour WITHOUT them in it.

Side note...LOVE that David Cook has the exit song this year...he's by FAR my favorite Idol of all time!!

American Idol: Week 2, Night 1

We're ready for the top 13 to get their song on, so let's get to it...

1) Lauren, Lauren, Lauren...she has one of the best voices in the competition, yet (once again), she's picked a terrible song. I hate that song with a passion, and it didn't do her any favors. She sounds better singing something slower with bigger notes, like she sang "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" in her audition. These last two fast-paced pop-country songs haven't made her sound as good as she is. I am sure she'll stick around, she's super likeable, but she needs to pick better songs. She has a chance to win this thing, but not with songs like that. Even Steven said it wasn't very "kick-ass." Step it up, girl!!

2) Casey picked a great Joe Cocker song, and I just love the sound of this guy's voice. His scruffy look, his incredibly sill personality, the voice...this guy is awesome and I wouldn't be surprised if he won the whole thing. I'm thinking he'll be at LEAST top two. He's just awesome and I think he nailed it. Jennifer said it: "I'm watching someone important!"

3) My girl!! Ashthon is amazing, and she's taking on Diana Ross tonight. She's got the chops to pull it off, but does she? Of course. Not a song I've ever heard before, and it started off in a lower register. But she was able to spread her vocal wings and hit her note. She looks absolutely stunning, too. She reminds me of the singer Monica, with more power. Love her: love her, love her, love her!!

4) Bradley Cooper look-a-like Paul is next, singing a Ryan Adams song (I've never heard of this guy). Someone needs to SERIOUSLY have a wardrobe conversation with this guy. I have actually heard this song he's singing, but he sounds kinda coffee shop-ish. I can't believe this guy is here over Bret and Robbi. Didn't love it, I think he's a candidate for going home this week.

5) Pia picked "All By Myself" by Celine Dion, and when I heard that I was like, "Whoa, that is a HUUUUUUUUUGE song!" There's that one note that is humongous and not every singer can nail. If she can pull this off, she's more amazing than I thought. Starts off sounding good, and when the bigger notes come in...she sounds good then, too. I was excited at first because THAT NOTE sounded good, but then she cut it SHORT, and I thought that was a cop-out. It's the best part of the song, and she cut it short. I pulled my phone out and You Tubed Celine's version of that part of the song and showed him what that note was supposed to sound like. Pia didn't fully hit it, and hitting that note is what that song is about, in my opinion. I was disappointed, that's my favorite part of the song. But she still sounded pretty good with the song, so she can stay. =)

6) Paul McCartney is James's idol (good choice, man!), and he is singing "Maybe I'm Amazed", which is...well, an AMAZING song! I'm excited to hear James sing this and put his spin on it. Starts off low and sweet, and he keeps it reigned in, which is good because it's a sweet song. I think he did outstanding. Nailed. It. Probably the best of the night.

7) Haley (GAG!!) is next, singing one of the most obnoxious Leann Rimes songs ever recorded. I'm so over this. Next please.

8) THE STAR is after THE DRECKATUDE. He makes up for the crap that was just on the stage. He's singing "I Believe I Can Fly", which will be such a great song for his voice. I'm related to a Jacob-hater, and I know she will totally disagree with me, but I think this man is READY. Face it, Andrea: THIS MAN IS A STAR. He has power and charisma and talent and he NAILED IT. I would be thrilled if this guy won. Talk about TEAM JACOB!!!! I smile every time he's singing.

9) Thia Megia...singing a Michael Jackson remake of a Charlie Chaplin song, and it's a song I truly don't like at ALL. But something that I love about Thia is that she made me like HER VERSION, something Lauren failed to do. I think she has such a strong voice, and it always surprises me because she's so quiet and little and then she starts singing and you're blown away by that voice. She's great, I love her!

10) Stefano's doing Stevie, and he picked "Lately"???? There are so many WAY better songs, and he picks that one. Oh well, I just love this kid, he is UBER likeable and has a cool, smooth voice. The techno beat needed to go, and I worry people won't like it because they don't know this song. He is so much better than that. I was sad for him. Still a huge fan, though.

11) Andrew's least favorite, Karen. Singing Selena. I'm not a very big fan of this girl. She starts off with a terrible note, and just sounds pretty bad in general. She also reaches her arm out to the camera too much. Looks like she's trying to be a singer, rather than being natural onstage. I'm with you tonight, babe...this chick sucks.

12) Time for Scotty. I wish I liked him more. He's talented and kinda cute. But I like this guy less and less. That drawl-y country sound just isn't my thing. He picked a great artist, but "The River" is not one of my favorite Garth songs. He holds the mic with both hands, like a toddler with a sippy cup, haha. A great country performance. But I won't miss him when he's gone.

13) Last, but certainly not least, is Naima. Her idol is Rihanna. She's singing "Umbrella", which I don't love by Rihanna. A little-known singer named Marie Digby sings a super slow version of this song and makes it REALLY great (check it out sometime!), but otherwise I don't like this song. I do love Naima, though. I DO have to say that she blew it. Her and Stefano really let me down tonight. Randy was right, she should've done that whole thing as a reggae version. LOVED her little dancing thing, though. She worked it!! =)

I would love Haley (GAG!!) or Karen to go home from the girls' side, and Paul or Scotty to go home from the guys' side. Any combo of those 4 would suit me just fine.

Tomorrow night should be interesting!

American Idol: RESULTS

If you haven't watched, don't read this...

First of all: Steven Tyler looks like a pink pirate, haha! Love that he's a crazy dresser.

While watching the boys' video footage, I decided that Paul looks like Bradley Cooper from The Hangover. And Casey is HILARIOUS!!!

First up was Scotty and Robbi. Scotty was in, which I did NOT agree with because now someone I want to stay will be leaving.

Clint, Jordan, and Jovanny were all up next, and I was thinking, "Um...please send them all home!" And they were all out (although that was a mean trick on Jovanny).

First to be called up from the girls was Lauren Alaina and Pia. It's a no-brainer here: Lauren is definitely in! Not sure who styled Lauren's hair tonight, though...like I said, she needs to go back to curly. And what's with the one earring?? Not loving this girl's style. But Pia was in, too, not sure how I feel about that. I think she's got potential, so we will see how she does.

Next up was Ta-Tynisa and Julie, and I'm worried they both are going to be sent home (I want Julie to be in) since they kept the first two girls. Ta-Tynisa needed to go home LONG ago, and it finally happened tonight. She just wasn't good enough. And Julie was out, too, which was sad.

More girls up next: Kendra, Ashthon, and Karen. I'm rooting for Ashthon to go through, and I was sad to her she was out. BIG singer, love her!! I don't think either of the other two should be in, but Karen was in. Definitely disagree with that. =(

Tim, Casey, and Jacob are up next, and I was so upset when they were called up together! If only one makes it through, I'll be upset. I love Jacob and Casey, they both just HAVE to go through...Jacob is in, and it was a nail biter until they got to Casey's fate...and he's in! Poor Tim, he seems nice and he's got talent. But those two are stars. Jacob's amazing, Casey's unique: love them both so much!

Naimi, Thia, and Lauren Turner are next. I love all three but Thia's been one of my favorites since I first saw her. And I think Naima is just amazing. I want them both in. Only one was in...Naima's out, it's a shame, but I thought, "She better be a wild card candidate!" Thia is IN!!!!! So glad!!! Lauren was amazing, too, but she's sadly going home.

Bret and Paul are up, and I will THROW A HISSY FIT if Bret is not in the top 12. Paul's adorable (wearing that God-awful suit jacket again, haha!), but I want Bret in. He's a special soul and has an extremely unique voice. I was crushed to hear he was out, he better get picked as the Wild Card.

Haley (GAG!!) and Rachel are up next, and I will be super pissed if Haley is in. Although after watching my favorite go home, I had a bad feeling that my LEAST favorite would be in. And I was right, and am officially super pissed. I know she can't beat a lot of the other contestants, so she'll be gone soon.

James and Stefano are up next, and I wanted both of them in. If I had to pick one over the other, I'd pick Stefano. James is mad-talented, though, so either one deserve it. I just want Stefano a little bit more...and it was James that was in. Which is fine, I do like him.

"Is your favorite missing from that side of the stage?" Ryan asked. Um, YES!!!! You were supposed to call me and let ME pick the top 10. =(

Wild Card choices, and as much as I love Bret and Stefano both, fingers are crossed that Bret snags it. And I want Ashthon or Julie to be given the shot.

Jennifer says that six people are getting another shot, which is good. Three guys and three girls are singing. First up was Ashthon: yes!! She picks a Jennifer Hudson song, and I had high hopes that she'd NAIL it. She starts great, big notes are coming...she sang her heart out and killed it, in my opinion. Appropriate song choice, too. She's got sass, fire, and TALENT. I want her in. I don't understand how Karen and Haley made it in over this girl.

Next up was Stefano: again, YES!! This boy deserves another chance. He sings "I Need You Now". He starts kinda shaky, sounds emotional a bit. He picked up more in the middle. I can't remember ever having heard this song before. But by the end of the song he'd hit his stride and sounded awesome. Love this guy. Loved Jennifer jumping up and down in her chair at the end, too, haha.

Kendra gets a chance to sing, and she sang "Georgia On My Mind." I think she started out singing in too low of a register (was happy when Randy agreed). The stepping thing she does with her leg while she sings bugs me so much. But her big note was good. Still don't want her in.

Jennifer called Jovanny up next, and I hope he fails, to be honest. I am for Stefano at this point. I know the song he sang, just never heard it in Spanish. He sounds a million times better than he did on his performance earlier this week. I don't want him in at this point, though. But he sounded amazing!!

I'm scared at now. I feel like Robbi's going to get that last Wild Card spot for the guys, and I want Bret to be given one more chance. I just love him... =(

Naima is the last girl. I'm sad to see Julie leave, she had potential (and a FABULOUS collection of dresses!). But Naima deserved the last shot. She sang "For All We Know" and started off REALLY shaky. Her big notes are good, though.

I want Ashthon to get the spot. Although Ryan mentioned something earlier about not knowing how many the judges were keeping. And I was like, "Um, aren't they picking two people?" So maybe more than two are getting in...don't know at this point.

The last guy to get to sing is...I just know it'll be Robbi...and I was right. I am crushed beyond belief about Bret leaving. He DEFINITELY deserved a spot. I watched Robbi perform with my lower lip sticking out ever-so-slightly. =(

Robbi sings an Elton John song, and he sounds good. But I want Stefano in. I love how a lot of the contestants chose songs that are fitting for their situation. They panned to Randy at one point, and I didn't know if he was smiling or sneering in disppointment. He gave a good review, though.

So Stefano and Ashthon are my two picks. I want them both in. Stefano has been consistently awesome, Robbi and Jovanny both failed this week, so I hope that works in Stefano's favor. Kendra and Naima both ended their songs well, but Ashthon is my girl. She's just gotta make it.

The judges are finally ready to make their choice (after a weird music video of Jennifer's, the song was pretty lame). Their decision was...pushed until after the commercial break: AGH!!! They just GOTTA drag this out...

Back from the break, Ryan tells them we gotta get the Wild Card picks now. The judges chose...Ashthon is in!!! Good choice, judges!!

Jennifer says two more are in, and announces that Stefano is in, too!!! Somebody pinch me!!!!

Steven FLOORED ME when he called Naima's name! I'm glad she's getting another shot, she's amazing. So we have our top 13! I'm SO SAD that Bret's not a part of it. But I am mostly happy with everyone else (except Haley).

Next week should be good!!

American Idol: Week 1, Night 2

Before I get started, I have to say...what the heck is Steven Tyler wearing in his hair? A snippet of a mop??? Weird. Anywho.

It's LADIES' NIGHT! And as Ryan was talking on the show as it opened, I was shocked to hear we're going straight to the top 10, we aren't losing two guys and two girls every week. I'm sure they mentioned it at some point, but I must've missed it. Wow. We're losing a lot of people. I will give my revised boy list at the end.

Ta-Tynisa opens...I wasn't sure how she made it into the top 12 girls anyways. And she sucked. Big time. Don't like her at ALL. And I think she's stealing Julie's look with the little dress. Steven was way too kind, Jennifer lied to her face, and once again...RANDY WAS THE UNLIKELY VOICE OF REASON!! He's turned into Simon with how honest he is being.

Naima sang "Summertime". I remember loving her audition. I don't think we saw much of her in Hollywood week. I think she did a really good job. She looked really great, too. I like this girl. She's unique. KILLER end note.

Up next was Kendra, who I barely remember from the past several weeks. The way she was walking...she clearly thinks she is super sexy, but she's trying to hard. Don't know what song she sang, but I didn't really like it. Shriek-y a lot, too. She can go home. Randy let me down, I thought he was being honest, then he tells her she did good.

I remember Rachel from the season she tried out before. I remember kinda liking her. I think she's terrible this season, and tonight was no exception. She sounded rather man-ish. She did look great, though, and she did her best to work it. Just wasn't happening.

Karen who?? Can't remember her from the auditions. She starts out singing Mariah, switches to Spanish, and I just wasn't loving it. She sounds weak, you can't sing a Mariah song and NOT blow the song out of the water. She didn't hit the notes when she was supposed to. Get her a ticket home with Kendra. PS, Jennifer needs to get her ears checked.

Lauren Turner's turn was next, another girl I don't remember. Started off okay, the song was pretty bad, though. She definitely has something there, but the song didn't show anything off for her.

One of my favorites was next, Ms Ashthon. I have LOVED HER. Love the voice and the big hair. Her and Jacob would do a sick duet together. I didn't care for the song she sang (SHE should've done the Mariah song), but her voice is amazing. She's totally safe.

Julia's another of my favorite girls. Her dresses are amazing. But she is so much better than she showed during "Breakaway". I'm worried about her. She has a beautiful, soft voice. And she should NOT sing big songs like that. A Norah Jones song would've suited her much better. Poor thing, I hope she stays.

I can't stand Haley. I'm going to go on record of saying that. I think she did consistently terrible up to this point. She's just so full of herself when she sings. She did the best I think she's done so far with "Falling", but I just don't like her. I think she looks like TPT.

Thia Megia...I just love her name!!! She's cute as a button, too, and another of my girls. She started accapella, and she held her own. Then the music started, and she kept getting better. I was waiting for a huge note, and she delivered. LOVE THIS KID. And I usually hate fluffy dresses like that, but she looked fantastic. Jennifer was right, she captivated the room with her soft performance.

Lauren Alaina, a front-runner since Day One. And there's no doubt the girl can sing. She's got a Carrie Underwood country-pop sound, and I don't always love that style. I do think Lauren is better than she showed tonight, though. I think she's safe. But I like her hair better curly, I think it suits her face better.

Last was Pia. LOVED the song she sang, I've been a huge fan of that song since "A Walk In the Clouds". It's a song with potential for big singers to just OWN it. And I just don't feel like owned it. As Randy has said, "It was just alright for me, dawg." She tried to bring it home in the end, but I just didn't love it.

I have heard Randy say that it's going to Top Ten, but the commercial I saw said Top Twelve. So I don't know how many are actually going home. If five girls are staying, I want it to be Naima, Thia, Lauren Alaina, Ashthon, and Julie. If it's six, add in Lauren Turner (maybe even Pia), because I think she's better than that.

For guys, I want the top five to be Bret, Jacob, Stefano, James, and Casey. If a sixth guy is staying, I say Robbi should get it. I may not be right, but those are the guys/girls I'm rooting for. So we'll see!

Can't wait for tomorrow night!! =)

American Idol: Week 1, Night 1

So every time I watch American Idol, I end up posting a ton of stuff on Facebook. So I figured why not blog about it? Keeps me doing weekly blogs. Well...thrice-weekly blogs. =)

Tonight they were on the big stage already...I was surprised. I'm used to them being on that smaller stage from 24 to 12 contestants. But no matter. I LOVE the live stuff, I'm ready for a great season of American Idol.

First up was Clint. Now, I'm not a huge fan of this guy. I thought Hollywood week didn't do him any favors in the image department. However, there's been no denying he is awesome. And when he belted out that Stevie Wonder song, he proved once again why he's in the top 24. He's good. Not overly likable, but he's got the chops.

Then Jovanny got up there. I don't think he's the best singer, but I've always been fine with him being part of the competition. However...he stunk for the first three-fourths of the song. Towards the end he hit a big note, did it well, and the song ended alright. But it was just NOT what he's capable of. So I thought the judges would be harsh on him. And Stephen and Jennifer tell him he did good: I was disappointed in them. Thank goodness Randy was there with the reality check, haha.

Jordan was up next, and while I LOVE that Usher song he sang, it didn't showcase his voice. This is another guy I am not crazy about as a person, but I have thought his voice was good. I think he's in danger of going home on Thursday after that performance.

Tim...I feel bad, but I don't really remember him from Hollywood week. He seems adorable, and I am sure his voice is better than that. The Rob Thomas song is a great song, but doesn't show anyone you can sing. So he flopped a bit.

Then came Bret...and I'm sorry, but I heart Bret. I don't think he's the best singer in the competition, but he's probably my favorite. Beautiful soul, unique and quirky voice. He's so lovable! Don't like "Light My Fire" at all, but all of his hair-tossing and the way he enunciated the word "fire"...he's a winner to me, I just love him!

James was next, and it was amazing. I think it's great how he has pushed through having tourettes and Aspergers and sings the way he does. I don't think I've ever heard a Judas Priest song, but I liked it. I think this guy is better than Adam Lambert, the control he has in his big screams is genius.

Robbi, Robbi, Robbi...I've been a fan. I think he blew it. I don't think he did good at all. And I KNOW this man is capable of wiping the floor with a lot of these contestants. I hope he stays, and I hope he BRINGS IT next week.

Scotty came next. I think he's a great country singer, I didn't love the song choice...I won't miss him if he's not here next week.

Then the sun came out...Stefano sang Bruno Mars and ROCKED IT. Kicked major ass. Perfect song choice for him. Loved it, loved it, loved it. He's totally safe.

Paul walked on stage, and I was like "I don't remember him, either, except for that awful white flowered suit." I found myself talking to Andrew and Dewey while he was singing his Rod Stewart song. He sounded fine, but was forgettable.

Jacob Lusk. I don't know what Luther Vandross song that was, but it didn't matter. And it doesn't matter to me that he gets emotional so easily. This man has "it". Period. He's ready right now to go tour the country and put out an album. He's a star. The other contestants need to step up their game, he has thrown down the gauntlet.

Casey was last. I hate the song he chose, thought it was terrible. But there's no doubt the man can sing, and I just adore that scruffy goofball.

All-in-all...a great way to start the live shows. Jacob and Stefano stole the night, in my opinion. I think a few others were good enough to guarantee a spot for next week, but I think others could be in trouble.

It could be between Jovanny, Jordan, or Paul. Based on this performance alone, even Robbi could go home. But I think Robbi's likable enough to be safe. My prediction is Jordan and Paul.

Tomorrow night is ladies' night, and it'll be interesting to see who does well and who flops.