The Apple Orchard

Auditions - Day 4

2009-01-21T19:03:00.004-06:00

Louisville, Kentucky....home of the Kentucky Derby & big, big bets...so it's off to the races...the race to Hollywood, that is!!!

The ones who won their bets...

Joanna Pacitti - Philadelphia, PA - Age 23 - "We Belong" by Pat Benatar - What did she do for A&M records?? She is now on her way to Hollywood! Is she a "ringer"?? Other websites & blogs say she is. We'll see...

Brent Keith Smith - Blanchester, OH - Age 29 - "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" by Bad Company - Ok, I like this guy! I love the song he did & I think he's got some real potential to be a Southern rocker! And he's a cutie, too! But again...we have a 29 year old. I am assuming that on the actual day of the audition he was 28 & that's why we are going to see him in Hollywood....thank goodness!!!

Matt Giraud - Kalamazoo, MI - Age 23 - "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw - He reminded Simon of Elliot Yamin. I'm not as sure about his talent as Simon seemed to be & I don't know if he's another Elliot. But we'll keep an eye on him & see where he goes. Is it possible he'll turn out to be great & then we'll be sooooo disappointed when he gets voted off too early??

Alexis Grace - Memphis, TN - Age - "Dr. Feelgood" by Aretha Franklin - Another one to look for in the future! A very nice, bluesy, strong voice. And she's got the girl-next-door look. Is that the total package? Hopefully, she'll be around long enough for us to find out!

Lanisha Young - OH - Age 18 - "Natty" - her own composition - Our Louisville heartbreak story & what a touching story! Her song was interesting & it showed imagination but I don't know if I would rush out to buy it. Stephanie might, tho! She does have a nice voice & should be another one on the watch list.

Some we just didn't see enough of but hopefully will in Hollywood...

Kris Allen - Conway, AK - Age 23
Felicia Barton - Virginia Beach, VA - Age 26
Ryan Johnson - Cincinnati, OH - Age 27
Shera Lawrence - Bowling Green, KY - Age 22

The ones who stumbled out of the gate...

Tiffany Shedd - Cincinnati, OH - Age 19 - "Hero" by Mariah Carey - More parents contributing to the downfall of their child. I fully believe in encouraging a child to reach for their dreams but really, folks...

Mark Mudd, Jr. - Coxx Creek, KY - Age 25 - "White Lightening" by George Jones - He is a decendent of the doctor who fixed John Wilkes Booth leg after assassinating President Lincoln. I think he had some white lightening before he auditioned & should probably be locked up, too. But I really don't think he was threatening everyone when he said "be careful" when he left.

Ross Plavsic - Crestview Hills, KY - Age 26 - "Cara Mia" by Jay & the Americans - I think he sang in Chinese!!! And then he tried Elvis?? Wow!! Elvis was turning over in his grave!! And no amount of water was going to make that sound any better.

Aaron Williamson - Louisville, KY - Age - "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedance Clearwater Revivel - Whooo!!! Whooo!!! Whooo!!! I think that is the first time someone literally SCREAMED the entire song!! He scared Ryan silly, too!!! Whooo!!

Rebecca Garcia - Louisville, KY - Age 24 - "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood - Stephanie & I were singing along!!! Poor girl...she wasn't a good singer & then Kara blew it when she thought Rebecca was joking. I'm not sure who I felt sorrier for...

19 lucky auditioners are on their way to the finish line at the Kodak Theater!

Auditions - Day 3

2009-01-20T20:21:00.002-06:00

From San Francisco, CA...

We only got 12 hopefuls out of the City by the Bay. It was a disappointing showing tonight. I expected more.

Who we got...

Tatiana Del Toro – San Juan, Puerto Rico – Age 23 – “Never Loved a Man” by Aretha Franklin - A psychic told her she would make top 12. I wish the psychic had told her to NOT giggle so much!! She's a pretty girl but the voice just didn't impress me. My crystal ball says she will have a short visit in Hollywood.

Jesus Valenzuela – North Highlands, CA – Age 29 - “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers...which he sang after his sons came in. Not a bad voice & a cute guy. But what about the age??? The banner on the screen said he was 29. But overall, it was those two adorable little boys that won the hearts of the judges, not the singing.

About all I can say for the next three is...they made it through. But we really didn't get to see much of them, so who knows....

John Twiford - Sherman Oaks, CA - Age 27 - “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder
Allison Iraheta - Los Angeles, CA - Age 16 - “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin
Raquel Houghton - Los Angeles, CA - Age 20 - “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield

And the top talent of the night....

Adam Lambert – Hollywood, CA – Age 26 – “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen - He's cute and he gets tonight's goose pimple award. Of course, I'm a sucker for Bohemian Rhapsody (ahhhhhh, Constantine!!!!!!!!!) He was a bit dramatic but a great singer. And I can’t wait for the stylists to get a hold of his hair. It somehow reminded me of Adam Sandler in "Little Nicky"!!! If you want to see what this guy is really capable of, check out this video on YouTube!!!!!!!! This guy is definitely top 12 material!!

Kai Kalama – San Clemente, CA – Age 26 – “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” by The Platters - Another heartbreaking / heartwarming story. His mom has seizures and he takes care of her. He's a nice guy with a nice voice. He seemed a bit nervous which I think came across as poor showmanship. I hope he comes out of his shell in Hollywood. If he does, he can definitely give Adam a run for his money in the top 12.

Who we left behind...

Dean Anthony Bradford – Los Angeles, CA – Age 27 – “Stars” by Simply Red - Amazing coat, amazing voice…both bad…amazingly bad. Stephanie thought he was hot…YUK! Oh well, she's only 13....she'll learn!!

Dalton Powell – Mantica, CA – Age 18 – “Oh Baby, Baby” by Smokey Robinson - He sang with his eyes closed! Poor guy, he was very, very nervous. He said he had never sang before anybody before (ya think!!!) But Simon said he showed great intelligence...because he worked the Rubik’s cube in 25 seconds????

Akilah Askew-Gholston – Oakland, CA – Age 26 – sang her own song – She carries around pictures of the human body & she can’t even pronounce the names of the body parts right. Stephanie said she needed to be locked up. Maybe with a dictionary???

Annie Murdock – Novato, CA – Age 27 – “Summertime” - This girl was so unprepared!! She didn’t have a song picked out to sing when she finally decided on Summertime. Silly girl!! Doesn't she know she was supposed to be prepared for the audition????? Oh well, she has a year to come up with something for the season 9 auditions.

Tomorrow night it's on to Louisville, Kentucky!! Back to the South!! Yea!!! Where the majority of our Idols are from! Let's hope Louisville can "BRING IT"!!!

Day 2...

2009-01-15T06:26:00.010-06:00

Kansas City, MO

I wasn't quite as impressed with the Kansas City auditions as I was with the Phoenix round. There were a couple of stand-outs but nobody just blew me away. But then...David Cook's audition didn't blow me away last year, either. So we may very well have seen our next Idol last night.

Worthy contenders from Kansas City:

Ashley Anderson - Clarksburg, NJ - Age 20 - "Footprints in the Sand" by Leona Lewis - She missed the lyrics on a song written by Simon…that's not a good thing, but once she got going, she wasn't bad. I hope she doesn't break Idol's #1 rule again!!
Casey Carlson - Minneapolis, MN - Age 20 - "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton - Not bad, & she was a cute girl. Simon said she had a good vibe. Vibe is good.

Von Smith - Greenwood, MO - Age 22 - "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - A little guy with a big voice. It was a rough start but his voice was interesting after he cleared his throat. He had a nice bluesy tone. If he tones it down a bit, he could be force to be reckoned with.
Michael Castro - Age 20 -"In Love With a Girl" by Gavin McGraw - He's a complete opposite of his brother, Jason. Stephanie thinks he's hot. First impression...better singer than his brother. But, please, fix the hair.
Matt Breitzki - Bixby, OK - Age 27 - "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers - The first to give me goose pimples tonight. He has a very soulful voice. And he's from Oklahoma so he gets my support for that!
Jessica Paige Furney -Wamego, KS - Age 20 - "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin - OK, she's cute & she lives with 93 year old grandmother. What a sweetie!! But she seemed so young to be channeling Janis Joplin! Still, a nice voice.
India Morrison - Kansas City, MO - Age 22 - One half of the rappin' sisters. I can't remember what she sang...didn't make that big of an impression on me. I think I was still covering my ears to block out the Cookie rap song.
Jamar Rogers - Milwaukee, WS - Age 26 - California Dreamin" by the Mamas & the Papas - Another real big voice & he put his own twist on the song. Hey, it worked for David Cook!!
Danny Gokey - Milwaukee, WS - Age 28 - "Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye - Nice job!! And another story to tear at your heart strings! Awwww...I hope to see this guy go alot farther!
Anoop Desai - Chapel Hill, NC - Age 21 - "Thank You" by Boyz II Men - Another surprise voice out of a strange body! Geeky...like....Clay Aiken!!!
Asa Barns - Kansas City, MO - Age 28 - "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson - Ok, guys, stop with the Michael Jackson songs!! He has a nice voice & I can't wait to see if he can do something else.
Dennis Brigham - Glen Carron, IL - Age 19 - “With You” by Chris Brown - What was that??? Oh, I get it....he was Kara & Paula's way of getting back at Randy & Simon for letting Bikini Girl through last night!! Pay backs, guys!!!!
Lil Rounds - Memphis, TN - Age 23 - “All I Do” by Stevie Wonder - Wow! This girl has some talent! I would expect to see her in the top 36 & hopefully top 12...but why did her husband look so bored???

And some folks going home:

Chelsea Marquardt - Parsons, KS - Age 19 - “I Can’t Live” by Nilsson - I can't live with that voice!! I swear that was THE pitchiest voice I have ever heard...with the exception of maybe mine!!
Brian Hettler – Kansas City, MO - Age 20 – “Think” by Aretha Franklin - And this guy was a trained classical singer???? Don't think so!!!
Jasmine Joseph - Norfolk, NE - Age 17 - Student - “Over the Rainbow”Jasmine Joseph - Norfolk, NE - Age 17 - Student - “Over the Rainbow” - And the rainbow ends here...
Asia McClain - Kansas City MO - Age 24 - The other half of the rapping sisters. They were actually very cute & Asia was very supportive of her sister. She not be a good singer but she's a great sister. We may very well see her again, but it will be in the audience.
Andrew Lang - Columbia, MO - Age 19 - “My Girl” by the Temptations - Nothing spectacular here...not a thing. Except maybe his fan club!! The cheerleaders were more upset than he was! His voice wasn't bad so maybe if he leaves the girls home next year, he might be taken more seriously & make it to Hollywood.
Michael Nicewonder - Grand Island, NC - Age 20 - He sang a couple of original songs. Not only can he NOT sing, but he CAN'T write either! His songs were very depressing!!
Mia Conley - Kansas City, MO - Age 27 - “Loving You” by Minnie Ripperton - Ok, the high note wasn't really all that bad, but she was out of tune. And a bit scary, too!!

We got 27 more hopefuls!! And two more audition shows to go! Then on to Hollywood!! It's shaping up to be a good season for Idol!!

And So It Begins!!!

2009-01-13T21:23:00.007-06:00

Day One - Phoenix, Arizona

And what do we have to show for the effort??? Some really talented people!!! And a pole dancer wanna-be!!! Plus, I have two additions to the couch judging this year...Stephanie & Izziebella (yes, even the dog had an opinion!!)

So here's tonight's audition recap:

The “No-Go’s”

Tuan Nguyen – Spring Valley, CA – Age 20, “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson – just another Michael Jackson wanna-be…and not a good one…
Randy Madden – Moorpark, CA – Age 28 - “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi – in the words of Simon…a real drama queen…
Michael Gurr – Meza, AZ – Age 17 - “Starts With Goodbye” by Carrie Underwood…uhhhhhh, what was that??? Carrie?? No, you did NOT try to sing Carrie!!!!
Aundre Carroway (aka X-Ray) – Phoenix, AZ – Age 20 – “Cactus Baby” – his own composition, and not expected to be a Billboard number 1 hit anytime soon!!
Elijah Scarlett – Phoenix, AZ – Age 22 - "My First, My Last, My Everything" by Barry White – I know he said that was his real voice…but OMG!!!
Lea Marie Golde – Los Angeles, CA – Age 16 - “Every Time We Touch” by Cascada - [giggle] [giggle] [giggle] OH MY GOSH!!! [giggle] OH MY GOSH [giggle] [giggle] WOW!
Eric Thomas (aka Sexual Chocolate) – Phoenix, AZ – Age 17 - “Ribbon in the Sky” by Stevie Wonder – Izziebella growled at the TV!!! ‘Nuff said!!!!

The “Made-It-Through’s”!!

Emily Hughes – Los Angeles, CA – Age 21 “Baraccuda” by Heart – what a surprise! The pink hair, tattoos, & strange, ear things hide a wonderful voice!
JB Anfua – Taylorsville UT – Age 16 – Stephanie is in love…
Arianna Afbar – San Diego, CA – Age 16 - “Put Your Records On” by Corrine Bailey Rae – nice voice, didn’t blow me away, but good choice for the Hollywood round
Stevie Wright – Phelen, CA – Age 16 - “At Last” by Etta James – very nice voice, nothing spectacular yet, but I see some potential in this girl
Michael Sarver – Jasper, TX - Age 27 - “Thank You” by Boyz II Men – gotta love a blond haired redneck with a great voice!!!
Katrina Darrell (aka Bikini Girl) – Chino Hills, CA – Age 20 - “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey – what a joke! The only reason she’s going to Hollywood is because Randy & Simon are hoping to see her in a bikini again! Maybe she’ll do a nice pole dance for them!!
Brianna Quijada – Tempe, AZ – Age 22 – “Let’s Hear it For the Boy” by Denise Williams & "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack – the first song was good but when Kara & Paula basically scared her into singing “Killing Me Softly”, she really found her voice & her courage. I hope she can pull that off again. Another one with potential!
Deanna Brown – Louisville, KY – Age 25 – “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding – another surprise voice!! Very, very, very country girl (dare I say….hick???) accent. I anticipated another bad Carrie Underwood wanna-be…until she started singing “Dock of the Bay”. She blew me away!! I’m watching this girl!
Cody Sheldon – Detroit, MI – Age 17 - “Wonderful World" by James Morrison – what a cutie! Stephanie’s in love…again! David Archuleta…watch out!! You could be “dethroned” as the teenage Idol heart throb!!
Alex Wagner Thugman – Studio City, CA – Age 19 - “Baby Come to Me” by James Ingram – I’m not sure why Simon didn’t like him…cuz I sure did! Goose Pimples!!
Scott MacIntyre – Scottsdale, AZ – Age 22 - “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel – Now this guy is the one to watch!!! What a story & what a voice!!! More Goose Pimples!!!

We got 27 Idol hopefuls from Phoenix tonight. I can't wait to see what Kansas City brings us tomorrow!! See ya then!!

Less Than 24 Hours...

2009-01-12T19:32:00.008-06:00

...And Counting!!

So I guess there are quite a few changes to Idol this year!

The biggest change is, of course, the addition of Kara DioGuardi. A fourth judge should make things very interesting. And from I've read about Kara, she knows music!

Another big change is upping the semi-final round contestants to 36 from the 24 we have gotten used to. Wow! 12 more contestants to keep up with!!

And we are getting the wild card contestants back. Remember those?? George Huff was a wild card contestant in season 3. He made it in to the top 12...top 4 as a matter fact. He was a real nice guy & a pretty good singer, too! And who's our favorite wild card contestant ever??? Why...Clay Aiken of course!!! But it was season 3 the last time we saw wild card contestants.

Other rumors (facts??) include:

No charity show this year

No Thursday shows this year (but the same number of hours on television!)

Less goofy auditions & more serious auditions (ahhh, rats!! No Renaldo Lapuz or William Hung this year????)

So what other changes can we expect this year? Who knows...but tomorrow night begins our annual Tuesday-Wednesday vigil of American Idol!! So pop some popcorn, fluff the pillows on the couch, & get your pen & paper ready to take notes!! Less than 24 hours ... & COUNTING!!!!!

Another Guy???

2009-01-07T07:45:00.006-06:00

Could we see another man win this year's Idol contest??? Could be...if we are to trust the instincts of the newest Idol judge!!

Check out the article on MSNBC.com. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28528301/from/ET/

Kara DioGuardi (never heard of her!) is the newest addition to the Idol judging panel. And I'm really looking forward to her opinions! And I really hope she is more "in control" of herself than Paula! I mean really!! Paula was judging Jason Castro's performance last year...before he had even performed! How silly can this woman be??? After that show, I admit I lost some of my confidence in Paula as a truly unbiased judge. But then Simon has always been my favorite!! He may be harsh to the contestants but my personal opinion & his professional opinion have usually been pretty close!!

So, Kara, we are watching you closely & we'll be following your every word as the season progresses!!

I am NOT a LOON!!!

2009-01-06T07:48:00.004-06:00

But MSNBC thinks I am!!! Why, you ask??? Because I watch American Idol!! (For the full story check out http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28425662/from/ET/ )

Ok, so I am counting down to the 2 hour premier show on FOX (January 13th...one week from today...in case you weren't paying attention!!)

And I can send text votes on my cell phone with one hand & hit the redial button on the house phone with the other hand (that's just being ambedexterious...not looney!!)

And when we get our top 24, I create little "count-down" sheets with pictures of the contestants & hang them up at my desk at work so I can mark them off as they get voted off (hey, I'm not the only one!!)

So does that make me looney???? Nooooooo...just addicted!!! And I promise if you watch, you will be addicted too!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

2009-01-01T12:49:00.006-06:00

Look what I found! My blog! Gosh! I haven't played with this since....March?? April?? May?? Wow, I'm lazy!! =D

Actually, the year was a busy one. The project at work has kept us hoppin'!! We spent time (as much as possible) in Sallisaw working on the trailer & making it more & more a home. And since Idol isn't on...well, I just didn't have a whole lot to say!

But, the countdown is on! Just 13 days to AI Season 8 premier!! YEAH!!!

So what are we going to get this year?? Another Carrie Underwood, or how about another David Cook?? Of course, right now, it's anyone's guess!! But whoever our next Idol is...let's hope they exhibit the same qualities that Carrie & David exhibit. The wonderful voices, the graciousness that makes them so likable, and the overall talent.

David's new CD came out in November & he's had two spots on Saturday Night Live! I'm even hearing his first single "Light On" on my daughter's favorite radio station! He's doing great!! His CD is definitely his...his songs, his voice. And that's a good thing. I think in the past Idol producers had too much control over the winners' first CD's but now I think they have decided it's better to let the winners chart their own courses (to a limited degree, I'm sure!)

But first...we need to get to know our new Idol judge & endure (& laugh hysterically at) those wonderful auditions!

Mark your calendars!! January 13th is coming!!!!!

I'm Really, Really Sorry...

2008-05-01T07:38:00.007-05:00

(Video was removed from YouTube! Rats!!)

...that I was mean to Brooke!! :( Bless her heart. That was probably the hardest elimination show I have ever seen. She was sooooooooo sad. I hope she finds her place in the music world. The news is reporting that Carly Simon thought Brooke was the best contestant this year. So maybe Carly will use her power & influence & help Brooke on her way.

Now for my opinion on Jason....
What a FREAKIN' toad!!!!! Watch the video of Brooke's final performance & I think you'll see what I mean. Poor Brooke is standing there, trying with all her heart to sing I Am, I Said (LA's fine but it ain't home, Arizona's home but it ain't mine no more....I was crying my eyes out at this point!!) & MR. JASON is standing directly behind her....in view of the camera....with a great big **** eatin' grin on his face!!!!! He's worse than Katherine McPhee was!!! David, David & Syesha knew this was Brooke's final performance & stayed back while Brooke sang. Even David C. gave her an encouraging push into the forefront & then stepped back. What a class act!!!

I notice I am not the only one who feels the same about Jason. His actions didn't go unnoticed by the press & other Idol viewers. Check out forums & press releases. Jason definitely got a lot of peoples' attention.

Neil ... His Way ...

2008-04-29T21:12:00.005-05:00

(And another video removed from YouTube!! Double Rats!!)

Well, they did it!! All five Idol contestants sang Neil Diamond, twice. And I only got one song choice right....Syesha sang "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" (glad she listened to me!! LOL!!) Syesha had a blast with that song & the judges are right - this girl belongs on Broadway!

Now for the rest of my opinion ....

Jason - Forever in Bluejeans - this song was just right for him & he did a great job. He looked comfortable & he had fun. It really suited his personality. September Morn - what a switch from his first song. He looked bored to tears & it was a terrible performance.

David Archuleta - Sweet Caroline - he had fun with it & I caught myself singing along. I would have preferred something a little deeper & mellower (is that a word??) but I enjoyed it. America - probably Neil's most popular song ever (next to Sweet Caroline). Simon was right...it was the right song choice.

Syesha - Hello Again - not bad. Not as much feeling as Neil's version, but her voice was nice. And she can hit some nice high notes!

Brooke - I'm a Believer - Neil wrote this song for the Monkees in the 60's & then it was made popular again by a big green ogre & a donkey....Shrek style! But Brooke's version?? Sorry, I'm not a believer. It was cheesy & she kept doing strange things with her eyes. Ok, the end was good, I'll give her that. I Am, I Said - I'm sorry but this song is special to me. And I didn't FEEL her. Watch the Neil Diamond video & I think you'll see what I mean. I can FEEL this song when he sings it. And I personally didn't like Brooke (with Neil's guidance) changing New York City to Arizona. I mean how can you be 'lost between two shores' when you're between Arizona & Los Angeles??????

David Cook - now this boy knows how to sing!!! OMG!! He took two of Neil's little-known songs & made them his. He knew better than to try to take some of the most well known songs in music history & make them his. Some songs (Sweet Caroline, America, September Morn, Hello Again, etc) will ALWAYS be associated with & compared to Neil Diamond. I'm Alive is from the Heartlight album from 1982. It's a great song & Neil even included it in his box set a few years ago. All I Really Need is You was a promo song written by Neil in 1991. It made it to his Greatest Hits 1966-1992 2 record set (as the very last song on the second album). But what David Cook did with that song....well it belongs on his first album, that's for sure!!!

NEIL IS COMING TO IDOL!!!!

2008-04-24T07:21:00.002-05:00

I have waited for this show for 4 years!!!

I started watching American Idol the year Fantasia won & I've been hooked ever since (thanks Mom & Bettye!! =D ) When I realized they had 'mentors' come on the show, I knew that someday, the greatest (in my opinon!) singer/songwriter would have to show up. And that time is now!!! On Tuesday & Wednesday April 29th & 30th, Neil Diamond will be the mentor!!! Woohoo!!! Yipee!!! OMG!!! He's coming!!!! (can you feel the excitement???!!!)

Now for my list of song choices (again, my opinon!):

David Cook - Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show or Holly Holy - I think he could take either of these songs & definitely make them his own. He rocks & so do these songs!!!! If he decides to stick with something a little mellower, Solitary Man would be a great choice. I can see him taking this song & doing with it what he did with Lionel Richie's Hello. It would work!
David Archuleta - I Am...I Said - very mellow, very deep song. It should suit his voice beautifully. Or Love on the Rocks or Hello Again...he would be very believable doing these songs. (add Red, Red Wine to this list, too).
Jason Castro - Be or anything else from Jonathan Livingston Seagull - I think the feel of the song Be would fit the feel of Jason. He could also pull off Porcupine Pie or Crunchy Granola Suite.
Brooke White - Song Sung Blue - again, this song fits her & her voice. Or maybe Forever in Blue Jeans. Brooke's a toughy to really fit to a Neil Diamond song.
Syesha Mercado - Cherry, Cherry - she needs to do something fun to keep up the pace with her performance this past week. Thank the Lord for the Night Time would also work great for her.

I personally think this episode of American Idol will be my absolute favorite...no matter how the contestants sing!

Oh....and by the way, in case you didn't notice....Carly Smithson is no longer with us. Too bad. I think she could have done a great job with a Neil Diamond song...but alas...the public was not impressed with her performance (unlike Simon). Next week should be very, very interesting!! With Neil Diamonds music library available to the contestants, there is a song to fit each of their styles & I have high hopes for all of them...including Brooke & Jason.

Can you say....Awwwww shucks!!!

2008-04-17T07:38:00.003-05:00

Poor Kristy Lee Cook! She went home! Well, in my opionion....IT WAS ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME!!!! Ok, that wasn't nice. But I am still upset over loosing Michael Johns before her. Yes, she did a good job on the country songs, but I guess Mariah's songs just did her in. It was coming. Kristy couldn't handle anything but country music. Had we done Mariah's songs last week, we might have said goodbye to her then & we would have probably lost Syesha or Brooke last night (I think Michael could have pulled off a Mariah song!!!)

Now we are down to our Top 6!! And my Final 2 prediction......a battle of the Davids!!!

I'm a Bad Blogger.....

2008-04-15T12:50:00.002-05:00

....'cuz I haven't posted in forever!! Ok, 3 weeks isn't forever but I should have added something sooner. But the last month has been a busy one.

The Trailer...
We did the set up & everything went smooth......practically. Water is running, electric is on, propane is flowing, satellite dish is operational - with Fort Smith, Arkansas television stations. Yes, I can now watch Fort Smith TV...right here in OKC. Who'd thought!!!! It seems that when you use Dish mover to install a new satellite dish & run new lines for you at your new house, well, the expect you to stay there!! Oh well...I did get to watch a massive, rotating thunder storm pass RIGHT OVER the new trailer last week courtesy of Channel 5 in Fort Smith! It was the same storm that moved into the little town of Muldrow & damaged around 200 structures. I would have never have guessed that Muldrow was that big! But nobody was seriously injured in Muldrow & the trailer survived without so much as a shingle out of place (Thank you Paul & Reecia for keeping an eye on things for us!!!) However....one stray, black trash sack made it into the yard. If that's the worst thing that happened then we are truly blessed!!

The Job...
We have finally started the new project. Training is underway & it's been a bit frustrating. Learning new stuff can be tough! Especially a new billing system for the Water Department!

After......

2008-03-20T20:24:00.005-05:00

WE'VE GOT THE KEYS!!!

She's ours!! Lock, stock & barrel (& mortgage, too!) The setup crew finished up this morning & we started moving furniture in this afternoon. The electrician & plumber will be here in the morning along with carpet man. Tomorrow afternoon the propane tank will be delivered, the air conditioners hooked up & the satellite will be working.

And tomorrow night I get to sleep in my king size bed!! Woohoo!! After I take a whirlpool bath!! I can't wait!!!

She's beautiful!! We still have a lot of work to do......setting up the bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, etc. But the couches & chairs are in & the chair in the parent's retreat (now known as the chair from hell!) is in. We had to take the sliding glass door & screen off to get that big chair in the house & then we had to take the bedroom door off to get it in the bedroom. But that was the hardest piece of furniture to move in to the trailer. The mattresses are on the floor ready for the frames. I've started unpacking kitchen stuff & my new red mixer is on the counter.

I'll have plenty of cleaning to do, too. Sweeping, mopping & wiping up messes. Before I go back to the city on Sunday, I hope to have most everything set up & in place.

This has been an awesome experience. Buying the furniture, watching the trailer get delivered & watching the pieces go together, & putting everything in its place.

This is what we dreamed of. I know Robert, Tom, Uncle Bill & Aunt Kathy would have loved it & I know they are watching this dream come true. They are always in our thoughts & their memories will live here. My dad & grandmother would have enjoyed this, too, & I wish my grandmother had had the opportunity to see it.

Who Will Leave Us This Week??

2008-03-19T08:13:00.007-05:00

I know who it should be!!! Kristy Lee needs to go home.....now! I have had enough of her butchering the Beatles.

David A. gets my goose pimple award for this week!! WOW!! What else is there to say? Last week he proved he was human & could mess up a song like everybody else (we needed that reality check!). This week he proved he could learn from his mistakes & take the criticism of the judges they way it is meant to be....to help him be a better singer.

David C. gets my rocker award for this week! And rock it he did! I have to disagree with Simon on this one....I liked the voice box touch. It was kinda cool! (And he's an Oklahoman....by way of Missouri!!)

Amanda better do something different next week. I'm getting a bit tired of the "Janis Joplin in a smokey blues bar in the south" thing.

I still like Carly, but I didn't like her song last night. I have hope for her.

My top three prediction.....David A., David C. & Carly.....maybe not in that order....but could be!!!

I Love Oklahoma....

2008-03-18T19:58:00.002-05:00

....but right now....I really hate the weather. It has rained & rained & rained. Sallisaw had close to 5 inches at 6 pm.

Vincent dug trenches for the electrical, propane & plumbing lines on Monday. It's now Tuesday & the trenches are now a bunch of little rivers in the yard.

The set up crew is waiting patiently. They got to Sallisaw at 7:15 am & jacked up the trailer pieces to put them in place. And then the sky opened up. The crew was going to go back to OKC but Vincent talked them into staying in Sallisaw until tomorrow. Bless them!! They got a motel room & they are going to wait out the rain. So hopefully sometime tomorrow afternoon....she'll be together in one piece.

And now for the bad news.....Steven was driving down Highway 59 in his car. He had slowed down to make a right turn to the house when some JERK decided to pass Steven.......ON THE SHOULDER to his RIGHT!!! He hit the rear end of Steven's car. Steven is fine & he actually seemed to handle it real well. Vincent was only a mile ahead of Steven so he got to him quick. The JERK got a ticket & then told a couple of different stories to his insurance company. Well, Vincent got plenty of pictures to prove the JERK a liar. I'm thinking lawyer right now but we'll see. The impact actually spun Steven around 360 degrees & his 16 years of life flashed before his eyes. But....he is fine!!! I thank God for keeping my son safe today.

During....

2008-03-11T16:50:00.004-05:00

Well, it took about 5 hours of hard labor (sounds like giving birth!)........

But she's in place!!!

Both pieces of the house are sitting on our land right now!! The ground was sooooooo wet, the trucks got stuck....deep!! At one point I had a new 4 foot deep future gold fish pond in the front yard, but it got filled back in. =(

The pieces are sitting just about where we wanted them & they are sitting about 6 inches apart. Next week the set up crew will be out there. They will put the two pieces together & seam everything....carpet, trim, paint, etc.

Then comes the furniture set up, the decorating....all the really fun stuff!!!

Before....

2008-03-11T07:45:00.004-05:00

This is the old trailer. And yes....I have a PINK propane tank!!! Hey, it stands out!! Whenever I give directions to the place, I always tell people to look for the pink propane tank!!! (Click on the picture to make it bigger & that propane tank will show up better! =D )

But this trailer is gone. She left shortly after Labor Day 2007. The light / electric pole has been moved to the other side of the drive & so has the propane tank. In this picture, the light pole is sitting in my new living room & the propane tank is in Steven's new bedroom!!!

She was a rough but comfortable old trailer. Only 2 bedrooms & 1 bath. When we had a houseful of company, it could get a bit cramped. The living room was large & had 2 couches & a loveseat. There were times when both bedrooms, plus the couches, loveseat & floor were piled with people!! But there were a lot of great times in that old trailer.

We started spending time there back in 1996 when it still belonged to Vincent's Uncle Bill. Stephanie took her first steps in that old trailer. We spent just about every summer vacation there after that. So it was a bit sad cleaning her out for the move.

Now we are ready to make new memories with the new trailer. She's on her way now & should be arriving sometime around 1:00 pm this afternoon!!

My House is Coming, My House is Coming!!!

2008-03-10T14:48:00.002-05:00

She will be delivered tomorrow (March 11) at 1:00pm!!! YEAH!!!! Hopefully we'll have some pics & maybe video on Wednesday!!

All You Need is Love....

2008-03-10T14:19:00.002-05:00

.....and the right song choice!! Tomorrow night, our Idol top 12 should be singing the songs of the Beatles! (Thank you Sony & Michael Jackson for sharing the Lennon / McCartney song catalog! May I just say....It's about FREAKIN' time!!!!)

Rumor & spoiler sites are saying that Nigel Lythgow has stated only songs older than the Sgt. Pepper's album (not including Sgt. Pepper's) will be performed. That's ok....that's an awesome list of songs! But it would have been nice to hear some of the late, late 60's & early 70's songs, too.

So......

Will Amanda find a song to compliment her style?

Will David A. stay away from gloomy songs & choose something fun?

Will David C. be able to rock out to the Beatles?

Will Kristy Lee turn a Beatles song in to a country song?

Will David H. be able to "show off" his sexy style to a Beatles song?

Will Brooke stick with the acoustic guitar or will she let the band play, too?

Inquiring minds want to know!!

The Waiting Game

2008-03-10T14:12:00.002-05:00

I'm waiting patiently....for delivery of my house!! As I type this, it is completely built & sitting on the plant's lot in Madill, Oklahoma waiting for the Department of Transportation to issue permits for its delivery. And also waiting for Solitaire to get caught up from the snow storm that hit Eastern Oklahoma last week.

It could be sometime this week or possibly next Monday. (Please let it be this week!!) If it makes it to Sallisaw this week, I plan to waste a tank (or two) of gasoline to go see it. I'll only be looking at two halves with a lot of plastic around them but I'll know it's there ready to be set up. And I'll know it's our house!

Still waiting on the trailer....

2008-03-07T15:01:00.002-06:00

Don't you just LOVE Oklahoma weather????? So unpredictable!!!!

So the trailer was due off the production line today. It's being built in Madill, Oklahoma (near Lake Texoma). (I had originally thought it was coming out of Duncan but I found out Madill when we closed). Once it came off the line today, Solitaire was supposed to contact the Department of Transportation for the permits to haul the pieces to Sallisaw (it takes about a day to arrange the permits, which meant the trailer could have been delivered as early as Monday).

But DOT says nobody is going anywhere......

Thanks to the snow in Eastern Oklahoma yesterday & today!! They pulled all permits for trailers that were to be delivered today & tomorrow. So that pushes our delivery out a few more days.

But......that's not a bad thing for us!! Sallisaw's weather is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL next week, which means that the ground can have some time to dry up......which means we won't have to have bull dozer down the road come pull out stuck trucks!!!

Introducing....

2008-03-07T11:22:00.004-06:00

Your American Idol Top 12 for Season 7!!!

David Archuleta
David Hernandez
David Cook
Jason Castro
Chikezie Eze
Michael Johns
Amanda Overmeyer
Carly Smithson
Brooke White
Kristy Lee Cook
Ramiele Malubay
Syesha Mercado

Who's your fave so far???

I've got a slideshow!

2008-03-05T06:55:00.001-06:00

Check it out below the posts. These are photos taken in Sallisaw over the years.

The lock & dam at Kerr Reservoir

2008-03-04T21:18:00.003-06:00

It's quite a site to see....especially when there has been alot of rain. This is the water flowing from Kerr into the Arkansas River.

We made it!

2008-03-04T06:11:00.002-06:00

We made it through closing yesterday, but.....oh boy.....it wasn't as easy as we had expected. There were a couple of surprises that popped up that we were not made aware of before yesterday (isn't that always the case??).

First surprise....if the semi tractor that is delivering the pieces gets stuck on our property, it's our responsibility to get a bull dozer to get them out. Now.....we did know that if we failed to prep the site properly & they got stuck then, yes, we screw up, we have to pay to fix it. But an act of God is also our responsibility. Go figure.....& this is Oklahoma.....where weather is always a surprise!! So, everybody, pray for NO rain in Sallisaw for the next couple of weeks!!!! We need all the help we can get!!! Good news, there is a guy down the road with a bull dozer, so we are going to get him on stand by.....just in case.

Next surprise.....our air conditioners won't have breakers in the house. ?????? I know, you are probably wondering what goof ball designed this!!!! Who ever heard of a house, any house (site built, manufactured, trailer, whatever) not having enough breakers in the breaker box for EVERYTHING the house needs. So our air conditioners will have to be ran straight to our electric pole. Thank goodness we have an electrician in Sallisaw who seems to know his stuff. Vincent talked to him yesterday & it won't / shouldn't be a problem. But we'll have to spend a bit more for the electric wires to the pole. We had to have our electric company move the pole & install a new box. We're pretty sure the new box at the pole will have enough slots for the breakers for the A/C & the barn.

We still don't have the exact delivery date but hopefully we'll know by Thursday when the house comes off the production line. I hope to have some video & / or pictures of this baby being delivered so maybe I can get them posted. It should be a site to see!!!

Today's the Day!!!

2008-03-03T08:25:00.004-06:00

We close on the house (manufactured home....ok, trailer!!) at 3:00 pm today!! Woohoo!! I'm actually a nervous wreck....don't know why, tho! Something about a closing is always a bit nerve wrecking!! All that paperwork to sign! Once we are done today, then I'll be a nervous wreck about the delivery....how will they get the pieces from Duncan (where the plant is) to Sallisaw (up & down the winding, mountain road), then down Applegate road (little, two-lane country road) to the property (across the bar ditch!). So once that is accomplished, then I'll be nervous about the actual set up......will they have problems getting the pieces together, will the seam be straight (LOL!!), will the plumbing, electric, & propane get hooked up, etc, etc, etc. I'll find something to worry about....that's a guarantee!!!

4 More Gone....(My American Idol Thoughts)

2008-02-29T07:54:00.008-06:00

Last night, we lost Alaina, Alexandrea, Jason Y. & Robbie....not huge surprises but sad none the less.

I must admit I was heartbroken when we lost Alexandrea....not because she was going home....but because David A. was crying because she was going home!!! Then when we lost Alaina & she was crying & Danny was crying & David A. was crying.....well, I just lost it!!! The tears were flowing at my house!!

But I must admit.....it was Ryan I felt sorriest for.....how was he going to fill the time if Alaina wouldn't sing??? You could tell he was starting to go into panic mode!!! Almost begging her to sing!!! Thank goodness the girls came down & helped her sing her way off the show & saved Ryan from dealing with dead air time on live television!!!

Now Stephanie is all into Idol this year...more so than previous years. It's all about Danny & David A. (she got the sniffles too when they were crying!!) It seems she & her friends at school are starting a Danny Noriega fan club. So if you are interested in joining, send me a comment / message & I'll find out what their requirements for membership are. You may have to be under 14 years of age, but maybe we can sneak you in!! Or you many need to have ability to do the "head popping" thing Danny is now famous for!

One week and counting! (Part 1)

2008-02-28T08:02:00.003-06:00

It's almost here!!! Our new home (manufactured home....don't call it a trailer!!) will be coming off the production line on March 6th!! One week from today!!!

So, in case you don't know....we have 10 acres at a place called Applegate Cove on Applegate Road (do you think we planned it that way??) We are about 1 mile from Kerr Reservoir near Sallisaw. We bought the land about seven years ago from Vincent's Uncle Bill. It was Bill's dream to retire there but due to his health, he decided to sell & we got it! It's a beautiful piece of land with a pond.

When we got the land, we also got a little 2 bedroom, 1 bath trailer that served us well for many years as a vacation / fishing cabin. We love to camp but, hey, why stay in a tent when you can have air conditioning & television!!

That poor trailer....we wore it out. It was a late 70's - early 80's model. Yucky paneled walls, plastic sinks, a floor that bounced when you walked on it....but it was awesome!

When we got the land, we decided that some day we would put our own home there & that would be our retirement home. Over the years, our love of city life has switched to a love of country life. There's nothing more peaceful than sitting out on the porch on a cool morning, drinking a hot cup of coffee, watching the sun come up, watching the birds fly around & the fish jump in the pond....watching God start the day....it's awesome!

So with the condition of the old trailer deteriorating fast, & the loss of our wonderful friend Robert who shared the dream with us, we decided maybe it was time to go ahead & get our new house!

So last year we started the wheels of progress in motion!! I went shopping & after hearing from a friend about the quality of the Solitaire Homes (www.solitairehomes.com) I picked one out...the biggest freaking home on the lot, of course!!! Vincent & the kids loved it, too. So on Labor Day weekend 2007, we packed up the old trailer, shed a few a tears & arranged to have her hauled away!

More to come....!!!

Great Idol Performance for David Hernandez!!

2008-02-27T11:05:00.006-06:00

What a guy!!!

American Idol Top 20 Guys - Songs of the 70's

2008-02-26T20:01:00.005-06:00

Randy is right.....the 70's were truly an awesome time for music. This is what I grew up listening to. My early favorite of the evening?? David Hernandez. It's tough to take a group song and make it a singer's song....just listen to Jason's version of the Doobie Brother's song. But David pulled it off. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone is probably my fave Temptations songs and he pulled it off!! And.....oh my......those eyes! Nuff said!!

Chikezie did great, and (surprise!) Luke did a good job as well!

Now.....the best of evening.....(drum roll please!)......David Archuleta!!!! He is sooooooo cute, adorable, humble, precious, huggable, etc, etc, etc! Like Paula said.....I just want to squeeze him (but NOT hang him from my rear view mirror!!) I was really scared at first that he was taking on a song too big and too serious for his cuteness.....but he really did pull it off. He gets my goose pimple award of the evening!!!

But.....WHY, OH WHY do these guys need to fight Simon????? Silly boys David (Cook) and Chikezie and Danny......shame on you!! Simon has been in this business longer than they have been singing, or even been alive for that matter! He knows what he's talking about. These guys need to learn from David Archuleta....be humble....accept what Simon says as constructive critisism and step up the game!!!

Another broken heart...

2008-02-26T15:49:00.009-06:00

Stephanie has given up another boyfriend today. It seems Salvador decided she wasn't right for him. Fortunately (for me!) she bounced back beautifully.....actually within a couple of hours!! But the sad part is a little white teddy bear gave his life and stuffing to the cause! Poor bear! Stephanie has decided she will remain single for a while now.....thank goodness!! I don't think the teddy bears of the world could handle another break up!!

Well, the break up didn't last long. Salvador made it back into Stephanie's good graces. Too bad the poor teddy bear won't mend like the relationship did!! He's just a head now sitting on Stephanie's desk =( Poor, poor bear!!!

Still working on this.....

2008-02-26T08:25:00.000-06:00

I'm learning! I tried to edit the template's Html code last night....silly computer codes! I don't get it. And Steven (the little computer genius) couldn't figure it out either!! LOL!! Oh well, we are both learning and that's the fun part!

Well, I got frustrated with the pink template that I was using....soooo...I used a nice, pretty green template! Hey, I'm all about color coordinating & with a name like Apple....well, you know the rest!! LOL!! =D

The First Post!

2008-02-25T10:34:00.001-06:00

HI!! Well, here it is!! My first post on my first blog! (This is soooo cool!!)

I wanted a place to share what's going on with the family and give everyone a way to follow us through the joys (& tears???) of setting up house keeping in Sallisaw. This should fun!!!