And it's now all down to two...

The night is here -- it's now a showdown between better and best, and Crystal and Lee. I'm going to do my very, very best to remain impartial. I promise ;). Here is a play by play of my thoughts, as I heard them, start to finish:

Lee, "The Boxer" - Fabulous beginning. I adore Lee singing this song, and I had as many goosebumps, if not more, as I did when I first heard him sing it. He sang it well, and he performed it well. And to quote Simon, if that was a "kiss on the cheek", I cannot WAIT to hear one that'll reach my lips.
Crystal, "Me and Bobby McGee" - Again, a strong beginning for Crystal. She had amazing stage presence, and engaged the audience. Did I love it more than Lee? No. And that might be because he doesn't scream. I'm not going to compromise on that thought, either.

Lee, "Everybody Cries" - He sang it wonderfully, but, I have to admit, it wasn't my favourite Lee DeWyze song.
Crystal, "Black Velvet" - I think she over-sang it. I didn't like it. Obviously, I am off the kilter of the judges' thoughts. Maybe if I was there? It would be different? If the commentaries thus far are anything to do with it, they're sealing the fate of Crystal's win, though.

Lee, "Beautiful Day" - I hate to have to admit this, but this wasn't good, and it wasn't as strong as he needed to be to end the night and leave a final impression...nerves? Quite likely. He will undoubtedly go far in his career, and he will have hit albums. When it comes to AI on the final night to showcase himself he started high, and ended low, which could be the deciding factor between first and second :(.
Crystal, "Up to the Mountain" -She did a beautiful job of this song - and for the most part, the screaming seemed to 'work'. I wasn't a huge fan of her first and second songs, but that was amazing. And, there you have it folks, against what I believed before tuning into the show, I think you have your winner right there.

Tune in tomorrow night to see if I'm right.

Simon, I shall miss you terribly - I may not even watch again.

I *heart* long weekends

You know it's been a beautiful weekend when there's zero blogging going on. Enjoy the weekend, did I? Guilty as charged. While I'm in desperate need for some toothpicks to pry my eyelids open from lack of sleep, and a tad shaky from potential caffeine OD in an effort to stay awake, here I sit with an attempt to recount the past few days' events. I'll have to do short form on account of the whole tired thing, and lack of time to concentrate on the post itself since I only have time to blog on my 15 minute break at work:

-Friday night, Chris & I headed in town to pick up some painting supplies and a movie.
-Saturday we painted the skirting on the mini home, and then we got ready to head to Ebenezer to celebrate Krissy's birthday. It was a grand time, indeed. It was decided that Chris would be the driver, and it was under the condition that if he was to drive, I was to be in no shape to drive. So I obliged by the consumption of an entire bottle of Pinot Grigio ;). There was food, fun, laughs, and even a game or two of Chubby Bunny. All in all, a great time.
-Sunday was mostly a write-off day on account of the wine consumption...*ahem*. Chris took off dune buggying and I rested. We grabbed a movie and had a chillaxin' kind of Sunday night.
-Holiday Monday Chris & I took off on an adventure day, driving the country roads and stopping for a few pics. We ended up in St Peters for supper at Rick's Fish 'n Chips. By the time we arrived home, it was dark. It was a great way to spend a day. Thanks hunny! I miss our adventures...was so glad to do this again with you!

Hoping you all had a grand weekend :)

Happy Anniversary Pac-Man!

Today marks the 30th Anniversary for Pac-Man. To celebrate, Google has created a google doodle. An INGENIOUS play for Google! This "doodle" allows you to actually play a game of Pac-Man on their site. Go to Google.com....Insert coin. NOW - but be quick, when Google celebrates they only have the celebration for that one day*.

Don't miss out on all the fun.

I can imagine the levels of productivity around the world taking a nose dive this afternoon.

Happy Day to Pac-Man....and Happy Friday to y'all :)

GET BACK TO WORK!

*Update: Google is having the game last all weekend long!! :)

Meet Paco*

We have a new "pet". It's an outdoor pet. Our cats "accept" him, probably because they have no other choice. We won't be introducing him to the inside walls of our domain though, as he is a raccoon. Chris has named him Paco. It looks like Paco the Trailer Park Coon has made his video debut on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBebTt6PX14

(I tried to embed the video but kept getting errors)

Paco's been comin' round to our house semi-regularly. He apparently enjoys bird seed - a lot. He harrasses the heck out of Bosco, who is supremely offended when another animal is within the range of his domain. He huffs and puffs, springing back and forth between the living room and kitchen windows, peering out at Paco, giving him the stink eye.

Paco was missing at the birdfeed buffet for a few nights, but has returned, quickly depleting our stock of feed. I think Chris was really worried about his absence. He buys the birdfeed so I'm all "whatev". Bon appetit, Paco.

*Photo courtesy of Chris Wilkinson.

I *heart* Lee

So now our Top 3 are in a standoff to see who will make it to the bitter end, and the final two. I was glad to hear two songs from each tonight.

And Round 1, Contestant's Choice:
Casey - Ok, It's Alright By Me - It was alright. But that was about it. He's still pretty, but he's starting to sound the same...you know what happens when they all start sounding the same...
Crystal - Come to My Window - nice touch with the harp, girl! A good, solid Crystal Bowersox performance.
Lee - Simple Man - I knew he was going to kill this song when I heard what he was going to sing. And he did. Ladies and gentleman,.....your next American Idol! Have I told you lately that I love him? He reminds me of an ex-boyfriend. Only hotter. And cooler. A lot cooler.

Round 2, The Judges Choose:
Casey - Daughters - Well, it was good, but it was no Lee.
Crystal - Maybe I'm Amazed - why does screeching = 'good singing' (in the eyes of the judges)?? I love her; I know she can sing, but I just can't handle the screeching. Maybe if I saw it live I'd be more appreciative? Maybe I'm just so Lee-biased?
Lee - Hallelujah - I literally squealed out loud when I heard the announced choice for him...and I had goosebumps before he even strummed a chord... and tears in my eyes when he hit his last. Without question he was the best of the night. Feck, I had goosebumps just hearing the commentaries. BRAVO!

BTW, Casey will not be joining Crystal next week as she steps aside to see Lee crowned the winner.

Grasping at grateful

Some days life can get to a person. Small inconveniences or annoyances can grate on one's nerves. A laugh. A voice. A smell. The temperature in your surroundings. Seeing others play when you're working...

I'm having one of those kind of days so I feel it necessary to compose a list of things I'm grateful for. Sometimes we need a little remindin'...

- I'm grateful for the love of my family and my friends.
-I'm grateful for the shelter I have -- though I'd love to get into a prettier, larger house, I DO have a roof over my head that doesn't leak.
-I'm grateful to have a job while so many people out there are looking for gainful employment,
-I'm grateful for comfort fit waistbands. Mr. or Mrs. Reitmans, I LOVE you. Thank you for the ingenious invention. Please don't stop creating these trendy fashions.
-I'm grateful that it was a beautiful sunny day, and I was able to take advantage of it for a few minutes when I took my lunch to the park and ate on the parkbench.
-Seeing my mom's eyesight failing over time, I'm grateful for my own eyesight, and to be able to see the world.

I am grateful.

Sometimes it doesn't look like it or sound like it....but I am.

I hope you're all able to find your own grateful. Happy Tuesday.

Thank GOD it's Monday!

Yeah.

I'm kidding, of COURSE.

Thankfully, I didn't finish the whole wine bottle on the weekend.

Hope you're all coping well with your own Monday "Blues". A weekend update is on it's way, eventually. You know, when Monday stops being a "Monday".