American Idol and Andy's Philosophy

Two things today. They aren't connected. He doesn't have a philosophy on American Idol, other than thinking Adam really didn't make it into the bottom three last week and that stunt was just pulled for ratings. Pffft, he did so. I saw him. In the bottom three. With my own eyes! And that leaves Danny as the only one who hasn't been in the bottom three, at least until tonight.

American Idol recap -

I liked the duet thingy they did last night. But does that mean that AI just can't find any musical rock celebrities to perform that they have to make the contestants do duets? In any event, I was passed out on the couch when I heard Adam screaming his song and woke up. I caught the tail end of it. I'm sure it was amazing and the world ooh'd and ahh'd over his performance, but I'm still not going to go back and watch it. I get it. He's good. He's fantastic. He's a natural.

Allison. Poor Allison. I thought she was really going to rock the house last night. Joplin is definitely the artist choice for her, but the song choice wasn't hot. I still love her and I think she has come so very far in her time on AI. Raw talent. And I love that her new hair seems to have given her more confidence.

Kris. I love that face distortion he makes when he sings, his jaw moved completely over to the right side of his face. I'm so glad he got it back. I think Danny or someone really made fun of him for doing that, but it's his trademark, just like Adam wears more makeup than all the women in my family combined... it's him. It's what he does. I don't think he did so hot last night and he'll probably be the one going home tonight. But I adore that sexy, sweet face of his, that great voice of his and I know he'll do great things with his career.

Danny. I heart him. He's got that gruff sexy voice that gives me chills when he sings. That last note wasn't a great one, but I think the duet with him and Kris will keep him in the game. Guess we'll find out if going outside the box helped him or put him out of the game tonight.

As a side note... last week when Danny and Allison had their little food fight... am I the only one who thought they were really friendly? Maybe I just have a sick and twisted mind, but Danny has got to be super lonely, still mourning the death of his wife, and Allison, a hot girl with a mad voice, and the ONLY female in that house??? I realize she's only 17 and he's a grown man, but c'mon, there was something more than just a food fight going on there.

Now for Andy's Philosophy... I'm getting a bit serious here. Watch out.

I mentioned Andy's idea that most people are bad investments here, and therefore he cannot be friends with them. That was a bit harsh so I thought I'd ellaborate on this philosophy of his.

Andy thinks of people/potential friends as investments, in a very analytical type of way. He thinks that if a potential friend sucks more life out of you than they give you, they are bad investments. He believes that if people bring drama to your life, they aren't worthy of your friendship. It's very cut and dry here. If he meet someone who seems nice on the outside, but their life is in turmoil and all they do is "need", he will not waste his precious time on them. Don't get me wrong, he won't be disrespectful or tell that person what a loser they are (unless they ask for his advice and then certainly he will be very blunt); he just won't allow that person in his circle. Think about it. You invest time, money and emotional ties with friends. If they don't reciprocate in a positive manner, and your initial investment is used up with nothing to show for it, how can they be deemed a good investment?

My philosophy on friends is way different. I have friends from all walks of life. I'm not a people person really, but I find life interesting, and everyone has their ups and downs. I wasn't going to judge these people because their lives were different than mine, and they didn't judge me. I was the "mama" figure to most of them and when something horrible would happen they would flock to my door. I thought I needed them as much as they needed me. Then Andy came along and showed me exactly how some of these people were sucking the life out of me and I was allowing them to hold me back. I was constantly surrounded by gossip and who is doing what and with whom, so much so that I was forgetting all about the greatness my own life could hold.

Andy's philosophy started to make sense to me, but I wasn't ready to fully commit to that idea.

One particular friend of mine hit rock bottom and needed a place to stay. To sum it up, she was a very close friend, I offered our home without speaking to Andy first, he just warned me that this decision would bite me in the ass. It did. Hard. She once was very productive and had all her ducks in a row. I just thought she just needed someone to believe in her... no job, no car, no place to stay, completely boy crazy, and very few friends who would put up with her. I, being the rescuer and humanitarian, thought I could fix her. At first, it was working out fine. I was training her to do transcription, she was helping me with the kids during the day, sending out resumes and going on job interviews. Then she broke the rules. She went to darts one night, in my car, and by the time Andy got up for work the next morning, my car wasn't home. This turned into a huge fiasco. Andy called a friend (at 5:30 am) who called another friend who tracked her down. By 6:30 we found out she apparently drank too much and in her hormonal, drunken, needy, state of mind she went over to a dude's house and stayed the night. I tripped out on her. Not only was my man, the one who is paying the bills in the house that she is currently living in, late for work, but she had the carseats for Monkey Boy and Baby Love in my car. Needless to say, I was livid. Forced to keep my cool because the kids were there, I ushered my friend in the house and sent my man and the kids on their way, 30 minutes late.

In my life prior to Andy, I would have just thanked my lucky stars that she didn't drive my car while drunk and that she was okay. I never would have seen the predicament that she caused for my family. I would have been pissed, but I would have calmed down much faster and been able to deal with her. This time her stunt was different. And believe me, there have been some stupid stunts in the past, but nothing of this magnitude that directly involved me.

I had to put my big girl panties on and make a decision. Andy said he would handle it for me and talk to my friend (and by talk he meant put her out). As much as I wanted him to be the bad guy in this one, I decided it was my responsibility since I was the one who offered her a place to stay. I sat her down and told her... "Bottom line, you've got to find somewhere else to live." She cried, apologized, cried some more and asked, "Will you still be my friend?" Of course I would. I didn't hate her. I just knew, at that moment, she was a bad investment.

I love this girl. We have been there for each other through thick and thin for years now, and it's hard to distance yourself from people you care about. But Andy is right. He's got his head on straight about investments and friends. When they begin to cause turmoil in your backyard, it's time to cut the ties. It took me a while to wrap my head around this philosophy of his, but after I did, I was amazed at how drama-free, calm and happy my life was turning out to be. I pushed this friend out of my backyard and handed her off to her family. I still love her very much. She hit rock bottom shortly after that incident and has since started rebuilding her life. She's got a long road ahead of her, but I'm so proud of her. We talk, occasionally. We see each other, occasionally. But I definitely am still guarded regarding how close I can be to her.

People are all different. But ultimately, we are the ones who make the final decisions on who and what we allow in our lives, how close we allow them to get, and how much control of our lives we allow them to have. I was never really surrounded by a close family growing up. My family caused pain, therefore, my needs for connection with people were filled with friends, pre-Andy. Now, my need to be needed is filled by Andy and the kids. My family needs me. And my friends/associates/investments are kept at a safe distance. I still make time for my friends, love and cherish them all, but they definitely take a back burner to my family now. It's a great feeling.

American Idol, Gary Unmarried and Army Wives

Ok so American Idol was on tonight and I'm not happy.

Adam, of course, has major talent and I want him to screw up so bad it's unbelievable. It's not that I don't like him... it's just that I'm secretly in love with Danny Gokey and the only way he will win is if Adam chokes on a Lemonhead.

Lil - I think it's time to throw in the towel. Just another copycat performance and I hope I speak for the Nation when I say WE ARE TIRED OF YOU! However, she would be a hit on a cruise ship somewhere.

Allison rocks! I love that girl! Can't wait to hear her first album.

Matt Giraud - I think he saved himself, at least little bit, tonight. I was afraid the judges were going to use their "save" on him and the following week he was going to be eliminated. I don't think that's the case... at least this week.

Kris - my monkey impressionist singing little friend, I think you are fab! But I don't think you will win... sorry.

Anoop - I'm afraid it's probably the end of the road for you too. Your sweet ballad voice isn't going to carry you through to the end.

Danny - my love. I noticed took my advise from last week and stopped trying to hard to pull on America's heartstrings. You also didn't wear your wedding ring tonight, maybe because it wasn't a love song, and I think you did fantastic! His voice gives me goosebumps!

So that's my take on tonight's contestants. Tomorrow, two will be eliminated and in my opinion, Lil and Anoop need to hit the road.

On my 8 Things I Watch there were a few folks that hadn't even heard of Gary Unmarried, or Army Wives for that matter. Well my friends, if you like comedy, you are missing out! At least on Gary Unmarried. This dude is hilarious! It's just a silly little sitcom but we DVR it religiously.

You can check out some of the videos and read more about Gary Unmarried here. Basically, he's newly divorced with two kids. He's a complete jock-type man and owns a painting company. His ex-wife and he were seeing a therapist, who later became his ex-wife's new man (but now they are broken up after shacking up together). There's a huge age difference in the ex-wife and the therapist, so Gary takes every shot he can at dear old Crandle. The ex-wife is also a control freak SAHM who still tries to wedge her way into Gary's life. They are hilarious! If you like Two and A Half Men, you'll really like Gary Unmarried.

The other one folks didn't really know is Army Wives. Like I said, I'm not sure why I dig this show. No one I know is even in the Army. I think I got hooked during one of my stay-under-the-covers-and-melt-away-Lifetime-moments. Yes, I'm a Lifetime nut. I love sappy movies. And I love LMN (Lifetime Movie Network) just as much. Girl Power!!!

This one is about... you guessed it... Army Wives. There are 5 main characters. Four wives and one Army husband, who just happens to be a therapist. Cuz they definitely need therapy. All the characters are completely different in personalities and are there for each other with each Army husband deployment. It's a really interesting family issues kind of show. I'm a sap lol. This one comes on Lifetime on Sunday evenings. It's getting really good right now as season 2 comes to a close and season 3 will be starting June 7th. I religiously DVR this one and watch it alone, during naptime on Monday. You can read more about it here and I think you can even watch whole episodes online.

Yanno, I should really be getting paid for giving these shows virtual ^5's.

American Idol... and other random thoughts

Alrighty you Idol fans... here's my top 3 for this weeks' hot seat... (not hot like "oh you are so hot" but hot like "oh you've definitely got to go!")

Lil Rounds - I'm just tired of her. I think she's tired of being on the show too. The judges have given her sound advice over and over and over again and this lady just won't listen. She has absolutely no artistry to her singing. She sounds, and looks might I add, exactly like every original artist song she sings. Bleh! Don't get me wrong... she's definitely a powerhouse with a mad voice, but she isn't using it. I so wish she would have chosen a Whitney Houston song from Bodyguard or Preacher's Wife.

Matt Giraud - Although I normally like this guy, he's just to wishy washy for me. One week he sounds great and then the following week he sounds like he's got laryngitis.

Kris Allen - I really don't want him to be in the bottom three because I like this kid, but when I compare him to the others, I have no choice. I think he did really well last night, and I think he's got something good coming in his future, but honestly, he has no chance of winning the competition.

To my dear, dear Gokey. I have an issue with you Sir. I LOVE your voice, your reserved attitude and how you appear to be so humble. However, these last two weeks I feel you are grasping at straws and playing the wifey-sympathy card a little too hard. You pick songs that will yank at the heart-strings of every American voting and my dear, it's getting old. You definitely have an amazing voice and I love that you have heart. But Danny, I've noticed you are wearing your wedding ring only for the performances.... and I've noticed you are taking off your glasses, which are oh-so-delish, I can only imagine for people to see the true emotion in your eyes. We see it... even with the frames. I'm not down-sizing the sea of emotions you must be experiencing in the least. I truly sympathize with you and wish you all the best in your healing process. All I ask is please stop trying so hard to rip my heart out. Use your amazing God-given talent and win this competition so I can laugh in the face of all the hard-core Adam Lambert fans. Is that too much to ask?

And on to lighter subjects:

I am in the process of writing how the lovely ex-wife pissed me off the day before Easter. Stay tuned... but for some important history on the lovely ex-wife you might enjoy reading I DONT LIKE MUSHROOMS.

Ramon and the crew have yet to show up to vacuum my yard... and if they come during nap time I'm going to scream! Yes, I said vacuum b/c for some reason I can never think of "lawnmower".

I have had 2 cups of coffee and 3 glasses of tea so far today... I'm hoping I don't pass out before 4 from heart palpitations.

I'm sick and tired of typing about sick patients. I like the psych reports. Makes me feel sane. But it gets very depressing that every patient who enters the ER is diagnosed with 4 more disorders/issues than what they came in with. Seriously doctor, can't you just treat the pneumonia without labeling them all with depression, insomnia, SLE, type 2 DM and CAD? And while I'm ranting about doctors... really, after over a decade of schooling, is it possible that you might be able to pronounce the drugs properly so the little peons like me know what the hell to type? And furthermore, it is not necessary to say "pee-rod" (period) after every sentence or "break" when you want me to start another paragraph. I know proper sentence structure. I know how to make your reports look pretty.

I let my plants (the veggie plants I have been growing, from seed mind you, in my kitchen since February waiting and counting the days until I can move them into their garden beds) stay outside all night last night. I was scared. I've babied these guys, nurtured them, fed them, almost killed them with Pennington Plant Food, tripped over them in my kitchen, and talked every single day to them. They did very well. I was so proud of my veggie babies. And as soon as Mother Nature gets that rainy day stick out of her butt, I'll be able to set them free to grow in their beautiful beds made by Andy and produce me many, many veggies all season long. Gardening is therapy. I have probably saved $10K in therapy by just planting some seeds. It's a beautiful thing.

Last random thought: I hit the jackpot in the washing machine today. I have made a whopping $1.62, all in change. I can't wait to see what the dryer holds for me. Last time I hit the jackpot, I opened up the dryer to find a $5 bill with one end of it stuck inside the cylinder. I ripped it while hastily trying to unwedge it and tuck it in my pocket before anyone saw me. Andy says it's now a $4.75 and we cannot use it anywhere.

Gokey Girl!

This year American Idol has begun like all the others... I'm bored to tears with the auditions and I just want to see some real singing! I DVR the shows and I usually get to watch them later the night they aired or the next day.

So like usual, I loved Gokey's song! I think I love his spirit as much as his voice. This man just seems to be the all around perfect kind of guy. He's handsome, wholesome, hip, cool mannered and seems to be pretty sincere. I've heard a lot of crap about how he's trying to pull votes by using the death of his wife, and that just makes me wanna go out and punch people. Now look, if anyone on the show was a moron that would be bikini girl and the short-bus riding del Torro. Her laugh alone makes me pleased at the thought of fingernails on chalkboard. I hated her personality, but I thought the girl could sing.

Then there's Anoop. Poor guy. He's got a great voice, I just don't think America is going to embrace an East Indian pop artist. That's like the Asian rappers who try to desperately to get heard on Youtube in hopes of a break. I just don't see it... at least not yet. Gradually, I'm sure this country will get off its high horse of thinking the music world revolves around white folks and black folks, but until then, I don't see Anoop in this competition.

Can I just say THANK GOD Tatiana got booted. The girl was a drama queen from day one... attention seeking, self-absorbed DRAMA QUEEN! Good God girl, take a break from the mirror and fix what's inside! Her voice was perty though, I'll give her that.

I'm glad and not surprised at all that Adam made it this week. He's a great one that will make it to the very end. He's a hot rocker type with an amazing voice and range. His drama background helps him a lot. I like his expressions when he sings! I think he and Gokey will definitely go toe-to-toe. They are my two faves so far.

In other years of this show I've favored the ladies a bit more than the men, but this year is different. I'm not that impressed with the ladies, but the guys...woah, what a competition this is going to be!