It's a new week, and that means another American Idol recap! This week it's inspirational song, all leading up to American Idol's big "Idol Gives Back" campaign and two-hour show tomorrow night. A bunch of high-caliber singers will be performing tomorrow night and Ryan Seacrest promises a huge "shocker" in the history of the show. We'll see how big it ends up being. All that is tomorrow, so let's get started with the performances!
Chris Richardson leads off tonight, singing one of my favorite Eric Clapton songs "Change the World." To use a term uttered by Randy or Paula, Chris started off pitchy with the song, but I think he quickly rebounded. I thought it was a great song choice for him and recovered nicely after stumbling a bit in the beginning. The key question is, will it be a performance that saves him from being eliminated? We are getting down to the nitty gritty and I honestly believe Chris ends up in the bottom three this week, but not without trying.
Melinda is next singing a Faith Hill song, one that I'm not familiar with. Despite that, I think she did a fantastic job with the song, as usual. Some of my comments are like a broken record because she's such a flawless singer. A few weeks back she had a hicup but so far, is one contestant that has yet to be in the bottom three. It probably wasn't my all-time favorite performance from her, but I still think she did a great job with it. And despite her never being in the bottom three yet, I think it will remain that way this week. She's safe.
Going third tonight was Blake and he took a huge risk when he chose John Lennon's "Imagine." Just as Simon said, it's one of the greatest songs of all-time and how can you not compare Blake's to the original? I didn't think it was a spectacular performance, but I still thought it was quite good. I think Blake handles lower-key songs pretty well, but I think his forte is more with the more up-tempo songs. Usually when he goes that route, he gets favorable comments from the judges. Still, he should be safe this week.
Another risk-taker this evening was Lakisha. I thought she learned a valuable lesson from previous weeks that it's hard to take on songs originally performed by Ameircan Idol winners (such as the Carrie Underwood song Lakisha sang before). But she takes on a Fantasia song and it just did not live up to the original. I thought Lakisha had the weakest performance of the night. I especially thought the beginning was rather awkward and the remainder of the song wasn't much better (she started shouting again). Lakisha has really fallen on hard times and I think it may be the end for her this week. Bottom three.
Phil Stacey goes fifth and after an exceptional performance last week, Phil really built up on that momentum from country week. He went with a Garth Brooks song and although it didn't sound the least bit like a country song, he had another great week vocally. I realized this week that there are times when Phil sounds a lot like Michael Bolton during certain melodies. Not that that fact is ever going to hurt him because he seems to be really charging at the end of this competition and making a name for himself. Earlier on in the top-12, he had some performances that really made him look like a laughingstock. I think Phil will land in the bottom three, but he will not be eliminated.
And last but not least for this week is Jordin. What a way to end this week. At first, I wasn't sure if she picked the right song, but I was quickly proved wrong. I love the emotion she expresses in her face when she's singing the more serious parts of her songs. She has tremendous compasion when it comes to singing and week after week she has been stepping up and making a name for herself. After this week's performance, I think Jordin is the favorite to win it all. I think Melinda is growing a little stale with the fans and if Jordin keeps this up, she'll be this year's American Idol winner. Safe.
It's getting extremely difficult in this stage of the game as to who will wind up in the bottom three. I think it's safe to say who the likely candidate for elimination will be this week. But for a recap, I believe Phil will end up in the bottom three but will be sent back to safety. The bottom two will be Chris and Lakisha, and Lakisha will be eliminated from American Idol. Although I think you could pick Blake as a wild-card to the bottom three, since he was there last week. Needless to say, I think things will get very interesting week after week as we head towards the Idol finale in May.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
He's Gone!
Can you believe it finally happened? If you haven't heard, you probably live under a rock. But in case you didn't hear about the conclusion of this week's American Idol results show, Sanjaya was finally voted off. It should've happened much earlier, but now that he's officially gone, he is going to be missed. Yes, I am being serious. Just when you think American Idol couldn't get any more buzz, Sanjaya brought with him a media storm of conversation. Week after week, it wasn't just about his poor singing, but also his plethora of hair styles. Simon hounded on him constantly, week after week, and it made for good comedy. I really believe the Sanjaya-delerium peaked when the camera panned upon a girl who was bawling her eyes out in the audience at the vision of Sanjaya. And the thing of it is, we may never see the likes of Sanjaya again. Sure, we've had William Hung, but he never made it to Hollywood. Scott Savol acutally could sing somewhat. But Sanjaya? There wasn't a week that he was spectacular. Melinda? Yes. Blake? Yes. Lakisha? Yes. Sanjaya? No way. He is going to be one of those memorable contestants that will stand out forever, and will be talked about for a very long time.
And since thing blog is about American Idol, I thought I'd discuss another thing about the show that I find pretty intriguing. It seems there are two groups of people when it comes to American Idol. You either love it or hate it. There are very few in between. Usually the people who hate the show dispise everything there is about it and can't even fathom watching one minute of it. But then there are the people who love it and can't get enough of the show. So you either love it or hate it. What is your opinion of the show?
I figured I would sneak in a quick blog tonight as I will be tied up the next couple of nights working 12-hour shifts. But the nice part is, after this weekend, it's the easy part of the schedule. Next weekend is my long weekend (count 'em, five days off). Then I work five days of afternoons and then it's another three-day weekend! Yes, the 12's are no fun - in fact, they suck! But this schedule definitely has its perks (more days off). There are still detractors to the schedule (one such guy continues to state how he "hates" the schedule emphatically), but I am not one of them. Sometimes, change is good and you never know exactly how good it can be until you try it. I think that's what some people have been finding out these past four months.
It's looking to be a beautiful weekend here in the Upper Peninsula, as we'll be seeing our warmest temperatures of the season thus far. Remember a week or so ago when I was complaining about the constant snow? Well, that's all but a memory. The high temperature on Sunday is expected to reach 77 degrees. Can you believe it after the 50+ inches of snow we've received thus far in April? The snow is quickly disappearing (in fact, mainly snow piles remain) and thoughts of summer are not that far away. I love this time of year. Get out and enjoy your weekend, where ever you are.
And since thing blog is about American Idol, I thought I'd discuss another thing about the show that I find pretty intriguing. It seems there are two groups of people when it comes to American Idol. You either love it or hate it. There are very few in between. Usually the people who hate the show dispise everything there is about it and can't even fathom watching one minute of it. But then there are the people who love it and can't get enough of the show. So you either love it or hate it. What is your opinion of the show?
I figured I would sneak in a quick blog tonight as I will be tied up the next couple of nights working 12-hour shifts. But the nice part is, after this weekend, it's the easy part of the schedule. Next weekend is my long weekend (count 'em, five days off). Then I work five days of afternoons and then it's another three-day weekend! Yes, the 12's are no fun - in fact, they suck! But this schedule definitely has its perks (more days off). There are still detractors to the schedule (one such guy continues to state how he "hates" the schedule emphatically), but I am not one of them. Sometimes, change is good and you never know exactly how good it can be until you try it. I think that's what some people have been finding out these past four months.
It's looking to be a beautiful weekend here in the Upper Peninsula, as we'll be seeing our warmest temperatures of the season thus far. Remember a week or so ago when I was complaining about the constant snow? Well, that's all but a memory. The high temperature on Sunday is expected to reach 77 degrees. Can you believe it after the 50+ inches of snow we've received thus far in April? The snow is quickly disappearing (in fact, mainly snow piles remain) and thoughts of summer are not that far away. I love this time of year. Get out and enjoy your weekend, where ever you are.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Not Feeling Well...
I don't know what it is, but I've been living with a problem for far too long. I have my good days and bad. Right now I am just not feeling that great. And no, it's not a cold or the flu, either. I have been putting off going to the doctors for fear of tests and finding out exactly what's wrong with me. Three or four years ago, I went to the doctor for pain and discomfort on my right side just below the rib cage. I even had an ultrasound performed to see if there was anything wrong with my kidney or liver. Everything checked out normally. I had blood work done and even that came back normal. Then the pain went away. It wasn't a severe pain, but just discomfort and I'd feel uncomfortable in that part of my body. Every now and again, it would return, but would be gone within a week. I've also been living with a frequent dry mouth. It's one thing that never seems to go away. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and my mouth is so dry. This is a symptom that leads me to believe I may be diabetic, but I have not really experienced any other symptom - at least nothing obvious - than that. Diabetes is something I do not want to deal with. Checking your blood all of the time and giving yourself shots is not something I look forward to doing. But if my kidneys are starting to get affected, I better end this charade once and for all.
I can imagine some of you becoming quite concerned with the paragraph I just wrote above. Don't worry - I plan on making an appointment for myself tomorrow morning. I may need some support in the future whatever the diagnosis is for me. Like I said, I don't want to alarm anyone, but I am just putting people on notice that my life may change somewhat soon and I need people there to help me get through this (other than my family). You just never know what you're gonna find out when you go in for a check-up. If it's something like diabetes, then I can live with it. All I know is I need to take care of myself instead of letting this go on for days on end. Within the past few days, I've been experiencing discomfort from both my kidneys. The previous weekend, when I worked two 12-hour shifts, my left kidney was sore as heck. I thought maybe I had strained a muscle in my back, but I am beginning to think it may be something more. Once in awhile I get a pain in the center of my back near my spine as if something is there that shouldn't be, like a knot. On my right side below the rib cage, every once in a great while, I experience a very sharp sudden pain that makes breathing very difficult. But I am able to breath through it and the pain goes away. Like I said, that pain is very rare. But I experience it every now and again. These are just some of the symptoms I've experienced long term and short term. It's time to get myself taken care of once and for all.
You know, I've come to realize that life is way too short and I need to quit putting off going to the doctors. They are there to help anyone who has medical problems. And maybe my problem is that I worry too much. We can't always be healthy and many people need medication to make their lives enjoyable. Maybe that's my only problem. Whatever the case, I'm sure you'll hear more about it in the weeks and months ahead. This is the first time I am disclosing this on-line and this has been more or less a secret of mine for awhile. So to who ever is reading this, try not to be concerned about me. I have a lot of life to live and I have no intention to go down so soon.
I can imagine some of you becoming quite concerned with the paragraph I just wrote above. Don't worry - I plan on making an appointment for myself tomorrow morning. I may need some support in the future whatever the diagnosis is for me. Like I said, I don't want to alarm anyone, but I am just putting people on notice that my life may change somewhat soon and I need people there to help me get through this (other than my family). You just never know what you're gonna find out when you go in for a check-up. If it's something like diabetes, then I can live with it. All I know is I need to take care of myself instead of letting this go on for days on end. Within the past few days, I've been experiencing discomfort from both my kidneys. The previous weekend, when I worked two 12-hour shifts, my left kidney was sore as heck. I thought maybe I had strained a muscle in my back, but I am beginning to think it may be something more. Once in awhile I get a pain in the center of my back near my spine as if something is there that shouldn't be, like a knot. On my right side below the rib cage, every once in a great while, I experience a very sharp sudden pain that makes breathing very difficult. But I am able to breath through it and the pain goes away. Like I said, that pain is very rare. But I experience it every now and again. These are just some of the symptoms I've experienced long term and short term. It's time to get myself taken care of once and for all.
You know, I've come to realize that life is way too short and I need to quit putting off going to the doctors. They are there to help anyone who has medical problems. And maybe my problem is that I worry too much. We can't always be healthy and many people need medication to make their lives enjoyable. Maybe that's my only problem. Whatever the case, I'm sure you'll hear more about it in the weeks and months ahead. This is the first time I am disclosing this on-line and this has been more or less a secret of mine for awhile. So to who ever is reading this, try not to be concerned about me. I have a lot of life to live and I have no intention to go down so soon.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
American Idol - Top 7
It's country week on American Idol, which proved very interesting for some contestants tonight. I thought many would struggle but all in all, most everyone gave a decent performance. I am not very big on country, but there are a few songs I know thanks to cross-overs. Definitely not my favorite genre week that American Idol does, but it's not my least favorite, either. Let's get on with the critiques!
Phil started the show off first tonight. Maybe the producers put him up first so they could get through the misery right away. We all know that Phil is not going to be the American Idol. But I was rather surprised how well he did this week. He actually was decent with his song and did a nice job of leading the show off tonight. Maybe he'd do well with country afterall. SAFE
Jordin was up next and one thing you can expect with her is consistency. Week after week, she has been consistent no matter what the genre is. Tonight was no exception, in fact, I think she had the best vocal of the night. She did an AMAZING job with the song and you could really tell her performance was excellent when the crowd cheered and cheered when she was done. I really enjoyed the emotion she portrayed in the song, from very serious in the beginning to a glowing smile in the end. It's like she portrayed the emotion of the song from her facial expressions. Excellent performance. SAFE
Going third was Sanjaya and he is certainly NEVER consistent week after week. I thought maybe, just maybe he'd build on the momentum from last week where he actually sang half-way decent. Boy, was I wrong. Just as Randy desrcibed it, it was absolutely karaoke. He lacked confidence, it was very flat, and it was as if he had trouble staying on tune. I don't know why Sanjaya just can't sing decent for two weeks straight or at all. BOTTOM THREE
Lakisha was the performer that marked the mid-way point of the top seven. I thought she took a big risk when she picked Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Takes the Wheel," a former American Idol. And unfortunately, it did not work well for her at all. It was the wrong country song for her and I agreed with the judges whole heartedly in their remarks. After starting out very strong in this competition, she has struggled in recent weeks and she runs the risk of being eliminated here soon. BOTTOM THREE
Up next was Chris and once again, I was not blown away by his performance. I thought last week was better for him and this week's song started off with some pitch problems. I think Chris always does a decent job but never has the performance that really "wows" a person. This week was no difference, and it was probably one of his weakest in awhile. It wasn't a performance to remember, that's for sure. BOTTOM THREE
Melinda was up next and after an 0ff-week last time around, she does a much better job during country week. She picked the perfect song for her, which was an upbeat, happy song, and really delievered it well. A definite improvement over last week and it was a performance I enjoyed listening to. I had to agree with Simon's comments about her surprised reaction once her singing has concluded. Yes Melinda, you really are that good. Time to get over it. SAFE
Last but not least is Blake Lewis. What a way to end the night. Blake is another performer that has been rather consistent week after week no matter what the genre is. He sang a song that was even recognizable to me, "Where the Stars go Blue" sung by Tim McGraw on the country side, but also covered by the Corrs. A near flawless performance from Blake who solidified his place as one the top performers of this season. SAFE
So this week, Sanjaya, Lakisha, and Chris run the risk of being eliminated. When it comes down to it, I believe it will be Chris' week to leave. I don't believe he has done enough in recent weeks to strengthen his position in this year's competition. Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than thrilled to see Sanjaya go this week, but I think he'll stick around one more time before finally getting the boot next week. As we get closer and closer to the finale, Sanjaya's chances of sticking around get slimmer and slimmer.
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As a side note, I feel it's an appropriate time to discuss the horrific shooting incident at Virginia Tech University yesterday. I probably would not have discussed it in a blog posting until I made a sad discovery earlier today. I frequently visit a sports message board called motownsports.com. Although I am not an official member there, I visit it often to get caught up regarding the latest news on the Detroit Tigers. This forum covers all of the major sporting teams in the Detroit area. The most popular section of the forum is for the Tigers. One of the active members of this forum went by the name of estrepe1. His real name was Brian Bluhm, and happened to be one of the victims from this tragedy. He was 25 and a graduate student at VT and only needed a couple of weeks before he officially received his graduate's degree. But it was all for naught thanks to a senseless idiot who went on a rampage. Brian racked up over 35,000 posts on motownsports.com and was well known throughtout the Detroit Tigers on-line community. He sported an avatar of Hobbes from the old newspaper comic "Calvin and Hobbes" and always posted an animated image of Hobbes jumping up and down when the Tigers won during a game day thread on motownsports.com. Even though I did not directly know Brian and only knew him from his appearance at motownsports, I find myself connected to the tragedy in Virginia in some way. He didn't know me, but I knew of him which made it shocking to find out that he was one of the 32 victims of this tragedy. He had such an amazing future ahead of him and wound up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. RIP Brian. You will be missed for your excellent Tigers insight.
Phil started the show off first tonight. Maybe the producers put him up first so they could get through the misery right away. We all know that Phil is not going to be the American Idol. But I was rather surprised how well he did this week. He actually was decent with his song and did a nice job of leading the show off tonight. Maybe he'd do well with country afterall. SAFE
Jordin was up next and one thing you can expect with her is consistency. Week after week, she has been consistent no matter what the genre is. Tonight was no exception, in fact, I think she had the best vocal of the night. She did an AMAZING job with the song and you could really tell her performance was excellent when the crowd cheered and cheered when she was done. I really enjoyed the emotion she portrayed in the song, from very serious in the beginning to a glowing smile in the end. It's like she portrayed the emotion of the song from her facial expressions. Excellent performance. SAFE
Going third was Sanjaya and he is certainly NEVER consistent week after week. I thought maybe, just maybe he'd build on the momentum from last week where he actually sang half-way decent. Boy, was I wrong. Just as Randy desrcibed it, it was absolutely karaoke. He lacked confidence, it was very flat, and it was as if he had trouble staying on tune. I don't know why Sanjaya just can't sing decent for two weeks straight or at all. BOTTOM THREE
Lakisha was the performer that marked the mid-way point of the top seven. I thought she took a big risk when she picked Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Takes the Wheel," a former American Idol. And unfortunately, it did not work well for her at all. It was the wrong country song for her and I agreed with the judges whole heartedly in their remarks. After starting out very strong in this competition, she has struggled in recent weeks and she runs the risk of being eliminated here soon. BOTTOM THREE
Up next was Chris and once again, I was not blown away by his performance. I thought last week was better for him and this week's song started off with some pitch problems. I think Chris always does a decent job but never has the performance that really "wows" a person. This week was no difference, and it was probably one of his weakest in awhile. It wasn't a performance to remember, that's for sure. BOTTOM THREE
Melinda was up next and after an 0ff-week last time around, she does a much better job during country week. She picked the perfect song for her, which was an upbeat, happy song, and really delievered it well. A definite improvement over last week and it was a performance I enjoyed listening to. I had to agree with Simon's comments about her surprised reaction once her singing has concluded. Yes Melinda, you really are that good. Time to get over it. SAFE
Last but not least is Blake Lewis. What a way to end the night. Blake is another performer that has been rather consistent week after week no matter what the genre is. He sang a song that was even recognizable to me, "Where the Stars go Blue" sung by Tim McGraw on the country side, but also covered by the Corrs. A near flawless performance from Blake who solidified his place as one the top performers of this season. SAFE
So this week, Sanjaya, Lakisha, and Chris run the risk of being eliminated. When it comes down to it, I believe it will be Chris' week to leave. I don't believe he has done enough in recent weeks to strengthen his position in this year's competition. Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than thrilled to see Sanjaya go this week, but I think he'll stick around one more time before finally getting the boot next week. As we get closer and closer to the finale, Sanjaya's chances of sticking around get slimmer and slimmer.
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As a side note, I feel it's an appropriate time to discuss the horrific shooting incident at Virginia Tech University yesterday. I probably would not have discussed it in a blog posting until I made a sad discovery earlier today. I frequently visit a sports message board called motownsports.com. Although I am not an official member there, I visit it often to get caught up regarding the latest news on the Detroit Tigers. This forum covers all of the major sporting teams in the Detroit area. The most popular section of the forum is for the Tigers. One of the active members of this forum went by the name of estrepe1. His real name was Brian Bluhm, and happened to be one of the victims from this tragedy. He was 25 and a graduate student at VT and only needed a couple of weeks before he officially received his graduate's degree. But it was all for naught thanks to a senseless idiot who went on a rampage. Brian racked up over 35,000 posts on motownsports.com and was well known throughtout the Detroit Tigers on-line community. He sported an avatar of Hobbes from the old newspaper comic "Calvin and Hobbes" and always posted an animated image of Hobbes jumping up and down when the Tigers won during a game day thread on motownsports.com. Even though I did not directly know Brian and only knew him from his appearance at motownsports, I find myself connected to the tragedy in Virginia in some way. He didn't know me, but I knew of him which made it shocking to find out that he was one of the 32 victims of this tragedy. He had such an amazing future ahead of him and wound up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. RIP Brian. You will be missed for your excellent Tigers insight.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Enough is Enough
Okay, enough with the snow already!! It's April 12th and last night into this morning, we picked up another six to eight inches of snow. I thought this was supposed to be spring. You know spring RAIN showers bring May flowers? Well, except for the first couple days of this month, it hasn't been very spring-like at all. And I am getting pretty sick of it. I guess we really are paying for our late winter, which didn't begin until the middle of January. Even though it feels like the middle of winter, it's warm enough to produce heavy wet snow, which is exactly what fell during this latest storm. There's nothing worse to drive in than slush (except maybe for ice), and I know from experience after my adventure today.
I was driving along M-35, which had already been plowed and was just mainly wet. I had to make a decision, whether to continue on this road, or travel a county road that is paved but usually poorly plowed after a significant snowfall. Since there were two other cars ahead of me that continued on M-35, I decided to take my chances on the county road. As I started on the county road, I could tell it had not been taken care of at all. It was very slushy and shortly thereafter, I began losing control of the car. I was not traveling all that fast, roughly 35 MPH when the car began swerving. I tried maintaining control of the vehicle and attempted to drive into the swerves. That did not seem to help at all and at one point my car was sliding perpendicular to the surface of the road. A truck was traveling in the opposite lane and had slowed to a stop once he saw how much trouble I was experiencing. I managed to straighten the car out somewhat but I was in the other lane of traffic. I just couldn't get back into my lane as I was getting very close to the truck ahead. So I went and slammmed on my brakes. I stopped comfortably ahead of the truck but I was close to the snowbank of the road. I tried backing up, but my tires were just spinning. So I drove forward a bit but went too far and my front bumper ended up ontop of the snowbank. I truly was stuck now.
The driver of the truck ahead came out and gave me some assistance. He had a shovel in the back of his truck and started shoveling some of the snow from under the front bumper. Another vehicle that was coming from the opposite direction stopped just behind where my car was. A gentleman came out to help. I got a shovel out from the trunk of my car and did some shoveling around the front left tire. We had it pretty well shoveled out and decided to give it a try. The two guys were pushing on the front of the car as I backed out. After a strong push from the guys, I was out of the snowbank and back onto the road. Realizing that the county road was just too trecherous to make it the remainder of the way, I decided to turn around (in a well plowed driveway) and drive back onto the well-plowed state highway. The rest of the drive back home was much better and the roads treated properly. But, I couldn't help second guessing myself in how I handled getting stuck. I don't know if there was much I could've done differently. I wasn't really going that fast and I probably would've spun out regardless. One thing I am thankful for is that I regained enough control of the vehicle in that I didn't end up going in the ditch. And with a little shoveling and a push from some very helpful people, I was back on the road.
So you can understand why I am getting sick of winter. I am sick and tired of driving in sloppy conditions and on poorly treated roads, I am sick of brushing off my car, I am sick of bundling up for the cold, and I am sick of shoveling. Please mother nature, once and for all, bring us spring back!!
I was driving along M-35, which had already been plowed and was just mainly wet. I had to make a decision, whether to continue on this road, or travel a county road that is paved but usually poorly plowed after a significant snowfall. Since there were two other cars ahead of me that continued on M-35, I decided to take my chances on the county road. As I started on the county road, I could tell it had not been taken care of at all. It was very slushy and shortly thereafter, I began losing control of the car. I was not traveling all that fast, roughly 35 MPH when the car began swerving. I tried maintaining control of the vehicle and attempted to drive into the swerves. That did not seem to help at all and at one point my car was sliding perpendicular to the surface of the road. A truck was traveling in the opposite lane and had slowed to a stop once he saw how much trouble I was experiencing. I managed to straighten the car out somewhat but I was in the other lane of traffic. I just couldn't get back into my lane as I was getting very close to the truck ahead. So I went and slammmed on my brakes. I stopped comfortably ahead of the truck but I was close to the snowbank of the road. I tried backing up, but my tires were just spinning. So I drove forward a bit but went too far and my front bumper ended up ontop of the snowbank. I truly was stuck now.
The driver of the truck ahead came out and gave me some assistance. He had a shovel in the back of his truck and started shoveling some of the snow from under the front bumper. Another vehicle that was coming from the opposite direction stopped just behind where my car was. A gentleman came out to help. I got a shovel out from the trunk of my car and did some shoveling around the front left tire. We had it pretty well shoveled out and decided to give it a try. The two guys were pushing on the front of the car as I backed out. After a strong push from the guys, I was out of the snowbank and back onto the road. Realizing that the county road was just too trecherous to make it the remainder of the way, I decided to turn around (in a well plowed driveway) and drive back onto the well-plowed state highway. The rest of the drive back home was much better and the roads treated properly. But, I couldn't help second guessing myself in how I handled getting stuck. I don't know if there was much I could've done differently. I wasn't really going that fast and I probably would've spun out regardless. One thing I am thankful for is that I regained enough control of the vehicle in that I didn't end up going in the ditch. And with a little shoveling and a push from some very helpful people, I was back on the road.
So you can understand why I am getting sick of winter. I am sick and tired of driving in sloppy conditions and on poorly treated roads, I am sick of brushing off my car, I am sick of bundling up for the cold, and I am sick of shoveling. Please mother nature, once and for all, bring us spring back!!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
American Idol Top 8
We are getting closer and closer to the American Idol finale. Yes, we are still several weeks away, but it's amazing that this show began in January and it is now nearly the middle of April. Just goes to show you how quickly time passes. And so we begin this week's re-cap of American Idol's Top 8 from Season 6!
This week's theme is Latin music with guest mentor Jennifer Lopez. Yes...THE Jennifer Lopez. You know American Idol is HUGE when it starts drawing some of the biggest names in music and film.
Melinda starts it off this week with a decent performance. It wasn't anything over powering and she sang it well, as usual. Overall, I did have to agree with Simon in that it lacked personality. To be honest, though, I think anything Melinda sings is good. However, I think the last two weeks haven't lived up to her potential. I do think she's safe, however.
Lakisha goes next (two of the top three performers in this season's competition goes first) and in my opinion, it's an improvement over the past three weeks for Lakisha. She finally went with a more up-beat song and you could tell that she enjoyed singing it. The crowed enjoyed it and overall, I thought she did a nice job with it. Lakisha will be safe.
Chris goes third this week and sings a more contemporary/recent Latin song. I thought the very beginning was a bit too low of an octive for Chris. But he raised it up not long afterward and really did a nice job with the song. Contemporary songs really seem to do well for the contestants that sing them and this week, Chris should not land in the bottom three. He'll be safe.
Next up is Haley and although I liked her song selection, I just did not think she executed it all that well. I thought it may have been a little too fast for her and she seemed to get jumbled up in the lyrics at one point in the beginning. Had to love Simon's comment about her dressing with the least amount of clothing on to keep her in the competition. I think she'll land in this week's bottom three.
Phil was in this week's five spot and I thought it was an improvement over last week. You can tell he is not a favorite of the judge's and can't really do much to please them. Personally, I thought he over-sung the ending of the song and it was a little too over the top. He chose a contemporary song which may help him - but it won't be enough and he'll wind up in this week's bottom three.
Jordin was up next and I had to agree with Simon on his comments regarding the performances thus far. Jordin did a nice job with the song and she's proving to be one of season six's elite. However, I was not blown away by her performance - especially the beginning. Even though it may not have been her best week, she has proven to be a very authentic singer and can sing just about any kind of genre. Safe.
Up next was Blake and he was far and away the best performer of the night. He chose an excellent Latin song for himself - in fact a hit by J Lo's husband Marc Anthony. He made it very cool and contemporary and is also another one of season six's elite. I whole heartedly agree that he's the top male performer - a comment said earlier by Simon. Blake will be safe this week.
Last but not least is Sanjaya. You never know what you're gonna get with Sanjaya - wait, actually you do. Crap. The way he started it, I thought it was going to be a similar performance we're used to hearing from him. But then he picked it up and made it worth listening to. Maybe he found a genre that he's actually half-decent with. I think beginning this week, he'll start losing some steam with the voters, though - Howard Stern or not. Bottom three.
So in this week's bottom three, I have Haley, Phil and Sanjaya. They should be used to this position by now, particularly Phil and Haley. I don't think Sanjaya will go this week but will be eliminated within the next two or three weeks. We are coming upon the very elite of the competition and Sanjaya just doesn't stand out. Eventually, America will get it right.
I was sad to see Gina eliminated last week because I genuinely liked her. However, I don't think she would've lasted much longer beyond this week. She always was one of those middle-0f-the-pack singers but hey, at least she'll be in this year's American Idol tour.
That does it for this week. Check back in a week for the Top 7 recap.
This week's theme is Latin music with guest mentor Jennifer Lopez. Yes...THE Jennifer Lopez. You know American Idol is HUGE when it starts drawing some of the biggest names in music and film.
Melinda starts it off this week with a decent performance. It wasn't anything over powering and she sang it well, as usual. Overall, I did have to agree with Simon in that it lacked personality. To be honest, though, I think anything Melinda sings is good. However, I think the last two weeks haven't lived up to her potential. I do think she's safe, however.
Lakisha goes next (two of the top three performers in this season's competition goes first) and in my opinion, it's an improvement over the past three weeks for Lakisha. She finally went with a more up-beat song and you could tell that she enjoyed singing it. The crowed enjoyed it and overall, I thought she did a nice job with it. Lakisha will be safe.
Chris goes third this week and sings a more contemporary/recent Latin song. I thought the very beginning was a bit too low of an octive for Chris. But he raised it up not long afterward and really did a nice job with the song. Contemporary songs really seem to do well for the contestants that sing them and this week, Chris should not land in the bottom three. He'll be safe.
Next up is Haley and although I liked her song selection, I just did not think she executed it all that well. I thought it may have been a little too fast for her and she seemed to get jumbled up in the lyrics at one point in the beginning. Had to love Simon's comment about her dressing with the least amount of clothing on to keep her in the competition. I think she'll land in this week's bottom three.
Phil was in this week's five spot and I thought it was an improvement over last week. You can tell he is not a favorite of the judge's and can't really do much to please them. Personally, I thought he over-sung the ending of the song and it was a little too over the top. He chose a contemporary song which may help him - but it won't be enough and he'll wind up in this week's bottom three.
Jordin was up next and I had to agree with Simon on his comments regarding the performances thus far. Jordin did a nice job with the song and she's proving to be one of season six's elite. However, I was not blown away by her performance - especially the beginning. Even though it may not have been her best week, she has proven to be a very authentic singer and can sing just about any kind of genre. Safe.
Up next was Blake and he was far and away the best performer of the night. He chose an excellent Latin song for himself - in fact a hit by J Lo's husband Marc Anthony. He made it very cool and contemporary and is also another one of season six's elite. I whole heartedly agree that he's the top male performer - a comment said earlier by Simon. Blake will be safe this week.
Last but not least is Sanjaya. You never know what you're gonna get with Sanjaya - wait, actually you do. Crap. The way he started it, I thought it was going to be a similar performance we're used to hearing from him. But then he picked it up and made it worth listening to. Maybe he found a genre that he's actually half-decent with. I think beginning this week, he'll start losing some steam with the voters, though - Howard Stern or not. Bottom three.
So in this week's bottom three, I have Haley, Phil and Sanjaya. They should be used to this position by now, particularly Phil and Haley. I don't think Sanjaya will go this week but will be eliminated within the next two or three weeks. We are coming upon the very elite of the competition and Sanjaya just doesn't stand out. Eventually, America will get it right.
I was sad to see Gina eliminated last week because I genuinely liked her. However, I don't think she would've lasted much longer beyond this week. She always was one of those middle-0f-the-pack singers but hey, at least she'll be in this year's American Idol tour.
That does it for this week. Check back in a week for the Top 7 recap.
Monday, April 09, 2007
A New Neighbor
Nearly two years ago, I wrote a blog on my TAIC message board about the passing of our next door neighbor in my hometown. Here is an exact copy of that blog:
April 28, 2005
You know, there's a certain song re-made a few years back by the Counting Crows called "Big Yellow Taxi." There's a line that goes "you don't know what you got 'till it's gone." Well it seems to me that line couldn't ring any truer yesterday and today. Our next door neighbor of 30 years (ever since my parents lived in our house) passed away yesterday morning. I wouldn't say we were extremely close neighbors, but we did help her out a lot and she was always kind and courteous to us whenever we saw her. Ever since I can remember, I've seen her mowing her lawn, hanging clothes, driving her car in and out of the garage, shoveling snow off the roof, walking down the driveway to get the newspaper, sitting on her front porch...and the list goes on. But suddenly, it's no more. Needless to say, she was old (83) and had increasing health problems over the years. In the last year, she had too many health problems that ultimately lead to her death. But it's not easy saying goodbye. Our faithful neighbor of so many years will no longer be there next door. That person to call in case we ever had any problems. Eventually we'll have to get used to the idea of having a new neighbor living next door; and it's completely unfathomable right now. So is the thought of that house staying empty until we get a new neighbor. There's so a lot of uncertainy, a lot of anxiousness, and really lots of reflextion. Our neighborhood is changing by the years and there's nothing to stop it. People move in and out; people die and people are born. It's actually the story of life, and it's occuring within my neighborhood. At least I can say I hold a lot of memories of my neighbor - all of them happy ones. At least nobody can take my memories away.
I bring this up because nearly after two years, it appears we are finally getting a new neighbor. I remember how empty and quiet the house next door and its yard seemed during that spring and summer after the neighbor lady died. It was an awkward time - and an even more startling thought then was fathoming us having a new neighbor. It just seemed totally impossible! But as the months went on, my family grew accustomed to it. Now, we are used to not having a neighbor and the adjustment period will once again begin. But the nice part is, I know the individual that is buying the house. He and his wife will be moving in during the next few months and he's someone that I hung out at school with - most notably during my senior year of high school. He's a good natured, honest individual that I know will take care of things over there. I know that he is not really a confrontational person and I have never seen him get very angry at anyone. Knowing this, it pleases me that he will become the owner of the property next door. He'll be someone I can visit (besides my parents) whenever I make the trek home on my days off.
It'll be interesting to see what he does with the place. The previous owner took great care of the property while she was alive. The year before she died, my dad pointed out to her a maple tree that was severely rotted and had the potential to fall on her home and cause serious damage. Not soon afterwards, she had a tree cutting service come in and cut down not only that tree, but two others. One of the other trees was this ugly looking white pine that rose many feet in the air and was 15 feet from our house. We always disliked this tree and even though it was real close to the property line (still on her property though), it still posed a threat it we ever got a bad wind storm. So my neighbor agreed to have this tree cut down as well (my dad even said she didn't like that tree). She always maintained the home and the property around it, but the place is in need of additional maintenance. The house will need to be re-painted or re-sided, windows re-painted or replaced, and a new roof installed on the back garage. These are things you notice while a house sits vacant and remains up for sale for many months. I have no doubt in my mind he'll make the place one of the best looking houses in Chatham once again.
In the meantime, nothing has changed. The property next door still looks quiet and unassuming. And with two feet of snow on the ground, the new neighbors probably won't be officially moved in for awhile yet. However, it won't be long until my family gets accustomed to having a next door neighbor once again.
April 28, 2005
You know, there's a certain song re-made a few years back by the Counting Crows called "Big Yellow Taxi." There's a line that goes "you don't know what you got 'till it's gone." Well it seems to me that line couldn't ring any truer yesterday and today. Our next door neighbor of 30 years (ever since my parents lived in our house) passed away yesterday morning. I wouldn't say we were extremely close neighbors, but we did help her out a lot and she was always kind and courteous to us whenever we saw her. Ever since I can remember, I've seen her mowing her lawn, hanging clothes, driving her car in and out of the garage, shoveling snow off the roof, walking down the driveway to get the newspaper, sitting on her front porch...and the list goes on. But suddenly, it's no more. Needless to say, she was old (83) and had increasing health problems over the years. In the last year, she had too many health problems that ultimately lead to her death. But it's not easy saying goodbye. Our faithful neighbor of so many years will no longer be there next door. That person to call in case we ever had any problems. Eventually we'll have to get used to the idea of having a new neighbor living next door; and it's completely unfathomable right now. So is the thought of that house staying empty until we get a new neighbor. There's so a lot of uncertainy, a lot of anxiousness, and really lots of reflextion. Our neighborhood is changing by the years and there's nothing to stop it. People move in and out; people die and people are born. It's actually the story of life, and it's occuring within my neighborhood. At least I can say I hold a lot of memories of my neighbor - all of them happy ones. At least nobody can take my memories away.
I bring this up because nearly after two years, it appears we are finally getting a new neighbor. I remember how empty and quiet the house next door and its yard seemed during that spring and summer after the neighbor lady died. It was an awkward time - and an even more startling thought then was fathoming us having a new neighbor. It just seemed totally impossible! But as the months went on, my family grew accustomed to it. Now, we are used to not having a neighbor and the adjustment period will once again begin. But the nice part is, I know the individual that is buying the house. He and his wife will be moving in during the next few months and he's someone that I hung out at school with - most notably during my senior year of high school. He's a good natured, honest individual that I know will take care of things over there. I know that he is not really a confrontational person and I have never seen him get very angry at anyone. Knowing this, it pleases me that he will become the owner of the property next door. He'll be someone I can visit (besides my parents) whenever I make the trek home on my days off.
It'll be interesting to see what he does with the place. The previous owner took great care of the property while she was alive. The year before she died, my dad pointed out to her a maple tree that was severely rotted and had the potential to fall on her home and cause serious damage. Not soon afterwards, she had a tree cutting service come in and cut down not only that tree, but two others. One of the other trees was this ugly looking white pine that rose many feet in the air and was 15 feet from our house. We always disliked this tree and even though it was real close to the property line (still on her property though), it still posed a threat it we ever got a bad wind storm. So my neighbor agreed to have this tree cut down as well (my dad even said she didn't like that tree). She always maintained the home and the property around it, but the place is in need of additional maintenance. The house will need to be re-painted or re-sided, windows re-painted or replaced, and a new roof installed on the back garage. These are things you notice while a house sits vacant and remains up for sale for many months. I have no doubt in my mind he'll make the place one of the best looking houses in Chatham once again.
In the meantime, nothing has changed. The property next door still looks quiet and unassuming. And with two feet of snow on the ground, the new neighbors probably won't be officially moved in for awhile yet. However, it won't be long until my family gets accustomed to having a next door neighbor once again.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
It's Supposed to be April!
Today is April 5th and outside, it looks like the middle of winter. In fact, it's rather difficult to look outside my window because of the huge snow drift that covers the lower half. Our major blizzard started Tuesday night and hasn't let up since. It's starting to calm down now, but the winds are still quite brisk and the snow is still falling. We've picked up anywhere from 8 to 20 inches around the area - and it's so hard to measure because its been so windy. Remember that blog entry I wrote a month ago saying that we don't get the winter storms like we used to? Well, I'm biting my tongue today.
Yesterday was a nightmare driving to and from work. On the way in, U.S. 41; the major highway in our area, was not plowed all that well. It's normally a five-laned highway but was reduced to just two lanes in each direction. I was in with ten other cars heading west going 35 miles an hour. At least it was daylight which made it half-way decent to see, but when the wind was gusting, you really had to watch where you were going. Seeing how 41 was and knowing that the county road commission usually focuses their resources on keeping the U.P.'s busiest highway open, I considered turning around and staying home. But how could I? I was afraid of getting stuck. So I moved along and eventually turned off on M-35, a state highway. It seemed to be plowed better but underneath the snow was a sheet of ice. I think the fastest I drove was 40 miles an hour and even that was pushing it. I was actually surprised at how well this road was plowed over 41. Usually it's the opposite.
I would say getting home from work was even worse. This time, M-35 was the route that was in very poor shape. In fact, in a few spots, it was only open to one lane of traffic. I don't even think that road was plowed until before I made it into work! I was basically following the ruts from the previous vehicles that traversed the road. Again, I only went 35 to 40 MPH and since it was night time, the visibility was even worse. When the wind gusted, you REALLY couldn't see anything. But as soon as I made it onto 41, it was plowed better and I felt more comfortable. One of the biggest fears I have is sliding off the road and being stranded out in the middle of no where. There are many spots on the route to work that are forestland. No houses or businesses for many miles. I guess it would kind of help to have a cell phone for that reason alone.
So the blizzard of 2007 lives on to this day, with no apparent end in sight. It will remain cold (temperatures only in the 20's) until at least Sunday with snow showers predicted until then. Whatever happened to spring? The month of March was relatively beautiful (yes, we did have our fair share of cold days, but no snow - certainly nothing like the past few days). Up until this storm, we had no snow on the ground! Spring was in full mode, with birds singing and flowers starting to come up from the ground. Oh how quickly things change. Then again, this is the Upper Peninsula. The weather is always unpredictable.
Yesterday was a nightmare driving to and from work. On the way in, U.S. 41; the major highway in our area, was not plowed all that well. It's normally a five-laned highway but was reduced to just two lanes in each direction. I was in with ten other cars heading west going 35 miles an hour. At least it was daylight which made it half-way decent to see, but when the wind was gusting, you really had to watch where you were going. Seeing how 41 was and knowing that the county road commission usually focuses their resources on keeping the U.P.'s busiest highway open, I considered turning around and staying home. But how could I? I was afraid of getting stuck. So I moved along and eventually turned off on M-35, a state highway. It seemed to be plowed better but underneath the snow was a sheet of ice. I think the fastest I drove was 40 miles an hour and even that was pushing it. I was actually surprised at how well this road was plowed over 41. Usually it's the opposite.
I would say getting home from work was even worse. This time, M-35 was the route that was in very poor shape. In fact, in a few spots, it was only open to one lane of traffic. I don't even think that road was plowed until before I made it into work! I was basically following the ruts from the previous vehicles that traversed the road. Again, I only went 35 to 40 MPH and since it was night time, the visibility was even worse. When the wind gusted, you REALLY couldn't see anything. But as soon as I made it onto 41, it was plowed better and I felt more comfortable. One of the biggest fears I have is sliding off the road and being stranded out in the middle of no where. There are many spots on the route to work that are forestland. No houses or businesses for many miles. I guess it would kind of help to have a cell phone for that reason alone.
So the blizzard of 2007 lives on to this day, with no apparent end in sight. It will remain cold (temperatures only in the 20's) until at least Sunday with snow showers predicted until then. Whatever happened to spring? The month of March was relatively beautiful (yes, we did have our fair share of cold days, but no snow - certainly nothing like the past few days). Up until this storm, we had no snow on the ground! Spring was in full mode, with birds singing and flowers starting to come up from the ground. Oh how quickly things change. Then again, this is the Upper Peninsula. The weather is always unpredictable.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
American Idol Top 9
We are now down to the top 9 in the American Idol competition. This week, the singers took on songs from the big-band era and had some help from legendary singer Tony Bennett. Probably one of my least favorite genres that American Idol covers, yet it proves to be very important when exposing this type of music to new generations. So it certainly does have a purpose especially when you consider how many people tune into AI whenever it's on the air. Lets get down to the critiques!
Blake Lewis is up first tonight and I must admit, I was not blown away by his performance. He certainly cannot twist in his usual beat-boxing schtick (two weeks in a row, to be exact). However, he does keep things contemporary and makes the song enjoyable. I especially liked the way he ended the song. Being that he is a sentimental favorite of mine, I think he's safe this week.
As Phil Stacey sang next, I could not get over how much he sounded like Frank Sinatra. I don't know if this was an intentional impersonation or not, but it was as if Sinatra was reincarnated. That may end up hurting Phil tomorrow night during the results show. Personally, I thought he did an admiral job with the song and enjoyed the ending. I think he'll be in this week's bottom three.
Going third this week was Melinda Doolittle. And to be honest, how else can I describe her exceptional singing week after week? I do agree with Simon in that the beginning was not as strong, but she really brought it home in the later half of the song and had the crowd on its feet, deservedly so. She remains American Idol's number one singer thus far. 100% safe this week.
Chris Richardson was up next (and now remains the show's only other "Chris" - I know, totally random). I wasn't blown away by his performance, either (not like the judges were). I thought he had pitch problems in the beginning of the song and he seemed to be singing weakly. However, I thought he did a nice job of wrapping the song up into something worth listening to in the end. Chris should be safe this week.
Jordin Sparks sang next and I was very impressed with her performance. She can sing just about any kind of genre of song without any flaws. She has such a sweet personality and an amazing voice and it seems to all be coming together for her. She gets stronger week after week and this week was no exception. Jordin is safe this week.
I felt sort of bad for Gina Glocksen this week since this genre had to make her feel a bit uncomfortable. However, I thought she did a good job with her song. It certainly wasn't on the same level as Melinda or Jordin - but she worked it out. As the judges commented, it was a nice, controlled performance. I don't think it will be enough to keep her out of this week's bottom three, however.
Up next was America's favorite "entertainer," Sanjaya Malakar. Now this kind of music seemed to be suitable for Sanjaya and I half-heartedly thought it was going to be a good week for him. It certainly wasn't top notch, that's for sure. Sanjaya once again came out meekly and whispered much of the song. He needs to be more confident when he sings and really belt out the lyrics. The notes were definitely not on pitch but even though he doesn't deserve to be in this competition, do you honestly think he's going home tomorrow? Sanjaya is safe (maybe a little reverse psychology will do the trick).
Haley Scornato was up after Sanjaya (and what an act to follow). I think Haley gets a bum rap a lot of times and the judges seemed to side-step from giving her a truthful critique to her performance tonight. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress - could be something that saves her from being eliminated. Probably the weakest female left in the competition, but I like her personality. I think she winds up in this week's bottom three.
Last but not least, it's Lakisha Jones. Much better than the two previous weeks, but I was not blown away by her performance. The beginning was probably the weakest of all and she seemed to have some pitch problems. However, she really belted it out in the middle and end and made it a memorable performance. She has such a powerful voice and she knows exactly when to use it. This week Lakisha's safe.
I was thrilled to hear Ryan mention that Kelly Clarkson will be making a return to American Idol during a future episode. I've always been a fan of Kelly's work and even though I didn't watch the first season of the show, she definitely was the perfect choice for the show's inaugural season. It will be fun to watch her on the American Idol stage one additional time.
So in this week's bottom three, I predict Phil, Haley, and Gina. Personally, I think it's Phil's week to be eliminated, but don't take my word for it.
See you next week!
Blake Lewis is up first tonight and I must admit, I was not blown away by his performance. He certainly cannot twist in his usual beat-boxing schtick (two weeks in a row, to be exact). However, he does keep things contemporary and makes the song enjoyable. I especially liked the way he ended the song. Being that he is a sentimental favorite of mine, I think he's safe this week.
As Phil Stacey sang next, I could not get over how much he sounded like Frank Sinatra. I don't know if this was an intentional impersonation or not, but it was as if Sinatra was reincarnated. That may end up hurting Phil tomorrow night during the results show. Personally, I thought he did an admiral job with the song and enjoyed the ending. I think he'll be in this week's bottom three.
Going third this week was Melinda Doolittle. And to be honest, how else can I describe her exceptional singing week after week? I do agree with Simon in that the beginning was not as strong, but she really brought it home in the later half of the song and had the crowd on its feet, deservedly so. She remains American Idol's number one singer thus far. 100% safe this week.
Chris Richardson was up next (and now remains the show's only other "Chris" - I know, totally random). I wasn't blown away by his performance, either (not like the judges were). I thought he had pitch problems in the beginning of the song and he seemed to be singing weakly. However, I thought he did a nice job of wrapping the song up into something worth listening to in the end. Chris should be safe this week.
Jordin Sparks sang next and I was very impressed with her performance. She can sing just about any kind of genre of song without any flaws. She has such a sweet personality and an amazing voice and it seems to all be coming together for her. She gets stronger week after week and this week was no exception. Jordin is safe this week.
I felt sort of bad for Gina Glocksen this week since this genre had to make her feel a bit uncomfortable. However, I thought she did a good job with her song. It certainly wasn't on the same level as Melinda or Jordin - but she worked it out. As the judges commented, it was a nice, controlled performance. I don't think it will be enough to keep her out of this week's bottom three, however.
Up next was America's favorite "entertainer," Sanjaya Malakar. Now this kind of music seemed to be suitable for Sanjaya and I half-heartedly thought it was going to be a good week for him. It certainly wasn't top notch, that's for sure. Sanjaya once again came out meekly and whispered much of the song. He needs to be more confident when he sings and really belt out the lyrics. The notes were definitely not on pitch but even though he doesn't deserve to be in this competition, do you honestly think he's going home tomorrow? Sanjaya is safe (maybe a little reverse psychology will do the trick).
Haley Scornato was up after Sanjaya (and what an act to follow). I think Haley gets a bum rap a lot of times and the judges seemed to side-step from giving her a truthful critique to her performance tonight. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress - could be something that saves her from being eliminated. Probably the weakest female left in the competition, but I like her personality. I think she winds up in this week's bottom three.
Last but not least, it's Lakisha Jones. Much better than the two previous weeks, but I was not blown away by her performance. The beginning was probably the weakest of all and she seemed to have some pitch problems. However, she really belted it out in the middle and end and made it a memorable performance. She has such a powerful voice and she knows exactly when to use it. This week Lakisha's safe.
I was thrilled to hear Ryan mention that Kelly Clarkson will be making a return to American Idol during a future episode. I've always been a fan of Kelly's work and even though I didn't watch the first season of the show, she definitely was the perfect choice for the show's inaugural season. It will be fun to watch her on the American Idol stage one additional time.
So in this week's bottom three, I predict Phil, Haley, and Gina. Personally, I think it's Phil's week to be eliminated, but don't take my word for it.
See you next week!
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