Rockin' Tunes

My current favorite album is Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted. I've liked her since her days on American Idol. Her first two albums were great. Her last one was a little questionable for me, but this latest album may, in my opinion, be her best one yet. She performed on Saturday Night Live last night and did an awesome job. I LOVE that she's real - mainly that she's not a size 2 and doesn't apologize for it. And, she's a powerhouse singer, for sure. Here are some clips from her performances on SNL.

What An Inspiration

There aren't many 'reality' TV shows I watch anymore. Quite frankly, they've all gotten just a tad too silly & ridiculous for my taste. But, I do love America's Got Talent. It is better this year than it ever has been. There have been great acts each week, but did anyone happen to see the 9-year old little boy, David, who is autistic, perform this week? If not, I've posted the YouTube video below. I'll admit, I sobbed like a baby just hearing his story, but when he opened his mouth & sang so beautifully, that just sent me into hysterics. I have worked with autistic children before & one of my best friend's nephew is autistic. I have seen how difficult it is on the child and their families. What an inspiration this precious little boy is to not only us but to all those who have been diagnosed with autism and their families. I must say, I'm rootin' for him!!!

I may post some other acts that I've really loved in another post, but this one deserved a post all on its' own. ENJOY!!!

Love,

And the WINNER is . . . DAVID!!!

And the WINNER is . . . DAVID!!!  David Cook, that is!  I am beyond thrilled!  After watching 7 seasons of American Idol, my pick from the very start finally won the title!!!  I just love him!  I  think he's an awesome singer who seems very humble & grateful for the opportunity he's been given.  I think he has big things ahead for him and I hope he stays exactly the same!  I loved him from the beginning and fell more in love with him with each passing week.  Here are some of my favorite performances from the season and just a few of the reasons I just can't get enough of him . . .

 

 

 

 

Mercy . . . did I mention  that I LOVE him?!!  He is just awesome & I can't wait until he has an album out!!  I could listen to him 24/7!!!  This season, by far, has been the most talented, in my opinion.  This is an American Idol tour that I wouldn't mind seeing.  Unfortunately, they're not touring in my city.  :-( 

Tonight, David Cook sang with ZZ Top,which was one of my daddy's favorite bands.  Daddy soooooo would've loved this performance.  Here it is . . . it was pretty dang AWESOME!!!!

ROCK ON, DAVID . . . ROCK ON!!!!

Another AWESOME performance on tonight's finale was David Archuleta singing Apologize with One Republic.  Check it out!!!

Premiere Week

I am so glad that the summer re-runs are coming to an end and that the premieres are starting this week. I have missed Dancing with the Stars because I've had something going on every night & forgot to tape it. I'll catch up next week. I watched Criminal Minds tonight and it was GREAT! I was upset when I heard over the summer that Mandy Pantinkin would not be returning because he didn't show up for taping. I had not realized he did the same thing when he was on Chicago Hope. This behavior makes no sense to me. But, it's his choice, I suppose. There are some other great actors/actresses on the show, so the show can (and will) go on without him. The way the season ended, I figured it would be fairly easy to write him out. It appears that he will commit suicide. At least, the way tonight's episode ended, it appears that way. Next week is the last episode with him, so we'll see. Tomorrow is the premiere of Grey's Anatomy and CSI (the original). I'm really looking forward to both. Then, Sunday is the premiere of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This is my VERY FAVORITE show of all time. I'm so looking forward to my "Sunday night reality check." I always end up in tears & feeling very thankful. Another favorite show is Close to Home, but I'm not sure if it's coming back because I haven't heard anything about a premiere. So, we'll see. It appears that Law & Order: Criminal Intent is leaving NBC & will be on USA. Interesting!!! Law & Order: SVU premiered last night, but I missed it, too. So, maybe I'll be able to catch up by watching the episode online. Now that I think of it, I might be able to catch up on Dancing with the Stars this way, too. Well, that's my little rambling for the night. I've been so bored with tv, so I'm just thrilled that there's some new shows back on. Apparently, it doesn't take much to thrill me, huh? Until next time . . .

I'm NOT a Cook, but . . . . .

It's been a little while since I've blogged. The past 2 weeks have just been terrible. I've been sick pretty much the entire time. I went back to the doctor and am now on round #3 of antibiotics. The verdict this time was ear infection, sinus infection and bronchitis. This is, by far, the WORST ear infection I've ever had. I basically can't hear out of it and it hurts to even move my head. OUCH!! And, my glands are so swollen, it feels like they're coming out the back side of my head. I know that's a great graphic. Other than the time I had gastroenteritis and was laid up for almost 3 months solid, this is the worst I've ever felt. I'm praying so hard that this round of antibiotics will do the trick. The doctor decided that it wasn't a bad idea to do a mononucleois test, since I don't seem to be getting better (only worse). I should (key word being "should") have test results back today or Monday. I'm betting on Monday. She said even if it comes back negative, I'm not necessarily out-of-the-woods. It can take up to a month before testing positive. NIIIIICCCCEEEE!!! I'm hoping & praying that this will not be the case. There's nothing they can do for you. You just have to keep hydrated, lay around & restrict basically all activities. If I had to do that, I'd go TOTALLY insane! There's only so much tv, reading, sudoku puzzles, internet surfing you can do. I'm having a difficult time sleeping because I can't seem to find a position where I'm comfortable and not hurting. I'm not a stomach sleeper, but sleeping on my back is near impossible because I wind up hacking myself to near death. So, here I am at almost 1am, blogging. I need to put together another slideshow for a blog, but just don't feel like dealing with pictures this late. I'll do that in another blog.

I have to tell you about my new-found addiction - Food Network! Those of you who know me, even remotely, know that I'm no cook. Cooking shows & the such have never been my thing. However, when you're confined to the house for longer than a day or two, you start discovering all sorts of new things. I have discovered several shows on the Food Network that I LOVVVVEEE!! One is called "Ace of Cakes" and it is fascinating. It centers around this guy named Duff, who is the owner of this bakery in Baltimore, Maryland. All of his employees are close friends. And, as stereotypical as this may sound, NONE of these people strike me as the baker/cake decorator types. But, they're amazing! Go to Charm City Cakes & check out all the awesome cakes they've done. They have links for several different categories (elegant, kids, fun, etc.). Be sure to check them all out!

Another show that I've come to love is "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." They feature several of the aforementioned on each show. I've seen several in the Carolinas featured. There's one in Charlotte, NC, called The Penguin, that mom & I have decided is a MUST if we're ever in the area. And, another one that makes the list is in Chicago & it's called The Frozen Mug. Doubting that we'll ever visit there, but if we do, we know at least one place we'll be dining.

The last show that has made my list is "Unwrapped." They feature a particular food item on each episode and show how it's made. One of the most fascinating I've seen is the peeps (those wonderful little sugary marshmallow birds). You never really think about what goes into making things until you watch something like this show. It certainly makes me appreciate all sorts of jobs.

Well, enough food discussion for one evening (morning, really). Look for a post about Dalton's first swimming pool experience - - - probably sometime this weekend!

Until next time . . .