American Idol 2009 - week Two

This weeks American Idol show was a disappointment.
Most of them didn't perform up to their potential
I do think the top 3 , Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert
were the best performances of the night.
Leaving behind one of my favorites Kai Kalama. and also Jessie Langseth
kid sister of Johnny Lang.
Jessie's song choice "Betty Davis Eyes" was one of the worst of the night, I never liked that song and groaned when
she said what she was singing.
She is a blues/rock singer that has been very popular in Mpls. clubs.


Because the woman field is weak this year she could make it into the wild card
show.
One last chance for her if she does, but I have my doubts.

Disappointing to me were most of the song choices that were made and I would love to know
who really makes those decisions.
Former contestant Casey Carlson from Mpls. has said she was talked into the
song she sang by The Police in the first week, and it was horrific.
I would love to know what goes on behind the scenes when these
Kids are choosing their songs..

Some of my favorites from Hollywood week didn't make it but I expect to see
several of them in the Wild card show.

The only real competition Danny Gokey has for the moment, is Adam Lambert.
Adam has an awesome voice and no matter what happens he is on his way to Broadway.

I can't wait to hear him sing my favorite Queen song, Bohemian Rhapsody, in the finals.

Winter Wonderland !

I just got home in time.

Snow has started and according to our wussy meterologists we are
being hit with a major snow storm.

We'll see if they are right this time.

Our snow was all gone so this fluffy stuff looks good and it is quite nice outside.

Hey what can I say, I think I was a Eskimo in a former life.

I got chills !

If there was anyone out there watching President Obama tonight that didn't
get goose bumps I suggest you check your heart to see if it's still beating.

I felt sorry for Governor Bobby Jindal of LA.
who was given the job of replying for the Republicans.
He was lame as he tried to defend the obstructionist party.


Our President knocked it out of the park tonight and he did it with out being on steroids.

Oscars 2009

I think last mights Oscar show was probably one of the best I can remember.
I loved how they brought out 5 award winners each time to introduce the nominees and give it that personal touch.

Hugh Jackman did a great job and I liked the musicals spots.
Funniest moment was with Steve Martin and Tina Fey,
they are brilliant.

I didn't quite understand the Best song category.
None of them were anything we'll be humming in the future and why wasn't The Wrestler by The Boss nominated?

I loved seeing Sean Penn win best actor, knowing it will be a thorn in the side of Bill O'Reilly and other Fox news ilk.

The Reader is one of my favorite books, but I haven't had a chance to see the movie yet, I think Kate Winslet was a great choice to play Hannah.
It is on my list of must sees along with Milk.

I'm sure everyone knew Heath Ledger was going to win, that was a teary moment for me.
Last night was pure escapism , a couple glasses of Pinot Grigio and watching my favorite stars.
The camera showed me Robert Downey Junior many times, that was nice !


Though I do miss some of the oldies, I don't necessarily want to see them aging before me.
I wish they could have given Jerry Lewis an award back when he was still healthy, and I also wish Sophia had picked a more flattering dress.

I don't think older woman with saggy breasts should be wearing low cut dresses

Cookie Cougar

Those of you that know me also know I am an Idol Fan.
I have loved talent shows going back to the old Arthur Godfrey show
in the late 50's.
Those were the days of one TV in a house hold, and my dad had control
of the set.
We as a family watched most shows together accept
when he was working the late shift, then my sister and I had control.
I leaned towards the musical shows.
A new season of Idol and I am disappointed that they haven't changed the voting method.
There has to be a better way then teeny boppers sitting on the phone for hours voting their brains out.
This year has a lot of great singers and personalities.
My favorite Danny Gokey made it through to the final 12
I love his voice, it reminds me of Elliot Yamin from Season 5
only Danny has a better look,
a Robert Downey Jr. look.
Give a Listen while You tube still has it.

Anxiety is the worst !

Today Hubba had a to have a Echo Cardiogram to check out a heart murmur he has had for some time.
Doctor just being cautious and covering all her bases.
Our regular Doctor retired a couple years ago and after
40 something years it is straining to break in a
new one.
While I was in the waiting room a lady about 50 ish
came in and sat down, obviously very upset.
She was shaking and wiping tears, the receptionist came over to get her information and I heard the panic in her voice.
She was there to see a Cardiologist and have some tests.
The receptionist left and I sat trying to mind my own business and read my book.
But soon it was impossible, I went over to see if I could get her some coffee or water or something.
She began to cry, and said she was having a horrible day.
Her daughter didn't want to take off work for fear of losing
her job so her son in law
dropped her off and she didn't know what time he could come and get her.
She shouldn't have been alone.
She said she had been having problems and was blaming it on her allergies,
her blood pressure is very high and her Doctor couldn't
seem to get it regulated.
(I know that feeling).
I tried to reassure her that the Doctors would find the problem and she would soon feel better.
I told her to ask the Doctor for some medication to calm her and she said he had given her
a prescription,
but the drug store was so packed and she just couldn't stand there any longer.
I recognize a panic attack when I see one (been there more then once)!
I hope the Doctor did something to relax her before he sent her home, or she was going to stroke out.
I just sat there and let her talk till Hubba came out.
I told her to try and relax and let the Doctors handle everything.(easy to say).
She thanked me for sitting with her and I got my things and we left.
I wish now I had just stayed there till she was called in.
In that short time I found out without asking one question,
that she was 59, divorced,unemployed
and worrying about the economy.
I suspect she was dealing with a lot of anxiety and panic
from fear of the unknown.

I will always wonder what was wrong and if they could help her.

If you think of it tonight remember this lady in your prayers.

Grammy's

Even though I didn't know some of the nominees,
I really enjoyed the Grammy's last night.
Never heard of Adele or Duffy and
I am not a big fan of Rap, as cute as Kanye is I wouldn't buy any of his CD's.
Never been a fan of Kid Rock either,
his attitude turns me off more then his "music" ?
Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles face contortions ruined her performance for me.
But Carrie Underwood was great.

I am more into Rhythm and Blues,
Last night Jennifer Hudson stole the show and she blew me away again, she is fantastic.
Hard to believe she was kicked off American Idol

Al Green and Jamie Fox awesome.

I felt sorry for Whitney Houston, her nerves showed and people are implying she was on the sauce, but I don't think so.
I hope she can revive her career, but her voice sounded pretty scratchy last night,
maybe caused by cigarettes.

Oh I didn't forget Sir Paul, never could.

Any Answers?

Watching what is going on in Washington right now causes my blood pressure to rise.
The hypocrisy of the Republicans is grating on my nerves.
For eight years they were in charge, spending like crazy as they also cut taxes to their rich friends.

As a friend of mine and former Congressman said.

" We were paying down the national debt when I left and Bush's doubling it to $11 trillion while creating a total economic disaster has in part created this kind of grab bag mentality in DC.
The Republicans never objected for 8 years and everything they are complaining about in the stimulus is only worth 6 days of their damn Iraq war."

The Republicans don't have any solution other then to cut taxes.
One example, they want to give a 10,000.00 tax cut to anyone buying a house, but that is only going to help those that can afford the new house,
those that qualify for a loan, not those losing their homes.
I know many of them got themselves into this mess by buying homes they couldn't afford.
But then there are those who are behind because they lost their jobs.

I have 3 kids and 2 Grand sons with mortgages, whose to say they won't be next.

I still haven't heard any Republican explain the missing millions in Iraq.
Why aren't those companies being forced to pay back the money they lost?
Why aren't they being charged for sub standard work which has caused the deaths of so many of our own military.
Does anyone out their have a solution to this quagmire ?
Many of you have years to catch up again, because eventually things will turn around.
But some of us are on the slope down hill and seeing our retirement being eaten up by the rich is
making it impossible to keep my blood pressure at a normal level.

I am going down to the family room to catch up on HBO's Big Love, maybe that will
sooth my brain, if not I'll try some wine.

The Day the Music Died

I remember this day well, heart breaking
for all their fans.
Buddy Holly is the one most seem to remember, I liked the Big Bopper and Richie Valenz too, but
I was more into Elvis back then.

Catching up !

As you all know, thanks to Techy Flash, we spent a few days in Vegas celebrating our wedding anniversary.
We thought we could sneak away and no one would know the difference.
So much for that.

Hubba likes Vegas and it's OK, I am not a gambler but I do love people watching .
We stayed in a Suite at the new Wynn Encore and happened to pick the same weekend
that Steve Wynn had his birthday party.
It was fun watching all the old guys coming through with their young trophy wives.
Trump was in the house, so was Harry Connick Jr, we did not see them but heard from other spotters.
They had dinner at Sinatra's one of the more expensive restaurants.
I am a very frugal person and when it comes to dining, I refuse to pay 30 and 40 dollars for a meal.
So we didn't eat at any of the restaurants at the Encore or Wynn.
Hubba didn't win any big bucks but then he didn't really lose that much either.
Our first trip to Vegas was 10 years ago and we stayed down town on Fremont at the Plaza.
The day before we came home, we decided to check it out once more.
Most of the Casino's had been remodeled but the lounge shows we liked were gone.

The Casinos down there had good crowds, and even though it is much cheaper
we prefer to stay out on the strip.

It's good to be home, even though the weather is frigid I wouldn't live anywhere else.

50 Amazing Years!

Today, GiGi and Hubba are celebrating their 50th Wedding anniversary in Beautiful Las Vegas. For those that don't get the Sunday StarTribune, here is the announcement we placed in the Variety section of Tomorrow's paper.

Congratulations, and THANKS for being our Mom and Dad!

We LOVE you!

Born Again American

Was Yesterday a dream?
No matter, this is how I felt
when I got up this morning.

Lynching in Duluth

It was the summer of 1920 in Duluth Minnesota, a crowd of five to ten thousand
people filled the streets in front of the police station
just to watch the lynching of several black men charged with raping a young woman.
Mike Fedo documents the event in lurid detail.

This was the book chosen for our book club for January in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday
Tomorrow while Barack Obama is being sworn in we will be discussing the truths and fallacies
of this Historical event.
I had never heard of this story, it was never discussed in any of my History classes.
Reading the book opened my eyes as to why it had been buried by embarrassed State and City Politicians.

Bobby Walsh was spoiled, and Sandy Teale liked the bad boy image he had.
What ever happened that night at the circus it is highly unlikely
that any one other then Bobby had any contact with her.
Some how a few blacks angered them and the story Bobby told his
dad and Sandy went along with got totally out of hand.
I couldn't put the book down, and it is so strange, even though
I knew the outcome I kept hoping the good guys would get
there in time to save the 3 young men.
This book would make a powerful screenplay, I wish I had that talent.

Tomorrow when Barack Obama is sworn in as President,
I hope that it will be the beginning of a new America.
One problem though is the right wing talk jocks like Rush
Limbaugh and his ilk who will try to destroy him as they did Bill Clinton.
Maybe this time people will turn them off.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out Shrub !

I watched most of that schizoid speech last night.
Can you believe there are still about 30% of the voters
that believe that BS.
This man is delusional, and so is his Dad if he thinks Jeb has a chance in hell of being President someday.
Lets rejoice in the moment shall we ?

Pet Snowman

Upon request:

Black Andree Part Deux

For those who read GiGi's Black Andree post below, I promised a pic of the family pet. I'm guess fall of 1973, or early 74. Not Sure?!?
Techy Flash

Slumdog Millionaire

Because tonight is the Golden Globes I decided to go see one of the favorite movies
that is nominated.
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of 18 year old Jamal Malik, he comes from the slums of Mumbai.
It starts out just hours before he is to answer the final question worth 20 million rupees.
As the show goes into a break he is arrested on suspicion of cheating.
Because he comes from the slums they don't believe he could possibly have known the answers without some kind of help.
We then watch his adventures as he explains how he knew each answer that got him to the point he is at and also the reason he wanted to be on the TV show.

Now did I like it?
For me it had 2 strikes against it.
One I don't like the Millionaire show, it just grates on me when I hear the music.
and Two, It was very difficult to get past the poverty in that part of the world.
Especially knowing that many children live like this,
while here in the US even those children in poverty live like princes in comparison.
I had a sick feeling in my stomach during most of the scenes involving children
The acting was very good and and I wonder what happened to some of the kids that were extra's in the movie,these things were creeping into my head as I watched them.
So even though everyone is saying it is a feel good movie, I didn't feel very good watching it.
It was an amazing job of Directing and I wouldn't be surprised if the Director Dan Boyle wins many awards for it.

If anyone else has seen it I would love to hear your impressions.

Black Andree

My stranger friend Misty blogged about the movie Marley and Me
and after reading her blog, I decided I'll wait till I can watch it in the privacy of my home.
Growing up, we had many pets mostly hunting dogs and
a few cats, until I found out why my eyes always itched and then we didn't have any more felines
I was about 4 years old when we got a brown Chesapeake my dad named Brownie.
He was the protector of my sister and I.
If we were outside playing and anyone he didn't know came near us he would snarl and growl until they left.
As we got older he would walk us to school and when we came out at the end of the day he would be across the street and walk us home.
My folks never had to worry about strangers.

One day when I was about 14 or so he wasn't there anymore, and my heart was broken.
Dad got a couple more dogs after that, but I never got attached to any of them.
When I had my own family I made it clear I didn't want any pets.
The kids were always bugging us to get a dog
I finally broke down when Hubba came home one day and said he had a client who had a
miniature poodle for sale.
A black male pure blood, the last of the litter and they wanted to find a home
for him.
Soon Black Andree came to live with us.
Andy became the boss of us.
My best friend Arlis had a poodle named Alfie and they became best friends.
They even had play dates and overnights when we would go somewhere.
I never regretted getting Andy.
Unfortunately time doesn't stand still and when he was about 15 years old, blind, deaf and incontinent guess who had to be the one that took him for his last ride.

I called my friend who had to do the same with Alfie a short time before and she went with me and that helped.

I swore it would be the last time I ever did that and I still feel that way.

Rocked my World !

To celebrate my nieces double nickle birthday, her 2 sisters plus my daughter and a couple of friends headed down to The Refinery Spa in St. Paul's Dinky Town yesterday.
Massages, pedicures what ever luxury we wanted was on the menu.
It was my first massage by a male, and though it was heavenly
I can't say I was very relaxed.
The Pedicure was awesome and while she was massaging my feet she looked up and smiled and said "Am I rockin your world",
it must have been my moans of pleasure.
What can be better then having someone who really knows what they are doing give you a Pedicure and a foot massage.
It was a great way to spend the afternoon while the male members of the family sat glued to the boob tube watching play off games.
When we left, a sleet storm had left a nice layer of ice on everything so the ride home was a little hairy even though Runningwoman took it slow.
I think all of us were glad she was behind the wheel instead of one of us.
The crew went to dinner, but I headed home so I could just relax with a glass of wine.
Later this month my niece and her hubba are heading to DC for a Mayors conference and will be there for Obama's Inaugeral.
Her birthday is on the 5th but she will continue celebrating through the month, and will get to attend some really great parties.
I mentioned in a previous post the day after Christmas her Mom is in hospice and
Sister Patti who came from CA. headed down with her other siblings to her moms for the week and to give them a little break.
Remember them in your prayers, it is difficult to watch someone who was once your
caretaker now needing that extra care.

Jett Travolta

My sympathies go out to John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
I don't think anything can be worse then losing a child.
Jett who suffered from seizures was found in the bathroom unconscious
by a caretaker.
They were unable to revive him and he died later at the Hospital
Some say he suffered from Autism but John Travolta denied it.
John said once on a talk show that Jett was his heart.
He and Kelly are practicing Scientologists, and
when I first heard that Jett had seizures,
I wondered if he was on medication for them.
I have a friend who has suffered seizures and it took
some time to get her medicine regulated to control them.
What ever their beliefs, this is
a sad way to start out the new year.
The pain of losing a child never goes away,
it is only dulled and pops up
when ever something reminds you of that person.