Wordless Wednesday - Scream

I know Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be, well, WORDLESS. And on Wednesday. However, I have to tell you, Mini Me was screaming outside the Edvard Munch exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute. A lady came up and commented on how appropriate that was considering he is most famous for 'Scream'.

My American Idol - 5th Judge post is due tomorrow so I'm posting this on Tuesday. So I guess that means I can break rules all around.

I Don't Like My Foot

3 years ago, I tripped on a cord at work and messed up my left foot. It was a long, drawn out affair. It was broken then not broken then broken then not. I had 3 rounds of cortisone shots. For the record, those football players that get shot with cortisone and are on the field 20 minutes later are machines!! Cortisone is worse than childbirth.  At least with childbirth, you forget the pain. Not so with cortisone.

When Mini Me was born, I was wearing ugly boots J purchased to work in the Katrina clean up. By the time Mini Me's 1st birthday rolled around, I had had foot surgery and was wearing a big boot. I must say, I do miss having a handicapped sticker because that is primo parking, my friend. Every now and then, I look longingly at the motorized wheelchairs at Wal-Mart, remembering our good times together. If I weren't with the kids every time, I might take one for a spin, just for old times sake.

Last year, on Mini Me's 2nd birthday, I was in normal shoes and no longer going to physical therapy 3x/week. This year, I was back in tennis shoes on Mini Me's birthday and doing foot exercises throughout the day. Sigh. I don't like my foot very much anymore.

Really? Ex-communication

So, I'm reading about the 13-yr old boy in England who supposedly fathered a baby by his 15-yr old girlfriend. Only, as it turns out, he might not be the dad after all. 2 other boys (both under age) have said they could be the father and, allegedly, so could about 5 others. After reading that doozy, I click on over to this story. What a night!

9-Yr Old Brazilian Girl's Abortion Fuels Debate in Brazil

Allegedly, a 9-yr old girl and her sister have been raped/molested by their 23-yr old stepdad for about 3 years. She gets pregnant with his baby. Only it's twins. She's 9. Doctors tell her mom the girl's 79 pound frame cannot support 1 baby, much less twins and recommend an abortion. She allegedly has the abortion. 

Who does the Archbishop ex-communicate? The stepdad? Hell no. The girl's mother and the girl. Apparently, it is worse to murder a baby (or twins) that could kill you if you try to carry them to term than it is to rape your daughter.

Fortunately, the counsel of bishops overturned the decision. But what a great message to send to a 9-yr old girl who has allegedly been subjected to unknown horrors. Your rapist's soul is better than yours because he only raped you. He didn't kill you. Nice.

I Won An Award!!

Looky, looky here!

I won an award!!

It's my very 1st blogger award.

The Rules:
1) Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post
2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude
3) Link to your nominees within your post
4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5) Share the love and link to the person from who you received your award

And, in no particular order...

1. LouandAce

2. TRUE Musings - The Real Kevin Pauls

3. Whittaker Woman

4. Lit and Laundry

5. Amanda Donaho Photography

6. The Road Not Chosen

7. The Mommy Project

8. Serenity Now

9. Tales From the Fairy Blogmother

10. Rare Rocks 

Thankful Thursday - Mutti

It is said you can increase your happiness

 25% by being THANKFUL.

I call my mom, Mutti. 

It is German for mom/mommy. 

I'm really grateful for my Mutti, 

because she is so SMART! 

My Mutti taught me some classic real life lessons, just by living her life. Mom shaved 10 years off their mortgage by calling the banks, checking rates - every week for months. When the rates dipped low, she informed her bank she would be switching her mortgage to another lender. Her bank matched the rate and waived fees. That's typical of my Mutti!! 

The plan this week, was to cancel our home phone service and return 2/3 cable boxes. It's a recession, you know. The home service was going to double at the end of our introductory period. On Monday, I called and told our service provider we are scheduled to have our phone disconnected Tuesday, but I saw a commercial offering the same service for less. They gave me the introductory rate for 6 more months AND I'm getting our extra cable boxes for only 99 cents/month! I didn't even ask for the last part but that works. We'll keep 'em now. Thanks, for the lesson, Mutti!!

I learned from the best. She's also the one who taught me how to sock away money, resulting in us having a down payment for our first home. 

My mom rocks!! 

I'm very grateful for her. 

Today and every day.

But shhh...Don't tell her about this blog entry. She thinks I'm an ungrateful child. Let's keep it that way. LOL!!

American Idol - Live Week 6

My 5th Judge Opinion. 

Theme:

Motown

#1 - Matt Giraud

Yeah, Baby!! Let's get IT on!! Started on the piano, moved to the stage. Very comfortable in his skin - Justin Timberlake-ish. Nice vocals. Song showcased his voice.

#2 - Kris Allen

Have I told you this guy just bugs me. He always seems so karaoke/high school musical/cruise ship. Jim Carrey's younger brother.

#3 - Scott MacIntyre

Oh dear lord. I want someone to come take him home. Cheeeeeesy!! All he needed was to pull out a tambourine. How much more can I take till I puke.

#4 - Megan Joy

Train wreck. She made 'For once in my life' sound like the theme from Love Boat. Yikes, girl! MOTOWN week and you pick THAT song with a JAZZY voice? This could get you going home, my friend - and I have even more mad love for you than Randy!

#5 - Anoop Desai

It's time Anoop purchased a pair of $200 jeans. Those $50 GAP jeans aren't doing anything for me. Voice was sweeeeeeeeeet though. 

#6 - Michael Sarver

It was a white boy singing a black boy song. But I enjoyed it. Maybe I'm a Las Vegas loungey kinda girl. 

#7 - Lil Rounds

It wasn't a heat wave for me. It was a madness wave. Lil developed some sort of manic lisp for this rendition. I can't keep from wanting the song to be over. And that flapper outfit? With a 60's song? Really? No.

#8 - Adam Lambert

Wow. Oh. My. Freaking. God. Standing ovation from Smokey Robinson. End the competition now. Give the man the title. He is ah-mazing! That last part. WOW!! He sang that entire song in falsetto. And he is beautiful. I love me some Adam.

#9 - Danny Gokey

I wasn't ready for this. Whew. This song did nothing to showcase Danny's voice. You can't pick fun songs if they don't showcase your vocal abilities. I'm with Simon - clumsy and amateurish. Never go on after a better singer...But I do love you Danny.

#10 - Allison Iraheta

She did a great job. There were some mumbly parts, but she did a great job at making a man's song her own. Allison is another one who bugs me. But I will admit this girl can SANG. 

There ya have it!

The view from my couch.

And then there were 9....

Michael Sarver went home

Ahahahaha!

I actually did it. I bought a Snuggie!

I called the toll-free number but it was going to be $17.99 +$7.95 s&h + an extra $7.95 s&h for a 2nd Snuggie. Nope. No thanks.

Then, I was walking through Staples and saw 2 boxes left. They were $14.95 each. I purchased 1 because I wasn't sure we would like it and the other box had been opened and I didn't want OPF (other people's funk) on my Snuggie.

Verdict:

It's okay. It does keep you warm, but the collar falls down. If you are sitting on the couch, it works great. But when I sit at the table to homeschool, my back gets cold. I would not pay more than I did for it. Who knows, if I get into sewing this summer, I just might make a modified version for everyone in the family for Christmas. 

Ahahahaha!

Burn Baby, Burn!!

This morning, the last of our house guests left. We've had house guests for the last 2 1/2 weeks straight. In fact, on Friday and Saturday, we had 8 people in our humble 3-bedroom loft. We never had that many guests when we owned a house!

I've enjoyed my niece being here. It was like having a little sister around. We always enjoy having J's parents here. This time, they surprised Motor Mouth and Mini Me, by bringing J's niece for the birthday weekend.

As much as I have enjoyed having family here, I am ready to burn my bras. I have had to wear a bra all day, every day for 2 1/2 weeks. 

Where is my lighter?

Happy Birthday Motor Mouth!

Today is Motor Mouth's birthday.

He turns 6 today.

I have so many memories of the day my first born came into this world. The first glimpse, other than an ultrasound, was when I saw his head crowning. Soon, there was this tiny creature and I was cutting the umbilical cord. I remember him laying in the bassinet after having been cleaned and weighed. He was perfect. I didn't know what to do, so I counted his fingers and toes. He was so beautiful. 

Today, 6 years later, I look at my son. He is still beautiful. Motor Mouth is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I love him so much.

Happy Birthday Mini Me

Today is Mini Me's 3rd birthday.

It was a Monday evening at 5:10 pm when I received a phone call from the adoption agency director telling me there was a baby at the hospital and did we want her? We did. But we had to wait until the next morning to meet our baby. 

Mini Me was the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen. She was born via c-section, so her head and face were perfect. When TT, her birth mom asked if I liked Mini Me, I told her I loved her. And I meant it. Our family was complete. All was well with our world.

I was so excited to have a baby girl, I bought pink everything I could find. We weren't going to redecorate the nursery. But J couldn't resist. We had a girl!!

Today, Mini Me is a quirky, fun little girl with the most amazing laugh. Two nights ago, I sat and observed Mini Me as she belly laughed at a movie. It was such a beautiful sound. I can hardly wait until she wakes up and I can hear that laugh again!!

Happy Birthday, Mini Me

Today you turn 3!

Thankful Thursday - Obvious Choice

For Thankful Thursday this week, I'm going with the obvious choice: my husband, J.

Have you heard the saying, "I kissed a lot of toads before I found my prince"? I haven't kissed that many, but enough to know the supreme value of my husband.

J is creative. He has creativity pouring out of every fiber of his being. He is the essence of creativity. As such, I benefit because the stuff he comes up with is like no one I know. Things he does around the house, things he does for parties and family times. J's gifts and talents enhance our lives.

Like the time he made this elaborate fabric draping for over our bed. He built in 2 pin lights (1 for each of us) on separate dimmer switches. This was so I could read in bed at night. Who does that?

There are so many sweet, thoughtful things J does. Things you wouldn't think of. Like last summer when I got really sick and was tossing my cookies every hour. He put a blanket wrapped in thick towels on the floor around the commode for me to be comfortable. Who does that??

On the mornings I don't manage to get out of bed and shower before the kids wake up, he gets the kids their milk and handles the morning routine so I can have my alone time. He is always thinking of ways to get me time to myself. In Tulsa, J would take the kids to the mall - a place I hate and they love. In Chicago, J can be seen taking the kids to a museum, or for fun on Michigan Ave. My kids love shopping, thanks to their daddy.

J is a good man. The Bible says, "He who finds a good wife has found a good thing..." Well, I have found a good man. I have found a good thing. Now, I just need to treat him like the treasure he is!!

Widney Wednesday - St. Patrick's Day 2009

Greening of the Chicago River!!

Greening of Motor Mouth

Green Mini Me

Green Original Mini Me

Green Eggs

Green Shamrock Pancakes

Green Cupcakes

Shepherd's Pie - Not green but oh so good!

American Idol - Live Week 5

This is where I give my 5th Judge, person @home point-of-view. It's what this real person thinks about the performances each week. 

Songs Theme:

Grand Ol' Opry. Country music. Hmmm...

#1 - Michael Sarver

Michael sang and his voice sounded okay. But I could barely understand the words. Very mumbly. I thought this could get Michael sent home.

#2 -Allison Iraheta

I just don't like her.  The performance was dull. 

#3 - Kris Allen

I thought Kris did a good job on the song. I don't know the song, so I can't speak to the original. But he's not someone that has star power. Kris could leave and no one would remember he was ever on the show. 

#4 - Lil Rounds

Lil did Martina McBride's 'Independence Day'. For someone who doesn't listen to country music, I think she did a good job but he song was too big for her voice in the end.  

#5 - Adam Lambert

Wow!! Talk about taking a song and bringing it into your comfort zone. What a showcase for his voice. Rock star.

#6 - Scott MacIntyre

Boring!! People need to stop voting for this guy. 

#7 - Alexis Grace

Yikes. That was a train wreck.

#8 - Danny Gokey

Awkward!! He brought it home later on. But Danny needs to be careful with his song choice. Yes, you are a Christian. That is great. But if you keep picking Jesus songs, you WILL go home - and not to your Heavenly home. Just off the show, dude.

#9 - Anoop Desai

Oh my! Anoop will be always on my mind after that song. Excellent song choice to showcase his vocals. 

#10 - Megan Joy (Formerly, Megan Corkery)

That girl can sing! She made that song her own. And she looked beautiful!!

#11 - Matt Giraud

Matt brought it home!! He came out looking like a star. I didn't realize he had such a great voice.  At this point, based upon this performance, if we were voting for the top 3, Matt would be up there.

Check back tomorrow to see which 2 went home!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

HAPPY  ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Mini Me School Update!!!

I applied to 11 preschools for Mini Me.  Everyone I know of received their kids' school acceptance letters almost 2 weeks ago. My kids? Nada. It's a random lottery so I've been trying to convince myself it is not personal. 

Homeschooling has not been going well. It's my fault. In fact, my pupil said, "You're not my teacher anymore. You're FIRED!"

By the end of last week, all I wanted to do was go into a corner and cry. However, I have been far too busy to take that much time to indulge my PMS. 

On Saturday, I made my daily trek to the mailbox. I saw a letter from a school and knew they had started sending the decline letters. Good thing I read it, because Mini Me got accepted at a Montessori preschool that, statistically, is harder to get into than Harvard!!!  

Mini Me is going to sch-ooooool!!! 

Mini Me is go-ing t-o-o-o schooo-oooool. 

Yippee, yippee, yippeee, yippee, yippee. 

Yippeeeee-kai-yea!!! 

Whoooooo-hoooooooo!!!!! 

Yeeeeeeee----hhhaaaaaaaaaaa!

Yessssssss!

I'm a little excited. 

And she will wear a little uniform!! 

My baby girl is growing up!

What Do You Want for your Birthday?

So, my kids came up with an idea at Christmas that I thought I would share with you all. I go with them to the store, and take pictures of what they want. I then sent the pictures to their grandmother. Two sets of grandparents sent money, so I took that and my photos and got them exactly what they wanted. It worked out great.

The kids' birthdays are coming up in 1 week!

When we were at Target, they asked me to 

take pictures of what they wanted.

I haven't told anyone what they want 

I'm debating on this stuff vs. bikes 

vs. gift cards from GAP or Old Navy.

To be honest, Mini Me would like an assault rifle to shoot all the pigeons Motor Mouth likes. But I've convinced her that maybe she wants to work on completing her wooden food and kitchen set with the baking, breakfast and veggies.

Motor Mouth is all about dinosaurs, 

whales, and sharks right now.

If you have grandparents who live far away, 

this idea might work for you, too!

The Original Mini Me

My Niece

The Original Mini Me

In town, visiting

At big, glass, 2-storey McDonald's

Sitting near gelato bar

Downtown Chicago

Apple Store

Standing on glass staircase

Ghiradelli Store

Ice cream break!

Outside Harpo Studios

After attending taping of show

With Reggie, Oprah's make-up artist

The Original Mini Me is here for 2 weeks.

Pray for J. He has 3 of us to contend with!

Wordless Wednesday - Shopping with Mini Me

American Idol - Live Week 4

This is where I give my 5th Judge, person @home point-of-view. It's what this real person thinks about the performances each week. 

Songs Theme:

Music from Michael Jackson. Good luck. Michael is not an easy song choice.

#1 - Lil Rounds

Lil sang 'The Way You Make Me Feel. It was a good performance. I don't think it was a memorable performance. Nothing wrong with it. Just not amazing. I don't like the outfit. Little too much junk showing in that trunk.

#2 - Scott MacIntyre

I didn't recognize the song as a Michael Jackson song. Scott's performance seemed very Elton John-ish. 

#3 - Danny Gokey

Danny sang PYT. You would not recognize the song as having been Michael Jackson's. It was soulish and rock hard. Loved it!! Simon said the vocals were brilliant but the dancing was hideous.  I agree. Paula needs to meet with Danny on his choreography next week. 

#4 - Michael Sarver

Michael sang You Are Not Alone. The beginning of the song and the middle were great. The ending was pitchy, pitchy, pitchy. It seemed a little sweet and churchy. 

#5 - Jasmine Murray

Jasmine sang I'll Be There. I hate it when people sing songs about being there the next day. I don't think she brought it. It was flat and pitchy. I really like Jasmine. I want her to come back. Jasmine could be a Miss America. She has such poise.

#6 - Chris Allen

Chris chose to sing Remember The Time. He should not have brought out his guitar. It was like a karaoke where you could bring your instrument. He was moving around so much for a song that does not lend itself to it. I think this song highlighted how average Chris' voice is.

#7 - Allison Iraheta

Unfortunately, our DVR messed up so I could barely hear the song. What I did hear, sounded strong. 

#8 - Jorge Nunez

Again with the DVR. What I did hear was a vocal showcase. However, according to Simon, Jorge picked the wrong song and it was out of his depth. I'm just going to go with Simon as I usually agree with him.

#9 - Megan Corkrey

Megan picked Rocking Robin by Jackson 5. Perfect song choice. Fun! It was very Megan. It almost seemed like watching Amy Winehouse pre 24/7 drug use. The judges were harsh on her. I thought it was great.

#10 - Alan Lambert

Alan chose Black & White. It was KISS meets MJ. I wasn't so sure about the song at first. But I think he put his own spin on it. I don't think it was the very best vocal, but there were some real highlights.

#11 - Matt Giraud

I did not hear ANY of Matt's performance. Feedback from judges seemed positive 

#12 - Alexis Grace

Thanks, Comcast. I got nothing.

#13 - Anoop Desai

How frustrating. Don't ever get Comcast cable if you can at all avoid it.

Check back tomorrow to see which 2 went home!!

Maybe by then, Comcast will be working...

Alright. So Comcast still has some issues. 

However, I can report Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez 

were sent home.

I Shouldn't Have Quit

I was at my husband's office last week. I walked by the stage and saw this serene, beautiful scene with a grand piano, just begging to be played. However, I quit piano lessons after my grandfather died. I was mad at having to take lessons because they had kept me away from spending precious time with my favorite person in the world. In hindsight, I see the error of my ways, but I was 11 at the time. 

I wish I could run my fingers all over those keys 

and make beautiful music. 

Be Anxious for Nothing

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I keep repeating this scripture over and over and over. It needs to really sink in. Right now, I am anxious to learn if my kids were accepted at any of the schools I applied to for them. For MotorMouth, I applied to over 25 schools. For Mini Me, I applied to about 13 preschools. 

The acceptance letters were to go out, to hit homes late last week, early this week. The decline letters go out the following week, is my understanding. So far, I have not received even 1 piece of mail from the schools for either child.  

38 schools. Have they all rejected my kids? Sight unseen? Surely not. 

I just keep telling myself I am being anxious for nothing and I need to chill out!! 

My Uncle Died

Last week, my mom's oldest brother died. I'm going to call him Math Man because he was a brilliant mathematician who felt called to teach high school math. He wrote a math textbook or two in his day. Math Man was a successful business man in his spare time. 

The dreaded cancer got him. He was almost 80. But still, he seemed to have a lot more life left in him. It's funny, the older my aunts and uncles got, the younger I realized they really were. Suddenly, 70 seemed so young when these vibrant, healthy loved ones hit that mark. When my grandmother turned 90, I realized how much living there was still to be had. 

The thing that struck me the most about Math Man, was his extreme sense of responsibility. He was the oldest of 7 kids. Oldest boy. First to move to Canada. First to go to university. First to get married. First to have a child.  If it wasn't for some of his choices, my parents would not have made some of their choices. To move to Canada. To move to the city we grew up in. I'm grateful to Math Man for some of the choices he made, because in doing so, he made my life better.

Math Man was a great son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather. He took his roles seriously. He always made sure to visit his parents. That sounds simple, but not many grown sons with families of their own do that.

As a husband and father, he truly was the head of his household. It wasn't that he ruled, as much as he was the patriarch. He was a man. A man who always strived to do what was best for his family. I think there are things in life he might have missed out on because of that. But I don't think he felt that way. He did what he believed was right.

I hope you pick up how much I respected my uncle. Because we had an adversarial relationship for over 30 years. He used to come over every Monday to visit my grandparents, who lived with us. He would tease me in a way I didn't care for. I remember being 10 and him telling me I was fat. Calling me fatty. I wasn't fat. I was normal weight. I told my mom I didn't like him calling me fat. She said I should talk to him about it. I did. 

I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. He was surprised I would stand up for myself like that. But he apologized and he never called me that again.  When I needed tutoring in math in high school, Math Man was there for me. When I turned 18 and only wanted my mom's 4 brothers to attend my birthday party, he came. He said I marched to the beat of a different drummer. Maybe it's because I have no rhythm. 

Through the years, Math Man made numerous comments about me not being someone to mess with. Yeah, well, he shoulda known not to mess with me when my grandmother died. But he did. And it turned out not so pretty. I never spoke to him again after that. She died at the end of 2000. I think it's better this way. Next time we see each other, all will be forgotten and we'll run and give each other big hugs. Of course, I might have to go find him on the Pearly Gate Golf Course...

My mom is still trying to wrap her mind around her big brother not being here. She has the comfort of knowing he is in Heaven with their brother who passed away almost 4 years ago, and their parents. If I put myself in my mom's shoes and imagine how I would be if it were my big brother, I know I would not be able to function as well as she is. 

Out of all of this, my siblings and I have had dialog with our parents on the how's and why's of their funeral planning. We hope it will be at least 20 years from now. But we have it documented so all we have to do is look at what we wrote and agreed upon.

If you made it all the way down to here, thanks for listening.

American Idol - Live Week 3

This is my 5th Judge, non-industry, @home, real person point-of-view of this week's America Idol performances. Call me, Simon Fuller, I'm available for next season...

Songs Theme:

Billboard Hot 100, since it began

This is a dream song range for the contestants because they can choose songs they love, know, and are suited to their voices. These should be the songs they've been singing for years. Let's see who screws up the easiest range of song choice.

#1 - Von Smith

You're All I Need to Get By, a Marvin Gaye song. During Hollywood Week, Von was told he was shouting. He picked a whispery type of song. It was slow at the start of the song. He tried to bring it back around but it was just odd to me. I disagreed with the judges. 

#2 - Taylor Vaifuna

Taylor sang and Alicia Keys song and did it justice. I thought she brought it. Her voice was great and solid. Her performance was a bit cold. Again, I disagreed with the harsh criticism from the judges. I thought the high praise for Von should have gone to Taylor. She gave a better performance. 

#3 Alex Wagner-Trugman

If Prince William and Wayne Gretzky had a baby together, it would look like Alex. This boy need not dance. The singing was good until he did this thing that sounded like he was clearing his throat. I'm sorry Alex, you seem like a sweet guy but, oh dear lord. That was a tragic performance. Simon said he was a hamster trying to be a tiger.

#4 - Arianna Afsar

Arianna chose the Winner Takes it All by Abba. I think the nerves got to Arianna. She started good, but then I don't know what happened. It just didn't work out.  The judges said it was a bad song choice. Paula is right, there were some bright moments in the song. But sadly, I don't think Arianna is going on tomorrow.

#5 - Ju'Not Joyner

Ju'Not sang Hey There Delilah. Ju'Not's arrangement slowed the song down and he did a soulful rendition. But it just made me want to sleep. Ju'Not has a nice voice, which he showcased at the end of the song.

#6 - Kristen McNamara

Kristin proved why she is on this show. Her voice was soulful, sultry, solid. Her performance was da bomb, thus far.

#7 - Nathaniel Marshall

Nathaniel chose a Meatloaf song. It felt like I was watching a high school musical performance on a cruise ship. The vocals were just there for me. I'm with Simon - it was verging on excruciating. Nathaniel and his mom would dance around the house singing the song he chose. And that is where the song should have stayed - at home, with mom.

#8 - Felicia Barton

Felicia chose No One by Alicia Keys. She can do this song. Her voice was so strong. There was a rough note or two.  Felicia put her own little twist to the song, yet keeping it close to the original. Felicia was actually sent home and called back when another contestant dropped out.

#9 - Scott MacIntyre

Scott is legally blind. In Hollywood Week, Scott sang a Daughtry song. He sang a Bruce Hornsby song. Nice. Very nice. I enjoyed this. Scott could be a contender.

#10 - Kendall Beard

Kendall chose This One's For the Girls by Martina McBride.  She's amazing. Great song choice. Current song, lively, suited to her voice and showcased some of her range and vocal ability. Kendall came out and knocked it out like it was what she does everyday. It felt like I was at a concert.

#11 - Jorge Nunez

Jorge chose to sing Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by Elton John. I was not sure when I heard the song choice. Jorge has a thick Spanish accent. Jorge brought it. He was really good. He worked with a dialect coach because of recommendations from the judges at the tryouts. Jorge has a great voice.

#12 - Lil Rounds

Lil sang a Mary J. Blige song. The term, saving the best for last would describe this performance. And it was a performance. I agree with Simon. Brilliant!  She has the whole package and the name to take her to stardom. 

Well, there you have it, from Judge #5.

The 3 who made it through are:

Lil Rounds

Jorge Nunez

Scott MacIntyre

Knowing Me, Knowing You - Mar '09

The Fairy Blogmother has a monthly edition 

of 'Knowing Me, Knowing You'. 

I'm playing along...

#1 What is your dream life?

Living in downtown Chicago is a dream come true for us. However, if we won the lottery, I have lots I could come up with, depending upon how much the pot was. Let me just say, I could have done a whole lot more with the jackpot when we lived in Tulsa, with it's low cost of living. High on the priority list would be buying a fabulous condo. Ideally, we would like to live in Trump Tower. We have the unit floor plan picked out. Failing that, there is a brand new condo, walking distance to J's work, that has a great view and great floor plan. I'm a big fan of real estate, so I would want to put a chunk of change into several investment properties.

#2 Do you play games online?

Nope. Never have been one for video games, either. I do like Solitaire in spurts.

#3 Seen anything good lately?

I just saw Gran Torino which was amazing! Clint Eastwood is really incredible in this. He kinda reminded me of J's grandfather but without God in his life.

#4 What is your favourite pizza combination?

J used to order this pizza he made up, from Mazzio's. Olive oil base, chicken, fresh mushrooms, cheese, onions, and a couple other things. It was AMAZING!!!

#5 How are you with houseplants?

I remember sitting in my Toronto apartment, hearing the leaves drop. My mom took that plant when I moved, and it flourished, growing to the ceiling and living at least another 10 years. I'm working on some paper whites (thanks MAM!) and looking into an herb garden for the spring, possibly.

Head on over to The Fairy Blogmother 

to link up and play along.