Christmas Countdown: 14 sleeps!

This is Halloween!

Its that time of year again...! Out come the Halloween boxes, the kids get so excited looking through everything and putting all the decorations up. And of course, watching our favorite Halloween movies and tv specials.


(Ryder prefers the Marilyn Manson version of this song, which is why I used this clip.)


(This was Gunnar's absolute favorite movie, of all time, when he was around Ryder's age - maybe even a bit younger. To this day he enjoys watching it, as do the rest of us.)


(One of my favorite parts of the movie, "C'mon down, we'll...*slap, slap*... chewww on a dawg!")

Golden Globes 2011: Ricky Gervais

If you missed the Golden Globes last night, like me, here's a clip of host Ricky Gervais' best bits...

(And thank god for his snarky British wit, someone's gotta keep the celebs humble!)

Addicted to Status Updates

Is it just me or does this chick look like Gwen Stefani?

BeauSaxon Kasha...

was told by Gramma DD that I've lost weight in my bust. "Actually Gramma, I'm just not wearing my push-up bra today. But thanks." I guess flat boobs = losing weight.

has a nose stud that apparently thinks its in jail, keeps trying to escape my nostril. I find myself having to check it every five minutes and once again, its sliding halfway out. Get back in your cell, damn you!

has a new obsession: The Walking Dead tv show. Soooo good! Of course, its about zombies, just what it sounds like. The downside is the guaranteed nightmares that follow every episode.

has lost her Adam Lambert cd and as a result is now being forced to listen to "Toddler Tunes" turned full blast. Double the horror! So I've got two little ones out in the kitchen, singing along in innocent joy while I'm frantically trying to find the ear plugs. "Oh dear, what can the matter be... Oh dear, what can the matter be..." The matter is that my eardrums are bleeding!

was told by her two oldest boys last night, upon returning from Mom's house where No.2 & 3 got to play the new XBox 360 Kinect, that they would like to take the next week off school and just move in with Gramma, "No offense, Mom". Oh no, I totally get it, boys. In fact, was expecting just such a thing. I only wish I could play the Dance Central game to my heart's content without a snickering audience.

was asked quite politely this morning if I would pleasepleaseplease cook the deer heart today so the guys can eat it tonight. Um, yeah. What do I look like, a frickin' evil stepmother who delights in roasting fresh heart while cackling and twiddling my evil fingers, huddled over a bubbling cauldron? Can you say, "EWW!" But, being the sweet loving wife I am, will be finding myself wrapping that damn organ in bacon and inhaling the traumatizing odor of slow-cooking heart all day long. Damn it! I better be getting some sweet-ass Christmas presents for this.

My secret addiction

Hello everyone, my name is Beau Kasha and I am an addict. Yes, it is with much shame and embarrassment that I am admitting to you of my deep dark secret addiction to... facebook status updates.

I know, horrifying, isn't it? I keep my secret longings buried deep inside, lest I show to the world how depraved I am and how low I've sunk. And also because I've vowed to never become one of those type of people, who update their status every fifteen minutes and inflict upon the facebook world countless recountings of their boring daily life. (Plus, I don't want to find any of my updates on Lamebook or Failbook. Click the links, you'll see what I mean!)

I find myself at odd times during the day wanting to run to the computer and jot down some random thought, or something one of the kids said, or even an opinion of a talk show. And it hurts, oh it hurts so bad, this self-imposed limitation I've put in place.

And so I've saved it all up, all these pointless random status updates that dance around my head. And I've decided to put them all in a blog post. So in true facebook fashion, here they are...

BeauSaxon Kasha...

has done more laundry in the past two days than in an entire two weeks! How is it that just when you've caught up, suddenly there's a mountain of clothes and towels and bedding and pillows and coats, sitting in front of the washer and you just want to CRY!?

is now a tea-drinker. Haven't drank a drop of coffee in almost two weeks now! Weird, I know. Next thing you know I'll be eating crumpets and talking with a British accent.

thinks its funny how Blue's Clues never goes out of style, for a kid anyway. Its been around now for what, ten years? And its still Ryder's go-to movie. Getting mighty tired of hearing those same old songs... "Blue skidoos, we can too!"

Why do I have three spatulas, four flippers, four wooden spoons, several whisks and tongs, two big spoons, and yet only ONE slotted spoon? And why is it always dirty, in the dishwasher, or just plain LOST when I need to use it?

just found one of my 'toys' on the floor downstairs. Just laying there, by the couch! What the...? It was NOT there ten minutes ago. Good thing I found it before the boys got home from school. (Imagine trying to explain that?) RYDER BRONS KASHA!!!

thinks that if antidepressants work/feel like percocet, then I'm on board. Seriously, the mouth pain is gone, I finally have energy and umption to do stuff, and it just makes me happy! I can see why people get addicted.

just heard three different Motley Crue songs on the radio, all on different stations, playing at the same time, weird! Home Sweet Home, Dr Feelgood, and Girls Girls Girls. Didn't know which one to listen to. Ended up choosing HSH, brings back good memories of a grade 4/5 sleepover at Mandy Lentz's house, listening to it and all us girls singing along.

is really trying to like this Nicorette Inhaler but its hard, for a few reasons: 1) it looks like a tampon, 2) makes the back of my mouth sting, and 3) blowing out smoke is half the fun of smoking! BUT, I will admit that its better than a real cigarette for when I'm driving (kids aren't getting all smoked-out) or in a public situation. Mind you, then I feel like explaining that no, I'm not trying to smoke a tampon.

is wondering how Maury Povich has a better talk-show 'rep' than Jerry Springer -- their shows are almost the same (minus the fights). Same issues (cheating, lie detector tests, are you my child's father?), same smack-talk by the guests, same drama. Must be because he looks so distinguished and respectable.

Five Question Friday

1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose?

The Pitt-Jolie wall, the Travolta wall (oh those crazy Scientologists and John with his spa escapades), the Playboy Mansion walls, Adam Lambert's wall.

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting?

Budget, always. It doesn't necessarily stop us from overspending, though. When you've got four kids to buy for, all the stocking stuffers and gifts from Santa, gifts for both sides of the family, it really adds up. In recent years Hubs and I have stopped getting gifts for each other because it just gets to be too much. I am SO glad that Becky and Amber came up with our family just giving each other 'hugs' for Christmas instead of the $50 gift exchange. Helps out a lot.

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done?

Christine will remember this. In high school, probably grade 7 or 8 (is that right Chris?) I was desperate to lose 20 pounds I'd somehow gained without noticing, and went on an apple-and-water diet. Yes, that's right. I ate one apple a day and then just drank water. I became very adept at hiding this from my parents, would ask to take meals up to my room (then feed them to the dogs), say I wasn't hungry at mealtimes and that I'd just eat later, give my school lunches away to other kids. Looking back, I mean obviously that's such a horrible thing to do to oneself, but what I'm amazed at (and yes I know its shallow and wrong, priority-wise) is the willpower I had. If I tried to do that now, at age 30 rather than 13, I'd probably last half a day before I started snacking. And the sad thing is, is that it worked! The 20 pounds dropped off in like a week and I was able to start eating normally again. Well, somewhat normally. I was always very body-conscious after that and if I felt I was getting "fat" again, I'd fast for a couple of days. So sad, the things that go through young girls' minds and the pressure they feel to be 'thin'.

BUT-- things happen for a reason. Because I've been there and done that, I know the symptoms and signs to look for. And I know that if a healthy, active lifestyle, proper nutrition, and positive self-esteem are encouraged before a girl-child hits that age, there's a much better chance that she'll be able to resist that social pressure. Not saying that my childhood didn't encourage those things but back then, parents didn't even think about that. The media and societal onslaught of 'lose weight', 'look younger', plastic surgery, boob jobs, size zero models, Paris-Hilton-itis... none of that was what it is now. I only have one daughter to guide through that mess, poor Chrissy has THREE. Heaven help us.

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of?
The Office, Modern Family, Friends, Vampire Diaries, Melrose Place (okay so I missed the very first season but that one sucked anyways), Deadwood.

 5. What one song always pulls at your heart?

Wavin' Flag by Young Artists for Haiti (original song by K'naan). I'll be singing along and all of a sudden my throat gets tight, my voice warbles, and I get a tear in my eye. Its a very powerful song. Also, Turn the Page by Bob Seeger (or the Metallica version) because that was Dad's song, Hold On by Sarah McLachlan, and Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us by Allison Krauss and Robert Plant (thanks for introducing me to such a truly, truly beautiful song, Mom. I chose that particular video just for you).

Spermspermsperm, Sperm is the word...

My 5 year old daughter has recently discovered what a sperm is. Well, no, that's wrong; she's known for a while, thanks to a discussion we had on how babies are made. But it was only recently that she discovered what a sperm looks like (and no, don't be disgusting, not THAT way), thanks to a Beavis & Butthead video the boys were watching. So now, in her mind, any amorphous blob with a tail is a sperm.

Hubs and Gunnar came home from a fishing trip last night with a bucket full of minnows and tadpoles. Of course, Lena and Ryder were beyond thrilled about it and spent hours with their hands in the bucket, tormenting those poor creatures.

Lena came rushing into the house and said to me, "Mom, you know when baby frogs are little sperms with a tail? Well, Gunnar caught some!" Hmmm, do you mean TADPOLES? Hahaha! I had to tell facebook about that one. Then, later on that night, the kids were watching Max & Ruby (a cartoon show), an episode called Max and the Beanstalk, and there were some magic beans on the ground that sprouted and grew into, what else, a beanstalk. As we watched the little beans grow tails and burrow into the ground, I was waiting for it... "Look, its sperms!" Yep, I knew it. Had to add that comment onto my status. In response to a comment from Koos, I said how I could just picture her, in public, pointing something out as "a sperm!"

And how right I was.

We were in Walmart today in the produce section and Lena held up a cantaloupe. She pointed out to me how the furrow-like markings on the skin kind of look like sperms (how she made that comparison, I know not). Well, by then I'd had it.

"Lena, enough with the sperms!"

Only to realize that the sweet little old lady standing by the apples had heard and was glaring daggers at me. So thanks Lena, thanks a lot. Now I am a pervert who yells about sperm to my darling innocent daughter.

Dr. Oz's Ultimate Diet Plan

I am in no way a huge Dr. Oz fan, so don't take this post to mean I have a secret crush or that I watch his show religiously. He's no Adam Lambert! And actually, a lot of things about Dr. Oz and his show irk me, such as the way he talks and his stupid demonstrations, etc. A life-size model of a nose just to demonstrate why your nose drips? Ewww, no thanks. So its kind of annoying that his shows are usually about topics that I actually find interesting and want the answers to (such as Top 5 Cancer Symptoms, Best Skin Secrets, etc), because that means I have to sit and watch!

So last night's episode was all about, you guessed it, his diet plan for America. I sat there through the entire episode just so I could write all the info down and share it with y'all. I suffered, all for you! You're welcome.

1) Its not about your weight, its about your waist size. A person's waist size should be, at most, half the size of their height. So a person who is 5'3 (me) should have a maximum waist size of 37". Phew! (A couple months ago I wouldn't have been able to say that.)

2) There are 5 foods that make you fat:

• Simple Sugars and Syrups (#1 & #2), such as soda and jam. Anything that says 'syrup' (such as high-fructose corn syrup, which is in A LOT of food items) is out. Replace jam with sliced fresh fruit on toast; replace soda with water.
• White Flour, replace with 100% whole grain.
• Saturated Fats (animal fats), any fat that is solid at room temp, found in many meats. Replace with chicken, salmon and fish.
• Trans-Fats, found in anything labeled 'partially hydrogenated vegetable oil'.

3) Get some new shoes and a pedometer, and get walking!

4) Lose 100 calories from your daily food intake.

5) Automate your meals. This just means its much easier to stick to a healthy diet plan if your daily menu is the same. Breakfast every morning could be a shake made with plain fat-free yogurt, blueberries and flaxseed oil; dinner is a healthy protein, whole grain and lots of vegetables.

6) Cheat your tastebuds. People who eat spices or spicy foods in the morning for breakfast are found to be much less likely to overeat at lunch and dinner. So add hot sauce or peppers to your eggs, have cinnamon and nutmeg on your whole wheat toast, etc. Dr Oz also had the audience do an exercise to demonstrate cheating your tastebuds without using food: lick your lips, then purse your lips and take a deep inhale. Feel the coolness on your lips? Repeat this a few times. Dr Oz says its a simple exercise you can use to reduce food cravings and curb your appetite.

7) Stay accountable and measure up. Take body measurements every week to see what is working and what needs improving.

8) Stress makes you gain weight. People with large bellies, beware! The real danger is when your tummy fat is hard as this means the fat is underneath the muscle, rather than a jiggly tummy where the fat is on the surface. When a person is stressed out, the brain sends chemicals throughout the body that result in the stomach fat hardening. What a person needs to do is break the stress cycle. There is an extract you can get from the Passion Flower that works similar to anti-anxiety medications. Just add a few drops to your water. Also, deep breathing exercises and calming visualizations work (find your happy place, haha).

9) There are 4 fat-burning, muscle-building exercises you can do. Its hard to explain them rather than watch them, so bear with me here (although a few of them have actual names so that helps).

• Stand up, on tiptoes, with your arms held straight out in front of you; cross your arms back and forth, up and down, for up to 2 minutes.
• The Invisible Chair: lean against wall, hands in a prayer position in front of you with fingers splayed, slowly walk your heels out until they are directly under your knees; hold this pose for up to 2 minutes.
• The Rickety Table: On your hands and knees, reach your left arm out straight in front of you as far as you can, stretch right leg out straight behind you. Then bring left elbow and right knee down and together, try to tap them together. Repeat with opposite arm and leg. Do this for up to 2 minutes.
• Laying on your back, knees bent, arms behind head, in the basic sit-up position. Keep ankles and knees together, and lift your legs up off the floor, then bring them down and tap on floor. Do this for, yes, you guessed it, up to 2 minutes.

Modern Family tv episode "Feels like I ate the sun!"

zSHARE video - modern.family.0118.hdtv.xvid-notv.flv

Remember at family dinner the other night I was talking about this show and this particular episode? Here it is! Thanks tvshack.net! The funny part I was talking about starts at about the 10:12 minute mark, he's already eaten the hot food and now we see his reaction to it. Except, for some reason I had it in my mind that he grabbed the water jug then threw it against the wall when the water didn't help. Actually he just sets it down on a table. Boo! The throwing would've been so much funnier.

But this show is so great, definitely one of my new favorites.

Did I not JUST talk about this?

I had known for over three weeks that Adam Lambert would be a guest on Oprah on Tuesday, January 19. A week prior to the show I received a text from Amber reminding me. The day of I made sure to check on the Shaw listings guide exactly what time the show was coming on. 5pm, I could hardly wait!

Around 3:45pm Gunnar arrived home from school and asked if he could go to a friend's house after he delivered papers. I didn't see why not so he called up his friend and made arrangements. He then informed me that I would have to drive him to his friend's house in Ryder's Ridge; here I'd thought the friend lived in Westwood. Oh well, no prob. I had to get a few things from Walmart anyway. I'd just drop Gunnar off, do my shopping with the other three kids in tow, then pick Gunn up on my way home. An hour to shop, an hour for him to 'play' at his friend's house (whatever 11 yr old boys do), it was a good plan.

Well, good plans are meant to go awry, right? An hour of shopping turned into an hour and a half. It was 6:15pm when I picked him up, giving us half an hour before I had to have him at the arena for a hockey practice. Thank God the friend's mom thought to feed him supper! We had just enough time to drive home, unload the groceries, get the hockey gear and race to the arena.

On the drive there, I had a nagging thought in the back of my mind. What was I forgetting? Then... it hit me. Adam. Oprah. A 3-week standing date with my obsession, missed! Because I went SHOPPING. At Walmart.

When the thought struck me, I was so shocked and horrified that I slammed on the brakes (good thing noone was behind me!) and looked at Gunnar with angry dismay, "YOU! I missed Oprah because YOU wanted to go to a friends house! Ohmygod, I can't believe I missed Adam on Oprah! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" (Of course I reassured Gunnar later that no, it wasn't really his fault, obviously it was mine for being such a forgetful airhead.)

I literally felt sick to my stomach. Didn't help matters when I returned home and saw someone had called and left a message while we'd been gone. It was Christine, informing me that Adam Lambert was on Oprah right now and there was some behind-the-scenes stuff going on and it was a great interview but I was probably already watching it right now, she just thought she'd call, you know, in case I was missing the show.

I am such a bad Glambert.

But guess what? YouTube to the rescue! I watched and favorited all four parts of the interview; was a little disappointed he sang Whataya Want From Me instead of Fever (I'm so obsessed with that song) but it was a great interview. And here's a part I found most interesting...

Adam: (talking about life before Idol, working in theatre and feeling bored) "I kinda asked for something to happen."
Oprah: "Asked who?"
Adam: "The Universe."
Oprah: "Okay, and HOW did you ask?"
Adam: "Positive projection. Affirmation. Really imagining what my life could be, and what I really wanted out of it."

He later stated the obvious, "The Universe came through in a big way."

But I find it so cool that Adam's comments mirror my theory exactly, that of positive thinking and true belief and how it really does work. Put something out there in the universe, with pure intention and thought, and it comes back. See, you guys? I'm even on the same wavelength as the guy! He is so totally mine.

Here's a clip of the first part of the interview; the convo starts around the 4:30 minute mark and his comments are at about 5:00.

Jim & Pam: The Wedding!

Oh. My. God. TELL me you watched The Office last night!! If you didn't, there's a great article about it here. Spoilers abound so be forewarned. At the moment I'm unable to find a video clip of the actual wedding on YouTube, the article there talks a little about it, and if you watched last night you know what I mean when I say...

Ohmygod, they did it!! Sooooo friggin' awesome! I was sputtering and pointing to the tv screen, "Look, they're doing the video!" and Hubs was like, "What video?"... *shaking my head*

What was your favorite part of last night's episode? Let me know in the comments. Personally, its a toss-up between that part at the end, and Jim cutting his tie (that teared me up).

Weekend Update, here we go!

Hello everyone! Its been a while since I've posted so I thought I'd give y'all a little update on what's new with the Kasha family.

• Still not smoking. I don't know the exact number of days its been but it must be around three weeks now, eh? It gets easier every day, though I will admit I have my moments where my fingers are literally itching to hold a smoke. Like when we were camping this weekend, it was my first time camping being smoke-free and it just wasn't the same. Sitting around the fire is so BORING without a smoke in hand, haha.
• Gunnar is a now a productive, active member of the job force! He is a paper carrier for the Red Deer Advocate, and I could not be prouder of him! He has 24 'customers' on his route (here in Westwood) to which he delivers every day, and on Mondays and Thursdays he delivers the flyers and Central Alberta Life papers as well. The little bugger is pulling in over $120 a month! He is absolutely ecstatic to be earning that much money and already has a list of all the things he wants to buy. I did have to explain to him that just because he has his "own" money now does not mean he can buy anything he wants, like a Blackberry phone, haha.
• We went camping out by Prairie Creek just this past weekend and had an absolute blast. The Elgert clan was out there and saved us a spot. We weren't in the actual campground, thank god, but just off the side of the road in a big clearing. Everyone out there had their 'toys' so it was like a real community of quadders and bikers (dirt-bikers, that is). I have some great pics and video footage that I'll put up later in another post. We came home late late Sunday night and were unlucky enough to be caught in that nightmare storm while driving. Ty was in the motorhome pulling the trailer, in front of me, and I was driving the truck with all the bikes in the back. You guys, I have NEVER driven through anything that scary in my entire life. The rain was coming down so hard and fast my wipers could not keep up, there was like a foot of water on the road, and I couldn't even see the road! Once in a while, during a lightning flash, I could make out the white line on the side of the road and that is the only thing that kept me going straight. I was praying out loud the entire time.
• Oh, and I brought home some 'souvenirs' from our camp trip, in the form of hundreds of red welts all over my body, courtesy of those delightful little bugs known as 'no-see-ums'. How nice for me, eh? The areas of my body affected the worst are my ankles, calves and left wrist, but I have them on my chest, forearms, and the back of my neck, too. I have never, ever felt anything as itchy as those tiny red spots, I have literally been scratching the skin right off my body trying to appease the awful itching. After-Bite does not work, neither does calamine lotion or that old-fashioned stand by -- making an X with your fingernails then dabbing spit on it. The only thing that gives me a moment's relief is spraying Solarcaine on the bites, which cools and numbs the skin for about a minute. Then its fiery itching pain all over again. And on the Solarcaine bottle it says not to apply more than four times a day. YA RIGHT!! I've been doing it like four times an hour, and to hell with the recommended dosage. And the thing that's weird with the bites is that I didn't notice them while I was out there; it was only after we came home and went to bed, the next morning is when I noticed that I was covered head-to-toe in them. That was Monday morning. It is now Wednesday and it seems like every day I am getting covered in more. It makes me think that my pillow, which I brought camping, is maybe infested with them and they come out at night and crawl all over me and feast? Except I don't see the bugs on my bedding. And Ty isn't getting bitten, just me. So what is going on? Do I have fleas? What does a flea bite look like? But if it was fleas Ty would for sure have them too, right? So I don't know WTF is going on here. All I know is that if the itchiness doesn't go away soon, I am going be covered in scars because it is seriously impossible for me to not scratch. It just feels soooo goooood, even when it bleeds. The pain disguises the itching, at least for a few seconds.
• I'm planning on having our garage sale two weekends from now, so not this coming weekend but the next one. I think its the 16th. I really need to get rid of all that stuff, so I'm going to advertise in the local paper and hopefully there'll be a good turnout. Like I said before, if anyone has anything they want to get rid of and donate to us, please do so before that weekend. Thanks!
• Ty and I are re-starting our Deadwood obsession and are already on Disc 4 of the first season. Gunnar watched a bit of the show with us last night and he thought it was "hilarious" how often the F-word was said. He goes to me, "Mom, I bet you wished this was real life and you were there, because you would get $1 for every swear-word!" (I've instituted a new rule around here after noticing my boys were starting to swear like sailors, and since both boys are notoriously cheap with their moola they are now very conscious of what they say, lol. But they do both owe me about $5.)
• OMG, get this! Ryder got scratched on his finger (or bitten, but I think scratched) by a squirrel when we were camping! It didn't draw blood, and I immediately washed his hand with soap and water, then put antibacterial/disinfectant spray all over the hand. When we got home I called HealthLink and they said they were 99% sure he was okay based on lack of symptoms, no blood drawn, and the squirrel looked healthy. But anytime there's an "encounter with wildlife" HealthLink has to notify a certain agency and they then call you to discuss the encounter. So that guy called me and asked all about what happened, then he said he had to call the Medical Officer to see what he thought, about whether Ryder would need a Rabies shot! Ai-ay-ay! Poor kid. So I'm waiting to hear back from the guy and get the final verdict.

A True Class Act

Adam's response when asked about the finale results and the difference between he and Kris:

"I knew it was going to be a close race. He's incredibly talented, and he's a good person. We got to do a really good finale, and we're both going to do great things in the future. For me, it's not about what happened tonight, it's about the future.

"I think that Kris won because he's a great artist, and I was happy to be a runner-up to that.

"We are seemingly so different, but we found a way to get along and find a common bond. Mostly through music, but also just through talking and getting to know each other.

"And if there's anything that can come from this experience that I hope all the fans out there can pick up is that even if you're really different, there's a way to get along with each other.

"It's not about, 'You beat me because of this.' Or, you're different. It's about finding the common stuff that makes it work. We got out there and did the Queen duet and we made it work because we found a common ground with each other.

"If there's anything we can take from this, it's bringing you guys together is what our goal was, not separating you."

(Source: Eye On Idol on Comcast.net - Live Blog).

INJUSTICE! BETRAYAL! THE BIGGEST UPSET IN HISTORY!!

You know its going to be a bad day when you wake up feeling hungover and you didn't even drink the night before. That's how I feel this morning -- groggy, achy, sore eyes, slightly nauseous (don't any of you even DARE to comment that I might be pregnant!!! Trust me, its impossible right now). And the reason for this is because last night my wonderful, sweet, uber-talented, dead-sexy future hubby, Adam Lambert, LOST AMERICAN IDOL TO THAT BIBLE-THUMPING HAYSEED POSER KRIS ALLEN!!!

I had said before that if he lost, I was done with Idol. And I am. I had said that if he lost, everyone better be prepared to see one of the worst tantrums in history, I was going to flat-out destroy stuff! I was going to grab the nearest thing to me, run out on the front lawn (so I didn't destroy the house) and just smash it, over and over. That my screams of rage and frustration would echo straight out to space. Well, my reaction at seeing those final five minutes of Idol weren't quite that dramatic, but I did punch the couch. And cry. Yes, I did. I cried.

It just seemed like such an injustice, such a betrayal of the whole idea of Idol -- that the one who deserves to win, should and will. And it didn't happen that way! The fact that Kris won based not on talent or deserved-ness, but because he had three factions voting for him, that it was all politics, just kills me. Adam had his loyal Glamberts voting for him, but Kris had his own fan base, most of Danny's fan base (because the mentality is that you either love Adam or hate him, and Danny is a safe, middle-of-the-road singer like Kris, so his fans easily crossed over to Kris's side), as well there are many websites out there, like VoteForTheWorst, who recruit and encourage people to vote for who shouldn't win. So with all those people voting for Kris, the poor Glamberts just couldn't match those numbers, even though I'm sure my fellow Glams voted till their fingers fell off.

Even Kris realized that what happened was a major upset. The look on his face when his name was announced, even though I'm extremely bitter right now I'll give him that, the total shock he was in, even HE thought Adam would win. And he said that, "Adam should have won, I'm sorry." So that made my opinion of him go up a bit. To zero. From negative-five.

Adam was so gracious about it, and genuinely happy and excited for Kris. That's the kind of guy he is. He's become really good friends with Kris, which is kind of weird but neat, seeing as how they're polar opposites. One's a married church-going southern boy who plays accoustic guitar and likes country music. The other one's a gay/bi glam-punk-emo-rocker who likes makeup, jewelry, painted fingernails, outrageously awesome outfits and shoes, and can shatter glass with his roof-raising screams. Sort of a 'when two worlds collide' thing.

But the thing that made me get emotional and start leaking tears was that this guy, so talented and genuine, who's worked so hard all his life to get where he is today, he TRULY deserved to have that moment in the spotlight, you know? He deserved to know that feeling of overwhelming love and acceptance when his name was called, to know that the majority of America was rooting for him and wanted to see him crowned the Idol. Even though Kris is his friend, I'm sure Adam knows that he is the better singer, more talented. He put his heart and soul into every performance, gave 100% every time and then some, took the time and thought to make each performance his own. And so for his name NOT to be called, for America to choose the 'safe' guy, the non-controversial one, who's probably done nothing more daring in his life than voting for Obama... arrghh! What a travesty. Adam has said that he's battled other's opinions, been picked on, teased and tormented, his entire life, and that he persevered by ignoring all that, pushing on and just being who he is, staying true to himself. But I imagine that there was still a part of him that longed for the unconditional acceptance of his peers. And last night should have been the moment where he was given that! Instead, once again he was shown that the majority of people simply aren't at that stage of non-judgemental acceptance and openminded-ness. Adam was robbed not only of the Idol title, but of having his moment in the sun, knowing that HE was our Idol, that "we love him, we really love him!" It just makes me sick.

And so I'm trying to be positive about the whole thing, which is not an easy thing to do. The only thought that soothes the beast is knowing that either way, Adam has made it. Simon has said that Idol is just a stepping-stone for Adam, that he will go on to have a fantastic, world-wide career that will last. Whereas Kris Allen, in my opinion, will probably make his Idol-produced album and then fade into obscurity, like Idols before him Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, and Fantasia Barrino. In the long run, coming second-place will most likely work to his advantage. Look at Chris Daughtry, he made it fourth-place then got voted off (second biggest upset in Idol history), and his career since then has sky-rocketed. Adam will still get to make his album (part of the Idol contract, 2nd place still gets you a record-deal), and because he's not the official Idol, and therefore subject to certain codes of conduct and musical restrictions, he can do the kind of music he wants to. He's not limited to safe, happy, radio-friendly tunes that the producers push on him. He can break the mold, stretch his limits, melt our hearts and faces with his blistering vocal talent.

So yeah, there you have it. My heart broke for him last night, but my love will always remain. Let Kris take the glory and adulation, while Adam stands back, shakes himself off, and gears up for the mega-career coming his way. I can't wait!!

I got a Whole Lotta Love for my Adam (warning: TMI)

Well, Adam got his wish and was able to sing Whole Lotta Love last night. And I got MY wish and got to see that sexy man back in his tight look-at-my-crotch-pants, glam-rock jacket, spiky-emo hair, jewelry and makeup. And OMFG, did you see him when he did the duet with Allison, wearing the STRIPED PANTS?!?! Trust me, the striped pants had their very own thread on the message board, hahaha.

My lucky lucky mom was able to see Robert Plant's original performance of the song, and as she said, "Adam is very, very good, but he's no Robert Plant." Which I totally agree with, I mean who can top RP? NO ONE. He is the God of Rock. But watch the clip below and you'll agree with me that Adam came pretty darn close. I think I had an O watching him sing and dance and hip-thrust and snarl his way through that song. *fanning myself* I was so, so proud of my Adam, he said he was going to go out there and "kill it" and he totally did! I'm coining a new word here, he was "sexceptional". Am I right? I am SO RIGHT.

But hey, get this... There was a thread on the message board from a Glambert who was at the actual performance (lucky bitch! lol) and she said that SO much of his performance was censored for the cameras. When you watch the clip below, you'll see many instances of the camera focusing on just his face, or the drummer, or whatever. And that is because he was SEX personified, in her words. The point in the song where the music stops and you think it might be over (my kids did and immediately started chatting up a storm but I could see it wasn't over, so I was like, "SHUT UP RIGHT NOW OR INSTANT BEDTIME!!"), where he sings, "Woooomaaaannn, you neeeed loooviinnnn'", I guess he tucked the mike stand between his legs and gave a few good thrusts against it (OMG, TO BE THAT MIKESTAND! *faint*). Of course, the camera didn't show that. DAMMIT!! That right there would have inspired like a year's worth of mighty fine dreams, I tell you what. And also, one time he went over to where there were a huge group of girls up by the stage and he started grinding, and the camera skipped away to show the band playing. WHY, why, darn you cameraman!! Damn censors. Its like Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show all over again. Which, you know what?, is actually kind of neat/weird/enraging, seeing how a lot of people have compared him to Elvis. I can see the resemblance, both in looks, daring and sheer talent, but I think he's like the erotic version of Elvis. I mean, Elvis was one of the best looking men EVER in existence, but Adam takes it to the next level. Same dark hair, dark eyes, dramatic eyebrows, charisma, sexiness. But Adam just takes it to the next level, you know? Everything is more "more" with him.

The contestants weren't able to have their rehearsal because there was a small catastrophe on set (one of the 'American Idol' sign support posts tipped over and lights crashed down). So the camera guys obviously didn't know how Adam would act on stage. But come on, the man practically drips sex, they must have had a clue what he'd get up to. So the camera-panning-away must have been pre-arranged. Hey? AND THAT SUCKS! Although.... it probably saved all us Glambert's sanity by doing that. We would have been convulsing on the floor, screaming in ecstasy. Hahaha! TMI for you guys, yet or what? Sorry but there's just no censoring me when I'm in full-blown Adamania.

I loved loved loved all the judge's opinions and comments, especially Simon's. You know, a little background, Glambert-insider info for ya: Adam has received some criticism on the boards (and most likely in 'real-life' convos, as well) that because he was getting put last each show, that he was getting favoritism or the "lucky" spot. So he went first this time. And people complain that him going first makes it impossible for anyone else to "top" his performance. Which Simon said after his Whole Lotta Love. But I mean come on, its obvs that no matter what order he's put in, he's going to obliterate the memory of anyone else's performance.

Did anyone catch Danny's performance of "Dream On"? First of all, that song is another of the holy ones. If you are going to take on that song, you better have the chops to make that last note at the end. Or else you will be crucified! Like Danny was. Deservedly. In my opinion, THAT is "self-indulgent rubbish". How could he have ever thought, in a million years, that his hoarse, husky voice could hit that high, screaming note... is beyond me. I actually was cringing and covering my ears even before he hit that note, then opening my fingers a bit to better hear if he actually did it, then hastily slamming my hands back on my ears and moaning Why, God why? Doesn't he know the only person capable of hitting that high note and killing it, is Adam? Its friggin' obvs. I was pretty mad that he even tried to tackle that song.

There were so many threads on the blog, prior to the Rock performances, of what people wanted to hear Adam sing this week.Though the opinions varied widely, from Green Day songs, to Radiohead, to Tool, every single list included 'Dream On'. And then to hear that Danny was going to sing it? I mean, we were glad that Adam got his song, but it still felt like a slap in the face. I guarantee you that every Glambert went, "W....T....F...?!

Anyway, you know I could go on and on about Adam, but its time to end this. I'm all hyped up from writing this, remembering my initial reactions, watching the clip again and again, remembering what my Mom said on the phone afterwards. Oh yeah, she called me like right after his performance ended. My first words? "OMG, tell me you saw that?!" (I think those my were first words, right Mom? Something like that.) And she did!! Which was SO cool. With patient amusement, she listened to me hysterically sputter and spout utter nonsense, I'm sure. But she did have a few things to say about my man, which I was dying to respond to in an equal manner, but those rotten kids (No. 2 & 3) were swarming me with their "We wanna go to Gramma's tonight!" over and over. So just one thing I want to say to you Mom and I'm sure you'll remember what you said to inspire this comment, but -- "For him, I would!" Heh heh heh.

So here he is, the one, the only.... ADAM LAMBERT!!

Adam's going to blow 'em away tonight!

*doing my happy dance* American Idol is on tonight, you know what that means! Mass hysteria, screaming, clapping, dancing around... and that's just from hearing Adam is up next! Haha.

Its Rock week with Slash (guitarist from Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver) as their mentor. I can't wait to see what everyone chooses to sing, and how Slash will help them to make their performances better. Wonder if Slash will be wearing the top hat? Of course, silly!

Its been mentioned on the message board that Adam really wants to sing Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love'. Don't know if that will actually happen, though. Zeppelin is notorious for turning down requests to use their music. Use their music, though, the actual songs with Robert Plant singing. Maybe its different if someone else is going to sing it? Who knows. I could see them making an exception for Adam because he would really do the song justice and not come off as a karaoke performance.

I've been reading a thread on the board with people's opinions on what rock songs he should sing, so I thought I'd add my two cents here, as well. If I had it my way, here are the song choices I'd like to see and hear Adam belt out...

Welcome to the Jungle, Guns N Roses
Sweet Child of Mine, Guns N Roses
Ramble On, Led Zeppelin
The Immigrant Song, Led Zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin (this song is holy, though, don't know if ANYONE should touch it)
Eighteen and Life, Skid Row (think that's the song title)
Pride (In the Name of Love), U2
Fuel, Metallica
Kickstart My Heart, Motley Crue
War Pigs, Black Sabbath
Closer, Nine Inch Nails (just to hear him sing "I want to f*ck you like an animal" - OMG!)
Dream On, Aerosmith (he would kill that high note, in a good way!)
Somebody to Love, Queen
Piece of my Heart, Janis Joplin
Black Hole Sun, Soundgarden
Pretty Noose, Soundgarden
Ballroom Blitz, Sweet

OMGomgomgomgomg*faint*

The American Idol: Rat Pack show was last night, I didn't know what the contestants would do but was SO excited to see and hear my Adam. I decided not to do a live-blog because I wanted to be able to just concentrate and totally enjoy his performance. He was scheduled last, which makes sense because everyone would just change the channel after he sang. Haha. I kept warning Hubs throughout the show that when Adam was on, I wanted total and complete silence, no snide comments or trying to start up a conversation with me. Just sit there, be quiet, and look pretty, I said. So it was at commercial break with Adam coming up next and what did that evil hubby of mine do? He stole the remote! And wouldn't give it back! Oh, real funny, hardy har har. He changed the channel to hockey and I just about killed him. Then he threatened that he was going to talk non-stop during Adam's performance. Its kind of embarrassing to admit this, but I got so upset that I actually started crying (I KNOW! I told you I was pathetic!). When Hubs saw those tears and realized they weren't fake, he totally caved and gave me back the remote, and promised he'd be quiet. Phew! He's incredibly lucky he did that, because homicide was a real consideration and I would have been that much closer to getting my Adam for a second husband. LOL

So the show started, Adam in his beautiful white suit, doing the strut down the stairs. I can't even begin to explain how crazy and hyper I was throughout the entire song. I'd describe how I was acting but its mortifying enough that I even have this obsession. Seriously, I feel like one of those girls you'd see in the audience when they'd show Beatles performance clips. Screaming, crying, hysterical, fainting. That is totally how I'd be acting if I wasn't so aware of the fact that I am almost 30 years old. With four kids. Who think I am crazy enough as it is. They roll their eyes at me every time I mention Adam's name. Which isn't too often, only about every 10 minutes on AI nights.

His high note at the end that he held for what seemed a full minute, and the absolute control he has of his voice to be able to do that, combined with the run and the low note afterwards (a 'run' is industry-speak for changing octaves up and down)... That man is INCREDIBLE! Of all the performances that night, he was the only one who really "got" what the Rat Pack was all about: the strut, the swagger, the confidence, the arrogance, the playfulness, the 'cool' factor. And I LOVE Simon's comment to Ryan about the stairs. Yes, they belong to Adam now.

There's so much more I want to say about his performance but my mind is all jumbled and chaotic with thoughts and words. That's what this man does to me. I feel sorry for all the teeny-boppers out there who share my obsession. They're already bombarded with impulses, crazy hormones and mood swings. Add Adam to the mix and its like mental, physical and emotional insanity.

Live-Blogging the AI Results show

I had so much fun last night live-blogging the AI show, and I figure that I might as well do the results show, too. Can't leave you guys hanging, wondering who's out. Actually, Dea's probably the only one who cares. So I'll dedicate this post to my wonderful grandma. (Does that mean I have to tone down my rantings and ravings to something more PG? Awww, that's no fun! But I am who I am, so... rated R, TMI and OMG, here we come! hah)

9:52 - The show starts in less than 10 minutes and I just remembered that I have to rinse out my hair dye. Hope my hair will turn out. Its weird but my roots accept any color, its just the ends that are super-resistant. So when I dye my hair, its usually two-toned. Let's cross our fingers, everyone, and pray for a full head of blond hair....

10:01 - Shoot, I missed the start because I was in the bathroom blow-drying my hair. Okay, so there's a double elimination tonight (because of the "save" last week). Oh, man... *groan*... they're going to do a disco medley, it better be good. Oh, and David Archuleta is going to perform later. He was the runner-up last season. Whatever, I didn't watch last season. Intro to the judges, Simon gets cat calls once more, rolls his eyes this time. So cocky, haha. Paula Abdul is choreographing the dance medley, its showing a behind-the-scenes. Ooo, look at Adam rockin' the moves! Omg, Adam just said he's going to get the sweatiest and he wiped his forehead with a towel. You bet your ass someone is going to sell that towel on ebay for hundreds, no, thousands. Glamberts are obsessed, I tell ya. Paula is quite the task-master. Okay, here they go. Adam's got the moves, baby! Look at that funky white boy go! (He sang that song one week.) They're all doing their own little dance moves now. LOVE Adam's snakey arm movements. Adam's singing now, there's that sexy Adam growl us Glamberts love. Thrust those hips Adam, oh ya! Awww, the contestants just gave Paula a huge bouquet, that's sweet.

10:09 - Commercial break. Gotta get back to my hair! BRB... Man, how disappointing. Why does this always happen to me? Instead of the 'light golden blond' it should have been, I have a head full of light brownish-red-blond hair. Why, oh why can't my hair ever just do as its told? Dammit, I just wanna be a blond! Oh well. At least the difference in color between the roots and ends isn't so noticeable now.

10:12 - Back to the show. Just the guys are on the bench, the girls are still changing out of their dancing clothes. A new Ford commercial with the contestants. Less corny than usual. Aww, Adam is washing a dog! It runs away and he has to chase it. Ryan says Matt took the longest to change because he "had to put on his makeup". Hah! Okay, time for elimination. Lil Rounds is up first and she is: out. Gone. Now she has to sing her disco song. I'm going back to the bathroom while she sings, gotta check out the hair one more time. Maybe its lightened up in the last few minutes! Endless hope, eh?

10:22 - Even after a quick flat-ironing (in the hope that the heat will cause a lightening affect), its still... not blond. Ryan just introduced Miss Freda Payne (sp?) singing a medley of famous disco songs. I'm out of here, one more trip to the bathroom to fuss over the non-blond hair. *sigh* Guess I'll just have to accept the fact that if I want my hair a certain color, it'll have to be professionally done. I'm so cheap, though. But I guess if you're only willing to pay $8 for hair color, you get what you pay for, right? LOL.

10:26 - After a closer inspection, I can say that the ends of my hair are maybe half a shade lighter than they were before. I even left the dye in for 25 minutes longer than recommended! What the hell? This probably never happens to anyone else. Ugh, that stupid disco medley song is driving me crazy. Why would they have the original artists up there singing a song that was a hit for them like 30 years ago? Obviously, their vocal ability is not the same. Its kinda sad. Omg, the guy from KC & The Sunshine Song is singing his song. His voice is so shot, he's all old and balding. I'd much rather be hearing Adam singing "Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight". That would inspire some wicked-nice dreams. Instead I have to watch a fat old guy in a flaming red shirt try to do 70s dance moves with his sexy backup singers dancing around him. Is the singing almost over? Yes, finally! Ahh, sweet sweet commercial break. I'm done with checking my hair, though. I'm not beating that dead horse any longer. (That's a saying, you know that, right?)

10:34 - Here we go. Time for another elimination. Kris Allen, please stand up, you are: safe. Good, he deserves to stay. Time for Adam! Everyone is screaming so loud and long, Ryan can't even talk. They won't stop yelling and screaming even while he's talking! Awesome. Ryan asks him about the risk he took changing the arrangement of the song. Adam says yeah, he was a little worried, would people even recognize it, but after reading the lyrics, he realized it didn't matter. Good answer, my sexy future-husband. OH! I said that out loud. (Don't worry, Hubs already knows Adam's going to take his place if he kicks the bucket. Ha ha). So what's America's decision about Adam? "Take a seat, you're safe." OF COURSE, no duh! Danny's turn now. Ryan asks Simon what he meant last night by Danny being 'clumsy'. Simon replies that Ryan is being facetious and would he please get back to the contestant. The audience goes "oooooo". Ryan snarks that Simon is "grumpy". Danny is: safe. Anoop is: in the bottom 2. Good decision America. Allison and Matt both on the hot seat, who is in the bottom 2 with Anoop...? Allison?! What?! Really, America? She is awesome! What the hell is going on here? Matt, the guy who butchered Staying Alive, is safe? I don't know, people, I don't know.

10:45 - Ryan intros "Welcome back David Archuleta", singing 'Touch My Hand'. Omg, he's like 14! No, 12! This is friggin' HILARIOUS! He SUCKS! Wow, how the heck did he make it to No.2 last year? For reals, you guys, this is just bad. Capital B. I'm in misery right now. I had to turn the volume wayyy down. Adam is probably sitting on the bench thinking "I'm a shoo-in if this is what America almost picked last year for their Idol." Nah, Adam is too nice to think that. But damn straight, everyone else there and across America is thinking it. I'm so embarrassed for the little guy. He's trying so hard to sing. Hubs just said, "Definitely a cabaret singer, or a cruise ship." Who knew my hubby was so funny? Hah. Song is finally over. I don't even want to hear what Ryan is talking to him about. Ugh!

10:54 - Down to Anoop and Allison, bring down the lights, good luck to both of you... The second person going home tonight is: Anoop Desai. Allison is safe. Thank God! Anoop has to sing his song now. Time for the 'mute' button. Tyler just said, "See, they have to know they're going home because how would they know what song to sing?" Oh, my sweet adorable Hubs. So not 'with it' when it comes to AI. I explain that they sing the song they sang the night before. "Oh." He's so cute. Okay, song is finally over. Turn the volume back up. I just want the camera to pan to Adam once more before the show ends. One more fix. Please! Nope, not to be, they're showing the "goodbye video" for Lil and Anoop. I really do like Lil, look at her three adorable kids, they're so little. I feel bad for her because she really does have an awesome voice. Poor song choice did her in every performance. Kind of a self-sabotage. Aww, all the contestants are hugging now. Come on camera, show me Adam. Okay, there he is hugging Lil. Damn you Lil, don't you be touching my man.

Show's over, there's the results, buh bye. I'm going to check my hair one more time. Hey, that's cool! AI results tonight, my hair-dyeing results tonight. How would America vote on my hair? OUT!

My 1st Live Blog: American Idol Disco night

Those of you familiar with blogger lingo know what a live blog is, for the rest of you its basically what it sounds like. Blogging in real time. I've never done it, never really felt the urge to. But tonight is my long-awaited American Idol night, I've been jonesing hard this last week. And its Disco theme night! Can't wait to see what Adam looks like. I've been dreading/hoping that he'll wear the iconic white suit John Travolta made famous in Saturday Night Fever. Wouldn't that be something to see? Adam in tight white, showcasing his lovely bulge (which I've actually seen thanks to internet pics, maybe if you're lucky I'll post that pic sometime. Be warned: you'll need a shower and ciggie after!)

9:01 - Ryan makes a speedy intro, Simon gets cat calls and he grins. Is that Vince Neil from Motley Crue in the audience? Here come the contestants - holy shit! Adam is wearing a beautiful black suit, no makeup, slicked back hair. I'm seriously drooling. He looks like a giant standing next to Ryan. I think I read somewhere that Adam is between 6'1 and 6'4. *panting* We all know how I feel about tall men. They have big feet. Which means..... big shoes! Heh.

9:04 - Lil Rounds sings Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman". She looks awesome in a black pant suit, very toned arms. Randy doesn't like the song choice, thinks it doesn't show what vocal control she has. Kara says she's been waiting for Lil to sing Chaka, but not sure if it was worth the wait. "But you look great!" Nice back-handed compliment, there. Paula gives props to Lil for her vocal recovery (had some sort of voice problem yesterday) but agrees with Paula and Kara. Simon says "no originality, very copy-cat, vocals were a mess, I absolutely believe this is your final shot." Looks like tomorrow night, its goodbye Lil!

9:12 - So many commercials, annoying! Kris Allen is up next. He's kind of a cutie. Never really noticed him before. He's singing "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer. He's holding a guitar, why?? Playing guitar on a disco song? Weird. Okay, now that he's playing it and singing, it actually works. I like the bongo drums. He's not wearing anything special, a white t-shirt and jeans. Not very disco-ish. He's giving the song kind of a laid-back, acoustic, Caribbean spin. Oh, guess he's actually wearing grayish-green slacks. The audience liked his performance. What do the judges think? Kara can't get a word in, the way the audience is carrying on. She said he took a risk and it paid off, "I gotta give you props". Paula thinks it had a classy Santana feel to it. (That's who I was thinking it sounded like, Santana!) She made a weird comment about Kris shopping for ladies clothes, it starts a little situation with her and Simon, both of them snarking at each other. Paula says Simon shops for women's clothing. Simon just wants her to shut up, I can tell. Simon thinks Kris's performance was original, well thought out, "NOT karaoke". Randy says he knows who he is, he's ready for the big time.

9:18 - Going to commercial. Allison and Danny after the break.

9:22 - Danny Goke is singing Earth, Wind & Fire's "September". He looks blah, same as usual. I do like Danny, he's got a heart-wrenching back story (his beloved wife died of cancer). He has a good voice. I could see him in the top 4 with Adam, Allison and Kris. Paula is standing and grooving along. Okay, yes it is Vince Neil in the audience with some blonde. Must be the wife. Randy says he turned the song into something that really worked for him tonight, he worked it out, baby. Kara says she was kinda worried, like if Simon wore a plaid shirt. What? Kara implies it might not be a memorable performance, though. Paula says Danny chose vocally to show his agility and brilliance, she thinks he has one of the sexiest voices and that women of all ages will agree. Simon pretty much agrees with all that's been said, but he didn't get a feeling of star power, the performance overall was a bit clumsy and awkward. Paula throws in, "See you in the final 3!"

9:27 - Allison Irehata sings "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer. I friggin' LOVE her husky, deep voice. And she's only like 17! Why is she sitting, no, reclining, on the bright red stairs? Get up, girl. Whoa, what is she wearing? Are those black latex leggings under her short, silver sequined skirt? I like the curly hair. Wow, she can really belt it out. She must've changed the arrangement of the song, though, it sounds different. Randy thought it was a little over-indulgent, didn't like the arrangement, but that she is one of the best singers in the competition. Kara thought making the arrangement slower hurt the performance, but from a singing perspective it was a 9-10. Paula says the last note hit it off the charts. Simon says Allison was the under-dog, but it was a brilliant performance.

9:32 - Adam Lambert after the break! Woot woot!

9:36 - FINALLY, what I've been waiting for all week.... Here he is! GAWD he looks hot. He's doing "If I Can't Have You" from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Putting his own spin on a disco classic, says Ryan. Wow, he is changing it up. Its so beautiful and slow, soulful. Ohman, look at the faces he's making! Sexy smoulder, pained love. He can hit those high notes, shit! Everyone is cheering and screaming for him. He's wearing the coolest pinky ring ever, it goes right almost to the nail. Ack! I can't type fast enough to say all the things going through my head right now. Song ends on a gentle falsetto note. Standing O from Paula, of course. Simon is clapping. Randy says Adam is ready-right-now-dude, he's got it majorly going on, he's a hot one tonight, America! Kara says he's brilliant, every week he ups it, he looks like the guy from "Saturday Night Live" (*snicker* Dontcha mean Fever?! She did that before, said Studio 57 instead of 54) meets Clark Kent. Paula looks near tears. She says he chose to take a disco song and not make it cliche; she felt his pain "like he tore his heart out and wore it on the stage" (might have screwed up the quote there, I'm too busy grinning like a maniac and devouring him with my eyes), he's brilliant and will be in the final. Simon says he would've bet $10,000 that Adam would have done Donna Summer. LOL. The performance was original, the vocals were immaculate, people will remember this. Ryan is so short standing next to Adam! He says Paula was melting into a pool.

9:41 - Matt Giraud after the break. Who?

9:46 - Ryan says Matt is hoping the song is a metaphor for him staying in the competition (the judges chose to use their one and only "save" to keep Matt in the competition last week after he was voted off). Matt is doing "Staying Alive" by the BeeGees. What's up with the weird falsetto he put in there? Tyler says "Holy, this song sucks. Definitely karaoke singing." Wow, listen to Hubs sounding like Simon there. Hah. Matt has the dorkiest hat on, he must be trying to look like Justin Timberlake. Another shitty falsetto. Talk about trying to sound like Adam and it totally backfiring. Omg, I just typed that and Hubs comes out and says the same thing. I tell ya -- soulmates. Matt has a skinny black tie on. Doesn't he know only Adam can get away with skinny ties? More falsetto. The judges are going to rip him to shreds. Randy thinks the song choice and arrangements were bad choices, but that this bunch is the most talented group AI has had. Kara says he brought disco back, brought the groove. She liked his dancing, the vocals were pretty good. "Was it crazy-original the way that Adam's was? NO." Paula thinks this song was a "strike" (as in bowling) and that he deserved the save they made last week. Are the judges insane?! He SUCKED!! Simon actually didn't like that performance, because he's got to get himself out of "Idol land" and into the real world. In the real world, it came across as desperate, no originality, he's not a huge fan, sorry. Yes! Thank you, Simon. I knew I wasn't crazy.

9:50 - Anoop Desai closes the show after the break. You know, during auditions I really liked Anoop and was sad to see him go during Hollywood week. Then they brought him back after another contestant was kicked off for some nefarious reason or another. But he's let me down. I wonder what he'll sing, not that I really care at this point. I've still got an Adam-high goin' on, but its getting wasted watching these losers.

9:54 - Ryan takes a drink from Paula's Coke cup. Anoop is singing "Dance the Night Away". I think that's what its called. Didn't catch the original artist's name. I like the pink sweater vest but the gray suit is ugly. His dance moves are seriously sucky. And he really needs to shave. That last note was HARSH, totally off-key. Randy says he didn't really love this one, because it was kind of corny, but Anoop can really sing. He thinks it was nice, baby, nice. What, really? Kara liked the beat, like it could actually be on the radio. Uh, what?! What is wrong with these judges. Paula says the stubble makes him look fantastic and that real men know how to wear pink. She says he hit that magical tone in his voice, and he should smile more - "You've got beautiful teeth!" Simon totally disagrees with the judges, it was mediocre at best, a horrible version of that song, genuinely his worst performance ever. Once again, Simon says what we all are thinking. At least, what I am thinking. Ryan comments on Anoop's man-scaped eyebrows. What a thing to say.

9:58 - The recap. Love Lil's earrings, didn't notice them before. Oh, there's the bongos again. Danny's dorky dancing. Allison's hair rocks. Mmmmmm, Adam.... Matt sucks. Anoop is boring.

And there you have it, AI is out (remember when Ryan used to always say that? hah), at least until tomorrow night's result show. Hope you liked my 1st ever Live Blog. I had fun. My fingers hurt like hell from the frantic typing, though.

Here, I found a pic on the message boards. (YES, I went immediately there after the show, I told you I'm an addict. Cut me some slack, I needed to talk about the show with fellow Glamberts, its just like after seeing a movie at the theatre!) This was taken just before the show tonight. Isn't he beautiful? *sigh*

“True genius does not fulfill expectations, true genius shatters it."

(That quote is from Paula to Adam, during judging after his Born to Be Wild performance.)

You know that I'm really doing all these Adam posts for myself, right? So I can get my Adam-fix every day, or whenever the craving comes upon me. Well, I wanted to do a post today to show everyone that I'm not the only one with an obsession. I'm going to give some links to the American Idol message board forums, to a few select threads that I've found to be very eye-opening and touching. (A thread is a topic that a user has created for other fans to reply to, I've created about four threads in the last couple days, lol). To give you an idea of the incredible popularity he has, the other contestants have a few thousand threads on their forums. Adam's number? Well, its going on 100,000+.

It seems that Adam's affect on people is massive and widespread. Everyone from tweens, to teens, to young adults, to middle-agers, even "grannies for Adam" (that's a real group formed on the board) -- all these people of all ages, from all walks of life, have something to say about how he has impacted their lives. And its not just all "he's so hot" like you'd expect (although there are millions of comments like that, of course, just look at the guy). For example, one woman left a comment saying that being able to see the sweet, polite, genuinely good-hearted side of Adam enabled her to look beyond her teenage son's own image of pierced-nose-black-nail-polish-mohawk-hair to the person inside; changing the path of anger, confusion, and shame that she was going down onto one of tolerance, acceptance, and love. It was incredibly touching. I'll try to find that comment and quote it specifically, because my words don't do hers justice. (Okay, so after half an hour of searching, I can't find the comment because first of all, I don't remember the thread title and secondly, new threads are added every second, so even though that particular thread was created yesterday, its probably on page 5 by now.)

The first thread I'm going to link to is titled "Adam obsession: A middle-aged woman's ramblings". So many woman in their 40s-50s-60s replied, it was amazing. But the basic theme to all their posts was that, while they can recognize his sex appeal, the main feeling he has inspired in them is a feeling of excitement similar to what they experienced in their youth, that mad rush of emotion that they felt for the Beatles, Elvis, Freddy Mercury, etc. They know, because they've seen and experienced it before in their youth, that we are seeing something truly spectacular happening here, the rebirth of music and the interpretation and expression of it, the re-emergence of a musical talent that understands the importance of "putting on a show" (ala Freddy Mercury, whom Adam is compared to constantly). For years we have been inundated with artists that are created in the studio, reliant on the vocal-perfector machines (whatever they're called). The music all sounds the same, no one stands out, there's no more Kurt Cobains, David Bowies, Ozzy Osbournes that bring about the creation of new musical genres. We've grown to accept this path that music has taken, away from true talent and showmanship. We are used to these artificial artists that rely on background dancers and lip-synching at their live shows to detract from the fact that how they sound live is nothing like their CDs. Yet here we have a man who can bring everyone up out of their seat, screaming with excitement, dancing up a storm in their livingrooms, dying with anticipation each week to see how he will change his image, what song he will perform and make his own, what emotions he will unlock and inspire in us through his interpretations.

But back to the women on the AI thread... They also feel protective of him, because of his background and the struggle he's gone through, its like a mother would feel knowing her child has been bullied. Its somewhat comforting and reassuring to me to know that I'm not the only one dancing around like a nut, pumping my fists in the air, getting hyper because Adam's onscreen and doing his thing.
"Adam obsession: a middle-aged woman's ramblings"

This next link is to a thread that started by quoting something someone said. The original quote was from an older man, a "grandpa" in his own words, who talked about Adam's emotional journey. It is pretty enlightening, to realize that even though Adam's talent and charisma practically screams at you, its taken him years and years to get this far in his career. Adam mostly did musical theatre and cabaret shows, but still dealt with rejection from industry people saying he wasn't what they were looking for. As a kid growing up, he was teased mercilessly for being the way he is, not so much on the gay/bi issue, but because he's a dramatic, out-there (no pun intended) kind of guy. And a lot of people can't deal with that. So from a young age, he had to learn how to look past that, to ignore his critics and tormentors and just be himself, and to be comfortable in his own skin. And despite all the hardship, he's a genuine person; kind, soft-spoken, polite, open-minded, considerate, and above all, incredibly humble. This is a guy who truly deserves the title of the ultimate American Idol. He's changing the perception of what a man is "supposed" to be.
"A grandpa's assessment of Adam's emotional voyage"

One thread was just a link to an article written by Brad Laidman, who writes for BlogCritics Magazine (here's the article). Its a glowing tribute to Adam and his artistry, and includes a couple awesome YouTube clips. One video clip was of the AI Tracks of My Tears performance, which I hadn't actually watched in full until that article. And by the end of the song, I had tear tracks of my own running down my face. When you watch Adam's other, wilder, performances with the screams, growls, lip-curls, hip-shaking, black nail polish, spiked emo hair, dark eyeliner... its easy to forget that he is also capable of stripping a song down to its bare, emotional, vulnerable core with nothing more than his soft, tender voice. No theatrics, no strutting around the stage, no makeup or jewelry, just a man sitting on a chair singing about the aching loss of love. So watching that video gave a new dimension to the Lambertitis I'm experiencing, made me see him as more than a hunky sex god capable of bringing down the roof with his high notes. He creates an emotional connection to the music that we the viewers experience, through him, as well.

On a lighter note, here is one video from the article that is not only awesome in its truth, but pretty cute and funny.