(43-184) Half Way There

It's SNL Cheerleader time again my friends. "Milestone, milestone, who's got a milestone?"  "IT'S ME!  IT'S ME!!"   YUP!  Believe it or not, I am half way there. With the completion of last night's post "Whatcha Need,"  I have now begun the second half of my ascent towards post # 366; and I for one, just can't believe it.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again; I have NO idea how I'm doing this; but I'm very proud of my commitment and I'm extremely grateful to those of you who are supporting me.

Now, with that being said; let's get on with getting on.  When I first started writing "The Bumpy Ride," I said that I was going to write about a multitude of things - one of them being, reality TV.  It's been a few months since I've tackled this subject; and with the return of "American Idol," I think that now is an opportune time to share my opinion.

When I wrote "100 MORE Random Things About Me," I said "I don't think "American Idol" will be the same without Simon Cowell;" and although I wish he were there;  I have to admit that I've really enjoyed the 3 episodes of "Idol" that I've seen thus far.  I like the chemistry between Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.  And even though I find Steven to be excessively flirtatious; I also think that he's amusing and entertaining in a way that I wouldn't have expected.  I'm impressed with J-LO; (I'm sure she'll be just thrilled to hear that...)  She seems to be very caring, sincere and down to earth; and I think she'll make a great role model for the contestants.  Randy's just Randy; and it appears as though he meshes well with the newbies; so I'm totally looking forward to this season.

Although Luis and I don't frequently watch the same TV shows, we both wanted to watch "American Idol;" and last night, Luis made a very interesting observation.  We were discussing how many people they put through to Hollywood, that never would have made it in previous seasons; because Simon would have said the contestant(s) didn't have "IT;" or because they didn't have the right look.  But this season seems to be a lot more like the first season was; in as much as they're offering chances to people who are less "it" and more different.  People who can sing, but aren't necessarily commercial; and I think that there's a nice symmetry to that.  It's almost as if they're starting all over again and getting back to basics.

If you haven't watched "American Idol" yet this season, let me tell you that there are some really interesting, and  amazing contestants; and barring any interference from that heinous, votefortheworst.com;  I think that this season of "American Idol," may just be its best yet.  Lucky for me, I've got 182 more opportunities to tell you all about it.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-92) BOOBS

When I originally conceived the idea for this post; it was going to be called, Feel Your Boobies; in honor of the annual mammogram that I had today; AND Breast cancer awareness month.  However, the results are now in for the MIX 96.9 fridge art contest; so I chose THIS title as I believe it's applicable to both matters.

I'm sure that you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the sarcasm aimed towards MIX 96.9 means that Lyndzi didn't win the contest; and NO, I'm not a sore loser.  What I AM, as I've mentioned before; is the Queen of FAIRNESS; and as I like things to be fair; when you call something an art contest; I expect the art to really be a factor; and this time it wasn't even a consideration.  The truth of the matter is, that someone could have submitted a stick figure or even just wrote their name; but if their parents, family and friends voted for them enough; the prize could be theirs.  Yes, yes; I know that I've told you this before; and surely someone who didn't know me, might just think that this is sour grapes; but I promise you that this is not the case.  Shall I remind you of the year that Sanjaya was on "American Idol," and how I vehemently complained because the organizers of the "vote for the worst" website were sabotaging "American idol," by telling people to vote for Sanjaya.  This travesty had an adverse effect on "American idol" because it allowed a much less talented individual to remain in the competition longer than others who deserved to be there.  See, I'm always a champion of fairness and justice; this time it just so happens that it involves one of my children, so I'm even more fired up.

The bottom line is... it is what it is; and there is nothing that anyone can do about it; EXCEPT thank those of you who did vote for Lyndzi.  We truly appreciate your effort on her behalf; and so we say, thank you!!

I dreaded having to tell Lyndzi that she didn't win; but sometimes a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.  When she got home from school, I broke the news to her; and even though she's typically not a crier; she cried.  She cried a lot.  And when I asked why she was crying; she said "I really wanted to win."  I pointed out that she was a winner because lots of people had seen her art work, and were very impressed with her; and I reminded her of how many people supported her; and after a while, she stopped crying.
Lyndzi bounced back and asked if we could find some more art contests for her to enter; and I said that we could definitely look into it; but that she could only enter legitimate contests that judge the submission.  Lyndzi agreed; and picked up her pencils and started drawing again.  And to quote Forrest Gump "That's all I got to say about that."

Now before dealing with these boobs today; I had to deal with my own.  I don't even remember how old I was the first time that I had a mammogram; (see, there's that memory thing again....) For some reason I think that I had the first one when I was living in Orlando, which would put me at about 27 or 28 years old; which certainly is young for a mammogram, but given my Mom's history with cancer; it was recommended that I start early.  My mammogram had been normal; thank God, and I continued to have one done annually with equally successful results.
I don't remember my Mom ever going for a mammogram before she was diagnosed with Cancer; and I don't think that this is just my memory going.  Although it's true that I might not have known about every Doctor's appointment that my Mom attended; but my point is; perhaps if she did have a mammogram; they could have detected her cancer earlier.  And so I say to you, FEEL YOUR BOOBIES!  Take care of yourselves.  Don't let fear rule your lives.  Make your regularly scheduled appointments.  Have your physicals, your pap smears (sorry fellas; but tell your wives...) Have your mammograms if you are at the age where you should be doing so and if you have a history of Cancer in your family; start younger.  FEEL YOUR BOOBIES!  Conduct your monthly self breast exams; and make sure that everything feels right.  Remember breast cancer cannot be detected by pain, because usually a cancerous lump doesn't hurt.  So the only way that you'll be able to detect something abnormal is by knowing yourself.
If you've never had a mammogram before; don't be afraid.  It's a fairly quick procedure and trust me, if you've ever had an gynecologist appointment ladies (and you'd better have;) that is far worse.  You'll have to remove your shirt and bra and they'll give you a cover up.    Then they'll take films, one breast at a time.  Typically 4 pictures total.  They'll have to compress your breast so that the tissue spreads out and they can get a clear image; but it only takes a few seconds; just like an x-ray; and if you cooperate, it will be over before you know it.  Helpful hint: in case you've never had a mammogram before; you can't wear deodorant or powder, because it causes shadows on the films. 

OK, so now that I've just run through Mammo 101; let me say that I'm completely relieved to have gotten the dentist, my physical (and all that it entailed;) and my mammogram over and done with.  I got my Physical results yesterday; and I'm delighted to say that all is well.  The mammogram tech said that my films looked good and of course, the radiologist will have to read them ; but I have a feeling that the girls and I are just fine. 

I've always been very good about scheduling and attending my annual check-ups.  Maybe because I'm a rule follower; or perhaps because I learned first hand, how abruptly illness can strike.  With all of the medical advances that have been made since my Mom was first diagnosed and given all of the technology that we have now; there should be no reason that YOUR children should have to lose YOU unexpectedly.
Don't be a BOOB; FEEL YOUR BOOBIES!!
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

In REALITY...

It's been a while since I've written about reality TV, or felt compelled to ~ but with no major mishaps going on in my life this week, no remarkable trials or tribulations; now seems like the perfect time to share my opinions about what's going on In REALITY...

I analogize that when "American Idol" starts a new season, it's like the first day of school. You look forward to it, you're excited for it to begin and then you realize that you have another whole year to face and suddenly it doesn't seem so great. Oh, where do I begin... I'm going to try to be as brief as possible (I said TRY) as there is a lot of ground to cover, even at this early juncture in this season of "AI." First let me say; so Paula left, big deal. I'm sure that Fox could find someone else to play Mrs. nice guy and tell the girls when they look pretty. Yes, yes, I KNOW they already did that, I'm just kinda recapping. So Fox decides to have guest judges go on the road in Paula's place - did I like this idea; NO!! I think one of the good things about Idol is consistency, and having a different judge means people were not JUDGED by the same criteria. For instance, I really enjoyed Victoria Beckham and Shania Twain, but I thought Katy Perry was a monster and Joe Jonas didn't say a word; and not for nothing, but if Doogie Howser sings anything, it's Broadway, so I don't really think that he needed to be there (but then again, I was very disappointed in his behavior on "Top Chef Masters"; so I'm probably still holding that against him.) OK, so for some insane reason, FOX chooses Ellen Degeneres to be the new permanent judge on "AI," and to this I say, just because people might like Ellen, doesn't mean that she should be seen ALL OVER THE PLACE. I liken this to the over exposure of Rachael Ray and Paula Dean. Do what you do ladies, COOK! You don't need talk shows, and magazines and several shows on the food network; and a word of caution to Guy Fieri (who I love) don't travel this road my friend. You already have Triple D (which is another one of my FAVES) and "Guy's Big Bite" and if my eyes are serving me correctly it looks like you're also going to be hosting a game show in addition to some Food Network Challenges. Get wise, Food Network and FOX; just because the American Public likes someone it doesn't mean that we want to see them EVERYWHERE. It's like if you absolutely adored cheesecake and all of a sudden you got to eat a piece EVERY DAY (without gaining weight of course;) after awhile, you'd grow tired of the cheesecake and you wouldn't want it anymore. And in "Bumpy Ride" fashion, this is my way of telling you that I don't think FOX should have cast Ellen as the fourth judge. Just because you LIKE music, doesn't mean you are qualified to judge those who are trying to MAKE music; just like she wasn't qualified to judge dancing on "So You Think You Can Dance" last summer. I mean seriously, should Simon host a talk show, a cooking show and start a magazine? NO, he should not, because he knows that he should keep himself as the commodity that he is on "American Idol," or at least he DID know that until he decided that this would be his last season; and not for nothing; do I think that this decision had something to do with the arrival of Ellen; Yes I do, and would I rather see Simon on Idol than anyone; yes I would. So in a nutshell; I'll give Ellen her chance BUT, I'm not happy about it.

Disenchanted; that's what I am with "American Idol" right now. My friend Lesa G, is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Hollywood gossip and the ins and outs; and she often shares her information with me. Several weeks ago, Lesa told me that Michael Lynche AKA Big Mike had been disqualified from "American Idol" because his dad had told his local newspaper that Michael had made it to the Top 24 and this was a violation of his contract. At the time I hadn't even seen Big Mike yet; but I kept this tidbit in the back of my mind. Michael was a very likable guy with a baby on the way. In fact his wife went into labor when he first got to Hollywood week and he missed the birth of his first child. I kept wondering if they were going to address his discharge or just try to slip someone in on us in his place (which they've done before.) And then when I saw that 16 year old Thaddeus Johnson hadn't been chosen for the Top 24, I thought I had it figured out. They'll replace Michael with Thaddeus and right the wrong of not choosing him in the first place. So my curiosity got the better of me, and I did a little Googling and from what I can tell Michael Lynche has caught himself a lucky break and is remaining in the competition along with some mediocre other guys; who pale in comparison to Thaddeus Johnson.
When I was doing my "AI"research I found that there was an incident with another contestant named Chris Golightly. Chris had made it into the Top 24, but they edited out almost all of his clips from Hollywood week and certainly the clip of him being told he'd made it into the Top 24, because they found that he had a previous record contract; which although not against the rules; he hadn't disclosed and "AI "didn't like this, so they let him go; EVEN THOUGH he didn't break his contract. But Michael Lynche who actually did break his contract is still there. HMMM! With the removal of Chris Golightly, another guy spot was now open on Idol, so this would have been a great time to recall Thaddeus Johnson,(left) but instead they chose Tim Urban; (right) a guy we had rarely seen before. So what's one to do; but create their own conspiracy theory, just as I have. My thinking, is that "American Idol" picks one to three contestants that they WANT to win the show, and everyone else is just varying degrees of fillers. They pick some people who they believe will get eliminated early on from the Top 24 (ie: Tatiana the crazy, crying, laughing girl from last year) and others who they believe will last a couple of weeks or so in the Top 12, but they know from the get go; who THEY want to win; and maybe this just wasn't Thaddeus' year because they believe he can go further another year when he just might be the One, TWO or THREE that they WANT to win. Will Thaddeus buy my theory; probably not, because he's 16 and he wanted this NOW, but will you buy my theory? I'm not implying that the show is FIXED; I'm just justifying their choices for the mediocre guys, so that it makes some sort of sense to me when I'm complaining over the next few weeks about how lousy the guys are. Remember Sanjaya??? FILLER!!
And so much for TRYING to be brief. Now, I know what you're thinking; "If you're disenchanted, don't watch." And you're right, but just because something isn't perfect one moment doesn't mean it can't change; and I'm curious enough to stick with it at least for a while longer, because there are some really good, talented girls. My prediction A GIRL WILL WIN IT THIS YEAR!

Now, believe it or not, with my busy schedule I don't really have a lot of time for TV, though I certainly could convince you otherwise I'm sure. But I DVR everything, and I watch while I'm loading / unloading the dishwasher or cooking dinner or folding laundry and then yah, I do try to allow myself a good hour to relax; and during my relaxation time the other night, I stumbled across a show that is so DIVINE, I am absolutely tickled PINK...
"RuPaul's Drag Race "season 2; just may be my new favorite show; right after "GLEE." I don't think that there's anyone who doesn't know who RuPaul is, but just in case you need a refresher, he /she is the 6'4" GLAMAZON who had the hit song "Supermodel" (You'd better work) in the 90's. She had a talk show on VH1, has done several guest spots in movies and was signed as the first covergirl for MAC cosmetics; making him the first drag queen supermodel. In short; I think that RuPaul is the most glamorous woman in show business. I love her ballsy (pardon the pun) sense of humor and her commanding personality, Oh, yes from one Queen to another, I think she is the hands down WINNER; and now she has a show on LOGO, that can also be seen on VH1. RuPaul's Drag Rce is a competition for drag queens. They typically have one challenge that they compete in as men and another where they have to get all suited up as their alter ego,drag queen personas; then finally, they do a runway competition which concludes with 2 of the contestants having to lip sync for their lives. Oh my God, can you say DELICIOUS!!! This show is nothing short of entertaining. It has the drama that only a room full of queens can bring, outrageous hair and makeup; and did I mention that the ladies MAKE most of their own costumes - move over "Project Runway." This show is da bomb babies; and I give kudos to Rupaul for keeping it real and always being true to herself. Truth be told, I spent way to long trying to find the perfect picture of RuPaul and I honestly although I've included a couple, I didn't find any that I thought did her justice; so just check out her show for yourself, and there will be no disputing my claim.

And while on the topic of "REALITY TV" I have to mention that I did in fact fall pray to MTV's "Jersey Shore." It was one of the umteen days that they were having a marathon, and yes indeedy I got sucked right in. I DVR'D it and i'll admit, was fascinated by the utter stupidity and classlessness of those that thought they were "IT!" To say that I feel sorry for their parents is an understatement, and to say that I just dated myself, may just prove that I had no business watching this show; but honestly I don't care, and i'll be sitting front and center for season 2, cause mindless entertainment can be a VERY good thing in these troubled times. If you haven't caught it; do I recommend it? Probably not. Go find RuPaul's show instead. But if you have seen it and are a fan of the "GTL", "Snookie," or "The Situation;" you'll know EXACTLY what I'm talking about; so go beat up the beat...

Lastly, I will mention the upcoming "Dancing With The Stars," as if I haven't gone on enough already...

Per Lesa, co-host Samantha Harris has left the show; and that's OK by me. Tom Bergeron is the best host ever and it won't realy matter who his co-host is; but in my opinion it should be Kelly Osborne, who was so extraordinarily entertaining and endearing last season. Got that ABC? I hear (per Lesa) that they are considering Brooke Burke and Melissa Rycroft and though either of them would be fine; I'd like to see them go with someone less predictable and more alive; so Kelly gets my vote; as if I have one...

And with that; I think i'll draw this commentary to a conclusion. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on any or all of the show's that I've mentioned; especially if i've turned you on to something new. I hope that you all keep it REAL, and find some time to enjoy yourselves.
Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Reflections

The past few days I've found myself doing a lot of reflecting. Maybe it was because of Mother's Day, or because Kelsie is graduating from pre-school tonight, or because Nicky and Lyndzi will have completed another school year next Thursday, or because my first born is turning 10 on Saturday. Maybe it's because no one has been majorly sick this week so I had some time to change my focus; or maybe it's because both "American Idol" and "Dancing With The Stars" are coming to an end next week. Well, regardless of the reason; you know what this means... I have A LOT on my mind.

It seems that I am constantly replaying moments in my mind (and yes, I'm sure that there is some psychological diagnosis for this;) but for the sake of this ride; I'm going to work backwards (now there's a twist.) For instance, I'm wondering when exactly Sanjaya (American Idol Season 6) became a celebrity. AND, we know that he IS a "celebrity " because he's going to be on the next season of "I'm a celebrity...Get me out of here" along with reality show whore, Steven Baldwin. Now don't get me wrong; I actually enjoy Steven Baldwin (on reality shows, ) I just think it's fascinating that someone who has already worked as an actor, would now be spending most of his career over the past few years, appearing on reality shows. By my count he's done "The Celebrity Mole "- twice, "The Celebrity Apprentice" and now just in case we forgot that he's a celebrity, he'll be appearing with other big celebs; (like Sanjaya) in "I'm a Celebrity...Get me out of here."
Now typically I write about both "American Idol" and "Dancing With The Stars" in a timely fashion; however, this season I have completely dropped the ball. If you're following Idol, my commentary is well overdue but I do want to go on record saying how much I have absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Danny Gokey. I am SO sorry that he did not make it to the final 2; but I have no doubt that we will be hearing from him again and that he will outsell Reuben, Fantasia and Taylor Hicks combined. Trust me, Chris Daughtry is no worse the wear for not making it to the final 2 and neither will be Danny Gokey. Now, why Gokey you may ask... It could be because I think he looks like Robert Downey jr.(and ya know how I LOVE him;) but I really believe that it's because his singing moves me. His voice tells a story (not only the words.) And, unlike Adam Lambert; the man can REALLY sing! Now all you Lambert fans; don't get all mad at me. I'm NOT putting Adam down, it's just that he doesn't always SING the song. He has the ability to hit those REALLY high notes and when he does, sometimes it sounds (to me) more like shrieking than singing while Danny is a PURE singer. Adam is a performer through and through. I think he puts on a great show which is why I think he is primed for the revival of "The Rocky Horror picture Show" ~ and I'm sure that he can even provide his own costume ~ wink wink; I mean did ya see the boy STRUT down that staircase; that's just quintessential Frank N Furter. And in the inimitable words of Forrest Gump "that's all I gotta say about that."
As for "Dancing With The Stars" this season I have been absolutely wowed by Gilles; and although this probably sounds like an odd thing to say; I prefer him with his clothes on. For those of you who don't know, Gilles Marini came on the scene in the "Sex and the City" movie when he played Samantha's naked, neighbor. As a matter of fact, he was so NOT famous that when "DWTS" was announcing who he was, they pretty much said "naked guy from Sex and the City movie;" which is why I am SO glad to see him doing so well. He is a FABULOUS dancer and it seems to me that people are voting for him because of his dancing and not because of his popularity because even he has admitted that coming into the show he had a small fan base. The opposite may be said for Ty Murray who though he tried so VERY, VERY hard his technique wasn't there, but his fans votes were; and he was able to knock out the extremely entertaining Lil Kim. I must say I was really sad to see her go, because I had really high hopes for her freestyle; but alas Cheryl Burke IS the Queen of The Freestyle in my opinion, so I'm sure that Monday's finale will be all that and a bag o chips. And while on the subject of "DWTS" I also want to say how much I LOVE seeing some of the dancers, from "So you think you can dance" now appearing as pros on "DWTS." Lacey, Chelsea and Dimitri all hale from SYTYCD; and my boss has actually said "Maybe they should rename the show "So you think you can dance with the stars" ~ which gave me a chuckle.

Now believe me when I tell you that it takes longer to read and type these things then it really takes me to think about them, and there really are more important thoughts going on in my mind; but before we get to that, and since I rarely cover TV anymore; let me just make a few more comments that I feel are worth sharing.

First I want to say KUDOS to Joan Friggin Rivers. I am ecstatic that she has won the "Celebrity Apprentice" and though some of you may think that ecstatic is a really strong word to describe ones feelings over a reality show, I have to tell you that it is so much more than that. It was the battle between good and evil and GOOD won out. Joan Rivers proved herself to be a force to be reckoned with and gained the respect that she is so deserving of. Her work ethic, professionalism and compassion were all exemplary. Did she verbally attack Annie Duke; you betcha but she did so because she thought that Annie was two faced and sneaky and she told her what she thought right to her face; unlike Annie who let the cameras hear her thoughts about Joan (like, I hope she dies) but didn't say anything to her face. Joan worked hard no matter the task. She was a GREAT role model, a leader and a humanitarian (I mean WAS on the show, not like WAS as in she's dead;) and I hope that the American public has gained a new found respect for her. Oh sure, I like most thought that she was obnoxious to say the least on the red carpet, but ya' know what, I see now that it was all just a part of her act. What you saw on the "Celebrity Apprentice" was the real deal; and I am ECSTATIC for her and her charity.

Now, though it may sound as if I watch A LOT of TV the truth is I DVR a lot of TV and try to fit shows in while I'm cooking, doing the laundry, paying bills etc, etc, which is why I STILL have a month and a half worth of "General Hospital" to catch up on. Nonetheless, of all the shows I DVR ,there are 2 other than GH that are NOT reality shows; and those are "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy." I don't really have anything to say about "UB" I've just been enjoying it for the good, clean fun that it is. But "Grey's" now that's a different story. I smell an Emmy or 2, people. The story lines have just been brilliant. And Katherine Heigl has been spectacular. The show makes me cry and emotes feelings that a typical TV show does not. I know that the finale is going to be a real tear jerker, and although I don't enjoy crying over shows and movies; I know that I will be all the better for watching it. I know that it will reinforce the fact that we need to live each day as if it were our last and live with no regrets; which is what REFLECTION can help us to do; and what it did for me; on Mother's day.

This Mother's day was truly significant for me, because although I fully acknowledged my own Mom and remembered the magnificent woman that she was; I was finally able to allow this day to be more about what I have than what I have not. I was able to appreciate the gifts of my family and how very lucky I am to have each one of them. I cared not, where we had breakfast, lunch or dinner or that no flowers were involved; I just felt honored to be the Mom that Luis, Nicky, Lyndzi and Keslie bestow their love upon. I felt blessed that they recognized all that I do for them and that they wanted to celebrate that and honor me. I remembered why I wanted to become a Mom and what my goals are for raising my children; and when the day was done I felt TRULY satisfied and EXTREMELY proud.

As a Mom it is bittersweet to watch your children grow. Every time I drop Nicky and Lyndzi off at school I marvel at the independent people that they are becoming. Although they are my babies, they are no longer babies; but capable children who can make their own way when they need to. And now tonight, my baby, my Kelsie will graduate from pre-school and begin a new path. She is going to sing "You Light Up my Life, and I have no doubt that I will be moved to tears; just as I was when she sang "What a Wonderful World" last year; in her tiny, sweet voice. Oh yes, Kelsie is my biggest challenge thus far; but I could not imagine my life without her; and I am certain that she is going to do great things in her lifetime.

Now if my mind wasn't reeling enough from all that I have been contemplating, My Nicky will be turning 10 on May 16th and THAT is just mind boggling to me. Nicky, my first born, my only boy, my protector, my sidekick; is going to be 10. Boy does time fly. It seems like just yesterday that I was giving birth to him; and I love to sit back and remember EVERY moment of it. I remember feeling each contraction and saying to myself "I'm one step closer to seeing Nicky, I'm one step closer to seeing Nicky;" and when I did see Nicky; I cried tears of joy as I do EVERY time I relive that moment in my mind. I don't write about Nicky as much as I write about the girls because quite honestly; he's just not that funny. I mean he has his moments; but given that I'm prone to writing about the ridiculous and he is the most complacent, low key guy; he doesn't typically provide me with a lot of material; unless I want to brag about his straight A's or his humongous heart. Nicky has compassion like I have NEVER seen. He has been able to demonstrate empathy since he was only a few years old; and he is wise beyond his years. Nicky has memorized almost every episode of "The Amazing Race" and dreams of going on it one day - hopefully with me. He has a BEAUTIFUL singing voice and can easily get a perfect score on Karaoke Revolution without really trying; and oddly enough he will sing in front of anyone who will listen. Nicky tells people that I am a great blog writer; which is just the icing on my cake. One might say that Nicky is painstakingly shy, and often times awkward but the boy has HEART and to me that is MOST important. He did give me a laugh today today though when I picked him up from school and he informed me that HE; is the King of Solitaire. Wonder where he got that expression from?

When I reflect on my 10 precious years with Nicky, I relish EVERY moment that he has been on this earth and I feel so fortunate that he is my son. And just when you thought I couldn't possibly have anything more to reflect upon; my cup has runneth over. Summer is upon us here in AZ. School gets out next Thursday, and I cannot wait. I love having them home; and spending time together. I love taking them to swim team practice and watching them compete. I love our freedom and flexibility and the endless possibilities of what we might do. And although I want everything to go VERY slowly, so we can savor every minute; I also look forward to all the times ahead, when I'll be able to reflect back on all that we've done.
Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

What the faux

Disclaimer: I wish that I could say I was the clever one who came up with this title; but unfortunately for me, all the credit has to go to none other than Lesa G; who emailed her comments to me under that title, before I had the chance to blog. Girlfriend, you are just TOO FUNNY!!

So I was at work tonight and I got a call from Big V (who lives in NY;) and all she said was "I expect a blog about Sangria's hair tomorrow." She didn't want to give me any information about the hair or the show, since it would be hours until I would get to see it; but of course my curiosity was peaked.
So as not to disappoint Big V; here we go...
Now do I really have to say it? I'm not thinking that it needs to be said because you know that you are all thinking the same thing as me, but OK, I'll say it, "What the faux??" First off, does this fool, (and by fool you all know I mean Sangria) have any clue that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is making fun of him? Who in his/her? right mind would come out with their hair like that, and then be SO smug as to tell Simon "You're just mad because you can't pull it off..." Yah right Sangria, I'm sure Midas Cowell is sitting at home tonight, sobbing in his champagne because he can't pull off the pony hawk or faux hawk, or whatever you want to call it. I'm CERTAIN that he is at home right now, reproaching himself for missing his opportunity to wear such a 'do' and "make a complete ass of himself!! " I must wonder though how many jr. high or high school kids are gonna try and pull this off now?? I bet Simon will be "mad" at them too. LOL
OK Sangria let's talk about your singing? now. OY! It was like watching a train wreck. You saw the train coming and you knew it was going to happen and there was nothing you could do to prevent it, and now in the aftermath you know that we are all helpless; thanks to the losers at VFTW - you morons! I mean could Sangria at least have tried to sing; to compete? I think he's just getting a little too cocky about being lousy. Now how's that for mediocre?? Or maybe it's not mediocre, maybe he's an insane genius who's trying really hard to be lousy. Umm, nope, I think I'd have to go with, he's just lousy; which is even less than mediocre.
Simon pretty much summed it up when he said "it's out of our hands." At this point you've just gotta know that Howard Stern & VFTW are just travelling full steam ahead; and sad to say but I'd be shocked (though delighted,) if Sangria did get voted out tomorrow.

So while I'm on the subject of drag queens ... Am I the only one who noticed that Phil Stacey had an INCREDIBLE amount of make up on? And with that hat, I thought I was looking at one of the guys from La Cage after the show. (You know leaving in their guy clothes but still with their make up on.) I mean I love drag queens as much as the next person, maybe more. I'm a huge Too Wong foo fan and I loved Connie and Carla; and since most of you probably have no clue what either of those are, you can probably take my word that I love drag queens more than the next person; yet, I was just surprised to see one on idol, and in guy clothes. At least give us the whole show and put on one of those FABULOUS dresses that drag queens always seem to have.

On a positive note. I love me some Gwen Stefani. I thought she was the most honest guest we've EVER seen. You go Gwen! I thought Gina brought her A game back; and being the 70's dance music QUEEN, I've always LOVED "Heaven knows;" and I LOVED how Melinda sang it; I just don't LOVE to look at her so much... She looks a little peculiar to me and I can't quite put my finger on it; though tonight I couldn't tell if what she was wearing under her boobs/waist was supposed to be a belt or a bra?? I didn't hate the whole outfit, like Simon did; I just didn't like the belt/bra? The judges raved about Lakeisha but I didn't think that she brought it tonight; BUT, Jordin did. I loved the song, I loved the outfit even though it wasn't the most flattering, and my husband thinks that her earrings were SO big, to make her face look smaller. HAHA

My bottom 3: Sangria of course, Haley (because I don't have a good reason not to want her in the bottom 3) and Chris Sligh. I LOVED that the judges ripped him a new one. You have to know that he got those awful comments as a punishment for his shout outs to Dave last week. HAHA Chris, now who's feeling the worst??
Let's keep our fingers crossed that America did the right thing this week.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

Enough Already

OK, I AM MAD!! I AM MAD because we have to put up with Sangria for another week, I AM MAD because of the morons at votefortheworst.com, I AM MAD at Howard Stern, I AM MAD because I don't just wanna be the American Idol Blog Queen - I have so much more to write about than American Idol; yet I'm so infuriated by all that's going on with AI right now, and everyone wants to talk about it, so I feel I must blog on...

So here's the deal: There are a bunch of killjoys out there that follow a website called votefortheworst.com AND as if the website wasn't enough on its own; Howard Stern has been encouraging his disciples to vote for Sangria in order to keep the worst in the competition.
Obviously these 2 forces are very successful because last night, Sangria wasn't even in his rightful place in the bottom 3. Or I guess I should say bottom 2 because they didn't mention a bottom 3. So now 2 people who can sing circles around Sangria were in the bottom 2 and one of them went home. This is just CRAP!!
OK - I'll admit that for the past 2 shows Stephanie Edwards (the girl who left last night;) had not brought her A game - but truth be told, her E game was better than Sangria ANY DAY; and don't even get me started on Chris Robinson. Chris is AWESOME, he's got a great sound and I even put him in my top 3; so this is just BULL.

Sangria is now in the top 10 which is a frikkin joke. Any person with an ounce of self respect would just remove themselves from the competition at this point. I mean basically they are voting William Hung into the top 10. Remember that guy? Yah, well Sangria is getting recognition for being bad; just like William Hung. Now William, he didn't care; he had his 15 plus minutes of fame and even made a record, BUT doesn't Sangria realize that people are only voting for him because he is "the worst," how awful. I actually feel a little bad for the guy, girl?, guy - whatever he/she is. BUT I feel worse for us, having to endure him.

AND while I'm on the subject - I think Chris Sligh should be removed from the competition for giving a shout out to Dave - The guy who runs VFTW.com What the heck is he doing? In case you don't know what I'm talking about; during his few minutes w/ Ryan -( yes the same few minutes where Ryan made the hand job sign,) Chris said "Hey Dave" twice and he WAS referring to Dave from VFTW.com I am positive of this because I checked out this travesty of a website and sure enough "Dave" mentions Chris Sligh and his shout out and goes on to say that since Chris is such a big fan of VFTW, once Sangria is gone; he's going to tell people to vote for Chris - and here's some food for thought: on the VFTW website there is a picture of one of the idol's holding a VFTW t-shirt. Guess which one? Can you say Soul patrol? That's right - Taylor Hicks. I'm just disgusted!!
So I say, kick off Sligh and bring back AJ (Yes, I'm still hoping for that;) and of course get rid of Sangria once and for all. I say, if you don't like the show, don't watch the show, but don't ruin it for everyone else by keeping in this guy/girl who has no right to be there - enough is enough already.
I think it may just be time for the Queen of EVERYTHNG to take a road trip over to VFTW and express my dissatisfaction all over their page. I'll let you know if I go.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

Hot Topic

OK - It is late. Very late for me and I am sleepy- but as I am the Queen of Competitive (well sometimes;) I have to get this blog in before EVERYONE and their mother starts making their comments about Idol, because you know I want the credit for this one - yup you heard it, or read it here first...
What the hell is Ryan Seacrest thinking? If you are a little gentile, that's gen-teel not gentile (for my Jewish friends,) anyway if you are a little gentile, skip this part.
WHY oh WHY would Ryan make the signal for a hand job, on national TV? In case you missed it or I'm the only perv in the bunch; it went a little something like this. Chris Sligh had sang his way through the audience and then he had a little mic stand action on stage. Now very faintly Paula had made a comment about Simon trying to take the mic stand away from Chris (or something to that effect;) and then when Ryan was talking to Chris on stage, he made some reference to Simon trying to take the mic stand AND while he was making this verbal reference, (I kid you not,) he made the motion of a hand job (in reference to taking the mic I'm sure, but - OMG!!) Go check your Tivo's or rewind your tapes, or better yet just turn on E, the View, or the news because I GUARANTEE you that they will ALL be talking about it.

So let's move on from hand jobs to blow jobs - and by blow I mean those that blew, that absolutely sucked - say it with me now "Sangria, I just met a girl? named Sangria..."
Sangria attempted to rock, with "Girl you really got me down," and although Randy and Paula thought it was his best performance to date - is that really saying much? Once again Lesa said it best "Sangria really "had me going" allright........ straight to the liquor cabinet with a quick stop by the knife rack . Oh my Lord he is SO SO SO SO SO Brutal. " HAHAHA - Good one Lese.

Big news here - Sangria did actually admit that he is NOT the best singer in the competition. Yay! for a moment of clarity. What do you think his first clue was? (To the tune of won't you come home Bill Bailey) "Won't you go home Sangria, won't you go home..."

So here are my bottom 3 this week: Sangria (of course,) Phil ( I fast forwarded through his performance) and Gina ( She was lousy) She was more concerned with getting the hair out of her face then performing her song.

Actually, I gotta say almost the entire show bored me to tears. It was a major snoozefest. I fast forwarded through most of the performances including Lakeisha's and Melinda's tonight. I mean yah, we all know they can sing; but their song choices were just hideous. I don't know, call me crazy but when Lulu told Lakeisha "I think the other song is a far better choice and you can really deliever it;" and then she chose to go with that dreadful Diamonds song, I think that was just downright stupid. I'd almost vote against her just for being such an idiot.
Hmmm, maybe I should write up some suggestions for song choices and ask my brother to go "trollin the pier" for the idols. LOL

My top 3 this week: Jordin, Blake; and I guess Chris Richardson, though I could have just as easily left it at a top 2.

All I can say is Thank God for Dancing with the Stars. My Maks is back and he's got a partner with two real legs and a little rhythm, so he stands a chance of staying in for a few weeks. Oh that makes me a HAPPY Queen.

Of course I have to mention that once again on Amazing Race, Charla and Mirna donned their accents in lieu of the 5 languages they supposedly speak. While trying to sell manicures in Mozambique they put on some kinda unrecognizable accent when trying to convince the locals to let them polish their nails for money. (I know, I know, if you've never seen the show, that little description would certainly not inspire you to tune in - but you gotta trust me on this one - It's Goood.) Anyway, Charla and Mirna actually came in first this week. I was shocked, and a little nauseated, but it's only TV.

Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

Reality Bytes

Now you have to know that I had a thing or two to say about American Idol this week; but I was afraid that I had missed the boat since the results were already announced. Then I gave it some more thought, (because I am the Queen of Thinking things over - can you say obsessive??) and finally decided; what the heck - criticism is criticism and should be shared regardless. LOL

So where shall I begin? I know I'll start at the bottom and work my way up.
So what kinda idiot is Brandon? First of all, Brandon said "I'm gonna sing Can't hurry love, because I grew up on that song." So then what happens; well amongst other things, the moron forgot the words. He grew up on the song; yet he forgot the words. Way to go, and go he did; right off the show.
Simon was on the money (as usual) when he told Brandon that he sounded like a back up singer's back up singer. I don't even think he sounded good enough to be a back up singer unless maybe he's gonna be a back up singer for Sangria.

(To the tune "Maria" from West Side Story) "Sangria, I just met a girl named Sangria." HAHAHA- oh I just kill myself. OK, so once again, Lesa was "dead on balls accurate." to quote Marissa Tomei from My cousin Vinnie (there ya go, Michelle K) She told me last night "I was sure that Sangria was going to sing I'm coming out;" OMG good one Lese, but I think it was actually Ryan's night to come out.
For those of you who don't know what I'm referring to, it went a little something like this: Melinda was saying that it was difficult for her to wear high heels and dresses. Ryan then throws it to Simon to make a comment about high heels (since Simon is such a fashion critic these days,) and Simon says "You should know Ryan;" and Ryan says "Stay out of my closet;" to which Simon replies "Come out." OK so to all of this I say, (not that it matters AT ALL;) but what heterosexual man would reply "stay out of my closet" when the subject of high heels comes up? AND I'm only talking about it because of the whole Sangria coming out thing. Anyway back to Sangria.

I thought that Sangria was trying to do a Diana Ross impersonation. Lesa thinks Sangria wants to be Michael Jackson, and everyone knows that MJ wants to be Diana Ross, so bottom line is Sangria was trying to be MJ being Diana Ross. Aagghh!! Too, Too much. You know you have to be REALLY bad when "in a singing competition," the only positive comment you get is about your hair - and while we're on the subject, what the heck was with that hair. Oh my gosh, I thought it was awful.
The only other thing I want to say about Idol before moving on is that I thought Lakeisha and Melinda blew Diana away. I was waiting for the judges to tell Diana that she was shouting. "Not your best performance dawg," is what Randy shoulda said.

So since I don't want this blog to be all about Idol; I'll move on.
Let's talk Amazing Race... (Here ya go Big V- I told you the time would come.) For those of you trying to keep up on my cast of characters, Big V is my treasured friend Ruthie; oh, excuse me, Ruth. Though from here on out she will only be referred to as Big V (my kids even call her Auntie V; they have no idea why or that her name is anything else; but the Big V is a story for yet another time)
OK, so in case I haven't said it before, I LOVE the Amazing Race; it's my FAVORITE Reality show; and since I'm such a fan of the all-star type event (I mean I was a huge Battle of the Network Stars fan - back in the day; and YOU know when the day was.) Anyway, I like Rob and Amber, well Rob anyway. He amuses me but now they're gone "and that's all I have to say about that;" to quote Forrest Gump. Hmm, big quotation blog for me. I feel a theme within a theme emerging...
My other FAVORITE team on the ARAS (Amazing Race All Stars) is Team Cha Cha Cha - Danny and Oswald. I LOVE them; I think they are GREAT and I'm so glad that they're doing well. I hope they kick every one's butts. And speaking of butts, let me now get on to Charla and Mirna.
So, first off, for anyone who doesn't know, Charla is a little person and she runs the race with her cousin Mirna, and these two are probably the most dislike duo in AR history. As much as people don't like having Rob and Amber in a competition, they dislike Charla and Mirna even more. Reason: they are whiny and annoying and quite honestly, though I've never watched it before I'm waiting for the "celebrity" boxing match between Charla and Mirna once Charla watches the show back and sees how Mirna was tooting her own horn and claiming that she has to work harder than anyone else in the race to make up for Charla's umm shortcomings -( haha that was my summation, she didn't use that word;) anyway she was doggin her and criticizing her like there was no tomorrow. EEWWWW Charla's gonna be MAAAADD and rightly so.
Now here's another tidbit about Charla and Mirna. Mirna, who is an attorney; claims to speak 5 languages - and I just have to say, Mirna, "accents and languages are NOT the same thing." OMG - Mirna will get in a taxi and put on what she thinks is a Spanish accent or a mid-eastern accent and try to tell the cab drivers to go or give them instructions. It's so flippin funny. I mean I think once I heard her speak another language, though I don't know what it was; but usually she just tries to feign an accent. So again I say "accent and language - not the same thing."
Here's another example of how hated these two are. In the last episode there was a road block (a task that only one team member may perform ) hmm, I just sounded like Phil (the host) there for a minute. Anyway, the roadblock was to go into this tiny one room post office and sort through the mailbags until you find the letter that has your team's names on it. Now first I have to say Mirna "you are an Ass!" why the heck would you choose to do this roadblock, when Charla had NO limitations on this one that would have hindered her performance. Little people can sort mail just fine, where hmm I don't know she seems to have a more difficult time w/ physical challenges; but you're right Mirna, you should sort the mail. That great reasoning probably comes in handy being a lawyer and all. (I should say for those of you who don't watch the show and just think I'm nuts at this point. Teams have to divide the road blocks, so they must take turns, and you obviously never know what's gonna come up, so If Mirna wasted a challenge like this and is kept from another road block which is more physical - "BIG Mistake, HUGE " To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
Boy am I getting sidetracked today or what? A particularly BUMPY RIDE. OK, so Charla and Mirna - now; once they find the letter they have to open it and read it and they discover that the letter is from one of the teams that they competed against in their original race. Most people received nice encouraging letters, team Guido received a funny letter and Rob and Amber's was well; not so nice. But Charla and Mirna: Charla and Mirna receive a letter from Marshall and lance; two brothers who HATED them; (and by the way , I hated Marshall and Lance, I thought they were a couple of schmucks! They were in another country trying to get directions and they were complaining that the people didn't speak English. See like I said schmucks! "It's their country numnuts; they don't have to speak ENGLISH"- unless it was England which it wasn't.) Anyway, Marshall and Lance wrote this nasty letter to Charla and Mirna talking about how Mirna is supposed to speak 5 languages and she doesn't even speak English. (I see a theme here for those brothers) But you get the point. Were Marshall and Lance the only people that they could get to write to Charla and Mirna? Are they that hated? Probably. I actually felt bad for them, because they had to read the letter out loud, and I don't think that was very nice of the producers - but oh well; they just don't ask my opinion, so what can I do.

Lastly, since I'm talkin "REALITY;" I would like to mention that Monday is the return of Dancing with the Stars. My husband and I saw the commercial last night and I couldn't have been more excited;. even he knew why... (sing with me) "My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble, hay na, hay na - yum, yum, Maks!!" (I just threw that part in) Woohoo, may my fantasies begin... Maks is back and I am a happy Queen. Queen of naughty thoughts about a 26 year old guy; I should be ashamed of myself; but he's just TOO beautiful and it's just TOO much fun!! OK, I'm lost in the Maks zone now that I'm thinking about him, so I'd better go.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

American Idol?

Tonight I am the Queen of Discontentment... I mean, what the heck is going on with American Idol? How many times do Randy, Paula and Simon need to remind everyone that it's a singing competition? I think my friend Lesa summed it up the best, (when I called her right after the show and she answered the phone with) "Are you freakin kidding me?" My sentiments exactly. OK, so let me be more clear...

First of all, Antonella and Jared definitely needed to go; and they did - but Hayley over Sabrina, and Sangria over Sundance? C'mon - who is voting for these jokers? (I know his name isn't really Sangria, but I couldn't even begin to spell it and I'm hoping that he's not gonna be around long enough for me to have to learn.) Once again, I think my friend Lesa put it best, when Sangria and Antonella got to stay on last week; she said "Plllease, my cat sings better than them." Well I say - next year Lesa, bring your cat to the auditions, and when Simon asks you why in the world you've brought your cat? (Now you have to have read that to yourself with an English accent. LOL) You can just tell him, "well, last year you put Sangria and Antonella through and my cat sings better than them; so I thought... why not?"
And while I'm on the subject of Antonella - Why was it OK to kick Frenchie (a real contender) out of season 2 for posing in some lingerie on the Internet and this girl gets to stay in? Hmm, maybe if Frenchie wasn't a big girl, things would have been different. I say No fair!!

Hayley seems like a nice girl but her voice just doesn't compare to Melinda, Lakeisha, Stephanie and yes, Sabrina. Gina is good for a white girl, but she really can't compete with the likes of the aforementioned. Now Jordin; I like me some Jordin, and she deserves to be right where she is, I just don't think she'll be in it for the long haul.

Now let's get back to the guys. Blake, Chris and Chris - I like em' but I don't think any of the em are the next Idol. I think Brandon needs to go back to being a back up singer and I even would have put Sundance in before him.
I guess I shouldn't complain, because I didn't vote on Tuesday night- but that was because I felt scorned from last week when America let AJ go. I LIKED AJ!! I thought he was GREAT.
He was FUN, he was Different, he was GAY. (Oops, did I say that?) Well, what the heck, like Sangria's not? To quote Seinfeld, "Not that there's anything wrong with that." Hell, some of my VERY best friends are gay - so we know I'm not being um, what's the word - well, you know what I mean. (Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that. LOL) But some of our most dynamic, exciting, incredible performers are gay. Look at Elton, and Melissa, and Boy George; OK maybe not Boy George, but back in the day, boy? was GOOD.
Anyway, AJ rocked and I really enjoyed him. I kept hoping that someone would get arrested or turn up naked on a website so that Idol could bring AJ back; but so far that just hasn't happened. =0( OK - so to the point, I didn't vote; so I guess I have no right to complain that Sangria and Hayley are in and Sundance and Sabrina are out.

Now, I did vote for a girl- and it was Jordin. Mostly because I was watching it on tape and she was the first one and I like her; so I voted like 8 times; but when you're talking about millions of votes - what's 8 really? Not enough to keep AJ; I'll tell ya that.

OK, so the judges cautioned you America; "singing contest, singing contest." What does everyone want to see Sangria do so badly, that they keep putting him through? Now Hayley, yeah, she can sing. I'll just say it though - not like the sistahs!! It is Lakeisha and Melinda's contest to lose. And furthermore; I want to say that this nonsense about putting in 6 guys and 6 girls is rubbish. I say go back to season 1 and put in whoever is THE BEST; and if it's all girls, so be it, or just 3 guys, well OK. I just don't think it's fair that someone would lose their shot because of a quota, when this is supposed to be a "singing competition."

Now of the 3 judges Simon is my favorite - probably because he tells it like it is (hmm, now who does that sound like? No wonder I like him. =0) Anyway, Simon made a good point a few weeks ago when Antonella brought up the fact that he didn't like Jennifer Hudson. Simon said "we put her through, but America didn't pick her;" and he was right. I was not a Jen fan when she was on idol. In fact, I couldn't wait for her to leave; but as Effie, she was on the money (though she's lucky Lakeisha didn't audition for that part.) Will she ever act again, (Jen) my money says not likely, and if so, it's definitely not gonna be Oscar worthy. I could be wrong, but I think she is a one trick pony. But back to the original point - it's America's choice.

Now the judges want to get all down on us for putting these numnuts through; but they are the ones who put them in the top 24 to begin with. C'mon, they had to have had some hint before the live shows, that some of them weren't gonna cut it- but huh, there you go, maybe some of them were there to make the others look better, make better TV and who would have thought that America would have put the wrong ones through? No, not America... Anyone remember the Bush/Gore election? Need I say more?

OK, I have probably spent way too much time ranting about this. I've got kids to put to sleep and laundry to fold; not to mention I have to be up at 415 for work. So right about now I'm just the Queen of Wishful thinking, and hopefully America will get on the ball and listen to Simon. C'mon America - Just say NO...To Sangria!!
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING