Tuesday, May 26, 2009

American Idol Finale: Season 9! I was so NOT there... Oh wait. YES I WAS!!!

So, I am still counting today as a Monday... and SOOOOOO:


Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Now, I shall begin to tell about my amazing week... *sigh* I can say that I HAVE been very blessed in so many fun ways! So, let's no prolong the fun stories any longer...

I so did NOT get American Idol Finale tickets for the Tuesday show last Monday night and nine hours later hop on a plane to LA. I did NOT rent a car, buy a plane ticket, call/find a friend to stay with, and pack a suitcase in an an hour and half time limit so as to get enough sleep for the following day. Then when I went to bed, I did NOT spend the whole night waking up with bubbling excitement anyway! Haha...

Break Time from "Not Me Monday": So, on Tuesday morning, I awoke to grab my stuff and head to the airport with my friend Sarina (a pic of us after a LONG Wednesday experience is on the side!) so that we could be in line for our Am. Idol tickets by noon. We had a smooth plane ride there (thanks to Delta - back was whack - SO bumpy... No thanks to US Airways), and then had a little stress time when we found out our car rental place was having issues. Finally, we canceled that reservation and hopped on a bus over to Avis's rental stop, and rented a car from there. When we finally got on the road, Sarina got to experience a bit of my stressed side as we tried to figure out the GPS machine (I had never used one, so at first it was weird for me... I loved it by that evening) and find our way from the airport to the Nokia Theater. I really feel like I know my way around LA & West Hollywood now, though. Anyway, we got there by noon, parked, I took a breather, we met Janae and her friend, and we got a tickets!

We had decent seats for Tuesday night - back of the main floor - but it wouldn't have mattered cause I was just WAY excited to be there! Kris and Adam both did amazing that night... except for the coronation song. Now, I know that Kara has written some great songs and sings great (If your don't believe me on that, watch the playbacks from her "bikini experience" on Wednesday night's show), but that song is just NOT that great. Sorry. It's cheesy and dull... Too bad for Kris and Adam though cause it was nothing special to end Tuesday night with.

Anyway, both the boys did AMAZING with their first songs, GREAT with their second songs, and DECENT with what they had to work with for the final songs. The show was great to watch, I was loving each moment - drooling over both boys and their beautifulness in appearance and voice... Sorry, it's true. Haha! Oh, and Carrie Underwood performed after and was SO great - as always!

Overall, Tuesday was great for the show, and afterwards we stayed with Janae in her downtown LA, beautiful apartment and had a good time visiting/catching-up... We all went to London Study Abroad together!

Oh, and sidenote: There is a place in downtown LA that everyone should check-out when you got through there... Yogurtland! Haha... It is seriously the coolest little hang-out/date spot you could imagine... Okay, maybe I just really liked it, but it was super cool! They offer a bunch of different soft serve, but real, frozen yogurts and toppings, YOU measure it out to the amount and kind you want of everything, and then pay accordingly... cool concept because you get EXACTLY what you want... and the spoons were cute. Haha!

Now, Wednesday.... back to "Not Me Mondays!"

I did NOT have tickets to the Wednesday night show... Okay, I really didn't. SO, I did NOT walk around and talk to the people in charge of the theater, the show, etc. asking for opinions on how to get in... Then, we so did NOT show this girl where to go to get in line, and she did NOT offer us her extra ticket spot! Haha...

So, break time again: We had a ticket for ONE of us, and then this girl, Joanna, being the doll she is did some talking to the guy in charge while we ran to have lunch with Janae and get her food, and got ANOTHER spot for us. LOVE HER! Haha... So, we waited in line for a long time with her and got to know her really well - way cute girl! - and then around four they let us inside to "place us" seat-fillers.

Now, let me take a time-out and explain what a "seat-filler" does. A seat-filler is there to look cute and make the audience look full, specifically when someone important is not currently in their seat. Thus, we were placed in the first THIRTY ROWS in "celebrity seating" and told that this was our spot until someone came to take that spot. Then, when that "important person" came we were to move to another available seat.

I started in the sixth row, in the middle left section and Sarina started way far left a few rows back. Then, someone came to take her seat and she moved over to sit by me. That is when Lisa Tucker and Mandisa from Season 5 of Idol and the show House of Pain came and sat next to us. Granted, we did not know they were from season 5 cause we both didn't watch hardcore till last season, but I thought they were on House of Pain or some show like that. They were both very sweet and chill... We talked to Lisa more than Mandisa, though I did tell Mandisa she was "workin' it in that green dress!" Haha...

Anyway, after a few moments I got moved back to sit in the tenth row a little closer to the middle, where I stayed the rest of the show! Sarina stayed in that previous sport the whole time, so we were BOTH very lucky! It was SO cool to be there, but even cooler to be THAT CLOSE to the performers. I was sitting right across from Amanda Bynes and Janice Dickinson, in back of Christina Applegate, and in the same section as David Cook, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Heather Locklear, the girls from iCarly, and so many other celebs... but more than that, I was RIGHT THERE for the performances. I was right next to the stage and right in the experience of the idols and other performers...

Jason Mraz, Queen Latifah, Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, David Cook, Fergie & Black Eyed Peas, Santana, Lionel Richie, Steve Martin (who know he wrote music?!), Keith Urban (GREAT performer!), KISS!, and QUEEN!!! Flippin' QUEEN!!!!!! I know, Freddie is gone, but STILL.... AMAZING. I sat there in complete and utter awe. I was in LOVE with this year's line-up.... In LOVE. Plus, all the Idols did fantastic and it was just so inspiring...



I was SO moved many times by their genuine love for music and performance. ALL I wanted the whole time was be up there with them, sharing my voice and passion. Yea... haha! Next year? Haha... I don't care in what medium it happens, but I know that I MUST share the talents I have with the world... Plus, I have really decided that life is not worth living if we do not expand and discover the reasons that Heavenly Father has placed us here. There are MANY reasons I feel that I was placed on the earth, and at this specific time, but one reason I feel is to share my love for music, theater, film, and my passion for entertainment... esp. good, clean, fun entertainment. We need more of that...

SO, after the show (THAT WAS AMAZING!) we skipped outside to our car to get our cameras - not allowed in the Nokia - and headed to the interviewing arena. No fear, I am posting pics as I type... Haha!
We got there as the top ten (minus Adam and Kris) and Paula were out and we took a ton of pics of them... Then, shortly after they were in interviews that brought out Kris Allen - our newest American Idol. We took pics of him and then got asked by one of the producers if we wanted to go into a taping of American Idol Extra - Heck YES, please! Haha...





We saw Kris get interviewed a little bit, and then they finally brought out Adam... They are both SO sweet, but I must say that Adam just has this whole attractive element about him. Kris is beautiful and SO talented, more of what I would listen to more often, but Adam... He is almost untouchable in many forms and maybe that is what is so attractive...


I don't know! Haha... Seriously, he was just VERY genuine and sweet, but also VERY attractive... Sarina and I could not stop looking at him and his cute little smile. Haha! You can judge for yourself and enjoy all the many pictures I have posted...

I have one of each of the top five except Allison, because I didn't get a good one of her... I also have one of Megan cause she is from Utah as well, and one of Anoop, cause he represents the South so beautifully and was my FAVE! Though Adam DID carry some heavy competition forth... :)

Okay, enough of that. I am rolling my own eyes at myself...

The show finale was amazing, inspiring, and I am excited for my audition in a few weeks... Cross those fingers! Haha... It's one in a million, but in the words of Kelly Clarkson's song Long Shot - "It's a LONG shot, but I say why not! If I say forget it, I know that I'll regret it... It's a LONG shot, just to beat these odds... but if I never take there's no chance!" Haha... Thank you, Miss Idol Season One... haha!
*muah*

Song of the Day: Well, I have posted a link for Adam Lambert's Performance with KISS from the Finale above, and everyone should watch it cause it was AMAZING! Even if you're not a Kiss fan... plus, when on a huge screen you can see my head in the background... Haha!

BUT, the song of the day is actually going to a JOB, if you will.... I have picked some different options for a song I might potentially use for auditions... I wanna know thoughts, so check out a song or two from the list below that you don't know.... They are good ones! :)

SONG LIST:
Foolish Games or Meant For Me by Jewel
Open Arms or Faithfully by Journey
Lost by Anouk
(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin
When I Fall In Love by Nat KIng Cole/Celine Dion
Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk
I Turn To You by Christina Aguleria or All-4-One
Old Love by Eric Clapton
All I Know by Garfunkel
Killin' Me Softly by The Fugees
One Fine Day by Natalie Merchant
I Could Fall In Love by Selena
Winter by Tori Amos
Heavily Broken by The Veronicas

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Here I Go Again... Hello L.A.!!!!!

So... I just happened to have ANOTHER stroke of luck. In the past few hours, I have been the most spontaneous I have EVER been! I have: Bought a plane ticket to LA, rented a car, packed my clothes, found a place to sleep in LA, and all because.... Dun, Dada, Dun!!!

I got American Idol Finale tickets!!! Haha... I am beyond stoked... This finale is gonna be TIGHT! Maybe, I will even meet Anoop and Allison. That is not TOO much to ask for, right? Last year I met Jason Castro and Ramiele, so maybe....

I will report in three days about the AI finale and my AMAZING last two weeks of life... Can I just say, the Lord is good to me? The Lord IS good to me. Really, he knows what I need and when I need it... He loves us all so much.

Peace y'all!
*muah*

The song of the day: I have been working with a local band these past few weeks that I have loved since my sophomore year of college - they are TIGHT! Their names, you ask?

Truman! This is their song, I Want You There, from their upcoming album to be released on June 12th after they open for Kelly Clarkson on June 11th in Orem, UT. Sorry... I gotta talk my boys up something good... They are AMAZING and some of the most sincerely, caring people I have ever met. Really. ENJOY!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Outbreaks and Breakdowns.... and Discovering Superwoman.

I believe that the student body at the school I work in decided that today would be a great day to go insane. I don't know why. I don't know what could have prevented this. Perhaps nothing could have stopped the mayhem of behavior... There must be something in the school water fountains...

Good thing I drink bottled water.

Today I dealt with FOUR (Count em' - FOUR.) behavioral issue breakdowns. These kids wouldn't even try to approach their favorite things, like free-choice silent reading. I do not simply mean that these children would not "comply" or "obey..." I do not mean that they wouldn't do anything. No. These children FLIPPED OUT... There was kicking, flopping on the floor, yelling, crying, and more whining than a therapist could handle. Who was in charge or making sure that these students were okay and getting them do some work (including the state testing that is going on this week - could be a supporting cause or the outbreak)? Who had to take care of the rampant breakdowns, one right after another all day long?

... That would be ME.

It's okay because they are kids that I love and adore (usually - haha!) and I like helping them calm down and talking about their feelings... However, it was a LOT today and I just wish I knew why everyone decided to crack on the same day. I could say that it WAS the state testing, but that it only true up to a point... No. This was just a day that every kid decided to let their problems from home, personal feelings of inadequacy, petty annoyances, etc. come out full-swing for the world to see.

I felt like I was a mother without ever having children... I really love those kids, but did they all have to breakdown TODAY? Haha... I guess this proves that as a mother if I have more than one child at a time, they might choose to break down at the same, exact moment. In fact, I am sure that my brothers and I fed off of one another most of the time. God bless, literally, Jon and Kate with their sextuplets and set of twins...

Overall, I would say this was a good day.

I guess every girl DOES have a bit of superwoman inside of them... and today I found my part.

*muah*

Song of the Day: I went to High School with this band!!! They are fabulous - so talented and nice guys... They deserve all the support and press they are currently receiving, and I hope their fan-base and success continues. They use to be called Sparky's Flaw (I liked that name), but now we have... PARACHUTE!!!



Listen to Parachute's first single, She Is Love - a great song and awesome message! Love it. Love them. You should love them too.