AI Elimination Bracket Standings - 8

Wow! America put Adam in the bottom two! I think I have to agree with that in the sense of my belief that he does the same type thing every time. That screeching. Don't get me wrong, I think he's super talented. But I also think he's too Broadway like, and screeches too often. I was just pumped that Kris and Danny - who I voted twice for each last night, made it through safely.

This week was hard... someone has to go and I thought all 5 contestants rocked it out last night. So... Matt Giraud says goodbye tonight.

This week each person chosen correctly is worth 4 points each. Ashley and Riser had the highest points this week, tied at 12 points each, choosing three out of the Top 4 correctly. Congrats. And boy do we have some shuffling in the standings this week...

Updated Standings:

• Ashley C - 100 points
• Steve R - 99 points
• Mr. McGoo - 96 points
• Nicole T - 92 points
• Kelly L - 90 points
• Candace B -90 points
• Laura R - 81 points
• Erin Marie - 68 points
• Katy B - 68 points

Next week theme: Rock 'n Roll

Updated Info on Greyson:

Updated info on Greyson can be found on his mom's page: http://schwaigert.blogspot.com/2009/04/wow.html

Thank you for everyone's support. Each prayer and comment of encouragement has been greatly appreciated by Kelly and me, and the Schwaigert family!!!

Because of UFrank...

Yup Ladies and Gents,
that IS my hubby wearing an
University of Kansas (KU) hat.

As you know, he's an AVID... okay, maybe avid is not the right descriptive term, he's an EXTREME University of Kentucky fan. UFrank purchased us this hat a couple years ago when we visited Kansas and were able to attend a KU game in the Allen Fieldhouse. As we're raising funds for our friends and especially their son, Greyson, UFrank has joined in and contributed to the cause. All he asked for in return was this photo. So here ya go... because of UFrank... and FOR GREYSON... here is the shot.

Guest Apperance and Plea from Mr. McGoo

Verbal Vomit blog readers. I'm writing this because Greyson Schwaigert and his parents Ryan and Brittany are very near and dear to my heart and as I read Mrs. McGoo's blog about Greyson, I didn't feel like it challenged her readers as much as I would have liked. So that's why I'm making a special appearance here.

I want to challenge all of you, the readers, to please donate a small amount (or large) to this fundraiser.

This is NOT an advertisement or a statement from some corporate letter. These are my thoughts, my words, my tears, and my heart.

Our friends and family, I would hope that all of you know that if this situation was laid upon your feet, we would do our part in helping raise support and prayer for your child. So if you can imagine, put yourself in Ryan and Brittany's situation for a second. I believe you would want support and prayer from every place possible, whether that be from family, friends, co-workers, friends of friends, and anyone else. I know that if this was our son or daughter I would want my friends and family to support us in aid for our child and would greatly appreciate love being poured out wherever I could receive it.

We call ourselves friends and family, so I am asking....no begging YOU, my friends, my brothers, my sisters who are all in the body of Christ to take just a few moments from your day and donate to Greyson Schwaigert. The Lord has blessed Heather and I with some wonderful friends and an incredible family and it would mean so much to Heather and I that you cared enough about us to care about a very special young child.

I want to see Greyson break all his daddy's records as a soccer player for the University of Memphis. Please take just a few minutes and help make donation to Greyson's fundraiser.

Pour out your love.

Kelly McGugan
(aka. Mr. McGoo)

Greyson's Fundraiser

Our friends, the Schwaigert's have an adorable and handsome one year old son named Greyson. He is a stud of a boy, as you can easily see on the adorable picture to the right. Although his cuteness is beyond compare, he has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Ryan and Brittany, as well as their top notch doctors are working to help Greyson with his symptoms, as well as fight for a cure for what Greyson goes through and other kids like him. If you want to support and contribute to the fight against TSC, click on the widget to the right of my blog. You can donate to Greyson's fundraiser that will go towards the TS Alliance Walk-A-Thon in St. Louis (where Greyson's grandparents reside and his specialty doctors are located). Every little bit helps, $5, $10 at a time adds up after awhile!

I believe Greyson was diagnosed with TSC around the 2 month age range, since then the doctors and family have been working on finding a medication or combination of meds that will reduce his regular seizures to zero per day. Thankfully they are currently only occurring twice a day on average. This is much better than in months past. However, regardless of what this young gun is going through and all the doctors and tests he's been put through over this first year of his life, he's a super trooper! Strong as an ox, and developing very well. PRAISE GOD for His goodness! I'm blessed to have an opportunity to help Greyson out and support his parents in a real, material way!

If you do not want to donate online, feel free to cut a check (memo: For Greyson) to me, and I'll get the funds to Brittany who can mail a total check for cash donations to the TS Alliance Walk-A-Thon she is supporting with this fundraiser.

WHAT IS TSC?

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in many different organs, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs. You will see it referred to both as tuberous sclerosis (TS) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The term TSC is used in scientific literature to distinguish tuberous sclerosis complex from Tourette's syndrome.

The disease affects some people severely, while others are so mildly affected that it often goes undiagnosed. Some people with TSC experience developmental delay, mental retardation and autism. However, there are also many people with TSC living independent, healthy lives who enjoy challenging professions such as doctors, lawyers, educators and researchers.

Direct link to Greyson's fundraiser page: http://www.firstgiving.com/greysonschwaigert

The Riser Project: Operation Stev-O

Carpe Deal'em! Erin Marie and I definitely seized the deal on this one, ladies and gents.

For $1153 we purchased a two lamp and table set for the dining room, had two watercolor paintings customized and framed, three side tables for the living room, bookcase, three framed prints for the living room, guest bathroom accessories, guest bathroom decor, multiple living room accessories and accents, bedroom storage drawers and two door cabinet, large decorative living room vase, three additional living room seats/foot stools, basket to organize mail, kitchen table and two chairs, and area rug for the foyer entrance.

Through hunting down sales, as well as utilizing every coupon opportunity, the current total of savings for all the items above is $613.52. I say, even a Riser can say CARPE DEAL'EM with a savings amount like that!

Below are a couple shots of the deal finders working their magic in the stores:

Although there are many photos that could be displayed, below are two examples of our "before" and "after" shots. Going from a bachelor pad to a home!

Regardless of the many hours put into this adventure, both EM and I can say that this was fun! Fun to see all of our work pull together and look great, fun to see Riser enjoy giving friends the "grand tour" of the new look, and fun to hangout together working on this cause. Good stuff.


Now if only I could finish all the random projects I have started in my own home... hmmm...

AI Elimination Bracket Standings - 7

As promised the American Idol journey ended for two contestants tonight: 0ne guy that started off rocky, but started to pick it up along the way, and a gal who was a front runner in the beginning and slowly but surely fell off the map of true competitors. Anoop Desai and Memphis' own, Lil Rounds have had their AI quest put to an end.

Needless to say, one of these folks was a local hopeful for sure, and Lil saying goodbye tonight will probably shake up the AI elimination bracket standings with a quickness. New results are as follows... oh... what else shakes up last week's standings is the fact that I only counted 2 points worth each correct person instead of 3. OOPS! I've corrected those standings below also.

Revised Standings From Last Week:

• Nicole T - 76 points
• Mr. McGoo - 76 points
• Steve R - 75 points
• Kelly L - 74 points
• Ashley C - 72 points
• Candace B -70 points
• Laura R - 65 points
• Erin Marie - 60 points
• Katy B - 56 points

Updated Standings:

• Nicole T - 88 points
• Mr. McGoo - 88 points
• Ashley C - 88 points
• Steve R - 87 points
• Kelly L - 82 points
• Candace B -82 points
• Laura R - 73 points
• Erin Marie - 64 points
• Katy B - 64 points

We have a three way tie at present for first place: Nicole, Mr. McGoo, and Ashley C. Ashley had the most points this week: 16 points. That's 4 out of the TOP 5 correctly picked. NICE!!! On the other end of the spectrum, Erin Marie only had 1 out of the TOP 5 chosen correctly. Eek!

Riser - Popular Man...

So it's pretty amazing. I have a BlogPatrol feature (seen at the bottom right hand side of my blog, like a counter) and it gives me the opportunity to see how many folks are viewing my page, as well as what pages they view, among other things. Since posting last, the post titled: RISER PROJECT: operation Stev-o has received 58 views! I had the most views in one day after posting that post, 70 views on Monday. Craziness. I had 58 views to that post alone and not a single comment left until Riser posted one himself. (more discussion on comments in a later post)

Needless to say, this leads me to one conclusion: Riser is a popular man! I posted the link to this blog post on his Facebook page and wam bam, 70 views. Nice!

Riser is obviously a popular man (the above evidence shows this easily), and he's super good looking, plus a great guy. Oh, did I mention he has a nice house that also is looking good on the inside thanks to someone I know.

Steve is pictured below, in the middle with my hubby pointing to him... ladies, he's single and about to have a birthday (tomorrow). Anyone interested?


On a similar note, the handsome gentleman on the left of Riser is also an available great guy... Jeff is da man, and a great friend of ours also. Ladies, anyone looking for a good looking, good guy? I have the hook up, let me know! ;)

But ladies, the handsome devil on the right is MINE, back off!!!

RISER PROJECT: Operation Stev-O

Well things did not fully go according to plan. We changed things up a bit when it came to decorating our buddy, Riser's house. Although Erin Marie and I did all of our shopping within Friday evening and Saturday morning to afternoon, we did not wait, as planned, for next weekend to start the decorating process.

Tonight, I sit in Riser's living room, using Riser's computer to give you a PREVIEW of the before and after pictures that will be posted and documented regarding the RISER PROJECT: Operation Stev-O. Here are three photos I've taken quickly with my phone to preview.

We (the designers) are VERY happy with the result. We'll get more feedback from Riser once he sits and walks among the newness for awhile.

Can't Wait for "MOVE THAT SATURN"!!!

What does every woman want?
I say, it's someone else's money to spend!

I'm being granted EXACTLY that and I couldn't be more thrilled. Our buddy, Riser is granting me permission, the trust, and the funds to take his bare interior pad to a more furnished, put together, warm home. Let the games begin.

From the time that the decision was made that this fairy tale would become a reality, I have been on the search for good finds that would fit into the budget allowed. It's been great fun already, looking at things and pricing items out as I put together how it could all come together in Riser's house. This weekend begins the buying process and I'm pumped to have EM help me along the way.

So far, I've found five specific items that I'm exited about getting for that pad... below I've supplied some pictures of the direction I'm going. I've found some great deals that are going to help the budget go further and further along the way. I'm not worried that this stuff will spoil the surprise for Riser... seeing it like this won't even give a clue to how it will look when it's all pulled together. Very exciting.

LEFT TO RIGHT: top portion - Neat extra seating options for the living room, Table and lamp combination for dining room decor. bottom portion - trendy bookcase for living room, and end table/side table options for the living room.

Below is my solution for the wall above the couch in the living room, two or three of these should help cover the space and decorate the walls from the bareness.

This weekend will mark all the purchases, and here and there throughout next week. Then next weekend, we'll do all the decorating while Riser is out of town. When he arrives back home we'll have a MOVE THAT SATURN moment, just like Extreme Home Makeover. Tears of joy and all!

Pictures to come of the transformation process that will occur next weekend!

First Impressions

First impression, I think TWITTER is stupid.
Twitter defines itself as "a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time".

First of all, I'm not keen on the format of it.

Secondly, why do I want to know every single second what you're doing? "On the toilet", "driving", "thinking of this, thinking of that"... Facebook is updated frequently enough by some/most, why do I need an entire PAGE devoted to just status updates for one individual?

Thirdly, I don't know... no other good reason because I've barely seen the thing, but I'm not currently a fan.

I admit, all of this is just a first impression. I do not Twitter. I have barely looked at it. But knowing that the phenomenon is growing and found addictive by most, and taking a view or two at it the last day or so, all I can say is I think it's stupid with the little bit I know.

Just a random thought and a first impression.

AI Elimination Bracket Standings - 6

I don't know about you, but this week of American Idol was one of the most disappointing weeks for me as far as performances go. I just didn't eww and awww about many of the contestants this week. I think it was an off week for most. Okay for lots, just not much outstanding. The only performance of the week that left me asking for more, in a good way, was Kris. I really enjoyed his song. The others were just alright.

So after just an alright kind of week, we see the SAVE being used by the judges! Although Matt Giraud had the lowest number of votes this go around, the judges chose to give him another chance! Matt received the JUDGES SAVE - good news for him! Now 2 contestants will go out next week - bad news for everyone. Simon said next week is a disco theme. I'm hoping he was joking, but only time will tell.

The judges save leaves me in a pickle regarding the brackets this week. I have come to a solution that I believe is fair to all parties involved. I am going ahead and counting the TOP 6 points, as usual. If you have Matt out of the competition this round, you were right, he was scheduled to go home... you get your points. If you still have Matt in this round, you were right, he made it by the skin on his chinny chin chin... you get your points too. Next week, two folks head home, we'll score TOP 5 with both names coming off that list. Let me know if that's totally confusing and I'll attempt to explain again.

Updated Standings:

• Nicole T - 72 points
• Mr. McGoo - 71 points
• Steve R - 70 points
• Kelly L - 69 points
• Ashley C - 68 points
• Candace B -65 points
• Laura R - 61 points
• Erin Marie - 57 points
• Katy B - 53 points

After tallying up and posting the new standings, we've had some shuffling in the third, fourth, and fifth positions. Looks like the competition will continue to be interesting along the way. I love it! So glad ya'll played. Until next week...

Surprise from My Man!

After all the hard work yesterday, the plan tonight was to complete the priming job in the backroom. I didn't mind how long it would take to get the real paint job underway, all that mattered to me was making the dark blue "disappear" a bit with the tinted primer on the walls... so I could feel that some progress had occurred.

However, regardless of "the plan", I was afraid that we would not be able to get to the priming job tonight once I scheduled a coffee date with a girlfriend at 6pm. By 725pm I was out of the coffee shop door and making my way home. As my tummy rumbled, I knew I would not be up to priming once I ate and settled into the comfy nature of our couches with my man. On my drive home, I resigned myself to the fact that the priming job would have to wait until tomorrow, once again.


To my awesome surprise.... I walked into my house, through the living room and kitchen, and found our backroom covered in primer, wall to wall, all except one wall. See below:


Isn't my hubby amazing?! So much work,... DONE... all for me!!! So with ease, and quickness, I gladly completed the last leg of the priming job, covering the "graffiti" wall that expressed my hubby's love for me, and seeing the evidence of that love all over those blue walls. Bye-Bye dark blue... hello CORNERSTONE! Thanks handsome!!!

Day Off - Taking Advantage

My company was closed in honor of Good Friday, but I worked as part of the skeleton crew that day to get out any orders that might be of dire need for our customers. Therefore, instead of Friday, today is my day off for Easter. My goal was to take great advantage of my off day.

I'm pretty sure I've done well to accomplish that goal. Although I slept longer than expected, the sleep was much enjoyed. Once I was up and running about 10:30 am, I began to tackle the backroom that we're working so hard to completely reconstruct and change the look of all around. The picture here shows the BEFORE photo for this entire event. So far we've removed the AC unit and put a window in its place. Today, I worked on sanding down all the spots we spackled to remove any inconsistencies int he wall or plug up any holes we had from hanging pictures and such. After sanding, I let the dust settle and vacuumed to the best of my ability. Unfortunately the vacuuming did not take away all the dust that my sanding job created this morning. I followed up the vacuuming job by using Clorox wipes to wipe down every bit of that checked floor you see in the picture. Wax on, Wax off style, I covered every inch of that room with a Clorox wipe. After the floors, I used the Clorox wipes to wipe down the walls to prep me for the priming job I wanted to accomplish. Before lunch (330pm), I was able to frame out the room with primer and look forward to covering the rest of the room with the primer tonight.

The ultimate goal is to go from that blue color (DARK BLUE - I curse the person that put that on these walls, he he he) to the beautiful, neutral Cornerstone color I've chosen off the Behr color pallet. It's a slow process, but we're getting there. Once we complete the full color transformation, our next mission is to get new flooring for the backroom. Bye-bye checkered floor... in time.

I'm sad to say my arms and shoulders are already sore from the activities I've performed today, but I'm glad I've gotten that part of the room transformation out of the way today! I took advantage of my day off!

Easter Delight

Besides me loving Easter for what it actually is, and all it means to my faith (Christ died for my sins and ROSE from the dead, thus conquering death and the grave! Therefore, in Him, and in Christ alone, I am washed white and seen perfect in God's sight... eternal life is mine because of the sacrifice the Lord made for me through the cross and the grave!), I am also a big fan of Easter for the fellowship it brings for my family and the yummy eats we get to eat.

This year was no different. Although I missed having my middle sis and brother in the law in the mix, I had a great time with the family today and good quality time with my hubby doing one of the crazy events that Easter brings - dying Easter eggs. Last night, the hubby and I broke open our PAAS Egg Decorating Kit. We attempted to work our magic with the vinegar smelling dye and I had a blast doing it. Simple as it may, silly things like that are a great time together. I must say, my favorite egg is the turquoise one that has the white spots on it. I put some stickers on the egg before putting it in the dye, so once the egg came out and I tore the stickers off - - - white spots stood in it the sticker's place. Very nice. We didn't attempt to decorate them more than what the dye allowed, our pizza for the night had come out of the oven, so our bellies were ready to eat rather than mess more with the eggs and dye.

Today, after celebrating our Risen Lord at church, Kelly and I made our way to Mom & Pop's to taste the yumminess that is Mom's food and hangout with the family for the afternoon. We had a couple guests this go around, which hasn't been anything new for the Wilson household since I began college. Seems like every year since, Mom and Dad have been awesome at opening their house up to our friends during Easter. This year, Kelsey's roommate, Libby joined the family festivities, as did our buddy, Steve. Hopefully the enjoyed it all as much as we did.

After we filled our bellies will all the deliciousness of our lunch (man! I should have asked to take home some leftovers, they were Mmmm, Mmmmm, good!), we all played a double elimination tournament of Ladderball (or according to Libby, Hillbilly Golf is the name). Attempting to beat the rain that was heading our way, we ran to the backyard and got the game underway. Below are some pics of the event.

I think everyone got to play two games each: Kelsey played Libby (Libby won), Mom played Riser (Mom won), I played Daddy (Daddy won), Kelly had a bye, so he played the winner of Dad and I - Kelly played Dad (Dad won), Mom played Libby because they both won their first games (Libby won). In the loser's bracket: Kelsey played Riser (Kelsey won), I played Kelly (I WON!!!)...

... but once it started to rain pretty heavily, we all decided to fore go the rain, lightning, thunder, and ladderball, and instead make our way to the kitchen for some of Mom's yummy dessert options.

You can catch some shots of my competitive husband below - he wasn't happy that Dad beat him... I think he said something about Dad being warmed up and Kelly being "cold", and later even more "unhappy" when I beat him. Competitiveness... it's a healthy thing. Cracked everyone else up when the hubby and I played each other. Tension, I think that was the word the peanut gallery was using while they watched us battle it out before the rain came.

After Mom's super yummy desserts, we all parked ourselves on the couches to watch the Masters. Together we all cheered Tiger and Phil on from hole nine through 18, and seemed to jinx players left and right as so many of them missed shots we were just certain they'd make. For Simeon that usually does not enjoy watching golf on TV, the last couple days of the Masters always seem to entertain me. Sooner or later, however, the desire for a nap became too strong and we headed home to catch some extra Sunday rainy afternoon Zzzzzzz's.

Thanks Mom for all the cooking and preparation that went into our Easter meal. It was delish!!! We love you! Happy EASTER!

AI Elimination Bracket Standings - 5

Yup, as predicted the ladies and gents of the Top 8 American Idol contestants sang songs from their birth year on Tuesday night. As the number of contestants still in the contest continues to get smaller and smaller, you begin to get to the point where there are three options for the night: blow them out of the park and know you're safe, don't suck as bad as the worst person of the night and hopefully don't go home, or just be the most popular one or two from the start and possibly be okay just for popularity sake.

Tonight, as the over drawn dramatics of Ryan Seacrest were performed once again and the judges debated about using the save, we learned that Scott MacIntyre is leaving us this week.

It was a tearful goodbye for the contestants and lady judges as they watched Scott's video montage about his Idol experience. And the tearful goodbye may continue when one of our AI Elimination Bracket contestants realizes they put Scott down as the next American Idol. Although that contestant is not being hit too hard this go around (as seen below), the weeks to come might be difficult for them to keep up. Let the games and competition continue!

Highest number of points received this round: 18, by Steve R. That means he had 6 of the 7 correct contestants labeled in his Top 7. Got to give you props there Rise - don't get cocky with that compliment though.

Updated Standings:

• Nicole T - 64 points
• Mr. McGoo - 61 points
• Ashley C - 60 points
• Steve R - 60 points
• Kelly L - 59 points
• Candace B -55 points
• Laura R - 53 points
• Erin Marie - 51 points
• Katy B - 47 points

I'll keep an eye out for a lead on what next week's theme might be regarding song choice. I'll post it here if my Confessions of an Idol addict gives me any leads on what that theme might be.

Cool Website I Want To Share

www.iamsecond.com

Redemption 2009

Many years of preparation and prayer were put into getting the Redemption 2009: A Multicultural Revival for Women off the ground in Memphis, TN. A FREE EVENT opened up to any and every woman in the Memphis area and those wanting to see God do a mighty work in the city of Memphis.


It was an AWESOME event! Priscilla Shirer spoke and Anthony Evans lead worship. It was GREAT! I'm so glad I forged through the tiredness of Friday evening and the early morning crankiness of Saturday morning to go - the Holy Spirit definitely showed up both times. It was well worth making the effort to arrive at the Cook Convention Center and open my hears to what our Lord wanted to teach me!

According to what was recently written on Priscilla Shirer's website, over 9,000 Memphis area women joined together that March weekend to call on the Lord together for their city. Wow.

Above is a shot of some of the gals I went to the conference with.
Right to Left: My Mom, Me, Tina, and Tina's Mom.

Above: Erin Marie came to the conference with us too!

Priscilla was preaching it! From the very start she began to discuss how Memphis, TN is known for its kings: BB King - King of the Blues, Elvis - King of Rock & Roll, and Martin Luther King - One of the Kings of the Civil Rights Movement. She challenged us with, "I think it's time that Memphis might be known for another King! So we're here [at redemption 2009] to roll out our red carpet for the TRUE KING!!!" The place went crazy, and the Spirit moved.

Among many other things, Priscilla challenged the ladies at the conference about who they are in the pews of the church in comparison to who they are on the pavement of this city. It's time to move the good works we do in our own churches and begin to deliver that love to our fellow Memphians. Praying for them. Loving on them. Serving them. Until they see Christ through us, and the Holy Spirit does a work within them, thus hopefully doing a work in this city!

Oh, another quick highlight of the event was hearing Priscilla Shirer give her becoming famous "speech" LIVE, when she said:

He Is…..
The First and the Last
The Beginning and the end
The keeper of creation
The creator of all
He’s the architect of the universe
And the manager of all time

He always was, always is and always will be.
Unmoved, unchanged, undefeated and never undone

He was bruised but brought healing,
He was pierced but eased pain,
He was persecuted but brought freedom
He was dead and brings life
He is risen to bring power
And he reigns to bring peace

The world can’t understand Him
Armies can’t defeat Him
Schools can’t explain Him
And leaders they can’t ignore Him

Harold couldn’t kill Him
Nero couldn’t crush Him
The new age can not replace Him
And Oprah can not explain Him away

He IS Life,
HE IS Love,
HE IS Longevity and He IS The LORD
HE IS Goodness, kindness, faithfulness

And HE IS GOD
HE IS holy and righteous
and powerful and pure

His ways are right,
His word eternal
His will unchanging
And His mind is on us

He is our savior, our guide,
Our peace, our joy, our comfort
Our Lord and He rules our lives,

I serve Him because His bond is love
His yoke is easy His burden is light
And His goal for us is abundant life.

I follow Him because,
He Is the wisdom of the wise
The power of the powerful
The ancient of days, the ruler of rulers,
The leader of all leaders,
His goal is a relationship with me

He will never leave you, never forsake you
Never mislead you, never forget you,
Never overlook you and
Never cancel your appointment is His appointment book.

When you fall He’ll lift you up,
When you fail He will forgive you.
When your weak He’s strong,
When your lost He’s your way
When your afraid He is your courage,
When you stumble He will steady you,
When your hurt He Is going to heal you,
When your broken He will mend you,
When your blind He will lead you,
When your hungry He will feed you,
When you face trials He Is with you,
When I face persecution He shields me,
When I face problems He will comfort me,
When I face loss He will provide for me,

And when we face death
He will carry us all home to meet Him.

He is everything for everybody,
everywhere ,every time,
And in every way.

He is your God

and that sister’s is who you belong to.

AI Elimination Bracket Standings - 4

After another week of competition on American Idol, some competitors stepped up to the plate while others continued to show that they are not in the same league as some. For example, Anoop (in my opinion) turned back into the guy that I believed should have left after the top 13 sang the first night. Megan continued to pick songs that do not work with her voice and vocal style. On the other hand, folks like Kris and Danny continued to kill it. I thoroughly enjoyed both of their performance. They were my favorites of Tuesday night!

Once the votes on Tuesday night were in, it was announced Wednesday that Megan Joy was the contestant to leave the American Idol stage this go around. This update continues to keep Nicole T in the lead of our AI Elimination Bracket Competition.

Updated Standings:

• Nicole T - 49 points
• Mr. McGoo - 46 points
• Ashley C - 45 points
• Kelly L - 44 points
• Steve R - 42 points
• Laura R - 41 points
• Candace B -40 points
• Erin Marie - 39 points
• Katy B - 38 points

According to the Idol Addict blog, The scoop on next week's theme is as follows:

MJ's Big Blog is reporting that Paula Adbul has said that the theme next week is "The Year You Were Born." With that in mind, here are the birthdays of the Top 8:

Adam Lambert - January 29, 1982
Allison Iraheta - April 27, 1992
Anoop Desai - December 20, 1986
Danny Gokey - April 24, 1980
Kris Allen - June 21, 1985
Lil Rounds - November 14, 1984
Matt Giraud - May 11, 1985
Scott MacIntyre - June 22, 1985

DQ Run!

A new Dairy Queen is located in a BP station just around the corner of our buddy's house... it's been advertised for awhile now. Each time I drive by it, I make a mental note that the DQ will soon be there.

Tonight we basked in the glory that is DQ. With our 50% off Citipass coupons in hand, we ordered and enjoyed the Dairy Queen greatness. I had a HUMONGOUS Chocolate Malt. Kelly had a Blizzard with Snickers and Reese's Cup. Steve and Erin Marie split another very large Blizzard with Snickers and Reese's Cup. Mmmm Mmmmm...

Riser took the DQ challenge and easily turned over his Blizzard without a single ounce dropping out. Kelly, however, did not have a Blizzard that could have been turned over. It would have spilled all over the floor, without a doubt. So, as we were waiting for my massive chocolate malt to arrive out of the gates, Kelly asked about the "turn over" challenge. The DQ staff agreed with him that the Blizzard should be able to be turned over and saw with ease that Kelly's would not pass the test. So, to the embarrassment of the man who's Blizzard was already thick, Kelly requested a new one. I'm pretty sure he believe the exchange was well worth it. With new Blizzard in hand, Kelly turned over the cup and watched as the thickness kept all the yumminess in place.

Ps. My hubby says that Ryan Guess would have been proud.

Mmm mmmm Good!

Coach Cal Heading to Kentucky

Regardless of the rumor mills churning with abundance throughout the Memphis area and the Bluegrass State over the last few days, the official announcements have been publicly laid out today: Coach Cal is the new Kentucky coach and Memphis is left searching for his replacement.

The McGoo's are a house divided with such news.

First, I'm a Tiger alumni and also played for the athletic department at the U of Memphis. I grew up watching the Tigers play with my Daddy. Whether he was yelling at the TV in frustration while Larry Finch was the coach, or we were enjoying a Coach Calipari led Tiger team, we have always been Tiger fans! Mr. McGoo is currently attending school at the U of M, and is getting school paid for by the U of Memphis athletic department. We live in Memphis. We live less than a mile away from the University. We're definitely Tiger fans.

Secondly, however, Mr. McGoo's first love is the University of Kentucky. Raised much of his younger days there in Lexington, KY - he has been ushered into a loyal following like most of the folks from the Big Blue Nation. Being married to a UK fanatic brings about two options, well, I take that back, I think it only brings one option: JOIN THEM. So I'm a Kentucky fan also. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally rooting for the Memphis Tigers if they ever come to bat against Kentucky... but Kentucky is definitely someone I'm cheering for regularly. I've found that my hubby's passion for the University's many athletic teams has spilled over into me. Like Mr. McGoo says about Memphis, Kentucky is my 1b team. Not my 2nd team, but my 1b team. Memphis is my 1a team.

So needless to say, we are very excited (my hubby especially) about the opportunity UK has with Coach Cal coming their way. We totally wish him the best, for him and his family, and also to hopefully see the UK basketball program move productively ahead this coming season and beyond. On the other hand, we're hurting and sad for Memphis. Tiger b'ball is the cash cow of the U of Memphis athletic department. If Memphis does not find an appropriate coach for the program to continue its growing trend, I'm afraid of how that could adversely affect the rest of the Tiger athletic department. We're hoping for the best!

It has been amazing the amount of reactions that this entire ordeal has revealed from both Memphis fans and Kentucky fans alike. Negative to jubilant expressions of opinion are flowing out of the woodwork. I must say, I will be happy when all of this uproar, good and bad, settles down and we begin another season.

Seriously, my hubby has been a bit "distracted" since this entire affair began. I bet it would blow everyone's mind if I logged how much time my hubby has spent the past few days on this issue. From computer time spent reading, emailing, commenting, to the phone time spent texting, calling, and receiving calls, and to the press conference footage from today - - - a lot of man hours have been used by my hubby to get the most info he could about his teams (UK and Memphis). I'll be glad when all this settles down and we watch both programs move on, hopefully both for the best!

Oh, a "funny" observation from me... UK is about to go from the most stoic, laid back coach I've ever seen on a sideline to a coach that can be the most animated baboon looking guy you've seen on a sideline. Coach Calipari's passion pours out good and bad on the sidelines: clapping, jumping up and down, screaming, and beyond. A stark contrast between Billy G. of the past and Calipari of the future. Fun stuff.