Only an hour-long show, so the songs will be mighty short, and that’s no fun. The non-theme (songs from the 21st century) hopefully means that folks (Mandisa, Katharine, Taylor) can showcase what they do best.

Lisa Tucker – “Because of You” – I really like Kelly Clarkson’s version of this song, but Lisa’s version didn’t blow me away. Is it me, or was she really flat? She seemed to concentrate so hard on E-MOT-ING that the singing part suffered. I almost felt a little sorry for her because Simon was so rough on her, but he was on the money, truth be told.
Kellie Dawn Pickler – “Suds In The Bucket” – She seemed hesitant to me, not to mention the fact that she sang through her nose the whole time (which was pretty accurate now that I think about it, because Sara Evans does the same thing in her version, which is really another post for another day). But it was bad. Really. Bad.
Ace Young – “Drops Of Jupiter” – One of my favorite songs, but speaking of singing through your nose…was he out of his range or what? And y’all – WHAT is going on with Ace’s hair? It looks like he’s slicking it down on the top and then poufing it out on the sides. Weird. And WHY WAS HE SHOWING HIS SCAR, for heaven’s sake? The scar next to the BIG THICK CHAIN? I don’t get it.
Taylor Hicks – “Trouble” – I’ve never heard this song before, but I like it. The only thing about it is that nobody knows the song – but he was good. I actually agreed with Paula – it was nice to see Taylor just stand behind the microphone and sing. David said that it sounded like the perfect movie montage song, which is an excellent call.
Mandisa – “Wanna Praise You” – Y’all! It’s the “Shackles On My Feet” song! Look at Mandisa breaking out the praise and worship music. But I don’t think the judges got it…it was a bold choice for her. And I don’t think Mandisa’s goal was for 40 million people to want to join the “Church of Mandisa,” as Paula said. I think Mandisa was really trying to use her platform tonight, so good for her.
Chris Daughtry – “What If” – Well, he’s consistent. But again, I’m a little tired of this one-note genre deal. I think it would be way more impressive if he would show some variety, some actual interpretation, instead of doing what feels like one cover after another. He’s good at doing covers…but I’m starting to feel like he’s not very original.
Katharine McPhee – “The Voice Within” – This was probably my least favorite performance by her. She’s so good at subtlety, and I felt like she was over-singing (I guess that’s appropriate seeing as how it’s a Christina Aguilera song). After David heard her, he said, “It’s gonna be one of those nights, isn’t it? She’s better than that song.” But the judges liked it, so that’s positive for her.
Bucky Covington – “Real Good Man” – Y’all, Bucky can’t sing. And I feel it’s a mistake to venture into Tim McGraw territory, because Tim can sing. And he’s cute. And he has charisma.
Paris Bennett – “Work It Out” – Now that was just too much. And who would let their seventeen year old sing, “We can’t make it to the bedroom, so we’ll just hit the floor”? I’m a little offended. Seriously. Too much. And I agree with Simon: it was like a little girl pretending to be Beyonce’.
Elliot Yamin – “I Don’t Want To Be” – I like the twist on a Gavin DeGraw song. This was probably my favorite performance of the night – I loved it. But again, Simon was right – the dancing was hideous. :-) Great fun, though.

What a lackluster night…I’m kind of disappointed. But I think part of the problem was that they had all of a minute to sing, so everything felt jumpy and disjointed. Eh.

Best of the night: Elliot
Should go: Pickler or Bucky
Will go: Lisa Tucker

Rachael Ray just referred to using salt and pepper as “a little ‘s’ and ‘p’ action.”

I’ve written before about the fact that she gets on my nerves a little bit.

So why can’t I quit watching? Why am I still sitting here at her “E.V.O.O./DELISH/S and P ACTION/YUM/YADA YADA/STOUP-because-it’s-thicker-than-a-soup-but-thinner-than-a stew” mercy?

Why can’t I turn away?

Something is wrong with me.

But tonight – it’s songs of the 21st century on American Idol.

Not even Rach describing cheese as “melty” can dampen my excitement.

Okay, here’s the deal. I am cooking this Sunday night for the latest crew of new members in our church. There will probably be around 50 people at the dinner.

In the next 24 hours, I need to figure out what I’m cooking so that I can buy the groceries and get the food ball rolling (that sounds kind of gross, doesn’t it? I promise I won’t serve an actual ball of food).

So here’s the question. If you were going to a supper at your church, what meal would make you clap your hands from sheer excitement? And if you don’t get excited about a meal every now and again, I’m afraid you’ll have to move on to another blog because clearly we have nothing in common. ;-)

I need an entree’, a side, a bread, and a dessert. And be realistic. This is home-cookin’…so if you’re thinking, “Oh, I’d like a filet and then some bananas foster like they have at Palace Cafe’ in New Orleans” – well, that’s just plain crazy talk.

So tell me what your favorite “church meal” would be. And thanks in advance for the help…I’m not usually this last-minute with my plans, but well, you know, there was lots of cleaning around here this past weekend.

I mentioned last week that I checked out Wynonna Judd’s autobiography from the library and that I really want for Sister to introduce us so that we can go ahead and start our journey down the inevitable road of being Best Friends Forever. Well, last night I was reading her take on meeting famous people: Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Carl Perkins, Tammy Wynette, etc. – and I started to think about my own encounters with the Rich and Famous. Mine is such a lame list. But I’ll share.

1. Meeting Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. backstage at a concert in Meridian.
2. Meeting Lee Greenwood outside the Temple Theatre in Meridian. This was when “God Bless The USA” had only been played about a thousand times, as opposed to the 16 bajillion times (and that is an actual number) that it’s been played since.
3. Seeing Amy Grant at the former Sunflower grocery store on Highway 100 in Nashville.
4. Seeing Amy Grant just two nights later at the James Taylor concert in Nashville (maybe Amy and I are also meant to be BFF, though I’ll have to watch my back for Stacey D. if that happens, and only those of you who went to college with me will get that).
5. Seeing TG Sheppard (is your heart pulsing with excitement?) in a restaurant in Gatlinburg.
6. This is a long one. When we were juniors in college, Merritt, Tracey, Katy and I went to Washington, DC for spring break because isn’t it the nation’s #1 spring break destination? OH, we had the best time. We went EVERYWHERE, much to Merritt’s (not really) delight. Anyway, when we were leaving our White House tour, which was kind of special because a sorority sister’s daddy was in the Secret Service and hooked us up, we saw a limo pull out of the gates, and we did what most 20 year old girls would do: we chased it. Much to our surprise, it stopped. The window rolled down. The first thing we saw was a dog. The second thing we saw was Bob Dole, who was MOST kind. And we were so flustered that we really didn’t know what to say, so eloquent me spoke up and said, “So. Are you off to do? Some important things?” But isn’t that sweet, y’all? At the time he was the most powerful man in the Senate, and he stopped to talk with some college girls from Mississippi. Love that memory.
7. Meeting Emily from the Indigo Girls after their concert at State. I tried to talk to her about the lyrics from “Ghost,” and oh it’s all just so unbelievably awkward that even 15 years later I don’t like thinking about it.
8. Meeting Chris Parnell after a Groundlings show in LA. This was in his pre-SNL days, and since he was from Memphis, and I was from Mississippi, I wanted to let him know how well he represented the South. He was very nice. That very same night I saw Mike from “Real World: Miami,” but we won’t count that one.
9. Seeing Ivana Trump outside of a restaurant in NYC. My brother stuck his entire body out of the car (we were about to leave the restaurant) and did one of those Jethro Clampett cat-call whistles so that she would look our way. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard. In fact, I know I haven’t.
10. Meeting Point of Grace, Chris Tomlin, and Louie Giglio through stuff at church. Y’all have heard all about that. And I know they’re not famous to all, but they’re famous to me, so there.

So – what are some of your encounters with famous folks? And Sister, you have a DECIDED advantage in this area, so maybe you’ll just want to give us your top 5 or so – because I don’t think Blogger can handle your list. :-)

Tell it all in the comments.

It’s not perfect (I keep telling myself, “it’ll never be perfect; it’ll never be perfect; make your peace with it; it’ll never be perfect”) – and there is still work to be done – but for the first time in about two years, I feel like I have control of my house instead of the other way around. I have thrown away THIRTEEN garbage bags full of, well, I don’t know what. Stuff. Burp pads. Old washcloths. Pacifiers. Expired vitamins. You name it. And here’s the thing…none of the stuff was out in clear view…it was in closets, in chests, in the secretary, the armoire, the pantry, etc. THIRTEEN BAGS.

I still have to tackle our closet, which actually isn’t that bad, and Alex’s closet, which is overrun with clothes, but all in all, it was a mighty successful weekend. Plus, I made a list of a few things that David and I need to do every single morning – nothing complicated, just practical – so that we can make this our routine and not just a phase. I’m sure you’ll be waiting on pins and needles to hear how it all turns out. :-) Seriously, though, “re-purposing” some closets and pieces of furniture was huge – because the way we’re using our space finally, FINALLY makes sense to me. That’s a big deal. I feel like we have a system, which is what I was after all along.

And LOOK! LOOK! I didn’t take “before” pictures because, um, I was too embarrassed. But I promise you that it’s better.

Notice how nothing is falling over onto anything else. My mama would tell me to apologize for the fact that there are rolls of toilet paper in the picture, but it is a closet in a bathroom, after all.

Peaceful, tranquil bedroom…no clutter. And I used the great linen spray that I bought after smelling some that Janie uses in her house – love it.

Finally, if you need a content, happy toddler while you turn your house upside down, put on a DVD of his birthday party. Works like a charm. And you also get the added bonus of hearing your child sing “Happy Birthday” over and over again. Which is kind of sweet.

Thanks for all the encouragement, internets. I couldn’t have done it without you. Seriously.

So I’m not finished with the house stuff. Not by a long shot. But OH, MERCY is it better around here.

And I’m sure you’re all sitting around thinking, “I HOPE SHE POSTS PICTURES!”

Actually, though, the thought of posting pictures has given me incentive today…because I have felt a little accountable to y’all. I mean, you can’t really post about how overwhelmed you are by your house and then show up the next day and say, “Um, well, I didn’t do a thing.” Hence the trips to Lowe’s and Walmart for Fun New Storage Supplies.

The kitchen and the den are now under control. That makes me very, very happy.

BEFORE:


AFTER:


To get the armoire ready for the new blue hamper toy-thingy, I threw out an entire garbage bag filled with old videotapes. There were two tapes I couldn’t bear to throw away. One is the video of Alex at my 24-week sonogram. Any guesses as to what the second one is? Here’s a clue. It’s NOT a movie.

There’s a fabulous prize for you if you guess correctly. Well, not really. But I can hook you up with a pack of gum if you’re the lucky winner. Everybody needs a goal, right?