Tonight’s episode of “The Office” was pre-empted by our local NBC station because of tornado warnings in a couple of neighboring counties, so you’ll be happy to know that our DVR recorded thirty minutes of a Live Doppler NexRad 3D HD extravaganza from 8:00-8:30.

On the up side, I have learned from the weather maps that there’s a place to the south of us called Weogufka, Alabama. There’s also a Verbena, Alabama, and I think it sounds like an absolutely lovely place to live. Maybe it’s because my mama is from a little bitty town called Rose Hill. I seem to have an affinity for towns named after flowers.

And that reminds me: the last time I drove to Memphis, I passed an exit on Highway 78 for Myrtle, Mississippi. Isn’t that the best, most welcoming name in the whole wide world? I think we all should move there.

Anyway, this seems like an excellent time to share some links I’ve been saving. You can read them while you’re packing all your earthly belongings for the move to Myrtle.

– Nester has reminded me how fun it is to rearrange furniture. Please don’t tell my husband.

– I miss my Papaw Davis all the time, mainly because I wish so badly that he and Alex could have known each other. Earlier this week Shaun wrote a post about his grandfather, and it ’bout near put me in the bed.

– Melanie at This Ain’t New York wondered what life would be like if her Garmin had a Southern accent. The whole post DELIGHTED me.

– I am deeply and completely in love with . It’s a neutral with a punch. Sometimes it looks taupe, sometimes it looks lavender, sometimes it looks gray – and it’s a warm enough color that it stands out against my fair skin. I can already tell that it’s going to be my go-to shade this spring and summer.

Okay. I believe that’s all. I guess I’ll catch Michael & Co. on Hulu tomorrow. Because while the weather guy was entertaining and all, I really missed Dwight and Creed.

See you in Myrtle,
Me

I’m a little late starting tonight’s show because I just finished watching Mississippi State’s Lady Bulldogs advance to the Sweet 16 for the very first time. I’m just as tickled as I can be for them. And I guess technically I’m not nearly as late watching tonight’s show as I was watching last week’s show, seeing as how I didn’t get to last week’s show until Friday. I was way past tardy for the AI party.

Anyway, I love tonight’s theme – Billboard’s #1 hits – and I’m trying to give this week’s mentor, Miley Cyrus, the benefit of the doubt and not get caught up in the fact that the only way I could have mentored somebody when I was 17 is if the other person needed some tips in SMOKIN’ HOT DRAMA SKILLS. Something tells me that my reservations have much more to do with my own personal baggage than they do with Miley Cyrus’ mentoring abilities.

All righty then.

Lee Dewyze – “The Letter” – I thought the big band take on this song was a great departure for him – the whole song had a very funky, jazzy feel, and it suited him. Honestly, do you know what I thought after watching this performance? We need more horns in modern music. Big ole brass sections. They make everything better. And also, did anybody else think that Lee took more control this week? He didn’t just sound the part – he looked the part. Made me happy for him.

Paige Miles – “Against All Odds” – Did anybody else think that was a little bit weird? The super-soft, off-key beginning, and then suddenly she went into power ballad mode. She’s obviously hoarse, and that makes me sad for her – because this was her weakest performance so far. It seemed like she started with one interpretation and then jumped to a completely different one, and it all felt very disjointed and strange.

Tim Urban – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – He seems like such a sweet guy. And his version of this song was serviceable, but it wasn’t original. There was no unique perspective, and it was more like something you’d see if he’d been cast as the singer in the background of a prom scene in a Lifetime movie. In other words: not at all memorable.

(Okay. I’m now watching Miley’s mentoring session with Aaron, and I’m so tired of those super-short cut-offs that I REALLY want to go grab a pair of blue jeans, hand them to her, and say, “Just put on some long pants, honey. SOME LONG PANTS. THEY’RE COMFORTABLE! AND ALSO WARM!”)

Aaron Kelly – “Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” – Time to haul out the red and white polka dot dresses and gaze into Ben Affleck’s eyes, girls (I may have watched this movie once or thirteen times in the late 90s). I have to say that this is one of those songs that I don’t ever have to hear again, but it was a good choice for him. It highlighted the strengths of his voice, and he did a good job.

Crystal Bowersox – “Me & Bobby McGee” – How much do I love this song? I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. And the performance was brilliant. Something about watching Crystal sing makes me want to cry – she is so gifted, and it makes me a little weepy that she’s getting to do something that she obviously loves so much. I wouldn’t just buy her CD – I’d buy a ticket to her concert. The end.

Michael Lynche – “When A Man Loves A Woman” – Honestly, I think this song choice is tired. But I really liked this arrangement. So basically I was all prepared to roll my eyes and think that the song had been done to death, but Michael won me over. Good job.

Andrew Garcia – “Heard It Through The Grapevine” – As a child of the 80s, I got a smidge burned out on this song thanks to the California Raisins. Andrew’s version didn’t do much to change my mind. It felt karaoke-ish to me – and the moonwalk didn’t help. It sounded a little bit like he was “talking” his way through the verses, so it came across as very choppy, and by the end I felt like he hadn’t really done that much singing. Weird.

Katie Stevens – “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – For the first time I thought she seemed youthful and current, and it was fun to see her getting more comfortable on stage. As far as the vocals, it seemed really sharp to me – to the point that I closed one eye through parts of the song – but I think she’s on the right track.

Casey James – “The Power of Love” – I probably wouldn’t have picked this song for Casey. I would’ve gone with a song that has more of an edge (not to mention that the background vocals were CHEESE-Y). What about a Maroon 5 song or a Daughtry song – something a little more modern? Something that doesn’t make me think about Marty McFly? HOWEVER, he sounded great, and he seemed to enjoy himself more than he has in recent weeks.

Didi Benami – “You’re No Good” – This was a good song for her – and the arrangement was just the right mix of retro and modern. I don’t think her vocals were as strong as they were last week, and it seemed a little bit like she was going through the choreographed motions. More than anything she just doesn’t seem relaxed on stage, and when she loosens up enough to just be herself, I think she’s going to hit her stride.

Siobhan Magnus – “Superstition” – I love me some Stevie. I’m still trying to figure out Siobhan. She is so talented, but sometimes when she’s singing I just don’t get it. This performance especially felt a little bit like a metronome – and maybe even a little Lambert-esque (please don’t start screaming at us every week, Siobhan – please – I beg you). All that to say: I still appreciate her talent – but I still don’t really enjoy her. For whatever reason.

Best of the night: Crystal. Hands-down.
Worst of the night: Paige. Oh bless her heart.
Should go: Paige or Andrew – neither of them can find their footing.
Will go: Paige or Andrew.

What did y’all think?

If you’d like to add your AI post to the Mr. Linky, please use the link to your specific post and not your blog’s general URL.

Mr. Linky is having some ish-ahs – hopefully he’ll be up and running in a little while.

So I’m going ahead with my regular “Office” post even though I haven’t added my comments to the “American Idol” post yet. And if you’re wondering why I haven’t blogged about “Idol” yet, well, it’s because I haven’t watched it yet.

I feel I owe that explanation to the six of you who care.

I’ll offer lots of mundane, mind-numbing details later, but I’ve been out of town for a couple of days because our trip to State’s NIT game turned into a mini-road trip / reunion / two-day conversation marathon (of sorts). It was such a sweet time.

And hopefully tonight’s episode of “The Office” will be, too.

(DID YOU SEE HOW I DID THAT?)

(DID YOU SEE MY LAME TRANSITION?)

(BEHOLD THE ABSENCE OF SKILLZ!)

1. “The Lost & Found has gone missing, so please try not to lose anything until we find it.”

2. “You couldn’t handle my undivided attention.”

3. “You get any news on the leads? You call my numbers. All six of my numbers. Including the car phone. Dwight out.”

4. “The sales department smashed my sandwich?” // “Yes. All of them together. It’s a conspiracy.”

5. “That’s what she said.”

6. “Kids don’t respect the father who doesn’t respect the boss.”

7. “Oh, how the tables have turned. I see you got my email.”

8. “If you want to find your leads, go to the man who never breeds.” // “KEVIN!”

9. “Meredith, take off your dress.” // “Okey dokey.”

10. “Does it have to be pizza? Can we go for a falafel?”

11. “Don’t use your cute baby to make us like you.” // “She’s wearing a onesie.”

12. “When I first met you, you were a wide-eyed innocent.” // “I can’t do anything about my wide-set eyes.”

13. “Do you have any pastries without fruit?”

14. “…and the caption would read, ‘Hope Arose in a Dump.'”

15. “You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met – ruddit-dit-di-doo.”

I give tonight’s episode a 6 out of 10 – not really laugh out loud funny, but there were a few good moments. What did y’all think?

Since the little man and I are in Starkville tonight, it’ll be tomorrow before I get to watch American Idol. But do you know what? Without even seeing it, I know that three things happened:

1) Simon told somebody that his or her performance wasn’t “memorable.”
2) Randy told somebody that his or her performance was “just a’ight for me, dog.”
3) Crystal Bowersox rocked it.

See? IT’S LIKE I SAW EVERY SINGLE MINUTE.

Anyway, I’m going to go ahead and put up a Mr. Linky for you faithful AI posters (remember, link to your specific post and not just your general blog URL), and tomorrow I’ll add my reactions to the mix.

BooMama out.

(Sorry.)

(I couldn’t resist.)

(I hope we can still be friends.)

Given that last week’s episode of “The Office” has made me giggle all week long, I’m more convinced than ever that it was an instant classic. And besides that, I feel like it’s given us so much to look forward to during the last couple of months of the season: Jim and Pam as new parents, Dwight and Angela (round two), Andy and Erin, Kevin and First Lunch, etc.

All righty – here we go:

1. “It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and here in Scranton that is a HUGE deal. It’s the closest that the Irish will ever get to Christmas.”

2. “What do we got here?” // “Mega desk.”

3. “Getting hooked on mega desk was my own fault. I don’t care about assigning blame. All I care about is mega desk. That is all I care about. Getting more mega desk.”

4. “The say that no man is an island. FALSE. I am an island, and this island is volcanic. And it’s about to erupt with the molten hot lava of strategy.”

5. “Whenever I’m sick it goes away in a few hours. Except once when I was in the hospital from age three to six.”

6. “Jo, I have an idea for suntan lotion soap.”

7. “Look at that picture that you drew. Nice job!”

8. “Let’s follow the chain of events: Jo likes Michael. Jo invites Michael to house. Jo doesn’t like Michael anymore.”

9. “I’m not surprised that Dwight’s using my baby to steal my desk. I’m a little surprised that it’s working.”

10. “You’ll probably feel better one you get some pants on.”

11. “Does her family owe your family something in terms of a past injustice?”

12. “Oh! Andy! I’m in my jammie jams!” // “That’s okay. I’m in my workie-works.”

13. “…if you’d like I can swing by your house so your baby can experience a strong male presence.”

14. “Drinks are on me!” (as Michael pulls out two different credit cards)

15. “They call it quad desk.”

All in all, this was nowhere near as funny as last week, but I guess Jo needed a send-off. And granted, the Jo character is charming, but she’s not particularly funny. So I guess it’s good she’s going back to Tallahassee. However, the fact that Andy and Dwight sang a short duet of “Cat’s In The Cradle” goes a long way with me. I’m trusting that next week will be better.

What did y’all think?

Just FYI: this afternoon when I was cooking supper I watched Crystal Bowersox’s most recent performance again. And I watched it not once, not twice, but THREE times.

And quite frankly I’m wondering if any of the guys can top it.

Guess we’ll find out over the next hour.

Lee Dewyze – “Fireflies” – I’m such a fan of his voice. I thought he was a little pitchy at the beginning of this song but really started to work it out when he hit the chorus. Can’t wait to see what he does in the theme weeks – I think his arrangements will have some interesting twists and turns. Also: he’s reminding me a little bit of Kris Allen in terms of how his confidence has increased by leaps and bounds over the last couple of weeks – that’s fun to see.

Alex Lambert – “Trouble” – One of the greatest songs ever – and probably Alex’s best performance so far. He is insanely talented, and when I hear his voice I cannot believe he’s 19 years old. But I really, really want to cut his hair. It won’t take me five minutes. Seriously. Just a quick cut. And America will thank me.

(Sidenote: raise your hand if you cried a single tear when Kara implored him to “Be you. Let go.” Because I totally cried a single tear. And then I held a single yellow rose and wistfully plucked the petals as I repeated Kara’s inspirational words: “Be you. Let go. Be you. Let go.”

Tim Urban – “Hallelujah” – Oh, if you’re gonna tackle this song, you’d better have some serious musical chops. And you know what? He really surprised me. There were a couple of moments where the lyrics sounded awkward, but I felt like he really rose to the occasion. And I was happy for him. Because like Didi last night, I think he bought himself some AI time.

Andrew Garcia – “Genie In A Bottle” – I give him big points for originality. The end of the song was actually my favorite – the little bit of a cappella there at the end was what I wish there had been more of in the arrangement. It seemed like it was in the wrong key – like he started off too high, almost. There was a little bit too much going on with the guitar, and I wish he pulled back a little. Maybe a blues-y version would have worked better? Regardless, I hope he makes it to next week.

Casey James – “You’ll Think of Me” – Listen. Casey James can flat-out sing a ballad. Yes. Yes he can. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Aaron Kelly – “I’m Already There” – This was maybe a little show-y for me. A little too earnest. And when you combine those two things with the fact that it was pretty rough vocally – well, it seemed like the song was too big for him. Good for him, though, for being such a competent performer at such a young age. Hard to believe he’s 16.

Todrick Hall – “Somebody To Love” – Between George Michael’s version and the Glee version – not to mention the original – this song comes complete with mighty big shoes the very few singers can fill. I thought the falsetto part was almost painful, and it felt completely disconnected from the main part of the song (I’m sure there’s a technical term for that – I just don’t know it). The song is infectious, though, and I actually enjoyed the more soulful parts. But I didn’t like the over-the-top background vocals; I thought they were a distraction.

Michael Lynche – “This Woman’s Work” – BRILLIANT song choice. And that was some falsetto. I was such a fan of this song way back when Kate Bush first recorded it (my friend Bubba and I used to ride around and sing it over and over and over), and I thought the R&B take on it was inspired. His very best performance so far – it was A Moment. Loved it a million times. And you’d better believe that I will download it tomorrow.

What did y’all think about tonight’s show? I think Aaron and Todrick may be in trouble, but Michael Lynche is here to stay, my friends. He may have even topped Crystal. And that is some high praise indeed.

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