Writing What You Know

Its again been a while since my last post, but not for lack of trying. Every time I started a post, I'd get halfway through and then decide it was uninteresting, inappropriate or that one time I just couldn't find what I was looking for on YouTube and then just let the post languish. Poor innocent post. While trying to figure out what the heck I should write about and how I should do it soon or else face another 12 months without writing, I thought I should write what I know. Instantly the answer came to me. Idol. Yeah, I know the heck out of American Idol.


I've watched American Idol on and off for as long as its been on television. I didn't watch the first season until the season finale, just to see what all the fuss was about. I watched the next season audition to finale - I believe that is the Ruben Stoddard season. From there I didn't watch much until I moved back to the East Coast and A deployed. I enjoy the Davids season and thought the show definitely improved for the better. Last year A was home and I introduced him to Idol. At first it was just me watching, quickly fast forwarding through the down times to get to the songs, trying to take up as little tv time as possible since I was the only one watching. But then A got involved. And we chose favorites. And we went to the American Idol Live tour (no joke, it was awesome and I can't wait to go again this year). So when this season rolled around, we were both very excited. We watched every audition episode (which is commitment, its on like six hours a week). We chose early favorites and began to talk about what characteristics we thought contestants would need to survive. We take our Idol seriously.

So here we are, the top five already. I'm excited because I think this season has shaken out mostly according to plan. I think the weaker people have been weeded out appropriately and mostly left the top performers. While she wasn't my favorite by any means, I think Siobhan may have had one more week left. She annoyed me quickly when I realized she was going to 1) act like Adam Lambert every week (and no one does Adam but Adam) and 2) was going to pretend that she had no idea who Adam Lambert was or why people thought she was like him. We get it, you have a big voice and like to sing one note really loud. Move on. I don't really like Aaron Kelly, but he is talented. I always feel like he is singing the theme song to a beauty pageant as the winner performs her victory walk down the runway. He is an excellent example of the first second rule of Idol. (The first rule is do not sing Whitney, Mariah or Celine.) Remember your voting blocks. Who votes on Idol? Even A and I, very dedicated Idol viewers, do not vote. (OK, I may have voted all five allowable times for Adam last year. On multiple weeks.) So there are a lot of people in middle America, young girls, probably an older contingent as well. Middle America, young girls and old people love little innocent, God-loving Aaron Kelly (and beauty pageants). Nothing wrong with innocence or God-loving. I just think they shouldn't be confused with American Idol talent. That's my theory as to why Aaron Kelly is still here.

I'm sad because I know the end of May means the end of Idol. A and I spend a lot of time watching Idol. Talking about Idol. Getting ready for Idol. Playing the guess what song they will sing game. During Idol season it's hard to remember how we spent our time during non-Idol season. Lucky for us, we have four more weeks to enjoy and plan what we'll do with non-Idol time. (And a summer tour of American Idol Live!)

So here are my predictions which I am boldly posting for the world to see. Hard to make predictions without knowing the all important song choice - remember it was this time last season when Kris Allen did Heartbreaker! If not for that performance, Danny Gokey would be trying to get us to buy Ford this year.


5 - Big Mike

4 - Casey James

3 - Aaron Kelly

Final 2 - Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox. Winner - Lee.


PS When the season ends I'll do another post on the judges and the changes in the line up this year.

Poppy

I had planned to post something to the blog this week "coming out" as it were, and announcing that A and I were expecting. We were due October 11 and hoping for either a 10/10/10 baby or to give birth on 10/14 - A's grandfather's 89th birthday. We thought having your first great-grandchild share your birthday would have some nice symmetry. As you may be able to tell from my liberal use of the past tense, that did not happen. At our 12 week ultrasound there was no heartbeat, no baby to be born in October.

Our hearts were and continue to be broken. Distractions such as amazing weather, a dog who kisses livestock, unlikely and historic runs at the national championships and the comfort of friends and family have kept us going the past 10 or so days. I debated writing this post - after all I had told myself my blog would not become a pregnancy blog or a collection of belly photos. The more I thought about it though, it became important to write this post to acknowledge the pregnancy and the baby that were.

Since the moment we were told our child was "not compatible with life" people have offered us comfort by explaining this is not indicative of anything, the good news is you can get pregnant and that this is just a blip on our way to having a large, Gosselin-esque family. All of these well meaning people aside, we aren't mourning the loss of our future family or our fertility - we are mourning the loss of this pregnancy, this baby. This baby we called Poppy who would have been born in October and been our little pumpkin. Poppy who made me avoid chicken at all costs and want to eat anything smothered in ketchup. Poppy whose existence we had just started to share and take joy in our friends' and families' reactions. Poppy who we told the dog and the cat all about and told them that they would have to be nice to the baby.

Poppy was only with us for a short time, but we mourn him or her and do not want to forget or gloss over with plans for future children. We know we'll have a family - or rather a larger family than we have now. Calhoun and Bailey would take offense to think we are not a family already. We also know Poppy will always be a part of that family, just in a different way. We picked out this picture and will hang it in our eventual nursery - poppies to watch over all of us.