So I play the numbers game to find a way to say that life has just begun

(insert perfunctory apology for ridiculously long absence HERE)

My friend Kellie and I get together about twice a week (and sometimes more) to knit, watch American Idol, drink wine and bitch about life. It's a beautiful thing. This past Sunday was one such occasion, and we made a trip to the local hippy-likesmaller and less pretentious-version of Whole Foods, Sprouts. They're not nation wide yet, and they haven't completely replaced Trader Joe's in my heart, but they're a close second. Trader Joe's, I miss you.

So as we're perusing the aisles and filling our baskets with logs of goat cheese and boxes of crackers, we come upon this little delight.

Chocovine. Anyone? I'd certainly never heard of it, but apparently it's been around. We were intrigued. We both looked at it, looked at each other, and then I placed it in our basket, and without saying another word we moved on. We have that kind of relationship where we understand each other and don't need to discuss the purchase of hilarious chocolate wine drinks. Of course we're going to buy it. As if there was ever any question about it. Never mind that we already had 2 other bottles in our basket. Never fear, we've not had any problems polishing off bottles of wine in the past.

That's a recipe for success, by the way, if you're looking for one. 2 bottles of wine + Casey James and Lee Dewyze + knitting = awesomeness. I had to rip back a bib I was working on because after that second bottle of wine, it was all wonky and had a big hole in it.

But damn, did you see Lee's performance of "Hey Jude"? With the bagpipes? That more than made up for any knitting frustrations I might have had. Lee and I are going to make Idol babies one day. You'll see.

Anyway, I got off subject. The wine. The chocolate wine. The Chocovine. We paid for our purchases and went on our way. When we got back to Kellie's place, we decided to open up another bottle first and refrigerate the Chocovine. Figuring it would be better cold, and also possibly after another bottle of wine.

Wrong on both accounts. It was quite possibly the nastiest stuff I've ever had in my mouth (that's what she said). It sort of tasted like a mud-slide, but worse. It didn't taste AT ALL like wine, and barely like chocolate. It was really gross. To the makers of Chocovine, I am sorry. That shiz is gross. Shame on you for marketing that to poor, unsuspecting drunks like myself and Kellie. I want my $8.99 back. (perhaps that should have been an indicator?)

On the drive home (and don't worry, I waited an appropriate amount of time before driving and ate an inappropriate amount of goat cheese and crackers), I heard one of my favorite John Mayer songs on the radio. And it made me smile. And also made me wax philosophical. If you're not a hard core JM fan, you may not know this song. It's not one they play on the radio often. But it's my favorite of all his songs. And as much as I think that John Mayer the person might be a total douche bag, he's a good song writer, and a great guitarist, and a sexy mo-fo. I'm sorry. That's just how I feel. So anyway, here's the lyrics to the song.

No, I'm not color blind, I know the world is black and white

Try to keep an open mind but I just can't sleep in this tonight

Stop this train, I want to get off and go home again

I can't take the speed it's moving in

I know I can't, but honestly won't someone stop this train

Don't know how else to say it, don't want to see my parents go

One generation's length away from fighting life out on my own

Stop this train, I want to get off and go home again

I can't take the speed it's moving in

I know I can't, but honestly won't someone stop this train

So scared of getting older I'm only good at being young

So I play the numbers game to find a way to say that life has just begun

Had a talk with my old man, said help me understand

He said turn 68, you'll renegotiate

Don't stop this train, don't for a minute change the place you're in

And don't think I couldn't ever understand

I tried my hand, John, honestly, we'll never stop this train

Once in awhile when it's good it'll feel like it should

And they're all still around and you're still safe and sound

And you don't miss a thing 'till you cry when you're driving away in the dark

Singing stop this train, I want to get off and go home again

I can't take the speed it's moving in

I know I can't, cause now I see I'll never stop this train

You can listen to the song here: Stop this train

I don't know what it is about these lyrics that move me so much, but they do. And I thought I'd share that with you.

So that's all I have for you. Bad wine and good music. Oh, and my Etsy store is open - have you noticed? Check out the side bar! If you haven't already, please take a look around. It's been open for nearly a month and so far is doing better than I anticipated. So I'm pleased. I'll be adding more to it later this week, so check back in.

Until we meet again...

Y-Town

As you all know, I currently reside in a suburb north of Austin, TX. But this is not where I am from. Nossir. I was born and raised in a wee little town in Michigan called Ypsilanti. Or, as the natives call it, Ypsi or Y-town.














Ypsi is located just west of Detroit, and east of Ann Arbor which is of course home to the University of Michigan. There is a lesser known University in Y-town, Eastern Michigan University.














Near this great University is Ypsi's most well known attraction, The Water Tower. The Giant Phallic Shaped Water Tower. Paul Bunyan's Penis.















Ypsilanti is also well known from the smash 1983 hit song "Back to Ypsilanti" by native Lee Osler. You can download and listen to that song here. I love the dotcoms and the fact that you can find randy crappy music about obscure towns from 26 years ago.

And of course, Ypsi is also the birthplace of Domino's Pizza.



















A penis shaped water tower, a really bad 80's song, and the worst pizza I've ever tasted. These are all things to be proud of. Ah, who am I kidding? We got nothing. Ypsi's got nothing.

But there is hope on the horizon. For Ypsilanti, hope is currently residing in the one person who could potentially put us on the map. For good.












Matt Giraud, current contestant on season 8 of American Idol.

American Idol tells you he's from Kalamazoo (another Michigan town with a funny name), which is where he currently lives, but he was raised in Ypsilanti. My boy is representing Y-town every week, and, in my opinion, doing us proud.

He's had some off weeks, I will admit. He's not the strongest singer or performer on the stage. And I don't realistically expect him to win the whole competition (sorryMattifyou'rereadingthisIstillloveyoucallmeok?). But I do expect him to stick around for a few more weeks, and I'd like to see him get into the final 4. The judges used their save on him last night, so that must mean they see something in him that is worth keeping him around. If you haven't been watching Idol because you live under a rock, then I can tell you that he is soulful yet shy. Sweet yet sexy. Talented, cute, and has been compared the both Justin Timberlake and Michael Buble.

















He rocked out a Stevie Wonder song last week (Part Time Lover), and I am a Stevie purist, generally believing that people should leave his work alone, because no one can touch him (case and point, Megan Joy who did a Stevie song a few weeks prior and it was AWFUL). Matt was amazing.

He needs your votes to stay in the competition!! I would hate to see him go home next week after the judges saved him this week.

So, on behalf of the people of Ypsilanti, Michigan, I am asking you all to VOTE FOR MATT this week!!! Consider it a personal favor to me. Lee Osler and I thank you.

Also, Matt, we totally think that you should sing "Back to Ypsilanti" for your final Idol performance. Really seal the deal. Let 'em know. Loud and proud. Y-TOWN.










(PS for the record, I am very proud of my hometown and love Ypsilanti. There are a lot of great things about it, but for the purpose of blogging, Matt's success on the show, and good humor, I only wrote about what I felt like writing about, which is pretty much how I roll all the time)

Dear Bloggy Friends and Neighbors....

Hey it's me, your long lost friend Caps. I've pretty much jumped ship and let you all hanging in the lurch. I'm sure you've all managed to survive just fine without me. But since I've received some comments and emails regarding my whereabouts, I thought I'd give a brief update.

I'm still alive and well and living in Austin, Texas. I've been busy these past few months with a new job, and honestly haven't been knitting much. I recently picked up the needles again, and I also took a sewing class. I've been crafting it up quite a bit lately, but of course I haven't documented any of this on my blog.

I am contemplating the direction I want to take this blog. I have some ideas, and I've even reserved another domain (aside from blogspot) at http://www.kibblesandknits.net/ (ch-ch-ch-check it out), which is still under construction, but at least I have it and can do whatever I want with it.

I'll be honest and admit that I've considered quitting the blog altogether. I don't think anyone would miss me too terribly, and I'm not looking for sympathy "Oh please don't quit blogging"s when I say that. But to be honest, I'm too self preoccupied to quit writing about myself for good. So blog I will continue to do, it just might be awhile before I get the new site up and running. In the meantime, you might see some changes here as I play around with format and stuff to try and see what I like and what I don't.

I won't promise timely updates or American Idol recaps. We both know those would be empty words, and you deserve better than that my friends. I will say, however, that I was more than a little happy to see this flake go home last night.

Uh buh bye.

But I digress. That's all I have for now, for the 3 people that might actually still be reading this here little blog. I've missed writing, I've missed reading all your blogs (yes, I've slacked off on that too), and I hope that I can find my mo-jo and return to you.

But for now, I will leave you with a picture of my feet.

Because you know that's how I roll.

Freshness

Look! The first sign of spring has sprung at our house! I came home from work today and found not 1 but 2 daffodils had bloomed! So exciting. It was nearly 80 degrees today and beautiful. I'm sorry for you if you live in a cold climate. You should probably move to Texas, where the flowers bloom in February and people, such as myself, wear flip flops to work.

Now then, on to the important business. The reason I know you've all tuned in today.

I have lots to say. First, I'd like to preface all my Idol commentary by saying that I didn't watch ANY Hollywood week shows, and I only saw a few audition shows. So most of the people I saw last night, and presumably in future shows, are fresh to my eyes and ears. I don't know their sob stories. I don't know much about them. I know what I saw and heard last night. And let me tell you. In some cases, it was not good. Not good.

And so I will begin. I will take them in the order they came last night and I will give you my candid, unscripted thoughts. If you don't agree with me, I'm sorry. Start your own blog. Feel free to express any opinions in my comments section.

Jackie Tohn (A Little Less Conversation) - Her singing was not good, but that's beside the point as far as I'm concerned. Freddy Mercury called and wants those pants back. They were the worst things I've ever seen. I wish I had a picture to go along with this, but I couldn't find one, and I didn't look very hard. However in my notes from last night I have the following written next to her name: pants - NO NO NO. Someone needs to throw those pants away, and while they're a it, grab her dad's hat and toss it with them. Freddy and Elvis are turning over in their graves, I'm sure. Her performance was annoying, her dance moves were ridiculous, and her belt and shoes don't even deserve mention. In summary, I did not like this chick. At all.

Ricky Braady (A Song For You) - AKA "Ears". Listen, when Idol is young and there are still a lot on contestants, I need nicknames to help me remember who is who. This guy is Ears. And I'm pretty sure Ears won't be around after tonight, so I don't feel bad not remembering his name. Or his performance. During the replay of the evening (at the end of the show), I thought it didn't sound as bad as when I heard it the first time around, but still I thought he was forgettable. I don't think he stands out, vocally or personality-wise, and at this early stage, that's a lot of what gets you through to the next round. I did appreciate the fact that he was rocking the velvet jacket, though. Thumbs up for that, Ears.

Alexis Grace (Never Loved a Man) - For starters, I'm not a fan of the pink hair, generally speaking, but hey, it makes her stand out, and because of that I'm not going to comment on her outfit, which I also did not find appropriate, except for in the boudoir. Appearances aside, however, I am a big fat sucker for a bluesy, gritty, soulful white girl voice, and this chick had it. She is a little thing with a big voice, and I thought her singing was great. I will go ahead and say that I think she was the best female vocal of the evening and based strictly on that, she should advance. I'm not sure she will, though.

Brent Keith (Hicktown) - "Dimples". Hey, I want to live the country boy. I want to like the guy with the dimples and the cute smile. I want to like him, he seems like a nice guy. But is performance was just OK. Not bad, not at all. But not great either. Very unoriginal, very much like the radio version of that song. I'm not saying this guy wouldn't make a good artist, but for American Idol, he just doesn't stand out. Sorry Dimples. I tried.

Stevie Wright (You Belong With Me) - Going into Tuesday's performances, Stevie was one of the people I had seen in auditions, and knew that I liked. I like a young girl who isn't all made up and malllish and can sing. I like that she was named after Stevie Nicks. I like that she doesn't have a big head about her yet. I was really pulling for this girl. In my notes about her, I composed a little poem (unintentionally). It goes like this: bad bad bad, not good. so sad. Who the hell let her pick that song? Who heard her rehearsing that and let her get on stage with it? It didn't suit her, she couldn't sing it well, it was too young for her, I don't care how old she is. Her voice is better than that song. I am really disappointed by her performance. Syonara, Stevie.

Anoop Desai (Angel of Mine) - Noop Dog. I will level with you. If I had to pick an American Idol right now, based on whatever criteria I choose, I will choose the Noopster. I love him. And I think it's high time that he have an Indian American Idol. And that mangina Sanjaya doesn't count. Sure, his performance last night wasn't all that great. But it wasn't BAD. It just didn't show his vocal range and personality as good as some of his earlier songs had. Such as the 1989 Bobby Brown cult-classic "My Prerogative". But you know what? It was Noopy's prerogative to sing whatever he wanted to sing last night. He can live his life. No one can tell him what to do. Cause what he be doing, he's doing for you.

Casey Carlson (Every Little Thing She Does is Magic) - AKA "Amy Winehouse Hair". She's not sporting it in the above pic, but she was last night. You know what else she was sporting last night? Porn face. Seriously, did you see some of the looks on her face while she was singing? Painful. I didn't care for her performance, but I will say that at times, I could hear a bit of a good voice peeking through her shit bag of a song. No disrespect to Sir Sting and The Police.

Michael Sarver (I Don't Wanna Be) - Another early favorite of mine, and I don't feel like he fell flat on his ass like Stevie did. I thought some of the judges were a bit rough on him, and that he rocked the song out, he connected with it, and it was a solid, good performance. I think he's gotten enough air time, and has a certain like-ability about him, that he may be able to pull through a pass to the next round, but his vocals surely weren't the best of the evening. Also, he's from Texas. So I gotta root for the local boy.

Ann Marie Boskovich (Natural Woman) - I liked this girl from the auditions. I think she's really beautiful, and though I'm not a lesbian, I would like to kiss her a little bit. I'm only half joking. I was disappointed in her performance, mostly because I felt like that song was way too big for her voice. She has a nice voice. She should have picked a song that suited it better. Ann Marie, if things don't work out, call me.

Stephen Fowler (Rock With You) - A brother can't get a break. I thought the judges were way too hard on him. Ok I will admit that his song choice had a lot to do with why I loved it so much. Ok I will admit that while he was singing, I was waving my hands in the air, a la Paula Abdul. I am a sucker for some old school Michael Jackson. But also I didn't think his performance was "corny" as Simon said. I do think this guy is a soulful singer, and hope in the future he chooses better songs that showcase that. But I was a fan of this performance.

Tatiana Del Toro (Saving All My Love For You) - Does anyone actually like this girl? I mean seriously. Besides her parents and those two yahoos she paid to pretend to be her friends last night. Does anyone in America really like her? Will anyone vote for her? It matters not whether she can sing (which she both can and can't, she's inconsistent), because she's totally completely over the top annoying and obnoxious. Haven't we all, as a people, learned our lessons about picking Whitney Houston songs? You don't do it. You leave well enough alone. I can't imagine anyone will vote for her. I really can't.

Danny Gokey (Hero) - Is this the guy whose wife died? Is this the guy I'm supposed to feel sorry for? Really, if his wife did die, I do feel bad for him. I'm honestly wondering. Is this him? I don't know. I thought he was the best male vocal of the evening, and I hate that song. HATE IT. But he broke it down. This kid can sing.

So, my picks to advance would be (based on performances and best vocals): Pink Hair, Dead Wife and Noop Dog. I wish I could pick more, but if I have to choose 3, I choose them.

I'd like to add at this point, that I wrote all of the above earlier in the day and didn't get a chance to post. Idol has since aired. I have not seen it, and do not know the results. I will go review the DVR as soon as I hit publish.

Until next week.....

I have seen the light

I almost died last night. For reals, y'all. I saw the baby Jesus come to take me home. Sort of. I mean, it could have happened.

Last night was a perfectly lovely evening to begin with. My belly was full of Mexican food, and I was left to my own devices for watching the results show of American Idol (more on that later) and then perhaps a bit of reading, or knitting. I really need to get off my lazy ass and finish that baby blanket for Sara, since that baby is a-coming next week if not sooner. But anyway....last night. So I watch Idol, enjoying some friendly back and forth banter, via Text Message, with some of my Idol cohorts (you know who you are), and when it's over, the local news starts.

Top story on the news is the weather. The clouds had been black all day, on and off rain, big red radar blobs on the TV. News anchors warning us how to take cover. A tormado was coming.

"Tormado" is what I used to call a tornado when I was little. I also used to say "anTANuh" for antenna. Sometimes I still do.

So yeah, the weather was bad. BAD. But I dig a thunderstorm, and it makes me want to curl up and read even more than usual. And I'm reading a vampire book, so I figure a good t-storm is prime condition for a little blood sucking action. It was going to be ON at my house.

I get up and am going to start doing a little picking up, putting away dishes, etc. La la la. La.

*tap. Tap.*

*tap-tap.*

*taptaptaptaptap*

*TAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAP*

*TAP TAP TAP TAP*

*BOOM*

*TAP TAP BOOM*
*TAP BOOM*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Well you get it. Or maybe not. The taps are the hail and the booms are the thunder. There was lightening too, but there isn't a good descriptive word for that. Probably because it doesn't make sound.

So I'm all "Hmm, what's that noise?" And I look outside and it's a crazified, full on hail storm. I text my mom, "Hey mom," I say, "It's hailing like crazy here."

I guess there wasn't enough urgency in my writing because she writes back "Hail, hail, the gang's all here."

Hilarious mom. I might die and you're making jokes. Awesome. So I say to myself, I say, "I'm going to prove to her that I am in dire peril. I will take a picture of this Monster Hail."

<-------------- Monster Hail

"That'll show her", I thought defiantly. And then I ran and hid under the covers of my bed and cowered like a baby.

Thank you to all of my friends who sent me TMs to make sure I was ok. All both of you really helped me through the hard times. To make a long story longer, Blain eventually came home to find me hidden under a pile of blankets and clutching to my cell phone. The Monster Hail eventually died down, no tormadoes were reported to have touched down in our area, and the Great Storm of 2008 just reduced to a heavy rain, which the flowers in my garden needed anyway, since I'm so darn lazy. So it all worked out in the end and everyone was happy. Except this poor bastard.

Ouch.

(this picture wasn't actually taken by me, or even anywhere near where I live. I have to give credit to my friend Marlene for it.)

In other news, even though I feel that American Idol is a total Sham. And also, a Ripoff. I would still like to plug my fave.

Go David Cook!!

Oh yeah, and what was that whole Fantasia thing about? I am still confused about that. So much so that I don't even have anything witty to write about it. That was ridiffiluss.